Pier / night long exposure photo

Hey all,


Tried taking a long exposure pier photo directly after sunset. 30" shutter speed with F11. no filters. what do you guys think?


Cheers.

I like it. I like the rich blue of the sky, it may benefit from having the contrast between the clouds and the sky bringing out to add a bit of drama. I also like the slight flare to the lights.

Very nice photo.

I like the shot a great deal. If it were mine I'd crop the right edge, and take a little off the bottom, in keeping with the Rule of Thirds:
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Horoscope Fish said:

I like the shot a great deal. If it were mine I'd crop the right edge, and take a little off the bottom, in keeping with the Rule of Thirds:
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View attachment 124476

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Thanks! Good point, I forgot about the rule of thirds. Definitely looks nicer without so much beach.

Cheers

SteveH said:

I like it. I like the rich blue of the sky, it may benefit from having the contrast between the clouds and the sky bringing out to add a bit of drama. I also like the slight flare to the lights.

Click to expand...

Hi Thanks!

Do you have any tips on how I would add contrast between clouds / sky?

Cheers

paul04 said:

Very nice photo.

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Thanks mate

I love the colours and I agree with Horoscope Fish, for me the bottom edge was too distracting. The reflections on the water is nice


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Good Colour!!!

I like the exposure, but I'm not a fan of the composition - and not because of rule of thirds. Not having been there I can't tell you how I might have changed it, but any changes would require moving, either closer to the water or closer to the pier. Don't be afraid to get your tripod (or feet) wet, so wading out a bit into the water so you've got no sand in the foreground might have been nice since the water doesn't seem to be giving up much of a white wash. Or, since the sky is nice but not "amazing", move the camera closer to the ground to accentuate the water line with the pier cutting across the top portion of the photo instead of the bottom. The other thing I'd do would be to move you closer to the pier and allow it to run out inside the photo so you get a feel of the far horizon instead of having it simple bisect the entire frame.

Still a nice photo as is.

BackdoorHippie said:

I like the exposure, but I'm not a fan of the composition - and not because of rule of thirds. Not having been there I can't tell you how I might have changed it, but any changes would require moving, either closer to the water or closer to the pier. Don't be afraid to get your tripod (or feet) wet, so wading out a bit into the water so you've got no sand in the foreground might have been nice since the water doesn't seem to be giving up much of a white wash. Or, since the sky is nice but not "amazing", move the camera closer to the ground to accentuate the water line with the pier cutting across the top portion of the photo instead of the bottom. The other thing I'd do would be to move you closer to the pier and allow it to run out inside the photo so you get a feel of the far horizon instead of having it simple bisect the entire frame.

Still a nice photo as is.

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I was more scared of getting sand in my camera / the spray of water on it haha.

Good point on the camera closer to the water, I didnt even think of that.

​Appreciate your help, Cheers.

Hippie: So maybe getting in closer and more to the left so the pier is taking up more of the frame on the left then disappears into the horizon?

hatlesschimp said:

Hippie: So maybe getting in closer and more to the left so the pier is taking up more of the frame on the left then disappears into the horizon?

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I'm just saying that the composition as is is just OK and that moving around might have yielded something better. One of the most important things to learn as a photographer is that the most important piece of equipment that you have is your legs, because they can bend down and move you in any direction you want. So, when you see something you want to shoot and it looks good where you are, think about whether or not it would look better with the camera somewhere else and use your legs to get you there.

That said, I'm definitely thinking some variation of your interpretation. If you do an image search of "pier at night" you will get a plethora of variations on something like this...



Why? Because it works. That doesn't mean you have to shoot it this way, and you probably should look for something different if it's available. But the way that the lines lead in and sit within the frame follow a set of standards that are ultimately pleasing to the eye.