OK, what’s Phrasikleia done that you can’t do? Seriously. Now, I can’t say what was going through her mind as she was setting up the shot, but I recognise that she’s chosen a photogenic location, and looked around to get a viewpoint that brings a few elements together to create a simple and harmonious composition. The eye wanders into the picture area by way of the rickety pier, towards the island and house, which is accentuated against the darker hills, so it stands out.
The light is interesting: the orange glow combined with the grey... like a summer storm’s on the way. I’d be there, camera on tripod, cable release in hand, exposure sorted (with option to bracket), and I’d be watching and waiting to see how the light was changing. Instead of trying to capture a moment, I’d be thinking I was covering an event. I would wait to see what happened next; if I left too soon I might miss the best moment. The rather odd quality of light suffuses the whole picture with that lovely etherial glow (the effect doubled up, of course by being reflected in the water). Let the light do the work.
The scene may have looked a lot darker to the naked eye (I’m guessing), making it possible to use a long exposure - quite a few seconds? - to blur the water, and help to create another slight colour shift. The mood is helped by the tonal range, which doesn't include either deep shadows or distracting, blown-out highlights.
When I’m doing my landscape photography workshops, I try to get people to stop looking at their cameras (and fiddling with the controls), and look at the landscape instead. Which means using a tripod, setting up a shot... and then seeing what happens within that rectangle. After that, it’s easy, and I’m sure Phrasikleia would say the same. Slow down, be patient, tune in to your surroundings and watch how a scene changes, second by second. It’s very enjoyable (kinda relaxing and tiring at the same time) and you get the chance to come away with a pic like this.
But, hey, what do I know; I haven't taken a picture in weeks...
