Peggy’s Cove is an iconic tourist spot in Nova Scotia. I made this image with a simple Canon point and shoot in 2010. I shot it in color and got a decent, but plain travel snapshot. By cloning out several tourists and converting it to B&W, I tried to create a story in which the lighthouse says, " Sailors look out sailors and fisher people, I’m guarding this rocky shore for you." The lighthouse is still in operation by the Canadian Coast Guard.
Type of Critique Requested
Aesthetic: Feedback on the overall visual appeal of the image, including its color, lighting, cropping, and composition.
Conceptual: Feedback on the message and story conveyed by the image.
Emotional: Feedback on the emotional impact and artistic value of the image.
Technical: Feedback on the technical aspects of the image, such as exposure, color, focus and reproduction of colors and details, post-processing, and print quality.
Specific Feedback and Self-Critique
How does the B&W work out tonality-wise. Does the image tell a story? I appreciate your overall assessment of the image.
Love this, Larry. The B&W works wonderfully to tell the story of a lonely light out there marking the way for sailors. Your processing is spot on. I like the soft light in the sky. I can’t think of anything I’d change. Well done.
Very nice B&W image, Larry. The rocky FG has nice contrast and the clouds behind the light house give the photo some good depth. I think the sky is taking up to much wasted space. With a few exceptions, I always make sure my sky does not cover more than 1/3 of the image above the highest object in the photo, in this case the lighthouse . The horizon is where most of the color or drama in the sky is located. After that, the sky becomes wasted space. I’ve cropped your image two ways to take out a lot of the sky that doesn’t add anything to the composition. I’ve downloaded the two below. Hope this makes sense.
Thanks, Donna. I appreciate your take on the sky. I will mull this over more, but for now I prefer the larger sky as it gives more vastness to the image. I value your input.
Oh what a great lighthouse. Perfectly positioned, too. The slope down into the water gives us just enough information and there isn’t to much water. There is too much sky though, I agree with Donna. There’s nothing up there. My eyes don’t stay there long when I am distracted from the subject. Not trying to harp on it, honestly, but the reason you took this photo was for the lighthouse, not the sky, right?
Beautiful image, Larry! I love the tones here and the placement of the lighthouse in the frame. I think the story comes across as you intended, at least it does to me because the feeling that it’s watching over the sea is the first thing that came to me when I fist saw this.
With regards to the ‘big sky’, my vote would be for you to leave it as is. There is something to be said about negative space and for me in this image the sky works as it is.
I don’t really have anything new to add but wanted to say that I really enjoy the image. It’s simple and peaceful. If I had to offer a suggestion, I’d like to see a little more separation between the lighthouse and the clouds. I think darkening the sky a little bit would just that. Maybe using a red or orange “filter” to darken the sky? Lovely image, though.
Well done! Terrific b&w image and I love the positioning and your “rule of thirds” style composition. I think the processing is also done well and just seems appropriate for the scene and conditions. There’s even some misty slightly darker clours UR in the sky that actually gives this some sense of depth - if that makes any sense at all.
I do like Donna’s renditions as well! But no qualms or nits on your original. Love it.
@Lon_Overacker@KristenMSmith@Tom Nevesely@BretEdge, DavidBostock, and DonnaCallais thank you all for your helpful comments on this lighthouse image. I value your suggestions about the sky and positive response.
