Golden Hour

[TBrown00]

I took this a few months ago during the golden hour at one of my favorite beaches and finally just found time to go through my photos.

I'm most interested in knowing what you think of the composition and the lighting/shadows, but any critique/feedback is welcome! I tried to use the rocks to lead the viewer's eyes into the rest of the photo, but am thinking that where the rocks end and the water meets them and the shore is right in the middle of the photo and might be too centered. I like the golden color from the setting sun and the long shadows created by the sun's low angle with the rocks. What do you think of this part?

Thanks in advance!

EXIF:
Camera: D700
Focal Length: 16mm
Shutter Speed: 1/60
Aperture: f/13
ISO: 400

[Corey Thompson]

A lot of the rocks in the foreground are in shadow while the cliff to the right and the sky are brightly lit. For me, this leaves me feeling like there isn't enough compelling content to draw my attention to the photo for very long. This is a tricky shot to get due to the position of the sun. I would like to see more detail in the sky and maybe a bit more detail in the rocks, which exposure blending can help with if you shoot several shots that transition from dark to light and then blend portions of each shot together in lightroom.

Aside from the tricky lighting I like the composition of the shot.

[Krusty79]

I think it's a pretty good shot. The lighting is tricky, so I was wondering if you continued to shoot this scene after the sun went down. I think the lighting would be softer and more even if you waited a little bit longer. I like the rocks in the foreground. It would be nice if the foreground led my eye to a distant figure on the beach or in the water, but I know you can't control that. I do find myself wanting to see more of the beach.