Lance Lewin  


Lake Michigan Surfer by Lance Lewin

October 2020 - Lake Michigan Surfer

About the Image(s)

TECH:16-25mm @35mm F/11 (AP mode) camera triggered at 1/160sec

Was pleasantly surprised to have this incredible "weather" help spark interest (intrigue) on the shore of Lake Michigan a few days ago. Introduced myself to the Surfer (Pete) and then asked if I can photograph him...he was thrilled to have the attention.

In the past you have heard me speak of including a lot of space on select types of compositions; to allow the viewer to fully appreciate the location: in most cases, doing so helps reveal the emotional impact at the time of capture. Hope you enjoy this snapshot of Pete.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
9 comments posted




 
Lance

I very much enjoyed seeing this image of Pete, his thoughtful gaze at the water with the birds flying overhead.
Your use of negative space, accentuates man and nature and sends the message that we are small and insignificant in comparison to the power of the water.

A couple of suggestions for your consideration:

1. There are some highlights clipped per my LR highlight clipping warning, and I scrolled the temperature slider over them. The area is above 98. See circles.

2. If you were not concerned about using a standard crop, you might consider cropping slightly down from the top to create a more panoramic feeling. This brings more attention to Steve because of less canvas, and for me reinforces stretching out the water in front of him. At the same time you would still retain the lighthouse and circling birds, an integral part of a seascape image. For me, it still retains the concept of negative space.   Posted: 10/13/2020 14:16:41
Comment Image
Lance Lewin   Lance Lewin
These are good suggestions, Judy.

Yes, I saw these over bright areas, they need to be toned down.

As for the negative space, though I like your crop, (and very much a viable option) I still want to maintain the great expanse in both the sea & sky: in this case, the darkened clouds (and the large area of sky) both create great drama - and maintains the subject as only a part of the composition (not necessary grandstanding) but part of the overall Grandscape experienced in real-time.   Posted: 10/13/2020 14:24:15



 
Lance this is a lovely image of Pete. I like how he's tethered to the board and the nice placing of the sea gulls you executed. It's very contemplative and thoughtful. The only issue I might have with it is that except for Pete the image is mostly midtones which makes it kind of soft (I guess contributing to that contemplative feeling) and maybe less interesting. That is just my first impression. As I look at it, well, maybe it's okay. The sky looks so ominous I'm thinking maybe it should be darker that the water or the sand. As you can tell I'm having a hard time deciding.
Just beautiful composition .   Posted: 10/23/2020 01:48:57
Lance Lewin   Lance Lewin
Glad you are reviewing and thinking hard about this composition: I was lucky to see Pete on the beach as you see him, wet, cold and resting after being in the surf. I introduced myself and ask if I can capture some photos of him...he agreed. (The shot is not posed like all the other frames I have in this series of Pete).

I agree with the fact Pete represents a Strong Contrast to otherwise Soft aesthetic. Except for Pete....the composition is soft and contemplative as it reflects the vibe I felt upon approaching the scene.

Without shooting with fill-in Flash I was going to have to accept Pete to be Silhouetted against the water and sky - and frankly, I was satisfied during this very casual meeting and stroll along Lake Michigan: in this case, the shot represents a less than maximum effort to capture the Entire subject, which in this case is the Beach, and Pete as a prop.

By all means a more Contrast Interpretation is also an option, but the Mood will change drastically. Perhaps I will try this and post later this weekend. Appreciate you constructive critique, Dianne.   Posted: 10/23/2020 05:04:45



Debasish Raha   Debasish Raha
Lance, your photo captured the mood of the day very nicely. The fact that Pete is sitting on the beach and looking at the water and the waves at a distance matched the mood of the day. Well framed and nicely composed, loved it.   Posted: 10/24/2020 14:17:40



John Roach   John Roach
(Group 64)
Excellent story and I very much like the tonality of your image. The discussion offers some nice insights into ways of seeing and keep our eyes undistracted within the frame. While I agree with the comments about the highlights, they didn't resonate with me initially (not seeming particularly bothersome) because I thought they just effected the scene in ways I could very easily imagine and relate to. Very nice image and you have a group with a lot of fine images over the many rounds.   Posted: 10/27/2020 11:22:24
Lance Lewin   Lance Lewin
Hi John! Appreciate you coming by and visiting!

Thank you for your kind works! :)   Posted: 10/27/2020 12:36:07



 
Hi, Lance, I like the image with that whole scale of greys but with blacks and white, the composition I see slightly centralised for my taste, but what I don't really like is the halo like a brush that I observe surrounding Peter   Posted: 10/27/2020 18:24:42
Lance Lewin   Lance Lewin
Jose, very good observation; the Halo a consequence of poor Dodging Technique on Pete's head and body.

I will surely redo this part of the edit to eliminate the halo.

As always, really appreciate your constructive criticism.   Posted: 10/30/2020 14:05:31