Classic in every sense Photo

Photographer’s Note

First of all: the title does not refer to the image since there is one boat too much!
All sails were set when this year’s "Kiel Week" or “Kieler Woche” as it is even called by non-Germans, the largest sailing event in the world and the largest summer festival in northern Europe ended on 28th June. More than 4,500 competitors from 50 nations sailed around 2,000 boats, yachts, dinghies and surfboards in 360 competitions in 40 sailing disciplines. And for the first time the International Sailing Federation’s ISAF World Sailing Cup took place in Kiel this year.
The image shows the king class of Olympic sailing, the Star boat, which is one of the most efficient keelboats in the world for a reason: it is an incredible boat to sail. Designed in 1911 by Francis Sweisguth, it has proven to be a classic in every sense. It is even the oldest Olympic class. Supported by a worldwide association the Star as a class is one of the best organized in sailing, with over 8'000 yachts built in almost 100-year history, and 2000 actively racing today. The Star boat symbolizes all the challenges of sailing; only the strongest crewmembers can hope to hike out over the rails of the two-person Star for extended periods of time and manage to keep this keelboat from heeling over too far in a stiff breeze. Navigating this 22.7 foot long keelboat to victory in a crowded fleet is a highlight for every experienced skipper.
Star's devotees swear there is nothing like the thrill of harnessing the wind in these racing machines.

ciakgiak, JCG, patdeph, besnard, pablominto, dip, feather, ghilain, batalay, shevchenko, Cretense, holmertz, Ola_Kwiatek, paololg, gunbud, skippy007, photoray, clio, vasilpro, macjake has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ciakgiak (10460) 2009-07-01 9:22

Hello Harriet,
I like a lot this sport, but unfortunately I'm not able to practice.
The image is excellently composed with the boats in diagonal in a perfect position.
Colours, light and sharpness are really perfect. Congratulations and TFS.
Friendly regards.
Giorgio

JCG (25089) 2009-07-01 9:33

Hello Harriet,

It seems me to see French in the competition according to the inscription on the sail !!! In Brittany also we will have much nautical competitions during the summer period… A pretty diagonal of boats slipping by to the same pace on the ocean. I will have perhaps reduced the presence of water to have a more panoramic format, but it is a detail. A photograph which brings me closer more and more to my holidays in August !!! Thank you Harriet for this pleasant bowl for air.

With all my friendships and a very good evening,

Jean-Charles

COSTANTINO (22475) 2009-07-01 9:35

Hello Kielia
Your favorite subject..the sailing boats..
The swim like seagulls on the surface of the sea..
Beautiful colours,excellent composition and
presentation..Great lightness and sharpness
regards and compliments
Costantino

Bluejeans (31963) 2009-07-01 10:28

Ola Harriet,
Bela composição com estes 4 barcos a vela ,gostei do ponto de visão com os barcos em escada , belos reflexos e bonitos tons de azul , boa profundidade de foto , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

bema (8615) 2009-07-01 10:38

hallo Harriet,

wirklich eine sehr schöne und stimmungsvolle Aufnahme, tolle Blautöne und eine gute Schärfe und >Tiefe..

viele Grüße Bernd

scroller (2883) 2009-07-01 10:53

Hej Harriet,
A fine and beautiful photo. Just been to the archipelago of Stockholm seen a lot of sailing boats a really like this with the boats in a line. Mabye ready to start the competition..
Hälsningar
/Stefan

rodgerg (23625) 2009-07-01 10:54

Hello Harriet,

Blue and white... The white color of the boat arsie very well in the superb blue of the sea. The alignment of these boats give too a very beautiful graphic effect. Great prospect too.
Have a nice evening,
Roger

gildasjan (23621) 2009-07-01 12:18

Bonsoir Harriet
Un joli tableau marin avec ces quatre voiliers et ici un bon rendu de la houle au premier plan.Bleu comme la mer!
Bonne soirée
Amicalement
gildas

phwall (5530) 2009-07-01 15:13

Hello Harriet,
Yes indeed a classic, good to see the Australian boat seems to have the lead at this moment. I'm surprised that there are only five boats in this race, usually there are many more vying for position.
The Star class has always been one of my favourites, I sailed on one in my late teenage years before I took up ocean racing.
The shot is composed perfectly, the line of boats is very pleasing to the eye. So too the colour of the water, a lovely contrast to the white sails and hulls.
As always I thoroughly enjoyed reading your note.
Regards
Peter

Vasa (5302) 2009-07-01 15:21

One of your maine subjects, dear Harriet. Wonderful blue is here. I keep the nostalgic look at. The Danube cannot replace a sea... Many thanks friend,

