Go ahead, rip me to shreds :-)

[Markjay]

I posed this in another area of Dgrin, Andy suggested this "whipping post" so, let it rip...... straight forward critique, please.

Thank you!
http://choicephotos.smugmug.com/photos/3577700-M-4.jpg

[Andy]

So this is a pleasant scene, warm end of day light, a little movement in the gentle suft, and some nice catchlights to keep me interested. The boys are looking at something, I wonder what? That's a plus, it keeps the viewer interested in the photograph. I'm not interested in the cyan tones of the water upper right -- of course it's natural and that's the way it was -- but I don't find the color pleasing with the rest of the scene. To me, this type of image would be highly saleable with something light more dramatic shadows, sweeping, drawing the viewer around.

Classically composed, it works for a shoreline gallery.

[Markjay]

For the whipping :-)

How in PS would you suggest I correct that area of cyan? Replace color? Graduated filter? Select area change hue?

I'm glad I posted this here, because I did not take notice of the cyan upper area natural color (naturally there). Thank you,

Markjay

So this is a pleasant scene, warm end of day light, a little movement in the gentle suft, and some nice catchlights to keep me interested. The boys are looking at something, I wonder what? That's a plus, it keeps the viewer interested in the photograph. I'm not interested in the cyan tones of the water upper right -- of course it's natural and that's the way it was -- but I don't find the color pleasing with the rest of the scene. To me, this type of image would be highly saleable with something light more dramatic shadows, sweeping, drawing the viewer around.

Classically composed, it works for a shoreline gallery.

[Andy]

How in PS would you suggest I correct that area of cyan? Replace color? Graduated filter? Select area change hue?

You can post the pic and that question in the digital darkroom (http://www.dgrin.com/forumdisplay.php?f=10) forum here on dgrin if you like :thumb

[Dee]

I posed this in another area of Dgrin, Andy suggested this "whipping post" so, let it rip...... straight forward critique, please.

Thank you!
http://choicephotos.smugmug.com/photos/3577700-Th-4.jpg

It's Mark... :rofl :rofl :rofl (in joke, Mark might not even be "in")

OK I find the entire photo too dark and the color almost bordering on a rich old fashioned sepia.

I think what bothers me most is that you have 2 subjects fighting for attention -- the boys and the ocean.

I'm going to go radical (for me) and suggest you leave the boys and the lovely backlighting sharp and make believe you had lots of bokeh for the ocean...

I like the boys in silouette but I think I'd rather see some blue water rather than rusty brown water that looks like the result of a dying "red bloom." :-)

And, I know that's what digital does with that kind of light :):

You were probably facing west -- I get the same color on my files, but it's not what I see when I'm there. I'm constantly fighting with getting enough depth and color in the sky without the water getting black...

And then you get those lovely gold and pink tones on the water sometimes at that kind of day -- definitely softer and more rejoicing of childhood IMHO.

Glad the hurricanes haven't been too bad for you guys this year. I have a friend who moved to the Tampa area a couple of years ago. She's a native Californian so hurricanes are something new for her.

[Cantfeelmyfingers]

Well I'm not a 'qualified' critic.. but I do know what I like.. and I love this picture.. Like Andy said.. the interest.. but I have to disagree with the cyan tones.. I love it the way it is. Awesome pic! Jamie.