Am I improving????? Advice on what I need to work on and what I am doing right if any

[amg]

Hi There
I have maybe taken my Camera out 6 times... Lucky me I have lots of friends that are willing let me take there picture so I can learn!!!!!
I have a canon rebel t3 and a 18-55mm kit lens no lighting or flash no fancy jazz..... Just wondering what I should be working on and what I got right if anything..... Advice, article, suggestions, anything throw it my way I am wanting to learn.....
Dont be shy......If I wanted it sugar coated I would post it on fb for family and friends so they could tell me how wonderful it is!!!!
Ill post my oldest to newest shots......Here we go Gavin-02 by ashleymg, on Flickr
IMG_1949-2 by ashleymg, on Flickr

IMG_2157 by ashleymg, on Flickr
IMG_2807 by ashleymg, on Flickr
IMG_2824-2 by ashleymg, on Flickr
IMG_2809 by ashleymg, on Flickr

IMG_2809 by ashleymg, on Fl
IMG_3259 by ashleymg, on Flickr

The last one is really grainy I know...But again no lighting but its still fn trying and see what I can get...Someone did tell me before you can reduce noise I dont know how to do this yet

 

[DiskoJoe]

Just go shoot more for now. You are way to early to be asking for help yet. When you have a 1000 clicks on it you can start to think about getting real advice.

 

[Mrgiggls]

Technically you are doing OK. The 3rd image is over-exposed some and the 5th needs to be centered more (centering is OK on posed portraites), and try not to chop off the tops of heads. The last one is my favorite and a little grain is not necessarily a bad thing. I would not have chopped the foot off of the bowls stand and there is too much dead space above the subject.
I would suggest maybe working on some candids of your subjects. And I don't think it's ever too soon to start asking for opinions and advice.

 

[amg]

I disagree I think if I keep shooting and there is stuff I am doing wrong I will start developing habits and habits are hard to break.... I think its always good to get help and suggestions!!! I have already got a ton of great advice on here in previous posts...... I didnt even know I had a meter..... been given some great articles to read over!!! Advice keeps me going gives me ideas on different things to try, areas to work on etc.

And I know I was soooooo mad I missed the foot of the bowl Now I am chopping feet instead of heads ugh.....I will get it right one day!!!

And yes I am planning to shoot and shoot and shoot I am just hoping I am heading in the right direction!!!!!!

 

[MReid]

Nice cloudy day cute subjects....easiest photography there is. Good planning on your part?
Not much to critique here. No crazy stuff jumps out at me.
As the other poster said, keep shooting, you have a LONG ways to go.

 

[Mrgiggls]

..you have a LONG ways to go.

C'mon...was that really necessary?

 

[MReid]

..you have a LONG ways to go.

C'mon...was that really necessary?

Yes it really was...
People at this point don't know enough to know what they don't know.....experience is what is required...familiarity with the equipment.....repetition......practice.

 

[amg]

Any suggestions on what I could shoot that would be a bit harder???? That might be a bit of interest to me.....I like shooting ppl..... The newborn actually wasnt that easy I had to find a flattering angle so he didnt look like wrinkled old man and it took forever for him to get settled took alot of patience!!!!!!!! I am glad I seem to have my exposure down I will continue to work on my compostion ... What is the best way to learn???? How did you guys all learn? I know practice is key but should I be googling photos with different effects and then go out and attempt them. I am having a hard time seeing everything and I know there is things I am missing how do you start recognizing them..... Also everyone has a different style of photography so that makes things confusing how do you find your style.... So much to learn here...... And yes I agree I have a loooong way to go but the question was am I improving at all or is it all them same :/

 

[shootermcgavin]

Lots of chopped heads, it's a good start I think. They are right though even at 20,000 shots you'll still be learning, plus you have to learn post process also which is a lot of it now.

 

[shootermcgavin]

The newborn is good but under exposed and not really a reason to chop of one foot of it. The crop is a little odd too... It had the most potential in my opinion, probably the hardest of all of them too.

