1st try at landscapes

This weekend we off in to the country side of NSW to visit some of the wifes relatives and whilst there I thought I would try some landscapes. I quite like the results but they just seem to be lacking something, although I am not really sure what that something is.

You thoughts people.

Canola field
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/thumb_Canolafield1.jpg[/IMG]

Trees
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/thumb_treespanorama.jpg[/IMG]

Regards
PaulM

# 1 looks real interesting to me if you crop a couple inches off the top...
but they are both good.....

I like em!

2 doesn't really grab me. But I like 1, though I'd also crop. But, unlike Don, from the foreground not from the top. IMHO the sky is THE standout feature (though the colourful fields are nice too) and I wouldn't want to lose any. If you crop from the bottom (around halfway or more to the shade on the right), I think you get a more interesting composition - keeping enough of the fields but having a (relatively) larger sky.

Thanks for you input Don and Dr.

Tried the two crops as suggested see below

The Sky cropped for Don
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/Canola-field_crop1-sky.jpg[/IMG]

The field cropped for Dr. Mhuni
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/Canola-field_crop2-field.jpg[/IMG]

Are the about right or to much crop?

Regards
PaulM

I like!

I actually like the fields in the first now - however, the sky looks wrong and I think you'll struggle to find anywhere where you can crop it 'naturally'.

Re. the second - that's more radical than I'd imagined. I'd crop about halfway between where you did and the bottom of the original.

I like them both - the first ('original') version. However a little bottom crop on the first picture may work well.
Among both of them I prefer the first one, but the trees look interesting too, almost artificial in the scenery

Great first attempts.

What the first image is lacking is something in the foreground. It would have been cracking if you had managed to get lower and down into the grass giving the eye something to lead us into the picture. Then you would have had something in the foreground, middle and background, as opossed to just the mid and back.

Great efforts though, keep on going.

I like the last crop... nice sky.

Held a sheet of paper up to the screen on first image. I cropped at the base of the middle tree. Brings the sky forward even more?

Regards

A cacking shot either way because you have room to manouver.

Of your 2 photographs No1 is by far the best. You have captured some nice lighting and some good points of interest. To me the main points of interest in your photo are: The apex of the hill, the clouds above and slightly to the right on the apex, and the bright yellow patch and tree on the far right. The hedge on the right also provides a lead in towards the hill. With this in mind, I would crop approx 3 1/2 inches off the left and 1 1/4 inches off the bottom. NB I have a 19 inch monitor.

Landscape composition rarely works with the main point of interest in the centre of the image.

Composition and lighting are the main things in successful landscapes. With composition the rule of thirds is a good starting point. If you divide the scene into equal thirds both horizontally and vertically. For good landscape composition it is often preferable to have, a foreground point of interest (POI) and a background POI. If the foreground POI is placed on the bottom left intersection of the thirds and the backgound POI on the top right intersection of the thirds, then your photos should be much stronger. This would be a good starting point, but of course rules are made to be broken.
I hope this helps.

Agree. Crop from bottom, but not so much
Shouldnt cut the clouds.

The key for another landscape - the trees - is contrast.
It is nice scenery but you are still lacking light and vivid colors.
There is a kind of mist on it. Using levels it is very easy to make it shine.
Of course only my opinion



or maybe even like this:

I prefer the original version of the first image, that sky against what I assume is the yellow of the rape seed is a nice contrast. The only change I would make is to crop about 15% from the bottom.

Thanks for the feedback everyone,

PeterMac - I was trying to use the yellow flowers to lead the eye in, I will try getting closer next time.

GrahamWalton - Good advice, thanks. I didn't think of that when I was composing my shot, I was concentrating on the clouds and the hill / trees. I guess I need to just take a few more seconds before pressing the shutter.

Aiki - Thanks that was what I was trying to capture. The dark clouds behind the trees and the sunlight lighting them from in front making them really stand out.

Some good points that I need to focus on for my next try.

Regards
PaulM