what to do with the sand...

[canadajan]

I'm wondering if I should do away with the blurry sand in the foreground? Does it anchor or distract?

janmuscle beach.jpg

[Saralonde]

Simple answer: for me it distracts. Although the subject grabs your attention with his pose and color, the blurred sand doesn't tie in well with the rest of the image.

[canadajan]

You're right. muscle-beach-cropped.jpg

[Canadian Mum]

I like the second one much better... the image is stronger that way

[Nicole]

Yep, I like the second one better too

[nDre]

yup, the second one is definitely better.
As always, it's always better to remove anything that doesn't really contribute / complement to the main subject.

[cdorko]

I would crop even closer to the feet of the main subject, leaving just enough sand to confirm "dry land".

[cklfc0]

Yep, second one is better and I like the idea to crop even a little closer. Good shot though.

[elrebrin]

I'd personally take the second one and crop the top just a smudge, it looks a little unbalanced at the top in my eyes..

Cheers,

Chris