Another shot from Maine...this is the lake where we stayed...my favorite place in the world.
Emily

This is a lovely, expansive scene. The texture of the water and the great sky helps make the shot. Good that you placed the horizon above center and the opening out of the lake is more to the right of the frame. nice balance. I would have liked to see more shadow detail within the trees along the shore. I can see why you like the place alot.

Another shot from Maine...this is the lake where we stayed...my favorite place in the world.
Emily

Emily, while I enjoy your composition, it seems to me that something is lacking here. This is the kind of scene that must look fantastic in real life yet hard to translate into a photograph. I am thinking that an element in the foreground (a bird landing, a kayaker, whatever) would help.

regards

Seb

Gary & Seb, thank you both for your comments on this. :D

Seb...here's a different evening, same lake...with a duck in the foreground. I know that it's a very different picture, without the cloudy sky and such, but does this work better for you?

Edited to add: I just realized that this other pic seems oversaturated...so maybe not.

This is actually the blog I made for this particular trip: http://dunnstrip.blogspot.com

Well, one of them...lol...but the other one is all people (kids, family).

Julsoph,

Lovely photos - I wish I had more time to review stuff but work is busy at the moment.

I can't decide if you need something or not in the first picture I would tend to say not as it would ruin the reflections but it does feel empty somehow. I really do like the way the reflections of the clouds have been captured and how you managed to capture the symmetry of the reflections and the clouds which is why perhaps it looks empty. The way the river curves and leads you through the photo is wonderful but perhaps one of the readons it looks empty is because of the darkness of the trees which seem to overpower the rest of the image, perhaps if they were a little lighter it may make a better photo, who knows, but the more I look at it the more I like it as is.

For me the second photo you posted does not have the same gravitas that the first has purely becaus of the clouds aren't as interesting, The other thing for me is every time I look at it I think lunch even though its just gone breakfast as I'm writing this, (Wiered or what?). This photo however does have a much warmer feel than the first and the reddier clouds help to balance the dark trees somehow.

The duck adds to the photo but for me it would be better if it was a little more to the right of the photo and not so central but that is a minor nitpic.

Oh well back to work!
Roger

Roger...thanks once again for your feedback.
You think of lunch?? Poor little duck...hehe. Just kidding, of course. I see what you're saying about the 2nd pic...and really, as soon as I posted it and scrolled back and forth between the two, I felt the same way.
Thanks again!
Emily

Another shot from Maine...this is the lake where we stayed...my favorite place in the world.
Emily

Purty. Very purty.

Purty. Very purty.

:D Thanks!

Emily,

Both of these images are beautiful but I think my favorite is the first one. I love the way the colors stretch themelves on the surface and run out through the gate at the back of the picture. For me, the emptiness is not a distraction, instead it seems to say peaceful. I like that I can look all the way to the horizon unencumbered. It seems slightly remeniscent of the work of Joel Meyerowitz who does VERY empty horizon/water images. Thanks for sharing these!

Cindy

Cindy...thank you for looking and commenting on these. I'll have to check out the photographer you mentioned...I'm sure I would enjoy his work. :)