2016 Project 52, Second Quarter by Joe/ Joebranko

[Urbanflyer]

Thanks Judith. No, there was no theme running through the 3 shots. In the first I was focused (pun intended) on framing the moon between the 2 trees. In the second and third I was taken by the fact of a beautiful day with beautiful view of the lake and the benches were empty!

I continue to respond to your photos based on your desire to emphasize improvement in your composition skills. Your post quoted above suggests that there was, indeed, a story in those two shots of the empty bench. So this knowledge might inform your approach to composition. Today you posted a lovely shot of the three rocks. It led the eye from left to right, the most common direction for western eyes who are used to entering from the left. The birds were not very visible to me but that actually increased the power of the composition since there was no competition with the interesting rocks. Shooting the same scene over and over with increased thought about options for composition is a great way to grow! Enjoy!

[IzzieK]

Agree with Judith's comments above...I did not see the birds in #1 either but to me it is also a nicer composition because of the leading position of the rocks leading to the light. The rocks not only anchors the shot but it made it much more stronger.

[joebranko]

Thanks Judith for your encouraging comments!

[joebranko]

Thanks Izzie. The birds are only visible at 100%. I have not in Lytebox. Thanks for your encouragement.

[Wavelength]

i continue to love the beauty of Nature in your images......

[joebranko]

i continue to love the beauty of Nature in your images......

Thanks Nandakumar

[joebranko]

Two more shots of the shore line of Lake Ontario.

[joebranko]

And the final shot for the second quarter:

[Urbanflyer]

Interesting effort on the empty bench. What would it take in the way of framing to get the emphasis more on the empty bench?
Or was your primary element the wonderful tree? Assuming for a moment that you continued to work on the empty bench, then cropping from the top and left might be useful to consider.

We drove along the Canadian side of Lake Erie in May--lots of beautiful views in those lakes!

[CormacD]

Hi Joe, re your [QUOTE=joebranko;614214]Another set of scenes from the beach of Lake Ontario at Hamilton.

#1The moon still hanging around at around 7am.

Beautiful clear simple picture, the focal points are obvious and definitely uncluttered with the moon framed by the twin trees. The light is just right on the trees and there is just enough foreground to give the scene some depth. Excellent colours for the sky, trees a undergrowth.

#2
Interesting light and shadows. I'm not sure what the main focal point is, the trees or the bench. Unfortunately the distant scene and sky are washed out. Perhaps need to exposure bracket and merge to pick up some detail in the distance.

#3
Again, interesting light and shadows, much better in the distance, good grass in the foreground for perspective. My eyes tend to be drawn down the road way, but that leads to nowhere and then they flick over to the little gap where I can see a little bit of the beach. Then again the lonely bench on the left does give me the feeling that I am quietly sitting there taking in the ambience.

[IzzieK]

There is a bunny dust at the top left hand side of image #1. I like that scene. I do not know but not so much as #2. And the last one for the quarter in my opinion, need a square crop to concentrate on the bench framed between the trees. I am wondering too if you had waited for the jogger to sit down on the bench, but then, he's a jogger so he might not want to sit down and your wait would have been needless, fruitless, wasted or whatever term one can say there at the end. Nice job. I like the last one better if cropped my way... (It has to be my way even if it is YOUR project... ignore me. I am in the mood this morning.)

[Geoff F]

With the last image, Joe, I think you have two options. Get much closer and concentrate mainly on the bench, with some greenery in the background, or pull back to show the whole tree, with the bench being much less important; as you have nicely down with this shot.