Ye Olde Country Store

[Wavelength]

very nice image

[FrankMi]

Don't know how you would rate your knowledge and skills then with where you are now, but what these demonstrate to me is that crucial element that is so important - the ability to see the image and know how to compose to bring out the best in the scene.

I don't totally subscribe to the notion that you either have that or you don't. I think people can develop that vision. The way of developing that, I think, is to study and learn from images such as these, analysing what others have done.

In my early 20's I took a photography course where I learned the basics of film photography, processing, and composition. Family life helping to raise our 8 children quickly pushed photography to the back pages and for years amounted to not much more than family snapshots.

I didn't really get back into taking photos for fun until the digital camera made it's debut and it wasn't until I got frustrated with the limitations of Point & Shoot cameras three years ago that I got my first DSLR and joined CiC. So most of what I know now is based on what I've learned here at CiC. I find the CiC forum to be particularly enlightening and educational.

I have found that at the root of all great images is composition. It isn't dependent on the limitations or capabilities of any equipment or post processing software and without it the most expensive hardware and software can't do the image justice.

You mention study and learn from images of others, Donald. Over the past three years I have collected well over 2,000 of what I consider to be the best images I can find and use them as a random wallpaper rotation on my PC that changes every 15 minutes. This way I can be constantly viewing outstanding compositions and getting a feel for what works well in an image.

Many of these scenes I may never have the skill or opportunity to capture for myself but I can certainly enjoy and appreciate the results of the skills that others have mastered.

[FrankMi]

very nice image

Thank you Nandakumar!