200th post & still learning Photo

Photographer’s Note

I’ve been taking photographs for 40 years – and have been pursuing travel photography as a serious hobby for the last 10 years – and have come to the conclusion that you never stop learning.

Perhaps a professional photographer might reach a point in their career where they can’t learn any more about composition and the technical aspects of photography (but even for professionals I am sure they could never stop learning digital post-processing techniques because the software is changing all of the time).

In the past two years as a member of TrekEarth, I have learnt more than in all the previous 38 years. The critiques that I have received from other members have helped me to improve my photography, generate ideas for more creative compositions, and I have learnt a lot from reading the critiques and forums in other members’ galleries.

Many TEers use their 200th post as an opportunity to showcase a photograph of which they are particularly proud, but I’m instead posting one with which I was a little disappointed – but from which I learnt something important.

This photograph was taken from a hill near Kulusuk in eastern Greenland, looking over a body of water called Ikasgrtik, towards a mountain called Iperajivit, which is about 2,600 ft high.

There is some yellow lichen on the rocks in the foreground, so I decided to go for a deep DOF to capture both that and the mountain scenery in the background. The light was good, so I was able to close the aperture to f/16 after bumping the ISO up to 200 and still keep the shutter speed at a tolerable 1/80th.

The result looked great on the LCD, but when I downloaded it to my computer I was disappointed how soft it was. I tried some heavy sharpening, but that adversely impacted the quality, so I assumed the 1/80th shutter speed was not a good choice (although usually at 1/80th I don’t have problems achieving reasonable sharpness as I have quite a steady hand).

After returning home I read a critique - written by Ben WX (ben4321) - about how soft images can be when the aperture is closed up to provide greater DOF. I normally try to shoot around f/8 because that is the sweet spot of most of my lenses, and I don’t notice much softness when I am shooting at f/5.6 or below, but I would rarely shoot with an f stop higher than 11.

So it was only after reading Ben’s review that I learned about aperture settings greater than f/11 producing soft images. That was the ‘something important’ that I learnt from this image. Next time (if there is one) I will lug a tripod to the top of this hill, so I can keep the f stop around the middle of the range. I should also have tried a couple of shots with hyperfocal focusing as well to see if that produced a better result (in this post the focus was on infinity, thinking I had sufficient DOF to cover the foreground at f/16).

By the way, in case you are wondering what the blue-grey smudge is on the centre left, no I didn’t have an accident with the smudge tool in Photoshop. That was a strange finger of cloud (temperature inversion I suspect) that was making its way across the water. It spoils this shot a bit, but I took some other photographs of Kulusuk in the other direction, where the layer of cloud makes a nice feature in the image. I will post one of those later.

abanibi, hgupta, ls7902, indoka28, alainh, Floydian, euryan, Wandering_Dan, rushfan2112, mporta, riclopes, AiresSantos, kevinos, kensimage, capthaddock, plimrn, Didi, cessy, vincz, Clairedelune, vinicio, ktanska, carper, elmec, whereami, jmcl, pboehringer, PixelTerror, Greg1949, siolaw, Standa, delkoo, xuaxo, bakes888, parbo, cyrrhus, cam, gracious has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

abanibi (747) 2007-08-31 19:27

Hello, David! Congratulations on your 200th post, on your great humility after 40 years behind the camera, and thanks for the free lesson I've just learnt thanks to your note.
Maybe you'd like your photo crisper, but to my humble eyes it's an excellent shot for its colours, the points of interest in foreground, middle and background, and for the "limpidity" it transmits.
TFS, and I hope to see your 400th!
Take care

berek (28750) 2007-08-31 20:06

Hi David,
congratulations for your 200th picture. all of them is great.
also I like this one. impressive landscape and perspective. have a nice weekend.
B.EREK

sayeed_rahman (2201) 2007-08-31 20:26

Hey David..have seen so many landscape shots, barren and frozen etc..this one is breathtaking...somewhat resembles onw i took around the Drass region ( second coldest place on earth )...chk it out in my album.

yes, the blue-grey smudge is unrealistic but it blends with the blue overtones...maybe you could have done without the foreground..that's a lot of foreground. Could you have gone closer and taken more of what was beneath and to the sides ? i wonder ? Guess that was the farthest. Nonetheless,great composition.

