Croton Dam

im sure it shows, but i am a total rookie with a camera. any input

would really help...besides "you stink", of course ;)

Hi Tom

I'd not worry too much about being a rookie - there's a lot to be said with coming to photography with a fresh 'unschooled' approach, OK? Without knowing what your aim with this shot was it's a little hard to give any steers. However, if I start with how the picture feels to me and give you a few thoughts that might help. Remember though, as with all such sites, what you'll mostly get is opinion - it's up to you whether you take it on board or not. Ok, shots like this give the eye lots of easy ways to test horizontals and verticals - a bit like a crooked picture on a wall - dead easy to see. So anytime I'm tackling a strong geometrical shape like this I either skew the whole thing deliberately (end of problem) to introduce some tension, or if it's going to be 'square on' like this one - I make sure my lines are straight. Here you've got a tendency for the horizontals to converge towards the left (look at the slight downward slope of the roofline and incline upward in the kerb) like the crooked picture on a wall it's a distraction. That's one I always try and watch out for. The other thing I'd say is that the stark feeling of this 'block' contrasts with the soft sky details and the fuzzy horizon caused by the trees; I'd have posssibly crouched a little here to shift the far horizon down a bit and make the block look even more dominating - again, it all depends on what you want to do with it. Best advice I can truely give is keep hitting that shutter - photograph anything that moves, and if it doesn't move - roll it down a hill! Have fun and welcome to one of the finest hobbies going.