Pier shot

[hotchilidamo]

So I took this image a while ago and I keep glancing at it thinking it has something but I'm concerned its not quite there. I can't put my finger on why. Its of my local area and I think it has the potential to sell if I can put it into a nice frame and get it into a few local gift shops.

Before I go down that route I wanted to know if I can make it better with post processing, or even try to capture the image again sometime.



Exif data:
Camera Canon EOS 400D Digital
Exposure 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture f/9.0
Focal Length 18 mm
ISO Speed 100

[navcom]

It looks like your main subject is a sand bar on the beach.......and oh yeah, there's some building/pier thing way off there in the distance.

OK...just poking fun there! I think the reason you aren't quite sure it works is that there really isn't a main subject that's definable. The pier is too far away and the shot is filled with too much sand and sky that doesn't add any interest. And there is nothing in the sand/sky that leads the viewer to or supports the pier.

My two cents would say that you should head back and find another vantage point to better portray your main subject (the pier).

Hope that helps!

[IABoomer]

Can I safely assume you were using a polarizer on the lens? That varied saturation in the sky is common when using a polarizing filter on a wide angle lens, since the incoming sunlight is hitting the lens from different angles, resulting in a varied effect.

I like the kind of low angle to the sand, but would agree with navcom that there's too much sand, especially if the pier is your intended subject.

If it was me, I'd try to pick a day/time when there's some light clouds in the sky to add a little interest without being distracting. Get close to the water's edge. Keep that low to the sand profile to bring in a bit of foreground, but fill more of the frame with the pier detail.

You could possibly get a diagonal line of sand/water that cuts from lower left toward upper right, which would lead your viewer's eye to the pier on the right side.

[hotchilidamo]

Thanks guys, I think you've found out that landscapes are not my forte

The shot was taken with a polarising filter yes.

You've given me some things to think about here which is great. The good news is that this location is 5 mins down the road so I have plenty of opportunity to recapture. Not sure if I'll get the plane trail but the rest is achievable

Thanks again