Dirty river

[Arvid]

This dirty river actually looks better here than in real life. I kind of like this shot but then, I have problems with landscape pictures. I would like to hear your opinion - keep or trash.
Thank you

[epeyton@tampabay.rr.com]

Hi Avrid,

Well if you are looking for my honest opinion...if you like keep it for yourself. If you want to use it for something more than trash it. For me the river doesn't seem to have direction. Maybe move back some get more of the landscape or move closer and get more detail of the dirt.

[melanie2457]

There's no center of interest. And the angle you shot at makes you look straight on at the dirty water. There needs to be something to grab your attention and something to make you want to look at the rest of the photo.

I would try shooting lower, include some sky, and let the river lead you into the photo instead of just being there.

[clockdoc]

Sometimes throwing a stone into the water to create some ripples can help add some interest. I recently faced a similar pond that had no interesting features and was a bit murky. I threw a handful of fish food pellets into the water and this is the result.

[Arvid]

Thank you Evelyn, Melanie and Lee.
I was unable to move to get a better perspective. I was on an old wooden bridge that felt as if it was going to collapse when a car went across. Possibly a rock to disturb the water would create some interest. I have read several landscape books (have another one on the way) and looked at many beautiful landscape pictures but I seem to have trouble creating one of my own. Although, I will keep trying. We are retired and find this a great hobby.

[Griffin2020]

The key to landscapes, as in everything with this hobby (art) is practice, practice, practice. Repetition and shooting lots and lots of images will help you to get the style that you like (and if you like it, that is all that is important).

If I were shooting it, I would move (my body) to the right, and shift the image a little to the left. I would try framing the land on the right side, and the water on the left side.

Or, use the tree that seems to fade into the backround on the left side as a focal point.

There are literally hundreds of things you can do to make the image more interesting or dynamic.

[Arvid]

Thanks Griffin and thank goodness for digital!! It doesn’t cost any more to take multiple shots which, in this case, I should have done.

[thistledo]

Have to say thank you Avid for posting up. I don't often reply to Critiques as I am very new to photography and know little. What I do find interesting is the responses to the shots as I learn a little too. I loved Clockdoc's idea of throwing some pebbles into the water.

[gmarques]

Hi Arvid,

I think the angle you've shot is not the best one but we are limited to what nature give us. Sometimes it is impossible to shot from where we would like.
If you didn't tell in the title that it's a river, it could be anything else, a small lake in the middle of the trees, for example.
And if you didn't tell that was so dirty I wouldn't guess. So I think you had a problem to showing to us what you wrote in the title using a that photo.

[Arvid]

Thistledo, I agree that valuable pointers can be found while reading critiques but, OTOH, one must occasionally post some of their own work so the comments become more personal. I have gained a lot just on this one photo.

Gmarques, you raise an interesting point. Maybe the title should have been “A small pond”.