Roadside views

lifesdisciple

On my way home from work today I noticed a body of water with a beautiful reflection. Not sure if it is a very large puddle from all the rain we have been having or a small pond. Which ever it is I decided to pull over and take a picture. Now I am curious as to what you might think of it. Thanks. Michael

W.W. Webster

lifesdisciple wrote:

Now I am curious as to what you might think of it.

I can see the potential you saw in this shot, but from the very small image you posted, it appears the foreground suffers from insufficient depth of focus. What aperture did you shoot this at?

lifesdisciple

W.W. Webster wrote:

I can see the potential you saw in this shot, but from the very small image you posted, it appears the foreground suffers from insufficient depth of focus. What aperture did you shoot this at?

i shot it at 2.8 didn't pay attention to that. you can view the picture larger here. http://lifesdisciple.smugmug.com/photos/111018753-L.jpg

Sometimes i get so caught up in the view i forget to check my settings.

W.W. Webster

lifesdisciple wrote:

i shot it at 2.8

That explains it! If you were forced to use such a large aperture due to the available light, you could have favoured the foreground in your focusing, which is where the interest is, rather than the background, which appears to be in focus.

I also wonder if the composition could have been improved. The placement of the dominant tree in the centre of the frame troubles me a little. I'm also curious about the fallen leaves at the right margin of the frame which appear to have potential in themselves, and could either have been more fully included in this shot or excluded entirelt and been the subject of a photo in their own right.

You might consider going back to this spot and rethinking all the individual composition opportunities it offers. You definitely spotted a fertile location for photography!

lifesdisciple

W.W. Webster wrote:

You might consider going back to this spot and rethinking all the individual composition opportunities it offers. You definitely spotted a fertile location for photography!

Thanks for your advice. The thing that caught my attention about this spot the ost was from the car you could see the reflection of the clouds and setting sky. That was my main reason for stopping and trying to get a shot. But at a safe level where I wouldn't get hit by a car I could not see the skys reflection as much as I hoped. I did however shoot this other shot before I left. It is probably also at 2.8 since I did not change the settings nor pay much attention to them. A problem I seem to have lately. Not sure if it is etiquette to post another pic in the same thread but I like what you have to say so I would like to show you the other pic I shot before I left. My emphasis was on the sky reflection. Thanks again.:D