Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I am new to landscape photography but am very fortunate to have moved to an area where even someone like me can capture some interesting pics. In the past I mostly shot Macro and Birds in Flight where you did not have to pay to much attention to composition or even worry too much about balancing the light in an image because the idea was to fill the frame as best you could with your subject and then crop it down to where the image was about your subject and not so much about the surroundings. Landscape it would seem to me requires a bit more thought, composition, and balancing of light. I am posting some images that I would love to be critiqued 2 of them are of the same falls shot a bit differently. I wish I could have gotten better position on the falls but there is an element of danger in photographing mountain streams, one has to consider their age and physical condition and try to operate within their limitations.

Would you consider printing any of these for your walls, do you like a particular image, hate a particular image, think that they are just so so.... and what do you like or dislike in these images.

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nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

They are all worthy of hanging, but if I had to choose one it would be #3

Alby144 Loc: Northern Nevada

I'd have to agree with nimbushopper!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I like all three, but if they were mine and I wanted to hang one, I'd select number three.
Position of the falls and the subsequent water; the tree leads me back to the falls; leaves & rock in front left.
(Nice amount of blur on the falls.)

captivecookie Loc: Washington state

I don't have a computer to see it big right now, but on my phone screen the branch extending from close to the camera point seems distracting to me. Otherwise, everything is pretty sharp except your beautifully blurred water, and it's a generally gorgeous scene.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

They all are very good, #1 is the only wall hanger that I see.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

In #1 the mini waterfalls and the deteriorating log provide two objects of interest, so the image is confused. Not critical, thu.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I find the fallen tree trunk in #1 to be distracting and overall it is the least favored for me. I prefer #2 but find the tree trunk on the right to be intrusive and distracting. The focus is clear and the blurring of the water fall is good. In #3 the tree trunk does give a bit of leading line but is still an intrusive object to me. Not knowing the surrounding area of the photos, I cannot say for sure how I would perhaps re-compose the shots. My thinking is to get a little more downstream and shoot under the tree that curves over the stream, if that would be possible.

Shootist Loc: Wyoming

I like all three. I do see the points made on this thread about distracting elements but I still think they have strong appeal. With the strong aspects of the images I would say you are well on the way to some real bang up shots.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

All 3 are lovely images worth printing because each one tells a different story from a composition standpoint. Since you ask the third image for me is the large wall hanger.But you as the creator has an emotional stake in your decision. That is what counts. Stan

bleirer

In my opinion having a big blurry blob on the edge of a frame is distracting. There is a principle of 'frame within the frame ' which can be used artistically to draw the eye to the main subject, but in this case I think it pulls the eye away because there is really no relationship between the two elements. I guess I'm saying crop more deeply to get rid of those distractions, thinking about what the photo is 'about' and what is most important and interesting.

Sorry if it seems harsh, just going for an honest answer.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Not to worry, landscape is a new venue for me and I am looking for critiques. One of the great things about putting these out there like this is that I get the subjective opinions of others who have no attachment to the images, and many of you folks have studied this form of photography and offer valued critiques.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Thanks everyone for weighing in, I appreciate all the comments especially those critical of the images, I put these out here to learn from others who are more experienced in landscape than I am. I hope to gather more opinions. One thing that I am thinking about is I may need to get some waders, the images of the small waterfall were taken pretty much from the edge of the stream, I did not have a tripod present so had to use rocks and trees to help steady the camera to get the silky water effect. If I go back to those falls I will try to bring a tripod and actually shoot from the stream.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

Very well use of the natural landscape and everything within the compositions. That fallen tree in #1 may be distracting, but I see it as a very natural scene with just the right amount of blur on the water. #3 is fantastic with the fallen tree as a leading line into the waterfall. About the only thing I try to do is go back to my favorite areas at different times during the day (sunrise/sunset) or different levels of cloudiness to add different effects.

Great job!

wjones8637 Loc: Burleson, TX

I would like to see number one cropped to a panorama with most of the big rock in the lower left removed. I keep being drawn to it instead of the falls and fallen tree.

Bill