3 Mostly failed to take a good shot in the Everglades

[Erk1024]

I've been trying to find good photos to take in the Everglades, and up to this point I've mostly failed. This one is the best I've managed. The problem is I don't think I can get from "ok" or "good" to amazing with this subject. For a while I didn't even know what this color was coming from because as you fly out there, all you see is blue water and green. But when you tilt the camera down, you get this tan color. As near as I can tell, this is shallow water with trees (bushes?) growing in it.

Everglades_near_key_largo_5120.jpg

drive.google.com

 

[Meta4]

I've been trying to find good photos to take in the Everglades, and up to this point I've mostly failed. This one is the best I've managed. The problem is I don't think I can get from "ok" or "good" to amazing with this subject.

For a start, it's quite overexposed.

Adjusting the exposure makes quite a difference. Here's a rough attempt at fixing exposure.

 

[Filmarik]

For a start, it's quite overexposed.

Adjusting the exposure makes quite a difference. Here's a rough attempt at fixing exposure.

I think it would look more dramatic and interesting in B&W. Contrast can be bumped up with S curve, sky darkened etc. Perhaps worth exploring.

 

[MS Coast]

You might try shooting at several altitudes. I shoot a lot of panos for creating a reference image for a new location; I can zoom in and look for things that warrant a closer look. I usually shoot at 100', 200' and 400' to start. Sometimes lower-level panos, 50' or so, are very interesting.

I agree that the image is overcooked. When using auto mode in a location like that, I typically bias the exposure down 0.7 stop and sometimes more.

Yep, almost all bushes. The high spots may have a few short scrubby trees. That's a very interesting location. Keep shooting and share some more shots.

 

[Erk1024]

I tried to do a top-down shot and go for an abstract. This really does look like mold on a shower curtain. This is a pano of about 20'ish shots. 3 columns. This is the "scanning" instead of "rotating" type pano, and it tends to make things look flat (no perspective).

I think this is a fail, but top down shots of the larger pools might be interesting.

 

[Erk1024]

For a start, it's quite overexposed.

Adjusting the exposure makes quite a difference. Here's a rough attempt at fixing exposure.

Good suggestion. Let me go edit...

 

[Filmarik]

I tried to do a top-down shot and go for an abstract. This really does look like mold on a shower curtain. This is a pano of about 20'ish shots. 3 columns. This is the "scanning" instead of "rotating" type pano, and it tends to make things look flat (no perspective).

I think this is a fail, but top down shots of the larger pools might be interesting.

View attachment 179251

I think you are being too harsh on yourself. Not sure what you try to achieve but if I were you I would spend more time in Photoshop and really go nuts with contrast, saturation etc etc. These photos are looking lame not because of the subject but because of your interpretation of it. Go bold, be brave. You can alway go back a bit but to me these photos are lacking character. Photoshop can make them stand out
That's just 2 cent worth