Morning at Lake Kananaskis

Thank you for taking the time to critique. I'll try to provide a

critique in return. Thanks, Scott.

Beautiful. Exposure and contrast is right on. I love the misty fog look of the distant mountain. Great shot.

very impressive.

Hello Scott,

 

The colors of your photo are nice. There's a sweetness that comes from that deep blue water.

What kills the quietness of your shot and therefore the quietness of this scene for the eye are the foreground which should be discarded at once.

The strive to obey to the vertical routine applied systematically by all nature photographers seen on PN does harm your picture. It doesn't need it.

You maybe tried to establish a link Land and Island by showing pebbles and rocks in the foreground but the profound nature of an Island is that its roots is where it sits and does not have link to the land anymore.

Anyway it's highly distracting. Try without and you 'll see that the balance of colors and of the photo are strenghtened at once.

 

Cheers

Agree with Stephane here. Normally, having f/g, m/g and background defines depth and draws the eye into the photo. Another great statement in a photo is isolation - making the subject stand out from its background - often you find an isolated tree in a field etc, with the surroundings 'bland' and the subject textured/interesting - or in this case an island with trees. Cropping f/g until balance is achieved leads back to a horizontal frame - there are nice reflections and opportuinites for offset, isolation from the background is provided by mist. The island is not then optimally placed, ... Love the calmness of the water and the blueness.

Wow... thanks guys! I really appreciate the time you've taken to provide a detailed critique. This is exactly the sort of advice I've been looking for so that I can become a better photographer, but it's advice that can be so hard to find. Many thanks! I'll try reposting without the foreground. Cheers, Scott

I've just posted a crop of this shot, based on your critiques (thanks again). I debated over whether or not to keep the full height of the mountain in the background, and decided to crop it as well, as I felt the resulting image was much stronger without it. Cheers, Scott.

Fine scenery.