Tom McCreary, APSA, MPSA
August 2026 - Family Kayaking
About the Image(s)
This image was taken a few years ago at Boothbay, Maine. What caught my eye was the red kayak with the father and 2 boys with all of the reflections in the water. I will say that Butch's image last month with the unusual reflections got me looking for my images with reflections. It was taken with a Nikon d7200, and 18-300mm lens at 300mm, 1/640th second, f8, and ISO 500.
4 comments posted
Tom this is a strong and engaging family lifestyle image - sharp, detailed, good exposure, and the color is rich without being over saturated. You also captured a terrific reflection - you got the technical down pat. The colors and color contrast are its strong points; the reflections only add to this very pleasing story.
What would have helped the image immensely is if the father had been engaged - the boys are active, but the father appears somewhat passive. Had he been reaching out or doing something to help his boys or if he had a more interesting expression, it would add so much to the image.
Another thought occurred to me, and I've made this type of suggestion before. You might consider flipping the image so it's moving left to right. However, if you do flip it, the lettering Manitou won't make sense, so it might be best to remove it as it's not really essential to the story. Just a thought.
Posted: 08/01/2026 14:22:31
What would have helped the image immensely is if the father had been engaged - the boys are active, but the father appears somewhat passive. Had he been reaching out or doing something to help his boys or if he had a more interesting expression, it would add so much to the image.
Another thought occurred to me, and I've made this type of suggestion before. You might consider flipping the image so it's moving left to right. However, if you do flip it, the lettering Manitou won't make sense, so it might be best to remove it as it's not really essential to the story. Just a thought.
Posted: 08/01/2026 14:22:31
The image tells a story: that of father and sons doing kayaking. The three people and the boat are sharp.The colours are contrasting. But I find that there are too much ripples on the water. Posted: 08/04/2026 15:25:18
Lots of impact! Color, reflections, Sharp and good light! The pier reflections are a distraction to me. I would crop off about half of them. The father is finally getting some rest and the kid does all the work. Posted: 08/06/2026 00:15:27
Thanks, now that I look at it, you are correct about cropping off about 1/2 of the pier reflections. Posted: 08/06/2026 00:25:03