First Shot in Manuel Focus!

[Case]

Friend let me take some shots today, this one turned out the best (haha). Taken with a Rebel XT and Kit 18-55mm lens in Manuel focus, this was my first set of shots using only manuel, I found it harder to get the right focal point but the images are a lot more crisp and rewarding using manuel for macro shots. C&C is what Im looking for!

I know the lighting is a tad strange as well...






Thanks again!

 

[LaFoto]

Congrats on your first that you focused manually!
The lighting is "a tad strange" indeed. In truth, the bottom part of this thing (bird bowl?) is all overexposed.
And what distracts me most from your intended subject is the blue tarpaulin or whatever it is that is in the background, it really clamours for attention in competition with your subject. If this were a photo worth to be saved (exposure problems aside), I personally would crop in from the right and from above to lose that blue and move the subject. Your attempt to place it off centre places its right edge very much into the middle of your frame, and I feel the balance is not quite so good.

 

[Case]

Thanks for the comments. The reason the bottom part is over exposed I think is because a direct ray of sunlight was hitting it, and partly because I chose the totally wrong angle to shoot it. Heres the edited version (cut out distracting part)...

 

[LaFoto]

So? What is your own feeling about it? Does it feel better?
For you need not crop any of your frames only because someone ELSE says they would prefer it... If you want to get back to a usual print ratio, you also still have room to crop in from above now (I am one who always observes the usual print ratios, whether I want my pics to be printed or not - I am like that...)

 

[Case]

So? What is your own feeling about it? Does it feel better?
For you need not crop any of your frames only because someone ELSE says they would prefer it... If you want to get back to a usual print ratio, you also still have room to crop in from above now (I am one who always observes the usual print ratios, whether I want my pics to be printed or not - I am like that...)

I do feel the blue was distracting. Sorry but I do have to disagree on the cropping of the top of the image, like sort of like the empty space on top. Overall I think if the bamboo wicker part would have been a little LESS exposed and more emphasis on my intended focal point the shot would have came out a lot better....just my opinion though.