UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

The attached two shots are of an abandoned pier in Kauai in 2017 that caught my attention. If I could do it again, I would have gotten lower. I have cropped these and would appreciate your opinion on how they look, what I could do to them and what I might want to consider in the future (going back to Kauai this year). Thanks!

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Though #1 has aperture of f/22 I don't see anything in focus. Your shutter speed of 1/60 second may have resulted in motion blur. So one thing for future is to be careful with your settings.

I also am sensing you were unsure about what story you wanted to tell. Is it about rust and barnacles and disuse? If yes, need closer and sharper. Is this pier in an actively used, prosperous area? If yes, consider a wider view to show context.

Hopefully, these thoughts give you some thoughts And don't rule out the possibility of black and white!

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Thanks, Linda. I was interested in the shapes, but the rust, etc. appealed to me. At the time if was my first attempt at manual, so I am sure that I just moved dials until things looked right (LOL). B&W is somewhere in my future, but I am just on the edge of getting a feel for things.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

Besides the fact that the overall image is a bit soft, there is no one subject for the viewer to go to. The pier in the foreground has that "old gold" appeal that we are drawn to as photographers; but then there is the background which looks like a continuation of the foreground. I am constantly going back and forth..

In the second shot, which is a crop, there are fewer competing images; but it is still the same perspective and there is still no clear point of focus. We don't know, other than the visual appeal of the colors and textures, what drew you to this composition. You could go very close and, as you mentioned, lower. The other idea would be to change your perspective so that the structure becomes a leading line perhaps into the distance (I don't know what is beyond the frame, so it is hard to speculate.)

Another tip, is to use a tripod. This will not only help with any camera shake; but also helps as an aid to composition. The downside is that it is a huge pain to lug a tripod around.....I get that.
Erich

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Again, I must thank you for your kind analysis, Erich. You and Linda have given me a great deal to consider and, hopefully, I will incorporate this in the future.

Jim-Pops Loc: Granbury, Texas

If I had an opportunity to retake this picture I'd shoot just the lower cross piece and the base where it goes into the ground/rock. Set the camera at f/16 to get as much detail as possible. If you are familiar with HDR go for it. Rust is the perfect thing using contrasting HDR, I think it would make a great photo.

DaveC1 Loc: South East US

Mike, one thing I'll add to the excellent comments above is that this seems to have been shot sometime in the 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. time. You may find early morning or the time near sunset provide better opportunities with this structure.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

Plenty of good advice already Mike. If you're thinking of getting lower next time, beware losing the impact of the structural shape - it will flatten as you go downwards.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Thanks for the detailed comment. That camera did not have HDR, but the new one does. I definitely have learned that my perspective did not capture what I wanted to record.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Good observation, Dave. This was one of those shots where I was shooting beaches and came upon the pier. To do it right, I would need a better time of day and improved perspective.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Yet another good point! Thanks.