Sample Shots, C&C please!

[MAARTE]

I don't know much of how to take great pictures yet...but I am willing to learn!

Here are some samples:

Landscape shot-

Nature-

Portrait-

Thanks!!!

 

[Pugs]

Oh! What a beautiful child!

On all of them, they seem a little dark to me. They could all use some lightening and contrast.

Number one just doesn't interest me very much. I think it's a combination of being underexposed and the perspective makes it feel... off... like the world is tilting and falling off to the right.

Number two I like a whole lot more, but would like to see the rose moved out the dead center. Or if it were a vertical composition instead of horizontal.

And Number three... that's a very precious shot. Like I said it could use some lightening and contrast, but I like what you've captured. The focuse seems a little soft, too, now that I look at it a bit more.

 

[MAARTE]

Oh! What a beautiful child!

On all of them, they seem a little dark to me. They could all use some lightening and contrast.

Number one just doesn't interest me very much. I think it's a combination of being underexposed and the perspective makes it feel... off... like the world is tilting and falling off to the right.

Number two I like a whole lot more, but would like to see the rose moved out the dead center. Or if it were a vertical composition instead of horizontal.

And Number three... that's a very precious shot. Like I said it could use some lightening and contrast, but I like what you've captured. The focuse seems a little soft, too, now that I look at it a bit more.

Hey, thanks! I will be working on my lighting and contrasting skills. I have never noticed them being too dark, but now that you mentioned it, I see what you're saying.

Really helpful. Thanks

 

[MAARTE]

Btw, what do you think of this? Is this a better shot than the first one I posted? Or no? Thanks in advance!

 

[IgsEMT]

PUGS + they are all under exposed. Number 3 even seems to be blurry.
Use the built-in flash if you don't have an external. It isn't the BEST thing but if nothing else exist it is better then nothing.

 

[IgsEMT]

the last one you entered, seems very soft.
Check your lens, make sure it is clean - IF IT IS, go to picture profile and change it to vivid or landscape. IF you can customize it (not familiar with your model) set it to standard and boost up the sharpness.
Neutral is VERY soft, following Portrait. keep that in mind when you're shooting.

UNLESS you're shooting RAW and do all the goodies later on

 

[MAARTE]

Ok sounds good. I'll check my settings.

 

[Inst!nct]

yea, my main feedback is that they seem uncrisp

 

[Pugs]

Btw, what do you think of this? Is this a better shot than the first one I posted? Or no? Thanks in advance!

Much better on the exposure, but the focus is definitely soft. Compositionally I like it a lot more than the first flower you posted. This one I think has too much negative space below the flower and not enough above it. In other words, I love that you've gotten the subject out of the dead center, but think that it could be moved down a bit so that there it doesn't seem like the top edge is crowding it so much.

 

[MAARTE]

Btw, what do you think of this? Is this a better shot than the first one I posted? Or no? Thanks in advance!

Much better on the exposure, but the focus is definitely soft. Compositionally I like it a lot more than the first flower you posted. This one I think has too much negative space below the flower and not enough above it. In other words, I love that you've gotten the subject out of the dead center, but think that it could be moved down a bit so that there it doesn't seem like the top edge is crowding it so much.

Oh wow. I haven't even thought about all that space. I am definitely learning a lot!

 

[MAARTE]

yea, my main feedback is that they seem uncrisp

Do you think I need to adjust the sharpness itself or just the lighting since it's under-exposed? Thanks for the input!

 

[Kylerood]

My main input is for your first image, it seems as if it was an overcast day and for all outside images the time of the day you are shooting at is paramount. That shot would have been a lot more interesting at sunset on a partly cloudy day. If you werent there during sunset but just on a regular sunny day i probably would have gotten the sun to be hitting the rock for a little more definition.

Either way it looks like you're off to a great start!

 

[MAARTE]

My main input is for your first image, it seems as if it was an overcast day and for all outside images the time of the day you are shooting at is paramount. That shot would have been a lot more interesting at sunset on a partly cloudy day. If you werent there during sunset but just on a regular sunny day i probably would have gotten the sun to be hitting the rock for a little more definition.

Either way it looks like you're off to a great start!

Ah, I see what you mean! It was definitely a lil overcast when I shot this photo. Thanks

 

[Rifleman1776]

Landscape shot not bad, just pretty ordinary. If you waited until the right time of day, you could probably get some very dramatic lighting.
All your others are a bit dark and soft focus. The rose bud is a good example of letting auto settings drive your work. I believe the focus locked in on one of the petals. Going to manual focus, you should zero in on the tip of the bud. For portraits the same problem can occur when the auto locks on the tip of the nose and the rest of the face is soft. Going manual, you can lock on the eyes and get it all good.
Beautiful child.

 

[Pugs]

yea, my main feedback is that they seem uncrisp

Do you think I need to adjust the sharpness itself or just the lighting since it's under-exposed? Thanks for the input!

Actually, I think in part this is a depth of field thing. The bottom half of the green, spiky leaf to the right of the center of the flower looks like it's in relatively acceptable focus. Everything else blurs out rather quickly, though as if there's a super shallow depth of field.

Depth of field is controlled by aperture. The smaller the f/stop number the shallower the depth of field. Larger f/stop number means deeper depth of field. In this case, going to a slightly narrower aperture (bigger f/stop number) would have allowed you to have more of the flower's bulb to be in focus.