Canyonlands National Park

[steffievdakker]

Hi! This is my very first post to this forum.. I hope to start studying photography next September at our local art academy, but I have to show them a portfolio first. I thought I'd show you some pictures here to see if you can advise me if I should put it in the portfolio yes or no.

This is the first picture I'll post here. I took it this summer in Canyonlands National Park in the USA with a Nikon D70. The sky is a bit overexposed, I'm not sure if that's a big deal or not. I only downsized it, I didn't work on the colors yet. I'm open for all comments, I love to learn more about taking good pictures!

Thanks!
Steffie

[tomw]

wow. thats very powerful in full size. I like how I look at the flower, and yet the canyon structures...i forget what they are called...are in the corner of my eye, just as well, ther eis a line from the bottom left through the middle of the photo.

Compositionally, it is perfect. Purely perfect. However I do believe you should put a little bit of contrast into it so you can darken the photo. The sky and the flowers come out a little bright, while contrast will not only make it slightly darker, but also make the colors in the flower pop.

[FrankenPengie]

A levels adjustment will fix the colors. I like the idea but this is too centered and the cactus needles to are throwing it off. Maybe if the camera had been more left to include the flower on the right of the shot, and eliminating the rest of the cactus. I'm trying to wrap my head around a better way to take this but I'm a bit of a nOOb.

[the_camera_poser]

Originally Posted by FrankenPengie

A levels adjustment will fix the colors. I like the idea but this is too centered and the cactus needles to are throwing it off. Maybe if the camera had been more left to include the flower on the right of the shot, and eliminating the rest of the cactus. I'm trying to wrap my head around a better way to take this but I'm a bit of a nOOb.

Great photo, but I agree with Pengie. The rule of thirds may have helped this shot, but it's still a good un!

[Manila_Joe]

The shot is great. But to nitpick a little, I believe that you could have opened up the DOF a little. I would have liked to see the canyon a bit more focused.

[jiminyClickit]

steffievdakker, Welcome

Your photo would be an honest example of where your style and skill are now, so including it in a portfolio is honest, and may give the Academy a chance to help in specific areas. For future shots, I would ask you to think about your viewer while framing. Here are perhaps ten items (not counting each rock in foreground) that vie for some attention. Six or seven are distracting to the flower which is by color, position and focus, your subject. Making a choice to favor your main subject, by not crowding too much of the Park into one shot, will also give your viewer a much more pleasant experience.

[bigdoggold]

I like the image nice DOF I like how you did not blur out the mountains totally I like how the flower helps to show the massive size of the mountains in the background, this is a great example of giving the viewer an example of size. I agree the sky is a little overexposed, but that is nothing that a little Photoshop could not correct.

All in all I like it, I think it would make a nice shot for the middle of your portfolio.

[steffievdakker]

Thanks a lot for all your comments! Although sometimes a bit confusing.. One thinks the composition is perfect, someone else doesn't really like composition.. I guess everyone has their own taste. I'm going to work on the colors!

[jiminyClickit]

steffievdakker,

End of the day, we all stand alone with our choices. Behind every pair of eyes is a life of experiences different from others. Use what you can.

[peeperita]

Originally Posted by jiminyClickit

steffievdakker,

End of the day, we all stand alone with our choices. Behind every pair of eyes is a life of experiences different from others. Use what you can.

amen, brother, amen.....

beautiful subject matter.....i envy your location....it must have been a scene whose parts competed constanty for your attention...you made a fine choice of depth of field at such a low perspective....

i do feel that since the flower is of such a striking color that it assumes the position of central focus, but that it's placement in the frame is on the awkward and confusing side.....the exposure is slightly over....but, a quick fix would be in editing the contrast up a little bit....

thanks for sharing

peeper