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ronlane

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So here is the background. I was at the lake Saturday evening and while taking some photos of the sunset, ducks and a couple of guys in a canoe, I looked up and saw the moon on the western horizon. I thought it was cool that the moon was about to set just after sunset. So I composed this photo to get some foreground element, the moon and show the sunset colors.

My critique, I love the colors of the sunset, the foreground tree and the moon. But to me there is something that could be improved. I know that the moon is so small in the frame and that the horizon was way below the bottom third, but I can't decide what I could do differently to make this a stronger photo.

Any ideas?

$14298007566_0432940548_c.jpg
 
larger moon

Thanks Lew. I see the point and thought that too. But was stumped, how do you do that and still keep the elements in the photo? If it were a full(er) moon, then it would not be on the western horizon at this time of sunset and you wouldn't get the colors. If you zoom in, you loose the foreground stuff, the horizon and some of the color of the sunset.

(Note, I am really trying to understand this photo and have spent a couple of days thinking about this shot and how I could improve it.)
 
I wish it had more "lake" below. Still, for the scene that was there, I think this is a pretty good picture. I really do...it's pretty simple in its execution, but competent. The sky is what it was; this is not one of those rare, sublime "even with an iPhone sunsets the pics are awesome."

Last year, we had three or four sunsets that were freaking AWESOME, and one in particular stood out. I saw snaps from a 100-mile radius on Facebook from that one, totally awesome sunset....Majeed shot it, I shot it, Kori shot it, Tierra shot it, Stephanie shot it, Steve shot it, EVERYBODY in my circle of FB friends limbered up a camera or smartphone camera and captured one of the most-amazing sunsets of the year. What you had in front of you was not one of those "awesome sunsets with a full moon" shots". But you did pretty well with what was actually THERE, at that lake, that night.You made a technically good shot of a sunset, with good execution and good decision-making. I see this as a new stage in your skill development.
 
I wish it had more "lake" below. Still, for the scene that was there, I think this is a pretty good picture. I really do...it's pretty simple in its execution, but competent. The sky is what it was; this is not one of those rare, sublime "even with an iPhone sunsets the pics are awesome."

Last year, we had three or four sunsets that were freaking AWESOME, and one in particular stood out. I saw snaps from a 100-mile radius on Facebook from that one, totally awesome sunset....Majeed shot it, I shot it, Kori shot it, Tierra shot it, Stephanie shot it, Steve shot it, EVERYBODY in my circle of FB friends limbered up a camera or smartphone camera and captured one of the most-amazing sunsets of the year. What you had in front of you was not one of those "awesome sunsets with a full moon" shots". But you did pretty well with what was actually THERE, at that lake, that night.You made a technically good shot of a sunset, with good execution and good decision-making. I see this as a new stage in your skill development.

Thanks Derrel. I guess you are right, I see the step made. I know what I was looking at and trying to show and I see that it's lacking to be that awesome photo that I wanted it to be. Better clouds, a bigger moon, more water and better placement of the horizon. Geez, I can see it just couldn't produce it on that night.
 
Well this might be one of those instances where a composite might be in order, a blow up of the moon composited back onto the shot with the wider frame showing the additional elements. I guess some might consider that a "cheat" but it might be worth a try.
 
I agree with the needing more land below. Trees are great if they are part of the image, not just branches being stuck in the frame.
 
Well this might be one of those instances where a composite might be in order, a blow up of the moon composited back onto the shot with the wider frame showing the additional elements. I guess some might consider that a "cheat" but it might be worth a try.

Interesting idea. Something to think about in the future. I did have my 70-200mm with me and could have shot the moon closer and used that. You may just be on to something there.
 
I see it as a good, solid photo of a regular night. Good technique, simple solid composition, sharp focus, good processing. It's a good, workmanlike photo of a regular, nice but nowhere near spectacular sunset. Yeah....bring in a big storm front of clouds, have the moon full, have a sailing ship on the lake at 100 yards, resting at anchor....and you've got a cool shot that would go viral on 500px or FB...buuuut, that's not what was there.

This is just solid photo technique, applied to what was actually there. This was not an "f/8 and be there" scenario, where the subject matter was so,so spectacular that anybody with an iPhone could have pointed and snapped. You walked square into real life, and did a pretty good job. (Next time, see about getting a major storm front to move in, oh, around 15 minutes before sunset, and work on getting that full moon LOW and bright! Make some phone calls! Call in some favors!)
 
I see it as a good, solid photo of a regular night. Good technique, simple solid composition, sharp focus, good processing. It's a good, workmanlike photo of a regular, nice but nowhere near spectacular sunset. Yeah....bring in a big storm front of clouds, have the moon full, have a sailing ship on the lake at 100 yards, resting at anchor....and you've got a cool shot that would go viral on 500px or FB...buuuut, that's not what was there.

This is just solid photo technique, applied to what was actually there. This was not an "f/8 and be there" scenario, where the subject matter was so,so spectacular that anybody with an iPhone could have pointed and snapped. You walked square into real life, and did a pretty good job. (Next time, see about getting a major storm front to move in, oh, around 15 minutes before sunset, and work on getting that full moon LOW and bright! Make some phone calls! Call in some favors!)

I'll see what I can do about that "phone call". One thing that you mentioned that I understand but don't want is a full moon. My reasoning, is that a full moon would not be on the western horizon at sunset, so that would be a dead give-away of a composite.
 
I see it as a good, solid photo of a regular night. Good technique, simple solid composition, sharp focus, good processing. It's a good, workmanlike photo of a regular, nice but nowhere near spectacular sunset. Yeah....bring in a big storm front of clouds, have the moon full, have a sailing ship on the lake at 100 yards, resting at anchor....and you've got a cool shot that would go viral on 500px or FB...buuuut, that's not what was there.

This is just solid photo technique, applied to what was actually there. This was not an "f/8 and be there" scenario, where the subject matter was so,so spectacular that anybody with an iPhone could have pointed and snapped. You walked square into real life, and did a pretty good job. (Next time, see about getting a major storm front to move in, oh, around 15 minutes before sunset, and work on getting that full moon LOW and bright! Make some phone calls! Call in some favors!)

Ok, now that was just silly. A sailing ship at 100 yards. Crikey. Where do you come up with this stuff Derrel?

Everybody knows it should be a Pirate ship. Not just any old hum drum sailing ship. Lol
 
I see it as a good, solid photo of a regular night. Good technique, simple solid composition, sharp focus, good processing. It's a good, workmanlike photo of a regular, nice but nowhere near spectacular sunset. Yeah....bring in a big storm front of clouds, have the moon full, have a sailing ship on the lake at 100 yards, resting at anchor....and you've got a cool shot that would go viral on 500px or FB...buuuut, that's not what was there.

This is just solid photo technique, applied to what was actually there. This was not an "f/8 and be there" scenario, where the subject matter was so,so spectacular that anybody with an iPhone could have pointed and snapped. You walked square into real life, and did a pretty good job. (Next time, see about getting a major storm front to move in, oh, around 15 minutes before sunset, and work on getting that full moon LOW and bright! Make some phone calls! Call in some favors!)

Ok, now that was just silly. A sailing ship at 100 yards. Crikey. Where do you come up with this stuff Derrel?

Everybody knows it should be a Pirate ship. Not just any old hum drum sailing ship. Lol

Sorry but I'm land-locked here in Oklahoma, so no pirate ships available, but if I can get Trever to come out here and do a photo shoot of one of his models in a row boat, I think we may have a winner. lol
 
I too would like to see more land, and none of that tree. Maybe it'll be good in portrait?
 

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