Track & Field

[Caddie]

Hi All -

I just bought a Nikon D80 and this is my first crack at using it. I have absolutely no history in photography, however I would like to learn so I went out today and just took some pictures using different settings to see how they affected the outcome.

Anyway, any crtique on the angle, colour, exposure or any other areas would be very much appreciated. I shot it in RAW format so if possible, I'd like to go back and make changes based on feed back.

I called it track and field....for obvious reasons

Thanks.

Exif data
Camera Nikon D80
Exposure 1/60 sec.
Aperture f/5.0
Focal Length 20 mm
ISO Speed 200

[SnapHappyMum]

Any chance you can flip the photo and re post it here.

I'm just curious to see if the train track makes a difference heading the other way.

[Caddie]

That's an interesting idea, I hadn't thought of that option. Did you mean flip it horizontally or vertically?

[SnapHappyMum]

Horizontally.

I've just done a quick course on how to use my slr, and the lecturer said to have lines/images heading towards the right hand side. It does make a difference I think.

[Caddie]

Attached is a version of the photograph that has been flipped. Not sure if it really makes a difference with the tracks on the right side of the image. What do you think?

[Krusty79]

Your lecturer said that because we are trained to read from left to right and we tend to observe photos the same way.

It's good to have leading lines in your shot, but I wonder why you pushed the tracks way over to the edge. Also, you have a dynamic range issue, as part of the clouds are blown out. You could have used a graduated neutral density filter to reduce the brightness of the sky relative to the ground or do some exposure blending. Since you shot RAW, you have that option. It's a constant battle in landscape photography. So, I'd say you're off to a good start because you shot RAW and you used leading lines in your shot. Keep'em coming!

[Caddie]

Thanks Krusty79, I appreciate the feedback as well as the encouragement.