Fall Begins - Best Viewed Large

I was taking a walk with my family today on this perfect autumn day

and came up on this old stone bridge. It was a good time.

Very nice, dreamy. The bottom part of the frame is a little cluttered however. I would have tried to go in a little closer and get a simpler composition.

Thanks for your comments. I debated the top of the bridge and decided to bring it up because the sky was rather dull compared to the subject.

 

I agree there is a bit too much in the foreground. However steping up was a bit too risky.

I like how the colors in the bridge are the same as the colors in the water and in the vegetation. If this was not the case, I don't think this image would have been as pleasing.

i didn't rate this picture terribly low, but you asked for a comment (which is fair). i think that the picture is too messy, no strong lead-ins, nothing eye-catching in the foreground. it's a bit too soft for me. i don't really know where to focus when i watch it.

I'm posting a seven where I might post a five or six. Why? To counter posters such as Fredrik Olsson's score, who thinks mean spirited behavior is acceptable. I give this image a resounding seven on both accounts. Between Olsson's inappropriate score of three and my inappropriate score of seven we have a less then appropriate five. People should be more considerated before they post their scores.

 

Hi Matthew:

 

The color play here isn't going to work for everyone. But it works for me by intensifying the already painterly mood of this scene. Hope you're working on some images for us! --jim

It appears to me that you've uses a variant of the gaussian blur overlay technique and some form of layered colour / saturation smudging. This type of manipulation can be appealing, but here I find it too heavy handed. Also, I find this type of manipulation works best when applied with subtlety to a strong composition. In this case your original composition is weak, and the manipulation is unable to rescue it.

 

Your best course of action is to work on the basics first. When you master those, it is time to consider post production techniques.

 

Good luck.