I'm entering this photo into a local contest and would like some C&C, please.

[dearlybeloved]

Hey guys and gals! like it says in the title, Im entering a local contest for the university and wanting to get some feedback on this photo before I submit it. Its for Auburn university and all entries will be hung up in a well occupied room, so I would like to achieve my goal in seeing that happen.

So anything you can see that stands out to you or looks off would be great or suggestions on what I could do. this is a full uncropped photo in jpeg so itll be sized when it comes time to enter it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[TATTRAT]

Is there any theme to the contest?

I like the waterfall section, but the guardrail and drain pipes kinda make it feel like just a pic of a storm drain.

Focus, color, detail, all look pretty good to me, if anything, I think it could be a little brighter. I would have gone for a bit more of a slower shutter speed to capture more of that water moving. Even going after a heavy rain to get more "action" out of the water.

I know others will chime in, so please, as always, just take my input with a grain of salt. There are far more qualified people here to off critique.

 

[dearlybeloved]

There really isnt too much of a theme. Its for the calendar they have for the school and so the arboretum is the theme. Every shot has to be within the arboretum and can contain man made objects. the other 4 categories can be shot anywhere in Alabama but can not have any man made objects in the photo. thanks for the feedback too!

 

[Parker219]

If the theme WAS "the best looking storm drain", I would say you would have a pretty good chance of winning!

As for a calendar, its tough to say, because I don't know what your other choices were for location.
It looks a little cliche for a calendar, I might have tried to think outside the box a little.

I think the guardrail takes away from the serenity a little, but the other colors, focus, and contrast look good to me.

 

[dearlybeloved]

I cropped more of the storm drain out and dont think i could get a good crop with going in anymore. its really beautiful later on in the month but this is all due by the 12 so I have to work with what I have. Things havent exactly started blooming yet so i havent found much to look at.

 

[Derrel]

Well, the crop looks better. By my way of thinking, it needs to have the edges darkened.

And, if permissible, I would use the healing brush and get rid of that awful storm drain.

 

[dearlybeloved]

I wanted to also show you guys another possible submission of mine for the same category. Ill start working on the healing brush but I'm not to savy with photoshop. I dont really do much in it other than to use camera raw and selective color. Ill read up and see what I can figure out.

 

[Parker219]

Id say no to the swamp.

What else you have?

 

[TATTRAT]

Id say no to the swamp.

What else you have?

+1

Nothing personal, it just looks like a snapshot, bridge gets lost too.

 

[dearlybeloved]

honestly, thats it. I have some ****ty photos of a turtle but I dont have many lenses since I went full frame so Im working with what I have.

 

[Parker219]

Its not the lens, its the subject/composition.

 

[dearlybeloved]

I should said that I couldnt capture a turtle in the water with a 90mm macro lens or a tamron 28-75 2.8.


Anyways, heres another edit after giving the healing brush tool a shot.

 

[texkam]

wanting to get some feedback

Let's just say these are on par with Auburn's football and basketball teams. Good luck.

 

[dearlybeloved]

oh, I'm sorry? Is my learning getting in the way of you ego?

 

[The_Traveler]

THe important part of the image, the waterfall is in the shadow and the unimportan stuff is in the light.
Take it another time when the light is more diffuse and less direct.