13 replies to this topic

[whitelotus9]

This is one of my early photos taken with my D3100 while visiting Lake Toho in Kissimmee, FL in December. 

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[Tony892]

Shame about the rope guard rail to the front, think it would have looked so much better if that was not there. I think of the word 'solitude' when I look at this image. It is a nice image, but the combination of the rope rail and the shadows spoils the overall effect.

[K-9]

I'm not really finding a focal point here. My eyes are going around and around through the photo, without anything to stop and focus on. I don't think the lonely bench and vast waterline is enough to draw much interest.

[whitelotus9]

I guess you've never gone to a lake or the ocean and just sat there maybe watching some ducks swimming by, watching the sun sparkling on the water and just kind of vegged out letting your cares, stress, etc. kind of melt away while recharging your spirit. 

[K-9]

It definitely looks like a nice place for all things you mention, however the composition in this photo just doesn't hold interest.

[TBonz]

I agree with K9...something I could see the bench as a focal point but it is kind of broken up by the rope and posts.  Not enough tree for it to be the focal point and not enough contrast or separation at the horizon for it to be the focal point...I do get the theory but I don't think it worked with the shot posted...

[whitelotus9]

So the support posts and safety chain would have to be removed during PP.  Possible though tricky given there are shadows from them that would also need to be removed.  Or is this a "nice to look at but don't share with anyone else" type of photo?  Too much effort to salvage?

[IanB]

Please never shy away from sharing your pictures.  Photo's are individualistic and will look and feel different to every person who looks at them. I appreciate that this is the critique section and you are opening yourself up to every ones opinions but don't let those opinions put you off posting more.  Photo's are very personal and people can become very attached to them and some comments here can IMO be more harsh and less constructive than they could be.  

 

Keep snapping and keep posting  .

 

Ian.

[alden]

I really like the reflection of sunlight on the water.

 

I would like to see this reshot with the empty bench in sharp focus, and the lake in the background kind of blurry, maybe really blurry, so the points of reflected light become little spheres of light. 

[IanB]

so the points of reflected light become little spheres of light. 

 

I like the image in my head that this suggestion gives me.

 

Ian.

[TBonz]

You can take the most amazing photo ever taken and someone won't like it...Bottom line - if you like it, its a great photo!  I know I have some that most folks wouldn't think are great, but they are some of my favorites.  I love the fact that folks share all kinds of images in their galleries and in the Post Your Photos section as well as here in the Critique section.  In my opinion (right or wrong), posting a photo in the Critique section is basically asking folks for suggestions on how that image could be improved.  It definitely doesn't mean any of those suggestions will work better for you, but they tend to follow "typical" photo guidelines and are meant to help rather than criticize.  I'm not suggesting that you won't get opinions or suggestions in the other sections, but I would expect them here.  I always try to look at critiques as showing me ideas or other ways to see the same image down the road.  I am quite happy to get these thoughts - sometimes I can't wait until I have a chance to try out the ideas and sometimes I can wait a REALLY long time before trying them out   !  Either way, I'm glad folks have taken the time to look and have made the effort to try to help me improve!

[whitelotus9]

I'd like to thank everyone for their comments.  This was one of my first photo outings with my new D3100 and I wanted to see what it could do.  In the case of this particular photo, I let the camera decide what to focus on and went with it.  I did seek to take this photo as taken to capture the approaching storm with the sun still poking through the clouds and reflecting off the water and lighting the grass and strolling path alongside the lake. 

 

To those that do not care for the safety chain and its support posts, what may not be readily visible is that there is about a 3-1/2 to 5 foot drop from the concrete walkway to the surface of the lake which is several feet deep along the shore.  The gators that regularly prowl this area of the lake would make short order of anyone or anything that fell into the lake.  That safety chain with its support posts is there for a reason, to photograph the scene without them is to alter reality from what it really is to something imaginary. 

 

To those that felt there needed to be a "central focus point" to draw attention in the photo, I don't remember there being a central focus point on most of the landscape photos or paintings in most of the museums I've been to.  No I am not good enough to have my work in a museum....yet.  I'm just reminding them that photos do not always need to have a central focus point or object. 

 

Sportz Guy, don't worry, I'm not going to stop taking photos or posting them here for critique.  I learned after about my 3rd roll of Tri-X film that you can't please all of the people all of the time and sometimes you might please some of the people! 

[Eagles1181]

I'd like to thank everyone for their comments.  This was one of my first photo outings with my new D3100 and I wanted to see what it could do.  In the case of this particular photo, I let the camera decide what to focus on and went with it.  I did seek to take this photo as taken to capture the approaching storm with the sun still poking through the clouds and reflecting off the water and lighting the grass and strolling path alongside the lake. 

 

To those that do not care for the safety chain and its support posts, what may not be readily visible is that there is about a 3-1/2 to 5 foot drop from the concrete walkway to the surface of the lake which is several feet deep along the shore.  The gators that regularly prowl this area of the lake would make short order of anyone or anything that fell into the lake.  That safety chain with its support posts is there for a reason, to photograph the scene without them is to alter reality from what it really is to something imaginary. 

 

To those that felt there needed to be a "central focus point" to draw attention in the photo, I don't remember there being a central focus point on most of the landscape photos or paintings in most of the museums I've been to.  No I am not good enough to have my work in a museum....yet.  I'm just reminding them that photos do not always need to have a central focus point or object. 

 

Sportz Guy, don't worry, I'm not going to stop taking photos or posting them here for critique.  I learned after about my 3rd roll of Tri-X film that you can't please all of the people all of the time and sometimes you might please some of the people! 

 

Hey it is free advice, so it is at least worth what you paid for it.  

 

What I normally do with free advice (my wife and I recently has our first child, so I have gotten A LOT recently) is to filter through and evaluate it on a piece by piece basis.  When I do that, even the most off the wall suggestion will have a ray of usefulness to it.  I then keep what I agree with, or what makes sense, and scrap the rest.  

 

Eagle

[Mr_Leeman]

I learnt something recently and it made a lot of sense, as I tend to take similar landscape shots. It's good to have three aspects, something in the foreground, mid and far out. There's a difference between an image that is a pictoral shot and a nice record of a day out. I tend to do the latter with landscapes.