 

[KBM1016]

Please read this article on Newborn Photography safety!!!

11 top tips for newborn photography safety » Elizabeth Halford Photography {the blog}

While it's a cute photo, I would shudder at the thought of putting my kids (or anyone elses) in a glass bowl.

Tip wise, other than what has already been said, I think you are on track for the technicals. I think the lighting is pretty good but something about them doesn't pop to me. I am not really sure what it is. There is nothing in the photo that really draws my attention in and KEEPS my attention.

 

[gingerol]

I like your photo IMG_2157

Perhaps it would have more "punch" if you hadn't centered the subjects too much. Maybe shift them to the left of the frame...

 

[1000_Islander]

I just signed onto this site within the past hour, and this is the first posting (of interest) I have come across, so bear with me.............
AMG, these are some of the best novice/entry level 'people pictures' I have seen in some time!
- you are shooting at the subject's level (and not down on them!)
- your compositions, especially the woman against the board/wall, are creative, as in you took some time to choose the spots
- your close crops are effective and draw the viewer's attention, and 'cutting the heads' is actually a strong compositional tool, used in some of the most admired portraiture
- you have good eye contact and obvious rapport with your subjects

The technical stuff can be learned. But there are those who have all the gear and even know their hardware who cannot do better than this!

Qualifier: been 'doing photography' for over three decades, have a home-based portrait studio, exhibit and sell my prints. Retired, and photography is my 'passion'!
I'll be posting when I figure the site out!

 

[pgriz]

In one of the workshops I participated in, the photographer told us that we will be doing "slow" photography. Camera on tripod. Not because of the shutter speed, but for the ability to scan the image, and repeat the shot if necessary. The process would be to set up your shot (angle, perspective, focal length, DOF, any lights and reflectors) and then scan the frame for bits that don't fit/work. Take the photo, and review the histogram for clipping, blocking. Enlarge the image to check for focus placement, sharpness. Scroll around the frame looking for extraneous bits. Zoom back out and get a sense of what worked, what didn't. Ajust (exposure, light, focus, position, whatever... ) and take another picture. Go through the same process. If you can upload the shot to a big screen (laptop or desktop), even better.

In the workshop, each review was with the teacher, the photographer and the rest of the workshop participants. It was amazing to us to see just how much stuff slips by on the first shot or two. There's the technical stuff, and then there's also the composition. This workshop persuaded me to carry the tripod with me, and to use it routinely. It's not perhaps appropriate for every kind of photography, but for much of what I do (landscape, still life, macro, portraits, nature) it is very useful.

Aside from the tripod use, the other benefit of this approach is taking the time to study the entire frame. In several of your photos the background is much too intrusive - if it doesn't contribute to providing context, for instance, it shouldn't be there. Image #2 works well because all the focus is on the woman. In the third image, the lake is much too bright relative to the face of the kids - so either it becomes close to featureless white, or you need to shift perspective. On the fourth image (woman and child on railroad tracks) the trees growing out of her head, and the bright sky visible don't help the image and detract. Again, this is a case of choosing the angle and perspective that gives you what you want from your subjects, but ALSO diminishes any distractions.

 

[vipgraphx]

First shot you cropped of the boys head

Second shot to much dead space to the left of the lady

Third shot dead space on left and right sides of the kids

Fourth shot to much space between the top of the frame and the lady's head

Fifth shot not as bad but hands is cut off

6th shot it would look better if you had not cut off the bottom part of the iron frame

So composition is something you need to work on. Exposures are not bad but in 3 it seems a bit high. Not sure if you are doing any processing work but I would bring a little warmth and some red into all of these. The skin is lacks color or have these people get some sun into their lives :lmao:. Skin tones are milky white

Not a bad start. I would say if you are shooting in auto get out of it and start shooting A or M modes. Use auto when you need to fire away quick with no time to mess with your settings. Then in those auto settings look at the data and see what the camera settings were so you know.