New here and needing help

[chris35rt]

Hello I just got my new Nikon D80 for fathers day and just started using the manual mode and I need help. Here are some photos I took using a Nikon AF-S DX Zoom 18-135 lens and they turned ok for my first time but I know they can be better. I'm open for any pointers you all would be willing to throw my way. Thanks, Chris

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

 

[tirediron]

Overall a nice first offering. Generally the exposure is good; as far as your composition goes, generally you want to avoid putting your subject in the very centre of the frame; The Rule of Thirds is a good guideline to follow in many situations.
1. Nice, but a little underexposed in the foreground. As well, the unfocused branches are a bit detracting. I think a tigher crop and a little cloning, as well as straightening the image would help greatly.
2. Again, a tighter crop on the main subjects, and I think as well a little more saturation; things look just a bit dull.
3. Tighter crop and saturation again.
4. Very nice, just watch that one spike that's coming up between the two petals. As well, perhaps a more 'down, into'the bloom would have been a consideration.
5. A crop to offset the subject, but a really nice capture.
6. This might have worked if you were zoomed in right on the duck's head and chest, but with the two 'partial' geese, and the rather unattractive background, it doesn't do much for me.
Keep at it, you've got a good eye, just a few technical glitches to work through.
Just my $00.02 worth - your milage may vary.
~John

 

[chris35rt]

Overall a nice first offering. Generally the exposure is good; as far as your composition goes, generally you want to avoid putting your subject in the very centre of the frame; The Rule of Thirds is a good guideline to follow in many situations.
1. Nice, but a little underexposed in the foreground. As well, the unfocused branches are a bit detracting. I think a tigher crop and a little cloning, as well as straightening the image would help greatly.
2. Again, a tighter crop on the main subjects, and I think as well a little more saturation; things look just a bit dull.
3. Tighter crop and saturation again.
4. Very nice, just watch that one spike that's coming up between the two petals. As well, perhaps a more 'down, into'the bloom would have been a consideration.
5. A crop to offset the subject, but a really nice capture.
6. This might have worked if you were zoomed in right on the duck's head and chest, but with the two 'partial' geese, and the rather unattractive background, it doesn't do much for me.
Keep at it, you've got a good eye, just a few technical glitches to work through.
Just my $00.02 worth - your milage may vary.
~John

John thank you very much for taking a look at my pictures and giving me great feed back. Composition is and area that I really know nothing about but in time can better at it. I'll keep at it.

Chris

 

[christopher walrath]

1. I would have tried for a better vantage point minus the distracting branches in the foreground.

2. Overexposed by a stop or so which blended the ducks into the tree bark. Watch the exposure and wait until they are in front of something darker still to help them stand out more.

3. Overexposed and needed a zoom. Or at least more of one.

4. Nice. Might have tried a larger aperture if one was available to reduce the depth of focus.

5. Overexposed and see number 4.

6. Overexposed and no clear subject (due to the overexposure).

Good subject matter but you need to work on composition as earlier stated and also on exposure. Not bad but LOTS of room for improvement. Keep at it.