Emerging from the sands

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
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Emerging from the sands
Emerging from the sands2048×1365 373 KB

On a casual walk with the kids I turned around and saw them climbing all over this. Perhaps it’s evidence of my fondness for fantasy books but I can’t help but see a giant bird skull with its massive vacant eye. Or perhaps a horse?? Either way, I wouldn’t have wanted to meet it in real life!

I didn’t have a lot of options for framing as the angle was pretty constrained to get the skull-like effect that I was going for so I was stuck looking down the beach through the “eye socket”. I opted not to go with B&W because I felt that the remaining brown contributed to the sense of age and decay. I also considered cloning out all the activity in the beach but felt that an expanse of artificially smooth sand didn’t look quite right.

Specific Feedback Requested

I have a bad habit of centering my images when they have a strong subject like this. In this case I think it works but I’m interested in everybody’s thoughts (assume more of the same surrounding it - mostly featureless beaches). Of course, all other thoughts are welcome as well!

Technical Details

Fujifilm X-T3 - 35mm, f/5.6, 1/850sec, ISO 160

Essentially SOOC with a little lifting of blacks and shadows

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What a piece of sculpture that stump is! I find myself wanting to see even more detail in the wood and a uniform background. I wonder if it might have worked to be lower, and closer, looking slightly up, maybe from the left side aimed toward the right? Just thoughts. If you have the option, I’d encourage you to do more with this. A good start.

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Thank you for the suggestions, they really help! The next time I’m in the area, I definitely plan to head back over and see what I can do with it.

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Dave, I’m thoroughly enjoying the “big eyed skull”. I think your composition choices work very well. You’ve got lots of detail in the tree and enough of it’s setting to make a fine “story” about what can be found on a beach. I think the overall grayness adds a touch of somberness that feels appropriate.