Coastal Rhythms

Gallery: LandscapePosted June 28, 2011447 views9 comments

The view from a rock outcropping along the Sonoma Coast. The ocean was sweeping in and hammering the rocks along the beach as I took this image, but to me the end result feels rather peaceful with perhaps just a hint of drama.

All comments and critiques are greatly appreciated.

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by John Williams on June 28, 2011 at 9:00 PM

Agreed Phil, this doesn't convey the drama of the conditions you describe (similar to my last post

). This reminds me of a lot of the overcast, gray days we get up here in the north. The green of the water is very nice.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on June 28, 2011 at 9:28 PM

I"d be tempted to crop out the sky almost completely (maybe to just above the tallest bg rock). Just leave the rocks with their golden glow and that beautiful green water. Nice image

Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Crabbe on June 28, 2011 at 9:38 PM

Great wave action, and that tiny bit of blue in the sky is really nice to have in there.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 182 Posts, 1840 Comments

Comment posted by Sarah Marino on June 28, 2011 at 9:44 PM

Hi Phil - the green in the water adds a lot to this image. I also like the composition and the visual flow that the foreground helps provide. I think some more texture and drama in the sky could improve the image overall. Right now, the grey is a bit too featureless to hold the same level of interest as the rest of the scene. More drama in the sky could help complement the mystery in the water nicely.

Registered on November 10, 2008, 23 Posts, 393 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on June 29, 2011 at 12:40 AM

Phil,

I really like this well balanced near/far composition; an excellent seascape. I think the "drama" of the surf is lost a little because of the long exposure, but that is fine with me as I like the result of the white foamy areas mixing with the greens of the ocean. I think the sky works as there is at least some texture there and even a little patch of blue. I have no nits or suggestions. Well done.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Stefan Gimpl on June 29, 2011 at 2:51 AM

The water does look rather peaceful. But the white foam created by the long exposure somewhat also seems a bit foreboding.
Very well composed!

Registered on May 12, 2007, 26 Posts, 184 Comments

Comment posted by R.Bill Moser on June 29, 2011 at 3:38 PM

The drama is lost and doesn't really convey what you described.......i love the greens of the water though.I also do like the composition

Registered on January 29, 2010, 285 Posts, 4281 Comments

Comment posted by Phil Pogledich on June 29, 2011 at 5:53 PM

Thanks for the comments so far. Just to be clear, my introductory comments were not intended to convey that I felt the image had "failed" in any sense. Certainly the longer exposure did not capture the scene precisely as I remember it--in particular, the sound and feeling of the waves sweeping past this vantage point to hammer the shore--but I still felt the image was successful. In fact, by deciding to use an ND filter (3 or 6 stop, I can't recall) together with a polarizer, this was essentially the end result I had envisioned at the time. I probably should have expressed that in my introductory comments instead of leaving the impression that I didn't get what I was hoping for . . .

Registered on August 24, 2009, 123 Posts, 3099 Comments

Comment posted by Gary McGhee on July 4, 2011 at 9:07 AM

I like the comp here Phil with the wonderful arrangement of rocks.

Gary.

Registered on April 15, 2010, 142 Posts, 2416 Comments