first shots taken with my Canon Xt

rsxs9400 · Sep 21, 2008

These are my first shots from about 6 months or so. Let me know what you think, i am trying to learn more and more.

tirediron · Sep 21, 2008

The first thing to learn is that not everything is a good subject for a photograph. Images 1 and 2 have no appeal to me whatsoever. If they're experiments in composition, DoF, etc, it's a good idea to mention that, as comments can be geared toward that. Image #3 (in future posts, please number your images to make it easier to refer to them) shows that you have some ideas on composition, but has technical issues (Mainly DoF).

Overall, these images look to me like 'Hey, I got a new camera' snapshots. That's not a bad thing, but to help you improve we need some idea of where your interests lay, what your current level of knowledge/experience is, and what you want to achieve. That is, do you want to take great landscape images, pet photogrpahy, do you want to learn the purely technical aspects of photography....

rsxs9400 · Sep 21, 2008

tirediron said:
The first thing to learn is that not everything is a good subject for a photograph. Images 1 and 2 have no appeal to me whatsoever. If they're experiments in composition, DoF, etc, it's a good idea to mention that, as comments can be geared toward that. Image #3 (in future posts, please number your images to make it easier to refer to them) shows that you have some ideas on composition, but has technical issues (Mainly DoF).

Overall, these images look to me like 'Hey, I got a new camera' snapshots. That's not a bad thing, but to help you improve we need some idea of where your interests lay, what your current level of knowledge/experience is, and what you want to achieve. That is, do you want to take great landscape images, pet photogrpahy, do you want to learn the purely technical aspects of photography....

wow, thank you for the response, it really made me think. The first two photos were just testing out the camera and experimenting. In the future i will number them. Replying to your response; I am looking at this purely for a hobby. I would like to do all types of images, from landscapes to macro to sports. I have a general knowledge of dslr cameras and i think you put it best, learn the technical aspects of photography to better hone my skills for all types of photos.

JamesDD · Sep 21, 2008

like tirediron said the first 2 dont do much of anything for me but as you said...they were only tests.
i really like the pictures of the boston. the first one is nice, i enjoy the second one a lot but the glare from the sun coming through the windows is distracting me. great job, keep shooting!

LaFoto · Sep 22, 2008

While everything has already been said about the first two (my immediate impression was "Oh, newbie testing out the DOF his new toy can create!"), I would like to pass one or two thoughts on the photos of your dog.

When you photograph a pet, I suggest you pay very close attention to what is around and in the background of said pet. No matter how much the camera can blur the background: should there be brighter elements there than the brightness of your subject (windows, lights), they WILL distract the viewer's eye. Bright lights DO that. Also blurred CLUTTER will remain what it is. Clutter. And the viewer will see it. Or furniture legs or vases or other decorative elements inside the house. They all distract from your subject. Try to eliminate them by chosing your own point of view carefully (or take them away before you take the photo).

And then pay attention to how you frame your subject. Maybe that's one of only my very personal pet peeve in pet photography, but I feel that a dog like yours deserves to keep having ALL of his ears, and BOTH of them. To bad if the tip gets clipped off

...

And if you mean to make your brother (or whoever that person is in the last photo) part of your subject by showing how dog and (part-)owner lie on the bed in almost the same manner, you must make it MORE so, I think. (But in the last photo, the bright light from the windows is too distracting, anyway).

manaheim · Sep 22, 2008

Agree with everything said, but it looks like you actually had some potential in the shot of the water, sand and "posts". Some potential in that dog shot too. I say this mainly to support your "eye"... you found some shots there, just didn't quite get them.

Obviously, new camera (congrats!) and all that, so the adjustments you need to make are not uncommon. I look forward to seeing some cool shots.

DRATOM · Sep 22, 2008

#3 had potential. By the composition of the image with the poles leading you down the sand to the water, and waves. It pulls you into the image. If you had more DOF, or focused further out, and kept the horizon strait it would have been a nice shot.

Don't worry, I miss that kind of stuff all the time. When I get home and look at the images i kick my self. But over time I have become a little better. You will get better each time you shoot. I think Ansel Adams said, "the first 10,000 are just practice."