[normhead]

I don't usually post here, but this one really has me stumped. Any suggestions?

[kenafein]

I think it looks pretty coolbfor a quick snap. Are you saying there is something wrong? Maybe try at f8 for a landscape.

[normhead]

Damn, I was in auto exposure, you're right, or at least F 5.6. The image before has a bit of sun so I decided to use that one, although it does lose a bit of colour in the sky... hmmm, I'm putting this down for a while, here is my current version. It's a little dark, but when I lighten it it tends to look washed out. Sometimes you just have to walk away and come back later.

[normhead]

OK, the final version for today anyway... next I might try a print.

[pop4]

My critique:

1st version: the halos above the trees in the middle are really distracting and unnatural
2nd version: fixes the halos in the middle, but now there's haloing of the trees to the right
3rd version: best of the bunch

Overall, I'm not that much of a fan of the photo; you got that clump of trees smack bang in the middle that captures the viewer's attention and acts as the main subject of the photo (although with the photo title, suggests otherwise), and my eyes keep going back to those trees, and, hate to say it, but they're just a boring clump of trees, nothing interesting about it. The canoe doesn't "pop", and parts of the sky have been overexposed.

just my 2c

[normhead]

Thanks pop4, great critique.. I've been wrestling with photo for a while now without being able to put my finger on why... your insight provides me with a bit of direction...things to think about next time I'm behind the camera...

[bezuidar]

Nice ones!

[Schraubstock]

Hi Norm

Not sure what you are after but the ori pic looks pretty good. From here on in it is only personal preferences.

Having said this, I fiddled around with it as far as JPG would allow me. The only thing I would like to see is a little less washed out brightness in the cloud centere, in your last tweak it is still a bit much I think. I have reduced this a bit so it doesn't hit your eyes so much. Also I took a wee bit of the oversaturated yellow out which allows a bit of detail to come back and offers the eye a smoother coluor gradation. And since you don't quite like the flatness of your shot (I must agree) I have cranked up the texture of the beach in the foreground a bit also, which as a result pulled along the rest of the trees as well. The changes are pretty subtle, tell me what you think. But really, the whole thing is neither here nor there. (Good or bad, I can take it) Otherwise, nice shot, what are you complaining about.

Greetings

[normhead]

Just in case anyone is wondering, Tessfully took an image at about the same time, but she changed the position of the canoe, and we decided on using that one. Thanks for the input...