Polarizing filter

[Naomi]

I took this picture at dusk last month on the Dead Sea. I first tried it without the filter, and the mountains in the sky and the reflection were much less distinct. I’m uploading another shot of the Dead Sea with no filter.

[Duncan Rawlinson]

Great assignment. This is some of your best work yet. You’ve incorporated many of the photographic elements you’ve learnt so far into these two photographs.

Let’s start by talking about the filtered photograph. For starters, the colors are much deeper and richer. The contrast in the mountains (or are those clouds?) against the sky is much more noticeable as is subsequently more noticeable in the reflection in the water as well. It’s great that you’ve chosen to add volume to the mountains by using the reflection in the water as well. It’s a rare shot you have here.

However, I do really like your choice of foreground object in your first shot. The second shot is nice in it’s simplicity and symmetry but I would have liked to see more depth in it. It’s not wrong what you’ve done. Images without depth are usually much more flat. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just important to know that you’re doing it, and have a reason to do it.

In both photographs you’ve placed your horizon line along the rule of thirds. This seems to be coming quite naturally to you now. your lighting is also great. You’ve either taken this shot early morning or early evening when the sun is full of interesting colors. Color temperature (Kelvin) change base on the time of day you’re shooting. You’ve chosen to shoot during the golden hours and it really pays off in this shot.

Wonderful work. You’re work is progress a lot. I can’t wait to see what you create next.

[Author]

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