Keep, crop or chuck?

[Ben]

What do you guys think of this shot? Should I keep it as it is, bin it and try again or crop it in some way? If so - how?

http://img149.echo.cx/img149/267/img4913012pr.jpg

[juneappal]

I think it is an almost great shot, but my eye really wants to rest on something that is in focus.

[ssim]

I would try cropping vertical from left to right to just past the dark duckling in the middle. I tried it and it looks better in my opinion.

The motion in the shot creates a mood that I find pleasing.

[gmaize]

It has no interest for me. I'd chuck it.

--gmaize

[Ben]

I agree with ssim that the crop would have to be how he suggested and I also agree with juneappal in that it's an 'almost shot' which kinda makes me agree with gmaize in that it's not a keeper - Oh it's so confusing! :D

Maybe I will just treat it as someting to learn from and get a better version of it in the future.

[sixshot]

Can you crop and post, it will make it easier to make a decision.

[Ben]

Like this?

http://img137.echo.cx/img137/7283/img4913011zi.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

[ssim]

That is pretty much the crop that I had in mind. I had found that the discarded left hand side of the shot wasn't worth keeping. I would adjust the levels just a tad to brighten the image a bit.

[kjonnnn]

Its blurry and out of focus just enough to be kinda abstract.. I like the first crop... and the 3 ducks in a diagional row...

[kjonnnn]

The "empty" space in the first crop adds some balance and gives that ducks something to run to. With the space cropped out, you just have some out of focus ducks. With the empty space ... its more of a "photo" and less about the ducks ... to me anyway.

[Hellashot]

Chuck. Was anything actually moving or was it just the camera in motion?

[exposingmyself]

keep: you might like to play around with background and colors in ps to combe with something else.
crop: that cropping worked some but not much of an improvement
chuck: as is doesn't really work

[Viking Joe]

I'm a horrible critic because I love pictures and find good in pretty much everything. I didn't like this picture when I first looked at it but it has grown on me. Sometimes I think people get too caught up in what is "right" when it comes to photography. I'm an advanced musician and I can tell you, alot of those WOW moments come when you tweak or break the rules. This picture breaks a whole lot of rules, but it works for me. If everyone had the same tastes and styles this world would be a pretty boring place. I think there's room for some blurry ducks in the world. Cool pic.

[Viking Joe]

By the way, I like the uncropped one much better than the cropped one.

[sixshot]

I prefer the cropped one. In the original there was too much empty space for my liking. But hey, each to their own. Either way, I wouldn't chuck it. I agree with Vikiing Joe about it growing on you, in my first post I didn't think much of it, but now coming back it seems it does have a kind of mystical quality to it.

[Ben]

Wow - thanks for all the comments, it seems to have really divided opinion.

Hellashot - When the photo was taken the ducks were all running past me.

My own personal opinion on this now is to keep the original image uncropped, but to definately try and re-shoot it (ducks permitting) to try and iron out some of the problems highlighted by everyone in this thread.

Thanks again everyone :)