Please pick apart these...

song2006 · Jul 14, 2006

i feel are my best to date and some of my more recent shots. i use the action setting for most of my pics because i dont have a tripod, yet

and find i have a lot of trouble with focus out of this setting, any tips? what do you think would be the best setting for my pics of this handsome fella?

i would like for you to comment and pick apart on what is good and what is bad about these shots. its really appreciated. im here to learn.

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song2006 · Jul 14, 2006

anyone?? :bouncy:

LaFoto · Jul 14, 2006

Focus is perfect on his eyes in 1, and I really like the light you had for that one. The sky reflects so nicely in his eyes. Only nitpick is the cropped off ears by your frame. I would have loved to see also the tips inside the frame.

I think I would never be able to get a photo of a pet running towards me right therefore I cannot give you any tips on how to possibly get the animal fully in focus on such an occasion. But I do like the idea and wished to know how to deal with such photo situations myself, too.

danalec99 · Jul 14, 2006

If I were to pick a fav, it'd be the first shot.

Placing the subject right in the middle of the frame is generally considered snapshotty. Here is a link with examples, which shows you to compose your images using the 'rule of thirds'. Please consider 'rule' as a general guideline only.

mysteryscribe · Jul 14, 2006

okay here goes... I like them all. Everything on two and three is forgiven because they are really just random shots.

On one it is more a portrait type thing. the shadow at the front of his face kills a black dogs features. It would have been much better with a fill flash or with the exposure for the shadow and let the rest burn a little.

Now before it becomes a huge arguement, that is just my opinion based on the fact that I shot most of my animal shots as portraits. I also did it in a studio setting where the control of the light was easy.

You might consider more verticle crops. Generally speaking you have too much empty space on the sides in them all.

Centering isnt as bad a thing as forcing a shot to fit into the rule of thirds.

But almost any animal or person shot out doors is going to be tricky. fill flash and exposing for the shadows will help your shot a huge amount.

Then again thats from an old photographer remember times they are achangin

AluminumStudios · Jul 14, 2006

I would suggest cropping the second one a little to focus on the dog more, and clone-stamping the sprinkler out of the third one as it takes the eyes away from the main subject.

song2006 · Jul 14, 2006

lafoto, thanks for your feedback.... yes, having the ears tips would be a plus and i find a challenge with a gsd because of the size of them ears. i try to make that extra effort to get them in but in this shot i saw more good then bad and one of the reasons its my personal favs

dnanlec, thanks for the link!

i know a little about the third rule but this link gives me a better understanding. i do think in the first photo that the third rule did not need to be applied because it is a close up. but if there is a way to take a close up and follow the third rule i open to hearing it.

mysteryscribe, when i take most of my pics of forrest they will be random because i am trying to capture him in his natural state... i am always worried about cropping too much but i will try it and then post them and get feedback to see if you all think they look better... i will also take your other suggestions into consideration, thanks for commenting and i will make an attempt to improve these pictures. hopefully for the better.

aluminumstudios, thanks and i will try your suggestions as well.

you all have been great, thanks for helping me!

any other thoughts before i go at these again.

danalec99 · Jul 14, 2006

song2006 said:
if there is a way to take a close up and follow the third rule i open to hearing it.

This could be an example. Like I said, use it as a general guideline only.

mysteryscribe said:
Centering isnt as bad a thing as forcing a shot to fit into the rule of thirds.

I wholeheartedly agree.
However, I think every beginner should know about the rule of thirds whether they decide to use it or not.

mysteryscribe · Jul 14, 2006

I agree every one know what it is but too many new photographers get so hung up on it that they can't compose a shot unless it fits that conception of what it is. His major problem with thos pics isnt the rule of thirds its that he cropped them horizontal. If he had cropped them verticle and filled the frame rule of thirds wouldn't even be an issue.

I have been shooting pictures for 30+ years and I know what good composition looks like. NOt that I always do it, but I do know. Not to long ago on a different forum, I had some new photographer tell me one of my shots didn't fit the rule of thirds lol...

Why because I was a head and shoulders with the person centered in the center and the eyes on the top third quadrant. Which if I'm not terribly mistaken is exactly the rule of thirds. It is also the clasical portrait crop.

So here we are telling them to learn the rule of thirds as a guide and they decide it is the rule of law even if they don't understand it. I would much rather see them learn about balance and to study pictures that are good composition. Give any new photographer a rule and it becomes a law. Everyone is looking for the short cut.

If you want to compose good pictures learn about balance first. If a picture looks as though it is heavy on one side or about to tilt from its own weight rule of thirds or tenths doesnt matter it is not appealing to my eyes.

For instance a lot of kids are now saying a totally black two thirds on one side picture is okay because the person is on one side and that meets the rule of thirds composition. Bull crap. Unless there is some reason for all that black it is wrong pure and simple at least to me but then im old.

Let the firestorm begin lol Should make for a good discussion anyway...Please no pictures with circles and arrows to illustrate.

Ps if you would like I'll be happy to crop them for you to show you.

song2006 · Jul 14, 2006

danalec thanks for the link. all links are helpful and i bookmark them so i can refer back... i also agree that if the shot is better without the third rule and being centered the 3rd rule should not be applied... i was actually taking some shots today and playing around with different positions, i think will help me get a better feel of what is going to work and what isnt [adding the new knowledge i have now

] ill be sure to share a few once i get them uploaded.

mysteryscribe thanks for sharing your experience, it is appreciated... and yes if you would like to crop them and show me that would be great. i havent gotten to them yet but i have been putting thoughts together and id like to see if i was close... so go for it if you would still like to crop them.

again thanks for all the help.

i will admit that i dont have the knowledge and for now alot of what i do with my shots is to get them as appealing to me as possible, i realize with limited knowledge they arent going to be the pieces im seeing here but i do hope that what everyone is sharing with me i can put into my work as that is so much what i want.:thumbup:

others are still free to share their thoughts...

rosescope · Jul 14, 2006

I like picture #1 and another two are not bad at all

song2006 · Jul 14, 2006

thanks rosescope.

i made an attempt to crop, so let me know what ya think.
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mysteryscribe · Jul 14, 2006

I dont need to show you mine those are exactly the same. I had them ready to go and there is almost exactly what I did. My crops were a little more 8 x10 oriented but not much different at all.

Thats exactly what I meant by balence....

Since we pretty much have the same shots it's obvious that you get the balence thing right away. If you think about it, it is a much easier concept that any of the other composition formulas. It's the yen and yang of it all .... (where is hertz he would laugh his butt off at that)

When you do head shots or head and shoulder shots the subject's eyes are generally your point to situate in the frame. In a verticle classic portrait shot the eyes go on the imaginary line the cuts the top third. Anywhere close is just peachy keen.

A good very general rule that thirds does not take into consideration is that usually a single person is verticle, if they are standing or sitting straight up. It is why most GREAT painted portraits are verticle.

the exception being the man with the cigar rule. You don't force the picture to be verticle at the expense of an important element. That is why it is just a general rule.

There are so many things that aren't covered in that guide of thirds compostion that it isnt very complete at all. Too many young photographers try to make it fit everything and it just wont do it.

song2006 · Jul 14, 2006

Thanks!

from what your saying i guess im learning as i have worked on a few of the shots i took today... and im just about to post them. sorry i didnt mean to get ahead of you and have you do the work and not show it, my apologizes. i did have a little time and didnt know if you would be back knowing the weekend is starting. but i really do appreicate all the insight.:thumbup: