I got a chance to get out and shoot again. Tried to use advice from you awesome people. Have I improved? Hoping for a 2 rather than a snapshot.
I got a chance to get out and shoot again. Tried to use advice from you awesome people. Have I improved? Hoping for a 2 rather than a snapshot.
i believe you are just getting overwhelmed with the entire scene and want to pack in as much as you can ...you don't have to. find a section or a piece of the puzzle the you love and concentrate on that. play with exposure times and setting take 30 shots at different setups thats the only way to figure out what you like. if you got down to the bank just above that center island and id a long exposure on that cascading waterfall you could probably get a 3 star maybe a 4. keep up the hard work!
A few other shots. It’s hard to learn on vacation with the fam. Also, it’s a state park and I was shooting from the deck. I am looking towards the day when the shoot is the reason I’m there and I can take my time. I did try slower shutter speeds and an object in the foreground. I have the pieces, but I guess I need to fit them together to create the puzzle. I so appreciate all the input!
the tighter shots are nicer and i totally get the family aspect i have 4 children myself. i usually get up early like 430 5 and get out for sunrise for a vacation shoot and the light and dramatic effect is way better.
I'll even bet that these tighter shots are what you actually "saw" in you mind's eye. Even though our eyes see a full 180+ degrees, we're really only focusing on a much tighter image.
I like these much better than the original. You need to watch the edges of your frame for distracting features and check your horizon for level (the river shots look askew). But I like the general compositions. Nice use of shutter speed for catching some motion in the water. If you don't already have a polarizer I'd make that a next purchase. It will help with water glare and can also take away about a stop of light allowing an even slower shutter when light is already low.
Re shooting on vacation w family, you got it right, its surprisingly hard to take the time and concentrate on shots even when no one is bugging you! Use that time to experiment and don't put too much pressure on yourself. Find other times when you can get away by yourself to really slow down and focus on a composition. I do it on my way to work occasionally (in fact just this morning). Even just 30 minutes of walking around a spot you already know a bit and looking for shots alone can be very rewarding.
I definitely know the frustration of shooting a beautiful landscape with the family in tow. They're ready to move on but you need to sit for just another hour until that golden sunset perfectly lights the falls. lol!
It has a nice leading line with the river, but then it doesn't really lead to anything. I agree with Joseph, maybe try to focus on a smaller portion of the scene. Find something nice in the foreground (eg. a nice piece of driftwood or set of rocks), that leads the viewers eye to a flowing cascade in the background for example.
Thanks so much for your input! I am learning all the pieces and now have to put them all together.
You've already gotten some comments but I thought I'd continue some thoughts. Your composition originally is okay. Not that you could magically raise into the air unless you had a drone, this exact shot from a higher perspective might look nice. As others have said, we don't really have a focus, which sometimes is okay. Sometimes you're just shooting a scene because it's about the entire scene and not a singular subject.
With that said, you could probably take this exact shot with better lighting, say sunrise/sunset and it completely changes. Personally I like your original post more than the other shots. Where is this? Have you looked up other peoples shots of the location, that's always a huge help when I'm learning.
Thanks for your input! The photos were taken at the Lower Taquamanan Falls in Michigan’s Upper Penninsula. It was quite far away, and I had to use my telephoto lens to get it. You can get to closer positions, but we had my inlaws with us, who use a wheelchair and walker, so I was extremely limited in what I could do. The trip was for them, so I was just happy to get what I could get. It’s interesting getting varied opinions. I really want to learn, and love all the input, but ultimately I just shoot for myself. :)
Oh, and great idea to look up other shots!
I've been on plenty of trips where the priority is family and not photos. Honestly I think you can take a bunch of pointers from people here but your absolute biggest improvement would simply be going somewhere to shoot a photo. We can sit here all day with suggestions to improve but the absolute best way would be to go somewhere and shoot something for you without the restrictions of anyone else.
I definitely plan to, even if it’s just a walk around my neighborhood. Unfortunately, there are no nearby mountains or waterfalls, but that’s where the creativity comes in, right? I mean, it’s better than how I started, which is photgraphing my own foot and using a Mrs. Butterworth bottle as a model because my family wouldn’t cooperate. 😂😂😂
Considering I live in Florida, I have faith that you can find something beautiful to shoot! Haha :)
But you have 🌴!
