starting to learn how to use Camera's more advanced features, noon landscape

[Incarnate]

Hi everyone,

Having used the Powershot SX20IS's auto mode for several months, I've decided to learn
its more advanced features and experiment with them. I took this picture at high noon; the sky was an insipid blue and there was a haze over the mountain and Cape in the background. I chose 'vibrant blue' in the colors options, I think perhaps I shouldn't have, does the blue sky look unnatural? I used auto levels-- and the sharpen tool in photoshop on the mountain which wasn't sharp. Overall, what are your impressions of the picture? How can I make it better?



Model: Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Aperture:8

Exposure Time: 1/500 (0.002 sec)

Focal Length:18.0 mm

[Krusty79]

What did you want to viewer to get out of this image? Did you try to choose a composition to maximize that?

I think your image lacks a subject, so my eye wanders around and there is nothing for it to settle on. Also, your horizon is not level. Placing the horizon in the middle of the image makes the viewer choose the top or bottom half. Generally, I have only seen this used effectively in water reflection shots.

Almost all great landscape shots are taken in the golden hours when the light is softer, not the middle of the day.

[IABoomer]

I think the colors are fine. The foreground has a nice warm tone to it which contrasts with the cooler blue sky. I don't see this as unnatural. I've got a few from a late afternoon that are similar in tone:


Shooting Clays (2 of 4) by IABoomerFlickr, on Flickr


Sunset reflections by IABoomerFlickr, on Flickr

How could you make this better? Consider using the rule of thirds. As shot, the horizon is pretty much smack in the middle. Since the sky doesn't have much detail or drama, you might be better served cropping out the top section of sky, or better yet, getting lower the the ground and composing with less sky.

If your goal was to show off the mountain and the cape, you either need to move much closer, or zoom in much tighter. Those elements are so distant and small that I wouldn't pick them as the subject. To me, the point of interest is the blowing grass in the foreground. The background provides a little context, but it's the motion that grabs my attention.

[Nicole]

I agree with the comment about the horizon.

And while noon isn't always the ideal time to shoot, that doesn't mean that you can't take great photos then. It would be fantastic if we all had the time to shoot at only the golden hours, wouldn't it? (end mini rant ).

I think that the comment about a lack of subject rings true though as well. Especially because the horizon sits around the middle. So you don't have the foreground or the sky dominating the shot. In this case, I wouldn't include more sky, I'd include more foreground. But that unfortunately cuts out the nice blue of the sky. Speaking of which, I don't find the colours unnatural because around here we really do get skies that blue and bluer.

I think in order to make a shot like this better there are a few things you can do. (1) Read up on the rule of thirds as a starting point to get out of the mindset of splitting the scene in half. (2) Look for some sort of focal point in the image. (3) Straighten those horizons.

And just to help out a little more, here are a few links from the blog that talk about those sort of things:
7 Easy Tactics for Better Coastal Landscape Photography
4 Rules of Composition for Landscape Photography
6 Winning Ways to Work Wide
Leading Your Viewers Through Your Photos

P.S. Welcome to the forums!

[Incarnate]

Thank you for you for your comments, I'll research the rule of thirds and use it in my next compositions. Next time I want to capture this view, I'll make sure the horizon is straight and zoom in on the cape to make it my subject. Thanks Nicole for the links, I'll check em out. There's a wealth of information, talent, and experience on the forum, glad to be here