I really like everything about this one - shallow DOF, vignetting and choice of b&w (or is it subtly toned?). Nice shot anyway.

wow! first comment!!!. i love this photo and the different tones of grey and white. how do you take such consistently amazing shots???

mikeO beat me to it there!!!

Not sure about this one ... somehow the blur and vignette look too digital - in contrast to the drum which has so much beautiful texture .... to me the two don't seem to go together as well as could be. Maybe a touch more grain in the blur ..???

Just a personal pref ... Can never please everyone I guess. xxx A.

This has a kind of rooted, gloomy ambience, and the low angle of vision really suits the subject. The toning is also very appropriate. I love how the barrel is half-buried, giving it the gravity and mystery of an old shipwreck. There's something about old rusted beach debris that just begs to be photographed and documented, don't you agree?

Is this oil drum from Morecombe ?

i love the abstract nature of this picture

I like this shot, but I wonder how this would look in color with the colors of rust, water, sky, sand, and rocks all mixed together.

It almost looks like a macro of a soda can rather than an oil drum. Cool perspective when you think of it that way.

awesome, i really like it. very well composed and a lovely DOF. a very serene feel to the photo

excellent DOF -- i love this!

nice one.

Interesting. I like the waves in the background. I like the close crop on the barrel. But I have to say this isn't one of your better ones. I prefer your crazy color photos to this shot. Not to say that this is bad in any way, I just like your other styles better.

Excellent shot

Another fantastic pic. Checking Chromasia is pretty much the first thing i do when i get to work, sets me up nicely for the day!

I find this image really pleasing to the eye. Lovely soft tones, gently rolling sea, and that rusty old barrel that seems to have been there forever. Great stuff!

The B&W works wonders here.
Neat.

Perfect DOF, David. You captured that wave in the background at just the right moment, too.

this is a great photo.. its quite sad.. yet, beautiful at the same time.

Stunning.

Thanks everyone.

MikeO: it's toned. It's very rare that I put up a pure black and white shot.

emily: most of my shots are crap, I just take lots of them and every twenty or so there's one that I like ;-)

angela: I still haven't come across a means of adding grain/noise to digital images that I'm happy with.

Bazzer: have you been on the Stella's again? And no, Fleetwood.

Dennis: I hadn't thought about it, but yes, I see what you mean.

I've just found your site, thanks to a friend and I like this shot, it's the 2nd I've liked (working backwards)
Lovely lighting and tonal contrast. This simple, elemental drum seems to hold so much meaning and is fascinating to look at too. A very pleasing composition. Quite iconic and yet more real and vital. Well done!

Post-apocalyptic reminder of "urgent priorities" and their transient nature. Very allegorical DJN :) Actually, the very first thing that came to mind was Eclipse by Pi nk Floyd.

All that you touch and all that you see
all that you taste, all you feel
and all that you love and all that you hate
all you distrust, all you save
and all that you give and all that you deal
and all that you buy, beg, borrow or steal
and all you create and all you destroy
and all that you do and all that you say
and all that you eat and everyone you meet
and all that you slight and everyone you fight
and all that is now and all that is gone
and all that's to come and everything under the sun is in tune
but the sun is eclipsed by the moon...