Greetings from the Critique Club
The slipstream is indeed fascinating. The swirls and texture make a nice abstract design. The direction and quality of light aren't optimal to really show it off, but it's still very dynamic and exciting.
Unfortunately, despite the title, the slipstream isn't the real subject here; it's only a minor part of this photo. The powerful diagonal lines of the slipstream and banks lead the eye away from the slipstream and to, well I guess the focal point is the dark and fuzzy group of trees in the background. Which is a so-so example of a vanishing point, but really isn't that exciting. The horizontal format and overall peaceful, idyllic feeling of the photo also tends to downplay the excitement of the slipstream.
Two alternative shots would have made a more exciting photo. One is to ignore the slipstream, zoom in a bit, and point the camera up enough to make the sky take the upper 2/3 of the frame. That would emphasize the vanishing point aspect (so be better for the challenge) and make a more serene photo. The clouds are plenty interesting here, and a polarizer would darken the sky and bring them out. The other is to really emphasize the slipstream by turning the camera sideways and getting it as low (close to the water) as you safely can. Keep the vanishing point to provide context (and meet the challenge), but make it secondary to the dramatic slipstream. Including part of the boat or whatever is causing the slipstream might also add interest (it's hard to say without being there).
And some words of advice for future photos: When using JPEG, always use the highest quality available; some of the fuzziness around the trees and elsewhere in this photo looks like JPEG compression artifacts. And avoid oversharpening; I think that's what caused the light "halos" around the dark parts of the horizon. |