Split Rock Lighthouse, MN

[DJ-S1]

Haven't been whipped in a long time - took this at sunset at Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior in Minnesota. Looking forward to your comments -

http://davidjames.smugmug.com/photos/385010628_3vxwE-L.jpg

[MarkR]

I like the composition, love the reflection in the pool. :clap

And yet it doesn't quite pop for me. I think there's two problems:

1) it's hard to judge scale. I feel as if the main subjects are very very far away, but it's hard to tell. A person or animal in the foreground would help a lot.

2) The lighting seems a bit flat. Try shooting at other times of day (even 10 minutes can make a big difference at sunset), or maybe some PP work.

EDIT: Looking at it some more, the sky I think is too light. A gradient neutral density filter would help a lot with that.

[DJ-S1]

Thanks, I'll give that a shot when I get a chance to rework it.:thumb

[timk519]

This is a reasonably strong image, but it's actually two images in one shot, and the combination doesn't really work.

If one were to re-crop it, the result would be two stronger images.

This one puts the focus on the lighthouse and it's reflection:

http://valkyrie.smugmug.com/photos/389176031_gXU5M-XL.jpg (http://valkyrie.smugmug.com/gallery/4557307_rfPrk#389176031_gXU5M-A-LB)

While this one puts the focus on the lighthouse looking out over the water:

http://valkyrie.smugmug.com/photos/389176059_EwbZN-XL.jpg (http://valkyrie.smugmug.com/gallery/4557307_rfPrk#389176059_EwbZN-A-LB)

This way you're not confusing the story that's being told by the image by trying to tell too much at once, and winding up losing the observer.

Both images have also had some light PP work done on their sharpness, etc.

[DJ-S1]

Tim, thank you for your comments. I have several shots framed in camera both of the ways you mentioned and they do work well. I think I posted this one for a whip because I liked the sense of distance to the lighthouse as well as the soft, pastel mood.

I see your point that it may lack the proper focus to really work as I intended. Thanks for the input.:thumb