First Post-Be Honest

I shot this just after first light using a 5DMK11 and 70-200L. Please be honest, I can take it.

its nice but, there isnt much to really look at...

I like the blue tones of the sky but I agree with canonnoob. As the photographer, what did you want the viewer to focus on? I assume it was something in the foreground since that's where the emphasis is.

I really like it. The moon reflecting in the water is interesting. You could even crop out the sky, but then you would have to get rid of the reflection of the moon because it would just look like a white spot.

Technically, the photo is well executed. However, it is just a little boring is all. The three elements to a dynamic landscape shot are: great lighting, engaging subject matter, and excellent composition. The lighting is not too bad, the composition works, but the subject matter is just a little boring. Of course, this is my opinion.

It's a photo of the coastal prairie of Florida. It's supposed to be subtle.

Point of interest is the reflection of the moon IMHO
I like it

Not enough to hold interest. Far background looks overexposed.

the image itself is executed well,
the background is a bit too bright (maybe burn some of it really a bit just to even things)
i too think the point of interest is the moon's reflection, but it is small and it takes some time to notice,
what you want from your subject is to be the first thing the eye focus on without a doubt, it is small enough to compete with other elements in the foreground in terms of viewer's attention,
I like the gradient feel of the sky, its very smooth.
if there was some more strong point of interest, say a crocodile in the water or an animal in the foreground to the right, it would do the image wonders... but we cant have all of what we want, and with what you had to work with you did just fine.
overall the image is nice imo

edit: and of course, sharpness is fantastic!

Works for me, a slightly darker sky perhaps but I think it is a nice shot.

d

Allow image editing for examples of different crops and toning.

I saw what you were going for. Problem is how much you are trying to fit in.

The fact that the foreground is shaded, and the distant background is in full sun make this a tough shot. You could probably do some stuff in post to make the foreground area pop a little more, but that wont help the washed out elements in the background.

I think what most of us agree here is that the picture is too loaded. Too many things to find the subject in the picture. The background is bright, the foreground is underexposed and what we think was your main object to show actually takes too little on the frame.
Like in most things and certainly in design simplicity is a key element. Too much causes confusion and lack of interest.

I disagree that the image is not interesting. I think it's a great shot, composed well, and would make a great wall hanging. Not all imagery has to be so blatant that you either take it all in right away or don't bother. Take some time and enjoy it, let your eyes meander through it. I think it's quite nice.

However it's REALLY bothering me that the horizon is straight, yet the moon and it's reflection are not in vertical sync. I also think you could burn in the horizon a bit too.

=)

Also, there is no Mark 11, And your EXIF says it's a 35mm lens, not a 70-200.

Where this possibly suffers is that most people are probably scrolling down and hence seeing sections out of context. When seen in it's entirety, it makes sense and is a fine looking image.