Living in the south east of the UK can have it’s problems photographically. The landscape is generally flat and a lot of it is over developed. We do have a lot of interesting coastline, however, getting to it is difficult as so much of the land is privately owned. With that in mind I find it easy to make a case for driving several hours on congested roads to get to the more dramatic topography the UK has to offer. Of course the other side of that coin is the danger of capturing a minor variation of the over familiar. So it is with more than a little satisfaction when you can find something of interest locally, get a seed of an idea, and be able to jump upon suitable conditions if they should present themselves.
In the middle of the day this is nothing more than an eyesore. It is a combination of a disused oil storage site, now often used for flytipping and an area that the common decency of dog walkers clearing up after said dogs does not seem to apply. Add the port and power station in the distance and it’s pretty far removed from the natural splendour of somewhere like the Lake District.
However, given a high tide coinciding with sunset, I really enjoyed the story of nature doing it’s damnedest to soften the presence of industry.
I am after a bit of critique as I am aware that the above may well be clouding my judgement on the final image so would appreciate any thoughts, thanks.
Any pertinent technical details: Nikon D750. Shot at f11 30mm 15sec polariser & 6 stop. Boat was blended in from exposure without the 6 stop
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
You succeeded with a nice well thought image. Nice light and soft processing.
i might remove the prominent power pole just to left of the building along with the reflection
of course. It seems to strike a sharp tone in a tranquil scene…
This is a superb image Steve, made better by a couple of weeks I spent working in Hull/Humberside about 3 decades ago. While I carried camera gear, I was unable to surmount the visual challenges in the limited free time allotted, so the area frustrated me greatly. This speaks very well for your talent and eye.
Steve, I also like the sense of tranquility that you achieved in this scene, with that soft warm light, and the slightly blurred reflection in the water. The light on that shack and pier is exquisite. Your processing looks great here. While I like this image as presented, I think another alternative crop to consider might be to go with a panoramic aspect ratio like 16:9 or 16:8, this would be a different image with more emphasis on the pier.
Thanks Gents, I appreciate the kind words and thoughts. @Ed_McGuirk, yeah that’s an interesting idea. It’s funny I never seem to consider cropping single shots like that, reserving the ‘pano’ ratios for, well, panos Something to definitely consider
I don’t think it clouded your judgement at all; this has a real beauty so I’d say you were highly successful. I think it’s nice as is, but like the crop idea as well.
Something to definitely consider