Galveston Island SP

[Jared]

Visited Galveston Island SP today and captured some images. Here are a few of my favorite. Please tell me what you think.

"Seasons Ending"


"End of the Journey"


"Pathway to Paradise"


"Down by the Bend"


"Taken Over"

[kenmcphotos]

I like the 2nd one. I might crop a little off of the left so that the driftwood is less centered. I also like the last one.

[Patti Edens]

Jared,

A few comments of what I consider the good and the "room to improve". Keep in mind I am not a pro, so take with a grain ...


First of all, I was born and raised in Galveston and I enjoyed seeing all of these photos.

I think all of them would have been better either early in the am or in the evening to get that golden light. Golden light on those grasses would have been awesome.

1. I like your composition with the horizon on the top third line and I like that you found something to put in the foreground, although it is a bit too centered. This one would especially benefit from some "golden" light or a sunrise/sunset.

2. My favorite of all. I think adding a bit of contrast would add interest. Would agree with above comments regarding rule of thirds. sometimes you can get away with breaking it, but in this case I think it would be better to take a bit off of the bottom and off of the left side to get that driftwood down on the lower left third. Unfortunately, that crop would also move the horizon even closer to the center, so I'm not sure if it would help.

3. Another of my favorites. I like that catchy title. The fences starting in the corners and drawing the eye into the photo is really nice for the composition. I would prefer that the horizon not be in the center though, but that's just a tiny nitpic on this one. This is one you can get away with it. I think this one would be cool taken from a ladder so more of the water could be seen. Not something I carry with me on photo excursions. :O)

4. This one just doesn't work for me. I'm not sure what the subject is. The grasses don't carry the foreground on their own and that tree in the mid to background is too centered. I think if that cut of water had been starting in the LR corner and extending back into the photo, that might have been interesting.

5. This is nice. You have a definite subject and the horizon and "sand" lines are off center from top to bottom. Maybe stepping back (if you had room) and getting all of the driftwood in the photo might have improved this one. Having the one branch extending off of the frame is bothersome. Perhaps if it went out exactly in a corner it might have been okay.

Info on the rule of thirds: Rule of Thirds

[N_Addy]

Excellent advice from Patti. I agree with all of her comments.

My only other thought is that you had a really tough sky for shooting that day. An overcast day does an great job of diffusing available light and reducing the harshness of a mid-day sun but it can also make landscape shots a challenge. On days like that I find myself concentrating more on close-ups and stills where the sky does not need to be visible in the frame.

[Marburg]

I liked them.