Sunken Boat

Wasn't sure of the etiquette of posting "alternatives" whilst the competition was running, but I notice someone else has so I presume it's OK.

C&C please.

These are just my ramblings so don't take anything to heart but were you standing upright when you took these photos? It looks like it to me. Following your post elsewhere I'd have tried to use those ropes from a low level to lead into the boat. That would have given some dynamics and energy to the composition and probably got the horizon sorted as well. At the moment the horizon cuts both pictures in what looks a quite aritrary way.

The colour shot seems a little flat - how much post processing did you apply? I'm lousy at it but in this case I'd try extra contrast, some sharpening and changing the colour balance in Silky and in Photoshop I would try adjusting the curves although for me that's very hit & usually miss.

But before you touched the shutter release or indeed looked through the viewfinder did you ask yourself what do I want to achieve here? Or what have I got work with to make this an eye catching fizzing shot? The answer looks like lots of diagonal lines, the water, the rust and possibly not a lot more! Then what are the problems and here access is the problem - you can't get up close to it so that's a huge limitation! Another dumb thing I do is shut one eye - your photograph will be in two dimensions so see it in 2D! It helps me!

Personally I'd have walked on by so credit to you for shooting a tricky subject and I hope that I haven't sounded patronising - I thought it might help to explain how I would look at this.

Mike

Thanks for the comments Mike

Yes I was standing up when I took the shot. I still get very self conscious getting close up and cuddly with the subject

With your comments in mind and Don's suggestions about taking many shots of the same thing, but from very different perspectives, I'm going back tomorrow to try and make something of this subject.
I'll take my tripod with me this time as has been suggested before. TYhat'll help slow me down and look properly so I get a straight horizon, ( if I include it ).

As for the restriction on getting close up, I did (foolishly) consider trying to get on board...then thought better of it!

I'm glad to hear you're taking the advice.
So I'll give you some more....
after practicing shooting from different angles, and with different lenses, and different exposures, aperture/shutter combinations...

you'll want to learn to "See the light".

for available light shooting (no flash) try this:
get a small block (anything as long as it is a cube and (you can make it) white.

hold the cube up in the palm of your hand. turn in a circle until you can see three sides of your cube are all different shades of white. (sometimes helps to squint, and look through your eyelashes).

that is the direction your camera should be shooting at to get the best natural light. (I often see buildings that way, and place my subjects on the shady side of buildings where the light has that 3 dimensional quality).
now look for a subject that is sitting in that light.

(start by using this tip in shade or overcast conditions, in bright sun, you'll need scrims, diffusers and reflectors to control contrast...same idea but more complicated).

Thanks again for the tips, and thank you all for your patience with me.
I sometimes feel I am, ( how can I put this ), insulting your intelligence with my naive pics, but you are all so helpful.

The best promise I can give is I will come up near your standards...eventually

I like that, Don. Great idea.

G