cold day on the pier

[jocose]

Hey,

I was trying to go for a cold, chilly feel. The pic was actually taken a few weeks ago, so it was pretty warm. Anyway, just trying to get some feedback on tone, color, composition...pretty much everything you can find to pick apart about it. I"m posting the original along with the modified.

Here's the original:

 

[FuryofNature]

First thought I had was that the posts look like they are cold and huddling together.

Cool.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

The tight crop gets rid of most of the things that would make it feel chilly. The effect is to actually make it feel a little cosy.
A bit more space around the posts - preferably showing just sea - would make it feel much colder.

 

[jocose]

First thought I had was that the posts look like they are cold and huddling together.

Cool.

Hadn't thought of that...pretty cool (no pun intended )

 

[jocose]

The tight crop gets rid of most of the things that would make it feel chilly. The effect is to actually make it feel a little cosy.
A bit more space around the posts - preferably showing just sea - would make it feel much colder.

meaning more water would show desalation....nothing but water and then the poles?

 

[JonMikal]

i don't feel chilly

 

[Hertz van Rental]

meaning more water would show desalation....nothing but water and then the poles?

Small tight 'spaces' tend to give a feeling of warmth or cosiness. You want it to feel cold so putting a bit more space around it will make it feel less cosy.
Sea water we know to be cold so seeing more of it would lower the temperature psychologically. You don't have to show a huge amount - two or three times what you already have should 'lower' the temperature considerably.

If you are trying to give a picture a 'feeling', 'mood' or 'quality' you need to work out which elements work for your intention and which work against. Then enhance or exagerate the positive ones and minimise or remove the negative ones.