We just got back from a weekend trip to cannon beach.....here are two shots of the sunset, I can't decide which I like better......Any critique would be VERY much appreciated!! Thanks!

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a154/KatzPomDogz/CoastalSunset.jpg

Haystack Rock
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a154/KatzPomDogz/CoastalSunset3.jpg

Chow~

These are both excellent. Love the colors and smoothness throughout. The scomposition for both is very pleasing. Wonderful landscape work. The best I have seen from you! It must have been a wonderful trip!

Regards,

Oops! Double posted some how. Sorry!

Hi Chow,

I like them both also, but I prefer the Haystack Rock shot. I like the colors and the contrast better than the first shot, which appears kind of flat.

I've been there. That's a beautiful place. I can't remember what it's called, but did you go to the look out, north of there? That place is what got me interested in photography almost 10 years ago. :)

Paul

Thank you very much CLK!!! That is a great compliment from you!! It was a wonderful break!

photophorus, we wanted to go out there but we were running late on time and we had to pick and choose the stops we wanted to make. We plan on going back again this year. We hope to take more then a weekend. We got there Saturday afternoon and had to leave Sunday morning, hardly enough time to really enjoy it. We want to try and go for a week next time.

This spot seems to be pretty popular. I would like the op to photograph it myself one day.

I really like the colors of the bottom shot. I think it's nice overall but could be better with just a few adjustments. Somehow the placement of the main rock doesn't sit right with me... maybe it's too close to center? I know why you did this though - to get the rocks on the left in - but still doesn't seem quite right.. It also might have been better with a tad more beach and tad less sky. Finally, perhaps a little sharper - did you scan it in? It seems to be consistently soft (the water is understandable, but not the rocks and horizon).

Congrats on getting the horizon so level btw (or some reason, is always tough for me). The horizon is very flat - seems you took this with a decent lens.

GB

I love the one of Haystack Rock. You are so lucky that the weather was good while you were there! We spent the night there a few weeks ago and it was foggy/rainy/cold. Yuk. Still managed to get some cool shots though. :)

Oh, and the beautiful park north of there is Ecola State Park. Wonderful photo ops there!

Thanks!

Kristin, we wanted to go up there, my husband took a great shot up there years ago and we want to go up there and get a better version of the same shot. We were very lucky with the weather, I was afraid it would rain but it didn't!

Speaking of which, GB1, that is why the picture is so soft, it was SO hazy there, it was very wierd, well, I suppose it wasn't but I wasn't used to it. I actually shot this off of our patio in the motel we stayed in. Thanks for the comments on the horizon, that is usually my down fall, so I was pretty particular about getting it right this time.
I have alot of similar shots to this, I will see if any of them are any sharper.

BTW, I was using my Nikon D70s and my 70-300 lens.

I like #2 best. CB is one of my favorite places to go. Did you get to go out to Haystack during low tide? It is so cool to see the tide pools up close w/ all their critters!

Lady,
Yes we did, unfortunately I left my camera at the motel, we were too busy having "family time" to take pictures anyway, my kids kept falling in the water. When we go back, I will try to sneak down by myself and get some "creature" pictures! LOL