Dingle Bay

[Eavesdropper]

Hello. I just started here and would appreciate frank C&C on my work, initially of this shot of the incoming tide at Dingle Bay. I took about 20 different shots of this scene. I only recently completed a photography course and am still very much a learner. I don't have any Adobe software (Elements ordered), just what came with the camera. I'd appreciate comments on composition, exposure, anything else. Just noticed I shot at f25 which probably means I lost some definition. This one made a few pounds at a charity exhibition put on by the class.
Thanks for looking.

[Donald]

This one made a few pounds at a charity exhibition put on by the class.

I'm not surprised.

I think the basic composition is good.

Don't know what software you have at the moment, but once you do get Elements then you'll be able to explore various post-processing options. Things like getting more detail/texture out of the sky and the foreground rocks (are those mussels on that one at the front?) - if you think that's a good idea - can come along at a later stage in your development. I'd also probably want to clone out those two little bits (seaweed?) on the sand down at the bottom.

Returning to the subject of composition, two questions to ask yourself before you press the shutter are - 1) Do I have everything in the frame that I want in the final image and, 2) Is there anything in the frame that shouldn't be there. An extension of that is, when you're composing the shot, is to tell yourself what the final image is going to look like. From a compositional point of view that includes asking what the final image ratio is going to be; i.e. Am I going to be cropping this photograph to get to the end result?

The reason I say this is that in setting this one up, you had those rocks at the left in the frame. But, do they need to be in the final image? Get a bit of paper/card and cover up those rocks on the right hand side. You now have something like a 5:4 (10:8) ratio image. Do you think it works better with those rocks in as part of the image, or with them out?

[Andrew1]

Welcome. You will find many people here at all stages of knowledge willing to help with the technical to the creative. I too started with Elements but after getting to know a fair bit about it now spend at least 90% of the editing time in ViewNX 2. Your profile indicates you have ViewNX. If not the version 2 then dial into Nikon and download the upgrade. It pretty much does most of what I need and rarely do I get into Elements anymore. Also check out Elements+, a 3rd party S/W, for unlocking some additional capabilities. As I'm sure you know, Elements and ViewNX2 apply raw adjustments globally so I've just installed Lightroom to get the added versatility of the gradients and brushes. Like the rest of us, you will be learning forever. There's always some new piece of gear or process being tried out. Again, welcome Michael.

[Eavesdropper]

Donald,
You did not hold back. Thank you for that. I did notice the couple of pieces of seaweed at the front but have not been successful in removing them with Picasa. As for cropping, I have to say that I have tended to, wrongly, mostly restrict myself to the same ratio as the original image. On this occasion it was because I had ordered a number of 18 x 12 mounts for the exhibition. On reflection I did constrain myself. And I did notice the sky was pretty featureless. I didn't understand the comment "(are those mussels on that one at the front?)". But you have already made me sit up and think. Thanks for the challenge!

[Mike Buckley]

Welcome, Michael!

Now that you have posted the image, I wonder if you are aware that you can click on it to review the larger size that you posted. Better yet, if you click and hold that larger size, you can move it around, such as moving the right side of the frame past the right side of the monitor to simulate cropping it. You might want to consider doing that with a lot of images that others have posted here, as doing so will help you develop a sense of framing style and a sense of what you think is and isn't important content in your images.

[Eavesdropper]

Thanks Mike. I actually discovered that tonight about shifting the image round but didn't think to apply your suggestion. Any other comments on my image gratefully accepted.

[dje]

Michael welcome. Nice work to start off with.

As you say, it probably would have been better to use a larger aperture than f/25 however unless you had an ND filter, you would have ended up with a faster shutter speed and less blurring of the water. When you get your pp software going, you might consider adding a bit extra sharpening to the image as well as a bit more colour saturation.

Happy shooting
Dave

PS It's a beautiful area around Dingle isn't it !

[Eavesdropper]

Thanks, Dave. I had a cheap ND filter from 7 day shop. Described as ND4 I think. Didn't stop down far enough. I have a lot to learn about sharpening and saturation and all the rest. I'll file that away in the brainbox. Thanks again.

[Magog]

Michael,
as you kindly commented on a couple of my photos a few days ago, let me return the favour!
Having tried to take some seascapes recently, they are a bit tricky. I like the sense of flowing movement that the longer exposure gives - the wave movement in your shot draws the eye in nicely. I echo Donald's point about cropping; however, just to show how personal composition is, for me it's the rocks on the right that are a distraction - those on the left channel my eye across the water to the headland/island.
My first attempt at offering feedback, so I hope it is OK.

John

[kdoc856]

Michael,

I add my warmest welcome to the others you have received. I spent a couple of wonderful days on the Dingle Peninsula a couple of years ago, and I just love the place (the entire country to be exact). I whole-heartedly endorse your choice of PSE for an editing software, but it has a steep learning curve that is not fast. For an immediate and very excellent impact, I encourage you to also purchase and start using Lightroom 4. It's ridculously easy to use out of the box. I do about 90% of my editing in LR4, and about 10% in PSE for pixel work. Both Adobe products, they work seamlessly together, as also with the Nik product line. Looks like you're off to a great start. The best is yet to come. Also congrats on discovering CiC so early in your career. My photography didnt really start forward till I joined here.

Kevin