Sunrise in snow

[rrpurple]

Hey yall
This was my first sunrise ever. Took a few pics, but I'm not too happy with the way they came out. I feel like it's missing something. I think it's balanced correctly and everything, but there's just something missing.
Taken with Cannon Rebel T2i


32mm
f 5.6 1/50
ISO: 200
No flash

My other one: http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/IMG_3240.jpg
18mm
f 3.5 1/30
ISO: 100
No flash

[dalmorloson]

I think you have captured a very nice sky but the photo is uninteresting. There's no real focal point or object of interest.

[2catsandapug]

I like this photo a lot but I think if you had brought the horizon line down a little it would make it more powerful. Also, I think saturating the vivid colors of the sky would make it more appealing to me. I love the silhouettes of the trees!!

[tomdinning]

The 'something missing' for you is the same for us as viewers. Its just another sunset and that's it, really. Once we have had our look at the bright colour in the sky, which only holds our interest for a short time, there is nothing else in the image to catch our attention. SO, we get bored very quickly at coming back to that bright sky and the photo doesn't really warrant a second look after that.
Good photographs need enough interest to encourage the viewer to linger and to want to return.
I would ask what else was going on here? Is there some other part of the scene that can become an interest point? What aspect of this sunset made it interesting for me? And finally, do I really need another sunset in my collection?
One pratice I have put in place over the years is, when I come across a great sunset I will look at what is going on around me, especially behind, that has a connection to the sunset or time of day or location and see if there is something else worth photographing. Then I can use the light produced by the sunset to set the mood, which is usually one of peace and tranquility or warmth created by the colour.

[kirbinster]

I would try to brighten up the snow if you can do it without creating lots noise. That would help make the image pop. Hopefully you took this as a RAW image to give you more lattitude for adjustment.

[navcom]

The comments here are right one...you need a more defined subject. A pretty sky in and of itself does not usually make an interesting photo.

Traditionally landscape compositions are helped by using the 3-tier effect. That is, you have three distinct areas as you go back into the image....a foreground, a midground, and a background. On top of this, it is best to have a specific main subject that immediately attracts the attention of the viewer...usually in the foreground. The other tiers then support that main subject. This is not a "hard and fast" rule of law but a good place to start.

I know it's really tempting to look at a gorgeous sky and think, "wow, this is going to make one heckuva photo!" Unfortunately a pretty sky alone usually doesn't hold the viewers attention. We've all seen them before and it's just a colorful piece of paper. The viewer didn't experience the scene with all your other senses like you did. All they have to recreate the scene from is that paper.

When I've taught others about sunrises/sunsets, I always use the "frosting on the cake" metaphor. The sunrise and colorful sky are like frosting on a cake. Most of us like frosting on a cake. It finishes the desert and makes it a treat for our taste buds! But most of us don't like to eat frosting all by itself...too sweet and nothing to "blend" the taste with.

Most of the time when you compose for a sunrise you should start with a main subject other than the sun or sky. The image should be at least relatively compelling even if the sun and colors weren't there. Then, the sun/colors act like frosting and support the composition and make it sing even more. The sun/colors act as the ultimate supporting cast members.

Here's two of my images that I've used before to illustrate the effect...



The first image above is a pretty shot but it's not overly compelling. Just a centered sun and centered horizon.

This second shot below is of the exact same sunrise in the exact same spot with the same camera. The difference is that there is a prominent foreground main subject (the pier). The rule of thirds is used and the sun is in the upper right corner "shining down" on the main subject...the frosting on the cake.




Hope that helps!

[EOBeav]

In addition to the comments above, check out the archives here on DPS to eliminate that 'blue snow' effect that we see here.