First, I guess it's no surprise that three of these pictures have the sun (or its effects) in them. Let's face it, I love the sun. Therefore, the second picture is my favorite - late afternoon sun, green grass, and colors.
However, I like the first picture's simplicity. As you can see, the tips of the trees are brighter because of the sun. It's a nice touch that takes the generic and makes it look less so (I hope).
The third and fourth pictures look very similar, but I used two different techniques. I focused on reflections with the third picture (which I've made larger so that it's easier to see). You can see the reflection of the trees. It's relatively sharp and distinct.
With the fourth picture, though, I did something completely different. I used a slower shutter speed so that the water would "blur". The reflections are muted as a result. To make sure I didn't have camera shake issues, I set the camera down on a railing. A tripod would obviously work, too - but I didn't take one with me.
Some tips:
1) ISO settings varied wildly. You'll have to experiment to see what works best because of the sun and other effects. In general, though, you shouldn't need to go higher than 400.
2) Play with reflections - you can really capture some nice shapes when you do.
3) Shutter speed with moving water is another good technique to try. Make sure that the camera is stable when you decrease the speed. For the fourth picture, I used 1/13 as my speed. That's not too slow, but slow enough that I had to either keep very still, or set the camera on a flat surface.
4) The more depressing, the better. You may as well go "all out". It is winter, after all!
5) Get low. Very low. Don't be afraid to get dirty. I was on my knees for the second and third pictures.
Till tomorrow!
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