You were there at the wrong time of day. Go back when the light is better.
John
On Sat, 3 Jul 2004 07:27:14 -0400, Tom Reese <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Daniel J. Matyola stopped bragging about being the basis for the character
"Bluto" in Animal House long enough to write:
"Quechee Gorge is one of my favorite places. Located in central Vermont
(USA), near the New Hampshire border, it is where US 4 crosses the
Ottauquechee River, 163 feet (54 meters) below. The highway bridge was
originally a railroad bridge, built in 1911 to replace a 19th century wooden
railroad bridge.
http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=409872
I would appreciate any suggestions on how I could take a photograph that would show the unique qualities of this site better or from a more interesting perspective."
I'm no expert in landscape photography but I am an enthusiast. Big landscapes can be difficult to shoot. A couple suggestions I can make are to:
shoot from angles that keep the sky out of the frame on overcast days
think about your shots: "what do I want to show in this frame?" and then compose your picture to best bring out that feature and eliminate distractions
shoot what are called "intimate landscapes" where you're isolating pieces of
the landscape and not trying to jam too much into one picture
specifically (these are my opinions only. I don't claim to be an expert and
you did ask for suggestions):
picture one with the bridge: I think the picture could have been improved if
you had moved slightly forward and captured the S shape of the river. The
rock in the middle foreground cuts the graceful curve of the river bed in
two and disturbs what could have been a strong graphic element in the shot.
I think you also put too much of that big rock in the foreground. The large
gray area draws the eye to it and it isn't all that interesting. You do want
some of the rock in the shot to give you a feeling of depth but I think you
overdid it on that one.
picture two with the river: I think pointing the camera downward and
eliminating the white sky and the crest of the mountain in the background
would help. The shot here is about the gorge, the river and the trees. The
trees on the right side cut the river in two and spoil the flow of the shot.
You could have moved to the left and eliminated that but then you'd have had
the river running straight down the center of the frame and that's usually
not very interesting. If you had moved to the left, aimed the camera
downward, and used a longer focal length to concentrate on the S curve in
the river you might have gotten a better shot. I don't like people in my
landscape pictures but a person standing on the riverbank might have given
you the sense of depth that you were looking for.
picture three: The foreground rock is too prominent in the shot. It's a
bright gray spot that draws the eye. I think you could have improved this
shot by stepping forward into the frame and given the reflection of the
rocks in the river more emphasis. It also would have eliminated the point in
the upper center where the rocks cut off the flow of water through the
frame.
I hope these help.
Tom Reese
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