I have been trying to post-process this photograph for a long while.
At the end I went B&W. I am somehow unsatisfied with the result.
I believe the main element is the curvature of the handrail. But somehow I cannot make it pop as I wish.
I also tried to make it as a not fully desaturated image. This provided some interesting direction, but I could not manage to concretize them into a high quality final result.
Therefore I am looking for constructive critic :-) any suggestion are very welcome.
Interesting scene, I like the tones and a strong architectural foreground, however I think the curved cement fence dominates the foreground and naturally pulls the viewer’s eye, but the midground and background feel slightly disconnected.
Provably if you compose again to lead the eye more fluidly into the scene and capturing more of the buildings down the street and lights.
I think Marcelo is right. The concrete fence is too dominant at the expense of the background buildings. I don't feel the processing is the problem. It's done quite well. Rather, I think the problem is that the lens choice was too wide. If this is a location you're still at, perhaps try a reshoot with a lens that brings the buildings and fence closer together.
I am not there, but I have taken tons of photos in this area, and among them, plenty with more conventional compositions
The idea of using a 15mm under a tree near the fence is of course to accentuate the curve in order so that it dominates the scene.
To my understanding, landscapes formed by multiple layers, are in general more interesting compositions.
The leaves of the tree provide a certain framing and a first layer. Maybe this also includes the closer areas of the fence. Another one, medium areas in the beach and the promenade in the right hand side. The curve of the fence connects the former and the latter. A far layer has the fortress in the center. A weak very far away layer, is constituted by the lights of the distant city on the left.
This was my idea in the field. I went a little wider than needed in order to be able to correct the perspective, what I did.
Your argument about the "disconnection" is interesting and, sincerely, I have not thought about it before reading your comments.
Of course, it is evident that the very wide 15mm enhance the distance among objects, but your idea of disconnection is more about the "substance", in composition terms, than about the distance, if I understood correctly.
To my surprise, watching the scene in terms of what you were mentioning, the disconnection got accentuated in B&W compared with color, or desaturated
To me, the lack of pop of the baranda in B&W is evident and I thought it was the major shortcoming. To me it was easier to have this pop in a desaturated scene, but not so much desaturated, with strong blackened areas in the zones of the sea.
I believe the elements connection in color is more evident.
Maybe you do not share this impression?
I thank you very much for mentioning this new idea of disconnection. I have learnt from this. Thanks again for your comments!
I agree with my colleagues analysis here.
The structure needs a foreground to lock in the scale, depth and emotion of the frame. It will lead the viewers eye directly into the frame.
The leaves provide the viewer with a focused top view. I like that. No distractions from the top of the frame or side. In fact the curvature of the railing helps take the viewer "down the street".
The B&W conversion is great for this IMHO. I see in your color version that it shows some concrete texture(#2color) but is lacking in the b&w due to "glare". Might you try to recover that in the b&w? Is the frame expandable in the front? The "star bursts" are really nice in both but really enhanced in the B&W.
You have a fine subject here.
Well done and you have very solid comments of your own.
Dan
