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Mount Wilson was such a staggeringly beautiful little town in the midst of its Autumn colour explosion that it should have been a cinch to get great photos, right? Just do a 360 shooting as you go and how could you fail to capture masterful landscapes...after all, you are surrounded by colour, fine detail, texture, form, shape and scale....towering trees in reds and yellows and gold...a cinch? Well not quite. Even after a lifetime of photography it's still a trap....just shoot and shoot and you can't fail, but it ain't so. Like many photographers I fell into the old trap....got intoxicated by the beauty around me, and forgot the basics of picture making. It's a trap I fall into time after time....I just give myself up to the glory of nature and forget the rules. Consequently out of about 250 images only about 20 were of a standard that I would call acceptable. So what are the rules that get broken and weaken landscapes? A point of interest....effective composition....organisation of the critical elements....balance....landscapes are notoriously difficult, even when all of the elements are on your side. Here are some that worked for me. Thanks again Colin for putting the trip together. It was a fabulous day with great company.

I like the simplicity of #3

I think #1 would be good without the telegraph pole - it dominates the image just too much, I like the rest of the composition however.

I like the second one but it makes me think you have one leg shorter than the other.

Andrew.....a straight horizon Nazi? The world is round!

Actually, Matt, it isn't the horizon that bugs me, it is that all the trees are falling over.

Matt. K wrote: Like many photographers I fell into the old trap....got intoxicated by the beauty around me, and forgot the basics of picture making. It's a trap I fall into time after time....I just give myself up to the glory of nature and forget the rules. Consequently out of about 250 images only about 20 were of a standard that I would call acceptable. So what are the rules that get broken and weaken landscapes? A point of interest....effective composition....organisation of the critical elements....balance....landscapes are notoriously difficult, even when all of the elements are on your side.

very good point Matt

I have seen your images over the years (and certainly admired them) however in this case I don't think this is one of your stronger sets, however the second image is by far a standout and is more than 'acceptable'. I was going to suggest some PP on it however I think that is personal decision for you to make (I would control the highlights and push the contrast a bit). As it stands the image has a good strong composition and even with a slight tilt (which imo adds to it) and at the end of the day this is the crux of a good image.

I sort of see what you mean Matt.

It feels like you were in the middle of the action, surrounded and consumed by it. I reckon you needed to take a step back, perhaps a few steps, perhaps to the next mountain and look back to capture the overall beauty here.

#1 has a fuzzy HDR look which takes away I think.

#2 has potential with a pano crop and some mist. and/or some light rays....

Bit sad to hear you missed some shots Matt. There is always next time though

I like the second it gives a more country feel to the space.

I agree that eventhough you may consider the power pole a balancing portion of the composition in the first that a crop to remove it looks better.