gorgeous...the building on the pier looks kind of surreal, as if it was made of lego or something

hmm.. I know what you mean..there's something not quite right about it. The clarity, crispness, toning is great but overall? I don't know...maybe the distant pier needs to be out of focus? One minor (and almost joking) thing..I'd have cloned out the bird ;-)

mark: I don't mind the clarity of the distant pier, but do think that the compositions a bit heavy on the left side of the image. As for the bird: I nearly cloned it out, but quite liked it in the high-res version. I know it looks like a blob at this size, but on that basis I didn't want to take it out.

what about in colour? does that make it feel a bit more balanced?

Actually, my first thought on this image was that it is striking to me. Very clean, sharp lines and shapes. I love the tones.

One thing I find interesting is the pier in the back is just as bright as the close one, so you get two very bright horizontal shapes. I can't explain it, but rather like this one.

On a side note... even though almost didn't see it, I also wanted the bird removed. ;-)
Neat picture.

schmee: no, there was an additional foreground/background imbalance in colour that I just couldn't get round.

mike: ok, I'll revisit the bird issue ;-)

I don't think there is anything bad about this image at all. It shows good foreground interest and perspective together with visual echo.

I love it Dave and I'm surprised you are a bit unsure - maybe it's time we went out for another masterclass ;-)

John: as much as anything else it took me almost two hours to post-process this shot earlier this evening, and this was about the fifth attempt I'd made to turn it into a half decent shot, so I guess I'm somewhat sick of the sight of it, at least for the time being.

And yes, another masterclass would be good, just don't bring that old TV again ;-)

Great use of natural framing here. So much clarity and composition oozes from this image.

best shot in the past few days...fifth time was the charm i guess...

I see what everyone means about the bird, and it does feel like the right side is a little light, but I like this photo. I particularly like the blowing sand. Along with the clouds, the sand gives a nice soft contour to contrast with the angular structure of the pier.

Leave the bird. If I were to clone out anything, it would be the cable loops on the very underside of the pier. I think the only thing that throws the image is the heavy concentration of the metal pylons on the left side of the image. But I really like the photo a lot.

Wicked! So many cool lines.

(agree about the bird though)

I agree that it's just not right but that it does have several good qualities. You've already said it but the center of gravity is w-a-a-a-y to the left. In fact, the stairstep feel starting from the right emphasizes it even more. The midway house on the back (north?) pier helps with the balance but is too small to make much impact. You used many of the foreground details to frame the back elements.Your composition is very good for your subject and your vantage point.

All that said, it is a very interesting study and I'm glad you were comfortable enough to share it. It is quite expressive! The mothball look of the buildings, the structural and architectural details, the indications of inhancements from different periods, the height above the sand, the mass suspended in air, and the list goes on.

(I've saved the best for last.) The tides you apparently have in Blackpool are phenomenal! Within hours where you were standing will apparently be in 20-30 feet of water or more. With tides like that, old TV's can't last long.

why are your photos always so...crisp and clean and clear?

So crisp and clean; great composition and alignment also! Wonderful work as always...

I like this picture. I like the contracts. The only thing that bugs me is that bird. I would have had to get rid of him.

My 2 cents. Ditch bird-agree.

I think there are 2 other crops that occur to me:
1. crop off more of the right side of the image. Makes it seem less left heavy.

2. make the distant pier more of a subject and crop the top down, even cutting off the cupola even, giving it more of a panoramic feel and deemphasizing the building in the foreground which now dominates the shot.

Both look quite nice just messing around on my own computer shielding with my hands. (I didn't save and modify your image ;-)

Like the B&W conversion.

I know it is a bird, but the bird in the sky on the right side bothers me. I like the image otherwise... although it isn't a tough image for me, aesthetically it is nice.

What I like about this photograph is that when my eyes first alight on it there is an artificial "flatness" to the content (across the whole span and detail of the photo) which makes it seem somewhat surreal. Unnaturally non-threedimensional, one could say. And that makes the scene pleasing to me in this case.
Then the sight of the bird (the second place my eye naturally flits upon arrival, brings back the three-dimensionality, at which point I'm less fond of the shot.

I say the bird is innocent. Until I noticed it I thought this was a time exposure. I say let it be.

You really handled the lighting and the range of tones in this image superbly.
Composition, ....... excellent!!

It's a good capture. Excellent!

I love the tones in this image! I love how there's another pier in the background. I love the middle part of the image where there's a frame around the pier in the background. This image is relaxing, but at the same time it also is not. All the lines are too busy. Nonetheless, one of the best images out of the past few.

I actually really like this image. The strong lines and sense of scale from foreground to background make this an image you want to look at.
On my screen is looks a tiny bit sepia. I think it would look fantastic as a clean straight black and white. Contrast is perfect. I know adding grain is a bit no no these days but that might zest it up a bit as well.

I like how the front pier is framing the second one by its framework, maybe you should of let the pier extend more to the right- that way the framing of the pier wouldnt be slap bang in the middle of the frame. I also dont like that bird, bit distracting.

Dave...I'm very sorry. I'm now considering setting up the savethebird.com appeal site ;-)

As for the balance, well I don't mind that at all. Yes, it's heavy on the left, but the distant pier balances that somewhat by being central and the.....hut?....on the distant pier gives at least some focal point on the right so for me it's an almost gradiated balance if that makes sense?

Now....that appeal site..

I'm with the "crisp" camp. I love it....and the bird :) All other elements of interest in the picture are so angular, structural, static and inorganic. ...and the birdie soars and glides above, oblivious to its contradictory intrusion.

beautiful and romantic..

Very beautiful shot! I love the clours ...

Thanks everyone. And the bird stays ;-)

djn, what processing was involved with this one? I have no idea how you get these kind of tones!

David:

Did you use any kind of photoshop or camera filter?

Thanks,

Xavier

Fantastic, clean shot.
Keep on going.

How to make an aspiring wannabe photographer feel like a complete neophyte with no hope.

Show this picture....

=)

Excellent