This shot has potencial. Here's what bothers me:
1. Not focused anywhere. It could use a wider depth of field.
2. Looks to me a bit handheld or shaken maybe?
3. The out of focus branch in the left top corner.
What I like:
1. The vertical frame in your comment.
2. Leading lines.
Maybe a longer exposure would improve the picture?
All in all, a few technical details and this will be great imo. :)
Wow, did not even notice that out of focus branch. This is why I need help. :) My eye is not quite developed yet. I’m going to go through all these comments and take notes. I especially like seeing comments on what I did both right and wrong. Very helpful and can’t wait to get out and try again with all this great advice. So glad I joined this group. Everyone has been super supportive.
My pleasure. I wish I could apply the same when judging my own photos. :D
You're making progress Diane Marie.
Your composition did indeed get better. By choosing the scene and placing the meandering river in the frame you do manage to draw the eye. You're learning and the thought, you've put into photo shows.
I agree with Alex Armitage that there is potential in changing the vantage point. Additionally, there's the possibility to just tilt the camera down a little bit to include more foreground and less background. That way you could place the little waterfall on the upper left hand focal point as per the rule of thirds.
Another way would be to use a wider angle lens or less zoom if you can. This way you could add more to the background.
Can you also please tell us a bit about your intentions for the image though: Was the inclusion of the swimmers on the right intentional and were they indeed the subject of your photo? To me it feels as though pointing out the swimmers in the river is your story for the image. Or was it supposed to be a study of using the scenery to guide the eye through it?
No, the swimmers just happened to be there. I couldn’t even see them before I zoomed in. LOL The idea was just to shoot using the river to lead to the falls. I was mostly wanting to experiment with longer exposure to smooth the water. I did use a tripod, but I was on a wooden deck and a kid was near me jumping all around. I was actually pretty happy with the result considering the not so perfect conditions. :) I am always wanting to get better, though and not excuse shoddy work just because the situation isn’t perfect. Actually, I kind of enjoy the challenge. :)
Hi Dianne. All these comments are probably helpful and what you are looking for. I am reminded however when I had a similar shot being judged in a camera club competition. The judge said there was no point of interest.My point was that I took the shot because the overall scene ministered to my soul. I didn't care about his comment.Sometimes you just have a scene in front of you that is breathtaking and you want to remember it and let the enjoyment linger after you go home.It didn't worry me what rating it got.
Very good point! Thank you! :)
Notwithsatnding what I have said Diane I still give thought to composition both when taking the shot and afterwards whether I can crop to get a good perspective.The wonderful thing about the digital age is that we can experiment to our heart's content.Keep up the good work.
It is wonderful. Wish It had been around when I was young! I remember buying film, having it developed, and being lucky to get a few good photos for my $12 or whatever. That was three hours pay!
It's fun to play on vacation, even if you're in a hurry. When it's cold outside, and too wet to play, you can stay in the house on that cold, cold, wet day...and play with your pictures.
It is a pretty wide scene. But, it gives you the chance to look at it, find a focus, decide what you might do next time. I learn a lot "fixing" my images on the computer. I might not like how they come out. But, I learn what I like for next time.
I liked your picture. And, it is a cold, wet day here. So, I played with the crop, going with a classic pano. I put the waterfall at the left upper third point. I put the swimmers dead horizontal in the middle of the right third. Then I adjusted the lighting a bit in both tones and white balance, brought a little bit of vignette in from the upper R and lower L corners to accent the S-shape of the water, and softened the lower border just a bit to take the hard focus out of it.
Thanks for letting me play.
Nice! I LOVE editing and playing. I could spend hours. (I do, actually. LOL) I love seeing others’ takes. Fresh eyes as they say. I like to take photos,and I like to edit, my family does not, and they just don’t get it. :)
You've created a great big scene here... Something I could imagine seeing on REI's website.
Personally, I think this could be a great portrait shot with the winding river leading the eyes up to the falls, a lot like your shot below. Just get to a lower angle and enjoy that gorgeous photo!
If you decided to stay with landscape, which is still a great shot here, try to find your way down to the river area that I circled in red with your eye following the arrow. This will give you a much closer (more detailed) view of the river and falls, plus at the lower angle the falls will look much larger. To push it even farther, take a knee to get even lower and really bring out the river rocks in the foreground.
Definitely not a snapshot! lol! (If you were referring to the landscape contest last week, don't take that personally... Those voters were VICIOUS. The winning photo didn't even make it to 4 stars.)