first ever pics upload for c&c

[ukshaz]

Hi

Please be gentle lol .... am a complete newbie ... took these yesterday messing about. Never shown any of my pics to "the public" before

my plan is to get away from full auto finally so Im here to learn

Taken with Canon 350d and 18-55 lens

Wasnt expecting this little birdie so just grabbed the camera and snapped with 70-300 lens ..at 300 ... only had a second or two

Taken through a dirty window in the late afternoon sun with my 70 - 300 lens

 

[tirediron]

C&C per req:


1. Looks like you missed focus here - were you perhaps inside your lens' minimum focusing distance? Remember that depth of field (the amount of an image that's in focus) is very shallow at these sorts of subject-to-camera distances, and can be as little as a couple of mm. Try this one again, but move back a little further, ensure you're focused, and perhaps stop down a little more as well. You can always crop to the composition you want.


2. The roof makes a good leading line, but unfortunately it leads the eye right out of the image. Try and compose pictures with these sorts of elements such that the line takes you to, but not passed the subject. As well, consider using spot metering to ensure that the crow is correctly exposed.


3. Exposure is good and the image is focused; try getting down lower (don't be afraid to lay down on the wet, muddy ground, you're a photographer for gawd's sake!) and avoid compositions that have the sujbect right in the center.

A good start; keep at it, and read, read, read! Google 'rule of thirds' and 'golden mean' for help on composition.


Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

 

[ukshaz]

1. Looks like you missed focus here - were you perhaps inside your lens' minimum focusing distance? Remember that depth of field (the amount of an image that's in focus) is very shallow at these sorts of subject-to-camera distances, and can be as little as a couple of mm. Try this one again, but move back a little further, ensure you're focused, and perhaps stop down a little more as well. You can always crop to the composition you want.
By stop down, you mean to a bigger aperture ? Sorry if thats a dumb question. I was on the smallest f number my lens would allow, but also my eyesight aint great so focusing is always an issue for me


2. The roof makes a good leading line, but unfortunately it leads the eye right out of the image. Try and compose pictures with these sorts of elements such that the line takes you to, but not passed the subject. As well, consider using spot metering to ensure that the crow is correctly exposed.
Yes it does lead you out of the image, but for some odd reason, I like it anyway. It was an opportunist shot ... no chance to sit and think about what metering to use ... not that I would have thought of it anyway, even if I had an hour to get the shot ... I have alot to learn lol


3. Exposure is good and the image is focused; try getting down lower (don't be afraid to lay down on the wet, muddy ground, you're a photographer for gawd's sake!) and avoid compositions that have the sujbect right in the center.
Yes it would have been good to be lower down, but unfortunately, I sa this birdie through my friends lounge window and grabbed my camera and took it. Had I got down, I would have been on my friends laminate floor shooting a white wall lol .... I was impressed though that it came out reasonably ok considering it was shot through dirty double glazing lol

Thank you for the feedback .... I have much to learn

Shaz

 

[enzodm]

I agree with John. Regarding #1, look here for an example of what at least you may obtain (quickly taken, same kind of orchid): Orchidea | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

"Stop down" means smaller aperture, i.e., larger F number. The above sample is at 5.6.

 

[tirediron]

"Stop down" means to use a SMALLER aperture, or larger 'f' number, say, f11 or f16. The higher the 'f' number the more you will have in focuse, but when you get to the far end (f16 - 22) your lens may suffer from diffraction and you will actually lose sharpness/focus.

 

[ukshaz]

Thanks .... thats very helpful ... I will try the shot again on Tuesday morning when Im not at work

Meanwhile, how did you know that it was taken at f5.6 ... you cant be psychic so there must be some data attached to the jpeg in some way ?

 

[ukshaz]

"Stop down" means to use a SMALLER aperture, or larger 'f' number, say, f11 or f16. The higher the 'f' number the more you will have in focuse, but when you get to the far end (f16 - 22) your lens may suffer from diffraction and you will actually lose sharpness/focus.

I still really get confused about aperture .... small holes and large numbers being called stopped down .... it all seems kinda backwards lol

 

[enzodm]

Thanks .... thats very helpful ... I will try the shot again on Tuesday morning when Im not at work

Meanwhile, how did you know that it was taken at f5.6 ... you cant be psychic so there must be some data attached to the jpeg in some way ?

No! I intended mine has been taken at 5.6, to give you an idea. Yours should be at 3.5 (perhaps too close to really focus, as John told). Anyway, image files have EXIF data attached with those values, but often hosting sites strip them away.

 

[ukshaz]

Thanks .... thats very helpful ... I will try the shot again on Tuesday morning when Im not at work

Meanwhile, how did you know that it was taken at f5.6 ... you cant be psychic so there must be some data attached to the jpeg in some way ?

No! mine has been taken at 5.6. Yours should be at 3.5 (perhaps too close to really focus, as John told). Anyway, image files have EXIF data attached with those values, but often hosting sites strip them away.

oops ...silly me. I cant recall what aperture it was but since I was trying to go for a narrow depth of field and focus on the stamen, and then have a lovely blurry background, I will have gone for a smaller f number for sure . Looking forward to trying it again

 

[enzodm]

oops ...silly me. I cant recall what aperture it was but since I was trying to go for a narrow depth of field and focus on the stamen, and then have a lovely blurry background, I will have gone for a smaller f number for sure . Looking forward to trying it again

your 18-55 kit lens has 3.5 as max aperture at 18mm, 5.6 at 55mm. If you look at your image, in the Info you will find also at which focal length and aperture you took it. It is useful to understand what you did, to eventually reproduce or adjust you settings.

 

[BroMiCs]

"Stop down" means to use a SMALLER aperture, or larger 'f' number, say, f11 or f16. The higher the 'f' number the more you will have in focuse, but when you get to the far end (f16 - 22) your lens may suffer from diffraction and you will actually lose sharpness/focus.

I still really get confused about aperture .... small holes and large numbers being called stopped down .... it all seems kinda backwards lol

Here is a realy simple way of remembering it...

replace the f with a 1 and turn it into a fraction...

1/2 is larger than say 1/4 or f2 is larger than f4 or just simply 2 is larger than 4

this will help you understand the relation of size to number..
Hope this helped..

 

[rickowens]

i like your second pic. very cool artsy photo

 

[Miladymimi]

I knew about rule of thirds, but not golden mean. After googling I found this. Thought you might find it interesting.
Rules of photo composition

 

[JoshC.]

Number 3 looks nice! As they said, try a different angle and maybe leave the bird a little to the right of the photo, because she is looking left.

 

[ukshaz]

excellent .... thanks folks .... learning already