Beach sunset near Tofino, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Canon 30D, 17-40 f/4L, ISO: 200, aperture: f/22, shutter: 1/2 second, tripod: yes

When I look at a photograph I try to analyze why I linger with a particular shot or what causes me to look harder, before I move on to the next photo.   In other words, I ask, what are the elements of a photo that I like, or don’t like?  With the photo above, I’m immediately drawn to the texture in the foreground sand.  My eyes stay there for a while and then follow a circuitous path to the starburst around the sun.  Then, I back track to the reflection of the clouds in the shallow water on the left side of the photo.  All in all, I like the photo well enough to post and discuss.

Summary-

• Foreground elements are important when making a good landscape photo.
• Accentuate foreground elements by using low angle light, e.g. setting sun versus mid day sun.
• Use a small aperture, in this case f/22, to maintain good depth of field and create the starburst around the sun.
• Finally, the photo follows the classic rule of thirds for composition.  That seems to work with this photo.