Lighthouse on the Hillby
ShutterPugComment by sibeling: << Critique Club >>
Hi, I'm Ted, and you have the dubious honor of receiving my very first critique as a member of the CC. Congrats!
Initial Impression:
Great colors, well-composed & meets the challenge topic well.
Composition:
The framing of the shot is perfection: I love that the water, land & sky each take up an approx. 3rd of the shot, with the lighthouse positioned using the rule of thirds -- mmmm, wonder why? ;) I disagree with the commenter who suggests that the foreground needs some interest - the slight texture of the waves is plenty interesting to me, and does not distract from the eye-catching red of the building. Which leads me to...
Color/Tone:
You have presented some deep, vivid colors, here. The sapphire blue of the water, the deep greens of the foliage and the bright punch of red all add up to an image that indeed, as one commenter praised, looks like a postcard. I think you may have taken the saturation one little tiny step past the optimal, but certainly not to the detriment of the overall presentation. I say this because there are little bits of red (lighthouse) showing through the trees that are really, really noticable, and I think that may be why "the trees look a bit funny," as a commenter noted. Also, another reason for funny looking trees may be the...
Focus/Exposure:
To my eyes, the focus is not exactly sharp - it seems just the tiniest bit soft, especially in those pesky trees. Since there are no post-processing notes, I'll suggest doing a little bit of unsharp mask to sharpen the image, although you may have done it already. As for the exposure - no complaints, only praise! You've captured great detail of the waves in the water and the rocks on the coastline - even in the branches of the "soft" trees.
Title:
This may be a controversial aspect of my critiques, but having a degree in English Lit., I feel the title is an important part of the presentation. Otherwise, why bother to have a title at all? Your title is servicable - it certainly describes the photo well enough. And it does have a little assonance with the repetitive 'hu' sound (HOUse, -HIll), and the cadence is pleasant to the ear.
Meets the Challenge:
Well, yeah it does! Like I said above, the water/land/sky division of the frame, and the placement of the lighthouse, brilliantly follow the rule of thirds.
Summary:
This is a a colorful, inviting & simply beautiful photo. I found it to be one of the best in the challenge. Great job!
Photographer found comment helpful.
