Reflection

[Karalynn324]

This is my first post in this forum .... or anywhere!!! I'm typically pretty private regarding anything I take, but have finally come to the realization that I will not improve unless I put some stuff out there and get some feedback!
I was wondering if it should have been a tighter shot .... but struggled with the balance of the sky and the water ...
Let me know what you think. Thanks!


Taken with: Nikon D40
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/100
F-stop: f/5
Focal length: 18mm
Flash: did not fire

[EOBeav]

It takes some bravery to put your stuff out there for everybody to take a shot at. But it's a great way to grow, and I've picked up some good stuff along the way here in DPS critique forums.

Your image: First of all, you get points for shooting a scene like this at the right time of the day. Shots like this that include a lot of sky should have some good clouds to go with it. Unfortunately, you don't have any here. Although the trees and reflection make a nice subject, there's a lot of unnecessary empty space on the top and bottom of the image. When you don't have ideal skies, do the best you can with what you've got. Since you were out fairly wide, you could have zoomed in on that biggest tree. As it is, it's getting swallowed up in its surroundings. So yeah, you could have gone in a lot tighter.

You're off to a nice start here, so keep shooting! I look forward to seeing more of what you get.

[benchdog]

Welcome

I agree with everything EOBeav has said and I would also suggest you use caution when centering horizon lines in the center of your frame. It cuts an image in half. I perfer to place them on the lines of thirds.

Really nice work. Hope to see you back.

[Karalynn324]

Thanks for the feedback! I looked through some of my other shots and realized I tend to ALWAYS center a horizon! Now, I will be more mindful when I come across those! Thanks!!

[SwissJon]

Hi..

I agree with The other two here.. With a small caveat.. Sometimes a centred horizon is acceptable when shooting reflections, that's when the whole of the frame, top to bottom, is filled with the subject. If you'd zoomed in to the point where the top of the tree was close to the top of the frame, and the bottom of the reflection was equidistant from the bottom, that can sometimes work.. But the other rules of photography still apply. You need a story and a decent subject.

But like the others said, you're on the right tracks.

[Krusty79]

I will add one more comment to the previous ones. It also helps if you have a focal point in your shots. Like in this shot, a boat in the water will give the viewer's eye a place to settle on. It could also be a distinctive tree or something else that stands out.

[Stephanie C]

I love reflection shots. And the reflections in this one are great. I personally would have moved the shot across a little so that the bigger tree wasn't exactly in the middle, and like previously said, without the cloud the sky is a bit plain. (Having said this, I am guilty of exactly the same thing myself... ) Perhaps a crop to make it more of a panorama?
And please keep in mind that I am no where near a professional! I just like photos...