N00b here

[hammondfra]

Hi all,

So, my wife decided to buy my a Nikon D3100 as an early pops day gift. I have used DSLR's before, but I have never actually went around to setting one up or just had it to take pictures on my own with in general. This is all relatively new to me and just by looking through some of the posts; this place looks like there is a lot of help to be offered.

Here are some shots I have since getting the camera a couple of weeks ago...

looking forward to everyone's input, want to know if I am moving in the right direction here lol.

 

[notnow101]

pictures #1 and #5 are very nice #5 has a very nice perspective

keep clicking

 

[Bo4key]

I like the composition in number #5.

I'm not sure what the subject and focus is in number two so this one isn't really that interesting to me.

 

[hammondfra]

Thanks for the responses, #2 was me messing around with different settings on the camera...subject was memorial day at the local cemetery...meh, I was just messing around more than anything; trying to figure out everything the camera had to offer

 

[KmH]

looking forward to everyone's input, want to know if I am moving in the right direction here lol.

What direction do you want to go?

Do you want to know how the camera works so you can maximize it's potential and apply that potential to artistic and technically accurate images, or do you just want to put it in AUTO mode and let the camera's simplistic computer programming make the major decisions.

In all the photo's it looks like the in-camera metering was set to Matrix mode, because the lighting pretty 'flat'.

In the last of that series you posted, the guy and girl both have very dark eye sockets, which is also known a 'raccoon eyes'. Putting the camera in Manual mode, using Spot metering, manually configuring the built-in flash power output, and using fill flash could have filled their dark eye sockets with light while also making them brighter than the background (separation).

In addition to the technical aspects of doing photography, there is the visual art aspect where framing and image composition apply.

 

[hammondfra]

I honestly want to get the maximum potential for the camera...I have used mainly the manual settings for all these pictures, except for the sundial in #1, I put that on the macro shot mode. Everyday I have had a chance to take pictures has been pretty cloudy here in the mid-west.

I noticed that the eye sockets were really dark as well, I have a couple of pictures where I used the built in flash and this was the outcome

The settings were on manual and I clicked the flash button on the left of the camera and took this one.
ISO was at320
1/200s - f5

I do want to take this more than a hobby, but I have to practice and learn so much...I just need some more insight with what I am reading to take me further than just getting family photos taken with a 600 dollar camera lol.

and thanks for the info so far....

 

[DThriller]

I think this one would have looked better if the people were more over to the side. Read about the rule of thirds.

 

[hammondfra]

the original I have of this is in 3rds...I only cropped it like this for the girls family since they asked me too.

They were to the right a little more....

but you are right 3rds does make a huge difference on the outcome of a shot.

 

[burdock87]

While I agree that this last pic could better follow the rule of thirds, I think it's a very neat shot. the eye is drawn to the left, where the water is bubbling up (really neat!) and then pulled to the main focus (the people), and finally to the gazebo to the right. I think it is very neat. ^.^

 

[LuigiVN]

hey would you mind if I try cropping the last one? I'm learning as well

 

[hammondfra]

have fun with it...

 

[LuigiVN]

have fun with it...

What do you guys think about this?:

 

[DThriller]

have fun with it...

What do you guys think about this?:

Better for sure but that lame fountain doesn't really balance the picture well. Now that I look at it more I would have had the people move more to the left and fill up the left side of the picture and then that wooden thing in the background could fill up the right side.

 

[LuigiVN]

have fun with it...

What do you guys think about this?:

Better for sure but that lame fountain doesn't really balance the picture well. Now that I look at it more I would have had the people move more to the left and fill up the left side of the picture and then that wooden thing in the background could fill up the right side.

HAHAHAHA ''lame fountain''

 

[DThriller]

Just saying if that was a sweet fountain the way you cropped it would be more balanced