Sombrio beach at blue hour. Any thoughts on the crop? Any other critiques or opinions are very much welcome.
Thanks for looking
I prefer the first crop over the other. It has an inverted V composition with a pow in the apex, a construction that adds to the power. Also, this is essentially a layered composition, for which a horizontal framework works best. The other by comparison feels crowded. The one recommendation has to do with the black rock coming in from the bottom left. Due to the contrast and sharp edges it attracts attention. I would try several things to reduce that, like dodging it, cloning it, or even smoothing the edge. I would not crop it off. It has a positive presence. I think this is a fine image image that has a lot to say.
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That is one powerful scene! Very much pushes me back…almost feel the sea spray on my face! I think @Igor_Doncov has made a very good point. The rock on the left side is sharper and darker, so it does pull the eye. If it was sharpened, I’d reduce that. I’d consider increasing its luminance to match the rocks more centrally. As for smoothing its edges? I’m not familiar with how to do that but would be interested in how.
As for which crop works best, I actually prefer the 4:5. While I agree with @Igor’s astute observation about the inverted V, I like the 2nd but would like just a little more room as was mentioned. Powerful scene!
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The vertical has more impact but it feels a bit cramped and doesn’t have as much context as the horizontal. I like both though.
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Most definitely the first for me. Nice strong, impactful image. Maybe clone out the rock coming in from the left toward the bottom? Very dynamic and cool mood. Very well done!
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Nice image Blake, I prefer the horizontal, it just feels more dynamic to me. I would try some of @Igor_Doncov suggestions regarding the rock, they might help.
I love the steel blue/grey tones in this image, they enhance the stormy mood of the scene.
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@Ed_McGuirk @Harley_Goldman @Richard_Wong @Jim_McGovern @Igor_Doncov Thanks guys, definitely some excellent points and extremely helpful as always!
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Wonderful image. You’ve used tone and colour to build an impending mood. For me, this is a horizontal image. Everything about it - the horizon line, the line of the surf, the clouds and the black foreground rock - speaks to its horizontality. Doing a vertical crop, in my view, undermines something essential about this image. Well done.
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