Cheers.
Sayeed

ls7902 (6012) 2007-08-31 20:40

Hello David,
Thank you very much for the notes. I'm learning something important today. Congratulations on your 200th post. Regards. Latiff.

indoka28 (5183) 2007-08-31 20:53

Hello David,

first of all congratulations to you for posting your 200th on TE..I hope and pray u continue to enthrall us with your wonderful and lovely images..

Now this image is a celebration..wat a great shot to post for your 200th..looks like a dreamland to me with the colours of nature just filling my soul..!!! the composition is just mindblowing and the note is a revelation..!!!

"U NEVER STOP LEARNING BUT YOU ALWAYS GO AHEAD AND UPGRADE WITH KNOWLEDGE" thats the achievement..!!

Take care
Very Best Wishes..!!
Regards,

Indro

alainh (35347) 2007-08-31 21:39

hello David
splendid place and excelent capture you make. a good format and sharpness. the light was the better you can. a nice job !!
regards
alain

euryan (8345) 2007-08-31 22:28

Welcome to the 200 and over club! I'm actually not there yet myself, but I will be someday. Your note is very informative and well written. The photo ain't bad either ;-) I like square crop. It works will with your composition. The sky and mountains are really great.
Regards,
Ryan

Wandering_Dan (3171) 2007-08-31 22:50

Very interesting and informative note! For myself, I eonly joined TE a couple of weeks ago, but I've already learned a lot, and your story encourages me to expect to learn more.

For instance, I did not know about the f16 softness problem, though I have heard there are softness issues with D-SLR's in general in certain conditions. Given the number of photos here that do display good crispness at f16, I feel there have to be other factors at work, which will also need to be taken into account.

As for this photo, I find it a bit contrasty, perhaps from the sharpening, but still a quite good photo in terms of compositio and lighting. The square format works for this image, too.

Since you say in your intro that you don't like people who give double points for mediocre photos, and since are unhappy with this one, will you settle for one point?

And when do we get to see #300?

rushfan2112 (2965) 2007-09-01 0:29

Hi David. Overall a great photo.

My only (slight) criticism is that I find the green moss in the foreground quite distracting. I would suggest either cropping it out or, maybe, darkening it in PS.

That said, I could look at this shot for hours....

Regards,

Paul.

mporta (3350) 2007-09-01 4:44

Hi David,
thanks for sharing this beautiful landascape from Greenland and for the exhaustive note.
I share all your ideas about the usefulness of TE on laearning photography.
Best regards

dkeus31 (25938) 2007-09-01 5:11

hello David,
a nice composition, a first I would say too much foreground cutting the composition in two, but I like the foreground yellow plants and of course the polarised sky.
regards
didier

riclopes (32845) 2007-09-01 5:21

Olá David, I would never give just one point for this wonderful image. For my eyes it's a fantastic photograph of a gorgeous landscape with a beautiful painting on the sky. I remember that issue that Ben talked about but for me that is too technical and my camera doesn't go more than f/8, anyway. What I really would like to see is two shots taken with the same conditions and with diferent apertures, so I could see the diferences of softness. I think that this kind of foregrounds never gets the sharpness we expect, but what the hell do I know. However, I agree that the 1/80s might ruin the sharpness a bit...Anyway, this is a real beauty for me and the only thing I would consider, it to shorten a bit the foreground for a more horizontal composition, but even that, I'm not so sure. Congratulations for the 200th. I real envy the quantity and diversity of your trips around the world.
All the best,
ricardo

Floydian (30970) 2007-09-01 5:23

Hi David,
Congrats on #200, really kind of milestone i think.
I've read your note carefully about the F stops, and in a way it's true. When you want perfect sharpness all the way up and down you need superb glass, and superb glass cost you....a lot. So for that reason F8.0 is a nice number, not much can go wrong there. Nikon is bringing out a new wide-angle with a fixed 2.8, that one must be much better than this one...but also here...it will cost you..!!!
Your photo:
Well, it's number 200 and really a photo to be proud of. The overal quality is very high in this wonderful landscape. The clouds in the polarised sky look beautiful, just as the snow coverd mountains. And your square frame works also very good....truly a wonderful photo.
Have a nice weekend, Henk

delkoo (33904) 2007-09-01 6:10

hi david
Improve all the beauty of this place, That must have been a wonderful trip and you got a most gorgeous shot.
Here, you have handled it wisely, beautifully, and sincerely.

