I think what's missing here, Dave, is any specific focus. The whole thing just seems to cluttered. I dig what you're trying to do, but it just doesn't work for me.

I like the reflection in the upper part of this image and how it blends with the blue sky, but the bottom section is too busy for my eye.

On another note, I will actually be in London from NYC during that weekend in September. I hope that I can stop by for part of the event.

I really like this shot, it's very nice

The screen is probably not the right medium for this image. It would really be best as a full wall display in a museum exhibit about the pier. A setting in which it was not the primary focus, but set the atmospher for the rest of the room.

sea, ahhh... sea... :P

The eye is immeditely drawn to the tower, and then back out for the wider view of all the pensioners enjoting the fine weather. I think that this could only have been improved by cropping out the slightly distracting railings to the botton left of the picture. But hey, I'm splitting hairs - I really like this one.

Stunning... I absolutely love this one.

Congratulations on your inclusion in Time Magazine's list of Top 50 Blogs. Well done indeed!

Not sure about this, it seems cluttered and I can't decide what to focus on. Lovely colours in the background though. I'm looking forward to more evening beach shots.

Love it.

I think it's that white band across the middle that spoils it for me, it's a bit distracting. If you'd just got the seafront and the reflection of the people and the arched structure I think it would be better.

I admire your work and I subscribe to the RSS feed on your site. Thanks for sharing your great pictures! With this said, I can now spill the beans :-) I don't like this collage thing at all. If the upper part works more or less the lower part doesn't make any sense to me. Probably I'm also a bit biased against the collage "genre" ...

i personally think it's excellent. blows my mind... honestly

i like the idea of this shot. mix and match!!! the reflection and the sea beyond, nice combo!

i go with your wife on this one...I like it. I love the blue and then there's the subtle detail of the reflection. Dig it.

Fantasic Work!! I'm loving this blog. I just found it from the Time website link.

I can't decide whether I like how the reflection shows, but other than that there isn't really a focal point...

This is great photo with nice colors!!

Technically well executed, excellent composition, very nice play of multiple layers. I really like the see-what-they-see aspect and how you used the reflections to achieve your fondness for darker corners.

The one aspect that bothers me and keeps the shot from being as good as it could be is, as nogger said, the white band and roof running right through the middle. It is one time that tearing the roof off the place would have been acceptable manipulation.

Also, my congrats for the Time nod. Most deserved.

Your wife has an excellent eye. It really works well for me. The tower is the subject, but then the reflection is what holds my eyes and I stop for once and study it. There is a connection between all aspects of the scene and this is why it's not cluttered to me. I see them, I see what they see- and the layers are well defined. Yes, one could agree that the white band is distracting. I would say, though, that without the white band, the eye would be a bit confused about what exactly the whole thing is about.

Your wife should try her hand at it.

on a negative side i think it's too cluttered. as alec said, there's no specific focal point. if there was just a reflection of people in the sea, i think that would have been more interesting.
on a positive side- the colours look grand (as they say in blackpool!)

Your photos are simply awesome pal! I've sent you a mail.

yeah i agree about the cluttering mentioned. i think the shot of the pier would work ok on its own without the reflection, as a landscape.

What a glorious day to be at the coast though! I posted a shot of the Blackpool sea today, taken on a rather more gloomy day...

The reflection made the picture very nice.
It is like 2 pictures in 1.

This is either a blend or a reflection. Seeing that you don't go for a ton of FX I will choose the later. Though the reflection can't be avoided (and you were not trying to avoid it I know) it does serve to making a very busy photo. Other than that it has all of the components of a good photograph.

i think this works pretty good. i don't have a problem with the focus. i like the framing and the colors.
good shot.

There's nothing really wrong with this picture. The reflection is ok, the framing on the top-right corner is nice, and so on. It's just, as you said, something is missing. There's nothing really wrong with this picture; there's nothing tremendously right with it either.

Thanks everyone, but I think that Robert pretty much summed up this one when he said "there's nothing really wrong with this picture; [but] there's nothing tremendously right with it either". I think it was a good idea, but it's one I'm going ho have to work on.

Hey
really artistic shot,
Plz come to my home page

i think its the best picture ive ever seen..........
its so real.
Really becoz life is like that........life is never one thing , or for that matter one object.......its a wholesome celebration of the diversities God had given us......
so i think this picture reflects all of this........
All praise and Thanks to God

this is the best I've ever seen

congratS!

ur great!

Nice, great flow. I agree about the railings in the bottom left and possibly the lower section could have been darkened a touch. The top section is great, the white roof drags you through and back to the tower via the cast iron work. I think it's the juxtoposition of architectural styles that works for the top section. Probably would have got rid of the little dome myself. Nice work, messy, but it works

Your work is wonderful. You have great vision.