Matsumoto Castle

[mclean8]

hi all

just getting started here. thanks for looking. this shot was taken on a couple of years back, and re-processed last year.

seeking feedback on colour, crop, and any feeling from the shot. is the castle imposing, are the ducks having fun, what did you notice? would you want to go there yourself?



350D with EF-S 10-22 @ 12mm, 1/100 sec. shot in jpeg (now shoot in raw) cropped in post, messed with the saturation and contrast a fair bit.

[mechanic1300]

I think this is a fine shot. Nice colours, good subject but maybe a little too much dark area at the bottom. Can't really tell if the ducks are having fun though.

[ebeard2802]

Heck yeah, I'd like to go there myself! It's a great shot, awesome reflections, nice contrast, and excellent color quality. I don't know if the ducks are having fun or not, but to me they're a non-player in this shot. I think the cropping is fine. Maybe you could cut a little off the bottom, but I don't think it's necessary.

Nice work!

Eric

[dcclark]

Very nice reflection and deeeeep colors. I didn't even notice the ducks until I went back and re-looked.

Two things do bother me though. The first is that the castle is way off to the right, leaving some (mostly) blank space on the left. I think that centering it would probably help a lot -- right now the photo feels unbalanced, "heavy" to the right.

Second, there is a lot more blank space at the bottom as well, below the bottom of the castle's reflection. Add that to the fact that the water-land dividing line is just about in the middle, and things are oddly unbalanced, in a balanced sort of way. Basically, I'd suggest that you recompose and emphasize the reflection or the original (I'd choose the reflection), and try to get an angle which really emphasizes the one that you've chosen. I'd love to see more of the reflection in the water, if you could find a way to do that.

[paulq]

Hi, I like the reflections and nice colors of the photo! Regarding the ducks, they don't draw much attention IMO. I do think cropping a lit bit of the bottom would be a good idea. By the way, I think that is a beautiful place. Would love to go there..

[gdowden70]

Were you going for an imposing look on the castle? If so, I think taking this same shot at a different time of the day would have been the ticket. That bright blue sky makes everything look light and airy to me, and is almost a little distracting in contrast with the castle. I would love to have this very same shot either early morning or late afternoon. Just my opinion. I think everything else is just great here.