A couple from a workshop

[Delta Skies]

Last October was my 50th and Sarah, my wife, surprised me with a present of a Joe Cornish landscape photography workshop. Such is the demand for the few of these that get run I was only able to go last week. Having just purchased a D800 and a Zeiss 25mm lens the week before I was determined to make the most of the day. The workshop was run jointly with Joe Cornish and Mark Banks, both of which are excellent teachers. I learned a lot especially about how to see a photograph. I would highly recommend to anyone going on one of these.

I've included a couple of images I came back with. The first one isn't one I'd normally choose to put online but it's more a personal one due to the approach to finding the image taught on the day. #1 came after a yomp up a hill and a lovely time looking for the image and then waiting for the light to change as the Sun went down opposite. Again I guess another one taken from a personal view of the scene.

#1
Clover next to Blow Gill by Delta Skies, on Flickr

#2
Evening Light from Hawnby Hill Crag by Delta Skies, on Flickr

 

[posiview]

Hi, Peter, #1 is a nice scene, but I'd like to see a much wider DOF, mainly because the FG isn't too interesting - a colourful flower, IMO would work better. Also, I'd have removed the leaves on the border. Scott kelby calls this 'border patrol'.

#2 is for me. It's unusual to see a landscape in portrait orientation. Were the stones that blue? I had a quick edit on LR and added some graduation to the sky - darkened and saturated a tad. Worked for me.

How to see a photograph - seems easy and producing a photograph is quite easy but producing a great photograph I'm finding is very hard.

Cheers.

 

[Delta Skies]

Thanks for the feedback Andy. I agree a stronger foreground would have worked. That clover shouted out to me but as an image it's not a strong. Give it a few weeks and the area around little stream will be full of some wonderful autumn colours so I'm keen to go back again.

On #2 I was keen to try and keep the image as I remembered it at the time rather than play too much in PP. Playing around I did try a PP grad and even bumped some of the colours levels but decided to leave it as it was. Very valid suggestions though and something I'd probably normally do.

As for seeing the photograph, this was what I was trying to gain the most from the day. I've spent about the last 30 years in IT which is full of 1's and 0's and things that are either right or wrong. I therefore keep being told off by Sarah for looking for perfection. There is no such thing so why do I need to find it in my landscape photos. It's a journey but hopefully my eyes have been widened last week it my approach to finding the photo I want to take and asking myself the question about why I am shooting a particularly scene. Hopefully this will improve my photography.