DSLR Photography Forum

I would appreciate some feedback.

I like the shot, the only thing I would change is the composition slightly, I'd remove some sky to throw the Horizon from the center axis. I realise it isn't dead center but it is pretty close.

I like the composition with the diagonal you have in the foreground... I agree with EnglishBob to crop a bit of the top to leave your horizon in an upper position...

About the colors very much has to do your pensonal taste but to me they look a bit washed out... As you have part of the sky blown out, I think an B&W conversion would help here, also a bit of sharpening would be fine..

Here is my idea with a B&W conversion...



Hope you don't mind I worked on your picture...

I agree with losing a bit of the sky or even the bottom would work. As Craig said the idea is to lose the centering composition. There is only a very slight tilt in the horizon. I think it is more a curvature than anything. With the Pier and the land above and below on the left it only makes it seem even more heavy on the left side. A touch of colour boost wouldn't hurt either.

If I'm only looking at the photo, and not the title, I'm not sure what the subject is. The wharf doesn't draw much attention to itself, and I can't tell what's attracted you to the scene.

Hey I like this one. It's simple, but has good elements of interest in it. The colour of the sky in the background is nice, and the fore, middle and far distance layers work well too.

Thanks everyone for your input, this was the first time I had consciously gone out at dusk to try and take an 'interesting' photograph. I live in an area surrounded by water, the ocean on one side and the quiet inlets and bays of the Nelson Bay area on the other, the infrastructure here is modern and not very interesting so am limited by the local views.

Its a great idea to seek the light. One thing I think you will find is that the "best" light is just before dawn and around sunset. Only mad dogs and Englishmen (Rufus is both) go out in the mid-day sun - photographers should use the time to scout locations.

Pat, the main thing I see when I look at this photo are that it has many layers of interest.
And that they are almost/notquite too close to overlapping.

There's the sky turning color above the land, the land itself which is split in two by distance, then there's the boats layer, and the pier with people almost interfering from below.
Then the foreground layers of water, beach, grasses and bonus seabirds.
I'm not sure what story this photo is trying to tell but it keeps my eyes busy looking all around it, which is cool.

If I was at the same place and time and had my camera with me, I would have looked for a few feet more elevation to separate the layers a bit, and zoomed-in until the beach was gone, or more, so the people were more of a subject.
I'm not much of a landscape photographer, so take my ideas with due caution.

Pat, I am also very limited by my landscape... I live in a farms' village... or area better to say... and you drive and drive and all you see are worked fields, tractors and rotten fences.... everywhere is flat, there aren't rivers or waterfalls...

With the time I have learned to take advantage of the weather... and everytime I see a great sky with interesting clouds early in the morning I go out to take picture of a tree or a field with interesting slopes.. I also go out when it is foggy, sometimes you get interesting pictures as well...

It has happend to me that the place where the sun is coming out is not so interesting because there aren't clouds, but I turn around and I see that in my back there are the most beautiful pick clouds you can imagine...

It hasn't come easy... I have had to explore my area, find locations where I have the best view... I think too much of lanscape photography is that... walking and exploring...

If you like this place try again.... if the sky is interesting... leave the bottom third to the see and the rest to the sky... and if you find interesting composition with the boats the other way round...

You will see that with the time everything will come out easier...