Hong Kong Landscapes

[itsbernie81]

This is also my first post at this forum, so let me introduce myself.

About me:

You can call me Bernie. I am currently based in Hong Kong but I grew up in Sydney. By day, I spend my time in an office environment but I always start getting a bit anxious in the afternoon as the golden hour is approaching.

Besides landscape photography I am also into cartography, food and wine and travel. Indeed, my dream job would be a landscape photographer as it combines all of my passions into one career! But that's a bit of a pipedream really.

About my interest in photography:

I have always had an interest in pictures, though it was not until quite recently that I have started having a keen interest in taking pictures myself. I enjoy looking at photos of all kinds, but I am particularly interested in landscape photography. I have a special interest in anything to do with sun, clouds and water (all three, even better). Hence my comment about the golden hour. I go crazy over a great sunset.

I am definitely a beginner and no more. My "kit" is extremely basic. I have a Canon PowerShot G10, which is, by all means, a very fine point and shoot. I have a sturdy, basic tripod. The G10 is a great camera for someone like me. I feel as though I can get some decent-looking photos from it without too much manipulation (good for a beginner). On the upside, it takes brightly-coloured shots, it has a great big screen so you can see your results straight away, and the controls are very intuitive. The anti-shake technology is also very helpful. On the downside, it has terrible high-ISO performance, the aperture value cannot exceed 8 and the exposure time cannot exceed 15 seconds, so for a sunchaser like me, these are real limitations. But there remains much I can learn with this camera.

About the photos:

Before making this post, I have read some of the discussions about how to encourage constructive criticism. It was suggested that the photographer should also explain the context of the shot, so I will attempt to do so. Feel free to ask for more info if you like. I am grateful for all your comments of course.

SHOT 1: SUNSET, WU KAI SHA FACING TOLO HARBOUR
This was taken as the tide was receding over a mudflat on a still and clear evening (I was in luck!), revealing small rocks in the shallow parts of the water in the foreground. I decided to work with those rocks and give a sense of perspective. The intention is that the viewer will see the rocks, and follow the flow of the water to the left, and then be guided by the pier from the left protruding to the centre towards the boats, the hills, and finally, the setting sun.

I don't shoot in raw, and this is a JPEG that has been modified slightly in iPhoto. The saturation was increased somewhat, as was the contrast. However, these were pretty much the colours I saw too. Some cropping may be justified for the rocks and pools of water in the foreground; I welcome your suggestions.

SHOT 2: STORM CLOUDS, PAU TOI SHAN FACING VICTORIA HARBOUR
This was taken from a hill behind Yau Tong, overlooking Victoria Harbour (Hong Kong's harbour). A generic shot will focus more on the city skyline and the harbour, and crop out most of the sky. However, in this case, I have decided to actually emphasise the sky given the clouds were making a real statement (well, to me anyway). I liked this shot in particular because of the band of clouds in the foreground seem to converge towards the centre of the photo, which so happens is where the harbour is at its narrowest point. The hope is that this will become a natural focal point of the photo.

SHOT 3: AFTERGLOW, SHA LO WAN
This was taken from a jetty at a remote part of Lantau Island, though ironically, very close to the Airport right across a narrow channel of water. I didn't have much to work with here; it was just the beauty of the afterglow that I was hoping to capture. The rocks in the foreground are just blackness though I have included them for foreground interest, but I want to hear what you think. I know some people have suggested shining a torch onto the rocks in this sort of situation to cast some light, but I wonder whether that would make it look very artificial. The water reflects some of the afterglow. This was a 10-second exposure or thereabouts; I wanted to smooth out the water as much as possible.

There was some saturation adjustment to this photo, but little else was done.

