Tehben, I gave your shot a 7 and really think that it is a lovely photograph. I do not think it deserves the overall score it got.
I think what probably hurt you the most was the sheer amount of awesome landscapes in this challenge. Voters tend to vote images on a scale comparing not only how the image compares to others in the challenge, but especially comparing like/similar images with each other.
In this way, I think you got the short end of the stick, because while this shot is beautiful, it is not quite as spectacular as some landscapes in the challenge, and people probably gave you a lower vote by mere comparison, consciously or unconsciously.
I'm not surprised it scored where it did. From my perspective, the image has basically nothing going for it except color, and even that's not particularly outstanding.
Composition-wise, you've split it right down the middle, which only works well if the foreground and the sky carry equal weight visually, and that's simply not the case here; in particular, the slightly-moving break of the wave is one of those "almost" things that doesn't, in the end, work. More blur or tack sharp would be the ticket here. Also, while I recognize that the actual horizon has been leveled, the *visual* horizon is tilted and it's a very uncomfortable feeling, because by stringing the horizon right through the center of the image you've given it disproportionate emphasis.
Another issue you have here, and it's a tough one to deal with, is competing diagonals; the clouds are pulling us one way, the surf line is pushing us the other way, and it's all a muddle, basically.
Sorry to be so blunt, but these are my first thoughts on studying this image.
I'm not surprised it scored where it did. From my perspective, the image has basically nothing going for it except color, and even that's not particularly outstanding.
Composition-wise, you've split it right down the middle, which only works well if the foreground and the sky carry equal weight visually, and that's simply not the case here; in particular, the slightly-moving break of the wave is one of those "almost" things that doesn't, in the end, work. More blur or tack sharp would be the ticket here. Also, while I recognize that the actual horizon has been leveled, the *visual* horizon is tilted and it's a very uncomfortable feeling, because by stringing the horizon right through the center of the image you've given it disproportionate emphasis.
Another issue you have here, and it's a tough one to deal with, is competing diagonals; the clouds are pulling us one way, the surf line is pushing us the other way, and it's all a muddle, basically.
Sorry to be so blunt, but these are my first thoughts on studying this image.
R.
Thanks Bear. P'rhaps that's what it is.
While I don't totally agree that all of these issues hurt the image, I do see you're points... :)
I'm not surprised it scored where it did. From my perspective, the image has basically nothing going for it except color, and even that's not particularly outstanding.
Composition-wise, you've split it right down the middle, which only works well if the foreground and the sky carry equal weight visually, and that's simply not the case here; in particular, the slightly-moving break of the wave is one of those "almost" things that doesn't, in the end, work. More blur or tack sharp would be the ticket here. Also, while I recognize that the actual horizon has been leveled, the *visual* horizon is tilted and it's a very uncomfortable feeling, because by stringing the horizon right through the center of the image you've given it disproportionate emphasis.
Another issue you have here, and it's a tough one to deal with, is competing diagonals; the clouds are pulling us one way, the surf line is pushing us the other way, and it's all a muddle, basically.
Sorry to be so blunt, but these are my first thoughts on studying this image.
R.
Thanks Bear. P'rhaps that's what it is.
While I don't totally agree that these issues hurt the image, I do see you're points... :)
I gave it a 6. I don't mind the competing diagonals, but I agree completely with Bear about the waves. Slightly blurred is not interesting. A long exposure with a lot more blur would have been better if you couldn't get them sharp. There's just not much to it. While I wouldn't have expected as low as 5.3, I wouldn't have expected more than 5.5. Hidden gem is like a free study -- I think people expect more from it and judge a little more harshly.
