The Cottage that once was...

[Joeturner11]

Just found out a shot from a Trip to the Isle of Uist hiding on the hard drive from April, Still can't believe the weather we had, 6/7 out of the 10 days we had there were blue sky all day long!
All C&C welcome

1/200 - f/9 - ISO 50 - LEE 0.45ND Soft Grad.

 

[sbowler579]

Looks an interesting cottage there Joe, personally I would like to see it more prominent in the frame I don't think the foreground adds much to shot. Lovely blue sky though.

 

[Deleted member 66071]

Tend to agree with Steve the cottage would have been better coming further to front ,this certainly would make it the main feature of the photo.
There does not appear anything in the front foreground that stands out, thus front appears a bit flat.
Certainly a nice part of the isles Joe and you seemed to have caught good weather.
GEORGE.

 

[SFTPhotography]

I hate to be harsh but there is a few issues here.

1. Light. Its quite hard and severe, I know its a bleak area but some shadows cast by the cottage would add some real depth. Low sun gives you this.
2. Exposure, its a fair bit under. I suspect as you shoot wildlife you are very keen to avoid clipping whites and losing detail, and maybe under expose a bit to compensate then pull out in post. Its what I do the few times I shot birds etc. There is half a stop here under, maybe more.
3. Composition. I am ok with the off centre placement of the cottage, indeed I like it. That water pool looks ripe for a reflection if you could get back and lower, that would be cool.
4. Clouds, don't be afraid of them, some fluffy whites would really add to this.

What I might have been tempted to do is cross the water, stand near one of these big rocks, use that as foreground and stand in a diagnoal angle to the cottage and go for a big sky.

I know its a different subject but this sort of idea...

_DSC1503 (1) by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

 

[Joeturner11]

I hate to be harsh but there is a few issues here.

1. Light. Its quite hard and severe, I know its a bleak area but some shadows cast by the cottage would add some real depth. Low sun gives you this.
2. Exposure, its a fair bit under. I suspect as you shoot wildlife you are very keen to avoid clipping whites and losing detail, and maybe under expose a bit to compensate then pull out in post. Its what I do the few times I shot birds etc. There is half a stop here under, maybe more.
3. Composition. I am ok with the off centre placement of the cottage, indeed I like it. That water pool looks ripe for a reflection if you could get back and lower, that would be cool.
4. Clouds, don't be afraid of them, some fluffy whites would really add to this.

What I might have been tempted to do is cross the water, stand near one of these big rocks, use that as foreground and stand in a diagnoal angle to the cottage and go for a big sky.

I know its a different subject but this sort of idea...

_DSC1503 (1) by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Hi mate, thanks for the good C&C,

Regarding to your points Light wise, couldn't have been helped, was photographing wildlife at the time funny enough so thought it was worth the grab shot considering the weather was superb. I sadly couldn't really do much with the composition as this was the closest I could get as the area was fenced off as it is someone's farm , I shot the image portraiture not landscape because there was a rather unattractive Caravan & newer building next to it each side, it seems most people on the Island have one of these ruined cottages in their gardens! Would have been nice to get some clouds in the shot but that day there wasn't a cloud in the sky, highly unusual to be saying that on Uist at the time! I know what you mean pal got a near identical shot to yours at Glencoe, Guess this one can head to the trash as I got tons of shots on the webby from up there Landscapes wise, was editing this the other day and didn't know if it was 'website worthy' so to speak, guess I have the answer now, thanks again for your time to comment bud