SHOT 4: SHIMMER, LUNG KWU TAN
Lung Kwu Tan is a very flat-sloping beach in a remote-ish part of Hong Kong's hinterland. As the tide recedes, there is a brief moment during which the sand takes on a mirror-like quality. When combined with the late afternoon sun, it can make an otherwise ordinary beach look quite nice. I spent an afternoon here a few weeks ago, and want to present to you this shot in portrait (for something different). In the foreground, I have intentionally included small pockets of sand that have LOST the mirror-like quality for contrast against the still-shiny parts, but I am not sure if it works or not. Let me know what you think!

Hope you enjoy these, and I look forward very much to your critique and comments.

Cheers,
Bernie

[stephljones]

I like that you told us exactly where these photos were taken...I just like knowing where in the world a picture is...just for my own context!

Wow...I think your pictures are stunning! A real testament to the fact that you don't need a fancy, expensive camera and equipment to take really interesting pictures. You have quite an eye, and obviously know how to get the most from your little PowerShot! (I have a powershot too, and i really do love it!)

picture 1... I love the lines in this picture...the water going around that low sandbar and snaking about the rocks and tidepools. To me, the darkness of the rocks in the foreground add drama and impact...i think it is ok they are there, and it works that they are dark.

2. wow...wow...this sky is just amazing..you captured that "hole" in the clouds....it looks so peaceful and stormy at the same time. Then the bustling, bright city below...Pictures don't always have to have a "story" for me to like them...but this seems to have a story to me.

3. beautiful beach...however, maybe my least favorite of the bunch...maybe it kind of got lost for me because i like the others so much. Perhaps a light on the rocks would have added more dimension, or more contrast between the water and sky. I somehow think if this had been taken 3-4 minutes earlier it would have made a big difference.

4. gorgeous. the rocks and people taken in outline is very very nice!

I do think you are very wrong on one point here though, you are definitely not a beginner! You have quite an eye, and obviously the patience to frame a great shot....I am inspired now to go out this evening and maybe take some shots around my neighborhood!

[itsbernie81]

stephljones, thanks very much for the kind feedback, much appreciated!

I agree with your point about context. It is sometimes difficult to really "understand" the photo without some background about where it was taken and the photographer's approach.

I look forward to seeing your shots!

[Frog]

We have some other fine photographers in Hong Kong. Yo-Yo Setzu and Herriot but I haven't seen them for a while but you may be able to do a search and find what they have done.
I like all your shots but the last is my fav for its simple composition with the silhouettes..

[jetrim]

Once again I find myself agreeing with Steph (seems to be happening a lot lately :lol: ) The one thing I would like to add about shot #3 though, is that part of the fact it seems so static is due to the horizon splitting the image in half horizontally. I like the mood of the shot, but if it were mine, I think I'd crop about 50% of the sky to get the horizon up to roughly the 2/3rd mark and maybe some adjustments to make it "pop" just a bit more.

Overall, you're doing a great job so far, keep up the good work!

[gahspidy]

Hello Bernie and welcome to the critique forum. First off, it would be easier for us all if you limit your thread to one image for critique, unless they are variations of the same shot.

I apprecaite the time and background info you have given with each of your photos.

I am going to say that #1 is the best of the bunch.
Your composition and framing really make this one easy to look at and keep my attention.
The scattering of exposed rocks in the foreground revealed by the low tide provide and nice lead-in. the shore move our eyes to the left, up to the pier which brings us back to the middle and further out to the setting sun in the distance. Not much going on in the sky but lots to see on the land so it was a great thing to keep the composition very bottom weighted. The color is pleasing and the exposure just right to bring the mood.

#2 does have a dramatic sky and cloud formation but not so much so that it was worth cutting off the buildings so abruptly in the foreground. Actually, I think there is more to be had in the scene below and so including less sky and more of the building would have worked best, I feel.

#3 I think I agree appears somewhat static due to the horizon cutting through the middle but more importantly because there is not much really to keep the eye interested. The sky is rather plain and the rock formation in the foreground not strong enough to hold down the image.

#4 is rather nice and what I like is the layers of sand, water, rock and sky that build up the composition. The colors are nice and warm and the camera handled the exposure very well.

Nicely done, and well presented