The Old Lifeboat House: This is at The Lizard, Cornwall. Back in February I posted a negative restoration project showing The Duke of York lifeboat being hauled up or down the narrow...

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

This is at The Lizard, Cornwall. Back in February I posted a negative restoration project showing The Duke of York lifeboat being hauled up or down the narrow slip - quite why all that was going on I've never discovered but in my current posting you can see where the lifeboat used to live and the shot is taken from that awkward, short and steep slip, with it's 90-degree bend at the bottom. Far easier to launch from the house! Unfortunately its past its sell-by date and now in decay, with a nice new one further along the coast.
Its still quite a dramatic-looking thing, with its steep launching slip, and I've tried to portray some drama in the processing. Things are so tight there I was using a wide-angle lens and couldn't position the horizon anywhere better and still get the shot I wanted - is it acceptable, and how do you like the pp? Your critique appreciated.

(Download)

R.G. Loc: Scotland

You've achieved a good sense of place and good composition to lead the eye into the shot. PP-wise I'd recommend easing off with the sharpening, and I don't think that the mixture of brown and blue in the sky is doing the shot any favours. It might work with an overall monochrome brown tint, but the mixture isn't working very well IMHO.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

R.G. wrote:

You've achieved a good sense of place and good composition to lead the eye into the shot. PP-wise I'd recommend easing off with the sharpening, and I don't think that the mixture of brown and blue in the sky is doing the shot any favours. It might work with an overall monochrome brown tint, but the mixture isn't working very well IMHO.

I should have masked-out the sky when I applied the texture methinks - and it does work quite well in plain sepia tones RG. Got a bit carried away! Thanks for your guidance, it's appreciated.

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

magnetoman wrote:

I should have masked-out the sky when I applied the texture methinks - and it does work quite well in plain sepia tones RG. Got a bit carried away! Thanks for your guidance, it's appreciated.

I like the picture but yes, I like the tones on land but you are right, mask the sky. Another idea: just take the whole frame down to halftone and then up the contrast a bit; I wonder how that would look.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Agree with RG. The brown suits the rock and the lifeboat house+ launch ramp. You can even get away with it on the sea. But it ruins the sky. Look forward to seeing a revised edition.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

The choice of the two color mono is excellent mood setter...

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

magnetoman wrote:

This is at The Lizard, Cornwall. Back in February ... (show quote)

Dave,
I am riveted by your exceptional composition with leading lines that forcibly lead the eye from lower left foreground to the ostensible subject in middle ground...and then to the real subject at the far reaches of depth recession: the vastness of the lost sailor's destiny.

A truly powerful image!

Congrats and thanks for posting...and for this strong visual experience!

Dave G.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

rafikiphoto wrote:

I like the picture but yes, I like the tones on land but you are right, mask the sky. Another idea: just take the whole frame down to halftone and then up the contrast a bit; I wonder how that would look.

I'll give that a go but will need to start afresh as I dumped all the previous layers! Many thanks foe commenting and your thoughts.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

John N wrote:

Agree with RG. The brown suits the rock and the lifeboat house+ launch ramp. You can even get away with it on the sea. But it ruins the sky. Look forward to seeing a revised edition.

I will go back to it as I like the composition, but don't hold your breath John, it's got to start from scratch! Thanks for commenting, it's appreciated.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

dpullum wrote:

The choice of the two color mono is excellent mood setter...

Thanks dpullum, glad you approve.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

Uuglypher wrote:

Dave,
I am riveted by your exceptional composition with leading lines that forcibly lead the eye from lower left foreground to the ostensible subject in middle ground...and then to the real subject at the far reaches of depth recession: the vastness of the lost sailor's destiny.

A truly powerful image!

Congrats and thanks for posting...and for this strong visual experience!

Dave G.

Wow! Nobody describes a composition quite so well as you Dave! Must admit I was sorely tempted to add a boat, but persuaded myself the empty sea added to things, and seems I was right. As I've said above, I'll be returning for second go at it in due course.
Did you get time to look back at the negative restoration project in my listings? Same slipway, showing the ingenuity of the local crew. You might find it interesting.
Thanks for the critique, it's appreciated.
Dave.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

Dave, this is a Powerful image. Love the simplicity, the tones, your coloring of it, the way the lines work. A lone dog on the beach perhaps (to make it feel even more lonely), but I really like the emptiness/wildness of this scene. This is Awesome!

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

pfrancke wrote:

Dave, this is a Powerful image. Love the simplicity, the tones, your coloring of it, the way the lines work. A lone dog on the beach perhaps (to make it feel even more lonely), but I really like the emptiness/wildness of this scene. This is Awesome!

Thanks Piet. I thought about a lone sail, but decided completely empty was the answer. Since posting I've got three versions of colour/filter, but still not added the sail (or dog).