congrats for your 200th
didier

kevinos (6891) 2007-09-01 6:39

Congratulations on 200 posts, David. This one is worthy to commemorate this. It is wonderfully clear and sharp (your very useful note explaining this) The colours too are neutral, cool and wintery, giving the image a strong sense of mood. With its sharpness and scale, it had a Lord of the Rings like grandeur. I am a great fan of the tripod as an aid with regard to sharpness an DoF. Fortunately, in Thailand, an assistant to carry the tripod and camera bag is never too expensive to hire and is useful for an old man, especaiily when climbing mountains.

ruisc_pt (6206) 2007-09-01 8:00

This is all we must learn of you My friend:

Taking photographs and have come to the conclusion that you never stop learning...
I think the same in a lower level..
TFS
Great and superb 200th image David
TFS
p.s.
add to my favourite..... that's it

kensimage (8539) 2007-09-01 9:00

I hadn't realized that f/16 would reduce sharpness in this type of scene--I only knew that if you had small light sources like streetlights, it would diffuse them. So thanks for the note--I never stop learning either!

I like all the varied textures in this one, both in the earth and in the sky. You used the lichens well. It's a beautiful scene, well composed. One could be picky about the horizon being too centered (and I guess I'm doing that, because I just said it) but the overall look is great, and certainly unique, given how rarely we see Greenland! Regards, Ken.

gramma (3519) 2007-09-01 10:38

Hello David,

Great shot, really spectacular ! Colors are excellent, like sharpness. Congratulations for this 200th post. Cordially,

Christophe

capthaddock (28640) 2007-09-01 11:13

Hi David - the east coast of GL looks a bit different than the west coast which I visited (giant dispersed icebergs as opposed to broken ice sheets seen here), but no less attractive, I'm hoping to back next july, I don't mind the softness of the mountains, I probably would't have noticed it, at least the lichen covered fg is super sharp, if a little on the generous side.

ben4321 (9781) 2007-09-01 12:44

Hi David,
At the size of image posted here, differences in lens quality shouldn't really be noticeable - it's only when you start to print big that the difference between a cheapo kit lens and a £1000+ piece of pro glass will become apparent. I can't see any problem with sharpness here, but it was no doubt a lot easier to see at full resolution.
The Nikon 12-24 has a great reputation, although I've heard that it's a lot sharper at 24mm that at 12.
Another thing that can affect sharpness is if you focus on infinity, you're 'wasting' a lot of the depth of field at any given aperture. We're starting to stray into hyperfocal focusing territory here, so I won't complicate matters (it's impossible to do accurately with a zoom lens anyway - they lack hyperfocal depth of field markings).
Usually focusing about a third of the way into a scene is better than focusing on infinity for producing front to back sharpness, but it's different for every lens so you need to experiment to find what works best. Just stay away from that infinity setting!

I like this shot, although I think I'd have preferred less of the rocks in the foreground. Never been a fan of square crops either, although sometimes it can work well.
It looks like an amazing landscape, and you've photographed it in great light, but the expanse of lichen covered rock looks a bit featureless (at this size anyway, they'd probably look better on a large print), and I think if you could have found stronger foreground interest in this barren landscape the shot would have worked better.
I think you've done well here though, and other than my reservations about the foreground I like this shot a lot.

