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Grant Yang
03-24-2014, 02:01 AM
Taken from the side of CA-1 near Big Sur. I'm new at landscapes so would appreciate all the help and suggestions you can provide. I see a lot of landscape shots that really draw the viewer into the frame, and have a hard time achieving the effect in my shots. I was trying to use the fence and the shape of the coast line to draw the viewer into the rocky outcropping.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/13371151725_7ec54dc2e3_b.jpg

Sony a77
ISO: 100
F7.1
1/40
16mm

Don Railton
03-24-2014, 07:01 PM
Hi Grant,

I don't see myself as a particularly good landscape photographer, but I am happy to tell you what I think. What you make of it is your choice, remember in critique forums no one is ever right or wrong, we only have opinions... In this instance (and in my opinion) the fence does not provide a good lead into the image, simply because it leads the eye straight out again to the rhs border. I also think this image has a lot of 'not so interesting' dark and featureless foreground LLHS (including the fence) that I would eliminate. So, my take to improve this image would be to crop from the bottom up to approximately the top of the shadow on the Left hand side. That will leave a diagonal edge of the well light grassy foreground as the 'lead' into the river and onto the sea... further more, I would have parked the car and gone for a walk down to the rivers edge, that looks like a great spot for a nice image or 3...

I would also in this image up the contrast and sharpening a little..

regards

DON

Andrew McLachlan
03-24-2014, 07:22 PM
Hi Grant, welcome to the landscape forum. As Don says it does look like a good place for some nice images and I do agree that much of the left side of the frame adds nothing to the image. If this is close to your home try to visit a dawn or dusk when the lighting will be nicer. The lower light level at these times of day will also give you longer exposures that will blur the ocean waves to a pleasing 'calmness.' At this location are you able to get closer to the tide pool to use it as a possible foreground element, looking over the outcrop and ocean...if you cannot, you could try a longer lens to zero in on the tide pool and outcrop. Keep creating the landscape photos and do post them here as it is a great resource for learning and getting the help needed. Looking forward to more of your landscape images.

Grant Yang
03-24-2014, 10:04 PM
Thanks for the suggestions. I see what you mean about the fence. Unfortunately, the fence denotes private property. This was taken about 30 minutes before sundown. Unfortunately the fog rolled in soon after and everything was gray after tht.