Softly

NO BARRIERS

I have posted this image in order to get an idea of preferences and

thoughts relating to the subject of "foreground barriers" The subject

come up when I asked for a critique of a previous posting "Veils of

Derwent" and the feedback was tremendous. This particular image has

no foreground barriers. Your thoughts and comments are always

appreciated. Thank You.

The elements of the composition are mostly airy, unreal looking (can't find the right words) and it makes the picture look somehow abstract, the colors are also unusual for a landscape and unreal, again abstract looking! The overall impression is just fantastic in the literate meaning of the word!

Best regards Alf!

PDE

The colors and tones are very attractive. I would not want to see any foreground objects that block the view of the lake. Composition is effective as it stands.

Sandeep

I totally agree that there is no need for foreground. The foreground objective is to give a 3 dimensional perspective in a 2 dimensional medium. I think that the depth and "3 D" effect is still achieved here when your eyes move from mid left to mid right - it starts with large objects and gradually diminishes in size as you get to the right side. And how do i feel about the image? Well it is very good giving me a feeling of wanting to be there to experience a sense of calm, beauty and tranquility. I could imagine gentle sounds of water movement on the shore or the occasional plaintiff bird song looking for a soul mate.

I have to be honest with you and even though we have other critiques indicating their like for the colors, the overall mauve (blue/red) is not want I would want for this scene even though this is probably what the scene looked like. My personal preference is for a more dominant powder blue color scheme and that I know is distorting reality. This is a very good image and  remember that this is a personal preference.

All the best and keep up the good work.

Hello Alf,

Very nice picture.

The depth in this picture is achieved by the lines of the reflection and montains leading to the smallest mountain on the left of the picture.  There is for me no need of a foreground here.  I like the soft tones and colors, in the composition the islands are crucial.  I think without the islands you probably needed a foreground to created the depth.

To create more depth you might experiment with subtle vignettes.

Well Done,

Ben

Really beautiful work with very nice lighting and colours, Alf!

With best regards,

Ruud.

Composition in this shot is perfect and suits the mood so well. I like the colours that in my view add to a certain dream like quality that you sometimes get in the early/late part of the day. Congrats William

Well, it seems unanimous.  I also agree that you do not need a foreground here.  To the contrary, I think it would distract from the beauty and tranquility of the scene.  I love the pinkish cast.  I've only experienced this kind of early dawn light a couple of times, and I'm always in awe of Mother Nature's color palette.  :-)  If this were mine, I'd crop the very slightest amount off the bottom.....literally maybe only half way up your trademark signature.  I know it's a small amount, but for me the balance seemed a smidge better.  Any way you cut it though, this is a gorgeous image.

It seems to me that the word "barrier" has a negative connotation.  I'll go out on a limb and say that I don't think I'd want a "barrier" in any photo (but I'm feeling way out on a thin limb by making such a generalization).  However, a foreground object of interest is another matter.  While the muted purple colors and soft forms of this photo are attractive, I think an "object of interest" in the water that breaks up the very straight symmetry of this photo would enhance the photo.  Such an object would command attention and would add contrast and complexity to the composition.  Keep in mind that this comment is coming from a person who generally likes contrasts in a photograph, and mirror images don't provide much contrast between the two halves.  However, I think some "objects of interest" would be much better than others, although I'd be getting into a lot of speculation if I went further with that thought (e.g., a small black rock that was nothing more than a pimple on the water would not be beneficial, IMO, nor would a tight wad of grass; something more open and more easily definable, perhaps picking up some of the purple color, would be better.  But there I go, getting into speculation.).

It can give you chillls with softness, beauty.  I feel swept into the clouds reflected in the water and blanketed by those above.  The slight movement of the water  lulls into gentle.  The lighting is that great moment in between bright glory and darkness - it's the moment of peace.  

Stephen: "A tight wad of grass"  - an interesting description of grass - I must borrow that expression. 

Alf, this is very interesting topic and you have three pictures with similar views. One has trees as foreground object and other had stones. This one has none. I like this one the best. The softness and symmetry of colors has a dream like quality (fantasy place). As soon as you see sharp foreground object, the mind is jolted into reality. My eyes start looking at those objects instead of admiring the other qualities of the scene. Those objects are NOT beautiful. Stones are ordinary and green trees break symmetry of otherwise monochromatic picture. If the picture has soft theme, then I try not to have sharp objects. Otherwise the whole picture is sharp. 

Of course, if you have aliens in the foreground, then all my comments are invalid. They better be in sharp focus.

Sandeep

Beautiful image . I can imagine this on the wall of one of those relaxation clinics ! Very serene and soothing ! Bill

but not really working for me - doesn't make it to the unreal sophistication of the blue one.  best, j

Alf,

  Beautiful image with a wonderful peaceful feel about it.   Creative work.  Take care, Patsy

PIERRE

Surreal, yeah it certainly is. I think the 30 sec exposure and the pink tones from the rising sun over my left shoulder accounted for some of it, and of course I gave the colours a boost in photoshop to allow that dreamy fantasy world to exist. Sincere thanks for your interest and feedback Pierre, much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

SANDEEP

Many Thanks for your interest and for sharing your thoughts. I don't think any kind of foreground would make this image any stronger either.

