"Stand Tall"

[aellis1982]

I took this photo on a recent vacation with my family. I was pleased with the outcome, but sometimes I am my own worst enemy, and the longer I stare at something the more I hate it. So as this is my first time posting, and I am fairly new to photography, ANY input would be appreciated. I am really interested in getting better, so please feel free to tell me what you do not like or any area that you feel could be improved on.
Thanks
aje

[PollyK]

I like the time this photo was taken, check how the clouds swoop down to the horizon in an almost "s" curve, Imagine the statue over to the right ( and a little straighter I say with a smile) so the top of the statue meets the cloud formation as it begins its "swoop" down over the horizon. A good thing to learn is the "rules of third" when starting out.
cheers PollyK
p.s I took me awhile to understand it all and I am still learning

[aellis1982]

The clouds and the sky color are my fav part of the shot, but I def. see your point about it being straighter. Thanks so much for the feedback!

[Michael_2010]

If the monument is the focal point of the capture, my instinct would have been to flip the camera 90 degrees into portrait and framed it from there.

If the sky was my real target, I would have backed way off from the base of the monument, shifted it to the right along the grid and used it as an element pointing toward the heavens.

Gotta kind of decide what your real subject is before you can properly compose the shot. Nice coloration and sharpness though.