Amateur photo feedback, I'm new

[Kjar]

Hello all, I'm new and looking for some critique on my photos. I shot the ones uploaded with the Sony point and shoot Rx 100 ll. Thank you for your time!

 

[Alexr25]

Pix 1, it does not work for me, maybe if you took it from the opposite side or a different angle it would work but as it is the composition looks unbalanced.

Pix 2, This is the best of the three and I really like it a lot but again your composition needs tiding up. Having the horizon run through the centre of the image is a bad idea. If you crop out the top of the sky, from the top of the frame down to where the sun flare meets the cloud above it, you will have a much stronger image.

Pix 3, does nothing for me, maybe if you just concentrated on the group of trees at the right of the frame it might work but as it is there is no point of interest to draw the eye into the picture.

 

[Yzerwing]

Exposing for the highlights is a good lesson for all photographers to know. Areas that are pure white is data (digital information about the image in this case) that is lost. This really comes into play when post processing your images. Dialing down the exposure so the sky isn't washed out provides more usable image. The darker parts of the image can be brightened up in post later. Point and Shoot cameras may not have the ability to adjust exposure so this point may be irrelevant.

Keep in mind these are suggestions not rules! There are no rules shoot what makes you happy but always try to learn too.

Pic 1 shows a nice usage of the rule of thirds.
Pic 2 could be cropped as stated by Alexr25 and would be a really nice shot.
Pic 3 I think I see what you were going for. Those rays of sunlight shining through the clouds can be hard to capture with out a quality camera and an understanding of exposure.

This is a nice start for someone new to photography and you obviously want to learn and are open to criticism. Don't stop, keep it up, you will learn quickly. Going forward, advancing to a DSLR camera will make a huge difference in your results but you have to be willing to learn to use it properly.

 

[Kjar]

Pix 1, it does not work for me, maybe if you took it from the opposite side or a different angle it would work but as it is the composition looks unbalanced.

Pix 2, This is the best of the three and I really like it a lot but again your composition needs tiding up. Having the horizon run through the centre of the image is a bad idea. If you crop out the top of the sky, from the top of the frame down to where the sun flare meets the cloud above it, you will have a much stronger image.

Pix 3, does nothing for me, maybe if you just concentrated on the group of trees at the right of the frame it might work but as it is there is no point of interest to draw the eye into the picture.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll try to crop the second image and see what a I can get. As for the other two, I'll keep in mind what you've said next time I shoot. Thanks!

 

[Kjar]

Exposing for the highlights is a good lesson for all photographers to know. Areas that are pure white is data (digital information about the image in this case) that is lost. This really comes into play when post processing your images. Dialing down the exposure so the sky isn't washed out provides more usable image. The darker parts of the image can be brightened up in post later. Point and Shoot cameras may not have the ability to adjust exposure so this point may be irrelevant.

Keep in mind these are suggestions not rules! There are no rules shoot what makes you happy but always try to learn too.

Pic 1 shows a nice usage of the rule of thirds.
Pic 2 could be cropped as stated by Alexr25 and would be a really nice shot.
Pic 3 I think I see what you were going for. Those rays of sunlight shining through the clouds can be hard to capture with out a quality camera and an understanding of exposure.

This is a nice start for someone new to photography and you obviously want to learn and are open to criticism. Don't stop, keep it up, you will learn quickly. Going forward, advancing to a DSLR camera will make a huge difference in your results but you have to be willing to learn to use it properly.

Thanks for replying. I can adjust the exposure with my camera and I will be sure to implement that in my next shoot. Thanks for giving advice on the photos. I appreciate any tips. What's a good intro DSLR? I went with my point shoot because it allows me to manipulate the controls like a DSLR with out learning about lenses. Thanks!

 

[Yzerwing]

Thanks for replying. I can adjust the exposure with my camera and I will be sure to implement that in my next shoot. Thanks for giving advice on the photos. I appreciate any tips. What's a good intro DSLR? I went with my point shoot because it allows me to manipulate the controls like a DSLR with out learning about lenses. Thanks!

I own a Canon Rebel T3 but have used other DSLR cameras and to be honest with you they all work in the same way. The controls and functions may be in different places on different models but they are all basically the same. Some are certainly better than others but that will depend largely on the kind of photography you be doing and of course the all mighty dollar. Some of these cameras are very expensive.

I can also tell you that the difference between Canon and Nikon and Sony is the same as the difference between Ford and Chevy and Toyota. They all have their pros and cons. It is a matter of opinion as to which brand to settle on.

 

[shaylou]

I completely disagree with the comments in regards to the composition in 2. The use of lines is why the composition works so well in this shot. Composition is used to guide a viewers eyes around a picture and that is exactly what you have done in this shot. The part that is most in focus is the bent part of the fence and that is where my eye starts to look at this image. The bend of the fence leads up the wood to the top of the fence and the bright light of the sun takes your eye down the fence line an leads out to the sea and beach. So the composition has guided the viewer through and around the shot taking it all in. That is exactly what composition is meant for. I do not know if this was your intention but it should be in the future. Composition is a fascinating subject and when I started formally studying it, I realized just how in depth it really is and how much there is to learn.

I do want to point out two things. One, is that the bright spots on an image is generally where your eyes will travel to first. If you had stopped down your lens more and brought more of the image into focus this would not of worked. Your eye would automatically go to the bright spot and the shot would of lost it's flow and in turn lost it's composition. Having the closest part in focus made up for what could of been a compositional mistake.

The second thing I want to point out is to look for leading lines as you are composing. You will hear the term "working the shot" a lot in photography. That means to shoot from different angles and view points. This is where you can find these leading lines and more importantly you can find the composition that will use the leading lines to lead the viewer through your shot and to your subject.

Hope that helps.

 

[shaylou]

One other thing... You have blown the highlights (the sun). You might want to turn the highlights all the way down in post if you have lightroom or other software.