A plant in the dog field

This is so beautiful at this time of the year before the birds devastate it.

1/ Pampas in the morning light



2/ Midday on the Pampas



3/ Caught by the setting sun



Have been brave and asked for C&C as I am determined to learn

I really love the midday one, that is definitely my fave out of the three but they are all very nice Snaps xx

Hi Snapper - I agree that Pampas is a nice subject. As you has asked for C&C I will try and help with a few constructive comments about each picture.

1. I am distracted by the red plant to the left and also the thorn bush to the right of the picture. I'd be inclined to crop in closer and put the entire focus on the pampas. I dont know what range/lens/aperture you used but with a long lens set on a wide setting you could really have thrown the offputting out-of-focus trees in the background totally out of focus which in turn would emphsise the colour of the pampas heads.

2. Nicer cropping, but perhaps a darker sky, either in PS or with a polarising filter would saturate the colours and define the grass against a deeper sky tone. Also try increasing the contrast and sharpness of the picture also to make the pampas stand out more. Did you take pictures of pampas in portrait mode? It would be good to see the height characteristic of the plant and the contrast between the tall stems topped with the fluffy cream heads.

3. Great capture at the right time. Good use of sunlight to highlight your picture. My comments for this pic would be - lessen the amount of empty blue space amobe the grass heads, totally fade the background tree, and avoid the distracting bush from the right foreground.

I hope you accept my comments in the spirit intended - Have you also considered pampas in portrait mode in monochrome with a red filter to increase the contrasts?

Thank you very much for the comments and suggestions JW. I did make loads of errors, had to take the shot from the house with the lens at it's full zoom (300) and hand held, well I say I had to but I was scared that the light would change. Suppose I should have taken the shots I did then gone and taken them again having given more thought.

Anyway I can do some cropping and colour changes as suggested and next time I must allow more time to think

EDIT you ask about if it was taken in portrait mode, unfortunately not, the grass is growing tight against the offending shrubs close by the red dog wood and the other bush who's name I don't know. I can get the full hight from the other side but would not have the light then as far as that was concerned it was an exercise in what was possible.

Number 2's my fave Snapper

Tell you what Jack, if you have the time, perhaps you could take your suggestions on improving one of my shots and explain how you would go about doing it.

That could form the basis of this months lesson. After all post session work has always been as important in the production of the final image, "darkroom" work is what separated, in the days of film, the photographer from the snapper.

Wow, I'm impressed. I love the first two photo. Nice treatment with the accent frames. The lighting is perfect. The third photo is missing something, a focal point maybe. I can see your work framed & hanging on my wall.

Hi Snapper - I'm glad you dont think I was being ultra-critical; that wasnt my intention. I do understand that photography, as art, pleases us all in different ways. I'd be happy to illustrate some of my comments with a step by step workflow. When the rain stops I'm off out to hunt for some pampas grass!

Thanks Jack, it would be a big help, I am just learning to use Lightroom and then I am going to tackle PS, I am used to Elements but not using layers so any instruction would be a big help to me and I would think others.

Hope you find what you are looking for they are really magnificent at the moment, hope to find the time to get out into the field and really do them justice this time.

My favourite is the third capture, I love the way the light has highlighted that small section - I find my eye drawn to there.