U/W Photo Contest Entries - need your advice!

[Daylon]

Which of these three do you think is the strongest? I'm leaning towards #2, with #1 a close second...

[gwndwn]

personally I like #1, it's unique, makes me wonder what the story is....#2 is ok but kinda everyday

[CaptainTom]

no. 1 invites you to come on down and explore.
no. 2 good capture but 'seen it before'
no. 3 nice but not a zinger.

[Daylon]

Just making sure - you CAN see the scorpion fish in #2 right, it's a massive closeup..

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by Daylon

Just making sure - you CAN see the scorpion fish in #2 right, it's a massive closeup..

Scorpion fish close up Images and Stock Photos. 79 Scorpion fish close up photography and royalty free pictures available to download from over 100 stock photo companies.

[Wil_Bloodworth]

The first one.

- Wil

[Wil_Bloodworth]

Daylon,

I'll expand on why #1... you've got a really strong "eye focus" point with the front of the plane's engine prop mount... and it's on the 1/3 line. There are several lines leading toward the bottom right of the image down from the plane which creates depth from the bottom right to the top left. Adding to that depth, you have the diver in the mid-ground (or sea?) and then the other part of the (air craft carrier?) ship in the far background. All that combined creates a "deep" image instead of a flat one like #2.

It also has that "ominious" feel like something is about to happen.

It's a winner hands down compared to the other two.

- Wil

[Angelo]

I'm going to go against the pack, but
I like #3 the best.
A bit more PP to bring out detail and
create more mystery.

[ggeen]

#1, #3, #2 in that order. #1 for all the reasons Will said. It just makes me want to swim back there and see the rest of the ship. #3 cause it looks like an add for a SCUBA class.

[dmcantrell]

I like #3 as well, with #1 as my second choice. I was just going to admire it silently, but since Angelo brought it up I will jump on the bandwagon.

I like the uncluttered composition, the very obvious and distinct subject, and the duality of tones and detail. I also enjoy the gradient of the water's brightness and the non-standard (?) aspect ratio.

[Daylon]

Ouch Tom! Okay..point taken. ;-)

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

Scorpion fish close up Images and Stock Photos. 79 Scorpion fish close up photography and royalty free pictures available to download from over 100 stock photo companies.

[Daylon]

Thanks for all the inputs! I think I'll go with #1.. trying to tweak it a bit to bring out the diver a little more...tried burning it a little but it just didn't look good...

It's a shot of the turbine engine of the M/V Keith Tibbits - an ex-Russian destroyer bought from Cuba and sunk as a reef in Grand Cayman. The engine was the heaviest part of the ship and when it broke in two due to hurricanes, the engine stayed put and the two halves kinda slid apart like a cracked egg leaving the yolk...

[Daylon]

Tweaked it a little to bring out some more details...

Better?

[dmcantrell]

Oh I like the brighter version of #1 definitely.

[PhotoSHO]

truthfully I would leave the diver of photo #1 in the dark, now it is too obvious.............imo

Great image period though