Robin facing a chilly morning:

SMCPA 80-200@200mm, f/6.7, 1/90sec, ISO400

View from a sandstone cliff over the Des Moines River:

SMCPFA 50/1.4, f/16, 1/45sec, ISO400

Fallen tree at Lost Lake:

Kit lens @23mm, f/11, 1/10sec, ISO400

Would anyone care to offer an opinion on the composition of the last shot? It's about the tree, and I lined it up thinking of the rule of thirds. But the symmetry with the water troubles me a bit, because I don't think I mean the two to be in opposition, and they take up roughly equal parts of the frame. Would a crop that slightly centers the tree and loses part of the lake help?

(all images are click-to-enlarge)

[Tom Lusk]

I like the composition of the last shot

BUT

because of the lack of detail in the tree my eyes are drawn to the bright (water) area of the photo.

Can you recover some of the detail in the tree base using shadow/highlight tool or adjusting levels? (or equivalent in whatever software you use for PP?) Usually the underside of stumps are full of texture and are quite photogenic!

[Sluggo]

...because of the lack of detail in the tree my eyes are drawn to the bright (water) area of the photo.

Can you recover some of the detail in the tree base using shadow/highlight tool or adjusting levels? (or equivalent in whatever software you use for PP?)...

Tom, thanks, I see your point. Wish I'd bracketed exposure when shooting this one, but at least it was shot RAW, so maybe the detail under the stump is still there to be extracted and isn't all in a few levels of near-black. I'll see what I can come up with.

[Sluggo]

Hmm... first stab: