Seascape for critique

[Phate]

Hello all,

Not posted anything for critique for a long time but I am feeling especially pleased with this one, and I am always looking to improve. So lets have at it!

Yesterday we visited Praia do Magoito, a beach in Sintra. As we approached the temperature dropped and for what should have been a gorgeous sunset was interrupted by this enormous moody grey/dark cloud which I actually welcomed and relished. Coupled with it being high tide, there was a light mist in the air...some really special conditions to shoot in.

Anyway, here it is.

Tech details:

Olympus E-M5 Mark II
Olympus 7-14 f/2.8 PRO shot at 7mm
f/8.0 for 20s
ISO100
Nisi 10 Stop with a Lee 2 stop hard grad. (Lee is borrowed)

Looking forward to any and all feedback.


Thanks
Jake

 

[Phate]

Thanks GSXRMovistar!

I see the bits you mean thanks for pointing those out! I try not to clone tooooo much as I find myself getting obsessed - but can take a look!

 

[Phate]

Thanks guys, tonight I will post a screenshot showing the full image outside the crop borders, would be interesting to see what you think with what is available

 

[Phate]

Maybe look at getting a 6 stop ND. Something like a 2sec exposure for that image will show more detail in the waves on the beach but also give a sense of movement to them, especially if you take the image as the waves peak and start receding.

Yes a 6 stop and possibly even a 4 stop at some point is on the long list of filters to get...so many! I do agree that a 10 stop can at times be overkill.

For me, I would have used a fast exposure and captured the details in the sea, that would make it far more interesting than the over done long exposure sea scapes that are very flat and unimaginative. This is especially important in this instance since the horizon is dull.

If I am understanding you correctly, you mean a fast exposure with no motion blur at all?

If so, then ultimately, this wasn't the mood or look I was looking to achieve. However, I agree totally with your comments on the composition.

Liking the LE shot Phate

You asked for critique:

As subtle as it is the thin red band of sunlight really makes this image for me - you've got a fantastic tonal range here with good leading lines and there is sharpness and definition on the rocks and sand in the foreground.

Personally speaking I would like to have seen the shadows lifted slightly on the cliffs to the left of your composition - but it would have to be subtle, too much and it will appear over cooked. That is the only part of the entire composition that I feel really lets it down. Having said that it still does not detract from the fact you've caught a cracking LE seascape there

Thanks for this, really appreciate the feedback! I am a big fan of that pink/orange glow from the sun creeping through the horizon as well. I tried to emphasise this a bit during the processing stage. I shall try to work with the cliffs a bit to make them more noticeable but not stand out!

For those who have been mentioning the composition, here is a screenshot showing the full captured image, all discussion welcome surrounding this. I've played with the crop quite a bit, and find myself somewhat undecided on the whole subject!

Cheers!
Jake

 

[Phate]

There's not much else I feel I can add to what has already been said Phate - you know what you're doing and you know how to achieve the end results you're after.

Looking at your crop - the only thing I would suggest is try to picture your next shot (if circumstances allow) in your minds eye before you take it and then there will be no need to crop and no loss of information

You're right - The composition is my biggest challenge when approaching these scenes and locations. I am feeling minor improvements each time. When I approached this scene in particular I got fixated on the look I wanted. I need to take a step back and rereview once I am in position and ask myself a 2nd time.

I really like the colour and tones but confused by the composition. Why did you shoot it at 7mm and then crop it so heavily? To me that suggests you just pointed it wide without knowing exactly what you were going for. You’ve lost a lot of resolution too where you could have just zoomed.

That's a good point. I imagine the image we see is not the full resolution image but has been significantly cut down and compressed.

See above.

 

[Phate]

I will reply properly later on and really value the feedback, but remember 7mm for me is 14mm for the rest of the world outside of m43