Yucca and the Sea - Critque

[Foxi Lady]

EXIF Data:
Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: Nikkor 18-200mm at 170mm
ISO: 900
f/5.6
1/4000 second

I'd love some critques on this photo, i have been noticing my photos look a little grainy when zoomed in, not sure if its my ISO settings they are set to automatic within a range. It was very bright out when i took this (noon on a carbbean island...) I have another shot of this plant that i thought i would like better with the yucca centered but i like this one much better with the off center composition...

[EOBeav]

At 1/4000 shutter time, you can afford to ease back on your ISO. In fact, you could probably dial all the way back to 100 or 200 ISO, especially with the brightness at this time of the day.

Which brings me to my second point. Noon is generally not a great time to do landscape photography. Shooting this again closer to sunrise or sunset would be a better option. As it is, you have some harsh shadows working against you. My experience is that bright sunlight and shadows don't play nicely on a digital sensor.

EDIT: Looking at this again, this would be a great subject if you panned out and included more of the yucca as a foreground object, leading your eye to the ocean in the background. Use a smaller aperture if you do that (f/11 to f/16) so that the ocean would be more in focus. Taken at the right time of day, and including some clouds in the shot, and I think you'd have a real winner.

Thanks for posting this. Keep shooting!

[Foxi Lady]

Thanks! I realized my ISO settings were way high, should i take it out of auto-ISO mode? (as far as it being noon vet school is not really conducive to being out at the perfect time of day, but the last couple of week i have at least had my camera with me! so thats a better start than the begining of this semester!)

What are your thoughts on the composition with the Yucca off center and out of focus waves?

thanks!

[SwissJon]

I tend to agree with Ricks comments.

I like what you've done with the Yukka.. Although I wonder if wouldn't have been possible to get the top of the spikes in, and I think I'd have used a slightly larger aperture setting to get the grasses in the mid distance a little in focus.

I like the colours in your photo.

[Sterling]

should i take it out of auto-ISO mode?

No, not necessarily. But you can be a little more selective with your choice of shutter speed. In the noon sun there is certainly no need for ISO 900. And for this shot there is no need for 1/4000. Knock that back to 1/1000 and you'll be back around your camera's base ISO 200.

What are your Auto ISO settings?

[EOBeav]

Originally Posted by Foxi Lady

What are your thoughts on the composition with the Yucca off center and out of focus waves?

It's ok, I just wish the ocean was less out of focus and that we could see more of it. Just my opinion, though.

[Tammy Evarts]

I agree with EOBeav in that if you zoom out a bit get the top of the plant and more ocean and then get the ocean in focus a bit more you will have a much more pleasing image. I do love the yucca in the foreground to the right but I find myself wanting to move my head around hoping to see more of the beautiful landscape.

[Foxi Lady]

Thanks for the ideas! Here is a landscape photo so you can see what it looks like!

[swiftmed]

Im not here to critique your work - Im simply not qualified or experienced enough to do that, but I just wanted to say that I loved your shot. Personally I like the composition as it is - whether having the ocean a bit more in focus will enhance the picture or not, there are others in this thread who are far more knowledgable than I am, but talking from a complete novice' point of view, I really like it.

Great landscape picture aswell.