Ye Old Harbour: I've taken a few shots in this area of an old harbour. In this shot, as in others, I have been disappointed as I feel the subject has endless possibilities

nairiam Loc: Bonnie Scotland

I've taken a few shots in this area of an old harbour. In this shot, as in others, I have been disappointed as I feel the subject has endless possibilities - but they elude me.
I would have preferred the boat to have been to the right of where it is, looking into the frame. However, just out of frame on the left there are some parked cars I had to avoid to maintain the theme 'Old'.
It is cropped at the top as a triangle of sky was showing between the roofs which I felt unbalanced the image.
I await your judgement.

The Last Boat?

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

I see hardly anything wrong with it. I think it's HDR but if it is, it doesn't look "overcooked." I see nothing wrong with having the boat looking "out of frame." (For that matter, there are many portraits I have seen with the subject looking "out of frame" that work like madit's another "rule" that may be at least bent from time to time). The boat seems right where it is, and that spectacular red pulls the eye right to it. The plethora of fieldstone in the buildings and the quay is loaded with subtle color and texture but not enough to overwhelm the boat.

If it were my picture I would carefully desaturate or even "make brown" the bright blue polypropylene rope on the foreground bollard. I love that it is so easy to do now, when "back in the day" it was a royal pain and not always successful anyway. As long as I'm at it, there's a scrap of blue (probably whipping with tape) on the rope on the right. I'd desaturate that, too, so there is nothing to draw the eye away from that boat. Terrific picture! :thumbup:

Nightski

Nairiam, the first thought I had was that is a lovely peaceful scene. The colors and textures are wonderful. The exposure is good, the focus is good, but like you said, it feels a little cramped with the boat. I love that red boat. Try that little experiment St3v3M does with picking the most important thing in your photo and then adding in things one at a time until you get what you want. It's going to be hard, because you've got those 2 awesome stone pillars in your foreground. I would have a hard time letting go of those. In fact I love everything in this photo.

Nightski

I know...where's Bob? Maybe he could move the boat back.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I think you've managed to capture the back yard look of this scene. I'd say it comes over as a bit claustrophobic, and I realise you had problems like cars and skyline to work round. I'm left wondering what the shot would have been like if you'd gone for the same width but shot in portrait orientation. Would that have given you a more complete skyline, or a more unbalancing one? It would have been nice to see a bit more of the foreground piers, though.

nairiam Loc: Bonnie Scotland

Chuck_893 wrote:

I see hardly anything wrong with it. I think it's HDR but if it is, it doesn't look "overcooked." I see nothig wrong with having the boat looking "out of frame.
. Terrific picture! :thumbup:

Thank you for looking and thank you for the kind response. I used HDR to bring out the stonework. I wouldn't risk any more as I only wanted to enhance the picture, not change it.
I will attempt to do something about the polyprop rope. Something I completely overlooked.
The response is very positive, something I didn't see coming. (Being ones own worst critic, maybe?)

nairiam Loc: Bonnie Scotland

Nightski wrote:

Nairiam, the first thought I had was that is a lov... (show quote)

Thank you for the kind comment. If you read my reply to Chuck then accept it as yours also. Thanks again.

edgorm Loc: Rockaway, New York

What can I say? I just spent the last 20 minutes trying to put into words everything that is right with this photo. First of all, the contrast between the boat and the buildings, not only in color but in texture also, lead the eye right to the boat. Who needs leading lines with all those corners and angles on the buildings?
This shot is tack sharp and the full DOF only adds to the feeling. Finally, the superb reflection of the boat in the water bounces the eye right back to the boat. Very well done nariam.

nairiam Loc: Bonnie Scotland

R.G. wrote:

I think you've managed to capture the back yard look of this scene. I'd say it comes over as a bit claustrophobic, and I realise you had problems like cars and skyline to work round. I'm left wondering what the shot would have been like if you'd gone for the same width but shot in portrait orientation. Would that have given you a more complete skyline, or a more unbalancing one? It would have been nice to see a bit more of the foreground piers, though.

The portrait mode was an alternative, not considered at the time. Even though I cropped the top I wanted the boat to stay in that frame position. Taking in more of the piers put the boat out of place and didn't have the balance I liked. Your comments stay valid. Maybe next time!!
Thanks for taking the time to comment.

nairiam Loc: Bonnie Scotland

edgorm wrote:

What can I say? I just spent the last 20 minutes t... (show quote)

Thank you so much for your kind response. I think I spent all my time finding fault as the image didn't pop when I saw it. I feel much more positive with the kind replies received so far.

RegisG Loc: Mid-Tennessee

I think the photo is excellent. Really like the stonework. But with a description of "Ye Old Harbour", I expected a broader view of larger area.
Thanks for sharing,
Regis

nairiam Loc: Bonnie Scotland

RegisG wrote:

I think the photo is excellent. Really like the stonework. But with a description of "Ye Old Harbour", I expected a broader view of larger area.
Thanks for sharing,
Regis

The title didn't get much thought. Perhaps "At the Old Harbour" would have been better.
The warehousing and the stone piers are the inspiration for 'old' in this image.
Thanks for the kind response, it is appreciated.

Sir Patrick Ogilvie the 8th Earl of Boyndie, decided that the old harbour should be built and it was completed in 1693. It is now the home for the Scottish traditional small boats group and the venue for the Annual Festival.
The new harbour was constructed in 1825 due to ever increasing demand from the herring fishing fleet. The new harbour is about 500 metres from this one.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

This is a good picture nairiam. The position, if not strictly applying to the rules, of the boat works well. It does look to me that there are many possibilities for shots with the boat framed differently. Of course I can't see what less desirable elements surround the boat restricting the angles that you can shoot from. I like the brave red of the boat against the subtle coloured and well detailed stonework. I can see many other pictures there, the small blue door, the windows above, the steps going up. I'm going to need to speak to you before my next trip north of the border, I could spend many hours rummaging around that harbour ;-)

Graham

nairiam Loc: Bonnie Scotland

Graham Smith wrote:

This is a good picture nairiam. The position, if n... (show quote)

Thank you for looking and thank you for the kind response.
It would be my pleasure to show you round my part of the world. You could spend a lot of time in this harbour alone. ( I am not very mobile so I am restricted on where I can go), a young, lithe fellow like you would have no trouble.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

nairiam wrote:

Thank you for looking and thank you for the kind response.
It would be my pleasure to show you round my part of the world. You could spend a lot of time in this harbour alone. ( I am not very mobile so I am restricted on where I can go), a young, lithe fellow like you would have no trouble.

Young, lithe? I share a surname with Lewis Smith and there the likeness ends ;-)

Graham