Please help an amateur

How can I improve this picture? The motive is close to my home town and should be attractive to turists. The picture is taken at 8 am with a monopod.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Hiler on June 28, 2009 at 4:22pm

Jens,
This is a very good shot on its own. It is a nice landscape.
There are just two things I would try to make any improvements to this shot.
1. Crop a little from the bottom & have a bit more sky showing. When shooting, I'd use a polarization filter to get a deeper looking sky with a little more contrast between the sky and clouds.
2. Get rid of the person in red (and their dog). Having them doesn't add anything significant to the shot (other than give some perspective to the shot).

Something closer to this:

Mike :)

Permalink Reply by Jens Dammeyer on June 28, 2009 at 4:32pm

I guess I have this discussion going on two places. Maybe I should delete one of them? This is my first - sorry for the confusion

Permalink Reply by Mike Hiler on June 28, 2009 at 4:41pm

Don't delete from the multiple post.

Not everyone looks at the multiple forums/groups. You may just get more responses that way.

Mike :)

Permalink Reply by Jens Dammeyer on June 28, 2009 at 4:35pm

I guess I have this discussion going on two places - should I delete one of them? Sorry for the confusion - this is my first time

Permalink Reply by Brian on June 28, 2009 at 4:49pm

I have to agree with Mike. If what you're looking for is selling your hometown to tourists, then everything he said in his post I think is accurate. I believe it shows in his version. That being said, it is still your photo and it seems you know your area, all he did was enhance it. You have a nice eye on the landscape.

Permalink Reply by Flash Buddy on June 29, 2009 at 4:32pm

Sometimes a person (and their dog) in a landscape can help to give it scale. Generally I hate having man and man made objects in my photos, don't know exactly why.

What famous photographer said: "You need three things to make a great photo, lighting, lighting and lighting." David Muench? My interpretation adds some Photoshop lighting. I found the red jacket annoying, so I changed it to a nice muted blue.

IHMO, 8AM is too late to get a great landscape photo. What does every outdoor photography class teach? The "Magic Hour" of course! Try a longer exposure around sunset and or sunrise! You get great interplay of shadows and richer warm colors from the greater amount of atmosphere the sun has to travel through to light you scene.

Nothing like the real thing, so go back and do it again. Post your results too!

Permalink Reply by Jens Dammeyer on June 30, 2009 at 12:01am

Thank you Blash Buddy for another great comment - and a new interpretation with light. I guess that if I had the right light the man and dog would be eve more irrelevant. Yes , I will go back and try again.
'The magic hour' however, is a challenge here in the north at midsummer. When the night is at the darkest the sky is still a little blue - so I guess I shall not sleep much that night.
Another thing is that I work with Aperture - not Photoshop. I am still learning. I don't know yet if it able to do as much as photoshop can do ...
Thank you again. I apreciate it.

Permalink Reply by Paul McBride on June 30, 2009 at 3:18am

In keeping with FlashBuddy's comment, the other three things you need for a great photograph are a foreground, middle, and background. The composition here could be more interesting if it had a compelling foreground element to draw you in. I am hard-pressed to say exactly what the subject of this image is: the hill? (not a very interesting subject, in and of itself)? the man (too small and insignificant in the frame to draw us in).

Reframing the shot might help to find a more dynamic, engaging composition....

Permalink Reply by Jens Dammeyer on June 30, 2009 at 3:36am

THANK YOU for this also! It is something I have read about before, but I think it is the first time that I am really in dialog about it.
So even if the picture is important to me and maybe to other locals - if I want it to sell I must listen to the rules ...

Permalink Reply by Rachel Michaels on July 2, 2009 at 2:32pm

Sorry to be late but been a bit busy. I personally don't like people in landscapes unless there is a good reason or they are the main focus of the shot - so man and dog - gone. Otherwise you have already had great advise. Keep taking the shots

Permalink Reply by Jens Dammeyer on July 2, 2009 at 3:09pm

Thank Rachel! So many nice people in here ...

Permalink Reply by Rachel Michaels on July 2, 2009 at 4:03pm

Your welcome. BTW the best size to upload for C&C is longest side 600 pix - then it uploads easily and is better for viewing (save a small pic and keep your original)