Cheers,
Ben

[3] +

plimrn (19558) 2007-09-01 18:59

Hi David,
I DO like the way you've framed the shot with the lichen, the ice-choked bay, the mountains and their crowning flare of clouds. That was very generous of you to post such an excellent learning experience; how appropriate for a 200th post. We all learn a lot from TE. I have often thought that sometimes high f/Stops have disappointingly low sharpness. Tripods RULE!! now if I can just bring myself to use one. HLJ, Pat

Didi (35680) 2007-09-02 1:36

Hello David
That's a great picture for your 200th.
Very attractive place well sharp.
You have a good photographer experience.
I am still learning also since 1961.
Cheers

feather (49848) 2007-09-02 8:01

Congratulations David for achieving a major TE milestone and how generous to share a lesson learned in your celebratory photograph. From what I have read about this lens I wouldn't have thought the quality of the glass was the issue. In a recent review of similar lenses I read this one came out top. I don't really see any sharpness issues here either, although obviously I haven't seen it straight out of the camera. I make it a habit to always focus about a third of the way into a shot if I want it sharp right through, although it might not always be necessary. When my son was at art college he was always told to never hand-hold anything slower than 1/250 sec. I doubt many people heed that advice. I've always thought around 1/60sec was hand-holdable, but admittedly you get better sharpness on a tripod.
I see many people are advocating a crop and I agree that for better compositional balance that would be preferable (IMHO!!)However, I am a big believer in the main objective of this site. There is no-one better than yourself at fulfilling that aim. In this case you wanted to show the unusual colour of the lichen and for that reason you were perfectly justified in including it in your composition. Yes we all want to improve our photography but that is the secondary aim of the site not the primary one. Good work in all respects.
Kath

[2]

cessy (13647) 2007-09-02 9:31

Hallo David,
you said that this picture is dissapointing, I could not see how.
it is great, and I learned so much also from the pic and your notes :)

vincz (19039) 2007-09-02 10:08

Thanks for the lesson! I'll certainly take advantage of it. Congratulations on this new milestones for which you made a great choice. I love the so beautiful sky well caught with the wide angle and the polarizer. the contrast with the black and whit mountains works very well. I like very much the lichens in the foreground. Great work.

Clairedelune (4883) 2007-09-02 10:12

Hello David,
Very interesting! Just reading your note and the different critiques, and I have learned many interesting and useful things! About the softness, well, it is not very visible at this limited 800 pixels format. But it might be apparent in a large print. Yes, tripod might be an answer. But I wonder... you were at ISO 200. Why not just bumbing up the ISO one or two stops? Noise? For me, noise is not so much of a problem... You did not have to go higher than ISO 800 anyway...
Now, about croping or not croping... Contrary to the vast majority of the people who have suggested to crop, I would have crop the sky and not the foreground part! Who cares about a blue sky???? I don't! Not here! The green lichen IS what you wanted to take in photo! Sure, I would not crop it entirely, but all the part without clouds, yes! That way, your horizon would not be centered anymore.
Maybe a more "close to the ground" photo would have been interesting too, in having less background (because it would be more flat). But it is a bit too late for that now! :)
Congratulations David for your excellent work, your extremely well written notes, your approach to photography, your critiques and your 'good sense'!
Claire

batalay (20680) 2007-09-02 19:12

Hello David,

I am surprised that you regarded this photo initially with some disappointment. I think it is a masterful shot, rich in color and texture. I suspect you are correct about the temperature inversion as the reason for the blurred, low-lying fog in the distance. It's also astonishing that the landscape is so rugged and cold still for the end of June. I would have expected it to have warmed up considerably by then.

Great shot,

Bulent

vinicio (22252) 2007-09-03 0:44

Happy 200th image on TE David, and compliments for all, if you learn from us we learn from you, it's into the nature of this place and many other like this, anyway I find also this image very good, and the soft sharp is right for this image, with its high contrast and color saturation the result is great, and the place too, of course, compliments and best wishes for many other events like this.
Ciao
Vinicio

ktanska (16393) 2007-09-03 2:57

Hi David,
Quite introspective note, I agree completely about the learning part. Not sure if the technical reasoning is quite so.
But first about the picture. It's absolutely wonderful arctic scene. Perfect weather. Forever going fight between winter and summer. Snow and ice interacting with clouds. And lichen and moss making sparse vegetation on nearly impossible conditions.
My guess that your perception of softness isn't necessarily because of small aperture. I think it's because of the fractal nature of lichen, moss and granite. You can't show all the details sharply because there's always smaller details that go beyond the resolution. And with the size limit of TE it's even harder. JPG compression just doesn't work well on such.
Anyway it doesn't look bad at all on my eyes.
Congratulations on #200!
Kari

carper (63998) 2007-09-03 3:00

congratiolation David.
I made over 500 shot's here and I am also stil learning. very good landscape, great balance in the shot and a fantastic quality, marvelous contrast here, well done I like it a lot, have a nice day.
gr. jaap

fayeulle (26541) 2007-09-04 7:20

Hi David
Congratulations on your 200th
I really like it. It's a typical landscape of frozen desert.
I don' agree with the softness here. The Nikkor 12-24 can deliver detailed picture : its not a game lens !
Cheers
JP

