I can easily understand why. A super wedding shot.
I would PS it, and get the bend out of the door-frame and get it vertical/parallel with the edge of the shot.

An interesting one Mark.
I can see what you mean about the donkey, but from the picture the thing that really suggest that the donkey's being stubborn is the taught rope and the fact that the handler is walking forward. So, for me, the people have got to be part of the shot. And with the handler decapitated, it misses something. It would have been interesting to have seen the expression on the handlers face, at the donkey's stubbornness, for instance.
Maybe, if you really wanted to concentrate on the donkey, you could have done it in portrait.
But then it would have just been a donkey with splayed legs.

So I think that the people, or at least the handler, including his head, have got to be part of the shot.

Pretty good for a grab shot.

You're right Willy. If the point where the water meets the land is not parallel to the plane in which you shoot, to use the land/water junction as a datum by which to level, will tip the buildings either right or left, depending upon the plane of the shot.

It's an interesting shot with a great deal to look at and identify. And you've captured the colours excellently.
I think your shot would have more impact by cropping some of the foreground away, say to just below the waterline of the boat on the left.
You would till retain the reflections, whilst concentrating the eye onto the subject by bringing the bridge-line onto approx 1/3rd.

It is a shot from a different perspective; and that, I think, is its strength.
Well done

I'm not a great fan of milky water, but I think you've got this about right, Mark.
I wonder whether lifting it in Curves slightly might just provide a bit of missing detail in the rocks at the base. Just a thought.

I don't think there's a lot you could do to improve this Elaine.
With the distance you were away from the scene (I assume you had a kit lens at full length [55mm]) you wouldn't have improved the quality of the shot by closing the aperture down. The detail is 'recognition' rather than 'precise identification'. The pier, the horses, the groups of birds on the water in the distance, the horizon. All recognisable and sufficiently sharp to be so. Any further sharpness wouldn't have made these details more identifiable.
The composition, IMO, is great.
The crop is ideal, again, IMO.
The contrasting colours of the sky/clouds and the sand forefront is, IMO, very attractive and the tone, just about right.
The sharpness is good. IMO.

To improve the shot:

Quote: I swung my camera on it's tripod around and fired off a couple of quick shots. From memory I think the camera settings were auto.

I wonder why you responded in the manner that you say you did?
The horses don't appear to be moving at any considerable speed & everything else (with the possible exception of birds taking off/landing in the distance) is stationary.
So why the rush? Your camera was already on the tripod
I would have thought you would have had time to assess the shot you wanted - check your camera for the optimum settings, maybe even had time to set up a series of 3 or 5 bracketed shots.

Had you done all that I don't think you would have actually achieved an appreciably better result than you have.
But, from what you've described as the way you took the shot, I suspect you had little confidence that you'd got the shot you wanted, until you loaded your memory card into your PC.

So my suggestion for improvement is:
Take you time. It's often better to take the shot that you prepared for, than to snap at the situation that presented itself to you.

All the best,
Jack

BTW ~ I'm a fellow Northumbrian. Born just out of Bamburg. I'm unsure whether that's to my credit or not

Welcome Ian.
When you're first starting, almost any shot of something like Wren's St Pauls is something not to be missed, isn't it?
Even if it's only to have a go at it.
So well done, for doing so

As Bren says, it's a bit crowded, but in all honesty, unless you get onto the other side of the river it's difficult not to get a 'busy' shot of St Pauls.

I've loaded a mod with a few tweaks. Nothing drastic.

Keep them coming. We'll look forward to seeing some more.

Jack

It certainly works as a photo.
The age gap, the cultural origins, the attentiveness and obvious appreciation on the boy's face all make this a very workable candid shot.
You know what the shape and impact of the mike was and consequently made the decision to remove it. For me, having made the decision to remove the mike, I'd have removed the earpiece too.
I've put up a mod with it removed and cropped a little to re-compose

HYLI

Jack

You've done well here Phil.
You've captured your daughter as a relaxed and responsible young lady, rather than as a little girl.
IMO you've got everything here that matters.
Her headband and earrings.
Her lovely smile.
And her nail varnish
All complimenting the roses and the pose.
It's sharp and the colour is good; you've caught her eyes nicely with pleasant highlights; and the BG is not intrusive.

Her left arm is an arguable point. For me, it's not an issue.


Keep them coming
Jack

The arm and the feet don't look particularly natural or comfortable.
How much you can suggest to her in terms of posing is something between yourselves.
It's great that she's posing for you, given that I seem to remember she had reservations about it until you photographed your niece.
The tattoo, if it's permanent, is Megan. So why clone it out. Unless perhaps you don't like it.

It's a nice shot and she looks comfortable with the lens so, well done both of you.

It's part of a development. For Megan, as well as for you

Possibly the mod that I've uploaded will be too much like your previous shot of this lighthouse. My thought was to get the horizon, which is spot-on, onto a 1/3. Personally, I like the white frame around the shot - in my opinion, it contrasts nicely with the deep blue and the green light. I've removed one or two dust-bunnies [we all get those, don't we?] and sharpened [maybe slightly oversharpened to accommodate the upload]

Hope that helps

Jack

Kirsteen,
Your website is very powerful and does, unequivocally, speak volumes.
You photo, part of the content of that website. also speaks volumes.
The shot, as a statement, works well.
Shots like this generate photographic integrity, because of what they say.
It's clear - it's concise, photographically and in its declaration.
Excellent stuff. Keep it coming.

Like Bren; I've bookmarked your site.