C&C a Photo to be Retaken

[PixelRabbit]

Hi all,
So here is a picture I took yesterday. I like the photo and think there is some great potential there but the fact that the leaves are under water gets lost I think at initial glance. I'm going back today the second I see blue in the sky to try to get this image again so I would love some C&C to take with me

I think that the problem (when the sky is white) is getting depth to the image, the lower the angle I shot from to get some perspective the more the leaves underwater got lost and it turned more and more "meh".

I'm thinking perhaps blue in the sky and the contrast that will create in the reflection might make it pop more?
Also going to try other angles to get the stump and tossing something in the water at the edge to create a ripple.
Thoughts?

 

[fsquare]

a polarizing filter will help

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks fsquare, so that would be the same concept as those sunglasses fishermen use so they can see deeper into the water? **heading for google to see if there is a way to make one since I don't have one**

 

[fsquare]

Yup, a polarizing filter will help make the water or any other reflective surface more transparent.

 

[ph0enix]

Thanks fsquare, so that would be the same concept as those sunglasses fishermen use so they can see deeper into the water? **heading for google to see if there is a way to make one since I don't have one**

I don't know what lens(es) you use but buy a 77mm circular polarizer (if shooting digital). That's the largest, standard lens thread - then use corresponding step-up rings to get it onto your lens. That way you'll only be buying one polarizing filter instead of one for each size lens that you have.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Have you thought about trying it at night? Perhaps with the moon and stars in the reflection?

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks fsquare and Ph0enix, for now I googled how to make one at home and I have all of the pieces so might try to put one together since I've overblown my camera budget for a while lol Ph0enix, thanks for the tip! I'm sure you just saved me money in the future
Kerbouchard... nice idea !! that one is going right into the notebook and next clear night I'll be out there

 

[DennyCrane]

I think the fundamental problem with this shot is there's no clear subject. The viewer will tend to wander around the picture, trying to figure out what they're supposed to be looking at. A CPL filter might change this, but it seems to me that this picture does not work. Perhaps if there was a subject... a bird or something... with this as a backdrop?

 

[PixelRabbit]

I think the fundamental problem with this shot is there's no clear subject. The viewer will tend to wander around the picture, trying to figure out what they're supposed to be looking at. A CPL filter might change this, but it seems to me that this picture does not work. Perhaps if there was a subject... a bird or something... with this as a backdrop?

Thanks Denny, that is probably what contributes to my perception of "missing that they are underwater" and wanting to pass over the image, I want the leaves to be the subject. That gives me an idea for the composition, hopefully there is a better way to frame it or get a strong contrast between the BG and the leaves... if I can find enough contrast B&W might even work....

 

[Kerbouchard]

I think the fundamental problem with this shot is there's no clear subject. The viewer will tend to wander around the picture, trying to figure out what they're supposed to be looking at. A CPL filter might change this, but it seems to me that this picture does not work. Perhaps if there was a subject... a bird or something... with this as a backdrop?

Thanks Denny, that is probably what contributes to my perception of "missing that they are underwater" and wanting to pass over the image, I want the leaves to be the subject. That gives me an idea for the composition, hopefully there is a better way to frame it or get a strong contrast between the BG and the leaves... if I can find enough contrast B&W might even work....

This is part of the reason I think it would be amazing at night. I really do hope you go back and take that shot and share it. If not, I might have to go find a stump myself.

 

[gsgary]

I think the fundamental problem with this shot is there's no clear subject. The viewer will tend to wander around the picture, trying to figure out what they're supposed to be looking at. A CPL filter might change this, but it seems to me that this picture does not work. Perhaps if there was a subject... a bird or something... with this as a backdrop?

Thanks Denny, that is probably what contributes to my perception of "missing that they are underwater" and wanting to pass over the image, I want the leaves to be the subject. That gives me an idea for the composition, hopefully there is a better way to frame it or get a strong contrast between the BG and the leaves... if I can find enough contrast B&W might even work....

This is part of the reason I think it would be amazing at night. I really do hope you go back and take that shot and share it. If not, I might have to go find a stump myself.

PM Lightspeed he is a stump photography expert

 

[PixelRabbit]

PM Lightspeed he is a stump photography expert

:lmao: yes I read that thread and had a little giggle to myself when I realized I too was posting .... a stump... lol

 

[gsgary]

PM Lightspeed he is a stump photography expert

:lmao: yes I read that thread and had a little giggle to myself when I realized I too was posting .... a stump... lol

we have a bit of banter going on at the moment

 

[Derrel]

Well, a polarizer could make this shot better. It could also totally ruin the shot. The subject to me seems to be fall weather phenomenon, like fallen leaves and flooded timber. The bare tree limbs reflected in the surface of the puddle also come into the image as elements. If you polarize away the broad sky reflection on top of the water, the reflection of the woods behind the puddle will be eliminated. It is a tricky thing, using a polarizer on lake or river/creek type shots..."some" amount of surface glare conveys the surface of the water...with that water surface's glare gone and polarized away, the visual impact of a body of water sort of evaporates (sorry about the pun!).

Another thing is depth of field. In reflection shots, the background items are at the distance to the "mirror" surface PLUS the distance to the background. So, if you stand five feet from a reflecting object, you need depth of field that can encompass five feet, as well as however far it is to the background, which in the case of the tree, might be 30-40 feet. I think this photo needs MORE depth of field, and a tripod or VR to keep the image steady and sharp. It looks a tad bit fuzzy to me. If you stop down to f/13 or so, you'll get DOF. If you shoot at f/4, you'll have shallow DOF. You **could** focus on the REFLECTED part of the scene, like the trees in the woods, and have the puddle and leaves be decidedly OOF. However it is approached, this kind of shot demands a tripod to get the absolute most out of it. As to the polarizer...it needs to be done just right...not "too much" polarizing, or the water surface is lost...a little bit more transparency would be good.

A second way to convey the surface is to wait for RAIN to add detail in the form of concentric circles to the surface...they add a second element to water in puddles and pools. Rain drops can also add a temporal feeling, by allowing them to blur...a speed of around 1/160 or slower usually records rain drops as streaks, but they need to be seen against a dark background, preferrably back-or side-lighted. Rain circles are easy to shoot....rain drops themselves, are a bit trickier. My suggestion is to tripod mount or use a stablized lens, and to try different polarizing amounts, from almost none, to medium. And try different f/stops, different shutter speeds, and different focus distances. There are multiple different kinds of photos hidden in this scene,waiting to be revealed through what is called "lenswork".

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thank you Derrel!! Now I'm not going to wait for the sun, by the looks of the sky I'm not likely to see it today. Luckily I found the thingamajig that attaches the camera to the tripod yesterday While I wait for my card to finish exporting I'm going to finish my coffee... stoke the fire so it is nice and cozy when I get back... ... then I'm heading out to find the shots hiding there... stay tuned!