First time post and photographer!! critique me please!

[Sunset]

hey everyone first time visiting this site, and I just took these pictures today. This is my first time taking any real pictures of anything. so feel free and any words of advice would be much appreciated and valued! Thank you for looking!

 

[Sunset]

 

[Desi]

These are nice documentary shots of flowers, but they don't really have much impact or tell a story. Some are out of focus, one has a shadow running through the center of the shot. Your subject is mostly in the center, which often leads to a dull photograph.

My favorite of the set is the last one (second post). The subject is not in the center which makes it more dynamic and uses the frame better. You have other elements to the composition which are out of focus which help fill the frame with color but do not compete with the main subject. (but the colors seem more natural the first time you posted it.

This is a nice start. Since you are just beginning, my advice to you is to look up and study composition, beginning with the rule of thirds. It takes very little technical knowledge to learn composition and it will make a huge impact on your photos. When you are comfortable with this, start learning about exposure and using modes other that automatic.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Sunset]

These are nice documentary shots of flowers, but they don't really have much impact or tell a story. Some are out of focus, one has a shadow running through the center of the shot. Your subject is mostly in the center, which often leads to a dull photograph.

My favorite of the set is the last one (second post). The subject is not in the center which makes it more dynamic and uses the frame better. You have other elements to the composition which are out of focus which help fill the frame with color but do not compete with the main subject. (but the colors seem more natural the first time you posted it.

This is a nice start. Since you are just beginning, my advice to you is to look up and study composition, beginning with the rule of thirds. It takes very little technical knowledge to learn composition and it will make a huge impact on your photos. When you are comfortable with this, start learning about exposure and using modes other that automatic.

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you Desi I value your feed back.

I will try taking a few more pictures of some flowers tomorrow morning. I have just a simple point and shoot digital camera that has a factory preset mode specifically for taking pictures of flowers. But what other modes would you recommend other than just automatic. I notice that with this digital camera I have to find the "sweet spot" where my subject (flower) is in focus but the rest is not, so I cant get the camera too close or too far from the subject or else what I want is in focus isn't or vice versa.

Another thing to, sometimes when I shoot I notice there is a lot of fuzzyness in some of the pictures I take. I don't know what it is that causes the noise perhaps it's just the quality of the camera or if there is simply too much light coming in or what. But some tips on eliminating that noise would be very much appreciated.

I will definitely look into more composition and using the whole frame. I value your feed back Desi.

Thank you very much!

 

[Sunset]

Ah heres a picture I took today I didn't upload. I believe it follows the rule of thirds quite nicely.

 

[WesternGuy]

A couple of points - it would be nice if you would number your images when posting, that way a reviewer doesn't have to keep flipping back and forth to make sure he/she is still commenting on the right one. You would also be better limiting yourself to maybe 3 to 5 images at most and maybe commenting on what you like or don't like about each image. You posted 8 (+1) images and if you think about it, it takes an average reviewer about 3 to 5 minutes to do a decent review of a single image - that means you are asking people to spend 25 to 40 minutes or so reviewing your image. Most people do not have that kind of time.

The only comment I would make about your posting is to watch the cropping. I don't know if you are doing in camera or in post-processing, but a lot of your images are a bit too closely cropped for me. My 0.02¢ FWIW.
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WesternGuy

 

[Desi]

With a point and shoot, you'll have a harder time getting a blurred background because you typically have smaller focal lengths and smaller apertures (depends on the camera). The closer you are to the subject, the more your background will blur, but the sweet spot, as you say, will get smaller (a narrower depth of field). The macro (flower) setting makes the depth of field even more narrow but allows you to get closer. Try your flowers on different modes and see what you get (auto, program, portrait, landscape). Really, focus on making an interesting composition that presents your subject clearly and without unfavorable distractions. Learning the Modes on the camera and what they actually do in terms of shutter speed and aperture and what all that means takes a lot longer to understand. (and then really learning to compose good photographs takes even longer).

What camera are you using?

 

[Sunset]

The only comment I would make about your posting is to watch the cropping. I don't know if you are doing in camera or in post-processing, but a lot of your images are a bit too closely cropped for me. My 0.02¢ FWIW.
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WesternGuy

will do I will try to limit myself in the future. But what do you mean by too closely cropped?

 

[Sunset]

With a point and shoot, you'll have a harder time getting a blurred background because you typically have smaller focal lengths and smaller apertures (depends on the camera). The closer you are to the subject, the more your background will blur, but the sweet spot, as you say, will get smaller (a narrower depth of field). The macro (flower) setting makes the depth of field even more narrow but allows you to get closer. Try your flowers on different modes and see what you get (auto, program, portrait, landscape). Really, focus on making an interesting composition that presents your subject clearly and without unfavorable distractions. Learning the Modes on the camera and what they actually do in terms of shutter speed and aperture and what all that means takes a lot longer to understand. (and then really learning to compose good photographs takes even longer).

