First landscape

[Duckydoodle]

First attempt at a landscape and first attempt taking one using manual setting.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/1327/Lake_island_view_copy2.jpg

Comments welcome :)

[Vinny]

Nice Ducky - everything seems to be there. Where is it?

[Lady Pitstop]

Well done for using manual :)

Looks good - but perhaps needs a wee bit more space either side or even just to the right or left - jmo :)

[tomstorey]

Sky looks rather bland. Not absolutely certain what the subject of the pictures is....is it the duck(s) or the island, the water?....sorry but it does hold my attention.
Can't understand why you used manual for this shot when you have a perfectly good mode in Aperture Priority which you can set for Depth of Field if needed.
Suggest you read up on photo composition and decide what the subject of your picture is going to be before you click.
Sorry if this sounds harsh but it is a complete waste of time if I just say it's nice or ok.
Tom

[Ugs]

To me the island itself is to the subject - birds all around it and nests visible on it .... its a bird santuary.

I like it.

[Ajophotog]

Nice attempt Ducky and would be improved if you straightened it as it is running down on the left. I like the reflections. ;)

[chenng]

For what it is, it is well exposed, so good work. For me though, the composition is stronger cropping out the bottom of the image, losing the two ducks in the foreground. This would put the base of the island more on the bottom 'third line'. And a little rotation cw too would help. Landscape is tricky on a manual setting, but if you get it right I think far more satisfying than bunging the camera in automatic (or semi automatic).

tomstorey - obviously you can still alter depth of field in full manual..

For a first attempt duckydoodle, it's not bad!

[mxfun]

Sky looks rather bland. Not absolutely certain what the subject of the pictures is....is it the duck(s) or the island, the water?....sorry but it does hold my attention.
Can't understand why you used manual for this shot when you have a perfectly good mode in Aperture Priority which you can set for Depth of Field if needed.
Suggest you read up on photo composition and decide what the subject of your picture is going to be before you click.
Sorry if this sounds harsh but it is a complete waste of time if I just say it's nice or ok.
Tom Nothing like a bit of incouragement..just my opinion mind :thumbsdown:

[RobertP]

I think it is a good start!

I also think you have received some useful feedback above. Aperture priority is the mode I use for landscapes but there is nothing wrong with using manual and you will learn a lot that way.

The composition could use some work and including some close foreground and applying the rule of thirds (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=24859) may help.

[Mr Bing]

very nice shot then bud

[Duckydoodle]

Thanks to everyone that gave me encouraging comments. I agree that I need to work on my composition and will do some more reading and work on using the rule of thirds. As a beginner criticism is useful and helps to improve photography skills but harshness can be discouraging. I've been practising using manual because I wanted to have more control and satisfaction in my photography and I thought this was what I should be aiming to do if I was serious about photography. I will take on board what everyone has said and hope to show improvement in future landscapes. Thanks again everyone :)

[Cuddy]

Its a good start, your braver than me havent ventured into manual yet. Some good advice here one or two things that i should take note of so its constructive advice for me.

[tomstorey]

I've been practising using manual because I wanted to have more control and satisfaction in my photography......:)

Don't want to start a flame war over my simple comments but I suspect you have been misled over the use of manual, perhaps you could tell me how you arrived at the aperture and shutter settings for this shot?

[Duckydoodle]

Don't want to start a flame war over my simple comments but I suspect you have been misled over the use of manual, perhaps you could tell me how you arrived at the aperture and shutter settings for this shot?

It was a bright sunny morning so set shutter speed 1/125, aperture f8.0.
I'm still very new at this and am still using my Olympus digital!!
I'm afraid of response :(

[RobertP]

Nothing to be afraid of :)

I'd suggest you take the same shot on a variety of settings then compare the results. F8 - F16 is an average landscape setting for good depth of field. Sometimes I'll use f22 and low iso if I want to get the shutter down to around 1/10th for a bit of movement blur on water in a stream etc.

[Duckydoodle]

Thanks Robert. When the sun decides to shine again in my neck of the woods I shall be out there giving this shot another go and following your good advice :)

[tomstorey]

It was a bright sunny morning so set shutter speed 1/125, aperture f8.0.
I'm still very new at this and am still using my Olympus digital!!
I'm afraid of response :(
Don't worry!...I just wanted to point you in the right direction. As a beginner I suggest you only use manual if you have a good reason to do so e.g panorama or Flash -fill. This topic has been well covered in another forum so I won't repeat it here....have a look at this thread, it contains lots of common sense advice from dwalby.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=26298012
Hope this helps.
Tom

[RobertP]

Exif says the camera is an Olympus C5000 which is a compact.

Some of the above advice may be a bit misleading as the range of options is less for a compact. I'd say you have probably used the best combination in the shot above that you could. You get much better depth of field with a compact camera so F8 will be fine.

Just work on your composition :)

you can still experiment with the settings. You might like the way f2.8 isolates a close subject from the distant background for example.

[Duckydoodle]

Thanks for the advice Tom appreciate you taking the time :)

Thanks for that Robert. I can't wait to get a DSLR. Thought I was going to get one from santa but funds were diverted elsewhere. I love photography and feel so limited by my Olympus but will keep experimenting with settings and will definitely work on my composition :)

[tomstorey]

Exif says the camera is an Olympus C5000 which is a compact..

Ooops!...sorry I assumed it was a DSLR.

[PixelFusion]

Everyone has to start from somewhere :) for manual mode on a compact it's not bad at all. Few imperfections like mentioned before, like the slight tilt toward the left of the picture. But either way, good start :) keep clicking & over time it will come naturally to you.

[Duckydoodle]

Thanks for the encouragement Pixel it's much appreciated. I've noted all the imperfections and hopefully will do a better job next time.
Really appreciate all the honest critique how else will I improve :)

[D_Aitchison]

That looks very familiar to a place i know just outside of Glasgow, a wee place called Coatbridge? It's not there is it?

I can't comment on the photo, other than i think it looks good. I am also a complete newbie.

[Duckydoodle]

That looks very familiar to a place i know just outside of Glasgow, a wee place called Coatbridge? It's not there is it?

I can't comment on the photo, other than i think it looks good. I am also a complete newbie.

Thanks for looking :)
It was actually taken in a park in Sandwell in the West Midlands.

[D_Aitchison]

Ah well, I was a mile (Well several miles) out.

[a1ex2001]

I would have left a bit more space on either side of the island so as not to cut off the trees and got down a bit lower to take it, other than that can't really fault it not a stunner but not bad either.

[Byrhtnoth]

I'd suggest you take the same shot on a variety of settings then compare the results.

Best advice ever :clap:

I spent 4 hours set up at a weir pool, taking over 250 shots of the same picture, but with all different settings. :cuckoo:
Then once uploaded onto my computer i studied each one to see the results with what settings I had used :geek:

Im still learning lots, but I found this way of learning far better than reading about it.

Hope you get your DLSR soon ;)

[Duckydoodle]

Best advice ever :clap:

I spent 4 hours set up at a weir pool, taking over 250 shots of the same picture, but with all different settings. :cuckoo:
Then once uploaded onto my computer i studied each one to see the results with what settings I had used :geek:

Im still learning lots, but I found this way of learning far better than reading about it.

Hope you get your DLSR soon ;)

4 hours taking the same shot wow that's dedication for you :)
Thanks for the advice sounds like a good idea. Although I enjoy reading, for something as hands on as photography practice and experimentation combined with theory is a much better way of learning for me.