Branko

saxo042 (15428) 2009-07-01 16:13

Hi Harriet,
This is a real marine "painting" with all the white boats in the dark blue water. Your composition rely on the repetition and the line of boats. The waves are excellently captured!
Kind regards
Gunnar

patdeph (17638) 2009-07-01 22:31

hello Harriet
this diagonal of white boats in the blue sea and sky is very beautiful!Very well done!
Regards
Pascale

besnard (30446) 2009-07-01 23:03

Bonjour Harriet
Une belle image marine tonique par ses couleurs et le mouvement des vagues. C'est du bon travail.
Merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Nicole

pablominto (40364) 2009-07-01 23:25

Hello Harriet,

Yes I know about Kieler Woche, even if my connection with sailing is very remote! Well I have tried it and knows the principles hehehe...
This image conveys the mood well, with the stereotype white sails and blue sea...
Well framed and good details!

Greetings,
Pablo -

dip (12520) 2009-07-01 23:37

Hallo Harriet,
sehr schöne Szene,super eingefangen!
ein großer Vorteil bei der Kieler Woche dabei zu sein,es gibt bestimmt viele schöne Motive zum fotografieren,
Grüße,
Dimitris.

emka (21177) 2009-07-01 23:56

Hi Harriet, Classic, yes, but so nice. Famous Kieler Woche. I am not interested in sailing but the view of the boats waiting to start in wonderful. Splendid texture of water. Nice composition with the boats in row. Compliments and TFS.

regards

Malgorzata

feather (49858) 2009-07-02 12:25

It doesn't matter to me that you have one more than the classic three. What makes this image work is the seemingly equidistance between the yachts and the repetiton as the eye travels towards the horizon; even down to the same number of people on each boat. Excellent 'texture' captured in the choppy sea too.
Kath

ghilain (1714) 2009-07-02 12:48

Hello Harriet,

Excellent perpective and composition!
4 boats... special but good idea!
Thanks for your notes!

Brigitte

AKITA (5220) 2009-07-02 14:50

dear Harriet,
very fine air and light of sea you took.
4 boats make wonderful formation with nice repetition and depth.
and I like 3 colors, white, pale blue and deep blue, those show me the splendid view of the cool ocean.
...the wind on the water is very refreshing for my all feelings.
thank you,
Akihisa

jmdias (19041) 2009-07-02 17:51

harriet

very nice view, the shapes of the sails are fabulous against the sea and sky, I liked the colors, the light and this texture of waters, nice framing and pov. well done

hugs

jorge

batalay (20804) 2009-07-02 19:16

Hello Harriet,

Your rich note informs this lovely image so very effectively that I read it twice. I see the boats from the four nations, lightly imprinted on the sails. As a young man, then again through my son, it was the regattas of rowers (crews) that I was most interested in, and seeing them at the start. But your image shows the parallel.

Warm regards,

Bulent

shevchenko (9854) 2009-07-02 20:21

Hi Harriet,
Tidy shoot to show sailing ships line up in a row, clear to see waves too, nice sunny day for the maritime games, interesting composition, thanks for sharing.
Ally

fanni (8733) 2009-07-03 2:06

Hi Harriet,
these boats with sails, in a row, one next to another, make a very nice impression. A sense of freedom...
And the presence of (although tiny but important) two red and yellow "elements" enlivens the image and, in a way, breaks the overall blue tint. I don't know why so often there appears a peculiar blue tint when a photo contains both the blue sky and the blue water. (the same applies to greenery - trees, bushes, green grass etc - everything acquires a greenish tint). It's only the camera to blame.
I thought to make a Workshop variant to show my idea, but the limit of my Workshop photos has been exceeded for today, so I've uploaded my version to my website FTP, you can have a look at it, if you don't mind?
Kindest regards,
Elena

Cretense (55528) 2009-07-03 3:30

Hi Harriet!

Beautiful scene, beautiful moment, great timing to capture these boats in a great perspective! Flawless light managment, beautiful colours! Congratulations!

Hercules

foozi (4687) 2009-07-03 6:36

Hi Harriet,
lovely symmetry you composed here. The white against the deep blue just work wonderfully. Well planned and beautifully executed shot.
I like the ripples of the blue water.

Regards,
Foozi

npecanhuk (13567) 2009-07-03 11:17

Hello Harriet!
Simple but effective composition with those four sailing boats in a row! Very good idea! Sharpness is pretty adequate to the image! Exposure is correct! Colors are natural! I also like the wavy texture of the water surface!
TFS - congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan

claudeD (11240) 2009-07-03 12:14

Hello Harriet,

very interesting picture of this lined sailing boats.The boats and the sea are a favorite theme of you and I always like to watch your new pictures.TFS.

