1st Post With Photos For C&C

[Skedaddle]

These are just a few photos that I have taken within the past week. However, I don't remember what settings I was using when I took them. I used a Canon Powershot S3 IS for all of these. This is my first post with photos for C&C so I hope they aren't too bad.
Let me know what you think and what I can work on.

(1) I did edit this photo on Picnik.

(2) I have not done anything to this photo yet.

(3) All I did was make this one b&w.

 

[noritje]

I like the 1st and 3rd picture! The 'glow' effect is very well suited for them, very angelic effect I must say My fav is definitely the 3rd!

 

[Skedaddle]

Thank you. Any one else?

 

[Skedaddle]

Is there anything that I need to improve or work on in these photos? An I going in the right direction with my photography?

 

[jbeanv]

Cute kids! In the cat one, the yellow thing in the corner is distracting (I think it's a flower or something?) I think the green in #1 is a little too bright and it makes him looked a little washed out. #3 I like, maybe just a little more light on her face??

Just my opinion, nice job!

 

[Samanax]

Is there anything that I need to improve or work on in these photos?

A few things that all photographers work to improve on is getting the exposure right, improving their sense of composition and improving their understanding of light.

I think you did pretty good with an Advanced Bridge P&S camera, but you do need to work on your composition skills based on the first two images and work on your understanding of light based on the last image.

#1 - You generally want to have the person looking or moving into the frame instead of out of it. It's also good to get down to the same level of the eyes with children and pets. For this shot it may have been better to have the boy in the right side of the frame instead of the left. And shot from his eye level. Maybe try a similar shot with the camera if portrait orientation (vertical instead of horizontal).

#2 - I like that you got close to the cat and filled most the frame with it...no confusion on what the subject was. Might have been nicer to place the head on the right side of the frame as it looked back towards the left.

Composition Tips

Tips For Beginners

How To Photograph...

#3 - Nicely composed shot...window light from the left? In this kind of situation you could try using something white or silver (or gold) to reflect the light back toward the subjects to help fill in the areas where the window light isn't hitting. This will help even out the exposure a bit and make it less dark.

And I going in the right direction with my photography?

What direction are you going with your photography? Want to take really excellent family pictures? Thinking of becoming a serious amateur? Maybe do this part-time as a semi-professional? Do this full-time as a professional?

 

[Hock]

1. pretty good, watch out for the background the white (chair?) is coming into the boys head.

2. read up on the rule of thirds, probably in the composition link above. If not a google search should give you enough info. IMO. you basically need some room on the left for the cat to "look into".

3. I like the BW conversion, great photo, no real complaint here

FYI you had managed to cut off some part of the subject in each of the photo, which I personally find distracting. I do this every so often my self. Now i try to not zoom in as much since you can always crop out, but kinda of hard to "crop in"

 

[Skedaddle]

#1 - You generally want to have the person looking or moving into the frame instead of out of it. It's also good to get down to the same level of the eyes with children and pets. For this shot it may have been better to have the boy in the right side of the frame instead of the left. And shot from his eye level. Maybe try a similar shot with the camera if portrait orientation (vertical instead of horizontal).


#2 - I like that you got close to the cat and filled most the frame with it...no confusion on what the subject was. Might have been nicer to place the head on the right side of the frame as it looked back towards the left.

Composition Tips

Tips For Beginners

How To Photograph...

#3 - Nicely composed shot...window light from the left? In this kind of situation you could try using something white or silver (or gold) to reflect the light back toward the subjects to help fill in the areas where the window light isn't hitting. This will help even out the exposure a bit and make it less dark.What direction are you going with your photography? Want to take really excellent family pictures? Thinking of becoming a serious amateur? Maybe do this part-time as a semi-professional? Do this full-time as a professional?

Ok, thank you for the tips and the links. I will definitly take a look at them and try what you said.

As for direction, I would like to become a freelance photographer. I'm not 100% sure on what my "specialty" would be but I do prefer to photography animals, flowers, people and occassionaly landscapes if I find one (there are not very many where I live).

 

[Skedaddle]

Cute kids! In the cat one, the yellow thing in the corner is distracting (I think it's a flower or something?) I think the green in #1 is a little too bright and it makes him looked a little washed out. #3 I like, maybe just a little more light on her face??

Just my opinion, nice job!

Thank you for the tips. I have not done any editing to the cat photo yet but when I do, I will be cutting out the leaf.

 

[Skedaddle]

1. pretty good, watch out for the background the white (chair?) is coming into the boys head.

2. read up on the rule of thirds, probably in the composition link above. If not a google search should give you enough info. IMO. you basically need some room on the left for the cat to "look into".

3. I like the BW conversion, great photo, no real complaint here

FYI you had managed to cut off some part of the subject in each of the photo, which I personally find distracting. I do this every so often my self. Now i try to not zoom in as much since you can always crop out, but kinda of hard to "crop in"

Thank you for your suggestions. On the first photo, I did the editing on another computer and it didn't looked so washed out. Now I'm on a different computer and it does look a little washed out. The background in the photo are cabinets and a counter.

For the second photo, I'm just now starting to learn about the Rule of Thirds so I'll try to use that in my photos from now on.

As for the third, thank you.