The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
A shot of the cove on Vinal Haven from the lawn of the house where our tour group stayed. When I woke up and saw fog, I think I ran out there before it burned off. The two kayaks look pretty natural in this setting and I like the balance they bring. Very glad they had white hulls because I think I’d have had to change the color in Photoshop. As it is, I didn’t do too much to bring out the definition of the shoreline and how the enveloping fog seems to want to be in that embrace. I went down for a lot of sunsets, too, which I’ll post eventually.
Feedback Requested
As I can’t shoot this again, any ideas for better processing are welcome. I think I have a few other frames, but none work as well as this and there is just more lawn and then a barn to the right. Does this say anything in particular to you? Can you tell yourself a story with this?
Technical Details
Camera: Panasonic DC-G9M2
Lens: LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
Focal length: 19mm
Shutter speed: 1/250s
Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 320
Processing software: Lr & Ps
Major adjustments: Global tweaks to exposure and major sliders to even out contrast, texture, sharpening & lens correction. Ps for distraction removal and I think I used some selective masking in the TK9 panel to further enhance detail and flow.
Blending/stacking:
Other notes:
First, I like this a lot, Kris. Yes, it tells me a lot. the mowed lawn means it’s still actively used, despite the rather old looking shed, which appears to still be straight and in fair repair. The shed’s structure indicates that people have been there quite some time. The kayaks also add to the sense that it’s in use, though there’s something about the right end of the nearest that looks like it’s warped? The design of the wharf tells me that there are some fairly significant tides in the area. The hints of other houses on the far shore nestled among trees give me the feel that while people have been living there quite awhile, it hasn’t been taken over by developers.
All in all, it looks like a wonderful place to spend some time or set up housekeeping.
Lovely scene. I’m sure almost all of us would have been running out there with you that morning. I think the overall composition works well. The balance with the ground and sky is good. Though, if this frame or another has more sky, that might add some more negative space to add to the calm feel of the morning. I do like the shapes of the kayaks and where they are placed. But since they are the brightest parts of the frame, I keep going back to them. Maybe see how you can tone them down a bit – maybe to a tone similar to the lightest part of the walkway? Overall, if I was not out there photographing with you, I would sure be happy sitting there having a cup of tea.
Lovely scene! And my kind of morning! For my taste, I think the kayaks could be darkened a bit – they do pull my eye from the rest of the scene. And I think I’d play with removing the bit of water to the left of the building – I can’t decide if it is a distraction. The other thought is to lighten the darker tones a bit… But a lovely scene that is fine as is.
Thanks @Dennis_Plank , @patrick6 & @Diane_Miller - for the feedback and your impressions of the shot. I’m glad it tells a story at least a little. Yeah, fog gets us all doesn’t it? In keeping with your suggestions I’ve put a new version up. Feels more cohesive so thanks again! Oh and I have no idea why that end of the nearest kayak looks so weird. Both boats are the same make and possibly the same model and so maybe it’s the angle and the optics causing it to look strange. It paddled straight is all I know. Not my boat, fyi.
This gives me a feeling of memories; children splashing in the water and the sounds of laughter on a warm sunny day. I think the fog and the age of the building work together to evoke that. The revision looks good.
Looks good but I think you could have another version without the kayaks. Funky old rowboats would work but these don’t fit the scene to an outside viewer, especially with that deformed-looking hull. The atmosphere is so lovely!
Lovely scene. I like the composition in that it would look unbalanced without the kayaks. But they are quite bright. Incidentally they remind me of beached Beluga whales. A1 shows two bright buoys which I would clone out.
Hi Kris,
What a lovely scene. I hadn’t noticed the water to the left, but removing it was a good choice, and I think the slightly toned down kayaks fit the fogginess a bit better.
I can’t help but marvel at the nature of the property: The house is so close to the water, and the end of the dock is clearly designed to rise and float higher in higher water. So this house: a boat house only, hence the floor at water’s edge and perhaps a garage door you could float right into on the lake end?
It definitely gives us a sense of someone’s dream, with only what they need/want, in their own little cove, bon-fire ready if friends come calling.
Thanks @John_Williams , @Diane_Miller , @Igor_Doncov & @Marylynne_Diggs. The cove is still used by the owners and the folks who rent it like our group. It is the oldest house on Vinal Haven and probably dates back to the 1700s when it was a working farm. There is a family cemetery on part of the hill above the house and the bigger barn. I’ll post that eventually. The kayaks are what they are and I didn’t see any other types of small craft around although I didn’t go in either barn where stuff like that probably was kept. The tides on this part of the Atlantic have big swings and those granite pilings get about totally covered when it’s high. The house here was probably a boat shack or a fishing shack, but it’s just a mess inside now. Here’s a link to the first photo I posted- Workshop on the cove
There’s a new image with Igor’s suggestion in the OP. Thanks much!
Thanks for the explanation, Kris. I forgot that it might be tidal. I would think the house gets inundated regularly. I guess the brackish water is a preservative!
ML
First thing that popped in to my head was “quaint,” but then I quickly adjusted my thought to a more “rugged quaint.” I guess it means I see a quiet, peaceful environment - but that also goes through seasonal turmoil… I don’t know how else to explain it. That rugged shack if evidence of those seasonal changes, yet the kayak also brings out that quiet peacefulness as I imagine paddling across the sound there…
Like you and the others, I would be out there snapping away… the little pier looks inviting to walk out on.
Given the foggy atmosphere, is there any benefit to a further crop off the top? I know this is already in a long format, and I’m not sure this is really a “pano” kind of scene, but thought I would toss out the thought.
Rugged quaint is a pretty good way to put it. The Atlantic ocean in winter, even in protected coves and harbors, is rough and so everything (and everyone) on it has to be tough as old boots. It can be peaceful though if areas aren’t built on relentlessly. I also thought to crop more, but everything felt awkward and more static because things got centered. In the end I “decided” that the height of the sky helped further isolate the little cove. Could be just a flight of fancy though.
I didn’t really think about the sky, but a subtle darker gradient from the top might help set a mood and slightly balance the darker FG. I’m thinking Andrew Wyeth would have loved this scene…
I very seldom view “non-nature” images but this is a beauty, Kristen! I believe the final version (2) is the best iteration, and it really draws the viewer in. Well done. I also love what @Diane_Miller said about Andrew Wyeth as I was thinking the exact same thing!
Thanks @Diane_Miller and @Bill_Chambers - hm…hadn’t thought of Wyeth or anyone else. Glad it isn’t Motif No.1. Ha.
Non-nature for me is usually abandoned or old stuff, like barns that might still be used. Since I live in such a rural location, the place is crammed with both although I have an idea for another project involving non-nature stuff.
What a great place and what a fine image showing its beauty! What a moody morning, I wish I was there. To me, this is the story of a small group of people on a kayaking trip who spent the night in the cabin, and now a wonderful new day lies ahead of them.
Some ideas about processing: In the attached image (based on rev. 2) I have darkened the FG a tad, reduced slightly the saturation of the yellow/brown grass in front of the cabin, increased the fog a little bit and darkened some white parts on the opposite shoreline to the right.
