I had the day off work on Monday, so I decided to take a trip to the Manasquan Reservoir. The water has come up all the way to the trees, cutting off access to my favorite subjects. When I walked down to the edge of the water, I found these nice, dark-red leaves with the water rushing in amongst them with each wave. The water saturated the colors of the leaves and reflected light, making for a high contrast composition. I used my Canon 17-40mm f/4 L with my tripod dropped to just inches off the ground. I stopped down the aperture to get maximum depth of field, leaving me with a shutter speed of over 1 second.
I picked my two favorites from the day, which happen to be of the same area just from slightly different angles. I prefer one slightly over the other, but I am curious to hear what you all think. Which image do you like better? Which composition feels more balanced to you? Leave a comment with your answer!
Tags: canon 17-40mm, manasquan reservoir, shoreline, water, wet leaves
Hey Vito,
I think I like the bottom one. It’s tighter, focusing on more of the details and excluding more of the patch of sand in the upper right.
I think I like the first one better because the reflections are a little less than they are in the bottom one.
I definitely like the first one better. The contrast and saturation are better because there is less reflection and glare from the sky.
I was drawn to the shiny reflective leaves, so I personally like the second one better. Overall neither shot has the effect I hoped it would while I was taking them.
Thanks for your replies!