Christian Photographers Community

This is the upper dam at the Wildlife Refuge.  I just love the pastel colors in this shot.  The light was truly magical this evening as the sun set and the colors kept changing.  I captured everything from blues to bright oranges to pinks and then also these pastels. 

Hopefully I can post more of the other shots I took today.  This is the only one I finished tonight, though.

There's quite a lot of interesting compositional elements here worth discussing, the almost watery light is charming, and that is what you went out to record, the placement of the horizon line kept well high up in the frame so you emphasise the mirrored clouds in the water. The clouds themselves fit nicely within this mirrored pool, and at the bottom edge just a few reeds to break up the expanse of water, give it a finishing border as you might say. And the pier or jetty with its bulk and weight give the picture some much needed weight, good un kid. Oh yes, and that whispy trail of cloud just stops the structure from being to over heavy, I like very much the way it trails like a banner from the pier itself. By having such a downward viewpoint, the distance between the reeds and the dam gives a wonderful sense of depth to the scene, lovely. Oh yes and just one more thing, that lovely touch of evening light sunshine just touching the pier stops it becoming just another anonymous silhouette, adds life to the picture, think I've just about covered everything,

Very pretty colors, and the reflection seems to have melted onto your canvas.  Excellent work!

Quote from: Summicron on November 17, 2008, 05:22:12 AM
There's quite a lot of interesting compositional elements here worth discussing, the almost watery light is charming, and that is what you went out to record, the placement of the horizon line kept well high up in the frame so you emphasise the mirrored clouds in the water. The clouds themselves fit nicely within this mirrored pool, and at the bottom edge just a few reeds to break up the expanse of water, give it a finishing border as you might say. And the pier or jetty with its bulk and weight give the picture some much needed weight, good un kid. Oh yes, and that whispy trail of cloud just stops the structure from being to over heavy, I like very much the way it trails like a banner from the pier itself. By having such a downward viewpoint, the distance between the reeds and the dam gives a wonderful sense of depth to the scene, lovely. Oh yes and just one more thing, that lovely touch of evening light sunshine just touching the pier stops it becoming just another anonymous silhouette, adds life to the picture, think I've just about covered everything,

How do you do it, Michael?  The way you describe images is amazing.  I wish I could explain, the way you can, why I clicked my shutter or why someone else did.  I have enough trouble coming up with titles for my images.    Maybe I should practice...

P.S.  Thank you very much for your kind and descriptive comments!

Quote from: mybcjazz on November 17, 2008, 07:43:49 AM
Very pretty colors, and the reflection seems to have melted onto your canvas.  Excellent work!

The "melted" look of the relection is due to my slooooow shutter speed and slight movement of the water; just enough to smooth it out.  I am glad it came out as good as it did.  I am ill right now and was mainly planning to scout out the area so I only had my mono pod, just in case.  I did find something to brace it on, though. 

You mentioned canvas...I bet this image would be a great candidate for getting printed on canvas, like a gallery wrap or something.  I may have to do that.

Thank you so much for commenting, Kevin.

Are you online Kathleen? Well I've just got the thing for you, in a store called Netto over here in England, they were selling packets of just that, printing canvas A4 only I'm afraid. its like canvas, its cotton only coated on one side ready to put through the printer, wish I could post you some, well worth trying.

That's me I can't just say that I like a picture, I have to analyse and know exactly why I like a picture, sometimes I just can't put those thoughts into words exactly, and sometimes its just the other way round.

Well all I can say  is this is a beautiful photo.

Yes I echo Marilyn, Well done.

Quote from: Summicron on November 17, 2008, 04:46:56 PM
Are you online Kathleen? Well I've just got the thing for you, in a store called Netto over here in England, they were selling packets of just that, printing canvas A4 only I'm afraid. its like canvas, its cotton only coated on one side ready to put through the printer, wish I could post you some, well worth trying.

That's me I can't just say that I like a picture, I have to analyse and know exactly why I like a picture, sometimes I just can't put those thoughts into words exactly, and sometimes its just the other way round.

sorry I missed you.  I guess I wasn't online.  I do have some of the canvas paper you speak of.  I've used a few sheets and now that I know sort of what kinds of photos are complimented by this type of canvas paper, I think this one is one of those.  Am I making sense?  Fever has returned.  Ick.

Anyway, I like how you can analyse...keep it up.

Thanks so much, Marilyn and Judy! 

Glad you got some of that canvas printing paper, stinks doesn't it, sorry about the fever, Lord make her well, and well very soon. How do I analyse a picture? Simple really, its just a matter of a picture grabbing your attention, then asking myself, what's attracting me to it? And often its the light, sometimes the light itself, sometimes the way light falls on a particular subject.

Now with your picture, its the quality of light that got my attention, its a very watery light that is ever so tinted with blues and pinks, had you pointed your camera upwards, say two thirds sky, one third landscape, the picture probably would have been mundane, not a very interesting shot at all. But no, you chose to point the camera down, and capture the reflected sky, in the lake. The lake then became a framed mirror, and your subject acquired a border which concentrates the attention on the sky reflection, emphasising the delicate motifs of the evening sky. Then you begin to notice other elements, the reeds at the bottom of the picture, they are almost wisps, but they act like a period at the end of a sentence, they hold your eye, and keep your attention within the frame.

The other main point is the light catching the pier on the dam, this is one of the most attractive photographic elements you can ever include in a photograph. Shooting towards the light with the sunlight being reflected off the side of a building or a vehicle. Ever seen pictures of trains with the sunset reflected in the sides of the coaches, and seem to be made of gold? Well that's what you have here, to a much lesser degree, but its just enough to to give the picture its focal point of interest. Try blacking those highlights out, you will loose much of the pictures charm, by doing so.

Lets put it this way Kathleen, I would probably have taken the picture like you, and not thought about the details of the scene in front of me, except that it is a charming scene, and one worth committing, in my case to film. Its when you sit down in front of a picture that you have time to look at a picture in detail, and then you begin to notice various things within the picture. Have you ever seen a photograph that really grabs your attention, and you think that's wonderful? Well just stop and ask yourself, what's making it such a wonderful picture in my eyes? Beyond that I can't offer any other explanation.

Good teaching there Michael.

yep, yep.  I will have to spend more time evaluating images and verbalizing exactly what I like and don't like about them and why, so I can be better at it too.