treadwl Loc: South Florida

#4 the horizon must be addressed. Also, I would reposition the shot so that the the boat is more to the right. Note it is the front of the boat that is almost crowded out of the photo -- let it breathe. . .

Larry

Allegro23 Loc: Illinois Chicagoland Burbs

Okay well that is a good point, thanks for your help.

14kphotog Loc: Marietta, Ohio

If you are standing upright and plum and the camera is level, the horizon will be level. Water always seeks its own level. :D

Allegro23 Loc: Illinois Chicagoland Burbs

well you are correct but teh ground is on a hill adn you are standing on teh hill adn teh ocean rises and falls wiht the tide big time. The shore is up hill from teh ocean here--not the same, but I understandn what you are saying -no question.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

I understand Allegro23 how the ground is uphill from the ocean, it always is, or at least at most beaches. However, for picture-taking the horizon is what we expect to be level, and in this image the horizon is the water. For example, when taking a picture from the side of a hill, you wouldn't want to turn the camera sideways so that the hill looks flat, you would want to keep the camera level, and let the hill show, keeping the camera level with the horizon. Same holds true of the ocean. To our eyes, a level horizon, or close to it, looks most normal.

Sounds as if you have gotten good comments on all the images. I like #4 the best, as it has an interesting object in the forground.

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

It appears to me that 3 of your 4 posts here fall off to the right and if you go back to your first picture posted Apr 9 it falls off to the right also. Nice subjects!

JohnCadellPhotography

Overall, I can see where you are working hard on improving your photography. Nice job!! I've attached a few images to give you some ideas on what to look for in shooting sunsets, sunrises, and beach scenes.
Key West image: A nice idea, but perhaps in your intention to show the sailboats on the beach, you might want to consider referring to the "Rule of Thirds" in composing your image. Less foreground, and the elimination of the tip of that surfboard on the left side would be a first consideration. A second would be your lighting. This looks like it was taken in the middle of the afternoon - when the sun is directly overhead, it gives you really harsh lighting. The best time to photograph most beach scenes is early morning, or late afternoon before and (of course) during sunset. This will give you warmer tones without the harshness of what resulted here.
Sunset silhouette: Here, your lighting is challenging, as you are shooting directly into the sun. The hair on the female in the image is blurred, which suggests perhaps a not quite so gentle breeze. Switching to manual vs. the automatic settings will give you (a) Learning how to truly control light and motion by understanding the relationships between shutter speed and f-stops, and (b) Improve your skills immeasurably as an emerging photographer who wants to truly learn our craft. A higher shutter speed will correct that issue.
Sun over the ocean: Nice idea with the cloud lines and the ocean, but lighting was not your friend here. Neither was the young child and his/her boogie board, which looks like they were attempted to be shopped-out. Patience is key here. Taking pictures on a public beach in the middle of the day will create frustrations in anyone, professional or someone aspiring to become one. Instead, perhaps you might wish to consider the time of day you are working with. The benefits as previously outlined elsewhere will be a huge improvement.
Ocean City NJ lifeboat: Please watch your peripherals - the sloping effect can be avoided by checking your levels side to side, top to bottom to ensure you are 'squared-off'. Again, the lighting here will make/break how your images will look.
8-) 8-)

Sunset - Corona del Mar California - © John Cadell Photography


Sunrise - Virginia Beach, Virginia - © John Cadell Photography


Twilight - Outer Banks, North Carolina - © John Cadell Photography

DK Loc: SD

I agree with most of the comments, but one thing that bothers me is the mergers in number 2. The woman has something coming out of her mouth and the man has a dock bisecting his head. It would be better if you could place the subjects so that only open water was behind them. I think if you used auto focus, the camera focused on the background instead of the people because the background is sharp and people are out of focus.

ArtSeaMom Loc: Cocoa Beach, FL

Nice shots. I like them all. I'm not sure what you were wanting to show in the pictures so based on my taste, from a composition standpoint, I think the first one would benefit from some croping to better show the catamarans as the subject and shift the horizon away from dead center.

Rbo36 Loc: S. W. Michigan

Rbo36 Loc: S. W. Michigan

The whole ocean is running off to the right side.

Rbo36 Loc: S. W. Michigan

Rbo36 Loc: S. W. Michigan

I leveled the horizon in PhotoShop and the boat still looks fine.

Meives Loc: FORT LAUDERDALE

I like the Life Boat. It need the horizon levelled out. And maybe cropped a bit. But I like the subject and the color. I can tweak it if you give me permission. David in Florida

Ugly Jake Loc: Sub-Rural Vermont

All you horizon police - leave him alone ! It shows what he SAW - and he likes it !!! I had a shore picture with LAND on the horizon, and the HP insisted I "fix" it - upon further review, it was a slope and curve of the shoreline making it tipped. This "Tipped ocean" shows that the beach is steep, and makes you lean to starboard. I agree it's a little too much in this instance, but not all horizons HAVE to be plumb level. {rant ends}