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View Full Version : Trunk Bay Palm - Virgin Islands

SoonerShawn
Feb-20-2009, 06:56 AM
I'm fairly new to the photography world, and would love to hear critiques about the composition of this image.

http://shawnstovallphotography.smugmug.com/photos/454908339_uNQM4-L.jpg
TonyCooper
Feb-20-2009, 10:27 PM
The individual parts are OK, but the overall composition has an aura of tension. The angle of the palm and the angle of land behind it fight the eye.
There's a leaning X formed by the two.

You can't change this in the image, but you might look for scenes in the future where the this doesn't occur.
richtersl
Feb-21-2009, 05:26 AM
Trunk Bay has its share of photo opportunities. :D

I agree with Tony's remark about the picture having a certain amount of tension. For me, the palm tree itself is OK, but it's in the way. I want to see the sand and more of the water and the rocks. Rather than making a tree the focal point of a photo, you can try stepping back and using it to frame a scene instead. For example (please pardon the tilted horizon :eek1): http://lrichters.smugmug.com/photos/57583933_bbVn7-M.jpg

Don't you wish you were on St. John as we speak? :wink
SoonerShawn
Feb-21-2009, 06:47 AM
Trunk Bay has its share of photo opportunities. :D

I agree with Tony's remark about the picture having a certain amount of tension. For me, the palm tree itself is OK, but it's in the way. I want to see the sand and more of the water and the rocks. Rather than making a tree the focal point of a photo, you can try stepping back and using it to frame a scene instead. For example (please pardon the tilted horizon :eek1): http://lrichters.smugmug.com/photos/57583933_bbVn7-M.jpg

Don't you wish you were on St. John as we speak? :wink


Thank you both for you honest evaluations. I see what you are talking about.

And yes any of the St.s would be nice right now!
chrismoore
Feb-21-2009, 09:37 AM
I've seen similar shots and I think the palm tree as the focal point can work, but in this case the angle is awkward and I don't like how the branches are cropped in the top left corner. The biggest thing for me is the dead branches are very distracting in the middle. I would like to see a "more perfect" palm tree. The background is very nice, but my eyes keep getting distracted with the tree. It does look like a place I would like to be right now http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/mwink.gif