The Lighthouse - Maunabo, PR

[lando_pr]

I am new at the forum and a beginner with the camera. I don't even have a DSLR Anyway, here's one of those landscape photos I take when I go driving around on some weekends. What do you think about the composition? It was taken with a Fujifilm S200EXR. I don't have the detailed settings available though. The light might be harsh because of the time of the day it was taken at but it was then when the sky looked really nice and clean so that it woul definitely not cause any distractions from the subject. Does this make any sense? Should I always take photos during the first or last part of the day? Should it be cropped?

[lando_pr]

Sorry for not having specific questions before. I added some now. THanks

[SwissJon]

Ok.. I think for a point and shoot camera, that's pretty good.. The overall composition is good, although I think your horizon is leaning slightly. That could just be a lens distortion though.. Might be worth trying to correct that..

Not every photo needs to be taken at the end of the day or at Dawn, those are just the times when the light is best and the photos you do take will be enhanced.. The one you have here, for me, is pretty good..especially for a beginner on a point and shoot.

Well done

[lando_pr]

Well, thanks a lot for the feedback. I really appreciate it.

[Japaslavian]

Your reasoning for leaving out distractions by getting a clean sky is good, but I then question why you chose to include the tree leaves on the far right of the shot. I feel like if you had walked in front of those leaves and shot just the landmass the lighthouse is on, it would eliminate the subtle, but still prevalent distraction those leaves create, especially since in terms of scale, they are so much larger than the main subject (the lighthouse).
I suppose you could argue they frame the shot, but I personally think the image could do without them.

Otherwise, the rest of the shot is composed nicely. No one ever said you beed an slr to shoot great images.

[Krusty79]

Welcome to DPS. I think you've good a pretty good eye for a beginner. Ideally, you could take the vast majority of your shots close to dusk or dawn, but I know that's not always possible. Plus, what else are you going to do with your camera the rest of the day?

I do not think you have to crop this. Some might say to crop out some on the left, but I think you would lose your sense of proportion.

The only suggestion I have if you could reshoot this is to move to the left so that the line of the beach shoreline leads the viewer's eye towards the lighthouse. It usually helps to have something in the foreground that leads the viewer's eye into your subject. That would also solve the issue that Japaslavian raised.

[SwissJon]

I've an idea.. Buy me a ticket to come and see you and I'll show you exactly where to put the camera and which direction to point it, what settings you need, what time of day etc.. I don't mind flying to Puerto Rico especially to show you, I promise!

[lando_pr]

SwissJon, you are willing to make that sacrifice just to help me out? Hehe Thanks to all of you for the advice. Now I'm not sure if I should leave the leaves or not..(Japaslavian vs Krusty79) 'Hehe