New Shots with New Lens, Some Help

[MLCIII]

I just bought a 70-200, and I'm really loving it so far. Here are a few from my first couple of days with it. C&C welcome, especially on this first one of the giraffe. I'm having a bit of trouble with the composition (just seems like something's off with the balance). It's cropped, so there's some room to move the frame around or bring it out. What are your thoughts? Thanks!

1.


2.


3.


4.

 

[Dinardy]

I really like these shots. I'm not an expert on composition... So take my words as a grain of sand. But I would have cropped picture 1 with more space to the left giraffe and picture 4 with slightly more action space all around and squirrel placed closer to a third line.

Awesomely sharp pictures!

 

[dxqcanada]

Follow the lines that are already there in the image.
Cut out as much distraction as possible.
Even some extreme crop can enhance.

Be bold ... even be square.

 

[MLCIII]

I know the rules of composition, which is what I used to frame the giraffe. My struggle is that I don't think it's working with this shot. Maybe it's just that I'm expecting too much from it.

 

[TATTRAT]

What are your expectations? The lens seems to be performing admirably, but a lens, no matter what you pay, will take care of composition. What are you looking for out of the shot? perhaps, it just needs to be shot again? It's NOT a bad shot.

 

[dxqcanada]

I know the rules of composition, which is what I used to frame the giraffe. My struggle is that I don't think it's working with this shot. Maybe it's just that I'm expecting too much from it.

Hmm, I would not go by the "rules" ... they are really suggestions.
Crop that first image, get to the visual point that you saw there.

 

[Trainz35]

I like the shots! In agreement with Dennis, "Rules are made to be broken."

 

[tecboy]

Play around with cropping and see how you like it. There are no rules once it comes to photography. It is all about feeling, mood, and memorable.