First shots with new Nikon D3000.

[FSowers]

Here are some of the first shots from my new Nikon D3000.
Trying to get a feel for the camera and lens.
C&C
Please let me have it....gently.

1. Pompous grass.

2. Tree knot

3. The clouds in Carolina.

4. My Dad

 

[Heck]

Congrats on the new camera. You missed the focus on the first 3 and plus they are not very interesting photos. I like the last one as you got a sharp one and its good start for a fine candid. I use single point to focus when using auto focus this way I get want I want sharp most of the time.

 

[astroskeptic]

1. The background is terribly distracting and landscape orientation seems like an odd choice for this subject. There are 2 things you can 2 about the background in this situation: (a) control dof to blur it out (it is somewhat blurred but not enough imo) and/or (b) use an aperture/shutter combination that underexposes the background and a flash to expose the subject.

2. The subject is badly out of focus. The background here is nice, though. This is the kind of thing I'm recommending in 1a.

3. For me, this is a total loss.

4. I like the landscape orientation here but would personally crop him to be more off center to the right. This probably means sacrificing a little more at the top of the head, but that is okay in these kinds of shots imo. The color balance seems a little off, judging by the appearance of his presumably white shirt on my monitor.