more, less, closer?

[ncee]

Here's a nice photo as far as color, but what's missing?

Not sure if it's one I'd frame?

My guess is, there isn't enough interesting stuff in this photo and make it a keeper.

Your thoughts please.

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[toddybear]

IMO less grass, more sky would make it very good.

[Eduard]

Great shot. I'd tweak it by a slight horizon adjustment and removing the brown grass. I might also tighten up the crop on the left side to try to draw the eye to the lake & pier.

[navcom]

It's a very pretty photo. But usually when you think you don't have enough in the photo to make it interesting, it's just the opposite. There may be too much in the photo. When there is too much, it usually means there is no center of interest.

Yours may not be overwhelming with stuff, but it does lack a center of interest. It's more or less just a snapshot of some centered trees...albiet colorful trees. It's a bit hard to tell what would work as there isn't much in the photo that jumps out at me.

When I'm not sure what my center of interest is, I find myself just pointing and shooting. Other times I"m overwhelmed with the beauty of a scene that I just whip out the camera, center the scene and snap away. The result is usually a pretty boring photo. So before snapping the shutter, I stop and ask myself what is making me take the photo. Once that is determined, I try to find an object, angle, perspective, lines, textures, etc. to convey what I'm feeling in that spot. It almost always means I need to reposition where I"m taking the photo from...usually closer...and usually much closer. It also might mean a different camera angle/perspective. I'll bet 90% of my photos are not taken at eye level. The reason? It's not compelling. Everyone sees the world from eye level so photos taken from there usually tend to be just another snapshot. Diverting from the typical expectations of the viewer makes the image more compelling.

I heard a quote from a famous landscape photographer awhile back. Landscape photographers should be in great shape. If they are not, then they aren't experimenting and contorting themselves enough to get the right shooting position.

[windrider86]

Could you share your exif information with us? Please and thank you

[barabe]

I totally agree with navcom,

The photo has too much to look at that there is not a real point of interest. Try different angles, higher or lower than normal or sometimes just taking a few steps to one side or the other may make or break the shot.

[ncee]

Originally Posted by toddybear

IMO less grass, more sky would make it very good.

More like this?

I'm guessing, this is just one of those photo's that looked nice to me (because of the surrounding scene), and just isn't going to make a nice mounted piece.

Good practice, but that's about all.

[ncee]

Originally Posted by barabe

I totally agree with navcom,

The photo has too much to look at that there is not a real point of interest. Try different angles, higher or lower than normal or sometimes just taking a few steps to one side or the other may make or break the shot.

That is something I'm trying to get better at, but sometimes I just can't sit still long enough.

I took up this hobby because my doctor said I needed to stop working 80 hours a week, and well, I'm getting better, but boy it's hard (for me) to stop and walk around, see things in a different light.

I t does help, having comments like this, and one day, I WILL listen ; thank you.

In the mean time, I'm having fun, and hopefully learning something.

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[navcom]

Originally Posted by ncee

That is something I'm trying to get better at, but sometimes I just can't sit still long enough.

I took up this hobby because my doctor said I needed to stop working 80 hours a week, and well, I'm getting better, but boy it's hard (for me) to stop and walk around, see things in a different light.

I t does help, having comments like this, and one day, I WILL listen ; thank you.

In the mean time, I'm having fun, and hopefully learning something.

Skip

I know exactly what you mean! Photography has always been my stress-reliever. I work a design job during the day on top of running my own business(es). On top of that I have mission flight currency and instructing. Landscape photography forces me to slow down and "smell the roses".

Keep practicing. You can never know everything and the journey will take you away from your "standard operating procedures" long enough to take a breath. Enjoy it!

And BTW, your photo is perfectly good enough for framing. Critiques just tell us how we can improve.

[ncee]

Thank you. You know, if I'm having fun … relieving some stress … learning something, then I guess that's not to bad

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