Took a day trip with my boys to this little camping area up around Lake Okeechobee, Fla. Was a nice day..we built a fire!

I think the compositon and subject are great. Very nice detail in the foreground as well. I wish the sky wasn't as bright. Maybe a polarizer would have helped with the sky and with the glare on the water. Other than that well done.

That tree that looks like it's floating reminds me of some of the Jerry Uelsmann photo's my teacher showed us :)

Rod

Hmm. Sort of a menacing shot. All we need here is the attacking alligators :)

The tree and shadow make an impression, but they block the view and you can't really see what's causing the ripple in the background. I keep thinking that there should be something else in this image - a kid playing, an alligator, a boat, whatever is causing the ripple, etc. The image would also be better if top left branch wasn't there. Finally, there was just too much contrast, cause the sky is be blown out and much of the rest of the shot is about 1/2 to 1 f stop under. But, the contrast may add some interest too.

GB

Rod,

It's a nice area and the reflections are nice. I too think the branch in the upper left is distracting and the sky is too bright. This would be a great spot to use a graduated ND filter so you can keep that great ground detail and still have something in the sky. Alternatively, you could try to bracket the shots and then merge in post.

PC

Rod, great subject and composition. i really like the placement of the tree and shore. I agree that the top branch coming down into the shot should go. Also as stated already, the sky is too bright and better lighting or use of a filter could have improved. Stil, very good work. Strong image.

Also as stated already, the sky is too bright and better lighting or use of a filter could have improved. Stil, very good work. Strong image.

Yep, the blown highlights ruin it.

Good composition, good colors... :) But I think the sky is over-lighten. And the photo would be better without the small piece of branch at left top. :)

Thanks for your comments..this area is isolated and slightly primitive. The sun had made its way to the upper left and was producing some pretty harsh silhouettes so without a filter I made what I could. The cypress was my intended subject , and I didn't want any manmade references..(none was available anyway)..GB, the ripples?..wind, but there goes the mystery!:D The sky is untouched, some work on foreground only...but, alas..its ruined.:)

GB, the ripples?..wind, but there goes the mystery!:D

J - There's a splash out there, it shows next to the tree! :p One of those big catfish maybe?

GB

ah..no. Heres another shot with a better sky...same jumping catfish though...:)

The main and possibly the only problem here is the sky. It's a very good composition. But other than that I'm hearing duelling banjos as I await the appearance of the three boys in their canoe from Deliverance.

Over...did the second pic compensate for sky..without underexposing foreground. This was a different pic shot a little faster..?

The sky is excellent now but some details have been lost elsewhere; nothing that a few blasts of selective levels would not sort out.

Thx,I have already done some selective leveling, saturating, hueing dodging and burning. Maybe I should get one of those graduated filter doohickeys:idea:

I think the second shot is much better than the first. Have you tried the Shadow/Highlight tool from PS? You would need to mask it some so that the sky isn't messed up, but it could certainly bring back some of the shadow areas. The second also seems to have a slight lean.

PC

Pre, I have adjusted the lean and did some more adjustments. I have used the highlight tool before but not here. ..wow..talk about dragging a thread out

But other than that I'm hearing duelling banjos as I await the appearance of the three boys in their canoe from Deliverance.

Yep, Deliverance. I couldn't think of what this reminded me of - but that's it. :eek: :D

Thx for everyones input...the final version is in Photo Gallery Critique if you would like to see a larger format. ..they do rent canoes there GB..if'n ur interested...

Good work

There is a vast improvement from your first to your last edit. I like the final result a lot.

I commented on this last edited version in your gallery but thought I would add my thoughts here as well. The corrected image really looks good. The low tone and darker shadows also lends to more mood even if some detail is gone.

Again, thx mb and Gary for your comments. I went back to this one a number of times to get the right look ..(not easy to do)..and I'm pleased..at ease..with how it turned out.