How would improve this shot?

[JBW]

[Shadowman]

Hi Brian,

It helps to highlight or edit to direct the viewers attention to your subject, your composition has objects (the wood) that is aligned horizontally/vertically with the frame and this creates a less than dynamic shot, additionally the greenery flows in the same direction.

[Round Tuit]

Hi Brian,
What did you see that made you want to take this picture?
What is it that you don't like about it?
Your answer to those two questions will tell you in which direction to go with the shot.

[tbob]

My interest is drawn to the right side post; tones and textures. The remainder is extraneous and distracting, not least due to bright areas on the leaves that draw my attention with no reward. I would crop down to that, too bad the one cactus (?) stem is just a hair out of focus as it needs to be in focus or gone.

[DanK]

In your view, what's the subject or primary focus of the image? If it is the horizontal juxtaposition of bamboo and foliage (I'm just guessing that it is), then the brightly illuminated, almost in focus verticals are a real distraction.

[rpcrowe]

Brian, I don't know what you were intending but, this is the way I would work with this image...

[xpatUSA]

Not being a mind-reader, I'd guess at the greenery as the main subject with the woodwork secondary.

If so, one might shoot at max aperture of the Tamron (2.8?) and get the plane of critically-sharp focus on those tendrils. Might move that vertical piece of bamboo to the right, half out of the picture, serving as an edge from which the greenery springs, art-nouveau style. Not a great fan of messing with color but, in this case, upping the global saturation would increase the separation of the greenery from the woodwork.

[Geoff F]

Much of my initial thoughts have already been mentioned, Brian. At the moment there are too many conflicting points of interest without any one being dominant.

I would lose the right side post; chiefly because there is too much out of focus greenery just behind it and, for me, the post doesn't make a worthwhile subject on its own. Then I would lose a little from the bottom and maybe some from the top. That would concentrate on the best focus areas, but that lone straggly well out of focus little shoot in the background also needs cloning away.

[JBW]

Much thanks to one and all. If the rain holds off I'll be out again today trying to apply your critiques.