Mental health day

[minicoop1985]

Well, life has been throwing a lot of lemons at my head lately (seriously, the frozen ones hurt-that can stop any time now, OK? Sheesh), so I needed a mental health day. Decided to end up by Lake Michigan, and found a lighthouse. Naturally, I did what every person with a camera has ever done there and took photos of said lighthouse, being incredibly new and original. Anyway, now that I'm done being sarcastic, how did I do with these? What can I do better? Thanks, everyone.

Beacon by longm1985, on Flickr

Up or in? by longm1985, on Flickr

 

[robbins.photo]

I kind of like number one though I think your right, maybe a little to on the ordinary side. Hmm.. you know what that photo is just crying out for? Some inexplicable use of dutch tilt. Ya...

lol

Actually though I really do like it as is, I have a thing for old lighthouses I guess.

 

[IzzieK]

Maybe in #1 you should think whether those little yellow thingie contributes to the shot...have you tried editing them out with content aware?
On #2 I would straighten the door a little bit...
Worst comes to worst, do a Dutch tilt like Todd advises....

 

[Bender]

#1 would be better as a long exposure with motion blurred clouds. It's an OK shot as it is, but not really too interesting - to me at least.
Mono conversion might help reduce the competition between the lighthouse and the yellow pipe in the foreground.

#2 is a nice idea, but I think you cropped too much off the top. The rail needs to extend above the door I think.
There may be reasons why you cropped out the top, but the composition is weaker as a result in my opinion.
This seems a bit under exposed as well.

 

[limr35 4]

Well, I'm quite taken with the second one. I think it needs a contrast boost, but I love the textures and lines.

Number one...my first thought was that this would made a great pinhole shot. As for this particular shot, perhaps a gloomy conversion? Something dark but contrasty?

 

[mmaria]

#1 maybe just if you approached the lighthouse a bit closer, but I like it even this way
#2 i like but it needs more pp

anyway, this is just and only my opinion

 

[Trever1t]

both views are great BUT your framing of them is what's a miss for me. Take the lighthouse,get on the ground,perhaps a bit closer with the lens only a few inches off the deck. The stairs, love them,frame it so the diagonal is corner to corner and you have a minimalistic masterpiece

 

[minicoop1985]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Bender's right-#2 got cropped as a compromise. I do admit that I wish the rail was there above the door, but the chains really seemed to detract from the minimalism of the shot, being curved in a shot meant to have mostly straight lines, and were definitely not adding anything, so out they went. If it was just the rail or maybe a regular handrail instead of a chain, it would be there, as I definitely like that idea. Oh well, you can't win everything. As for the others, I'll play around with it. You guys are right, it does seem to be missing something to add that wow factor. I appreciate the feedback, everyone!

 

[The_Traveler]

 

[minicoop1985]

OK, I took some advice here and reworked the second one. I think you guys were right-I like this a LOT more.

Minimal Up or In? by longm1985, on Flickr

I tried cloning out those little posts in number 1. I suck at cloning so it looked like crap, but would it be helpful if they just weren't yellow? Maybe just kill the saturation instead? Maybe I'll get back there one evening when I can make a long exposure work without an ND filter.

Edit: never mind. B&W it is. Thanks, Lew!

 

[Trever1t]

perhaps not your vision but a quick edit on my part to demonstrate my take.

 

[minicoop1985]

AHH I see now. I like that a lot-not sure why I didn't take one like that from the beginning, now that I think about it. I thought you meant leave the door in there, but that works as well, if not better.

 

[limr35 4]

Lew's edit is exactly what I had in mind for the first one. As for the second, I like your crop. I think the door needs to stay in the image.

 

[minicoop1985]

Thanks, Leonore. I'm torn-I think either can work, but the door is part of the subject I was shooting there. I can always go back another day with the Hassy and some B&W film and use the square format to do something cool with just the stairs like Trever1t's edit.

I was going back to look at some pics I took at a camera museum there in Manitowoc (more on that later, different section, etc), and I found a different shot very similar to the first that I forgot about. Took a whirl at editing it. It's a LOT sharper than the first. Thinking about Lew's edit, I went with B&W. Thoughts on this one?

Beacon B&W by longm1985, on Flickr