Brand New Camera and Photographer

[njworley]

I am brand new to photography, until last week I have only ever owned a simple point and shoot camera. Long story short, I won a Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm lens and 55-200mm lens through the VFW/VA. I am learning what I can from the videos it came with and youtube but any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. Here are a few of the "better" pictures I have taken with the camera.

thanks for any help.


1.

2.

3.

4.

 

[momo3boys]

I would love to give whatever newbie help I can but I can't see the pictures...

Amazing that you won such a great item! I never win cool stuff like that!

 

[mangtarn]

 

[KmH]

Be sure and read the D3100 user's manual. It's not a hard copy. The complete user's manual is on the disc of software that came with the camera.
Suppliment that with - David Busch's Nikon D3100 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

Visit Digital Photography Tutorials for some of the best tutorials on the web.

You'll also benefit if you begin a study of visual image composition - Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition: Introduction
Advanced Composition -- Part I

The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos

For the basics of photographic lighting get - Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

An appreciation of art and understanding the bacis of graphic design are also very helpful.
Living with Art

Visual Design Fundamentals: A Digital Approach (Graphics Series)

 

[njworley]

Alright, I fixed the picture issue. Sorry about that

KmH, thanks for the pointers ill start reading now.

 

[momo3boys]

Nice job. #4 was my favorite. Clear and nice composition. The rose picture uses DOF well but it would look better close up and off center. The fall picture is kinda boring, sorry. And the first one needs more DOF, it's hard to find the focus point.

Just my newbie two cents.

Keep shooting, I look forward to seeing more!

 

[njworley]

Thanks for the tips, and ya #4 is my favorite too! I was amazed that I was able to get the shot like that. #2 (the fall pic) is kinda boring ya, but my wife loves fall so I had to try.

 

[photo guy]

I like #2 the best. #4 would have been better in my opinion if it would have been centered more. Good job otherwise and congratulations on winning such a nice unit.

 

[njworley]

Would a Tripod have helped with pictures like this? or am I thinking too much into it.

 

[KmH]

First get familiar with all the features and functions your camera has available for you to use.

One of the main keys to tack sharp photos is using a good stable tripod. A decent tripod will be $150 or more. A good tripod will be twice that, and neither includes the price of a decent tripod head.
For more info visit my blog: How Do I Use My Digital SLR?: How to Get Sharply Focused Images

Here is a tripod that has an OK built in head I often recommend to start with: Giottos MTL9360B Professional 4-Section Aluminum Tripod with Flip Leg Locks

4 leg sections helps make it small for transporting, but the 3 leg section giottos 9361 is a little more stable though it won't collapse as small.

 

[CapturedByNicki]

I love number 4 and the colors in 1 are nice. and im super jealous i never win anything lol!!!

 

[photo guy]

I have a cheap tripod (large one) that I use the most and it works just fine for me. The larger the camera though, the larger the tripod needed. I don't think a tripod would have mattered with the river photo though with the top flower photo it might have helped. I own 3 tripods and a monopod so I get a lot of use out of them.

 

[thereyougo!]

Centreing the bird shot wouldn't have helped much in my view. I would crop it so that it hits the top L and R thirds. A tripod would have been most helpful for the flower shot, but you might not have got the bird shot if you were on a tripod.


here's my crop of your shot, I've also made curves adjustments in Lightroom 3 to give it an S curve


C&C bird shot forum by singingsnapper, on Flickr

 

[Everglades1]

4 is really nice