Shorebreak

[RogerCook]

Went to get some bird shots yesterday and forgot there was a high surf alert so I got this shot but was wondering which crop works.

[wtlwdwgn]

The second composition puts the big splash to the left of center which complies with the rule of thirds. But of the two I like the wider view although the main interest is centered because the overall scene looks better in 3:2 rather than 4:5. It's one of those compositions that's really hard to do on the fly but that's often the case in a situation like this.

[Mike Buckley]

I prefer the second crop for three reasons. Placing the splash off-center renders the image less static. (I don't care about the rule of thirds or other rules; I use them as guidelines and creative points of departure at the most.) I also like that there is less foreground beach, as that doesn't add anything to the first image for me. Last, I like that the placement of the splash draws my eye to the distant part of the pier, which for whatever reason doesn't happen for me in the first image.

By the way, this is a very nice image. Congratulations!

[jeeperman]

I am with Mike on this one. It also intensifies the power and size of the waves.

[RogerCook]

#2 it is thanks everyone.