Long Exposure in Maui

[gagehingeley]

I am just sort of new to photography and I am a teen that just got the camera to shoot surfing and underwater stuff with my spl housing. in this shot i am just experimenting with long exposure. let me know what you think!!

[flytyer57]

Since you had a good wind blowing, the long exposure captured the movement of the palm tree. That kind of takes away from the picture. A better shot probably would have been from the beach itself if you wanted to convey a silky water beach scene.

You didn't include any EXIF info so it's hard to add any more critique. What was the focal length, aperture, shutter speed etc.?

[gagehingeley]

Originally Posted by flytyer57

Since you had a good wind blowing, the long exposure captured the movement of the palm tree. That kind of takes away from the picture. A better shot probably would have been from the beach itself if you wanted to convey a silky water beach scene.

You didn't include any EXIF info so it's hard to add any more critique. What was the focal length, aperture, shutter speed etc.?

yah sorry i am new to this stuff and realized i needed to include that after the fact.

Exposure: 3.2 secs at f/22
focal length: 32mm
iso:100
lens: 18-135mm kit lens from canon.
shot with my canon 60d from a hotel balcony.

[AndrewPDX]

Since you had a good wind blowing, the long exposure captured the movement of the palm tree. That kind of takes away from the picture.

Actually, I disagree with that. I saw those plam trees and said "wow, that's a cool effect." In general, with long exposure water shots, you do try to keep all the foreground imagery still so that the smooth, flowing water is the focus. However, in this shot, the water is kind of boring, so the motion of the palm tree takes center stage. And, personally, I think the semi-blurred palm fronds works.

However, the overall composition of this shot needs work. If feels like you took it from your hotel balcony looking down. I'm not sure what you're trying to get me to look at. If it's the water, it didn't really work for me.

Good to see you experimenting as a beginner, though. Keep trying. Work on the rule of thirds. Figure out what you want people to look at in your shot and then compose the image so that becomes the focal point. Good luck!

[EOBeav]

I also like the blowing effect. You could do a little more PP work, but I do think you're onto something.

[gagehingeley]

ok thanks for the feedback, i was just sort of experimenting and trying to get used to my camera. And if anyone can answer this, I need a polyrizing filter for taking long exposure during the day? and if so which one is best?

[mathgeek]

Others can answer better about the filters, as I'm only about a nanometer above newbie. But I can offer a suggestion. If the palm tree is the focus, I would crop it so that the fronds almost touch the edges. That way it helps take it's focus. Otherwise, I agree that I'm not sure if I should notice the cool tree or pay attention to the waves behind it.

[Krusty79]

Instead of finding out what shutter speed, ISO, etc. you used, I would like to know what you wanted to show in this shot. It could be interpreted in so many ways, it's hard to give you a critique when I don't know what your goal was. I think this should be a requirement for every critique thread. In your case, maybe you were just messing around to get more familiar with your camera, which is fine, but please let us know.

Regarding your polarizer question, I believe every photographer should have one. It reduces glare off non-metallic surfaces and can produce more vivid colors, depending on the location of the sun relative to your subject.

How To Use A Polarizing Filter

The B+H multicoated ones are supposed to be very good. Hoya is a good brand if you can't afford the B+W.