First shots with my new D3000 CC Please

[doubleoh7]

So after just over 100 photos, I have posted the photos I found to be the best, but would love feedback as photo classes are really expensive Thanks in advance :thumbup:

1

2

3

4

5

6

I have more but it's been a long day. Thanks again everyone!

 

[minister]

I like 2 and 3 most

 

[Rekd]

Honest opinion here, don't take offense...

1 and 2 are grainy and crooked. Way crooked (not enough to make it look intentional) and kind of bland. They need color. 3 would be much better taking 10 paces to shooter's left and 3 paces closer to the subject. The next two really aren't worth mentioning. The last one, though, isn't even a good snapshot. Did you post that one by mistake?

 

[mrgaretdonald]

These all photos are very good and also awesome. Evening sunlight is very good to capture photo. I like first and second photo, Second one photo is looks very great and I like to frame it, in front door of my home.

 

[doubleoh7]

Honest opinion here, don't take offense...

1 and 2 are grainy and crooked. Way crooked (not enough to make it look intentional) and kind of bland. They need color. 3 would be much better taking 10 paces to shooter's left and 3 paces closer to the subject. The next two really aren't worth mentioning. The last one, though, isn't even a good snapshot. Did you post that one by mistake?

thanks for your input. How do I get rid of the grainy look. as far as the crooked shot, I wasn't paying attention (easy fix). 3 10 paces to the left would have put me in the water. I thought the shot of my dog was rather awesome, so it wasn't a mistake to post it. Black animals seem to be very hard to capture in detail, and that was done in auto I believe, so how could I do better? please advise.

 

[doziergraphic]

6. nothing wrong with posting the dog pic - but the focal point is just a bit off. imo it looks like the focal point is the nose, but it should be the eyes.

I like the texture the nose offers, so maybe a smaller ap to get both the nose and the eyes sharp, but the focal point is always 'suppose' to be the eyes.

2. other than the obvious crooked horizon, a longer exposure would have caused a better wave blur, but the rocks are also a bit out of focus. Sharper rocks, more blur in the water.

3. Love the color, but everything in the pic is centered, should have used rule of thirds. In this case, both hor or vert would work - but the dead center doesn't.

 

[LCARSx32]

You seem to be off to a good start. I would recommend reading up on the "rule of thirds" and the "exposure triangle". Understanding those two concepts will help you alot. Also, there are a few "sticky" threads at the top of the beginner's forum that have links to really good articles.

Here's what I saw in your photos:

#1: The horizon needs to be leveled. Otherwise, I like this shot. The reason it's grainy is because the ISO is too high. You would have to be in manual or one of the semi-manual modes (Av, Tv, Program) in order to set it yourself.

#2: There's motion blur. Whenever taking dusk pictures like this, I suggest bringing a tripod. It's almost impossible to get sharp pictures without one. You can raise the ISO to get a better shutter speed, but your pictures will be grainier. You can also buy a "fast" lens (one with a maximum aperture lower than f/2.8) which will allow faster shutter speeds with the same ISO setting.

#3: I really like this shot, but the horizon being in the middle kills it. Crop out have of the dead ground space and I think this one will be much better. I'd show you, but you don't allow people to do edits of your photos

#4: Again, there's some motion blur. Not as bad, but it's still there. Tripod, tripod, tripod.

#5: Here's another really good shot. I like the silhouette of the palm trees and the people on the beach. But there's that horizon, smack dab in the middle of the picture again. Cropping out a good portion of the sand will help this picture shine. I'd crop it just above the bird that's on the far left of the beach.

#6: You're dog's cute, but the picture is lacking. I'm not trying to be harsh, but there's a lot going against this photo. The on camera flash is useless in *most* cases. Since you can't control the intensity, you get the harsh highlights and shadows that we see in the picture. It just doesn't look natural.

Like you mentioned, black animals are hard to photograph properly. But there's some things you can do to make it easier:

-Lighting indoors sucks for the most part. Take the picture outdoors in the early morning or evening (when the sun's right above you, you get harsh light and shadows).

-Make sure the background is a lighter color so the dog doesn't get lost in it.

-Get down on the dog's level. It makes the picture look less like a snapshot.

-Have the dog facing towards the sun so their face is lit.

-Focus on the eyes. If there's a good amount of light, set the aperture to a higher number (called "stepping down" the aperture) like f/8 or f/11. That will make sure more of the dog is in focus.

Sometimes the comments on the forum are frank and border on rude. Just take them with a grain of salt. Most of the people here are very helpful, but they don't try to sugar coat it, either. Sugar coating what's wrong doesn't help anyone, lol. You're off to a great start. Keep shooting and posting!

 

[LCARSx32]

Another word for the wise: Try to limit your posts to 3-4 pictures if you want comments and criticism. If you want to post more, split them across two threads or post them later in the same thread after you have gotten comments on the one's posted. Most folks here on the forum won't comment if there's more that 5 pictures. It just takes too long and it's hard to remember what you wanted to say about each one.

It took me a good 10-15 minutes to type my last post. Eventually, I'm going to get tired of writing such long posts and just ignore posts with too many pictures.

 

[Rekd]

Honest opinion here, don't take offense...

1 and 2 are grainy and crooked. Way crooked (not enough to make it look intentional) and kind of bland. They need color. 3 would be much better taking 10 paces to shooter's left and 3 paces closer to the subject. The next two really aren't worth mentioning. The last one, though, isn't even a good snapshot. Did you post that one by mistake?

thanks for your input. How do I get rid of the grainy look. as far as the crooked shot, I wasn't paying attention (easy fix). 3 10 paces to the left would have put me in the water. I thought the shot of my dog was rather awesome, so it wasn't a mistake to post it. Black animals seem to be very hard to capture in detail, and that was done in auto I believe, so how could I do better? please advise.

As mentioned, lower ISO will help with the noise. Horizon's kick my butt too, but I pay more attention to it now. Being in the water sux, but that shot would be awesome with the sun directly behind them! Back up a bit (or don't crop as tight) on the dog. Light him/her up a bit more, too, so we can see more features. Change the focal point, too. Try to get it on the eyes. :thumbup:

 

[doubleoh7]

Thanks for everyone's comments. Day two of practice begins now!!

 

[mrpink]

photo classes are really expensive

Glass is really expensive, photo classes are dirt cheap. Look around, you can find them very affordable. I took a two month class at my local YMCA for $54- what I learned there and the contacts I made have proven invaluable.

Your photos match your experience level. That is not a slam, it is the truth- we all start somewhere. Keep at it. Learn from what others have told you here, there is some good advice from some talented folks.



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