2016 Project 52, First Quarter by Joe/ Joebranko

Hi Joe,

With regard to last week's which I missed, I do prefer the second version.

Now to this week;

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Composition: Using lines to guide the eye to the focal point.

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Yes, the leading lines are doing their job.

Did you try slight variations on this theme?
I am wondering what the picture could look like;

From one side-step left, to see up to the house between the row on left?
Ditto to right?
Shooting where you are, but with the camera somewhat higher to prevent the vines 'touching' the house?
(i.e. with a strip of lawn between top of vines and steps up to the house)

Then choose which is best.

HTH, Dave

I like this shot very much...you had achieved your purpose here of leading the eyes to your subject. I think it is an excellent example of what you were thinking...the composition looks great really and I suppose you have other shots from this scene?

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Originally Posted by joebranko

Taken at Grimsby Ridge Winery, Grimsby Ontario. ISO 200; 55mm;f 6.3; 1/400" Lens Canon 55-250mm.

Composition: Using lines to guide the eye to the focal point.


http://i65.tinypic.com/v83j8j.jpg

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Originally Posted by Dave Humphries

Hi Joe,

With regard to last week's which I missed, I do prefer the second version.

Now to this week;



Yes, the leading lines are doing their job.

Did you try slight variations on this theme?
I am wondering what the picture could look like;

From one side-step left, to see up to the house between the row on left?
Ditto to right?
Shooting where you are, but with the camera somewhat higher to prevent the vines 'touching' the house?
(i.e. with a strip of lawn between top of vines and steps up to the house)

Then choose which is best.

HTH, Dave

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Thanks Dave. I had convinced myself that I should take the shot with the row centered as shown so I don't think I took any to left or right. I did take some with the camera at a higher elevation, but I remember stooping as low as possible to accentuate the height of the hill on which the house stands. I will look at them again this evening when I can get on my desktop.

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Originally Posted by IzzieK

I like this shot very much...you had achieved your purpose here of leading the eyes to your subject. I think it is an excellent example of what you were thinking...the composition looks great really and I suppose you have other shots from this scene?

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Thanks Izzie. I did take some others ; I will review them this evening.

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Originally Posted by Dave Humphries

Hi Joe,

With regard to last week's which I missed, I do prefer the second version.

Now to this week;



Yes, the leading lines are doing their job.

Did you try slight variations on this theme?
I am wondering what the picture could look like;

From one side-step left, to see up to the house between the row on left?
Ditto to right?
Shooting where you are, but with the camera somewhat higher to prevent the vines 'touching' the house?
(i.e. with a strip of lawn between top of vines and steps up to the house)

Then choose which is best.

HTH, Dave

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I did take one to the right, but I left too much lawn between the top of vines and steps to the house. Nevertheless I quite like this one. Had I left a smaller strip of lawn it would have been better I think. Here it is:

http://i66.tinypic.com/10p290y.jpg

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Originally Posted by joebranko

I did take one to the right, but I left too much lawn between the top of vines and steps to the house. Nevertheless I quite like this one. Had I left a smaller strip of lawn it would have been better I think.

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Agreed Joe

Joe, the other photos didn't work for me so much, but I really like these two recent ones. Of the two I much prefer the second one, as the fence posts in the foreground are not nearly as noticeably OOF as they are in the first shot. Also I like that the cross-hatch pattern in the lawn in front of the big house is very clearly noticeable as is the parallel patterns in the front of the other building (store?). My one suggestion is that you rotate the image a few degrees clockwise to plumb up the building's corners and verticals. It would be interesting, if possible, to see this same image come summer (and then maybe fall and of course, winter if you get snow on the ground. Lot of potential here I think)

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Originally Posted by flashback

Joe, the other photos didn't work for me so much, but I really like these two recent ones. Of the two I much prefer the second one, as the fence posts in the foreground are not nearly as noticeably OOF as they are in the first shot. Also I like that the cross-hatch pattern in the lawn in front of the big house is very clearly noticeable as is the parallel patterns in the front of the other building (store?). My one suggestion is that you rotate the image a few degrees clockwise to plumb up the building's corners and verticals. It would be interesting, if possible, to see this same image come summer (and then maybe fall and of course, winter if you get snow on the ground. Lot of potential here I think)

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Thanks for your comments Jack. I will be visiting this site again for sure.

