First post to the forum

[BradleyF]

I'm really just learning photography and am hoping to take more "quality" photos in future as I get better. Here's one I took yesterday out in the front yard. Not the best compared to some of the photos I've seen on here but I thought it turned out "Ok". She's 9 years old and getting lazier as the years go by.

 

[SageMark]

Howdy.

 

[Ady]

Hi Mark - be aware where your focal point is when shooting because in this photo it is further back than the dog's face which I would have thought should have been the main focal area.

 

[dry3210]

Cute pup

 

[er111a]

welcome to the forum. the shot has some underexposed spots and where is your focus?

 

[LaFoto]

Welcome to ThePhotoForum, Bradley.

At first sight I see ONE really good thing about your photo here: you put yourself on your dog's level! Good.

The technical flaws - more so since you allow for them to be pointed out to you in posting your photo to this forum - will soon disappear ... no more from this particular photo, as you can't change a missed focus, but on your future ones! Yes, focus slipped to your dog's ears, when it ought to have been on his eyes. And I deplore the fact that his front paws have been "chopped off": either include them or go even closer and make more of a portrait of your pet, I think.
AND you might want to avoid light as harsh as it was for you yesterday in the future... makes exposure quite, quite difficult to handle.