Polonaise (5627) 2007-09-04 18:33

Dear David.
I won't comment upon your 200-th.
It's as good and decent and honest and vibrant and smart and needed and valuable and professionally presented like EVERY other of your posts.
Why should I even bother with finding some imperfections or any better features than in any other of yours. ???
--------------------------

You're a treasure of this site, Mr. Astley.
Extraordinary, priceless treasure...
A teacher, a mentor, a sample to follow upon 'HOW TO'!
How to: Present the photos, which one to choose, how to take them, how to encode them in our mind (you did that with quite a few ones in my brains (N.Korea !!!), and finally of how to write the notes...
The masterpieces in their own league...
Is there anyone like you David, on the site?
It seems strangely enough, but YES !!
There is someone of your class, of your spectrum.
Her nick is 'Noborders', and her post are as exciting as yours, and her notes are as delightful as yours !
The difference?
She's softer and warmer and 'inside' girl…
You're on bigger, 'colder' scale.
Both of you: Total professionals in every meaning of that word possible…

You're a pride for the people who know and understand..
And I am one of them…
I know… I understand and I evaluate…

Tremendous love from me, pal.
Keep that engine running…
Don't let it ever seize…

Truly yours

George

ahmet54 (2223) 2007-09-05 12:23

Hi David,
that is a masterpiece. It's a great landscape.
The colours are great. I like the light green of the lychens and the dark blue of the vivid sky. TFS.
Kind regards,
Roland

noborders (14215) 2007-09-06 2:23

David, ... This is a splendid composition, the square format gives us the opportunity to plunge into that great nature and feel as much the hard rock floor as the coolness of the deep blue sky - everything is so sharp and precise, and I love the delicate cloud hanging precariously as a miracle ! I could learn much from this kind of shots, my photos of landscapes are like accidents...
Thank you for your last visit, cannot reply to it for the moment, - each of us is different but certainly : congratulations for your 200th post, for all your photos and specially, for this superb one !
Best regards,
Cath.

elmec (12194) 2007-09-08 6:21

Hello David!
Congratulations for 200'th!
And lovely view for this occasion!
I love wild places like this!
Don't damaged by human touch!
Best regards!

stego (22322) 2007-09-12 15:21

Hi David,

Congratulations for your 200th.

It is a gorgeous view. The wild beauty of the place, the clever compo, the great clarity, colours and sharpness make it very eye catching. I don't see that "blue-grey smudge" as a flaw and it doesn't look like any artefact resulting from PP; actually, that strange grey fog adds charm to the image.

Maybe this photo isn't so special in the context of your gallery, but that only happens because of the high quality of the majority of your posts. Many of us would consider this photo of one of his masterpieces. I find that it is very appropriate and much on the "TE spirit" having chosen a shot that didn't satisfy much for commemorating this milestone and using it to make an interesting discussion.

I can't evaluate the level of sharpness on the lousy display I am using now (I have to remember seeing it on one of my better displays), but it looks more than acceptable. Even so, I read your note with much interest, although I had heard about the subject of the loss of sharpness with tighter apertures, the level of loss depending on the lens. Quite a tricky issue, because one one of the reasons we use small apertures is "a kind of sharpness" that is more accurately named DOF.

It's interesting to know that even a talented and skilled photographer like you feels that he learns much with the participation in TE. We all feel the same. I am an Internet user for more than 14 years and I used online services before that, but until recently I was kind of disappointed because I felt that the spirit of sharing and community of much of the earlier online services and sites in general and Internet in particular was almost lost, at least for something more than purely frivolous themes. TE proved that I was wrong and I am very glad I found it, because it made me embrace more "seriously" this hobby that always fascinated me so much. I like to think that my PP skills weren't the only things improved, but even if I didn't improve the rest, I gained what looks to me as much more insightful (and pleasant) ways of looking to photographs, either mine or from other persons.

