Chris, Yes, I do like your cropped photo, (mine was a bit extreme on the water, but was mainly for effect). Your reason behind the photo is quite vaild, the sea does give an interesting texture. Keep up the good work. Russell
Thanks for your very useful comments. I take your point about the water detracting from the intensity and colour of the sky. I've gone back to the original image and re-cropped. What do you think?
I lined the horizon across the middle of the photo, as I liked the way it divided the image in half. Bright sky and dark water. Also, the water is broken into thousands of little shadows by the waves. This gives the water a texture that contrasts quite starkly with the smooth sky. The photo is really about contrasts, and that is why I placed the horizon in the middle.
Having said that, I do like the re-cropped version.
Chris, Looks like you and your wife had a great time in the Maldives and in the UAE. My initial thoughts are that the image could be enhanced if the horizon was not sitting on the middle of the photo. The general rule would be to sit the horizon along one of the thirds of the photo. For me the water ditracts from the intensity of the sunset, dropping the horizon to above the rock and reducing the water in photo your eye follows the gradient of colour over the sunset. To really increase the transition of colour through the sky, is to turn your camera around to Portrait, and snap away. The reverse is true, maximise the water in a sunset, this is great when the water is capturing the light of the sunset. Another idea, which I would want someone else to confirm, would be to use say ISO 100 film, thus forcing you to have the shutter open for longer. This should increase intensity. So in short, for me, there is to much water in the photo. I have done a crop on my preferred view of your photo. Thoughts??? Russell
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{K:30678} 12/3/2004