Landscape

[Howard Smith]

I looked at the photo, and I responded to your post.  I've learned there is little satisfaction in offering a critique.  If you gush, you may get a thank you.  If you don't, well, ... .  So I just offered to not expect much.  The real interests seem to lie in equipment.  Probably get more response if you asked "What do you think of my new Sony?"

[Richard Grupe]

I
The real interests seem to lie in equipment.  Probably get more response if you asked "What do you think of my new Sony?"

Equipment, while essential, does not make a photographer.
Naturally, better tools can enhance one's skills. Bragging rights are shallow and only serve to absolve the egoist's lack of true worth.

If one is truely a lover of the craft and is joyous over the acquisition of a new tool of the trade, then, I will be only to happy to discuss his joy.

[jeffreybehr]

Ahh, you DIDN'T want honest opinions, huh?  Mine wasn't kind or unkind, it was informed, honest, short, and to the point.

That's why I ASKED if you wanted honest feedback, Richard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You can't have it both ways.  If you don't want our opinions, don't ask for them.

As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

[d2frette]

Opinions are always welcome.

Constuctive advice is even better.

Richard -
Opinion - It's too soft for my liking.  But Opinions are cheap these days!
Advice - It seems to have a blue tint to it, at least on my uncalibrated monitor. If you feel it does too, and you have an editing program like Photoshop or Elements, then play around with the Levels or Curves on the blue channel.  

- Dave

[b.e.wilson]

Now that you have an idea what you are after, why not go back on a day with clouds and light that brings out your idea, find a good position that eliminates anything you now think is distracting, and reshoot it?  This image isn't particularly special, clearly being shot when you didn't have an end in mind. This is what most of us do, go someplace, shoot some quick shots, then go back again and again until we get what we want. Sometimes we get a good shot in the first visit, but the better ones typically follow.

Then find a critique website you like and post it there. This forum is more about equipment than critique. Some suggestions: naturephotographers.net, www.photosig.com, photocritique.net, usefilm.com.

[Jo Irps]

.... and shoot wide angle, crop top and bottom. Landscapes just screem for panoramic views! Your scrapbook version looks croped left and right.

[Richard Grupe]

The Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, along Rt. 127 south of Crossville.

http://rickay.smugmug.com/photos/3345784-L.jpg

Sony 828, iso64, f/4.5, A priority.

[Richard Grupe]

Don't be surprised if you no responses about your photo.  Critiques don't seem to be the "thing" for this site.

Good luck.

Kind of a quirky layout for a talk forum.

Very little surprises me.

You might have made a comment on my photo since you took the time to respond anyway.

[jeffreybehr]

The Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, along Rt. 127 south of Crossville.

http://rickay.smugmug.com/photos/3345784-L.jpg

Sony 828, iso64, f/4.5, A priority.

Richard, do you WANT honest, thoughtful opinions?  If so, say so.  FWIW, I'm ready if you want them.

[Richard Grupe]

Richard, do you WANT honest, thoughtful opinions?  If so, say so.  FWIW, I'm ready if you want them.

Opinions are always welcome.

Constuctive advice is even better.

[jeffreybehr]

OK.  My standard (and assumption) is that you want to create striking, gorgeous landscapes pics.  If that's NOT your goal, let us know.  And posts asking for comments on a website with dozens of pics generally are ignored.  Who's got hours for that?  (And I tend to be short and to the point; these comments are directed at your pic, not YOU.)

Generally, your pic is dull.  The light is uninteresting and so is the subject.  Speaking of subject, what IS the subject?

[Richard Grupe]

Generally, your pic is dull.  The light is uninteresting and so is the subject.  Speaking of subject, what IS the subject?

Thanks for taking the time to render an opinion.

This has been an invaluable enlightenment.

[Richard Grupe]

....

It's not a bad picture, it's just nothing special.  Perhaps it's a picture to be proud of at this state in your 'career'.  But I'll bet you do better as you continue to shoot.

Thanks for a reasonable reply.

Since this was my first post on this forum, I thought of "freshman hazing" as the possible reason for the less than kind responses.

As for the photo; this was my first real outing since the winter here in northern Illinois, and I'm still learning the 828. What I liked about this shot was the softness of the color on the hillside due to the budding out of the vegetation. An almost painted effect. (not processed in)

[Howard Smith]

Yes.  The sky tells me it is a hillside, yet there isn't so much that I look for it.  The clouds fill up the otherwisw plain area, and texture without dstraction.  The lack of foreground makes me look at the hillside, not try to ind something important in the field, including the trees.  I like it better.

[Howard Smith]

You are trying to get the hill side.  Then the sky isn't all that important, yet takes up a lot of the frame.  Same for the large green foreground.

The trees in the foreground get lost in the hills, diminishing both their value and the hills'.

I live in the Ozarks.  The hills are looking similar here.  I love the way they look and am finding it difficult to capture that softness of spring on film.  The green "haze" of new leaves, white dogwoods and purple whatevers.

[d2frette]

Question for you.  Shadows are sometimes blue because they are lit by blue light from the sky.

Would I use curves (and how) to solve this, or the Color Correction option with the "shadow" selected?

[Richard Grupe]

For better or worse here's the version that goes into the scrapebook:

http://rickay.smugmug.com/photos/3363335-L.jpg

Thanks to all.

[Howard Smith]

Exactly.  This site is more about cameras than photography.

[Richard Grupe]

Now that you have an idea what you are after, why not go back on a day with clouds and light that brings out your idea, find a good position that eliminates anything you now think is distracting, and reshoot it?  

That is exactly what I'd do if it wasn't a 700 mile drive!

Thanks for the links; I'll be exploring these sites in the near future.

[Howard Smith]

This is an example of what I call a "drive by shooting."  I do it frequently.  I go on a trip and take several photographs on the run.  I don't really have the time and resources at hand to "design" the image.  I get home, and try to make it lok what I had in mind.  Sometimes it works, often it doesn't.  I keep a print and try to rehoot it if possibe.  If the origianl is a long way away, or a moment in time, I usually can't.  Frequently I can reshoot.  So I design what I want and go back.  The second (or third or fourth) time may be the charm.  I am simply not intuitive enough yet to get consistantly good images without a plan.