all blue...?

[cristen]

a picture of a seaport in my city. adjusted the brightness and vibrancy. i know it is not awesome but i need critique to improve my composition. what do you think of the boats in the foreground? did they frame my shot or did they provide clutter?

Camera Sony DSC-W55
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/7.1
Focal Length 6.3 mm
ISO Speed 100
Exposure Bias -0.3 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

[Sistereinstein]

The foreground boats are distracting because they take away from how big those ships truly are in the background. Maybe you were going after a busy scene? If that is the case, perhaps it's a matter of timing, meaning waiting for more boats to come into view.

Does that make sense?

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by cristen

i know it is not awesome but i need critique to improve my composition. what do you think of the boats in the foreground? did they frame my shot or did they provide clutter?

There's nothing really wrong here, it's just that it's also not incredibly exciting or doesn't really tell me anything.

The composition is pretty much the standard "I'm standing here with camera at eye level" sort of thing. Consider getting higher or lower, change the perspective. It's exactly what I'd expect from someone standing there with the camera at eye level.

the boats to me are a distraction, especially the one on the left because it's cut off and doesn't really tell me anything about the scene. It also takes away from any sense of "focal point" in terms of interest. It's just hard for my eye/mind to find anything of particular focus or interest in the image which I think is the biggest issue. Where does one look at first.. it's not clear (to me at least).

Sorry if I sound harsh, but you've spotted a potentially good scene, you just have to work it a bit harder. Places like this are really good to get up and close on things. Such as get some nice close up detail, or get really close to a boat to give an idea of it's immensity because, to me, these sorts of scenes just have a lot of detail, but not necessarily interest.

Keep going!

[SwissJon]

I agree with Big Fuzzy.. the scene is good, you just need to think more about what you're trying to convey.

Middle of the day isn't the best time, I'd suggest this would look good just before dawn or just after sunset, when the lights are on but you can still see detail of the boats.

A different perspective is essential, standing holding a camera isn't the best angle for rhis shot at this focal length. Zooming in on the bigh container ship with the three cranes might have brought you with a bit of sea in the foreground.

I don't think any shot with things cropped at awkward places is going to win an award. You should consider wha is moving into and out of shot when you're taking it.

I don't know what capabilities your camera has, but if you can adjust the aperture so it's smaller so that some things are n focus and some are out, that might help put some interest into this picture.

BF is absolutely right, there's nothing technically wrong with this picture, it's just something that shows a "thing" rather than saying something about the objects in the picture.

[sgeary]

Tell a story of all that equipment and movement at the seaport. Get low angles and the boat to the right with what looks like red riggers would be a great subject. Just consider what story you are trying to tell when you point and shoot!

[Krusty79]

If you're going to include foreground interest in your shots, it should not lead the viewer's eye at diagonal angles out of the frame. It should lead the viewer's eye into the image, towards your intended subject (you should have a subject in mind also). That's why rivers, roads and fences are used so often.

[cristen]

thank you all, for you constructive comments...there's just a lot to learn. i hope to go back to the port and those cargo ships . maybe there are better angles up close...

[SwissJon]

Originally Posted by cristen

thank you all, for you constructive comments...there's just a lot to learn....

I don't think people ever stop learning.. That's why photography clubs and forums are so popular.. Don't worry about not getting it quite right the first time, this is a lifetime commitment, and while I think they probably get it right more often than you and me, professional photographers don't get it right every time either.

It's like driving a car.. you and I and quite a few here are just at the beginning.. Once you've learned the basics, you then need to practice practice practice.. And like a car, hopefully it'll eventually become second nature, and you'll know when to press this button and that one, and what makes a good shot etc. Just like in a car you know when to brake and when to accelerate.. Some of us never make it past that, but just because we don't become F1 racing drivers doesn't mean we should stop driving..

Enjoy your hobby.. You've come to the right place to learn how to enjoy it better!

[danbaileyphoto]

For me, there is nothing for the eye to latch onto as it starts it's exploration of the photograph. It seems like you weren't really sure of what you were photographing, or rather, what your main subject was in this scene. When you come across scenes like this, you need to step back and decided what your going to really focus on in the shot, and then make everything else work around that with relationships and clear composition.

The two boats in the foreground are somewhat prominent, but they're cropped so tightly, I can't really see what they're all about, and so I'm left wondering if they're there for a reason.

It just takes practice to refine your compositional style and learn to shoot powerful imagery.

[Krusty79]

If you're at a seaport/dock, then the piers can act as natural leading lines that can lead the viewer's eye to your subject.

Here are some tips you may find useful:
http://www.livermorevalleycameraclub...O_critique.pdf