Horizon: Pilings from a long gone cannery on west coast. While taking other shots I noticed the pilings were basically all the same height, bent down and found the horizon slotted...

randomeyes Loc: wilds of b.c. canada

Pilings from a long gone cannery on west coast. While taking other shots I noticed the pilings were basically all the same height, bent down and found the horizon slotted right into the pilings, click!

Yes it was a cold day!

(Download)

R.G. Loc: Scotland

That's a neat effect, but what undermines it a bit is that it would be so easy to create artificially in photoshop or some such.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

randomeyes wrote:

Pilings from a long gone cannery on west coast. While taking other shots I noticed the pilings were basically all the same height, bent down and found the horizon slotted right into the pilings, click!

Yes it was a cold day!

This is very stark. I love the detail in the wood and the colors are nice. I also like the birds sitting on some of the pilings. By putting the pilings right at the horizon, it forces my eye to go right to the horizon and stay there. This composition does not make it easy to move through the photo. Of course I think that harsh approach is what you were looking for by composing in this manner. The photo does have quite a bit of impact, and I think that is a good thing.
erich

randomeyes Loc: wilds of b.c. canada

R.G. wrote:

That's a neat effect, but what undermines it a bit is that it would be so easy to create artificially in photoshop or some such.

I can assure you this is not Photo shopped, here is another shot not at horizon level.

(Download)

randomeyes Loc: wilds of b.c. canada

ebrunner wrote:

This is very stark. I love the detail in the wood and the colors are nice. I also like the birds sitting on some of the pilings. By putting the pilings right at the horizon, it forces my eye to go right to the horizon and stay there. This composition does not make it easy to move through the photo. Of course I think that harsh approach is what you were looking for by composing in this manner. The photo does have quite a bit of impact, and I think that is a good thing.
erich

Yes, that was the idea. I took many in the usual manner. It's good to get out of your comfort zone now and then.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

randomeyes wrote:

Yes, that was the idea. I took many in the usual manner. It's good to get out of your comfort zone now and then.

I got the feeling from the original photo that you were going somewhere that is not your usual comfort zone. Visually I think the first photo you posted is much more striking than the second photo "in the usual way". I think you are right to try new things and ideas. Some will work (like this one). Others will not work at all. Perhaps the most perplexing to me is when I try to do the same thing and I'm sure that it is interesting and worthy of being posted only to find that many of the folks here, whose opinions I honestly respect, see it completely differently than I do. But then, if it were not for the excitement of trying something new, I don't think any of us would as addicted to this site as much as we are.
Erich

randomeyes Loc: wilds of b.c. canada

ebrunner wrote:

I got the feeling from the original photo that you... (show quote)

I shoot for myself, if I like it I m happy. I post on here to get feedback

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

randomeyes wrote:

I can assure you this is not Photo shopped, here is another shot not at horizon level.

I prefer this second image because there's something odd about seeing the post tops and the horizon line exactly the same, making the photo look a bit fake. In the second photo there is enough separation to make the photo realistic.

randomeyes Loc: wilds of b.c. canada

jaymatt wrote:

I prefer this second image because there's something odd about seeing the post tops and the horizon line exactly the same, making the photo look a bit fake. In the second photo there is enough separation to make the photo realistic.

But the beauty is, it is not fake, and if you think about it all the pilings had to be level to hold the cannery. It's like the pilings are holding up the sky. I realize the shot has an uneasy feel to it, that was the point.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

randomeyes wrote:

But the beauty is, it is not fake, and if you think about it all the pilings had to be level to hold the cannery. It's like the pilings are holding up the sky. I realize the shot has an uneasy feel to it, that was the point.

I know that it isn't fake; I just think it has an awkward look to it, thus making the second one more appealing to me.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

randomeyes wrote:

But the beauty is, it is not fake.......

You'd probably find that's a common reaction to images like that. You can blame Photoshop. We're living in an age when the comment "It looks Photoshopped" will be given much of the time when images like yours are shown. I think your image was well spotted, but people familiar with what PP can achieve will probably react sceptically - unless you add the caption"BTW, this is real"......

randomeyes Loc: wilds of b.c. canada

R.G. wrote:

You'd probably find that's a common reaction to images like that. You can blame Photoshop. We're living in an age when the comment "It looks Photoshopped" will be given much of the time when images like yours are shown. I think your image was well spotted, but people familiar with what PP can achieve will probably react sceptically - unless you add the caption"BTW, this is real"......

You are right.

Mark7829 Loc: Calfornia

I think both shots are interesting. The first looks lke the pylons are holding up the sky. It is a bit unsettling but that is an emotion we want to convey. Only thing I might try to do is remove more shadow in the foreground. I do like the second one as well for different reasons. I couple of options, Use a 10 stop filter to smooth out the water and add more mood. Covert to black and white. Anytime you to have distinctive shapes as you have here, you lend to BW.

randomeyes Loc: wilds of b.c. canada

Mark7829 wrote:

I think both shots are interesting. The first looks lke the pylons are holding up the sky. It is a bit unsettling but that is an emotion we want to convey. Only thing I might try to do is remove more shadow in the foreground. I do like the second one as well for different reasons. I couple of options, Use a 10 stop filter to smooth out the water and add more mood. Covert to black and white. Anytime you to have distinctive shapes as you have here, you lend to BW.

Anyone can modify anything I put on here. Give it a go!

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

I like it BECAUSE it breaks the rules. I am pretty sure I would not have thought to shoot it this way. You've captured distance and perspective but in an off-balance and original way that makes us look again, to figure it out.

I'd probably run a reverse gradient filter on the bottom to get more visibility in the detail around the nearer poles.