Still Water

[Browno]

Hi, this is only my 3rd post for critique so still a lot to learn. I took this last year up in the Lake District and used it recently to practice a little bit of post production. I played around a bit with lighting and colour and worked out how to make people disappear namely two people in a canoe.
Any critique on composition or anything else would be welcomed thanks.



Panasonic DMC-FZ7
f 5.6
ISO 80
Exp 1/500
Focal Length 6mm

[debsij]

Hi,

I'm very new to photography so I wouldn't have a clue about how this rates technically! However, as someone who appreciates a nice photograph.....this is lovely. Makes me feel very peaceful, calm and uplifted. And I can't see where the canoeists were, so you must have done a good job there! I would have been pleased to have produced that shot.

Over to the experts for any technical advice.........!

[Browno]

Hi, and thanks for the kind words. It matters not that you're a newbie, the fact that you like the shot anyway is a great confidence boost.
Oh and as for the canoeists.........I torpedoed their boat !

[Krusty79]

I'd say you have a beautiful scene there with some cool reflections. I know I sound like a broken record saying this, but I don't know what the subject/focal point of your shot is supposed to be. Is it the rocks, water or sky? I'd like to see the version WITH the canoe because that might be a good focal point.

Also, the sky is taking up a good chunk of your image, but I don't find it overly interesting. If you had a cool sunrise/sunset there, I could justify the sky taking up that much space and I think you would have a better shot.

[dcclark]

Very striking. To semi-echo the above, I'd love to see more of the foreground -- especially the reflections -- and less of the sky. The reflections are really the focal point to my eye, and the sky is more or less sucking my eye away from them.

[Alex on DPS]

Yeah the sky is a real eyesore for me. It would have been something if the clouds were "pretty" but
the clouds make the sky look very flat.

Would have been better to simply focus on reflection and the land humps. Kinda difficult with the rocks in the water though!

[Browno]

Thank you guys and point taken. I thought having the camera very low to the water would make a nice shot. However now you pointed out about the sky being too much I can see what you mean.
What pains me is that the water had been absolutely glass flat until I walked down with my camera at which point the two guys with the canoe I mentioned decided to launch it and go for a paddle. Otherwise I maybe could have got up on a large rock (which was out of shot to my right) and got a better view of the reflections.
Live and learn eh !!

[danbaileyphoto]

Better light always helps improve photos like this, and likewise, mid day light and jet contrails only detract from the serene quality of the subject matter. You've got a good eye, just work on refining your compositions and wait for better light.

[Browno]

Thanks for the comments danbaileyphoto. Maybe I could do something with the jet trails in PS to fade them out a bit but the light unfortunately is a difficult one. I assume you mean't shoot early morning or late evening ? It was around 11am and we were on our way to climb Scafell Pike so I didn't really have any choice on timing the light. I understand your point though, maybe next time we'll set off earlier and be back there for the evening.

[andrewdt]

Originally Posted by Browno

Oh and as for the canoeists.........I torpedoed their boat !

Yeah why waste time cloning them out when you can have fun blowing them up. THAT is what people mean when they talk about the story behind the photograph...