One of Those Days.... help?

[WNK]

So, I took these pics today, but I'm having trouble deciding whether I should keep or toss them... please help! I'm not sure if I'm just being over-critical of myself, or if I'm just not getting any good shots today.

1. Spur-of-the-moment shot... I almost tossed it, but decided I really liked the colors. Worth hanging onto?

2. This one I didnt notice the bottle in the background until after I took it, but when I tried shooting it again, those seemed too out-of-focus. Grrrr.

3. A bit cliche, but not a "bad" shot...

4. This one I liked the "s" pattern, but not really sure of the final product.

5. What do you think of this desaturization?

6. I thought the ball stuck there was funny, but I'm considering writing it off as just a snapshot.

Thanks for the help!

 

[LaFoto]

The first and third (that "cliché" one!) speak to me most here.
I also like the colours in Photo 1 too much ... I might play with curves even more if that were mine, to bring them out even more, though that might too soon make it look kitschy, who knows ... but I do like your "cliché"-one all over.

The S-curve of the stone wall is nice, but I think exposure did not work out too well here, the stones are just too bright (or is it my monitor?).

I like the treatment of Photo 4 but don't like the tilt. But others who have a lot less conventional ways of looking, who are younger and more modern, or those who have learned to appreciate more artistical approaches, might like it. I think I am too simple-minded and too old-fashioned to be liking that in this straightforward nature photo :scratch: !?!?

The last one is too blurred for my liking, colourful ball or no colourful ball. Yes, I'm afraid it does read "snapshot" all over... so sorry.

 

[WNK]

Thanks for your second opinion, LaFoto. I really appreciate your honest critique! Anybody else want to throw in their two cents?

 

[JTHphoto]

not getting much in the .02 department? i'll throw in a few suggestions... take them at what they are worth which isn't much, i'm no expert by any means...

that being said, they look like shots i might take... you definitely have an eye for composition.

1. I see why you are hesitant about #1, the colors and light that you captured are very nice, and the ripples add character to the photo, but in the end, i too am left wanting a little more... what is the real subject here? might make a really good abstract.

2. this one is definitely too soft or out of focus, looks like a beautiful flower though, worth a reshoot. Is that bottle litter? don't be afraid to clean up other people's mess... "leave it cleaner than you found it" is our motto when outdoors...

3. my favorite of your series here. cliche or not, it's still a beautiful place to take photos. i would shoot a ton of shots at this location and see if you can get the perfect cliche shot, and some unique shots too. the only thing about this particular comp is the tree trunk in the right foreground. i find it distracting from, (rather than contributing to) the overall composition. otherwise, it's beautiful. I wish I had an area like this to photo...

4. Great eye, and good job capturing the "S". i like the way it takes you through the shot. Like #1, it seems to be lacking a little something... although i'm not sure what. maybe a different angle would show more of the rock wall and the surrounding environment (those greens that are so nice in #3?).

5. i really like this shot too, nice comp. it looks a little tilted, which doesn't really bother me. I find the saturation/desat a little too subtle here. i would boost it a little, or just convert to b&w.

6. i imagine it was pretty funny watching the ball bob up and down, unable to escape the rushing water. An action hard to capture, i'm sure... doesn't really do much for me, but sometimes photography isn't about getting a perfect shot. i concentrate on portraits of my nephews so much and get a nice one occasionally, but I find myself envious of other peoples snapshots of them. sometimes a "snapshot" captures more real emotion and atmosphere, at least to those personally invested in the subject.

 

[Chiller]

The first shot seems to be missing something, like JTH said. I keep looking for something there.
The second shot is definatly a re-shooter. The flower would be nice against the greens.
Diggin number 3. I have a crap monitor at work, so it looks a little dark on the left side, but it is the work monitor..Im sure.
I like the S in the fourth shot. I was thinking maybe a lower angle, but Im not sure what else might be in the pic if you were to do that.
I agree with LaFoto, about the 5th shot. I like the desat, but the tilt Im not too sure about.
That is gonna be one clean ball, by the time that water is finished with it. The movement in the water is nice, but it seems dark here. Monitor issue, I bet. I would also call it a snapshot, but sometimes the simplest pic, can bring out more emotion then a well captured image.
Nicely done Wendy.