Photographs, Paragraphs

Good photography is about proportion. I remember learning about the "Rule of Thirds" in high school I guess. Keep the background and foreground interesting. Play with the focus to get a good mix of things. Don't put things in there that don't serve a purpose. I guess that's tougher to say in photography than in writing.

I think this photo of the Carrabelle harbor was easy. Like in Chesapeake Bay photography, if you catch something like an abandoned, collapsed pier or boathouse in the shot, you get a nice sentimentality. Forlorn, even. If you analyzed even more, you might notice that the palms on the sides are bigger and more rigid than the man-made pier. Suggests something about man vs nature. The fact that the palms seem to be dead adds to the mournful atmosphere. Or nothing at all if you just look at the picture.

One of the oldest rules about writing is "omit needless words." What could you do to improve this picture? I might border the photo on the right with the palm, and scrap the area on the right of the palm. It doesn't really do anything.

If you cut off the extra stuff on the sides and border with photo with the palms, it focuses the reader's attention on the sea and the pier specifically. If that's your intention, then you'll succeed. I think there's a writing lesson in that.