Evaluate My Photo

[Nordlys]

Coronado Beach, Coronado, San Diego.

Shot this just two weeks ago while I was on vacation in California.

Canon EOS 5D, EF24-105mm F4L, F4.0, 1/8, ISO100, F=28mm

I tend to think it's OK to have that trash bin in the foreground in this composition but you might disagree.

[Tony Clifton]

Anybody know what those small dunes are for?

[5tash]

A trash bin in the foreground and four in the background.

[Nordlys]

Anybody know what those small dunes are for?

Dunes were created so that if you look from above you can make out that it reads "Coronado" (you can check that out on Google Earth).

[jukapot]

Sorry, I find the trash can very distracting and draws my attention away from what otherwise could be a very nice photo.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

I love Coronado beach. I like the way the palm trees are lined up. This picture may have been better if taken in the morning, rather than at sunset as the lighting on the dunes would have been better.

[astral]

Certainly very clean, so people DO use the bins.

Not sure if the one in the foreground enhances the photo.

It can easily be cropped out.

I do like the line of palm trees leading to the vanishing point on the horizon.

[Nordlys]

I wouldn't crop the foreground, I just wished I had more depth in the field so the rocks in the foreground would appear sharper than this. But given 1/6 sec and F4 that is as good as it gets. Perhaps I could have raised the ISO to 200 or even 400 but I was afraid the sky would start to appear noisy and grainy (I think ISO200 would be tolerable).

[astral]

I was thinking of this.

or

The first is better for me.

Since you use the 5D I would have tried a shot at 400 asa and even 800

then compared the results when I got home.

It is so easy to make the change, not like swapping films.

BTW it looks like there is some vignetting in that top left corner?

[Nordlys]

Hmmm.... yeah the left is better but I always have some hesitation about changing the aspect ratio of the frame for a reason I can't exactly explain why... Also I'd probably still want the horizon to come right in the center of the frame.

Yes, I should have attempted to shoot with ISO 200, 400 and even 800 and compare the results later at home. But I was with a friend who guided us there I couldn't spend so much time shooting at that spot. But believe me, it does get grainy with higher ISO even with 5D, this is especially noticeable with spotless, blue sky (but maybe 400 was tolerable).

BTW my 5D's mirror came loose from the mirror box but luckly it happened on the last day of the 12 days trip. This seems to be a very common problem with 5D reported in many forums. Fotofile was quick to fix this problem free of charge without having to send it to Canon service center. If this happens to anyone (is Vulcan the only one other than me using 5D?) DO NOT use super glue/crazy glue type glue to attach the mirror as the vapor from it can cloud mirror, focusing screen and the pentaprism when it evaporates.