5D2, 70-200Lf4 @ 149mm, f16 @ 20sec, ISO 100, CPL, TK Luminosity masks
Hi Danny. You have given us a remarkably quiet nuanced view of Cannon Beach sea. Typically not so calm and images not so calming.
The soft colors of sea and sky are very appealing. The two rocks and the intervening rocks are quite a contrast. So I am unsettled about the pastel feelings and the starkness of the rocks.
The first thing I wanted to tinker with was the horizon. The horizon is such an important part of this work. Seems a bit low on the right so a touch of rotation might be in order.
As with many good compositions, there are pictures within the picture.
I wondered if the two big rock columns were one too many. If the image is about their conversation then OK, but I feel the deeper image is about the other elements. Of the two attached revisions, the first works better for me, but the second has more water action in the lower right. Both prevent my eyes from ping ponging between the rocks, and favor the pastel nuance of your image.
Thanks for the input, I do have same crop you did.
The contrast between the soft pastels and the hard, almost black rocks is what makes this image for me. In fact, I think that was your point. I visited Bandon this summer for the first time and came away with a similar impression of these monoliths.
There is a video on B&H by Abel who states how the horizon is the most important element in a composition . He goes on to state that all good compositions have the main subjects protruding above the horizon line. I don’t know if that should be a rule but in this case having the tops of the rocks meeting the horizon line is an issue for me.
Yes, I agree with Igor. Having the top of the stack just barely touching the horizon line creates an enormous amount of tension which, seems contrary to your intention. The long exposure, quiet pastel colour palette and softness of tone and texture, all seem to be pointing to calmness and quietude. And that makes the stacks proximity to the horizon line that much more jarring.
I pretty much agree with what the other’s have said about the tension that the left rock creates with the horizon. I also agree that this needs a little bit bit of counter rotation. However, I do like the idea of cropping the image but I would remove the left rock and keep the larger right rock and the smaller rocks to the left of it and then flip the image so that the sea stack is on the left. I also think this would look great as a black and white. The color of the water is bothering me just a little bit and while the blue sky is nice and soft and pastel, the color of the water is a little…blah. It’s close to being pastel but not quite there. I absolutely love the light that you got on the water at the horizon line.
Danny,
I really love the colors and contrast of this image and the arrangement of the three subjects work for me as well. However, I have to agree that the tension with left rock and the horizon is definitely an issue.