Input on photo requested

[alexkumar276]

Hello all,

Last year I bought these expensive filters, including an ND, graduated filters but only rarely used them.

I used an ND filter for this shot, what do you all think of this? Is it a boring photo? (Sorry if it is!) Appreciate all your comments, suggestions.

https://goo.gl/photos/Pg6mmz28SVQRRtrY9

 

[Designer]

Please post the photo here in the thread.

 

[alexkumar276]

 

[Dave442]

For me it is only interesting considering the location. I see the ferris wheel on the right and a parking garage on the left and the pier in silhouette. Really it just feels a bit too busy with background pulling me away from the pier (which I feel is the main subject), and then there is a lot of sky. You went sort of panoramic on the crop, could go a bit further by taking out some of the sky.

So then you have the light sky, the grey background, the dark pier and then a lot of light foreground. So I might darken about half the foreground so its not so monotonous. Then just add some contrast and a tone curve to add some highlights to bring out more of the reflection of the pier. You could probably adjust some of the colors to have additional contrast in the grey background.

Sometimes with the long exposure waterscape a low contrast image is very nice, so could also try lowering the exposure, contrast, highlights and raise the shadows.

 

[alexkumar276]

For me it is only interesting considering the location. I see the ferris wheel on the right and a parking garage on the left and the pier in silhouette. Really it just feels a bit too busy with background pulling me away from the pier (which I feel is the main subject), and then there is a lot of sky. You went sort of panoramic on the crop, could go a bit further by taking out some of the sky.

So then you have the light sky, the grey background, the dark pier and then a lot of light foreground. So I might darken about half the foreground so its not so monotonous. Then just add some contrast and a tone curve to add some highlights to bring out more of the reflection of the pier. You could probably adjust some of the colors to have additional contrast in the grey background.

Sometimes with the long exposure waterscape a low contrast image is very nice, so could also try lowering the exposure, contrast, highlights and raise the shadows.

Thanks Dave for your response, it was much appreciated! I tried to edit some more including dropping the exposure, contrast and raising the shadows - I already like it better, what do you think? (thanks again)

 

[Light Guru]

Water by nature is level. the water in your photo is crooked.

 

[snowbear118 49]

Where is that? It looks a little like National Harbor but I can't figure out the angle.

 

[alexkumar276]

Where is that? It looks a little like National Harbor but I can't figure out the angle.

It is National Harbor! From a year ago before the casino was built on the left side. The picture is taken from Old town Alexandria.

 

[alexkumar276]

Water by nature is level. the water in your photo is crooked.

Thanks for pointing that out!

 

[alexkumar276]

Here's another photo I tried to take with the ND filter - I end up turning it black and white because even at ISO 100, the picture becomes noisy with the longer exposures or the colors look funny and I have a hard time correcting...

I'm not very good at this, am I? Any tips?