Critique: Western-Super-Mare Sunset!

[snips86x]

Decided last minute to drive down to Western last night to see the sunset. Missed the actual sun setting behind the horizon, but I still managed to enjoy the cold windy sea air and the stunning colours produced. I have every intention of going back to this stunning location, which is the Pleasure Pier with RNLI lifeboat station. Badly decayed, it looks in a very sorry state, but it makes great photography.

I used my new 10-stop filter to take this but in all honesty, I don't feel it was the right choice of filter and I'm sending it back to re-invest in a Lee filter kit.

However, I would still be happy to hear your thoughts.

You can view this in alternative sizes from my Flickr stream

 

[JBuk]

I think it could be cropped better, I find the rock distracting so maybe crop the bottom to remove the rock and have a more panoramic shot, maybe take it until the see is only one third of the shot?

It could have maybe done with a few more seconds to smooth the sea a little more

Also I'd like to see the pier just a shade lighter, maybe boost the shadows?

Maybe even flip the shot so the jetty leads In From the left? Feels more natural to be drawn in from the left, bit like reading a book lol

Besides that it's a nice shot

 

[snips86x]

I think it could be cropped better, I find the rock distracting so maybe crop the bottom to remove the rock and have a more panoramic shot, maybe take it until the see is only one third of the shot?

It could have maybe done with a few more seconds to smooth the sea a little more

Also I'd like to see the pier just a shade lighter, maybe boost the shadows?

Maybe even flip the shot so the jetty leads In From the left? Feels more natural to be drawn in from the left, bit like reading a book lol

Besides that it's a nice shot

Thanks JBuk

I do have some alternative shots where the jetty is lighter, but I didn't want it to look too "fake" by over doing the processing.

 

[JBuk]

I think just a stop brighter on the jetty might do it just to reveal a little more detail without being too much , the little clouds above the horizon could be cloned out also just to remove them as distractions too.

I do like it though and would probably print it if I'd have taken it

 

[V-Spec]

I looked at your large flickr version and my comments are;

I think it's a pleasing composition, the pier leading in from the right is good - it's difficult not to like the image overall, the colour and graduation is nice, you could maybe lose the rock in the bottom right or have more of it, but most people would be happy with such an image, however there are a number of technical issues,

The image is not sharp at all, it also looks like there's a significant amount of ghosting - maybe the tripod was knocked or there was some wind - but you can see it if you look along the roof of the buildings on the pier, or the legs of the pier, there's also a lot of CA present.

The image is not focused properly, it looks like you've focused on the buildings at the end of the pier and shot the lens wide open @ F2.8, the result is that where the pier enters the shot on the right hand side - is badly out of focus due to a lack of DOF, if you were to re-take, stop down to F8, focus on the closest object - from that distance @ F8 - F11 you should have enough DOF to get overall focus.

The exposure seems ok to me, the 10 stop lee filter tends to produce a lot of vignetting so you've done ok in getting rid of it, but there is a lot of noise present.

Just being honest

 

[snips86x]

I looked at your large flickr version and my comments are;

I think it's a pleasing composition, the pier leading in from the right is good - it's difficult not to like the image overall, the colour and graduation is nice, you could maybe lose the rock in the bottom right or have more of it, but most people would be happy with such an image, however there are a number of technical issues,

The image is not sharp at all, it also looks like there's a significant amount of ghosting - maybe the tripod was knocked or there was some wind - but you can see it if you look along the roof of the buildings on the pier, or the legs of the pier, there's also a lot of CA present.

The image is not focused properly, it looks like you've focused on the buildings at the end of the pier and shot the lens wide open @ F2.8, the result is that where the pier enters the shot on the right hand side - is badly out of focus due to a lack of DOF, if you were to re-take, stop down to F8, focus on the closest object - from that distance @ F8 - F11 you should have enough DOF to get overall focus.

The exposure seems ok to me, the 10 stop lee filter tends to produce a lot of vignetting so you've done ok in getting rid of it, but there is a lot of noise present.

Just being honest

Thanks for your comments

I personally like the rocks in the image, taking them out I think would make it look flat. You've also got a nice water effect which I think is pleasing to the eye.

Yes - I totally agree. I was not happy with the image at all when I took it, the wind was a little too strong and with my wife & son in the car, I felt I was being hurried. This also lead me to not reviewing or thinking about the settings I was using.

I was also slightly ****ed that I couldn't find somewhere to park meaning I missed the sun going down below the horizon - this put me in a slightly bad *not caring* mood - which ultimately didn't help!

I'm going to be investing in a proper 100mm filter kit which I'm hoping will improve things but your comments mean I can improve and I thankyou for your critique

 

[V-Spec]

I'm going to be investing in a proper 100mm filter kit which I'm hoping will improve things but your comments mean I can improve and I thankyou for your critique

There are two schools of thought on filters, some people would rather use them as door stops, or some people swear by them,

I have a full set of 100mm lee filters, (soft and hard grads, and NDs including a big and little stopper) I wouldn't leave home without them, but I've also learnt how to do exposure blends properly,

There are some occasions where filters cause problems and you have to blend, so I'd certainly learn to do exposure blending and be good with filters at the same time,

You can't go wrong with Lee filters, I used them with my LF setup for 5 years and i've moved over to digital with them

 

[D.P.]

I wouldn't have bothered with a 10 stop but a hard ND grad. The long exposure seascape photos are very dated IMO. The ND grad will help balance the sky.

Composition ally I think you need to choose between the sky and the sea, likely cropping some of the sky. If the photo could be taken from a higher elevation then the pier would act as a string leading line but as it is it kind of follows the horizon.

Lastly as vspec says, you have some major DoF and focus issues to resolve. Have a read up on Hyperfocal focusing so you you can get everything focused at modest apertures (f8-f11)

The colours and simple scene are very pleasing.

 

[snips86x]

I know how to do it, I just didn't I didn't really have the time to think through or plan what I was going to do. I was in a rush to capture it before it went down

Maybe next time!

 

[D.P.]

I know how to do it, I just didn't I didn't really have the time to think through or plan what I was going to do. I was in a rush to capture it before it went down

Maybe next time!

Understandable, always helps to have plenty of time to think when taking landscape photos. Move in to different positions, try different framing, compositions, focal lengths. If possible I like to scout the area the day before so when I come back in the dark before sunrise the next day I know where to go and what I'm trying to achive. Some times just walking a few hundred feet one way or the other can dramatically improve a photo.

 

[Tazzfalcon]

As a Weston native I'd say you did a great job!

 

[snips86x]

Understandable, always helps to have plenty of time to think when taking landscape photos. Move in to different positions, try different framing, compositions, focal lengths. If possible I like to scout the area the day before so when I come back in the dark before sunrise the next day I know where to go and what I'm trying to achive. Some times just walking a few hundred feet one way or the other can dramatically improve a photo.

I'm planning on going down again to try and get some better shots as there's a "floating bridge" just down the road from here which looks like a great spot for some photography also.

As a Weston native I'd say you did a great job!

Thankyou