This is an image I've been struggling with, trying to find what works or not. The critique I've gotten has ranged from that it's too busy, crop out the lower part, crop out the upper part.
Anyway, I tried to contrast the smooth feeling of the seaweed and the water with the strong zig-zag lines. There may be too much negative space in the upper left so sacrificing the upper part perhaps is the way to go.
Sacrificed the seaweed for the geometry with a haircut off the bottom & a trim off the top & right side ... and a crop to retain that retains the seaweed (a little closer to original).
For me, the seaweed is something you look "at", whereas the scene is something you look "through". Having an "at" and a "through" together can present some challenges at how to incorporate them together. The first one eliminates the "at" part, whereas the second one reduces some of the "through" part, shifting focus a bit more toward the "at" ... if that makes any sense.
Kind of in the "divide & conquer" realm that Chuck advocates from time to time ... or in my realm of "What's the point", i.e. is it the seaweed's texture or the scene's geometry that you are trying to convey to your viewer.
Thanks Rustybug. Appreciate your thoughts. "At" and "through" makes perfect sense. I like the first version best. It's actually seaweed in the whole lower triangle so I don't think it sacrificed too much. I also like the darker, more contrasty treatment which makes more sense of the geometry. The second version feels a bit cramped and my eye have a hard time travelling further than the bottom half, but I suspect it will grow on me.
+1 @ preferring first version. The second was mostly added as an inclusion if you were partial to the llc seaweed. I wasn't sure if that was seaweed or water motion blur elsewhere, but I knew I chopped out the llc of the more recognizable seaweed. Cool that it retains the seaweed element, then.
Also glad you understood my "at" vs. "through" ... first time (iirc) I've really mentioned it around here so directly.
Wonderful lesson here for photographers. I'm always amazed at how cropping, sometimes even minor, can change the whole complexion and meaning of a photograph. This thought process leads to a more concentrated effort on what you as a photographer are trying to say. Thanks for sharing this.
I like Rusty's redo, for crop, water darkening and added contrast. I wish the seaweed was more in focus. It appeared to be underwater which would explain it but then the banks made me think otherwise.
I guess that regardless of the facts, the viewer can easily assume it is above water and out of focus. Rusty got more contrast there and it helps a lot.
Yes, sometimes a small crop makes all the difference. Another lesson is that it can be necessary to sacrifice parts you like to arrive at a stronger image.
The seaweed is in focus, but in motion because of the waves splashing over the banks. This is a one minute exposure so the waves are pretty much invisible.