Working on improving my composition: This shot is of an inn on the Grand River at the start of the Elora Gorge.
Lens 55-250 Canon; 55mm, f 8, 1/160", ISO 100. The composition element I am working on in this shot is 'reflection'. I spent some time in PP working to bring out the reflection of the building. In reflection ( :) pun intended) I probably would have got better results had I used an ND filter and a long exposure to smooth out the ripples in the water surface, and thereby improve the reflection.

http://i64.tinypic.com/9r3b0m.jpg

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Originally Posted by joebranko

Working on improving my composition: This shot is of an inn on the Grand River at the start of the Elora Gorge.
Lens 55-250 Canon; 55mm, f 8, 1/160", ISO 100. The composition element I am working on in this shot is 'reflection'. I spent some time in PP working to bring out the reflection of the building. In reflection ( :) pun intended) I probably would have got better results had I used an ND filter and a long exposure to smooth out the ripples in the water surface, and thereby improve the reflection.

http://i64.tinypic.com/9r3b0m.jpg

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Nicely captured, a bit tight at the top and sides and loads of foreground water; some of the water could be sacrificed for more sky but then you'd lose some of the building's reflection.

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Originally Posted by Shadowman

Nicely captured, a bit tight at the top and sides and loads of foreground water; some of the water could be sacrificed for more sky but then you'd lose some of the building's reflection.

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Exactly my thoughts. The reflection isn't overly strong so some of it could be lost to produce a better overall composition.

Good focus and a potentially tricky exposure has been well handled.

Good approach and nicely executed--agree with prior comments.

A somewhat different composition can be had by becoming interested in the water as it passes by the Mill and goes over the mill pond dam. Crop the right side right up to, and including, the black sign. Then take a little off the bottom to put the mill pond dam somewhere close to the bottom third line. Not saying this is a better composition, just a different one and, to me, more dynamic.

Nice crisp image Joe, I agree with others that the subject may benefit from a bit more room to breathe. I like the colour in the water, the blue from the sky really zings.

You chose a hard spot for reflections - I presume the water is moving fairly quickly for them to build a watermill there. In addition to a longer shutter time (+tripod), think about the time of day you shoot at and consider using a polarising filter rotated to maximise the reflected light hitting your sensor.

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Originally Posted by Geoff F

Exactly my thoughts. The reflection isn't overly strong so some of it could be lost to produce a better overall composition.

Good focus and a potentially tricky exposure has been well handled.

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Thanks Geoff. Good points.

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Originally Posted by Shadowman

Nicely captured, a bit tight at the top and sides and loads of foreground water; some of the water could be sacrificed for more sky but then you'd lose some of the building's reflection.

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Thanks John. I was trying to use the reflection to create this composition ,so I was loath to loose any of it. You are probably right though.

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Originally Posted by Urbanflyer

Good approach and nicely executed--agree with prior comments.

A somewhat different composition can be had by becoming interested in the water as it passes by the Mill and goes over the mill pond dam. Crop the right side right up to, and including, the black sign. Then take a little off the bottom to put the mill pond dam somewhere close to the bottom third line. Not saying this is a better composition, just a different one and, to me, more dynamic.

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Thanks Judith. I cannot try your suggestion as this was not cropped in pp. This was framed in the camera except for removing some water. In Summer when I return to Elora I will try other compositions.

Here is a slightly different composition. cropping the right side and loosing some of the water ( and reflection), and adding some more sky.

http://i68.tinypic.com/2jcufa.jpg

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Originally Posted by ionian

Nice crisp image Joe, I agree with others that the subject may benefit from a bit more room to breathe. I like the colour in the water, the blue from the sky really zings.

You chose a hard spot for reflections - I presume the water is moving fairly quickly for them to build a watermill there. In addition to a longer shutter time (+tripod), think about the time of day you shoot at and consider using a polarising filter rotated to maximise the reflected light hitting your sensor.

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Thanks Simon. I did not think of using a polarizer, but am considering using an ND filter. Will also try your suggestion when I return there.

I like the composition, Joe. It has a lot of room for the edit. And that last edit is really good. I like that one better.I cannot suggest anything more to make it better because it is already better.

An ND filter is a good idea for the next time, I like the image, I prefer the cropped version :)

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Originally Posted by IzzieK

I like the composition, Joe. It has a lot of room for the edit. And that last edit is really good. I like that one better.I cannot suggest anything more to make it better because it is already better.

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You are so kind Izzie! Thank you!