Animal pictures- Crits please

[AdamZx3]

Hello,
I recently bought a D80, and I took a few pictures at the zoo and one of a grasshoper at my house....dont have to many good ones from the zoo yet, it was -10 out that day lol....can't wait untill spring is here for ohio.

Anyway can you please tell me how to make my pictures better, I have only been photographing for a few months but I would love some crits to improve my photo's, I would say that overall composition is my weakest point.

 

[AdamZx3]

Also I forgot about these ones, not animal pictures, but I tried my best to make the neg. space as interesting as possible with what I had. These where actually the first pictures i've taken (well besides point and shoot), then the grasshoppers, then the zoo ones. I'll have to try and reshoot this one with my new homade softbox, I was using a desk lamp and natual light at the time.

 

[Olympus8MP]

I like the snake photos, and also the grasshopper looks good in selective coloring. The rattlesnake one is the best though. Good use of a color theme and great DOF.

and...
ooo Hoppe's #9... I love the smell of Hoppe's #9 when cleaning my guns! (I know call me weird)..

 

[Peanuts]

Congratulations on your new camera! It defintely shows that you know how to use it.

1. I would actually be tempted to not convert this one to black and white as I believe the subject (hog) is somewhat lost in the background. Also, I may be wrong, but the focus appears to be more on the wall behind him as opposed to directly on his face but it is difficult to tell. The composition works very well for this thought.

2. This is by far my fave of the bunch. The emerald green of the snake is popped by the dark background by also complimented by the foliage on the farther left.

3. This would be my second favourite, just because of the repeating pattern and the narrow depth of field. Composition wise - do you happen to have in the original image (looks cropped) the lower portion of the snake where the 'neck' would be and the body curls? I believe that including a portion of that might help to throw the eye (main focal point) off from being in the very centre of the image.

4. I am a little old fashion in this regard - but I am not the biggest fan of selective colouring. For this image, it isn't bad by any means, but I think I would have preferred it full colour. Take that thought with a grain of salt though! The focus looks great - lots of detail

5. Focus is great once again, but I don't know about the composition. I might have preferred him on the further right side.

Anyways, looking good, looking forward to seeing more of yours.

 

[AdamZx3]

Hoppe's #9 ....yes I'm surprised that they haven't released a cologne for men with that scent I've heard many of guys say theres nothin like the smell of hoppes.

Heres a black and white of the rattler

 

[AdamZx3]

looks like you beat me lol, theres a fullsize of the rattler (see im psycic too )

and heres a color of the warthog

and while im at it heres a shark one I took last week while on spring break, not the greatest, wish I shot it in raw.

 

[Olympus8MP]

Hoppe's #9 ....yes I'm surprised that they haven't released a cologne for men with that scent I've heard many of guys say theres nothin like the smell of hoppes.

At least I know I'm not crazy! :mrgreen: