Jessica Manelis  


 untitled by Jessica Manelis

September 2021 - untitled

About the Image(s)

I shot this on my last trip to Puerto Rico. I was intrigued by how everyone was supposed to be watching the sunset but everyone was preoccupied with everything else. The sunset was realistically not that fabulous. I shot with my new iPhone 12 plus (experimenting with the camera). I processed a little in Luminar AI to enhance the sky (also learning Luminar AI) and the foliage. Looking forward to everyones' thoughts.


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




Robert Schleif   Robert Schleif
(Group 78)
It's a nice idea and very nice that you kept the ho-hum sunset rather than substituting something more dramatic but less authentic. I also like the composition with the palm fronds and trunk partially framing the action. I'm made just a little uneasy by the trunk's half collision with the chair, although there was probably nothing that you could do about it.   Posted: 09/05/2021 13:25:26



Jody Coker   Jody Coker
Any sunset at the beach is a good one :-). IMO the pastel colors make the shot more enjoyable and match the slow easy pace of the people in the chairs.
I tried editing out the sixth chair, but I'm not sure if it leave the scene unbalanced.

  Posted: 09/06/2021 08:48:16
Comment Image
Robert Schleif   Robert Schleif
(Group 78)
For me, Jody's crop feels awkward. The trunk hitting the chair seems preferable to having the trunk hit the entire left edge of the image. I was OK with the rock in the original as it seemed to add depth to the image. In Jody's crop, to me, it would be better to remove the rock altogether.   Posted: 09/13/2021 13:06:01
Jody Coker   Jody Coker
I was uneasy with the tree all the way over to the edge, but it seemed less distracting than the lone chair, and it also gave us an odd number of chairs. Perhaps all it needs is a few steps to the right ;-)

I would still like to be there too.   Posted: 09/13/2021 15:42:55



Judy Merson   Judy Merson
I agree with Jody's crop However for me the scene is not striking It needs a more dramatic sky since the sky is the focus of interest For me it is a reminder of a nice day Changing the sky may make it in authentic but more striking If you leave this sunset you might lower the tree frond frame   Posted: 09/06/2021 17:50:28



Dorinda Wills   Dorinda Wills
In addition to Jody's crop, I would suggest cropping from the bottom just enough to eliminate the large rock at the bottom. Then I would like to see a little more light on the 3 people. They are the story and need attention brought to them.   Posted: 09/07/2021 20:50:05