Up close and down:landscape?

[S_Sanyal]

Hello, folks..its been a while since i posted here...



Gear: pentax K1000 with 50 mm f/2
Esposure settings: 1/15 s, aperture f/2.8, ASA Film speed: 100 (Fujicolor Proplus100)

This is a puddle. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a landscape shot or not, but well, thats not the original question. How is this exposed...i feel it may be too dark, but I guess my main subject is the leaf which is some kind of an abstract thing here, and the flies in the water add some interest...I dont really know what to make of this picture, though I like it, when I shot it I never thought very much apart from the fact that the silhouetted reflection and the leaf and the puddle were something that really captivated me just as a graphic...

this picture been lying with me a while now and though i cant make much sense of it, I keep staring... Thought I'd post to see what responses it gets..

(I don't have a very specific question here, apart from maybe...how does this picture make you feel, in terms of the composition, subject, framing, colours etc.) so any responses, vague or specific , technical or artistic are most welcome. Thanks in advance.

[navcom]

Hi Saptarshi! I think the exposure looks pretty good. It might be a bit dark but not much. Your subject is interesting but I think the shadows in the lake are kind of distracting from the leaf...too much going on that draws your eye away from the subject. If you are going for the juxtaposition of the leaf and a reflection, maybe go with only one shadow instead of all three. The placement of the leaf seems natural so that is good.

Hope that helps!

[S_Sanyal]

Thanks navcom. I see what you mean. Maybe with just the human sihouette without the trees on the left and right, it may have been stronger...

[danbaileyphoto]

I agree. I really like the shot as is, but I think to make a really compelling image, just focusing on the leaf and the person would go a long way. Maybe keeping the trees on the left would be ok, just to give it some added depth and increased sense of place.

Aside from that, you have really nice subject placement, and the exposure is pretty much right on. Great job!

[S_Sanyal]

Possibly for not being around a while on DPS, all my image links have died, thanks to reshuffling on flickr...apologies.
Edited the OP.