The pano is my favorite of the two. It has a cinematic look. The subject becomes the scene rather than the tourists, who are distant, small and utterly dwarfed by the landscape. rich pleasing colors.
With the second photo, I focused on the surfer but unfortunately the DOF wasn't large enough to reach the stump in the foreground so it's a little too soft for my liking but not too bad.
Reconsidering I feel like I must add that the image is also very suitable to represent the time pressure of your “if it is Tuesday this must be Paris” style visit.
Reminds me that our first dog arrived almost starving.
He was with us for 10 years and we still remember him today.
I'm happy that the dog found a good new home.
Beautiful photo and a touching story.
You dealt with the awkward backlighting well, without blocking up the shadows or burning out the highlights and with the actors nicely exposed. The long shadows are great leading lines, ably assisted by the cobble stones, whose texture also add interest to the foreground and prevent it becoming a blank space. Again, the internal reflection of the lens places coloured baubles of light above the main character, helping him stand out. So what‘s not to like? Nothing, it is just fine. The only problem is that we saw this photo’s younger brother last week, and it had drama, which took it to another level, which makes this photo pale slightly in comparison.
I really like the image as it is, and agree with Roel that the uni-colour window dressings and their lighting are extremely beneficial, and the colours go so well with the walls. I also agree with Roel, that a step to make the woman’s head part of a more symmetrical pattern would be beneficial, and also with Minnie, that the geometry of the windows still look a bit strange.
As you mention in your text, everyone enjoys a good sunset, especially photographers, which means that we are so inundated with photos of them, that our reaction tends to be “oh, not another one”, which is unfortunate. However, this photo doesn’t cause that reaction, because it is not just about the sunset itself. There are silhouetted figures and “things” to be discovered on the quay.
In terms of composition, it turns out that Mike has already said everything I wanted to say and more. So thanks, Mike, for the writing my comments, and thanks, Rich, for taking the photo.
This is a nice scene, which is all about the interplay between the row of fine boulders in the foreground and those lovely clouds on the horizon. The cloud in the top right corner is lovely, but that is the problem - it distracts from the main subjects. You could remove this distraction simply by cropping, such as I have done below, or with more sky, to leave a panorama format, but you could even crop some off the left and right too, if you wanted to retain the original format.
I see what Mike means about the sharpness of the boulders and choice of aperture, but it doesn’t bother me much, probably because I am viewing on a tablet at the moment. In any case, you could probably fix that in PP such as Topaz, if so inclined.
I agree with Minnie, that this is enjoyable, and also with her observation about the line connecting gull and man and the primary colours.
The crop is very tight, which focuses attention on the important parts of the image, however, it feels a bit cramped, so if a crop is available giving a bit more breathing room, without introducing distractions, then it might be worth a try.
That’s a lovely beach and I like your idea of showing the view in both directions. The panorama shows a vast area of sand, sea and sky, with little human interference apart from the humans themselves. The other direction is almost urban, and the different format emphasises the more closed in feeling.
The problem with the tighter view is the dead tree, which is demanding attention centre stage, but is not sharp enough to warrant it.
Panoramas featuring waves are difficult to pull off, since the waves move and change shape between the individual photos, making it difficult to conceal joins and have convincing lines of waves, but the stitching software has done a good job. Or maybe you did, by selecting images, which had similar waves in similar places.
I am glad you feel that, as it was what I was thinking when I took it. The time looms ever present, and the tourists bend to see a small slice of Paris, which can only be a dimly lit impression.
I was lucky with the people in this photo. Firstly there are only two of them, and secondly their posture, leaning in towards the distant scene. I have other attempts, but they were with many people in family group pose, or individuals in selfie mode.
Thanks so much for the comments, Pete, and everyone else.
Actually, I didn't say that "everyone enjoys a good sunset." I said that in Hawaii, "everyone stops for sunsets." Literally.
Actually "everyone" refers only to tourists. Locals don't.
But in the "tourist areas" individuals and crowds actually stop what they're doing and stand transfixed during the final moments of the sun "touching" the horizon, then setting into the Pacific Ocean. ("Did you see the Green Flash?!")
Some actually applaud. Really!
Many stay utterly transfixed, as in the image, motionless, (even the guy in the water on a paddle board) dreamily watching the real colors develop for the next hour or so. Until dark. That would be me.