AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I took this photo very late in the day of a dead tree reflected in a pond. I also have a vertical one of the same, but with a few ducks in the water. This is SOOC, and a small camera at that. Please don't make suggested corrections, but please do suggest corrections to make it better.

Reflection

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

My immediate first impression: Nice, but lacks a center of interest. I'm honestly not sure there are "pictures within a picture" here, either. I love reflections, and this one is still "nice," but is honestly otherwise "meh," and I don't see a way to "fix" it. Sometimes you can take something like this and apply some post-process "whoopee" filters to get something out of it, but (and I do NOT wish to hurt your feelings!) this one, to me anyway, has no "there" there. :|

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I like rippled reflections; however, in this case the tree trunks are thick and featureless and take up too much of the frame to be pleasing, IMO.

Does your vertical shot show thinner branches from the top of the tree and/or more open water? Maybe post to compare?

A thought for this one: close-ups of just a few patterns might make interesting abstracts, especially if displayed in a grouping.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

I'd have taken the shot too. I always take pictures of reflections, I like them so much. However, most of them don't look that great to me when I look at them later. This one, though well captured, lacks a strong center of interest and a clear compositional plan. I would be willing to bet that the ones with the ducks are going to be more pleasing. A duck floating in a reflection should make an interesting image. The colors, the muted shapes, and the ripples are all there. Would you share one of the ducks-included shots? I also agree with Linda's suggestion about cropped or closeup versions as abstracts, to focus on the color and textures.

jerryg Loc: NE Pa

My only suggestion is to trash it. It has no interest, no thought, no focus.

Bmac Loc: Long Island, NY

Nice constructive critique. :roll:
If this is the only thing you have to say why say anything? 8-)

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Thanks, everyone, for looking and commenting. I think with Jerryg around, I won't post any more.

Peter Boyd Loc: Blyth nr. Newcastle U.K.

Don't let idiots like that put you off, there are many more decent people here, as you will find if you stay. Keep shooting and keep posting.

Pete.

Nightski

Thanks so much for your thoughts, Jerry. I edited out the non compliant one for you. :-) ....You're welcome.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

There are more people willing to help than not. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much help you will get if you can ignore the offensive posts.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I thought you got some great feedback on your "Too Blue?" post. Why stop having fun because someone else is having a bad day?

Nightski

AzPicLady, here is a link that may inspire you to try some more reflections. Heck, it's inspiring me! Do you think I could use some of these on ice covered lakes....LOL

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-reflections-in-water

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

It would be a shame if you let one unpleasant old grump chase you off. I kinda sorta said what he said, but I made every effort to say it nicely. I see no reason for the "Simon Cowell" approach (and I frankly despise Simon Cowell—he is deliberately cruel). The point of this section is to try to provide advice and counsel so folks can learn something. You did get good feedback on your "Too Blue?" post, which if I recall the consensus was no, it was not Too Blue. This post is "nice," as I said. It's well exposed and has long scale, but as noted it lacks something—I think it's a center of interest. What you learn from that is to go back and try again, maybe using some of the ideas from Nightski's good link. I think I know what you were after—an abstract, just the reflection rather than what made it, and that's great. I've done it myself. I know it's tough sometimes to see the composition in a reflection alone. I keep going back and looking again, and now I wonder what would happen if you cropped radically from bottom—all the way up to the crotch of the tree, cropping away all the sky, and then from left to the trunk. That would begin to look more mysterious, more abstract. Just a thought. :)

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Thanks, Chuck. I'll try that crop and see what it looks like. I appreciate your comment.

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

AzPicLady, I am always finding pictures within pictures and found one by downloading your photo and trying out a few. I cropped to get a diagonal reflection that runs from just below the black-rimmed tan circles in the middle of the photo, up and left to include 6 jutting out portions on the right of the diagonal, and on the left border, right where it seems to meet another tree. I cropped out a portion in the bottom blue section to that there is mostly a blue lower left corner, heightened the contrast, and increased the structure. There "is" a beautiful photo in there, and the nice part is, other than enhancing what you already have, I didn't apply any art effectes to get there. I would dearly love to show it to you, but per your wishes have provided only the recommendations as how to get there.