C&C Please

Michael Touchette · Jan 19, 2009

Hi, I'm new to the forums and new to photography. I have a Canon XTi and the kit lens. I've just started shooting outside of the "basic zone." Here are a few pictures that I think are some of my better shots. Can I get a little C&C?

My favorite subject (my 2004 Volkswagen R32):

My dog:

Champagne:

Thank you!!

EW1066 · Jan 19, 2009

The car shots are pretty good. I like the power sataion setting in the first shot.

A few suggestions:
1. Get a polarizer filter if you dont already have one. It will knock down the glare and reflections on the car windows and the paint and give a better overall picture.

2. As someone on this forum so eloquently put it "Direct flash kills kittens". That may apply to puppies too. Save some money and invest in a the best flash you can afford. The pop-up flash on all cameras tends to flatten out the picture. In the last picture the white part of the lable on the champagne bottle is blown out from the direct flash, there are also some nasty reflections on the glasses. If you have already invested in a flash... learn to use it as a bounce flash. That will give your flash shots a much more flattering light.

My 2 cents....ymmv

Vince

edited for spelling

Michael Touchette · Jan 21, 2009

thanks for the tips.. I actually wasn't using the flash on the bottle picture, there was bad lighting that I didn't take the time to try and fix:thumbdown:

Anyone else have any tips, comments, criticisms?

Project 6 · Jan 21, 2009

1st pic is my fave as well. ( nice car by the way ) Although I think the pic could be a little sharper in a way...maybe play with the contrast...

...Then again i'm no expert.

smithphoto · Jan 21, 2009

I really do like the car pictures. The color is good and I like the focus. You didn't go nuts with the Focal range and blur every background like many amature/pros tend to do. Dont get me wrong, I see this as a good thing, a shallow dof has it's place. The only other thing with the car pics is you may want think more of your background and what you are highlighting. A blue car against a blue sky and ocean, it may not work everytime, in this case however, I do like it.

In the last image, if you don't have a flash, one idea is to stretch a white sheat above the scene in order to defuse the light and create a softer image. just an idea.

Take all this with a grain of salt... I'm still a noob myself.

Michael Touchette · Jan 21, 2009

Thanks for more input! I just tried playing around with the pictures and realized I DID have the pop up flash on for the champagne picture. I must have had more champagne than I thought, because I really should have known better.. haha

I tried editing the electric plant picture too, I'll have to play around more, but I really need to get a good photo editing program, I'm just using iPhoto right now. I have a Mac, anyone have experience with Aperture2?

Thanks for the comments on the car! It's my baby