Drift

I am a beginner and just wanted to know what I could have done to

improve this shot or if it is a good picture.

Welcome to PN Shakeera!

Please take my thoughts as humble discussion between friends, as I mean no harm, and merely offer my thoughts!

The first thing with this image, is to isolate what exactly you find interesting. I like the central area, and would have concentrated on this before making my photograph. The splash area right by the wave is my favourite area here, and I would have tried to remove anything else which I felt had no interest. This is called 'Framing' or 'Composition', and whilst it can be done with software on a computer, it's worthwhile trying to do in-situ, before taking the shot.

Next to think about is Exposure, which is basically trying to capture the detail in dark areas, and in the lighter (almost white) areas. This can be tricky to master, and if you're using the camera to choose the exposure, may not be correctly achoeved. In the image above, the detail is not apparent in the shadow area, and the highlights are too white. Much more advice can be offered here at PN, and it can take time to learn well - don't be disheartened, I mention merely as things you may wish to learn!

Finally, colour is not very saturated - it looks a bit 'washed'. This is partly due to exposure, and can be exaggerated in software.

I've redone your image, with the things above in mind, and hope you're not offended by it!

As far as your image, it's great that you spotted the opportunity to shoot it, and bothered to post it here for comment - this shows that you're interested to learn, and aslo, and more importantly, you're watching for things around you which you enjoy, and wish to record. Arguably, this is more important in the beginning than technical ability - one is in-built, the other you can pick-up!

(My Daughter's thoughts - Perhaps you could make the exposure lighter  to add detail in the shadows - however, I really enjoy the markings in the left section, which my Dad has cropped out, and I like the way you've captured the detail there!)

Please, feel free to offer your thoughts back to me,

Very best regards,

Shaun

I would like to thank you both for your feedback and I am not offended by it at all as I am learning and taking in all of the information you are giving me. I like what you have done with the picture because I myself am just learning how to use Photoshop. This gave me a lot of ideas for how I should go about editing my next photos and also how I should photograph other items. Again I want to thank you both so much for your feedback.

I think Shaun gave you some very good advice, and it's nice to see it applied to your actual photo.

I think some of the best photography comes from a photographer who was emotionally moved by what was seen by his/her eyes, and the goal became one of capturing the essence of that view.  That kind of photography comes from deep within.  One of the best discussions I've read on this is the book by John Daido Loori (a photographer) titled "The Zen of Creativity - Cultivating Your Artistic Life."

I think photographers are among the most fortunate people.  In my mind (and in my experience), photography enhances the experience of being in a place.  I look at scenes more intensely, and I appreciate them to a greater extent when I have a camera.  The photograph is not the primary end; having the experience is my main goal.  For many, I think this enhances their photography.

So my advice, meant to be complimentary to that provided by Shaun, is to find what strikes you emotionally, think about what it is that makes that scene so special to you, and then attempt to capture those elements with your camera.  It's challenging, and it can add so much to the experience of being there.