Thanks, Linda. I have been using LR and flipping it back and forth from color to b&w there. Now I have another option - and before I leave the scene!!

I just have to give a loud and sincere thank you to all of you who took the time and interest to share your composition thoughts with me. I have my work cut out for me and now the opportunity is in my lap to learn from your assistance. What a great compilation of experience you all offered. You all do the UHH proud. I am so glad I went from just reading to engaging with you all.

PP Forum - a gold mine for! sure! What a wonderful resource

Wow - I was totally oblivious to your suggestions - never would have gone the extra mile, but see the vast improvement as a result of your suggested changes. Thanks s much!!

Beautiful and majestic! What camera, lens, ISO, F-stop, and shutter speed did you use for these exquisite shots? Thanks - just really great.

Thanks for the support, Longshadow.

Hi Folks - I have spent way too much time looking out through the lens and not enough time looking back into my experience base. I am woefully weak in composition basics and advanced aspects of composition and would like advice on resources you folks have cherished concerning composition. Much like some of the great references for exposure (Perfect Exposure by Michael Freeman or The Optimum Digital Exposure by Bob DiNatale) there must be great references for the art of composition. Please share your favorites. Suggestions that I take some educational classes probably would be very beneficial, but that is not a practical option right now. Are there websites, books, youtube possibilities? There must be. What are your "go to" sources for composition inspiration? I have Googled the Net and plan to continue that, but specifically, I am interested in how you all got your skills honed.

I have taken some of your great advice and wanted to share the results. Thanks for all of your guidance.

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Very interesting concept to me and enjoyed your sense of play...

Linda - Great suggestion re refocusing my mindset. Loved the website.

Thanks, Linda. I was born in a snowbank in Bangor...

Thanks so much for your comments, observations, perspectives, and preferences. I have been dwelling on the shot and your comments and wondered where the lines between subject, context, and distraction come into play with composition challenges. Do any of you fine folks know of any great references like those for exposure (Perfect Exposure by Michael Freeman or The Optimum Digital Exposure by Bob DiNatale) that would address my cropping issues (...they just seem to keep cropping up)? Thanks again for all of your great input.

Hi Longshadow and pdsdville, I worried that the square crop made it look too formal and structured. But that still may be the best that can be squeezed from it. Thanks, again.

Thank you for comments. I appreciate the extra eyes on it a lot.

Hi Everyone . This is my first post, but I have been enjoying the Forum for about 2 years. Yes, I am a little slow. I took a photo of one of my peonies in the front yard and eventually figured that it might look good among some my white plates and pitchers in the kitchen. My dilemma is how to determine what cropping choices would work well for this photo. I know that it depends on what looks good to me, but much like the Rule of Thirds, there may be some guidelines that could steer me to make more informed decisions about cropping in general. How would you best like to see it presented and more importantly for my photographic growth - why. Thanks for your consideration and comments. (ISO 200, 90mm lens, f 4.8, 1/25 sec - hand held and not a wise idea, sorry)