Regards, José

rbcy1974 (20742) 2007-09-13 23:34

HellO David
congratulations for your 200th pots
Very great scene here with a very well managed exposure allowing you to capture the background mountains and the foreground ground.
Ever since I have been here your photos have provided inspiration both from a composition point of view as well as from inspiration for places to go to,
Regards
Daniel

jmcl (13721) 2007-09-15 21:29

Hi David,

It is your humility and thirst for knowledge that allows us all to grow .. thank you for being here.

The sharpness you have created (at least at 800 pixels : ) ) is tremendous .. especially on the mountains .. The power of those mountains under the polarized sky is dramatic. .. the range of color is wonderful .. although I wonder it there isn't so much foreground that it is starting to lose the just a touch of the statement of what it is about .. what is it trying to say ..

Thank you for being here .. this place grows from your presence.

take care,

John

bigboroboy (1009) 2007-09-15 21:37

I really don't think you have to be dissapointed at all with this shot. It seems that you aresomewhat of a perfectionist and are very concerned about the technical aspects of all your shots (not a bad thing in itself). However, this shot is bold and engaging and really stands out on a page. Be proud of it!

PHIL

pboehringer (770) 2007-09-24 8:26

David,
I read your note and most of the critiques. Man, there are real treasures everywhere and the post is almost something secondary here. I learned tons with this post and I wish I would have known half of it before I did my eastern Sierra Nevada shots. The softness or lack of crispness were a huge dissapointment when I was back at home. After this wonderful lesson here I'm ready for a next round.
I'm sorry stating that the shot is only secondary. I actually didn't mean it. I love it! Every single detail indcluding that fog. Cropping? Are you all gone nuts? Every single pixel of this image is essential to make this composition a great one.
Regards, Peter

Amalia (0) 2007-09-24 10:25

HELLO DAVID,
YOU ARE AMAZING. BELIEVE OR NOT THIS PICTURE YOU TOOK I USE TO WAKE UP TO EVERY DAY. I MOVED AWAY FROM KULUSUK WHEN I WAS 10, BUT I HAVE LIVED IN THE US FOR A WHILE NOW. I HAVE NOT BEEN TO KULUSUK SINCE '96. I'VE BEEN HOME SICK AND YOU HELPED ME COPE WITH IT BY TAKING THESE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES. MY FAMILY STILL LIVES THERE. THE WAY YOU TOOK THAT PICTURE, IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A DREAM.

PixelTerror (85994) 2007-09-29 2:37

Hi David,
First congratulations for your 200th post and having created a so diverse gallery, the highlight of which to me being your North Korea series. In this image I like the wide angle effect and the fascinating landscape, you had good shooting conditions and it shows. I have been reading the technical part of your note and am wondering a bit about your findings... First the speed depends on your focal length, I assume you were here closer to 12mm than 24, and even if @ 24mm the adequate shooting speed to avoid blur should have been 1 / (24 * 1.5) sec, you're definitely faster than 1/36s. Now the diffraction, it exists and begins to affect picture quality at various apertures depending on lens quality, mostly beyond f/13 but I find surprising the good lens you use could not stand f/16. To me the focus point was here the key, considering you have an important foreground you should have focused on it, the DoF would still have been sufficient to have sharp background. Oh, and I would definitely not crop this image !
Have a nice day, JY

Greg1949 (8507) 2007-09-29 10:54

David,
While this may be your 200th post it seems that it is we who should be learning from you. This is an awesome composition and I am going out today and see if I can get my 12-24 to speak as clearly as yours has in this shot. Great capture.

