1st timer... Red Tugboat

[Montesa]

This is my first time at the Whipping Post and I think I'm ready! Taken with my Canon 20D with 28-90mm lens. I took several including some landscape style but this tight framing is the most interesting one to me.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Montesa

http://Montesa.smugmug.com/photos/143445800-L.jpg

[quark]

I like the "non-traditional" composition on this. Not what a viewer expects.

You might want to take it further and crop down on a key focus area. An alternative might be to do some strategic post-processing to help the viewer find the focus and insight in the image. I guess I just want more "story" than I have right now.

[gchappel]

I find the sinking tilt uncomfortable without the rest of the story. This really makes me want to climb into the picture and look around to see the rest of the image. The crop appears to be random, it doesn't highlight or focus on a particular point. What are you trying to say??
Technically the shot is well done.
I have many that are MUCH worse:)
Gary
gchappel

[Swartzy]

To submit yet another perspective. Often, I try to view the photograph without looking at other's comments so those don't influence my eye.

First, I would say this subject, the tugboat really needs to be in landscape orientation, simply because it is wider than tall. A shorter focal length lens would do the trick if you wanted to include the water which (IMO) you should.

As this is in portrait mode, and zoomed in, it takes on the overall feel of a simple snapshot with a DSLR. Yes, the vivid red of the tugboat is nice but leaves the viewer questioning what is to the right of the boat. Being shot at the brightest part of the day doesn't provide any interesting drama, shadows, intrigue if you will. The worst part of the shot for me is that you shot it "DEAD ON", like a tourist would do that has no understanding of what makes a photograph captivating.

As this shot is (and quite honestly) there is no processing in the world that would improve it, nor cropping....it simply needs a different mood to grab the viewer's attention and keep it. Landscape mode at sunset with the entire boat gaining attention amongst it's setting...now that would be the shot.

[Gary Glass]

The strength of the composition is in taking a vertical slice of a horizontal subject. Play that up. If it was tilted just a little to the left so that the vertical lines (the ladders and the red pipes) are really vertical, and if the crop was even a little more pronounced (more off the right), it would it emphasize your treatment even more.

The other strong point is the color. RGB! Again, you could strengthen that further by deepening the blue, and maybe the green.

[Montesa]

Thank you, everyone, for the feedback. I took this shot with this composition because I was drawn to the lines and color. Thanks to both Garys :D for pointing out the correction to the horizon line that could make the horizontal "slice" work better!

Thanks, quark, for suggesting a closer crop and the need for more "story"! I do see that now that you've mentioned it! I'm glad you liked the non-traditional framing... that was my goal.

Thanks Swartzy for your comments. I did try several in landscape format, but they were uninteresting to me. It was the color and shape that I liked about this, rather than just a picture of a boat. You make a good point that sunset would have been stronger!

[pathfinder]

I like the green reflection of the boat in the water, against the red of the boat.
I find this an interersting contrast to study. Maybe emphasize this area more.

I find the area below the waterline as interesting as the upper half of the tug.