Nigel this is definitively an excellent composition perfectly rendering the serendipity of this scenery. I think the image is not particularly sharp. Did you take it with a phone? I also believe warming up a little the light would render it better.

Hope you are enjoying your trip

best wished

Michele   Posted: 07/04/2025 03:59:49

It's not as sharp as I would have liked - taken with my X-H2 and 16-80 lens which isn't the sharpest tool in the drawer. The ship was moving and was taken at 1/160 sec so don't know the reason apart from operator error Michele! I take your point about warming up a bit - thanks, it was a great trip.   Posted: 07/04/2025 07:29:03

Nigel, like the composition and I think the sharpness was there just hidden by haze. Ran it thru de haze in PS and so much more looks in focus and it brings out more color and depth. What do you think?   Posted: 07/04/2025 12:50:41

I think you're right Tom - it's the reason I got up in the first place, because of the haze. I think the edit you did brings out the clarity and colour as you say. I have other images showing more haze and they don't look sharp either. If I had taken my 16-55 they would have benefitted from the better lens quality but holidays and heavy lenses don't go together for me any more. Thanks for your edit.   Posted: 07/04/2025 13:01:51

This is a pretty image. You did an excellent job of capturing the water and the mountains in the distance. However, I find it lacks a clear point of view. Except for following the river to the distance, I don't find a significant anchor for my eye. In other words, what is the focus of this image, beyond looking at water winding into the distance.   Posted: 07/08/2025 14:09:59

It's a pretty capture of the river and the mountains. I like the red boat at the alomst one-third frame, adds a little punch to the otherwise relatively mono-toned scene. I like Tom's edits too, it brings out more of the beautiful color of the valley.   Posted: 07/08/2025 22:58:50

My first impression of this image is a beautiful water color painting. The soft tune and peaceful setting bring calms. I would try less highlight and more darkness/contrast of the sky.   Posted: 07/16/2025 23:06:06

Hi Nigel, I like the composition of this landscape. The water being rather calm, provides a faint reflection. The outline of the hill to the right acts a bit like a diagonal line that draws the eye to the red boat near the lower third, which I think is the subject of this photo. I also think that the light haze makes the picture a little flat. A little editing with some dehaze and contrast will give it more punch (which I saw that Tom did in his comment).   Posted: 07/22/2025 02:28:46

Thanks for all your comments. The red boat was the focal point although the general scene itself was really a record shot of a misty morning when I went up on deck. The meandering of the river as Mike mentioned, was also a factor in the composition, it just seemed to fit. It was really the mist that attracted me though, so whilst I appreciate the edits and suggestions, if I de-haze the image, the thing that first interested me is gone. I could always emphasise the mist a bit more to leave the viewer in no doubt that that was a big factor. However, I am becoming more conscious that I prefer natural scenes rather than tweaking too much for my "everyday" shots. This is why these forums are a good place for discussion.   Posted: 07/22/2025 09:30:04