Santee Sunset

[Barefoot]

I've got a good bit of time wrapped up in this one but just can't make my mind up about it. I know the horizon is smak dab in the middle, but I put the shore line below and the tree line above to help that out. Did I shoot to wide? No crop seems to help me like it any better. Where did I go wrong?

[Mad Aussie]

There are times when my eye sees an awesome photo just waiting to be taken ... I leap out of the car and take several shots. In the viewer they look good. But when I get them home, nothing I do makes them remotely special yet I know what I saw was special at the time. It's then I realize that what I took was a great backdrop photo in need of a great foreground or subject to make it work.

I think this might be what you are struggling with. You saw a cool sunset over water and the whole experience at the time told you it was a good shot ready to be taken, but the grass in front just doesn't cut it by itself, and the sunset isn't strong enough to be the centre of attention.

Zooming in to just silhouette a few blades of that grass against the sunset, or a piece of driftwood as foreground might have this a really good shot. Possibly a much wider angle if you were able would have helped also.

[Iguanasan]

I think Mad Aussie has hit the nail on the head. I love the colours in the sky and I can certainly see what drew you to take the image but to me there is just something missing. Still looks like it was a lovely place to take a photograph.

[Wicked Dark]

yep, MA is right. The backdrop isn't interesting enough by itself. getting a zoom lens on some of those plants would have made a much more enlivened image. maybe going up to the waterline and seeing what reflections presented themselves would have been another tack. it's a pressure situation though and thinking of those things can be tough when you're on the spot.

[Barefoot]

I'm inclined to agree with each of you. The scene was what it was and I had few options. I have to learn when not to use the wide end of the 10-24mm.