Lee and Chris, yes, a lot could be improved. I am also not quite glad with this shot. The pond is not the ideal location, it is small, only 8 by 5 feet, covered almost completely by water lilies and it does not offer many spots where to place a boat. The built-in flah is really boring, there is no play with light and shadow. Unfortunately, I have been too busy this weekend and not been able to shoot something similar with all the improvements mentioned by Chris.
Gerald
I agree with the Fly, a little too much going on. I also think that the flash is a little harsh. I think that this is a really hard challenge, because of the water factor (and for some of us it not being around), although having said that there is more to nautical then water.
I think that with this idea you could play with a couple of things, better lighting, maybe try a really shallow DOF, maybe even pulling back and seeing if adding more of the environment (your garden pond) and see if that would help bring out the image. I know that last part sounds contradictory to the 'too much going on' statement, but showing this in context for the environment may proportionately make the image clearer. Chris
