Help me improve my composition skills

[macgart]

Exposure 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture f/11.0
Focal Length 10 mm
ISO Speed 100
Exposure Bias -1/3 EV
Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE

How could I have improved my composition of this shot? I was hiking with a friend and should have coerced him to pose in the foreground for added interest. We we at this lake mid-day (~ 2pm) and a storm was building behind us so I had a limited window of time.

Does the rule of thirds apply to reflection shots like this, or is it considered OK to break the rule here? I tried a couple of different comps with the "V" notch in the mountains moved to one of the thirds but the end result looked worse than centered.

Other technical notes are also welcome. I'm still a rookie trying to learn.

Thanks

[SGToliver]

really nice photo you have here. I am not sure I would have taken it any differently but landscapes are not my best area.

[dlambert]

First of all -- nice photo. It looks like you had fairly challenging lighting here -- the shadows cast by the clouds are pretty well-defined. On the other hand, the clear air really makes for some vivid colors. As far as the rule of thirds goes, remember that it's really just a guideline.

When you're learning composition, I think the best thing you can do with the rule of thirds is to make sure you always consider it. It's a tool that helps you think about alternatives when you're setting up your shot -- not necessarily a mandate that you need to follow. In this case, it sounds like you considered (and tried) the rule along vertical lines, but I'm not sure if you considered moving the horizon up or down. Again, there's nothing wrong with centering the horizon, but I've seen some cases where a scene takes on a lot of depth when the horizon line is higher in the shot -- here are a couple examples from 500px:

500px / Photo "Reflection of Avalanche Lake" by Bernard Chen
500px / Photo "Silverdale" by Wolfy .
500px / Photo "***" by Mikhail Trakhtenberg
500px / Photo "Epic Sunset - St. Mary Lake" by Bernard Chen
500px / Photo "Wastwater" by Wolfy .

(I'm not going to link images inline here, because I included a lot of examples)

As you can see, these work well when you've got detail in the foreground that can lead the eye out to the horizon.

Important -- moving the horizon is just something to consider -- definitely not required. I've seen plenty of outstanding shots with the horizon centered, too:

500px / Photo "Two Autumns" by Mikhail Trakhtenberg
500px / Photo "Rydal Water" by Wolfy .
500px / Photo "Loch Etive" by Wolfy .
500px / Photo "Somewhere North of Atikokan" by David Lambert (had to squeeze in one of mine)

And just to be complete, sometimes a horizon line on the lower third works, too:

500px / Photo "Lac de Tzeuzier" by Jon Pertwee (our own SwissJon -- be sure to check out the rest of his landscapes, too)
500px / Photo "Rocks and rainbows" by Neil Kremer

This last option is much less common because you really need something going on up in the top portion of the scene that isn't part of the reflection you're capturing, unless you're just using that area for negative space, like this:

500px / Photo "***" by Mikhail Trakhtenberg

Again, my recommendation is to use the rule of thirds as a tool to help you consider options, but the final call is yours.

[digirebelva]

I think this is one of those examples where the symmetry of the image works against the rule of thirds, as you already found out when you tried different compositions. I might have waited a (little) bit to see if the sun/clouds would have given you a different look. You might brighten up the ground a bit, seems a tad to dark.

[Hill Country Hack]

Originally Posted by digirebelva

I think this is one of those examples where the symmetry of the image works against the rule of thirds, as you already found out when you tried different compositions. I might have waited a (little) bit to see if the sun/clouds would have given you a different look. You might brighten up the ground a bit, seems a tad to dark.

What digirebelva said! I REALLY like that shot. I love symmetry and IMHO, you did very well.

[navcom]

I'm with digirebelva. I think the composition works. Symmetry is one of those times where the rule of thirds will not work. I also agree that the foreground rocks really add to the composition as they form an arc that "cradles" the symmetry...but they are a bit too dark to achieve the full effect as is the left hillside. Shouldn't be too hard to fix in post though. Just increase the shadows a bit.

Hope that helps!

[macgart]

dlambert: thanks a bunch for the links to all the inspiring photos. Now I have some good reference images for composition. I really like the ones with the horizon in the upper third.

I had to wait for quite a while for the clouds to open enough to light the mountainside. It was completely in shadow when I arrived. I thought the mosquitos would bleed me dry by the time I was done!

Thanks also for the suggestion to brighten the foreground.

I feel like I've learned a lot over the past several months of visiting this site. I still have a long way to go but I do see progress.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful critique.

[DooSPX]

AMAZING PHOTO!!!!!!!!!! I MEAN STUNNING!!!!

did you use a filter of any kind?

[Krusty79]

I think these reflection shots are the exception to placing the horizon using the rule of thirds. They seem to work best with the horizon in the middle. However, it makes it more noticeable when the horizon is not level (like in your shot).

It's tough to even out the exposure when part of the image is under a cloud and part is in bright sunlight. I don't how else to overcome that besides trying layer masking or HDR. However, a graduated neutral density filter would have helped to reduce the brightness of the sky relative to the ground.

[macgart]

[QUOTE=Krusty79;1323116]I think these reflection shots are the exception to placing the horizon using the rule of thirds. They seem to work best with the horizon in the middle. However, it makes it more noticeable when the horizon is not level (like in your shot). QUOTE]

Damn! I thought I got it level.

I don't own any ND filters at the moment. I'll try to adjust it in post.

Thanks Krusty