Help Me Get Better - Crashing Waves

[Promature]

How'd I do? Tried to modify the original in Lightroom like the previous post.

 

[serendipidy]

Looks a lot better.

I tried cropping your photo.

 

[AdamJ]

The 055XPROB legs are a good choice provided their weight won't discourage you from taking them with you to your location. With a 410 head, you're looking at 8 pounds. A good carbon tripod like a Feisol CT-3342 would halve the all-up weight.

 

[Kernuak]

Looks a lot better.

I tried cropping your photo.

I was going to suggest cropping some of the beach as well. Also, it might be worth playing around with cropping the sky too, as while there is some texture there, it doesn't add anything to the composition and it will move the horizon from the centre.
As for tripods, ballheads can work for landscapes, even thought they wouldn't necessarily be first choice. They are probably about the most versatile of heads if you shoot other subjects as well and they can help to compensate for uneven ground that the legs may not fully account for. To help with keeping things level, get a bubble level that goes in the hotshoe. Pan and tilt heads are the obvious choice for landscapes, but they can be quite limiting. I have a Manfrotto tripod and head, but they aren't always the best build quality and I have known people to end up with snapped catches, as they are made from plastic. I think Giottos tripods are much beter value, they are a similar price point to Manfrotto, with better build quality, as they use mostly metal construction, with less plastic. My Manfrotto 190 MF3 cost me around £180 about five years ago, yet my heavier duty Giottos 8241 was only around £200 I think about 3 years ago. When looking at tripods, the general recommendation, is to look at the load capacity and make sure it is around double the weight of your heaviest gear, remembering to factor in the weight of the head. Likewise, it is best to make sure the load capacity of the head is double the weight of your heaviest gear. This will ensure maximum stability, although if budget is an issue, you can skimp a little bit, as long as you don't esceed the maximum load capacity, but you will lose some stability. Also, make sure you can get it to go high enough without raising the centre column. This will be a particular issue if you are tall and want to shoot from a high angle, but if you are shorter or are going to be shooting from a low angle (which often works better for the coast), then it is a lesser consideration.

 

[Kernuak]

I'm not normally a fan of letterbox crops, but I sort of went somewhere in between. Have a go at playing around with something similar to improve it further until you like it more. If nothing else, it will help you to practice compositions.

 

[Kernuak]

Here's another idea. It isn't ideal to work on a JPEG, but it gets the idea across.

 

[wickidwombat]

How much do you all think I should spend on a Tripod? I feel like I've read a lot of different articles, some of which say you should spend $800-$1,200, which seems like I'd be better off just getting a 5DIII and cranking up the ISO. Would I be disappointed with a tripod w/ ballhead that costs $150-$200?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/131427-REG/Slik_615_315_Pro_700DX_Tripod_with.html

no need to spend tons of money
these are awesome value for money
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/A3061-Benro-C1692TB0-Transformer-Travel-Angel-Carbon-Fiber-Tripod-Kit-/390367389061?pt=AU_Cameras_Photographic_Accessories&hash=item5ae3b5a585

the aluminium ones are even cheaper and only a little heavier

 

[sanjosedave]

Make sure whatever tripod head you settle on, that it can support your rig today, and a few years down the road.

The attached is a quick makeover =cropped tight, ran though Nik and finished with Alien Paint software.

This is the time of year when plug-ins go on sale.

Note: if you take a course at a local college, you can purchase Adobe and other products at an educational price, though, right now, Amazon has LR on sale for 99, and I'm seeing PSE11, as low as $49. PSE11 uses the same version of the RAW conversion as CS6, but, without as many ways to tweak it...keep shooting/have fun

 

[bycostello]

a grad filter or as others have done a bit of a edit in lightroom/ photoshop

 

[Promature]

Thank you for the advice all. I just placed an order for the following and should be here early next week:
Manfrotto 055XDB Black Basic Tripod Legs
Markins Q3

I also had a chance today to take some more pictures, and based on those results (blown sky, dark beach), I also need a graduated ND filter and circular polarizer:
B+W 77mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating
B+W 77mm Grad ND 0.6-4X (502)

 

[dirtcastle]

Here's another LR edit.

 

[Kernuak]

Thank you for the advice all. I just placed an order for the following and should be here early next week:
Manfrotto 055XDB Black Basic Tripod Legs
Markins Q3

I also had a chance today to take some more pictures, and based on those results (blown sky, dark beach), I also need a graduated ND filter and circular polarizer:
B+W 77mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating
B+W 77mm Grad ND 0.6-4X (502)

I wouldn't waste your money on any screw in grad filters, as they have no flexibility.