Lake and Trees

[Hindey]

Hi,
I'm pretty sure what you guys are going to say about this picture. I suspect that a) I need to shoot in RAW mode as my Fuji S5000 has very poor quality compression and that b) a polarising filter is necessary. Could you please confirm these suspicions?

I have done a little post processing in Photoshop to bring out some colours, reduce the glare from the horrendously blown out sky (it was very pretty at the time). Any help or shooting tips and composition are greatly welcomed.



Thanks,
Chris

[dbutler]

I don't know. To me (and granted, I'm a little on the less conventional side) I like it. What about cropping it just to keep the reflection? I can see the beautiful sky and the shape of the trees in it, just by scrolling to cut out the trees above the water.

[srobb]

I shoot film, hindey, but your one suspicion would be correct. A polarizing filter may have helped this shot greatly. I can tell just from the colors in the reflection that it had to be very nice looking.

Can't really say about RAW, but I have heard many people say that is how they shoot. Then again, the same number have said they shoot in JPG. Like anything else, that is simply something that you will have to find out for yourself.

Very nice pic by the way. I do have a thing for reflection shots.

[GB1]

Kind of a freaky looking pic. It's nice, esp the colors, but at the same time the leaves on the water look somewhat like pollution/waste from a factory. Whatever on the raw issue, that's for you to decide, esp if you feel it's a keeper. Not sure a polarizer would have been ideal here, I sort of like the reflections...
GB

[Hindey]

Thank you all for the replies; for shots I intend to display I'm definitely going to go down the RAW route. I've experimented a little this afternoon, and shots taken in RAW are far superior when it comes to shots with areas of fine detail; such as trees, leaves and other organic things.

Here is another picture from the same morning. How do you find this one?



Thanks again,
Chris

[GB1]

This pic is very very nice. THe reflections are awesome..............................!

[ken1953]

I happen to like both these shots...but then, I'm still new at all of this...

I was looking at some rules of thumb on your first shot and here's what I see...

top 3rd...Youve got the trees

2nd 3rd...the reflection of the trees...

and finally in the bottom, you have the leaves on the lake...

to me...this shows all the elements, with the various reflections in the water to emphasize the pink sky. Now that said...it may be a little dark and could maybe use a little more contrast...also, the sky above the trees appears to be washed out.
Anyway...like I said...I really like both of these...they are the types of pics I like to take...

Ken

[srobb]

I'm right with GB on this one. Really nice pic; good composition, great colors. This I don't think the sky detracts from it at all and the reflections is even better in this one.

[Hindey]

Thanks all for the comments. I really want to revisit the location on a very frosty winter's morning.

Cheers,
Chris

[jar_e]

Hindey,

I love the second one, well composed and a nice mirroring effect by the reflection. The first one I'd crop out the majority of the top, and just have the reflection, too much overexposed sky IMO.

Nice shots though,

Jared