Green Gables Brook

Forests in Eastern Canada and Prince Edward Island tend to be very thick, green, dark, and wet. In this brook, the sand on the bottom containing iron oxide, mixes easily with the water, creating the red/brown colour. This is near the Anne of Green Gables house that was the location for the book.

Ronnoco

Mmmmm. It seemed to have come out darker on the server than when I uploaded it from my machine and monitor and yes, my monitor is calibrated etc.

Wish, I had a young girl with red hair for the bridge.

Ronnoco

Insipid, pointless and boring. Telling us the elements of soil composition in the area does not make this a worthwhile picture. It is as if you saw a bright color and mindlessly were drawn to it.

Try something creative - different perspective, angle - something. Your comments on this forum have shown that you have no understanding or appreciation of creativity, so my advice is most likely to fall on ignorant ears.

Tuna

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Originally Posted by Tuna

Try something creative - different perspective, angle - something. Your comments on this forum have shown that you have no understanding or appreciation of creativity, so my advice is most likely to fall on ignorant ears.

Tuna

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Your style of creativity and experimentation in black and white, I'm sure, meets your need for self-expression and perhaps works in a niche market but it wouldn't pay my bills or fit some of the uses that clients have for photos.

Obviously we disagree on a lot of the basics but characterizing that as ignorance suggests that you have a very limited perspective. I do appreciate creativity but I doubt that even our views of creativity coincide, either.

Ronnoco

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Originally Posted by Ronnoco

Your style of creativity and experimentation in black and white, I'm sure, meets your need for self-expression and perhaps works in a niche market but it wouldn't pay my bills or fit some of the uses that clients have for photos.

Obviously we disagree on a lot of the basics but characterizing that as ignorance suggests that you have a very limited perspective. I do appreciate creativity but I doubt that even our views of creativity coincide, either.

Ronnoco

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I've earned my way in photography for 37 years and am not fooled by your bluster as some may be.

I believe your fibbing when you claim to pay bills with your photography. Surely this is not an example of what your "clients" want? May we see some of those?

By "experimental", do you mean anything that is not bright or red?

Tuna

I think you are right that it could do with a 'red head' on the bridge, though I wouldn't limit myself to such a focal point. A peson of some sort of interest would do.

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Originally Posted by Frog

I think you are right that it could do with a 'red head' on the bridge, though I wouldn't limit myself to such a focal point. A peson of some sort of interest would do.

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I have sort of mixed views which is why I posted it. On the one hand someone on the bridge could create an effective centre of interest but on the otherhand landscape/forest type photos by their very category and nature are most often devoid of people.
If it is a potential people shot then the background should be minimized. As a landscape shot, there perhaps shouldn't be a person in it.

Ronnoco

I see your point.
I'm the student. What if the person were not centered on the bridge but elsewhere such as between the trees on the left? just wondering

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Originally Posted by Frog

I see your point.
I'm the student. What if the person were not centered on the bridge but elsewhere such as between the trees on the left? just wondering

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Compositionally, placement is dictated by the S curve of the brook leading the viewer's eye into the photo toward where any centre of interest should be. Putting a person in the shot however changes it from a forest/nature shot to a people shot by changing the visual emphasis. Perhaps it depends on your view of people shots versus nature shots as to whether it should or should not be done. Still thinking about that one!

Ronnoco

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Originally Posted by Ronnoco

Compositionally, placement is dictated by the S curve of the brook leading the viewer's eye into the photo toward where any centre of interest should be. Putting a person in the shot however changes it from a forest/nature shot to a people shot by changing the visual emphasis. Perhaps it depends on your view of people shots versus nature shots as to whether it should or should not be done. Still thinking about that one!

Ronnoco

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This is NOT a forest/nature shot...Including the bridge in the image emphasises
the "hand of man"..

Jurgen

I personally find the the photo has too many distracting elements and the stream/bridge combination is not powerful enough to provide sufficient focus. I think the photo has more potential in a portrait orientation that would enhance the height of the trees and frame the bridge to create a little more impact. Cropping to portrait would also remove the rather dark areas either side which tend to dilute the composition and also make it somewhat heavy.
I would also suggest in this instance to have taken the photo from a lower angle closer to the water level, which would also enhance the drama of the trees framing the bridge and get a bit more interesting reflection in the water.
I believe that the comments regarding a person to add life to the composition stem from the lack of specific interest; even a small bird on the railing would have given a subtle lift.
I like the verdant green and oxide red combination which is quite striking and can imagine how this image may work for stock. The reflection in the water is also nicely captured.

Cheers
Kelvin

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Originally Posted by Kelvin

I personally find the the photo has too many distracting elements and the stream/bridge combination is not powerful enough to provide sufficient focus. I think the photo has more potential in a portrait orientation that would enhance the height of the trees and frame the bridge to create a little more impact. Cropping to portrait would also remove the rather dark areas either side which tend to dilute the composition and also make it somewhat heavy.
I would also suggest in this instance to have taken the photo from a lower angle closer to the water level, which would also enhance the drama of the trees framing the bridge and get a bit more interesting reflection in the water.
I believe that the comments regarding a person to add life to the composition stem from the lack of specific interest; even a small bird on the railing would have given a subtle lift.
I like the verdant green and oxide red combination which is quite striking and can imagine how this image may work for stock. The reflection in the water is also nicely captured.

Cheers
Kelvin

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Aside from the opening statement, :confused: :confused: , the rest seems to be full of good ideas. I appreciate the detailed critique. As a matter of fact, when I shot this image, I did consider it as a background for Photoshopping in something too. A small bird certainly might work well.

Thanks again.

Ronnoco

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Originally Posted by yogestee

This is NOT a forest/nature shot...Including the bridge in the image emphasises
the "hand of man"..

Jurgen

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So, where is your positive suggestion?

Ronnoco

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Originally Posted by Ronnoco

So, where is your positive suggestion?

Ronnoco

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Ronnoco,,,I'm only stating a fact..I find this image as exciting as last night's mashed potatoes..

Jurgen

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Originally Posted by yogestee

Ronnoco,,,I'm only stating a fact..I find this image as exciting as last night's mashed potatoes..

Jurgen

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Why am I not at all surprised?....but it sounds more like personal, emotional attitude rather than less personal specific critique. :D :p :p Perhaps you could learn from Kelvin!...but perhaps that is too much to expect.

Ronnoco

If you hadn't mentioned the iron oxide, I'd have been wondering why the water was the color it was. As for composition, I don't know whether I like this or not--perhaps it's because of the water color. I do like the greens though--very vivid.
John

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Originally Posted by swmdrayfan

If you hadn't mentioned the iron oxide, I'd have been wondering why the water was the color it was. As for composition, I don't know whether I like this or not--perhaps it's because of the water color. I do like the greens though--very vivid.
John

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I agree, John. I think a lot of people would have been wondering why the water was red. I felt that instead of repeatedly explaining it after comments, I would explain it at the beginning, but hey, some will find anything to complain about.

The environment was rather unusual as in very dark, wet, forest, combined with a very red brook. The river curve is either classic composition or a cliché, depending on your point of view. I could have made it bright and sunny in post-processing but that would have defeated the fact that it truly was a dark forest, so I tried to keep some of the dark in the photo and not lighten it too much.

Ronnoco