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Water Traffic on River Limmat
Water Traffic on River Limmat
Oich


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Evening (Basic Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi
Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Date: Aug 2, 2008
Aperture: 22
ISO: 200
Shutter: 20 seconds
Date Uploaded: Aug 2, 2008

 The lights in the picture are of a boat (public transportation) that passed by as the shot was taken.

Statistics
Place: 95 out of 183
Avg (all users): 5.3026
Avg (commenters): 6.5000
Avg (participants): 5.0385
Avg (non-participants): 5.4400
Views since voting: 631
Views during voting: 227
Votes: 152
Comments: 4
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 09/03/2008 11:34:32 PM
comments like "nice shot" and "nice capture" seem almost like the kiss of death.

One of the reasons is because it's the classic response to a shot that looks nice, but doesn't give the viewer any real reason to say anymore. In the world of the 5 second view as you click a button to vote, "nice shot" is akin to flipping through a Sears Catalogue and commenting "cool shoes" on a pair of shoes you'd never actually buy.

As for why this didn't do so well, there are probably a few factors that I can pick out myself. (Probably not an extensive list):

1. Lighting. The overall feel of this photo is too dark, when what I want to see is a little more light and detail. 20 seconds was probably just not long enough for a shot of this nature in this case.

2. Point of focus. The composition is a little off-centered, leaving us with the view of the dark water first, and then the buildings as a secondary scene. Most shots of this nature that do well generally give us a very strong point of focus, such as a building or landmark, with the darker water/sky being secondary.

3. Clarity. There isn't a lot of sharpness and detail in the buildings that we do see. Having those two things on DPC seem to be of almost absolute paramount. Especially in a scene like this which is seen over and over again.

4. Originality. This shot lacks some. With this kind of photo being so prominent, you'd better hope to bring something relatively new to the table to impress the voter. This shot really has nothing of the sort. Lacking that originality, you really need point #3 to become far more of a player.

5. Everything Above and More. A combination of all the points above, plus some I probably haven't touched on, need to come together to get the viewer to say a lot more than "nice shot". You need to make the viewer say "WOW!" That's why this placed where it did in all likelihood. It lacks the wow.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2008 11:29:42 PM
Someone once told me that night shots like this have to be absolutely razor sharp or they just don't work - and they were right. The shot is just enough out of focus to lose a lot of the impact it would otherwise have. With a 20 second exposure time, it's no small challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/11/2008 03:09:22 AM
nice capture
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/10/2008 11:10:02 PM
Nice shot! Brings back fond memories :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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