Critique

[speedlite430exii]

Hello,

Could you please tell me what I should fix in this photo.

Thank you,
Cody

 

[bigtwinky]

the sky is bland
i dont like how the top of the ship is cut, might want to zoom out or step back
colours dont pop. looks like rust on the hull which would be awesome with bumped colours
overall light is flat and boring as well, maybe some PS curves or levels would help.

 

[AverageJoe]

Hi Cody and welcome to the forum. I'm a big fan of subjectivity so when you said "fix" I kinda laughed because I don't think there is anything wrong or in the need of fixing with your photo, however, I did sharpen and saturate your image to produce the below look. Not overly dramatic but there is a difference:

Anyway you slice it, it's a great shot! Print it and put it on the wall.

 

[LarryD]

this is an interesting subject...

But the composition is not the best.. There is considerable dead space on the left (as well as a tiny bit of shrub).. Essentially you have a photo cut in half vertically with the ship on one half, and a drab sky and stone jetty without much interest on the other half.. You have also cut off the mast and spars (not significant, unless that is part of your vision).. The viewer will know that the ship is the subject, but visually the cues from the other half are at conflict..

This shot would have been excellent with a few steps to the left and swinging the camera right a few degrees to fill the frame... or stepping in closer filling the frame more..

 

[Brutus]

I personally feel like a 4:3 crop is plenty to get rid of some of the dead space on the left without cutting off even more of the masts.

 

[inov8ter]

I agree with bigtwinky about the mast being cut off. So i was bored and just played around for a few minutes. Hope you don't mind. BUt here is my take on it.

 

[Berto...]

Hi Speedlite. I would concur with most of what has been said - not a lot to 'fix'. Half the problem was with the crap light... and you can't fix that.
I like Larry's crop a lot... it tightens it all up and removes the dead space.. and that annoying shrub!

Inov8ter... that sky is dreadful! Not sure about removing the masts either... that's where half the interest and dynamic was.. and you've removed it!