Quiet Reflections

An idyllic scene from upstate NY. Quiet water and a sunny sky usually make for some nice reflections. Cropped a bit from the right to remove some branches sticking out of the water. Besides the reflected trees I wanted to show the slow curvature of the water off into the distance and I liked the overhanging branches which help to frame the scene at the top. The foreground was quite muddy and uninteresting so decided to exclude it from the composition.

Specific Feedback Requested

All comments and suggestions are welcome and thanks for viewing.

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
Samsung Galaxy S10e, ISO 50, f/2.4, 1/1000, 26mm (35mm equiv.).

1 Like

Oh does that ever look like a place I would love to paddle. The lure of that next curve. You could lose the branch at the top center as well if you felt like it. Other than the clouds looking a little hot (cell phones are so hard to control sometimes), I like the colors and the balance. The weight of the trees on either side is about equal. The small lily pads at the bottom are a nice touch.

Very nice opportunity, and a cell phone is better than nothing, but the scene deserves more than the limitations of a cell phone capture.

Jim, when I lead a photo workshop, I always start by saying, “It’s not the camera, it’s the person behind the camera, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the equipment, that make good photos”. This is a fine scene and cell phones regularly are used carefully to take great photos. This shows a beautiful day and an inviting place very well.

@Mark_Seaver , thanks so much for your kind words. I’ve found that my Galaxy will nail the exposure correctly more often than my “big” cameras. Although I can make several typical adjustments with it, I still prefer using a big camera when shooting serious images.