More shots, mostly landscape let me know what you think

[OTF_Photography]

So like I said besides this cat its mostly scenic type shots. The issue I have with these Is focal points framing etc, when I cant find natural borders, or wanted to include a lot in the shot. Feedback is appreciated. :thumbup:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dngI4lm0Mak/TNmgM8QcZdI/AAAAAAAAAB0/LvHygjz30eU/s800/2010-10-30 11.46.17.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_dngI4lm0Mak/TNmgNMr8T5I/AAAAAAAAAB4/rPjj21H0dQs/s800/2010-10-18 14.23.39.jpg

Ignore the girl on this one...
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dngI4lm0Mak/TNmgOIGhJpI/AAAAAAAAACA/2BxeAvT44q0/s800/2010-10-10 17.10.57.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dngI4lm0Mak/TNmgOUq6uyI/AAAAAAAAACE/l13Z716ZZks/s800/2010-10-10 16.59.04.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dngI4lm0Mak/TNmgNmj7aEI/AAAAAAAAACQ/cwdwOnr0ekQ/s800/2010-10-10 17.10.38.jpg

For some reason I cant figure out how to embed them...the links go to tiny pictures so here until I get it right http://http://picasaweb.google.com/OTF.Photography13/SamplePhotos#5537633361022707154

 

[RauschPhotography]

Would help if it were more than thumbnail sized pictures.. Just saying.

 

[ChevyBaby]

Oh man i can't be clickin all those bloody links!

 

[ChevyBaby]

OTF, go to tinypic.com and upload the pics from ur computer, it's nice n simple

 

[enzodm]

Instead of inserting links with the world icon (or just by pasting), insert the same link with the picture+camera icon (on the right of the world).

Consider I'm too a beginner (less than you but not much), so my comments are related to issues against which I'm struggling also by myself, although I recognize them.
First of all, do not confuse the beauty of the picture with the beauty depicted in the picture. Being in front of the most beautiful landscape does not help in taking beutiful pictures. Most of times you can end up in simply taking a snapshot useful for memories.


So this cat is a beautiful cat, but not a beautiful picture of a cat: as is is a picture of a cat, a wall and a floor. If the subject is the cat, focus on it and try to put it under reader attention, by following some of the basic composition rules (e.g. rule of thirds: is too centered). Due to the nice point of view, it could be better composed by framing closer; no need for having so much wall and floor around. By cropping stricter around, you also will frame less centered, and this will be good to guide attention.

This picture has a basic problem: is leaning. Try to make it straight, any software can do it. However, this and the others are really snapshots, depicting nice places but with no true points of interest (excluding the nice girl ).

 

[G79]

uhm.. what he said !!

 

[OTF_Photography]

Besides the cat, The thing I guess I don't understand is How to choose a focal point with so much to see. When I looked at these I saw them more as a whole. The 3 from jemez I just kinda wanted to capture the scenery. How do you choose a focal point or point of interest for scenery shots???

 

[ChevyBaby]

The thing that makes me think these are snapshots is the fact you've picked out a picture for us to critique and then said ''ignore the girl'' suggesting you didn't plan this through at all, just took it, and that's the 'snapshot aesthetic'.

 

[enzodm]

Besides the cat, The thing I guess I don't understand is How to choose a focal point with so much to see. When I looked at these I saw them more as a whole. The 3 from jemez I just kinda wanted to capture the scenery. How do you choose a focal point or point of interest for scenery shots???

My comment regarding not to confuse picture and its content is exactly due to this problem. I agree it is difficult, but read also Chevybaby's comment: you cannot ignore the girl, because she is part of the picture. If she is there by chance, so that picture should not be shown, in some sense.

Sometimes the point of interest could also not be a specific object but some spatial arrangement.
In the fourth picture there is some "banding": sky, light part of mountain, dark part (too dark: slightly underexposed). This in some occasion could give some interest.
The last picture: I could slightly recognise a skull in the two holes and surroundings. A picture well taken could increase that sensation, paying something in terms of taking less landscape.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Which is why you have to learn about composition, and look for it in nearly every picture you take.

As far as choosing a focal point...if you have one item you want to bring attention to, you can use appropriate depth of field to do so. If the whole scene is important, again, you choose the depth of field to keep it all infocus. Shallow DoF isolates a subject from it's background/foreground, and demands attention.

 

[white]

Experiment with your pictures. It would also help to look at as much of other photographer's work as possible. It will help train your eye.

 

[arcooke]

Besides the cat, The thing I guess I don't understand is How to choose a focal point with so much to see.?

Pan your head slowly from left to right, looking at all the scenery around you. If your head stops moving for even a split second, then something has at least somewhat caught your interest. Stop and think about how you could take that and turn it into a nice photograph. Work on keeping your pictures simple. Instead of cramming as much scenery you can into a single picture (grass, sky, clouds, rocks, hills, etc).. try focusing on one thing at a time. Instead of capturing acres and acres of grass and rocks, pick ONE ROCK. One that stands out from the rest, and work only on that one. Let the rest of the scenery act as a backdrop for this one interesting rock.

Also, try to spend some time in the mornings and evenings taking pictures. The harsh mid-day sun doesn't help your photos. The angle and temperature (tone) of the sunlight during the morning and evening hours can do WONDERS for your pictures.

 

[white]

Bah, decent my ass. It's a beauty. I could have a field day cropping that third one if the file was larger. :greenpbl:

 

[12sndsgood]

one thing im starting to do while im shooting since im just learning as well is when i see something that does catch my eye dont just take a pic and move on. take a pic, then maybe move to the left and get it at another angle. try a few diffrent angles to find one that is a little more uniqe and maybe diffrent from what most people would tend to take.

 

[OTF_Photography]

The thing that makes me think these are snapshots is the fact you've picked out a picture for us to critique and then said ''ignore the girl'' suggesting you didn't plan this through at all, just took it, and that's the 'snapshot aesthetic'.

Girls don't listen well at all, so apparently "move" sounded like "look at me and smile" I figured I could get her outta the pic with some cropping. BTW thanks for all the good suggestions. For now I think i'll keep looking at other examples and keep shooting everything in sight