New here! Looking for a little critique

[mike202019]

Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this, feel free to direct my if it isn't.

Anyways, I'm getting into photography and was wondering if anyone could help me critique these pictures..

It's at the dog park, and obviously I couldn't get any of them to sit still for more than a moment so everything was hectic. Fading sunlight/clouds didn't help too much, but anything I could improve on?

 

[powasky]

Okay. First of all, these are pictures of dogs and are not inherently compelling or interesting. With that said, here's some critique:

#1 - You focused on the eyes, which is good. However the dog's nose and muzzle block his eyes. Also, the person's hands on the right side are distracting.

#2 - I don't know why this is taken with the camera vertically. I would have held the camera horizontally, put the dog on the right side of the frame, and used the black fence to take your eye to the dog and then past him into whatever he's looking at. You also could have backed up, used a longer lens and a wider aperture, and isolated the dog more from the distracting background.

#3 - Why cut the dog off at the bottom of the frame? Why leave so much room around the dogs, if they're the subject of the picture? The negative space on the top and left sides do nothing to add to the picture.

All in all, the technical side of things (aperture, SS, ISO) seem to be fine. Otherwise, they're nothing special.

 

[MiFleur]

Hello Mike
Here is my very amateur opinion
You are not starting with an easy subject... a moving dog...

Shot #1

your subject is interesting but your focus in not at the right place, if you try to focus on the eyes, that will give you the best results. It is a good idea to see what is behind the main subject, the other black dog behind does not help neither does the hand holding the dog. I you would have turned the camera sideways, we would see part of the chest. or you were too close or need to zoom out a bit.

Shot # 2

Focus is better but the subject does not stand out enough, you could crop the upper part, I don't like to see the concrete wall, maybe you could have moved away?
and wait for the dog to look your way or be in a better pose. It is a little bit dark

Shot # 3
The bottom dog has an interesting expression but he is cut off from the picture, again turn your camera sideways...
Your light is coming from the right and lights the dog's butt, not the most interesting part...

If you keep visualizing what you want to achieve it will help you with your composition, it takes a while to see all the details that fit into the frame
at the same time as achieving the right focus with the right exposure. Always watch your histogram to see if your exposure is ok.

Good luck and keep shooting, I have found that since I have started photography, my way of seeing things have changed. It is one of the plus of this hobby.