2014 Photo a week. #1: Dusk at Allen Harbor
by PenelopeK

Comment:

Originally posted by Ann: The top half is a fairly ordinary photo, but then the painterly bottom half transforms it into something completely different, almost alien. What happens if you take more off the top? Does the balance get better or worse? (I'm asking, I don't have an answer.)

Glad you asked. I hope we'll encourage and welcome these sorts of discussions in this thread. I like the context provided by the top part. I also rather like the contrast of the plainness, or let's call it simplicity, of the top part against the vibrance of the lower part. You still get that with a bit more taken off the top, but it does quickly start to feel unbalanced to me. If I was to go in that direction I would crop it so that just the fingers of the docks plus a tad of the walkway connecting them showed, which I did consider by the way, but then it seemed to become "just" pretty patterns in the water.

Shadows Play amongst The Aspen
by hahn23

Comment:
Congratulations on a lovely image and a great finish. The strong shadows, besides being lovely in their own right, also serve to keep one's attention on the foreground and the four or five trees there, and that helps the other trees serve as a nice backdrop instead of "competing" for one's attention.

An Evening Walk
by Elaine

Comment:
As others have said, nice placement of the group. The side lighting adds a lot by revealing the folds/creases in their clothing, which enables me to better "feel" their movement.

lunch-for-one_8032
by mariuca

Comment:
I love the arrangement on the plate, especially including segmented fish portions alongside the uncut filet.

2014 Photo a week. #1: Dusk at Allen Harbor
by PenelopeK

Comment:

Originally posted by Stagolee: Lovely reflections, the darkness gives the water an abstract feel.

Thanks. I was after an abstract feel for this!

Week 1 - Pacific Place
by Ann

Comment:
Quite a different scale than I expected from looking at the thumbnail. Black and White is great good choice. It nicely emphasizes the textures of the different materials used, ie metal, stone, etc. without much visual distraction by the stores and people. But I bet that in fact it's a great people watching place too!

Season of Death
by Cory

Comment:
Wonderfully bleak. Congratulations on the blue, Cory.

Windswept
by RKT

Comment:
Simply elegant. Congratulations.

FINAL Entry - Cory's 2014 New Year Editing Challenge
by blueoceancruiser

Comment:
Nice emphasis on the profile of the bird's head. Welcome again!.

self discovery
by grahamgator

Comment:
Just saw this. A wonderful set up, and a great capture. Love it.