Beginner's try at landscapes.

DemonAstroth · Apr 17, 2010

I find composition to be quite challenging when shooting open spaces. I'm pretty new to this but would definitely want to improve.

Any CONSTRUCTIVE CC is appreciated.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Thank you and enjoy!

TheBoombaGnome · Apr 18, 2010

Man...number 4 and 5 really pop to me. I too am pretty new to this, but the way the colors pop on them is amazing!! I like how the field of those flowers just seems to go on into the distance with just the one tree popping out. And whatever you did with number 5 to get the sky to look like that - A+!

I'm sure thats not really what you were looking for, as it wasn't very constructive...but really good job

gardy90 · Apr 18, 2010

TheBoombaGnome said:
Man...number 4 and 5 really pop to me. I too am pretty new to this, but the way the colors pop on them is amazing!! I like how the field of those flowers just seems to go on into the distance with just the one tree popping out. And whatever you did with number 5 to get the sky to look like that - A+!

I'm sure thats not really what you were looking for, as it wasn't very constructive...but really good job

+1

Fedaykin · Apr 18, 2010

#1 Nice job including those rocks in the foreground, pretty good shot. Trees on the left are kinda distracting though, would have excluded them from the shot maybe.

#2 Would like to see less of the sky and more of the path, maybe standing more to the right, having that yellow tree more off center.

#3 This is pretty good, you got most of the path, leading the eyes through it. Maybe would be better off being a little to the right so you can see the path right to the end and make the bench a longer line along the right frame?

#4 Love this one, nothing wrong about it, really pops.

#5 Excellent again. Only thing I would like is to see more of that bright cloud on the top left and have the white tree more to the right so it's a little more isolated. Plus we'd get to see more of the dead(leafless) tree right below that cloud.

Overall very nice shots. As you can tell the only problems I saw were minor composition points, which is a good thing. You're getting your exposures and White Balance right, which isn't always easy to achieve in nature shots, especially making colors pop like in #4. Keep it up!

PerfectlyFlawed · Apr 18, 2010

4 and 5 WOW:thumbup: GOOD JOB!

RobNZ · Apr 18, 2010

I am liking No.4

lightning_jack · Apr 18, 2010

I also do like No. 4 and 5 the best. Colours and perspecitve of No.4 are great. However, a perspecitve correction on that one to get the "horizon" of the flowers level could be nice.

I also like the mood of No. 1, however - and the same goes for No. 3 and even more for No.2 - the composition indeed is not too exciting - agree with Fedaykin on the #2 comment.

However - the elements and their prominence is quite good in 1 and 3. Maybe just cutting off some of the top or bottom of No.1 could help, giving it more a panoramic kind of view, because it seems like it's suffering from not really being a detail or panoramic shoot but loses itself in the tension in between those two (?).

Stormchase · Apr 18, 2010

4-5 are my fave. I like the power you cought with the sky in 5.

pbelarge · Apr 18, 2010

I am not sure about #4 shot in portrait. The rules of thirds here should be observed.

Mayb crop some of the top of this shot and see what it looks like.

white · Apr 18, 2010

I think you're trying to include too much in the frame, so every picture looks distant and unengaging. #1, for example, probably could have been improved if it was shot vertically and pointed down to include more of the rocks. You could have placed one rock in the foreground to emphasize texture and used that rock-line on the left as a leading line.

Basically, just ask yourself what is interesting in the picture. I'm sure it was very nice to be there in person, but that experience doesn't translate to the photo. The trees on the horizon are a boring mass of black because they're so far away. The ice is boring. So what is left? Rocks. The texture. It could have been a fine example of positive and negative space if the rocks in snow were isolated.

Tee · Apr 18, 2010

# 4 is really nice. The colors and composition pop.

For #2 and #5, what if you cropped a little off the top? The path in #2 loses it with so much sky above.

burstintoflame81 · Apr 18, 2010

I like 4 the best and 2 and 5 are pretty good too. I think the others have exposure/lighting issues. Maybe would have worked better in HDR or something. Just my opinion.

Photo Lady · Apr 18, 2010

Are you sure your a beginner... they are awesome..pop out awesome... great job!

D-B-J · Apr 18, 2010

Number four is awesome. I also like the rocks in the foreground of number one, but the trees on the side are kind of distracting.

DemonAstroth · Apr 19, 2010

Usually when I post here I get few replies, and thus reply to each person's post.

However, with so many replies.. I think I will just thank you all for the kind words!

4 and 5 are certainly my favorite of those as well. When it comes to composition with the 10-22, I've realized that just a slight change in position dramatically changes the whole photograph.

For number one, I see how the trees on the left are robbing from the picture, but I wanted to include the rocks in the foreground and their details. Maybe I could have move farther to the left and shoot more to the right?

#2, too much sky. Thing is my shadow was showing down, as the sun was behind me. I'm wondering whether cropping it tighter would help? Good for wider screens.

#3 I wanted to include the whole bench, and in fact I have many photos with the bench, but for some reason they didn't look that great. Thanks for the comment to have the bench at an angle to lead to the path. (that's the cc that's always helpful, I wouldn't have thought of that)

#4. I actually like the perspective with the horizon. As for the rule of 3rds, I don't know.. Unsure about it. If I were to crop it it would be from the bottom, as there aren't that many flowers there, more like stalks.

#5. The more I look at it, the more I wonder whether getting even closer to the white tree while still being able to see the sun rays would have helped. I just like the green of the grass in the foreground though!

I'll keep on trying! Thank you all.