There's a picture there somewhere?

[Excalibur]

Do you ever get those days when you see a view and you know there is a picture there but can't think what it is....well I gave up on this:-

erm maybe the swans are in the wrong place Vivitar 28mm f2.8 close focus ver on film:-


erm Lets get rid of the swans and try it upside down:-

[LucisPictor]

That's not only upside down, it's also mirrored at a vertical line, isn't it?

Sometimes there is just too much in an image...

[Excalibur]

****it's also mirrored at a vertical line, isn't it?****

Indeed, but I'm sure a gifted photographer with a full set of lenses would have found something in that view

[Orio]

Carsten is right, there is a lot of detail going on in that scene (a problem typical when shooting forests), probably too much to let the eye rest on a main subject.
I am not a gifted photographer but that's what I would have done had I had to photograph that scene:

1) in the name of "less is more", remove colours. Even better, use B&W film from the start, with an orange filter to bring attention on the houses;

2) to give priority on the houses as main subject, I would have used a very fast wide angle lens, such as a 28mm f/2 or 35mm f/1.4. That would have blurred the foreground removing finer details;

3) used a digradant filter with dark part on bottom, to darken the pond's water compared to the sky; alternatively, in the wet darkroom, "burn" that part with some more exposure. Probably using a slight higher than normal setting for multigrade paper (something around 2.5 or 3)

Here's a digital simulation of the steps above made with Photoshop. Not like the real thing, but it should provide the impression:

[Excalibur]

Thanks Orio and I see what you mean...but maybe the only answer to these type of views is:- it needs a shaft of sunlight to light up the subject.
Originally I did try a square format but I didn't like that either with the mill being framed by trees and reflections.