QWith regards from Luxembourg

Jean-Claude

bracasha75 (21900) 2009-07-03 12:55

Halo Harriet
Was leuft so????Ich habe den gas bisele abgenomen aber ich bin trostztem da das ich deine schone fotos geniesen kann
Das ist classic ,schones freizeit hoby!!!
Alles gutes ,Bratislav

elkab (3326) 2009-07-04 7:44

Hi!
Very, very interesting composition. Beautiful delicate light, fantastic texture of water, colours and sharpness.
regards
elizabeth

holmertz (9484) 2009-07-05 2:19

Hello Harriet,
The boats are lined up in a perfect pattern, all with their little crews seemingly having a good time. There is a lot of foreground, on the other it looks so fine. The waves are very well captured and create wonderful shapes.
Kind regards,
Gert

Waylim (10717) 2009-07-07 23:59

Hi Harriet,
It is a beautiful shot, I like that you include lost of water in the foreground, and then the successive layers of the sail boat, good light, beautiful colors of blues. Very refreshing and beautiful composition.
Way

Ola_Kwiatek (2344) 2009-07-08 3:19

Nice point of view, very nice picture. Original composition. Original effects.
Cheers

paololg (13492) 2009-07-09 14:21

Ciao dear Harriet,
beautiful sea image, captured with a suggestive line of white sails that oppose well with the blue one of the sea. The excellent quality of the image gives us the feeling of the movement of the water. A photo that does the happiness of the sailors! Brava!
Ciao, have a nice day!
Paolo

gunbud (27741) 2009-07-10 15:56

Hi Harriet
Wonderfully choppy blue sea for these white sails to contrast with.
Love symetry of thes four competitors linned so close to each other and of course the vivid true colors and sharpness.
Regards, Tom

jimkil (528) 2009-07-11 19:09

Hello Harriet
I love the placements of the boats, very beautiful composition to the eye, superb colours, very good scene, well executed on your part.
Regards from a very rainy NZ
Jim

skippy007 (6949) 2009-07-15 4:40

Hello Harriet, I am not a sailor but have always admired boats & sailors, your well written & very informative has pointed out on the pleasures that I have been missing out on. Well composed with the horizon where it should be, the boats forming a diagonal & well placed in the frame, as you said one less may have been more desirable but I don't think it makes much difference in this scene, they look just fine. Excellent clarity & natural colour.
Thank you
Regards
Santo

sultana (1062) 2009-07-15 5:01

Hi Harriet,
Good subject and composition. The boats placed perfectly in frame.Light and colour is nice.Well done
Sultan

Angshu (33493) 2009-07-16 0:29

Hello Harriet
4 sail boats, with the white colours & sails, equidistant to each other & in a diminishing perspective...very attractive against the blue colours of the water. Like the choppy water in the FG as well. As always a fine note to accompany!
Best Regards
Angshu

Glint (3039) 2009-07-28 23:35

hello Harriet,
despite there being four yachts rather than three this image has a satisfying classic quality. I like the trinagles of the sials but also like how, as a group the also make up a larger triangle in top third of the frame.The water is a beautiful deep clue that contrasts well with the lighter blue of the sky. And of course you have observed the rule of thirds.The litle touch of colour from the yahtsman in the centre lifts the composition further.
best regards,
Bev

clio (22540) 2009-08-13 0:51

Hi Harriet,
There is an attractive rhythm in your composition with this regular alignment of these white sailboats (the one who is behind the third is fortunately almost completely hidden). You shot at the right time.
I am a little ashamed for France which arrives lastly!!! (But the race was not finished!)
Best regards
Diane

vasilpro (8374) 2009-08-25 0:57

Hello Harriet,
Beautiful composition with the sailing boats in this order, very good contrast with the blue water and the nice sky.Very nice photo.
Best regards, Vasilis.

Urs (2680) 2009-09-17 17:45

Hallo Harriet

Die Segel spiegeln sich ja noch im Meer! Und der Kontrast zwischen dem Blau des Himmels und des Meeres gegenüber den weissen Segeln sieht wirklich super aus! Mit dem richtigen Standort hast du feinnuancierte, dynamische Farben geschaffen. Die Schärfe ist perfekt. Ein wirklich rundherum gelungenes Bild

Herzliche Grüsse
Urs

macjake (1442) 2009-10-14 10:41

Hi Harriet

wonderful photo with crips whitness and sharpness. love the blues, mixed with white.
the composition is interesting, in a diagonal backwards type of perspective.
were you taking this from shore? or from another boat? if you took it from another boat, thats very impressive!
thanks
Craig