Constructive Critics

your image is very static and looks like a vacation snap shot. the main subject is that lookout on the left and its too small to see as a thumbnail. the rest is a straight line of blue. it's heavy on the left. it could either use more view to the right, a colorful sail boat, or just something interesting. you mentioned ruins - but i don't see that in this shot. the people in the shot doesn't add anything to it. few will want a shirtless guy and wandering people. if you had people of this land it might be interesting. the question is - did you post it because you thought it was interesting? or because you had a good time there?

---Mike Savad

What works is the brilliant colors.
What does not work is that they are so oversaturated that there is no way that the colors could be believable.
In other words, its primary virtue may be a defect (or may not be) depending on your aesthetic standards.
I'm a nature photographer who enjoys increased saturation in my subjects, but rarely have I taken it this far in a photo.
In my personal opinion, you've over done it. My personal guide is usually to show the colors as I saw them. These are generally more saturated than reality, and sometimes are "perceptually" or "abstractly" more saturated than in nature. But in commercial terms, a segment of the market will appreciate this treatment. One test question is "Will I look at this is a few years and be embarrassed by this choice?" Your images reflect your artistic choices, and thus your public persona, maturity, and artistic ability. On the other hand, experimentation is usually good for development, and if represented as such, can protect the perception of the main body of your work. I have a few folders called "experimental", and for the really weird, one called "off the wall".

By the way, Mike is perhaps the most honest, constructive "unfiltered" critic on this board. While his criticism may at times feel unkind to some, he is usually on the mark, and very constructive for those willing to consider his input.

Hi Yuri, I don't do much photography and Mike and Gregory are way more knowledgeable about that...but what caught my eye was your beautifully straight horizon!

@Mike - Your new avatar is awesome...you out did yourself!

yeah, that one took 6 hours to make. but i do those complex ones once a year.

---Mike Savad

Ok here goes. The swirling filmy clouds and the water is really working well for me in this picture. I get stuck on the land mass in the left corner with is complex contrast to the rest. Complex/simple contrast combos seem more suitable in abstract work to me. Hope this helps you out

This is exactly what I was talking about,I was tired of reading lovely comments about my works,we all need to have a different point of view on our pictures to truly understand if they work or not,if they could have been done in a better way or not.
About your comments: yes Mike,that's more a vacation snap shot rather than an artistic one,I just wanted to start off the crtitics,have many other pictures which are totally different and far from holidays shots.
Can even agree on the balance part,have other shots of the same subject taken from a different point of view,but on this one I just tried to cut off most of the people visiting the site,so it was an obligated choice.
Other reason why I divided the frame that way was to get an ideal line made by the sea foam coming out from the right bottom corner and drive the look up into the image.
Like you mentioned I needed something to balance the empty space of the sea and that's why I waited for a boat (even if small) to come into the frame before shooting
The colors,although they really appear oversaturated are not really like that,I didn't add any saturation on the post process,just did a bit of dodge and burning to incrise the contrast on the sky and other parts of the shots

The reason why I chose this one was to start off the conversation,I could have chosen a better one,more artistic and less vacation style,but I'm glad for the critics recived,far more constructive than all the comments recived untill now
So thank you for your time

This is how I consider a community and discussion,a critique can be done in a polite way and truly help to increase your knowledge,see things in a different way
A lovely comment is always welcome,but it's just a lovely comment.

If someone else is interested in having hisher work commented and criticized,can share it here...

we've already had i think 3 of these threads already, many may be out of images they want diced up.

---Mike Savad

Oh ok,sorry.
Still pretty new to this site and have not been around the discussion tab for a while.

I'm just a beginner to digital photography Yuri so my comment is really of no value. I actually learn a lot from these type of discussions as do a lot of others. Mike, I'm sure is tired of the same o same o, but the rest of us value his opinions and appreciate when he chimes in. So don't feel the need to apologize for starting another critique thread...personally I find them much more interesting than image threads which are getting ridiculous.

Welcome to FAA.

This is the reason why I did,not knowing there were others with the same subject,but believing that for how good you can be,there's always something to lear from the others and the best way of doing that is get a constructive critic about your work

Thanks for welcoming Debra

Wow. I'm amazed. I love intense color, if I can believe it, and now perhaps I do!

I've been to Tulum, Cancun and Isle of Mujeres. The water in Yuri's image is true to color.

I experienced the same when I went to visit the Peyto lake in the Canadian Rockies,I couldn't believe its blue,same could say for some alpine lakes we have in the Dolomiti