Compositional Elements in Scenics

[Rachel Foster]

I have absolutely no problem altering the image in any way. I'm not trying to document. (Impressionism is my favorite style of painting, by the way, and partly what drew me to this image.)

I think the image has potential but I see the black specks as distracting. Secondly, I'm not sure if the land is needed to anchor the image and lead the eye. If I remove it, I worry the eye will not travel from the center, left, upper part and then circle back to the right side and continue downward. That's the trajectory I'm hoping to get. I'm aiming to lead the eye smoothly around the image.

 

[Asher Kelman]

The buoys to me are important. I'd try the possible options that please you and then post them. Does the sky have to be so dark and the land hidden?

Asher

 

[Rachel Foster]

I'll look at that. I actually darkened the sky to bring out the clouds more.

Is this one too dark as well?

 

[Asher Kelman]

I'll look at that. I actually darkened the sky to bring out the clouds more.

Is this one too dark as well?

Here this is an entirely different picture with the reeds growing from the water. The lines of the buoys gave a feature that now is absent.

The common feature is darkness. Again, I cannot say it's wrong. I can only say whether or not I like it and in truth, I don't. I feel that this lacks work on your part in taking your own steps beyond what Canon engineers built into the camera. Again, so what? I am not necessarily justified in demanding that you alter your pictures. After all, I'm not you.

However, my guess is that you don't need all this darkness to express what you need. Adjust different versions, print them, put them on the wall and think about what you like. It might be they should n ot vary from what you have.

OTOH, you might want the lighter versions of the sky, for example and the land opened up a tad. note that you can add an S-curve to increase the brightness of the picture but also change the slope of the curve so that the clouds do stand out.

I'd look at the version with buoys again and embrace this feature, but that then is only my predjudiced my take on what you have captured.

Asher

 

[Rachel Foster]

Asher, of course you respond from your own perspective! While I realize my own tastes differ, your different vision helps me visualize the image in new ways. It also challenges my biases and forces me to broaden my preset tendencies.

I'll play with the images tonight. And one question is answered...either I'm going too dramatic in contrast or my monitors are off.

 

[Rachel Foster]

I was wondering if anyone else has a suggestion?