Shot I took in a local park using the Cokin Sunsoft filter

Thanks!

justin, not bad! i might categorize this photo as landscape, so if you are like me this park must have surely ignited some kind of emotion in you, much like parks in my hometown which i find especially invigorating and rejuvenating in my life. If this park were alive, I.e. if you could personify it, what would it say to you, what kind of emotion has it made you feel as you've strolled through it? How might you convey those ideas in a single image? Also, what does the above image say...speak of? Is it a joyous, maybe triumphantly nostalgic picture? Those are the first words that came to my mind when looking at it, and in my opinion it speaks of victory over the destuction of similar parks. My only suggestion to you is, how... through your images that you create, can you make this park speak to other people the same way it speaks to you? After you decide this for yourself, then proceed with the academics of your photography.

I think in an image like this, with no single strong subject, the attraction has to be in the detail. Unfortunately the overall appearance is of soft focus (is this the original pic or the scan?), so we don't get the detail.

Also the path doesn't stand out from the grass. I think a shot later in the day, when shadows are stronger, might have accentuated the border of the path.

With this type of shot, consider finding a focal point to hang the shot round - it could be a person, or an odd shaped rock or tree. Just something to draw the eye.

Finally, don't be put off by this largely negative critique. I can see something in your picture and I like it. You could just get more out of the scene by applying some technique. Good luck with your shooting.

Justin, the diffusion adds a feel of a dreamscape for me, but the addition of a figure in the upper right third of the image, on the path, would make it more successful for me personally. Then the image would become more "storytelling" and mysterious.

Hi, Justin. All the comments/advice you've received so far are good points. My advice is "Keep Shooting". Photography, art, etc., are very personal. There had to be something that moved you, something you saw, that made you want to take this picture. Use your camera (as an artist uses a canvas and colors) to convey the feeling you had when you decided to take the picture. IMHO, successful photography is having/developing the ability to do this. This particular image almost begs for the presence of something or someone to focus the viewers' attention. You're on your way. Another IMHO... Filters, etc., are like make-up. If they're used well, you don't know they're there unless you want it to be known.