City Reflections

[Daniel de Almeida Boavida]

City Reflections by Daniel Boavida, no Flickr

 

[Watchful]

Very nice shot.
I am not crazy about the advertising banners, but the image captures the moment well.

The byline says "no Flickr" did you mean it to say 'on Flickr'?

 

[Daniel de Almeida Boavida]

Thank you, "no Flickr" means on Flickr in English, mine is on Portuguese sorry

 

[Rick50]

OK but I would crop tighter getting rid of blank space at top & bottom.

 

[Daniel de Almeida Boavida]

Already try it and didnt like, but that's my taste

 

[Tim Tucker]

OK but I would crop tighter getting rid of blank space at top & bottom.

But why do you think it is blank space? If you cropped it out then you would be left with the darker clouds, and then wouldn't they become the blank space? Think yin and yang, shapes and colour do not exist unless they are outlined/silhouetted against something that is different or contrasts. As a wise man should've said, "black square only exists against white background and disappears against black background. So maybe not always wise to remove white background..."

Some points though:

1) Watch the colour balance. Not because it is neutral or correct, but because colour works in contrast and having the same hue present in all colour (AKA white balance or colour cast) can sometimes reduce the contrast between colours and therefore the impression of colour.

2) You're presenting a picture that's all about symmetry on the horizontal axis, so get the horizon straight. You've given the viewer two strong horizontal lines at the top and bottom of the from with which to judge and compare so you better make sure you've got it right. Use the reflections (the crane) on the vertical axis to line it up.

3) You've presented a background that's symmetrical on both the horizontal and vertical (as good as symmetrical) axis, except for one thing (the boat). So accent it by centring it on the vertical axis (be exact), it makes no sense having it slightly displaced in all reference to the frame and so of lesser importance.

4) Reflections are always darker than the reflected so subtle or noticeable, make it so because it looks balanced and equal that way. Also it is expected that the scene has some darkness so resist the urge to lift the shadows too much. Accent the broader picture instead of the detail.

Not my taste but a cool shot.

 

[Daniel de Almeida Boavida]

humm, Symmetry is the problem Here, you have absolutely right, i'll Will fix that, maybe lapse on the edition.
About The white Balance, the original shots was configure to set on lower temperature colours, the trick here was on the edition, i just add on the high lights some oranges, and one filter on the top to kill that overexposure.

About the Colour I like it as it is, maybe i 'll try on higher temperature colours later. Thank you for the constructive comment

 

[Tim Tucker]

About the Colour I like it as it is, maybe i 'll try on higher temperature colours later.

Don't think so much in terms of global colour balance, you can be quite selective. Just cool the cloud and it's reflection, add some contrast and variation between the colours you have.

 

[Rick50]

OK but I would crop tighter getting rid of blank space at top & bottom.

But why do you think it is blank space? If you cropped it out then you would be left with the darker clouds, and then wouldn't they become the blank space? Think yin and yang, shapes and colour do not exist unless they are outlined/silhouetted against something that is different or contrasts. As a wise man should've said, "black square only exists against white background and disappears against black background. So maybe not always wise to remove white background..."

I am thinking the boat should have stronger influence so crop in top, bottom, and sides. Not remove clouds but reduce them. Just a thought. I agree about the color - orange is too strong for me.

 

[LarryLomona]

I like it a lot

 

[manaheim]

I was going to suggest cropping a little from either the top or bottom to throw OFF the symmetry and let the viewer lean more into the picture. (different effects depending on which you select to crop). Right now the image is very static.

That said, quite beautiful. Nicely done.

 

[Studio7Four]

Here's a crazy thought - try cropping it into a vertical orientation and see what that does for you. I really like that boat, but it's getting a bit lost in this composition. It's a bit darker than the city lights behind it, so the eye gets pulled up above the boat. Also, the top of the boat at bow and stern overlaps with the city's reflection, so you don't get clear separation. If you crop this vertically the boat becomes a much larger portion of the foreground, and you still get side-to-side coverage of the city. Yes, the shot becomes more a study of the boat than of the city behind it, but IMO that's okay. Just a thought...

 

[Watchful]

I'd crop it all the way down to the small dark line in the water in the lower left corner and get rid of all that silly confusing content! just kidding, I think it's a great photo as it is, and the cropsters would kill it if given the chance.

 

[bulldurham]

Whack! Whack! Whack!

However, I find the shift in perspective from midpoint to the tops of the highest buildings to be a bit disconcerting. The foreground (lowest buildings) structures are level to the horizon line but as you go higher in the structures,each level seems to get a little more off kilter until at the top, your horizon line is off by a significant degree. An easy fix but for me a necessary fix.