just a beach

[noshet]

Guys,

I'm pretty new here ...just bought my first dslr not long ago..
I just got a 430exII so i tried doing a beach shot..
C & C on composition and lighting/contrast please...as I'm very new to this..too new to know how to properly play with PP.


IMG_7681 by OakPhoto, on Flickr

Camera Canon EOS 60D with Tamron 17-50vc with CPL filter
Exposure 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture f/10.0
Focal Length 17 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash On, Fired

Thanks in advance.

[Benrocky]

Hmm lets see what i can put in...

First thing is turn off that flash. There some beautiful lighting there i see in the background, so try and use it to its full advantage. I personally only ever use flash in bright afternoon sunlight as a fill flash (even then its very seldom).

Stand back abit as the tree trunk is a little too dominating in this picture. Although it does make an interesting feature to see the grain.

Pay a little more attention to the background when taking a image. Random trees, houses and stuff distract the viewers attention (unless they are taken on purpose).

That sign on the beach makes for some interesting ideas. Play with it and let your imagination run wild!

Composition wise your getting there. Just remember the Rule of Thirds for a beginner and you really cant go wrong.

[TaviMeyer]

Hello there.

I like the colour of the sky and the way clouds are shaped.

But the fact you've used the flashgun on the tree trunk suggests that this tree trunk is the subject. And the photo misses the subject. I'm no photography guru, but if you've found the tree trunk interesting for some reason (and this one might be pretty cool one with all these tree rings and bark texture), I would go for much closer shot, focusing on tree rings and bark. Maybe even macro. And that's something to use tripod for, flashgun may be useful in these lighting conditions, but not necessary. Another possible shot I can see here is putting emphasis on the whole tree trunk. If you could move to the right (which you couldn't because of the wall to the right) and move away from the trunk quite far away, put the sea and beach as a background, you would get a nice feel of solitude and abandonment. Especially if you had a bit more light. Again, the flashgun wouldn't be needed.
To have this photo speak for itself with the composition you have here, you would need a model or animal sitting on the tree trunk. That would be actually the only shot in this location I would use the flashgun (and reflector) for.

What could help you a bit in the future is reading a bit about the rule of thirds and remembering that less is more Good luck and congratulation on the new flashgun

[homank76]

I actually like these kind of shots when people use a flash during this time of day, BUT you do have yours turned all the way up or on TTL. I would difuse it somehow, either turn the power down on it, use a sheet, use a shoot thru umbrella.

Any chance you may try again soon and just bring this thread back to life when you do it?

[noshet]

Many thanks for all the comments. They are all very valuable for me as i am so new on the whole thing but i think i am falling in love with this new hobby.

You were right that the flash was kinda too harsh as i didn't bring my diffuser along...just straight up TTL.

I would love going back to re shoot it but too bad that the shot was taken during my get away vacation as i was fleeing away from the city flooding in Bangkok.

Really appreciated the comments, glad i found this site.

[EPSmith2124]

I love the clouds and the blue of the sky but that log overwhelms me. It looks like it is coming out of the picture to get me lol. The flash doesn't help it either. I'm not sure I would know this was the beach though even without the log.

Did you capture this from any other angle? That is one of the greatest things about shooting with digital, you can really play with lots of angles once you decide what you want your subject to be.

The main thing is to keep practicing. That will help more than anything else. Study up on the rule of thirds. Keep an eye out for distracting elements that will draw the viewer away from your subject.

[cmh]

You create a great sense of depth in this photo with the warm colored log in close and the cool sky in the back ground. This can lead a viewer to want to walk right into the photo (but, unfortunately, in this case, I banged my shin on the log . It is just a little too much and too harshly lit in the foreground and makes it look like two separate subjects that don't feel in any way connected.

I agree that softer light on the log, or maybe recomposing to make the length of the log draw you on to the beach could work well. Also, trying to minimize the extras like the wall on the right can help simplify.

[noshet]

Thanks all, i'll try to improve again next time.