night photo C+C please

timputtick · Aug 13, 2012

Looking for a bit of critique on a photo I took last night, made from 3 long exposures ranging from 5-20 minutes, ISO 100 at f/10.
I didn't know which category to put this under so sorry if it's under the wrong one, and I've never copied the photo off Flickr yet so bare with me if it doesn't work. Please pick it apart as this isn't the final image and i'll continue to edit it with your advice, if anybody would like to have a go themselves I can send the raw files.
Thanks for any help in advance.

Re-edited had a go at removing the last masts and also added a few fake star trails in.

PhotoWrangler · Aug 13, 2012

Just out of curiosity, is this cropped in post, or is this the full frame? I'm wondering if you have a little more real estate at the bottom of the photo and left edge. The crop seems a little tight to me.

Jaemie · Aug 13, 2012

Nice. That yellow is sensational. I'd like it better without the sailboat masts, but what can you do. I also agree with ChristopherCoy about the tightness.

timputtick · Aug 13, 2012

The masts are an absolute pain, I've spent the last hour removing the main one that dominated the image. My cameras crop sensor unfortunately and the only crop is a small side of a hut that was distracting on the right, this was shot at 18mm which is the widest lens I had on me and I couldn't move back without falling in the sea but I agree it is tight.
Thanks

Designer · Aug 13, 2012

timputtick said:
Re-edited had a go at removing the last masts and also added a few fake star trails in.

Actually, I think your re-edit does you no favors. I like the first image. It shows a powerful machine at rest for the night with some context, which is important. The re-edit removes the probable reason the machine is there, and your fake star trails are not all oriented in the corrrect position. Be copying some of the trails and placing them in a different place in the sky, you have made them very obviously fake. Leave them out.