Quintessentially English scene...

[Clicker]

My eleven year old grandson  Oscar  joined the local village Cricket Club a month ago and  was thrilled to play his first game against the  next village  3 weeks later ..It was the day we arrived home from Monaco so we just dumped the cases at home and drove the thirty miles to make sure we had  a record of it ...Once there  though it was such a beautiful setting  that  the pictures finished up  a bit more that  just a record that  they were intended to be ..

 Wasn't sure whether to post on the Sports  or the Landscape  forum ........

[THELONGMAN]

Superb picture, lovely composition and the sky is just beautiful,

 

Geoff

[Clicker]

Thank you Geoff ... It tried to rain for a moment ... then the light was a bit iffy  for ten minutes  .... All were  under 13 years of age .. It was brilliant to watch the youngsters emulating their heroes , fist pumping and giving  hi fives , shouting encouragement to each other. Yer never know ... we might  see one of them at Lords' one day !!

[kev7d]

It is very British indeed. The compo is lovely. Loads of character.  Processing wise maybe just a little too heavy for my taste. Lovely scene.

[Guest Ron]

_{Hi Polly,}

_{A lovely scene and as you say very English. I am ok with the sky but from the trees down it does look a little heavy to me also.}

_{Now it may well have been as you saw it Polly with a threatening sky but just wonder if a little bit of lift would help it.}

_Ron

[colinb]

Wow, well that has certainly hit a 6! - wonderful Polly wonderful I wish I had been there with my camera as well 

[Denis]

Perfect image Polly........we just want the weather to go with it!

[Jack]

Nice seen well captured, works as  it is for me.

[JohnP]

It's a really nice image almost perfect, I think it would be just a tad better if the lad on the left wasn't quite so close to the edge of the shot.

[Korky]

Overall, the image works for me, too.

I do agree with John re the player on the extreme left, though. He does draw the eye away from other elements of the image.

Now, did I ever tell you about the days when I played silly mid off for St Thomas Aquinas RC Boys? At the time we were under the close tutorship of Father Declan O'Malley (now serving six years in a medium security institution) and the songs we sang in the bath were an absolute hoot. Perhaps not really suitable for a family forum, though.

Korky

[fuzzyedges]

Well I seem to be the odd man out here 

The heavy? processing sits well with me, failing light could rain lets get some runs in chaps 

The guy on the left, for me my eyes go straight to the right hand thirds and then swings back to this guy taking all the image in I think it would be sort of flat, less interesting, whatever you want to call it without him 

Nice image 

[ChrisLumix]

My only quibble with 'the guy on the left', is that he's cramped right up against the left border - he needs some space (to fall back into when taking a catch!). Otherwise I agree with Fuzzy.

[Clicker]

A lot of very constructive  comments ...thanks  gang .... all are always appreciated.  Chap on the left was right on the boundary with a fence behind  him .. I suggested he moved in a couple of feet for me but he said his captain would  get upset as he's been sent there  to get a probable catch during the over

When we arrived it did look as though rain was going to stop play   but it held off ... just about .

 

I agree that ideally I'd like a LITTLE bit more space  behind the fielder on the left ... so I'll go and  invent it ..

[Craftysnapper]

Well Fuzzy is not the odd man out any longer as I agree with him and that man on the extreme left works treat to me he is what my eye first went to and then I was compelled to look into the scene just as he was doing, not sure it would have that effect if he were moved into the scene, I love it as is processing and all.

[Clicker]

Aw Thanks Paul....Ideally in a perfect world I   would have liked the young lad   just  a few inches to the right so I have moved him in a bit with the content aware tool   ..but I  thought , like you, he made me look at what he was looking at ...As Fuzzy commented ... without him, for me,  the subjects are too small to hold my interest. and for me without him the  drama of the sky detracts  too much from the fact that it's a game of cricket and not a landscape ... I do love the interaction  we have discussing why we like or feel a pic can be improved ..., All  comments have  valid  reasons that  I take on board  ... learning is such a rewarding pasttime so thanks everyone for your interest.. Appreciate  you all taking the time  to put your points of view .

Oops It wont let me upload the new version ... Hmmm

Ok  it will now once I've  exited the thread ...and  started again from scratch ...odd !

[JohnP]

Much better!

[Clicker]

Thanks John ....  Just  those few inches to the right ... affects the balance a great deal ..

[JohnP]

My eye is no longer attracted the the lad on the left, I'm now drawn to the action in the centre. I also like the image more now because the lad on the far right is about the same amount in from the edge of the image as the lad on the left, it looks more balanced... that's me being stupid I know... After all I only know about insects...

[Clicker]

3 hours ago, Clicker said:

Thanks John ....  Just  those few inches to the right ... affects the balance a great deal ..

yup ...I think we agree ...the balance is better John ... And I'll always  be bugging  you and Paul when it comes to information required about insects !