Greg

siolaw (25694) 2007-09-29 18:52

Hi David,
With this shot and your interesting note, we learn about both the world AND photography!
That Greenland series of yours is simply outstanding! Excellent framing here with good use of the FG lichens and beautiful mountain range in the BG. Superb colors too
TFS
Laurent

Standa (1861) 2007-10-03 6:59

Hi David,
this fantastic landscape looks on my screen great, don´t worry :)
Sharpness is great and the same depth and DOF! Hope to see your next 200th.
With regards,
Stanislav

AiresSantos (41272) 2007-10-04 0:38

Congratulations to your 200yh post in trekearth, dear David !
Wonderful landscape in this very nice composition.
Excellent colours, sharpness and depth
TFS and greetings
Aires

Graal (57220) 2007-10-04 23:41

Hi David,
congratulations for your 200th post in TE. Great landscape, unusual place, interesting note. I like the colours also. Excellent quality, well done photo.
Gr., Aleksander

xuaxo (5627) 2007-10-14 13:12

Hi David
"In the past two years as a member of TrekEarth, I have learnt more than in all the previous 38 years."
I'd say the same, despite I'm not so careful about technical aspects.
About this beautiful pictures, I would crop it top and bottom a little; but maybe it's because I don't prefer square photos.
regards,
F.

JPlumb (3153) 2007-11-30 2:18

Hey David, a belated congratulations on #200. I read your note with quite some interest as I too (along with probably 99% of the others here) still consider myself to be learning. Yes I do believe that there is a sweet spot for every lens, but I would question in this case if that is what you might be experiencing. You are sharp right up front with the lichens (and no I would absolutely not crop those), so depending on where you did actually focus, it may have been a little soft further back in your frame (towards infinity). I think the shot is great, in fact for 800 pixels wide, 199.88K I think it's bloody marvelous. Thanks for this one, and the great note; looking forward to a lot more from you.

Thanks, John

bakes888 (18055) 2007-12-19 23:15

Hi David. Yes TE is a wonderful learning tool not just incoming critiques but evaluating the images of others is great for your own efforts I find. I love this shot for its wonderful fresh colours and clarity. Unusual to see the square format used but it suits this scene well. Well captured and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

parbo (10936) 2007-12-23 2:07

Hello David,

The blue tone of sky is unbelievable for me. It must be great effect of cold weather there.

I like snowy mountains and shore with full with glacier pieces. Textures on ground are splendid.

I wish Merry Christmas and Happy New year to you and your family.

Please accept my apologizes for my late response for congratulations of your 200th post.

Regards,

Ertugrul

vedra (0) 2008-01-02 0:53

Hi David,
Such a magnificient landscape definitely deserves my green smiley to get your 200th photo in the 100+ club :)
It is hard for me to decide what looks more impressive here - snow covered mountain tops or the beautiful sky above them. the colours are so vivid and bright they make me feel like I'm being there.
All the best in 2008 to you and your family.
Vedrana

cyrrhus (2878) 2008-01-12 8:20

Hello DAvid,
200 posts and 60 countries! I am glad to read that you have learned from TE because we certainly have discovered many places around the world through your eyes !
This picture is quite interesting (for those who take time to read the full note :-)). Personally I would have reduced the foreground. I don't know why but having the same amount of sky and foreground makes it too symetrical to me.
But I know you wanted the yellow lichen!
Regards,
Eric /.

cam (8880) 2008-01-20 18:54

Hi David
Congratulation for your 200th.
Read your note and some critic.I will not repeat what have been said already.
I will personnaly crop part of the sky, as I found that the attraction is the colored moss and the water with the mountains.The sky might be a little too saturated, personnal taste only.
You have a well balanced construction of this wild place.
My own photos tends to be soft when I bumped the ISO because I was too lazy to bring the tripod.
Have a good week
Charles

Jeppe (18623) 2008-02-03 13:38

Hi David

Sorry I missed (Actually do I miss most TE-shots these days :(

Congratulation with your shot #200 - you made a very excellent capture of the great nature which can be found at Greenland - I like the fine mix of sky and ground - It must have been hard to keep the 200kb limit with all those details.

tfs
Jeppe

sp00L (4) 2008-08-08 13:39

This awesome! I really like the POV and the colours of this Photo!

Chris

gracious (20017) 2009-01-29 10:09

Hello Dave,
Even though I am late to congrat you on your 200th posting, but I can not resist to compliment this outstanding shot from Denmark with it's true beauty! just like a dreamland indeed!
you are right, photographing have no boundary of learning, so much to learn from day to day! never perfect!
many thanks for the sharing
cheers
Tony