TK Wong
August 2026 - Laotian monks at dawn
About the Image(s)
It was taken by my smartphone during a photo tour in last Christmas.
I like the lighting , the scene and the atmosphere very much.
I just do some cropping over the sides because some people were next to the tree and the hut.
I think I have also adjusted the contrast a bit by the phone software.
6 comments posted
Hi TK. Welcome to our group.
As you stated, this image has lots of atmosphere. I like the exposure and setting. Since the monks and elephant are such an important element, I would suggest cropping a third or more of the reflection foreground, as I think this focuses it more on the subject. You might even consider cropping the hut on the left to position the elephant even better, but I have no problem with them centered either.
You might also consider removing some of the deep blue of the shadows, which I also tried. See what you think. Posted: 08/10/2026 16:50:53
As you stated, this image has lots of atmosphere. I like the exposure and setting. Since the monks and elephant are such an important element, I would suggest cropping a third or more of the reflection foreground, as I think this focuses it more on the subject. You might even consider cropping the hut on the left to position the elephant even better, but I have no problem with them centered either.
You might also consider removing some of the deep blue of the shadows, which I also tried. See what you think. Posted: 08/10/2026 16:50:53
TK Wong
Thanks for your advice which make the photo better and look more confortable. Sometimes it is difficult for me to crop because the water reflections looks better than the real trees. Posted: 08/11/2026 02:53:44
Welcome to the group! It's a very peaceful shot, with the monks and the elephant perfectly reflected on the water. The light of the rising sun produces a wonderful atmosphere. I too find that the image has a blue cast, which can be corrected in PS using a warming filter. Following Bob's suggestion, I would also crop, but not only from the bottom but also from the top, aiming at a 3:2 ratio with the main subjects in the middle. Since the hut on the left doesn't add anything to the story, I would crop it. Posted: 08/11/2026 21:05:53
TK Wong
Hi jose, Thanks for your advice. The photoshop has too many functions and difficult for me + quite time consuming. Most of the time, I use the phone software or using lightroom for simple editing like cropping, brightness and saturation adjustment. Thanks! Posted: 08/12/2026 02:32:15
Welcome TK! What a beautiful peaceful picture. I capture many pictures with my phone. I like the reflections as it draws the eyes to the elephants and the monks. My cropping suggestion would be to remove the white sky and crop down to the top of the trees. You could remove some of the left. I would darken the right side so that bright grass doesn't attract the eye and or crop the right side up to the edget of the first tree. Maybe make it a landscape? Posted: 08/22/2026 18:31:51
TK Wong
George,
Thanks for your suggestions! Posted: 08/24/2026 03:30:40
Thanks for your suggestions! Posted: 08/24/2026 03:30:40