Best Regards

Alf

TONY

Sincere thanks for your thoughtful analysis and posiitve feedback. You have raised an interesting point regarding the viweing the objects in gradual diminishing size from left to right, something I wasn't conscious of when I composed the shot. I'm pleased that you connected with the dreamy aspect of the image, it really is an incredibly beautiful area. I have to agree with you about the colours also, I think they are a bit OTT, sometimes I process an image several times and 2 days later wish I had left it as I'd done it the first time. This was one of them. On reflection I suppose we all have our own idea's about reality and there probably is no right or wrong, just personal taste.

Cheers Tony!

Alf

BEN

Many Thanks for your interest and thoughtful feedback, very much appreciated! I agree that the islands and fading visibility adds to the depth of the image, and its an interesting suggestion regarding the vignettes, something well worth experimenting with!

Kind Regards

Alf

RUUD

Thank you for stopping by, I'm very pleased you like it !

Best Regards

Alf

WILLIAM

Sincere thanks for your interest and positive feedback, much appreciated! I don't think there was any other way to compose the shot from the angle I took it that would work, and I agree it does suit the dreamy quality that is accentuated by the 30 sec exposure. You are right the colours are from first light, but I feel I may have overstated them when processing.

Kind Regards

Alf

CHRISTAL

Many thanks for your thoughts and suggestions, very much appreciated!

Yes I agree, I don't think a foreground would have been condusive to a better composition in this case. The dawn light was fabulous, not only was there colour in the sky, but the lake hardly had a ripple, and you could actually hear the occasional splash as a fish leaped from the water. I think the suggested crop is a good call. Currently there is a 50/50 split but I believe a crop maybe slightly more than you suggested would look good.

Cheers Christal & Take Care

Alf

STEPHEN

I know I am answering your comments in the wrong order as I have already addressed your comments ref: Tiny Islands. But I did want to say that your analogy a foreground object of interest is 100% accurate. However barriers are all about perception, and how we see things, and indeed how much importance we attach to certain objects. One thing is clear so far, everyone has thier own interpretation of a "barrier" or an object that they find distracting rather than interesting. As for speculation....well thats why we have imagination and I'm very pleased that you took the time to ponder the possibilities regarding the composition of this one. Your views are always much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

DONNA

Sincere thanks for your interest and thoughtful feedback. I love your poetic descriptions, and particularly the bit about the moment between bright glory and darkness, the "moment of peace", you couldn't have been more right! It was just amazing!

Kind Regards

Alf

ADRIENNE

I'm with you on that one, I don't think an additional foreground object would make this particular image any stronger. Many Thanks for your feedback Adrienne, much appreciated!

Best Wishes

Alf

TAMARA

Thank you so much, I'm really pleased you like it!

Best Regards

Alf

TONY

You can learn so much more than just photography on this site : - )

SANDEEP

Thank you for taking the time to view all three. I can appreciate your thoughts relating to a fantasy place, the colours of morning were quite special, I do feel I may have overstated them whilst processing and fo rthat reason this is my least favourite of the three. But you have raised some interesting points and maybe an altogether different debate that involves fantasy V reality and the objects that create the illusion or breaks it.  As for aliens,...... well I try to avoid them .... though I did have a conversation with a man from Rhyl once whose skin had a distinctive green tinge, which raised my suspicions : - )

Best Regards

Alf

BILL

I think I need one of those relaxation clinics, the men in white coats sre looming ever closer : - )  Glad you like the serene aspect Bill, and thank you for stopping by

Kind Regards

Alf

JAMIE

I liked it at first, then I didn't, then I wasn't sure, now I'm sure I should have started again : - )

Thanks for stopping by Jamie!

Best Regards

Alf

PATSY

Many thanks for your interest and kind words, yeah I like the peaceful aspect of it too, its just the colours that I'm unsure about.

Best Regards

Alf

There's always time.  j

In a dream but this is real.  Great composition.  Best Regards,

It remind me water coloring art with very appealing and balanced composition.

Grigoriy

JAMIE

Thats a rather profound quotation, kind of reminds me of a photographic version of "today is the first day of the rest of my life" ....wise words indeed!

Best Regards

Alf

WANGHAN

Many thanks for your interest and thoughtful feedback. much appreciated.

Kind Regards

Alf

GRIGORY

Thank you for stopping by and taking time to comment, much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

Alf, this is a beautiful image the reflection of the clouds and lovely color in the sky make this, My taste is usually for some for ground element but I think in this case it would off spoiled this image.

Rich.

Many thanks for your thoughts and feedback on this one, very much appreciated. At one time I would have never have taken a shot like this, instead I would have sought out some foreground element and made the most of it. But I was fortunate enough to have a very talented photographer son in law who has a gift of seeing a landscape within a landscape, and I now try to emulate some of his vision for shots like this. I wasn't at all sure if I'd overdone the colours though, but I'm very gratified that you like it.

Best Regards

Alf

Alf,

Interesting discussion concerning 'foreground interest'. My favourite landscape lens is the 70-200 and therefore it is not always possible to obtain the dof necessary to bring foreground subjects into sharp focus, in my case I tend to break this rule of composition so much that I must consciously make an effort to include foreground interest in my landscapes. Therefore, I was immediately attracted to your landscape above. It is well named and and has a soft, dreamy feel to it. Your image draws the viewer in and encourages one to excersise their imagination. This would make an excellent print.

Jim