Calgary Zoo - First sets (First real outing)

mikaakim · Jul 23, 2012

Oh heres the links to the full sets

Cats - a set on Flickr

Calgary Zoo - Penguins - a set on Flickr

Calgary Zoo Bears - a set on Flickr

mikaakim · Jul 23, 2012

Anyone...anyone at all? :wink:

SCraig · Jul 23, 2012

I'll look at them when I get home. A little busy at work right now.

SCraig · Jul 23, 2012

The biggest problem is that you've got a mix of direct sunlight and shade. This usually causes some areas to be very light or blown out and some areas to be very dark or blocked. The first bear shot is a good example of that, very light on his nose and very dark in the shadows behind his ear. The third penguin shot is mostly in shade and the light is much more even with very few hot spots or deep shadows. Direct sunlight is difficult and best avoided when possible. If you can't avoid it you can meter for the highlights and use a flash to fill in the shadows.

From a composition standpoint don't put everything dead in the center of the viewfinder. The only time I put an animal dead center is when they are staring me straight in the eyes. When they are looking to one side push them slightly to the side opposite where they are looking. This gives them room to "Look Into" the frame.

You've done better than most in one respect, you got down on their level. Shooting from above puts the subject in a subservient position whereas shooting from at or below eye level puts them on the same level as you which is normally preferred.

Read up on the Rule of Thirds and some of the other compositional rules, but keep in mind that the name is misleading. The only true rules in photography are the physical rules of optics and light that we are confined to. Compositional rules are, at best, compositional guidelines. Here is a good place to start.

mikaakim · Jul 23, 2012

Craig,

Thanks so much for the advice here and the link! I highly appreciate it!! I will most definitely read through the link, and upon return to the Calgary Zoo next Monday will put some of this in action, and hopefully will get some better shots!

Again, thanks, as a complete newbie I appreciate the feedback!

SCraig · Jul 23, 2012

One more thing, your green watermark is not helping your photographs. A lot of people are adamant about not using one however I do personally. I would recommend that if you are going to use one that you make it less intrusive to your photograph. Use a less bold color and lower the opacity so that it blends into your image better. You want it to be the last thing people notice, not the first thing that catches their attention.

WesternGuy · Jul 24, 2012

You will probably get more feedback if you number your images as this makes it a lot easier for a reviewer to remember which one he/she is commenting one. I would also suggest that you post only about 3 to 5 images - pick your best ones - tell us what you like or don't like about them. If you think about it for a minute, a reviewer is going to spend about 3 to 5 minutes per image and having posted 10 images (if my count is correct) then you are asking folks to spend 30 to 50 minutes reviewing your images. It would be okay to post more images, but maybe break them up into more than one posting. I would also agree with SCraig's comments about the watermark. If you think that such a watermark will keep folks from "stealing" your images, then you are mistaken. It would take me all of about 5 minutes to grab one of your images and "make it my own" using - well I won't give away any secrets :wink:

- but trust me, a watermark will not prevent such borrowing.

WesternGuy

mikaakim · Jul 24, 2012

Western Guy!

Thank youf ro your feedback, I apprciate it, being new here, and to photgrapthy, this didnt even think about the time it would take people to comment on each photo!
I was planning on posting my second set later, and will take your advice in its entirety! Thank you for letting me know where I was going wrong here, I was starting to think I just smelled a little!

Thanks Western Guy! :wink: