Lifesaver

[canugurl]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8478424@N02/2239198599/" title="Lifesaver - Post Processed by canugurl, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2065/2239198599_ec71c21d07.jpg" width="500" height="315" alt="Lifesaver - Post Processed" /></a>

Location: Old Port of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
When: November 25, 2007
Why: I was walking with a friend through Old Montreal. It was a cold and windy day but we were trying to enjoy ourselves. I looked over the side of the port and saw these slips. The "black and white" nature of the water and snow on the docks really captured the sense of cold winter and contrasted the orange lifesaver and pylon. I couldn't help myself.

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 62 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Metering Mode: Center Weighted Average
Light Source: Cloudy weather
White Balance: CLOUDY
Sharpening: AUTO
Focus Mode: AF-A
Flash Setting: NORMAL

Link to Original Photo: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2342/2239993830_cbe8d46c00.jpg
(The original and the above version are also both on Flickr.)

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I'm looking forward to your comments on three things:

1) Straightness - I took the photo on a bit of an angle from a bridge. The dock is not straight along the horizon line, and I wonder if you feel that it should be.

2) Croppping - I cropped some reflections that were up in the top left of the photo and some ripples in the water in the upper right that I found distracting. I tried to apply the rule of thirds but found that I had to crop it too tight to be religious about the rule, which just didn't work. What is your opinion?

3) Curves adjustment - I adjusted the curves to try to make the orange lifesaver and pylon pop a bit more against the naturally black and white background. Did I go too far?

Thanks!

[clockdoc]

I like your shot. You have a good eye! Thanks for asking those specific questions and for providing the EXIF data. As to straightness, my preference would have been to angle the dock even more so as to fill the darker void of the water. At the same time it would place the orange ring closer to the 1/3 position. Without seeing the distractions, I think you handled the cropping as best you could here. As for the curves to make the orange 'pop', I would consider removing the pylon as it is a bit brighter and tends to take my eye away from the ring.

[canugurl]

...my preference would have been to angle the dock even more so as to fill the darker void of the water. At the same time it would place the orange ring closer to the 1/3 position...I would consider removing the pylon as it is a bit brighter and tends to take my eye away from the ring.

I've taken another crack at the post-processing based on your comments, clockdoc. Thanks! :D

What do the rest of you think? Do these edits help the photo or not? I kind of feel like I'm falling out of the left side of the frame, but I do like the deletion of the orange pylon.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8478424@N02/2240280950/" title="Lifesaver - Post Processed v2 by canugurl, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2097/2240280950_5961533c52.jpg" width="500" height="303" alt="Lifesaver - Post Processed v2" /></a>

PS - There is a link to the original photo in my original post if you're interested.