Hi friends,
I've been wandering around Colorado's state parks trying to improve my sunset/rise photography. I consider this my best work, any pointers for improvement would be very much appreciated.
Hi friends,
I've been wandering around Colorado's state parks trying to improve my sunset/rise photography. I consider this my best work, any pointers for improvement would be very much appreciated.
I think the biggest thing you could work on is composition and subjects. The photos seem to be in a nice location, but a nice location doesn't always look as good in a photo as it does when you're there looking at it in real life.
It's a good idea to think to yourself what the subject is and where you want the eyes to go. On top of that keeping a good balance is very important. Finally, you need to wait for the light to be right, your last image has some nice layers going on (foreground, mountains, and then clouds in the sky), but the light isn't great, which cause it to be pure white.
So it's important to think of these three things
1) Subject
2) Composition
3) Light
Also, if you have one, trying to use a longer lens or a longer focal length can help pick out details in a composition. I recommend looking into Thomas Heaton, he's a master of simplifying landscapes with a long lens.
I know none of this is groundbreaking information, but I hope it helps
I've just come back from a 3 week trip in Colorado/Wyoming. The one thing you don't seem to capture is the grandeur of the mountains of Colorado. On your pictures it feels like lower mountains, like the Smokies or something. Most people would also find the colors too subtle, 3 of these are golden hour photos, not sunset/sunrise photos, the other 2 lack color. You seem to favor the sky, but you don't have that much of a great sky to be honest. When you have that type of sky, you need a better foreground/middle ground in the mountains, something striking. Maybe a lake, some cliffs, something. You can't just wander around and hope for a nice shot. Scout the location during the day, calculate where the sun is gonna be, choose your composition, and come back at sunrise or sunset. Then all that's needed is some luck for some nice weather. Also I don't know if you're bracketting your exposures, but a lot of stuff seems underexposed or to lack some pop. I don't mind soft images, but then you need some great light. The best inspiration you can have for Colorado is Glenn Randall http://www.glennrandall.com/ . Read his book on landscape photography, he barely uses photoshop, which should match your style, it's all about the right composition at the right time. He puts great effort into revisiting location or finding a location that will match his vision. I love his work. Most landscape photographers on fstoppers overuse post processing, it's insane, and the last critique showed that big time. At least you don't have that default.
Thank you both for your time and feedback. I very much appreciate the pointers, and I will make a point to look into both Thomas Heaton and Glenn Randal. I have a trip to Australia and New Zealand coming up so I should have plenty of opportunity to work on my composition in an unfamiliar environment. Again, thank you for lending me your critical eye.