# Desert Reflection **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** landscape\ **Created:** [January 24, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/desert-reflection/11015 "2020-01-24T01:37:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dean\_Salman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dean_salman/32/13291_2.png) [@Dean\_Salman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dean_Salman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/desert-reflection/11015/1 "2020-01-24T01:37:30Z")
I came across this small creek at the national park and I saw the reflection but what was more interesting was the color of the water. This was a 6D ii and a 24-70 F/2.8 at 24mm 1/160 f/22 iso 400. The sky was just clear blue but this camera has a lot of dust in on the sensor which I need to fix. So I used PS and replace the sky with another one. Basically looking for comments on this. I think the white rock on the left might be distracting, any thoughts. The water color was a strong yellow that faded, not sure if the sunlight reflection cause that or what. But I gave it a try. I was on a small tripod. I did both landscape and portrait. This seemed better. ![20200118-Saguaro-NP-6389_AuroraHDR2019-edit-Edit](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/4/c/4c71c364711c1b24abc8e1a52ff16fcb1c95dea2.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Siciliano](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/tony_siciliano/32/36124_2.png) [@Tony\_Siciliano](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Tony_Siciliano)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/desert-reflection/11015/2 "2020-01-25T02:16:14Z")
The photos is a beautiful composition, but the sky/land combo doesn’t work for me. The light just seems “off”. More specifically, the sky is much darker than everything in the rest of the photo (except the shadows) which under most circumstance is impossible. I’d love to see the original sky to compare the brightness to the land. ---
**Author:** ![Dean\_Salman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dean_salman/32/13291_2.png) [@Dean\_Salman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dean_Salman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/desert-reflection/11015/3 "2020-01-25T03:23:46Z")
Thanks Tony, I kind of agree with you. Here is the orig photo. ![20200118-Saguaro-NP-6389_AuroraHDR2019-edit](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/f/4/f4048fe0c1c682138361e4dfb7e473b89353bc94.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_McGuirk](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ed_mcguirk/32/30542_2.png) [@Ed\_McGuirk](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ed_McGuirk)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 11:20am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/desert-reflection/11015/4 "2020-01-25T11:20:13Z")
Dean, I like the concept of the image, and I think the composition has potential. The creek leading to the saguaros on the hillside is an interesting story to tell. I agree with @Tony_Siciliano, something about the image does not look right, the sky is darker than the land. On my desktop monitor the landscape also looks overexposed, and the shadows have an HDR-type look with too much detail in the shadows that does not look natural. The bright rock on the left side of the creek is definitely too hot, and could use some local burning to reduce it’s luminosity. For my taste the composition has a lot of negative space in the foreground. I could see using a more squarish crop that reduces negative space, and places more emphasis on the shadows of the branches. If you don’t mind, I did a rework that reduces exposure in the land (but not the sky), burns down the rock even further, adds some more contrast in the shadows and which uses a more square crop. ![20200118-Saguaro-NP-6389_AuroraHDR2019-edit-Edit_copy](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/a/7/a71b3ea39c71c11355a0e4ef1dacf9b0031acc4c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Dean\_Salman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dean_salman/32/13291_2.png) [@Dean\_Salman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dean_Salman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/desert-reflection/11015/5 "2020-01-25T17:04:12Z")
Thanks Tony and Ed. This is why I post here on the network. Ed that looks a lot better. I really need to focus on the subject which was the creek and reflection of the landscape. So this really helps a lot. When I see something I know what I want, so I need to spend more time on site and move around more than I am doing ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Freeman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/shirley_freeman/32/11361_2.png) [@Shirley\_Freeman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Shirley_Freeman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 6:46pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/desert-reflection/11015/6 "2020-01-25T18:46:28Z")
Dean, I can see why you shot this image. It is a really neat scene. To see cactus in the background, and reflected in water, just is unusual in my mind. I do like what Ed did with it. I have the same problem, I will get one position sometimes, and capture a bunch of the same, even same settings! I do need to think different angles, settings, etc. while in the field and I can do something about it. ---
**Author:** ![Nathan\_Klein](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/nathan_klein/32/2063_2.png) [@Nathan\_Klein](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Nathan_Klein)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/desert-reflection/11015/7 "2020-01-26T00:09:11Z")
I think the direction @Ed_McGuirk took the image is an improvement but I would keep the original sky. I think that the openness of the original sky suits a desert image ---
**Author:** ![Dean\_Salman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dean_salman/32/13291_2.png) [@Dean\_Salman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dean_Salman)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 3:09am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/desert-reflection/11015/8 "2020-01-26T03:09:29Z")
Thanks all, I did leave the sky as it was but just had to remove all the dust spots in it