Texas Fence

[Old Timer]

Ok I am going to open myself up here for some good criticism. I'm sure you guys will have a field day with these. I want to like these shots of a Texas fence from a week or so ago, but can't really justify it a lot. Please help with some constructive comments. I am posting three shots in this one thread because I am afraid none would stand alone.

[Elysian]

#1 Good, mainly because of the interesting elements.
The are 4 things I would like to comment on:
a) the sky leans a bit towards green in my opinion
b) the wooden pole; move a few steps back, zoom in and you'll avoid the pole "touching" the tree. That way you'll create more depth and you give the right side more room to breathe.
c) The image has some blur over it and tree and branches on the left have some unnatural looking halo. Have you sharpened it too much Old Timer, is that the cause?
d) the idea with the tree to 'frame' something is good, but personally I would give it something more interesting to frame. That's another reason why I think the pole is too high.

#2 My favorite. Strong diagonals, strong composition, main subject not in the center, horizon straight and not cutting the shot in half, a nice flow from blue, green to this beige/brown kind of color and the brown rusty iron works great with all these colors. The image is sharp and you don't have any distracting elements. A slightly blurry background adds to the overal feeling of depth. I also don't think that the background needs more blur than this, it's just good the way it is. The focus is exactly where it should be. The few pieces of weat in the forground are that little finishing touch. The colors are natural looking (no green sky this time) and you have exactly the right contrast, no distracting highlights and enough details in darker and brighter areas.
This photograph is what I call a winner, very well done.

#3 You have a good way with depth. A bit more distracting elements this time, but not too shocking. Main distraction; smaller pole in the background. You've created some more dof in this one, which is good. I feel that the pole is too high. A fifth shorter would have worked better I think, but that's purely personal.

General remark. I see so many people making the most unusual crops. Square or extremely stretched looking crops (unless for panoramas) distract me. You might take that in consideration. It's personal, but more people might see this as a distration too.
Crops like in #2 are hardly distracting, for me that is.

Well done Old Timer! ;)

[Chunk]

Ok I am going to open myself up here for some good criticism. I'm sure you guys will have a field day with these. I want to like these shots of a Texas fence from a week or so ago, but can't really justify it a lot. Please help with some constructive comments. I am posting three shots in this one thread because I am afraid none would stand alone.

Now there are some fences with character. I always like the weathered wood on old fence posts and also the occasion oddities that fences seem to collect. I wonder if that farmer misses those cultivator shoes.
Nice work to my way of thinking.

[gahspidy]

Oldtimer,
I think you did good here as well. i think I like the second one best for it's simplicity,colors, texturesand a good perspective.
The third one I like also. Good dof, and sharp
I agree with JoeD on his comments about the unusual crops going on. Maybe it's me but I really prefer the 35mm aspect ratio
Good series of shots here

[Old Timer]

Thanks JoeD, very constructive well written critique. You make some points that I had never considered. I will be more aware of them in the future.

[Old Timer]

Thanks Chuck and Gary I appreciated your taking the time to comment on my images. I didn't take as long at this location as I would have liked because a I had a car load of family waiting for me to do my think. These fence shots were at the same location of the windmill I posted earlier last week. We had stopped for gas while on a little road trip and I spoted the windmill accross the road in a field and voluteered to drive when we got back in the car, but when all I did was pull accross the road and pull over the family knew something was up. The fences was a pleasant surprise. I had not thought much about the odd crops that I and other are making, but in retrospect I guess it is so easy with PS to make what ever crop you want you lose some perspective of how the original was shot.