Papago Dusk

[bruizjr]

Here is my first attempt at photography, please feel free to comment on how I could have improved these shots. Pictures taken at Papago Park, Phoenix, AZ.

http://members.cox.net/bruizjr/Papago1.jpg

http://members.cox.net/bruizjr/Papago2.jpg

[clkgtr37]

Good to see another AZ shooter. Oddly enough, I have a photo shoot there tomorrow. :)

[simmonsrandal]

Where is Papago Park? I'm in Chandler and have never heard of it?

bruizjr,

I love you website!!

[bruizjr]

Van Buren and Galvin Parkway. If you're in Chandler, take the 202 to Priest, take Priest north and you should see the pictures I took after a couple blocks. Take a trip, you'll enjoy it!

[marie]

bruizjr>
Here is my first attempt at photography, please feel free to comment on how I could have improved these shots. Pictures taken at Papago Park, Phoenix, AZ.

unquote




bruizjr !
howdy

oh god, I had just swore (to myself)
that I wouldn't say another thing about pictures shown , however have just seen yours : )
and since you ask ,
deep breath....... (mine )...........
you need to get another way of looking at things which you would like to take good pictures of, especially in a place like this (where you were at the time )

everyone is mentioning how to get there : )
hope they make it
by the way I too have a friend living in phoenix : )))))
(west fairmount )

but as regards taking the photographs
you need to cut out a lot of the foreground and get the subject matter into the picture, cutting out a lot of the other stuff.
and get rid of the dark shadows , make sure you are standing in the right position for the sunshine to fall in the right places to enable you to show the scenes you want to show and at their very best
I am not too good at explaining
ha ha ha
tell me something new, but you get the drift
now get the pictures : ))))

have a nice trip
should be terrific
hope you all meet up maybe
thats a real nice opportunity

marie

[bruizjr]

Thanks Marie, your input is exactly what I am looking for. I am wide open to hearing criticism.

[Leighow]

Well, I am no expert.

Some of this has to come from the moment.. the momemt when you were filled with joy, wonderment and this natural beauty. The extent to which photography is about the splendor of light the second shot is a wonderful scene.

How about simplfying this shot? Try croping:
- just left of the high peaks,
- somewhere around the shadowed area, then
- crop the botton so that the sunlight wedge starts in the bottom left hand corner
- cut down the sky a bit
- the shot may have to rotated a couple of degrees CCW -- to increase stability.
- then clean out the brush shadow in the lower left light.

That will give you a simplier image.:
... with dramatic light
... and with movement along the light and shadow lines. ..
...and with the mountains on a "golden mean".


But notice that these lines lead of to infinity somewhere off-screen to the right. What you may then want to consider next time is a composition that drives the light towards (or away from) these peaks. Now that is not possible with this take. So you might ask yourself in what season, and at what time of the day, and from what vantage point (on a circumference around the peaks_ , would the light be working with me to create light & shadows that continue to be dramatic. .

All this to say .. check out my post under "Talk" on "evlaluating photopgraphs" for ideas on evaluating an image, and check ot the tips at Kodak's site.

HOWIE

[pistolpete]

1st attempt? then well done.
Both quite well balanced compositions, but look at what attracted you to the image in the first place. It may be that it comprises of only half of the resulting image, ie - get closer. I think it was Bill Brandt who said "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough". (someone will correct me if I've misquoted).
And, personally, I would go looking into those shadow areas, many of the very best landscapes are shot 'contre jour' (into the light), but you'll have to pay attention to exposure.
Happy shooting.
Pete