Ghosts

[charm87]

First of all, thank you to everyone for your fantastic, constructive feedback. Every word is truly valued. This seems like a wonderful way to learn and I look forward to getting your advice and input on more images.

I made some changes based on that feedback and have attached a revised version. I cropped the power lines from the top of the photo (I would have loved to include more mountains if not for that obstruction), and balanced it by cropping a bit off the right side as well. I also increased the image size to a width of 640 pixels. It's not as sharp as I'd like, but (as GB1 correctly guessed) I wasn't using a fast enough shutter speed for the focal length on my zoom lens - any faster and it would have been much too underexposed as it was a very gray, cloudy morning. Add to that the fact that my auto-focus feature had suddenly quit on me in the middle of my vacation, and that I took this from a vehicle as we barely paused along the roadside without actually being able to stop. But despite the obstacles, I wasn't too disappionted with the outcome. Of course I'd love the chance to go back and take more time to experiment with different angles (and set up a tripod!), but I'll have to wait for that chance. And although I do wish I could have included more of the mountains, I actually like the overgrowth surrounding the remains of the building; to me it represents the life that has continued around it, gradually burying the memories of a 40-year-old tragedy.