What's wrong here?

I discovered the "rate the photo above you" last week and have had fun posting several. Felt pretty good with mostly 8s and 9s.

I post one I think is pretty good; pleasing to me anyway. I get a 5! That means "poor, borderline bad".

Anyway; I'm all for improvement, but I just don't see it so I thought I'd get another opinion or two.

Critique? Comment?

asty80 wrote in post #15894534
5/10 sorry I couldnt figure out what that picture was about. Too many elements with the trees, house, logs with no clear focus to draw the eye to.

I saw this photo in the thread you're talking about. For what it's worth, I agree with the rating, and would probably have given it a 5/10 myself.

Now before you get offended, I'm not God's gift to photography. I get super lucky with a halfway decent shot every now and again, but most of my stuff is mediocre at best. So I'm not saying your shot is crap because I think my stuff is all that.

If you don't mind, I'm going to put up a photo I took back in November, on my first landscape photo trip, for comparison:

I agree that it would be a 5 or 6. It isn't a bad photo, but nothing is exciting about it... No mood, no story, no drama, lighting is not very exciting... Sure, the scene is pretty, but even then, the huge tree trunks are shadowed which lessens their impact. The cabin is the focus but it is cut off on the right. The same scene could be a great photo from a different angle with better lighting and drama. This is more of a snapshot.

jeremytf wrote in post #15895809
I agree that it would be a 5 or 6. It isn't a bad photo, but nothing is exciting about it... No mood, no story, no drama, lighting is not very exciting... Sure, the scene is pretty, but even then, the huge tree trunks are shadowed which lessens their impact. The cabin is the focus but it is cut off on the right. The same scene could be a great photo from a different angle with better lighting and drama. This is more of a snapshot.

I pretty much agree with everything being mentioned in this post.

Fair enough and I'm not overly attached to it; I just find it pleasing. Good learning tool.

I did see a few flaws; just not ruinous. The little tree in front of the Sequoia for example; but I thought it was redeamed by the Thomas Kinkade like scene it painted. I saw all the wooding as wrap-around the cabin; creating an idealistic environment.

Maybe I'm seeing the story behind it more than the pic itself. This particular cabin has a lot of historical importance to the preservation of the Giant Sequoia. It's not an imitation for tourists.

Anyway; your comments are much appreciated! Thanks Jedi for spending the time for such a detailed response.

Hey; I'll take an honest 5 over a pampered ego-9 any day!

I guess its revealing that I don't see the issues.

regardless of the score if you like the photo then print it...but I would chose a different angle to get the whole cabin or shot it as a 3 shot panorama ....but that's me

All good ideas. This thread made me rethink the photo.

I hope to re-visit Yosimite this Summer so will give that a try. Less is more is nice but the story to be told has to be about these thousand year old giants - so it's a question of balancing that in as a cohesive scene.

Note: I didn't think the shot was all that; but I do find it pleasing. Not to print, but as a screen saver or such. I'm starting to agree that it's a snapshot of a very pleasing scene. It could be a lot better. The fact that I didn't take time to do it justice makes it deserve a 4 or 5; 6 at most.

Glad I started this secondary thread, and that everyone gave me such ernest and honest advice, to open my eyes a bit. Thanks!

also panorama can be vertical for tall trees and tall buildings,

here a link to look at...http://www.cambridgein​colour.com …als/digital-panoramas.htm

I'm still trying to digest the advice - and reconcile it with the challenge of having multiple imposing and interesting subjects in the same shot.

Check this Google Image search forgreat landscapes.

Most do observe the "less is more" and "singularity of primary subject". However; sometimes the scene is the subject, ortwo or more subjects blend to a single message. Consider the center frame of image 4 here; Creation of Adam. There's God and there's Adam. Would you say it's a bad image because we don't know which is the prime subject?

My shot has many technical flaws that make it a mere snapshot I took on a mid-day tour; in fact it was "snapped" from my seat in the Caterpillar-Tour-bus as it rounded the corner. It was an accident it came out (I thought) with a pleasing composition. If I were serious about capturing it; I think I'd first off have to arrive just after sunrise, bring a tripod, and go from there.

The theme would be to portray what the Sequoia caretaker imagines as a scene of his home if he had to leave and bring it as a reminder.

I think the framing would remain as 2x3 Landscape, to match the shape of the cabin. I'd clean up the stray trees and try to make anything like fallen logs and fence contribute to the feeling. I'd try to use light, and shadow, to add richness and focus. It would absolutely have to have the cabin and the Sequoias as prominent images; but blended into a single "scene".

Its not to say a pano (vertical or horiz) wouldn't look really great; it just wouldn't fit over my fireplace!

I took this same picture in 2004. Here is what I did with it. Now I'm not saying mine is better, its just a different perspective of the same shot.

Now I'm all wierded out. Is this some kind of famous cabin?

It's in the Meriposa grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite, brochure here.

According to this brochure, it's actually a gift shop but it's built on the site where Galen Clark built his cabin in 1861. He and John Muir were leaders in Yosemite's preservation. Galen spent his life at it; apparently some of it in the cabin he build on this location.

Edit: Grizz - thanks for posting your take from several years earlier. Beautiful. Those saplings came along a bit in those years.

I had sort of discounted the critiques saying my shot needed to pick one object as the subject, but your shot has shown me the possibilities.

Unfortunately we've decided to go to Maui rather than Yosemite this Summer (yes, such misfortune LOL) but some day ....