Photo Analysis: On The Ferry

Photo by: @lukelucis_

Let’s Analyse this Image

Composition

What works well:

• The open doors act as a perfect frame, naturally pulling your eyes straight toward the city. It gives the whole shot a sense of depth, like you’re about to step into the scene.

• The symmetry isn’t perfect, but that actually works here—it keeps things feeling real and dynamic instead of too staged.

What could be better:

• The gate is slightly off-center. It’s not a huge deal, but a little more alignment might make the composition feel even stronger.

Lighting

What works well:

• The golden-hour light hitting the doors is just beautiful. It contrasts so well with the cooler tones of the water and skyline, making the scene feel rich and inviting.

• The way the city skyline is like ‘‘bathed’’ in soft light gives it a dreamy and incredibly cinematic feel.

• The deep shadows inside the ferry add a touch of mystery and make the bright skyline pop even more as already touched on.

What could be better:

• The bottom part of the image is pretty dark, which hides some of the details in the ferry’s interior. Brightening it a little could help balance things out. However keep also in mind that this would make the framing less impactful - your eyes go towards the light —> so right now straight to the city, making the interior brighter could then lead away from the city - our main subject.

• The city skyline, while gorgeous, could be slightly brighter to make it the real star of the show.

Framing

What works well:

• The doors do a great job of framing the shot, keeping your focus locked on the skyline.

• The gate adds a secondary layer of depth, reinforcing the feeling of looking out toward something.

• The reflections in the door windows add an extra touch of detail without being distracting, a very nice small touch.

What could be better:

• Basically nothing, the framing in my opinion is quite on point here.

Storytelling

What works well:

• This shot feels like the start of something—like the calm before stepping into the chaos of the city. It’s got that cinematic, "new adventure" kind of energy. (now the question is obviously are we driving towards the city or aways from it hahaha, or passing be from the side (probably)? I sadly cant really tell by the water etc. however due to the lighting and mood I just want to assume that our photographer whats us to imagine that we are going towards it)

• The open gate makes it feel personal, like someone is about to step forward. It basically puts the viewer in the scene, which is great.

• The contrast between the ferry’s worn-down, industrial look and the shiny city skyline adds a cool "old vs. new" dynamic.

What could be better:

• The shot is empty, which adds mystery but also makes it feel a bit lonely.

• The ferry itself could tell a stronger story—maybe capturing more texture or detail inside would help give it more personality.