Taken with a Fuji XT5. ISO 125: F5: SS 1000. Focal length 28.7.
Taken at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, on April 30, 2025. The dilapidated boat was sitting in the front yard of a house and caught my eye because it sat beached on the long, unmowed grass or hay, pointing to the neighboring houses. I liked the mood conveyed by the B & W version, which matched the incongruent situation while contrasting the old obsolete boat with the newer houses in a community whose occupants no longer make a livelihood from fishing.
I ran the original through DXO Raw and removed the car in front of the house. I adjusted the global sliders, darkened the sky with a mask, and then exported the image to NIK silver Efex and looked at it in all the options. I selected the one I liked best-cannot remember the name or number now. I then played with the sliders a bit to see if I wanted to fine-tune the selected preset.
Do you prefer the boat facing left or right? Why?
6 comments posted
Dean Ginther
Diana,
Wooden boats are one of my many interests and Nova Scotia has a long history of building working wooden boats. I also hate to see them exposed and unused but that happens.
This was an excellent choice for BW. The setting reveals the rugged and hard nature of this seacoast and the houses in the background provide context to the people and culture.
If it was possible, the composition might have been improved if the house on the right wasn't truncated but maybe the tight grouping of homes made that difficult. I think the boat itself would make a good subject. Posted: 05/07/2025 00:35:48
Diana Edelman
Thanks, Dean. I will try the photo without the houses altogether and then also use AI to remove the partial house and leave the two whole ones. Both are good options to play with. Posted: 05/07/2025 00:43:13
Denny Curry
I do like this image. Black and white works well here. With regard to the boat direction, I like the way you flipped it. For me the direction you chose feels better. One thing that I would probably do is change the crop to cut out some of the area on the left side. I agree with Dean on the house on the right. Nice image! Posted: 05/08/2025 15:16:26
Diana Edelman
Thanks, Denny. I agree that some more can be cropped off the left side. I will do this when I try the other two options - one with only two houses and one with no houses. A friend has suggested removing some of the spikes grass that is distracting as well. Posted: 05/09/2025 04:35:26
Rita Johnston
Diana, I like what you did with the image. I like the B&W, with the boat in that position. It looks less cluttered, and more focus on the boat. Nice. Posted: 05/08/2025 16:49:39
Erin Lamb
I agree with everyone re turning this into a B&W, Diana. It add to the gritty feel of the setting. I also like the changed position of the boat. I agree about eliminating the whit building, either through AI or cropping. I think if you crop on the left, it should be minimal since it enhances the overall atmosphere surrounding the abandoned boat and lifestyle.
Great details on the boat!
Posted: 05/09/2025 16:09:03
