River Picture with Sun up in the sky

[carloshpvp]

I took this picture in a small city to try to get the scenery from the riverside. Pictures during harsh sunlight tends to be not very good. So what would be your suggestions to improve this picture?



Picture taken with a Sony DSC-HX1, shutter speed 0.001 sec (1/1000), aperture f/5.0, focal length 5 mm (1/2.33" sensor), 0 EV.

[DrTasso]

Nice color in the shot

[Krusty79]

If you can't shoot in the golden hours, you can at least get a circular polarizer. Depending on your angle relative to the sun, it can give you more vivid colors and reduce glare of non-metallic surfaces. You can also get softer light during the day if you can wait for a cloud to block the sun. Also, I find those branches entering the upper left corner of the frame somewhat distracting and would consider cloning them out.

[Corey Thompson]

In addition to what has already been mentioned, the horizon also appears to be slanted a bit but that might just be an illusion caused by the uneven land off in the distance.

[carloshpvp]

Thank you all for the comments. I read a little about polarized filters... they seem to help on this kind of situation. A good advice.

I also thought about the horizon line but couldn't define if it was a optical delusion. And the tree leaves... I really need to take a step into post processing.

[MitchellProut]

Think about what is interesting about this picture to you before you snap it and try to emphasize that. I see many things going on, but theres not much emphasis on anything specific.

My first thought. The stones in the grass just below look interesting, and there's not much to look at in the sky, so if you could get down there and use them as your foreground instead of the railing that you are up against, it may make for a much more interesting and "in the moment" kind of picture. Especially with that wide angle lens you are using. Possibly bring the horizon up in the picture to emphasize the foreground as well.

Just some thoughts.

[Krusty79]

I'll make another comment about the composition. Pretty much all of the visual interest in your shot is concentrated on the left side. You have a lot of sky there, but unfortunately, clear blue skies are not that interesting in landscape photography. Also, you have a large expanse of brown river water which doesn't really have any features that hold my attention. So, in the future, I would keep in mind eliminating some of the featureless areas and making the visually interesting parts make up a larger % of the image. I know you are limited in where you can shoot from if you can only take shots from the shore, though.

[carloshpvp]

Thanks for the observations, Krusty79.

[EOBeav]

Look at my signature line for your answer. :-)