first photos on my new d40!

[underOATH2220]

all of these pictures are unedited..

some editing suggestions and c and c would be awesome

1

2

3

 

[TrickyRic]

Your first shot is pretty artsy. It doesn't really do much for me but then artsy shots generally don't. In terms of actually shooting a subject you've done a pretty good job. Nice sharp focus on the foreground, nicely chosen DOF for the background blur.

A portrait crop of that butterfly would look quite nice, there's too much empty space on the right at the moment, (admittedly that would mean the subject has to face out of the frame instead of into it, which doesn't usually have good effect).

Unfortunately though, the focal point of your bee's doesn't feel right. Where you focus defines the primary subject, and in this case you have 2 models, both positioned well and both in clear view, but the focus is on the flower instead.

 

[Markw]

What lens did you take the butterfly picture with?

Mark

 

[Markw]

bump

Mark

 

[TrickyRic]

The D40 is packaged with a Nikkor AF-S 18-55 lens, Mark. Aperture range 3.5-5.6. I'd assume this is the lens used, but unless underOATH2220 returns with a comment, we may never know =). The above lens is perfectly capable for that shot, though.

 

[Markw]

Would that be considered a macro shot or just a close up?

Mark

 

[TrickyRic]

Naming conventions are somewhat contraversal, Macro, Micro, and close-up often mean the same thing to most people, but as I understand it a true macro shot has to be a reproduction ratio of at least 1:3, with a 1:1 ratio being the most technically recognised. All true macro lenses are 1:2 and 1:1 ratios, as far as I know, and the above lens is a 1:3 maximum.

The above shot would most often be referred to as a Bokeh shot, because of the chosen DOF. My personal use of the term Macro is when the subject is both close up and takes up most, if not all, of the frame without upscale. A more experienced photographer or a photographer that specialises in Macro shots would probably disagree with that.

 

[Bifurcator]

here's the info on the butterfly shot:


File name: DSC_0157.jpg
File size: 480114 bytes (3008x2000, 0.6bpp, 38x)
EXIF Summary: 1/1000s f/5.6 ISO400 175mm (35mm eq:262mm)

Camera-Specific Properties:

Equipment Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D40
Camera Software: Ver.1.11
Maximum Lens Aperture: f/5.5
Sensing Method: One-Chip Color Area
Color Filter Array Pattern: 836
Focal Length (35mm Equiv): 262 mm

Image-Specific Properties:

Image Orientation: Top, Left-Hand
Horizontal Resolution: 300 dpi
Vertical Resolution: 300 dpi
Image Created: 2008:09:28 11:36:02
Exposure Time: 1/1000 sec
F-Number: f/5.6
Exposure Program: Not Defined
ISO Speed Rating: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Light Source: Unknown
Flash: No Flash
Focal Length: 175.00 mm
Color Space Information: sRGB
Image Width: 3008
Image Height: 2000
Rendering: Normal
Exposure Mode: Auto
Scene Capture Type: Standard
Gain Control: Low Gain Up
Contrast: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Subject Distance Range: Unknown
ISO Speed Used: 400
Color Mode: COLOR
Image Quality: FINE
White Balance: AUTO
Image Sharpening: AUTO
Focus Mode: AF-A
Flash Setting: NORMAL
Flash Compensation: 0.0 EV
ISO Speed Requested: 400
Tone Compensation: AUTO
Lens Type: Nikon G Series
Lens Range: 55.0 - 200.0 mm; f/4.0 - f/5.6
Auto Focus: Closest Subject, Left Selected, Unknown Focused
Shooting/Bracketing Mode: Single Frame/Off
Color Mode: Landscape sRGB
Lighting Type: NATURAL
Noise Reduction: OFF
Camera Actuations: 265
Saturation 2: AUTO
Digital Vari-Program: AUTO

Other Properties:

Resolution Unit: i
Chrominance Comp Positioning: Co-Sited
Exif IFD Pointer: 216
Compression Scheme: JPEG Compression (Thumbnail)
Horizontal Resolution: 300 dpi
Vertical Resolution: 300 dpi
Resolution Unit: i
Offset to JPEG SOI: 31456
Bytes of JPEG Data: 9031
Chrominance Comp Positioning: Co-Sited
Exif Version: 2.21
Image Generated: 2008:09:28 11:36:02
Image Digitized: 2008:09:28 11:36:02
Meaning of Each Comp: Unknown
Image Compression Mode: 4
Comment:
DateTime Second Fraction: 20
DateTimeOriginal Second Fraction: 20
DateTimeDigitized Second Fraction: 20
File Source: Other
Scene Type: Unknown
White Balance: Auto
Digital Zoom Ratio: 1
Saturation: Normal
Nikon Note Version: 2.10
Auto Flash Mode:
Flash Used: No
Image Optimization:

But if that was taken at 175 I guess he was several meters away - so not a close up.

 

[underOATH2220]

wow i am soooo sorry for not replying sooner!!!!

i appreciate all of the feedback though

but yeah i used a nikon VR 55-200 mm zoom (as bifur pointed out) to take all of these pictures ahah.. my 18-55 was broken so i had to return the camera but before i did i went out and took these shots