Organic Framing

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The yacht by itself on a flat sea is probably only of interest to its owner.

Retreating from the subject, under a tree, creating a frame so the composition becomes a tango of frame and focus.

The tree seems about to swallow the yacht.

Choosing not just a rectangular frame. Instead, letting the frame make a statement. So the foliage intrudes, but the eye sees through it.

Some people grow trees in their garden to enhance the view. The frame grows to become an organic part of the picture.

Canon 5DII, 70-200mm (144), f4,1/4,000, Colonia del Sacramento 101029

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Sunset and sailboats

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The subject is a cliché. The treatment is a cliché. Why take postcard snaps? It's the kind of scene that has memories for the person who took the photo.

Nevertheless, if you’re going to take such a picture, arrange it well. Time it well.

Have the sun beam his reflection down the water a little off-center. Stagger the boats to give a sense of depth. Focus on boats with different mass and rigging.

It looks symmetrical but it pleasing well isn’t.

Canon 5DII, 70-200mm (200), f4.5,1/1,250, Colonia del Sacramento 101023

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P-class to Optimist

Funny bow on the Optimist. Blunt.

And wet. They take on water. Troublesome to bale out when it gets swamped or when it capsizes.

Hard to pull up when it falls over?

Hard. The old P-class was closed and so if, sorry, when, you canned out, it was easy to right and bale the water out of the small cockpit.

I liked the shape of the P-class. It at least had a bow and closed in deck. Altogether neater. More yacht-like.

I agree, the Optimist looks about as elegant as a paper cup.

Why couldn't they at least put a sharper bow on it?

Cost. Harder to bend the wood into a curve at the front. Cheaper and easier just to stick a pram dinghy slab there. Sometimes the old ways were good.