Dock in the Fog

[rikkersc]

I need some help with this photo.
The first is the original. I think it needs "something". I turned it to black & white and cropped it a bit in the second one,and cloned out the pipe in the water on the left, but I'm not sure if this is what it needs.

After debating with myself for quite some time, I am only getting more confused.

Any suggestions on what I should do with the photo to improve it are welcome.

I can't reshoot the photo, so I am left to work with what I have.

Is black & white the right effect, or should I just add a blue tone to it, or leave it alone?
Is it cropped correctly? Or should it be done differently? I kind of wanted to get rid of that first section of the dock that is lighter in color, it seemed distracting.

I am still learning (a lot!) so all help, critique, whatever, is welcome!!!

[belatarr]

First of all I think the colors and the mood are simply amazing, I can feel the coldness like I am standing right there on the dock. I can even imagine a film shot with your picture as reference for the cinematography. Quite amazing! The only thing that bothers me is that the dock is not straight giving the picture an overall awkward feeling of prespective. Yet I still believe that it is one beautiful shot. And yeah the pipeline is slightly distracting so I think it should be cloned out.

[Tiberius]

I like the colours of the first one, the cropping in the second one, and for God's sake, straighten that horizon!!!!

[Jamesc359]

I really like the colors. I like the way the way the cool blue sky on the left blends gently with the warmer faded yellows on the right. It's cool yet so warm at the same time. The B&W version doesn't capture any of the atmosphere, so I think the color is much better.

In the color version I don't like the wear on the dock though. I think I'd crop it out, but keep the full width of the image in order to keep all of the coolness on the left and the warm on the right.

Maybe I'm imagining things, but the way the fog is it almost feels as if your horizon isn't level either.

[peeperita]

i think i agree with most of the previous posts......the colors are just beautiful...but, there's not enough over all contrast for it to be a pleasing black and white....i'd go with the original and try my hand at more than one crop......

repost if you come up with another edit....

peeper

[rikkersc]

Any tips on how to fix the horizon?
It was taken on a lake and that is the curve from the back side of the lake.

Unfortunately, the dock was crooked at the end, I think from years of being in the water with the ice in the winter, which probably shifted the poles.

Here is an attempt at the crop I think Jamesc359 was suggesting. Is this any better?

[peeperita]

i like the new crop better....it's a tough one to call for the perfect crop and rotation.....as you said....the lake's edge is curved and the dock is coming off at a diagonal and is not straight anywhere....but, i can see where you drew your horizontal off the bench.....i couldn't have done any better than you did....

good job on the edit....

peeper

[Jamesc359]

I like the crop better now. My eyes just kept going back to that spot, it was pretty distracting.

I don't have any advice on how to fix the horizon. If the lake was curved on the backside, there's not a lot that can be done to fix that.

[FotoMike]

You didnt post the high res. image so this doesnt look the greatest. but i cloned out the stuff on the right, and used the patch tool (all of this done using CS3) to soften it out. and then i transformed the pictures (cntrl+t) and switched to warp mode, which is a button you can click on the toolbar once you are in transform mode. by doing this i was able to make the dock straight, but as you see the bench is now leaning to the right a but ha ha. play around with it, and maybe you can fix it better than i could.

[ChrisRidley]

Crop and horizon straighten help a great deal - personally i love the colours, the pic is great