My First Sunset Pic

[Denese]

Hi All
I am very new at photography and would like some honest opinions on this shot. Any comments good or bad are greatly appreciated.

Thanks Denese

IMG_0533copy_edited-1.jpg

[MOmilkman]

Its a very nice shot Denese! Would have liked to seen more of the mountain range though. Still incorporating the tree though.
Maybe go landscape instead of portrait?
It looks like you were trying to get all the tree in the shot. Take a few steps back from the tree or go wide on your focal length in landscape mode.

Your so lucky to live in Colorado!

P.S. Dont forget to put in your EXIF data next time you want a critique. It helps us know your settings for the shot.

[Sterling]

Did you go a little too heavy on the sharpening? I'm just trying to figure the reason for the halos around the tree branches.

[Denese]

Thanks all for yoru comments:
Yes Sterling I think your are correct with the oversharpening of the image. I will keep trying, thought it was not too bad for my first shot, and you will be seeing more.

[doctorjames]

I like the composition very much. Agree with previous comments about over sharpening, and wonder how much you have done to this off camera?.. I'd be keen to see the original shot from your camera.

I would have considered using a graduated filter to keep the sky as is, but allow a little more detail to come through in the lower half of the shot, particularly the line demarkating the lower third, where there is detail trying but not quite managing to penetrate.

[navcom]

I think it's a good shot. Ditto on the sharpening. One thing that does bother me a bit is it seems too "left-sided". With the composition of the sun behind the tree, it feels that the tree should be centered versus using the rule of thirds. If you had the tree in the left 1/3 and the sun in the right 1/3, that would balance things out.

I think the foreground should probably either be lighter or completely dark and the frame brought up so the top of the mountain range is in the lower 1/3 (if it was the dark option).

My two cents.

[Denese]

Originally Posted by navcom

I think it's a good shot. Ditto on the sharpening. One thing that does bother me a bit is it seems too "left-sided". With the composition of the sun behind the tree, it feels that the tree should be centered versus using the rule of thirds. If you had the tree in the left 1/3 and the sun in the right 1/3, that would balance things out.

I think the foreground should probably either be lighter or completely dark and the frame brought up so the top of the mountain range is in the lower 1/3 (if it was the dark option).

My two cents.

Thank you for your comments, and I will be applying my next trip out.... See what I can come up with.... D