Hi, I am new to this forum, and very much a hobbyist at this, but I thought I would post a couple of shots from a trip to NZ in 2006 to see what you think.
I like them, but alwayds looking for tips for improving
I like the view across the lake, seems like a place with lots of opportunities.
I am not so keen on the harsh light. It flattens the colours too much. If you can go back early or late when the light is warm and rich and bring out the colours, or even on a bright rainy day, that might work too.
Compositionally, the second is quite good with two main elements (rocks and tree) placed on a diagonal. In the first, I find the big boulder blocks my view and is a bit overpowering.
Keep posting!
Ute
Welcome to FM, Adam!
I concur with Ute's analysis. Lovely scenes with lots of possibilities in nicer light. And I also like the 2nd's compo more. I would add that the horizon being dead center doesn't always work. Sometimes it does, but play with variations to emphasize the lake and mountains, or the sky. For example, in the 2nd, I think cropping about 1/2 the sky off makes for a more pleasing comp, imho.
Keep at it and, yes, keep posting!
Lake Tekapo is one of the most spectacular and beautiful lakes in the world. I do not get that feeling from your pictures. It is as though you are photographing a beautiful woman from a millimeter away; all we see are little bits of skin. For nearly all of us aspiring photographers, composition is the most difficult aspect to master and so it is in these. If you are lucky enough to go back to Lake Tekapo, I suggest you move up the sides of the nearby mountain. Then your options will improve and so will your photograph.
Thanks for the comments guys - much appreciated. We only got to spend an hour or so at the lake on a whistlestop touring holiday from the UK.
We now live in NZ (we liked it so much) and I will be back at the lake over xmas. I have upgraded my camera gear since these photos and hopefully my skills a teeny bit. I used to have a 350D and kit lenses - now have a 40d and a sigma 10-20 (amongst others).
I may even play around with the second one in PS just to see what different crops look like to give me a better view on composition for next time.
