As good as it gets + REPOST

Ingredients:
Steeply sloping beach on the left
Gently sloping beach on the right
Twilight
Rising tide
One rather large wave
And finally one small wave

The title is simply the name of a song I had whizzing around in my head at the time. But I think this was a good as I got regarding all the elements pulling together to create something unusual. Harsh crits much sought after. For a start does it need a crop from top or bottom to strengthen the composition as suggested by friend of mine? Vignetting too harsh?

Can be seen bigger here

Also the REPOST HERE based on all the feedback.

Tristan

Hi Tristan,

This is great! Amazing colours and detail! Vignetting is visible, but not that distracting (only when viewing from a distance)

Greetings,

Jeroen Stel

I think I'd like to see it without the vignette at the bottom.
The sandy slope looks a tad dark especially along it's top edge, though where it runs into the grassy bank it looks great - I think I'd just like to see it just toned down a bit.

The sky looks great, and the water - well, what can one say - gorgeous doesn't cut it but I'll say it anyway

Hello Tristan

When I first opened the post I thought wow and didn't even notice your nits until I read your comments which you pointed out, so I still think wow and they are not an issue for me. Really like it as is, good stuff from you landscape boys.

Danny

Thanks all - Andy by too dark along the top edge of the dunes are you referring to the grass along the top of the change in colour saturation which I think is caused by the angle of the sand changing in relation to the glowing horizon? I'll have a look at easing back that vignetting - unusually I've not purposely added to this image. Thanks, Tristan

I think the title says it all for me Tristan! superb stuff.

Chris.

Yes I like this very very much - quite an ethereal image. I like the foreground being echoed somewhat in the sky. Lovely stuff.

Just this bit Tristan

I think this is my favourite as I am just in love with all the colours. The soft water and the subtle leading line just work so well. You dont need any foreground whatsoever, just texture will do. I am unsure about Andy's sprayjob, I personally despise any defacing of any wall with a spraycan and I think that it doesn't add to the shot at all.
The large one you sent me is just fabulous.

Absolutely cracking pic - and when all the elemnts come together as your title suhhests it really doesn't get any better - that magical mix of a great subject you've waited for and great lighting that comes so fleetingly is certainly one of my biggest motivators.



Mark

I like it a lot, but to be honest there is something about it that just does not quite hit the mark for me. Maybe its the lack of foreground interest, the eye gets led in by the shore line and the dune, but too much of the action is in the top half of the shot, so perhaps its just a little unbalanced. Anyway its a shot I would be very proud of if I had taken it, so these are just the harsh crit you asked for. Well done for capturing such a beautiful shot, all your images are of such a high standard that they have really motivated me to do more landscape work.

Paul

Surreal stuff - yes a bit dark around the lower corners but that is nit-picking for the sake of it. Excellent work.

Well the comments speak for themselves...and for me!!! Superb Tristan. Some techs would be good and some processing hints? One of my favourites I think just due to the colours and textures involved. Compositionally, you know how crud I am, so I'll just say it's looks mighty good as is

Sorry, forgot the techs: 25seconds, f/11, 17-40mm, 5D. Probably a 3stop ND grad and a polarizer.
Paul - thanks for your thoughts on the foreground - it is exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for and is much appreciated. I'll have a good look at all the suggestions.

Looks mighty fine to me also Tristan

Alan

Definately my kind of landscape. Really like the absence of particular feature in the foreground.

There is some lack of definition in the sand dunes probably as a result of the tripod standing in moving water. The same area could perhaps benefit from a little less saturation. This area is harsh in colour where the rest of the image is much more subtle.

While you're here Tristan, you know these 3stop grads, well hard grads, isn't there a distinctive line showing on an image? Stupid question maybe, but I'm clueless. And why would you use a hard grad as opposed to soft grad? Do you need to do a ot of PS work even when using a grad and polarizer, or as much as if you were blending 2 couple of images together without them? MAybe not the place to ask, but I'm gonna anyway!!

Cheers

Well I like it just as it is, good work.

It looks good to me Tristan! I would clone out few bright pebbles in low right part of the image and tone down the dune. IMO it works even cropped below that dune: soft and abstract image of moving water.

Cheers,
Marko

Hi Tristan. I think this is 'simply' beautiful. I probably would have toiled on the beach so long that the tide would have submerged me. Landscapes are probably my weakest subject so forgive me if my critique is blunt and layman.

For me, the vignetting, although not immediately apparent, does become intrusive as your eye searches through the image and you find areas are masked. The lead in line of the sand works very well and I would not consider a crop even though there is a lack of clear foreground interest. This does not bother me in the slightest, as you are drawn in to the wonderful colours of the sky. I would agree that the sand dune seems to be slipping, but to have such a long exposure on soft sand is asking for trouble. I wonder if it would be worth taking along plastic plates for the tripod legs to stand on? After saying all this, its a dreamy place and a fantastic shot

Tristan,

Very very nice image. My nits have been mentioned (Slightly dark dune and bright pebbles on lower right hand side) but everything else is superb. Thanks for sharing

Adrian

Thanks everyone for the really great feedback on this one. I've had another look at the image and decided to start from scratch taking all the points mentioned into consideration. Looking at this second version I can see I've been a bit too aggressive with the contrast. The vignetting is much lighter, the saturation on the dunes much less, a few little pebbles cloned out and I've also moved away from the 5x4 crop back to the original 2x3 proportions. The colour is a bit different too.

Do you think this is an improvement? Anything I've missed?
Thanks, Tristan

I could not get the file size under 200k without it looking awful so I've added it as a link:
REPOST HERE

Stunning. No nits here. Makes me want to strip off and run in!

I can only echo Elliott's comments - but I'm not proposing stripping off and running in with him though

Lovely stuff Tristan - you're a bit of a perfectionist aren't you?



Mark

I think its a better balanced shot now, but it was great to start with. Well done again.

Paul

Much prefer the linked image Tristan. You must have worked really hard to get the colours of the original image And fuller frame as well. I think this is better all round and processing looks far more natural when you compare them side by side..a softer feel. Fantastic

Thanks for your help

Stunning image Tristan

Fantastic shot

Tristan - ooooo that redo is a cracker

thanks all - believe me you would not want to walk into this scene. It was bitterly cold and blowing a gale. Hanging around in these conditions as it gets dark when you've been soaked by some of the bigger waves isn't most peoples idea of fun (I must enjoy it though obviously).

Lovely shot Tristran. Being critical, I find the bottom 2/3s a bit empty - the beach and 'transparent' waves isn't a strong foreground. It's crying out for a couple of rocks, or some seaweed - though I appreciate if they arent there, there's not a lot you can do!