My first picture.

[lalo56]

What do you guys think? I was trying to get his eyes and face focused and work the natural light for depth. I have never put thought into all these things until now that i got my first DSLR and been reading on this forum. What do you guys think of my first attempt?

Thank you
Eddie

 

[Robin Usagani]

The only way you can make this shot works is if you underexpose it and use your flash. The grass is too bright.

 

[OrionsByte]

Seems like you got his eyes in focus, so that's good, but the harsh contrast between the sunlight and shadow really draws my eye away from the subject. Also, try to get down to his level rather than taking the top-down shot.

 

[peanut170]

you mite not want your shadow in the pic either.

 

[lalo56]

Okay well the bright light does distract from the dog. This picture is no good.

 

[lalo56]

Thanks guys, I did notice what mentioned after the fact. Which helps me improve for the next shot. Very much appreciated.

 

[dak1b]

wat kind of dog?

 

[LCARSx32]

^agreed. *EDIT* <-------ok, so some more people posted while I was writing... ignore this part */EDIT*

Welcome to the site! A few things you may want to google. They'll help you (and any new photographer for that matter) tremendously.

- The exposure triangle (kinda heavy reading, but worth it)
- The rule of thirds
- Photo composition

Some quick tips to help now:

-Try to get on level ground with your subject (like mentioned); whether it be a small dog, baby, or flower.

-Try not to center your subject, it will help make the picture more interesting (not always applicable, but as a general rule)

-Don't get discouraged. Even when photos are really good, we nit pick so you can get better. Sometimes it comes over as rude or mean. We aren't trying to be, we're just trying to help you improve.

What kind of camera do you have?

 

[lalo56]

wat kind of dog?

Its a Chiguagua.

^agreed. *EDIT* <-------ok, so some more people posted while I was writing... ignore this part */EDIT*

Welcome to the site! A few things you may want to google. They'll help you (and any new photographer for that matter) tremendously.

- The exposure triangle (kinda heavy reading, but worth it)
- The rule of thirds
- Photo composition

Some quick tips to help now:

-Try to get on level ground with your subject (like mentioned); whether it be a small dog, baby, or flower.

-Try not to center your subject, it will help make the picture more interesting (not always applicable, but as a general rule)

-Don't get discouraged. Even when photos are really good, we nit pick so you can get better. Sometimes it comes over as rude or mean. We aren't trying to be, we're just trying to help you improve.

What kind of camera do you have?

Thank you. I posted because i wanted constructive critisizm to improve from. I can only learn from my mistakes and you guys poiting it out. I bought the Canon T2I w/ the lens kit. Will get other lenses later as i learn how to use all the functions.

Thank you all again. This is very helpful for me.

 

[lalo56]

Im doing this all manual focus to learn how to adjust fast instead of using auto. I believe its the best way to learn in the beginning.

 

[LCARSx32]

You might want to think about using auto focus more often. *Most* digital SLRs, while giving you the option, aren't as optimized for manual focus as *most* film SLRs were. It used to be that they had a split diopter that would not line up the two sides unless you were in focus. It made it easy to tell that you were in perfect focus.

Is it possible to get proper focus manually with DSLRs? Yes. But it's very difficult. The viewfinder is very small and there's no focus aid (unless you watch for the red light and beep, but then you might as well use auto focus). Think about it. You're trying to focus by looking at an image through a tiny viewfinder. Then, you view it on a small LCD screen afterward. It's not until you get back to the computer that you can *really* tell if the image is focused properly.

Just my thoughts on the subject. Personally, I only use manual focus if there's not enough light to auto focus.

Something else I forgot to mention in my previous post: Read your manual at least once so you know what knob or button does what.

 

[lalo56]

You might want to think about using auto focus more often. *Most* digital SLRs, while giving you the option, aren't as optimized for manual focus as *most* film SLRs were. It used to be that they had a split diopter that would not line up the two sides unless you were in focus. It made it easy to tell that you were in perfect focus.

Is it possible to get proper focus manually with DSLRs? Yes. But it's very difficult. The viewfinder is very small and there's no focus aid (unless you watch for the red light and beep, but then you might as well use auto focus). Think about it. You're trying to focus by looking at an image through a tiny viewfinder. Then, you view it on a small LCD screen afterward. It's not until you get back to the computer that you can *really* tell if the image is focused properly.

Just my thoughts on the subject. Personally, I only use manual focus if there's not enough light to auto focus.

Something else I forgot to mention in my previous post: Read your manual at least once so you know what knob or button does what.

Thank you. Yeah, im going to start reading it today. I just took it out of the package yesterday to start reading it. Thank you for your reply and input.

 

[bazooka]

I second LCARS.... manual focus on a digital isn't the way to go. I'd argue that it doesn't improve your shots and only slows you down. While technically it does give you more control, it seems to just be a burden. In a few scenarios, you might need it, but not on a non-moving object.

Now manual exposure on the other hand....

 

[lalo56]

Which do you recommend using while using AF, the 9 point or single point?

Thanks.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

Single! I think I got this one right! The 9 point makes the camera kind of argue with itself about where to focus so nothing comes out super duper focused.