My first newbie C&C pics -

[guitar guy]

I haven't gone outside of the house with my new D3000 since I got in about three weeks ago. So, since I happened to score a brand new still-in-the-box Nikon VR 55-200mm lens last night from a guy on CL (130$, so I think I did pretty well) I decided to play hooky from work today and head out to the Minnesota Zoo to see how it works.

I am a complete newbie so I really don't know what I'm doing, and I just sort of played around with F stops and Shutter speed until my meter zeroed out. It was poor, rain forest interior lighting, so it was challenging. Tried to hold the camera as still as I could-- that's the extent of my knowledge thus far. So anyway, here's what I consider my best results.


TOO DARK

BAD COMPOSITION

A LITTLE BETTER

I KIND OF LIKE THIS ONE

THIS BIRD WAS NICE TO ME

SURE YOU'VE GOT ME IN FOCUS?

HUNGRY HORSES ON MY WAY TO THE ZOO

OKAY, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TODAY, BUT THIS IS MY OTHER HOBBY :mrgreen:

 

[LaFoto]

If that guitar is new then "congratulations"!

All your photos are centred. Very much so. If you keep centering your subjects in the way you did with each and every bird, you yourself will soon stop and wonder, why you begin to find your photography boring (happened to me, that's how I know). And you will find out that NOT centering your subjects will make your photography more dynamic, less static. More alive. You hear people say "Rules are there to be broken". That may be OK once you KNOW all the rules and have DECIDED to break something like the famous "Rule of Thirds" for a specific reason. But as long as you're still learning, compositional rules can be very helpful guidelines into successful photography.

There's more to be said about your bird photos, with regards to focus and exposure, but I feel I have pointed out one aspect, and that should be it.

 

[simo110]

Nice set for a "complete newbie" =)..way to go

 

[guitar guy]

If that guitar is new then "congratulations"!

Why yes it is. Nothing cuts through the mix like a telecaster!

And thanks for your comments on the centering. Truthfully, I was more just trying to figure out how the camera works today, and composition really wasn't in the forefront. I signed up for a photography class from Minneapolis Community Education starting later this month. I'm hopeful things will start to "gel".

Nice set for a "complete newbie" =)..way to go ;-)

Thanks!

 

[Ryne002]

I just found the birds to be slightly out of focus causing you to lose sharpness around the detailed parts of the bird. I also agree, try off centering your pictures some, whatever you are shooting doesn't always have to be in the middle of the image.

 

[scotch59]

I want a telecaster so bad... especially on of the 70's vintage ones

Anyways all the pictures seem to have great composition and be well centered. #4 is my favorite, and #1 seems a bit dark to me, not extremely dary, but maybe a stop or two slower and it would be perfect, but thats just IMO. Also some to lack sharpness, not sure if it was just due to camera shake (because i assume you were zoomed in quite a bit for most of these) or just a bit out of focus, but other than that Great pics!!!