2017 Project 52, First Quarter by Joe/ Joebranko

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Originally Posted by Geoff F

To be honest, Joe, I'm not keen on any of these.

#1 has the 'foreground' at the top of the scene which makes the image seem top heavy and the right side branches are soft. With a crop to remove those top branches, perhaps a square crop, I like composition

The second has better foreground but the start of the bridge is to close to the frame edge. More like #1 in this respect would work fine for me.

The last one just doesn't do it at all for me. The foreground is out of focus and the duck is facing the wrong way.

Foggy scenes are very tricky to get looking perfect so I always shoot many different angles and with various other tweaks because I know that I am going to instantly discard 90% of them.

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Thanks for your comments Geoff.
With regards #1, I liked the branches at the top as they emphasize how deep the fog is, so I kept them.
WRT #2: I agree that some pathway leading up to the bridge would have improved the composition. I will look back at the original to see if that is stil possible.
On #3 I wish I had brought some food with me to attract her to swim toward me, except that probably would have brought every seagull within a 100m radius swarming over us. 😁

What a good example of personal artistic preferences re: # 1 and the forground branches. Like Geoff, I notice that and wondered, then decided I liked them there. Goes to show we all have differing aesthetics!

I'm partial to number #2 - I life the way the bridge stands out from the fog. Even without any path in the foreground leading to the bridge I find the bridge for me makes enough of a statement and makes me wonder where the path behind it leads to.

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Originally Posted by Urbanflyer

What a good example of personal artistic preferences re: # 1 and the forground branches. Like Geoff, I notice that and wondered, then decided I liked them there. Goes to show we all have differing aesthetics!

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Thanks Judith. Much appreciated!

1. ISO 1oo, 55mm, f 16, 1/400". It was under exposed so I decided not to try to pull out what was in the shadow and just leave it as is.
http://i63.tinypic.com/16kotns.jpg


2. ISO 100, 250mm, f 14, 1/woo". The angle of the sun created the gold flecks in the ripples in the water.
http://i65.tinypic.com/35hls8i.jpg

Love the potential in your second shot! The golden ripples are enticing. From a composition standpoint there are two things I would suggest--1) generally have more space in front of a moving (swimming) object than behind and 2) be clear about what is the most important part of the image.

For this image, more room on the left would be helpful. This is mostly a matter of framing at the time of capture. However, through the magic of cloning you can actually add to the left side in post processing if desired. (or in photoshop using the spot healing brush tool).

That would also add more of the golden ripples, making that part of the image even more important. With a slightly tighter crop on the top you would have an image where the swans became part of the background and the golden ripples would be the more important part of the image.

Of course, composition is really so personal. But when you spoke of the golden flecks in the ripples I thought perhaps you had seen something like this
http://i64.tinypic.com/24ex855.jpg

Nice shots.

WOW; superb images of swans.....

Hi Joe :) I love the first swan image , just a bit more empty space in the FG would be better though. For the second image, I find your original composition better as there is enough empty space in the BG. Also the circle in the water in front of the swan has a better and noticeable shape in your original.

Two good images, real nice feather detail in #1. I agree with Binnur on the lack of FG in #1.

With #2, maybe just a slight crop? Somewhere half way between the original and Judith's version

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Originally Posted by Urbanflyer

Love the potential in your second shot! The golden ripples are enticing. From a composition standpoint there are two things I would suggest--1) generally have more space in front of a moving (swimming) object than behind and 2) be clear about what is the most important part of the image.
]

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. Thanks Judith.
My vision for this shot is of the swan eating what ever they could find in or on the water. The golden flecks are just an attractive foreground.

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Originally Posted by bnnrcn

Hi Joe :) I love the first swan image , just a bit more empty space in the FG would be better though. For the second image, I find your original composition better as there is enough empty space in the BG. Also the circle in the water in front of the swan has a better and noticeable shape in your original.

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I agree entirely Binnur. I was distracted by another Swan a second before taking this one. Then I realized she was going to go under the bridge on which I was standing. So I just had time to swing the camera over, expose and hope for the best.

Thanks Nandakumar!

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Originally Posted by Shadowman

Nice shots.

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Thanks John.

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Originally Posted by Craigie

Two good images, real nice feather detail in #1. I agree with Binnur on the lack of FG in #1.

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Me also.🙂

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Originally Posted by Craigie

Two good images, real nice feather detail in #1. I agree with Binnur on the lack of FG in #1.

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Thanks Gary.

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Originally Posted by Geoff F

With #2, maybe just a slight crop? Somewhere half way between the original and Judith's version

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Thanks for the suggestion Geoff.

Visited the dog-park at noon today. The view from there was quite nice, looking down from our slight elevation allowing a view of Burlington , on the left, the Skyway Bridge across the bay of Hamilton Harbour in the center and the industrial sector of Hamilton on the right.


http://i65.tinypic.com/10duxau.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/244xqj9.jpg

http://i64.tinypic.com/33o2sn5.jpg

and our favourite dog, our Chocolate Lab.

http://i63.tinypic.com/1pjlmr.jpg

The swans are great captures in what looks like difficult lighting conditions. I like the composition of the second one the best out of the three above. It seems very well balanced to me - the line of the bridge leads into the main subject with the buildings above and threes to the left giving some nice structure :)