What camera are you using?

Casio Exilm. 7.2 mega pixles f=6.3 - 18.9

I have no idea if that is good or not.

Yes, I looked up some info on composition, and with the new tips in mind I am excited to go outside tomorrow and see what kind of compositions I can come up with.

 

[Sunset]

I think all of your pics are so nice. But if you know how to construct photo frame, i think that will be more better.

Ah thank you I appreciate your compliments, however I am not really going for the picture frame look.

 

[Sunset]

Alrighty everyone here is take two.
I took all your advice and I picked a few highlights of this take and numbered them. Hopefully they are an improvement!




1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

 

[WesternGuy]

The only comment I would make about your posting is to watch the cropping. I don't know if you are doing in camera or in post-processing, but a lot of your images are a bit too closely cropped for me. My 0.02¢ FWIW.
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WesternGuy

will do I will try to limit myself in the future. But what do you mean by too closely cropped?

For example, if you look at the first image you posted - you have cropped off, or cut off, edges of the flower. I can't speak for everyone, but I like to see the whole flower arranged in the image. As well, some consideration for the placement of the image in the frame. This "placement" is often best when the rule of thirds is followed. I am not saying that you should follow it every time, but more often than not, this rule gives a more pleasing composition and is often a good place to start to develop your composition skills when you are just starting out.
I would suggest that you might want to do some reading on compostion and I would encourage you to surf the web, but you could start with - Advanced Composition -- Part I - there are two following web sites with the links at the end of the site. As well, have a look at this one - PhotographyComposition Articles Library as there are a number of links to sites on composition. There are a number of books that have been written on composition - you might want to look at one by Bryan Peterson called Learning to See Creatively - Amazon.com: Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color& Composition in Photography (Updated Edition) (9780817441814): BryanPeterson: Books. There are lots of others. HTH.
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WesternGuy

 

[Desi]

Agree with what WesternGuy said.

The second set is more pleasing to look at.

I think composition takes a long time to learn, but you begin to see an improvement very quickly when you spend time thinking about it.

I don't think you have too much room to play with exposure on your camera, so enjoy the freedom to just focus on composition.

I'm learning as well, so take these critiques with a grain of salt.

#1 is a more pleasing composition than the white flower in the first set. Notice in the first one that the flower faces to the left. Your eye is drawn to the left of the image and to where the flower is cut off. The space to the right of the flower is wasted. On your second try your eye is not led off the frame, though you did cut off a flower. The focus seems a bit soft to me.

#2. OK. looks better than just centering the flower as you did in the first set. You've got foreground and background but it seems to be missing a clear subject.

#3. I like it, but to me there is too much tree to the right that just doesn't add much. If you framed it vertically (portrait orientation) you could have filled more of the frame with the flower. The green stem could be at the upper third.

#4. Again, better than just in the center. Would be better showing the entire flower. When shooting something like a flower or a face, often it should be somewhat centered. Just place the important parts, like the eyes or whatever flower part you are showcasing, into one of the "thirds".

#5. Satisfies the rule of thirds but too cluttered.

#6. Not very interesting, out of focus.

Keep at it and I hope to see more from you.

Next set, try picking one or two that you like most and just post those. Maybe tell what you like about the shot and what you were trying to show. That makes it easier to have a conversation about the image.

Hope this helps.

Desi

 

[Sunset]

Thank you Desi I admire your critique.

I will try looking around my neighborhood for more flowers to shoot, hopefully with some more interesting compositions.
Personally my favorite picture is the one I shot of the pine cone. I really like the angle it was shot from and the angle that the sun reflects off the sap.

I will chose one or two new pictures the next time I shoot and post those. And will be waiting to hear your two cents!

Thank you!

 

[Sunset]

Alrighty everyone here is take three!
I will tell you what I like and don't like about these photos and feel free to input your advice as well!



1. I like this because I like the way the flower kind of spills over from the left
to the right of the frame. I still have got to get rid of that gosh dang fuzziness.







2. I like this one not only because the water looks cool, but also I notice the light reflects
off just the leaf I am shooting and none of the background brush.



4.
5.

Ok now here is something totally new I tried. Its hard to distinguish, but I tilted the camera slightly to
the left or to the right just to try to campture the dynamics of the path as it curves past the subject.
I guess it's up to you to decide weather if looks better to the left or the right.