First post

comments please. I am an absolute beginner.

[Krusty79]

For a beginner, that's a good shot. I'd say you have some of the elements of a great shot with the road and fence leading the viewer's eye into the image. At that point, I think you need a stronger subject than those clouds to really make it a great picture. If you could take it so the setting sun is in the background, that will help to hold the viewer's interest. It's difficult to take an interesting shot with non-sunset clouds as the subject. Here are a couple of threads on that:

clouds

Cloud Shot - Composition and Settings

Also, a graduated neutral density filter will help with the blown out part of the sky.

[Fuzz62]

i like this shot, i think if you can layer the sky and play with the levels to bring the clouds more dramatic it would help to improve the shot, i too am a beginner so say as a newbie. I think the composition is nice too as said leading the eye into the picture and possibly the dramatic sky at the end of the road..


Mark

[Icelily]

Very impressive shot for a beginner, I am also a beginner, I absolutely love "wow" photographs, ones that surprise and come out really great, unexpectedly. Well done, I think this photo is great! Fuzz62 & Krusty79, make some good points, maybe try tweeking it alittle, would love to see the outcome

[Michael_2010]

Very nice! I think a little simple layer manipulation would really add a lot to the clouds.

[danbaileyphoto]

I agree, this is a very good shot, especially for a beginner! Yes, the curve of the road and the balance of left and right side subject matter really do well to lead the eye around the frame and balance the image. More dramatic light would definitely transform this shot into a powerful image.

Keep it up!

[Krusty79]

You're welcome. You're doing very well for a beginner.

[EOBeav]

First of all, welcome to the craft of photography. Be willing to take lots and lots of criticism, and constantly re-evaluate your work, and you'll find yourself improving in no time. That said, here are a few thoughts:

1. The focal point here is lost on me, unless it's supposed to be the road itself. If that's the case, then my eyes are completely ignoring the rest of the photo while they follow the road. You really should have a strong focal point or subject matter in your photo.

2. The clouds in the distance on the right hand side are completely washed out. That happens when you take a picture of them toward the sun, and your camera is exposing for other elements on the ground. A single-exposure shot from digital cameras don't have the dynamic range to be able to get the details in both. When you're including clouds in your picture, you want to keep as much of the detail as possible.

3. The glare on the road is quite distracting. Again, a result from shooting toward the sun.

4. I'm assuming this is immediately after a rain, which is a really cool time to shoot. What would it have looked like if you turned 90 degrees to the left, toward that valley? How about 180 degrees around?

5. It looks like you might have posted this straight out of your camera, with no editing. If you're new to digital photography, download Picasa and play around with contrast adjustments. 99% of your shots will need editing of some kind.

[kstiltne]

I agree that the composition here is great, excellent use of leading lines, foreground and background elements, etc...but it could use a stronger focal point. Perhaps a car coming down the road or someone walking away from the camera. I think shots like this benefit a lot from a small human element. There are certainly some exposure issues...the glare on the road and the blown out sky are a bit hard on the eyes. These could probably be reduced in post but not likely eliminated.