Learning Landscapes Views and Fall Colours

[Brownbear]

C&C always appreciated...

The Rainbow Warrior one foggy morning...

SS 160 F9 ISO 200

I tried to capture sufficient DOF with the wharf leading ones eye to the wall of fog over the ocean. Accentuated by the ocean waters. I adore the lighting and the sense of mystery fog creates. I think I capture the boat sharply. Mostly I like the wall of fog and the light in the sky.

I missed the boat in the background, only too obvious to me now.




City view (too much foreground?)

SS 60 F20 ISO 320 Exp Bias - 1.33

I darkened the sky and lightened the foreground, in LR dodging and burning. Two versions of Post Processing

In these two images I was trying to capture the beauty of the fall foilage in the suburbs of the city and the beautiful view of the mountains in the background, and to manage enough DOF to get most everything in sharp focus. In hindsight I think the row of highrises detracts from the scene and/or just doesn't fit with the soft colours of the fall foilage. And image loses its sharpness after the row of highrises but I'm not sure why this is as I focused on the horizon of the mountains.

Plus the top half of the image seems to lack the rich colours of the foreground and pales in comparison.

In my second version where I lightened the foreground the image seems to match better, but looks washed out.

Version 1



Version 2




City View Fall Colours

Photographed with my 105 mm macro lens... I cropped the top part of the image (a line of highrises)... the trees are clipped in the bottom but I couldn't change my positioning, ie; on a hillside.

In this image I was trying to capture the quaint beauty of the houses surrounded by the colourful fall trees. I like the rich colours and that the houses seem to be in sharp focus. I cropped the highrises off of the top of the image which likely means that something about the highrises didn't fit the image I had in my mind.

SS 1/100 F16 ISO 320 Exp Comp -1.33




Just seeking general feedback on landscapes for their composition, DOF and sharpness and my post processing. Thank you.

[Mike Buckley]

The first one might be your best image yet and far outclasses the other images.

Just seeking general feedback on landscapes and my post processing.

I'm thinking of not giving you any more feedback about images that you post unless you articulate what you like, don't like, and wonder about your images. I'm not trying to be harsh. Instead, I'm trying to be helpful and that's the most helpful suggestion I can think of making.

To answer your question about whether there is too much foreground in the cityscape/landscape: I don't know that it is too much but that the elements of urban and rural scenery don't seem to complement each other very much, at least not for me.

In the last one you mention that the trees are clipped at the bottom but that you couldn't do anything about it. If you don't want the trees clipped, don't release the shutter.

[FootLoose]

I like the lighting in the first shot, Christina, but the subject is confused with the background. Would it have been possible to wait until the ship on the horizon had sailed out of the frame? If not, then could you have positioned yourself so that it was out of the frame?

[Brownbear]

Hi Mike,

Sounds more than fair to me. I need to learn to critique my own images so I will go back in my thread and add to it. With these landscapes I'm not quite sure what I should be striving for other than an image in my head.

Thank you for commenting on the foreground... I included it because I know that landscapes should have some foreground in them and even though the fall colours are very pretty something seems odd about the image.

Hmmm... Yes, but the houses and trees were so colourful and pretty, so I clicked the shutter. Good point.

The first one might be your best image yet and far outclasses the other images.



I'm thinking of not giving you any more feedback about images that you post unless you articulate what you like, don't like, and wonder about your images. I'm not trying to be harsh. Instead, I'm trying to be helpful and that's the most helpful suggestion I can think of making.

To answer your question about whether there is too much foreground in the cityscape/landscape: I don't know that it is too much but that the elements of urban and rural scenery don't seem to complement each other very much, at least not for me.

In the last one you mention that the trees are clipped at the bottom but that you couldn't do anything about it. If you don't want the trees clipped, don't release the shutter.

[Brownbear]

Thank you. Yes, I can see that now..

I'm not sure why I didn't pick up on that in this image as I was working on it, likely because I liked the wall of fog a lot... I did take a few in some vertical positions which hid the boat but they don't hold as much appeal. I may have a few where the boat has passed.

Either way thank you for bringing the boat to my attention. I'm surpised that I missed it now that it is right in front of me...

I like the lighting in the first shot, Christina, but the subject is confused with the background. Would it have been possible to wait until the ship on the horizon had sailed out of the frame? If not, then could you have positioned yourself so that it was out of the frame?

[nimitzbenedicto]

Love your 1st image.

Serene ......................... relaxing view.........

[Brownbear]

Thank you Victor... I will try for another one like this one day... Hoping for more fog but alas it is not all that common here.

Love your 1st image.

Serene ......................... relaxing view.........

[Bobobird]

Not much a landscape person so cannot say anything constructive.

But dropped in to say that the boat and pier image is really very nice.

[Stagecoach]

Would it have been possible to wait until the ship on the horizon had sailed out of the frame?

I wondered that as well when I first looked but it takes quite a bit of time for one of these bulkers to lift it's anchor and move off

Grahame

[rawill]

I am not surprised Mike liked the first photo. I am sure we can all see what his style is, and I have to admit I am coming to understand his work a bit more.

On your City vie landscapes, I think you knew the foreground was too much.
Just didn't sit right, if you move the edge of the photo on the screen so it cuts off some of the foreground I think it changes the photo a lot. With too much of this foreground it pulls away from the cityscape.

I am learning too, and could not have "seen" that a few months ago.

Keep at it.

Rbn

[Brownbear]

Bobo... thank you, truly appreciated.

Grahame, yes they move slow. I will not make this mistake again.

Robin, Thank you for commenting. Yes, I knew something was not quite right and thought it was the foreground and should've know that the highrises didn't fit either (I cropped them out of the last image) so now I know for the next time around. I hope to see it next time around.