Sunset over Timber Lodge Lake

Hello, I thought I'd start my first post by asking for a critique of this sunset picture.



Taken at Timberlodge Ranch just outside of Amity, Arkansas with a Canon Powershot SX120.

Hey Michael,

Thanks for sharing your photo. It is a nice, serene composition. Before I go heavily into this, may I ask what you are looking for In a critique?

Thanks
James

I'm just looking at people's opinions. I have never had a forum critique my work before, and I found one that I wanted to hear about.

The Sunset is one of the subjects what everyone photographing a few times for sure! The colors and the mood are captures all of us. But this mean there are millions of sunset photos can be find everywhere! So taking a good sunset photo is not easy!
You should looking for something interesting in a sunset other than a setting sun! Like nice colors on a clouds, and/or nice formations of it. Just a color is usually not enough. For a good sunset photo,need much more!

Unfortunatelly digital cameras not the ideal tools for sunset photography. The contrast is high, and the lights are strong around a sun. Most digital camera can't handle this. Usually the sun is burn out and lots of part of the picture became undetailed black, like on your photo. Sometimes worth to wait until the sun goes down under the horizon. Tha sun don't have to be on a sunset photo! This also help prevent the problems, caused by high contrast.
In your photo I think too much the black area, and the sky is not as dramatic as it should be. Because we cant see any detail on the landscape, the sky and the reflection should be the center of interesting, but it is not.
If the landscape is too dark, keep it small in the picture! Avoid any disturbing object!
You got a portion of a person or a rock formations(?) on a right lower corner. Things like this raise a questions in a viewers, and they are strat to think about it instead to enjoy to the sunset!
Sorry for my poor English I hope you understand what I wnated to telling you.