New to Forum Looking for input

[txmom08]

Hi, I have been taking pics for over a year with my Panasonic FZ18. I woulld like some input on what I can do to improve and what I have done right since I have no way of judging other than myself. I feel I have become better but would like others to give me their opinion.

Also, I do not know how to take pics except in the I/O mode. Would also like help on that as well. Here are a few examples

Thanks~!

 

[kanmai]

very nice shots.!!!

 

[ypperin]

Very nice shots! I absolutely love my FZ18! Now I use it in conjunction with my A350 (Sony). The only one I'm not that fond of is the berries because they are so centered and the duck foot doesn't do much for me either, not sure if it's the subject or what.... might look better in B & W??

 

[KiwiShot]

Number two got my attention, I had to spend time looking at it to figure out what the hell it was, not necessarily a bad thing! One looks like it could be in National Geographic and five would be a nice computer background. Five's range of colours is nice, I like the contrast.

 

[txmom08]

A couple more

 

[Ecas32]

i really like one and five of the first batch, the rest dont do much for me.

for the second batch, well i cant decide if i like #1 or not....
i really like 2. i like the vignetting and the subject.
#3, i would like see moe of the telecaster... maybe thats just because i play?

anyway, your doing good. sorry i dont know how to help you with your panosonic..

 

[LaFoto]

Composition is very central in each and everyone of the first five.
So that seems to be a point you might want to work on: composing so that the photos get some more "tension" in so far as they are not so all balanced, which is what a central composition does to them. Focus with your central focus point, keep the finger half pushed and quickly recompose from there putting your subject to a side.

Though I must say the centred composition works with the first, it is all about contrasts there, so why not contrast (too) the all empty lefthand side to the filled-with-face righthand side, just like black contrasts with white and the black line at the top contrasts with a) the white below and b) the high-lit parts of her face. To my mind, that photo really has quite something.

The duck foot is well spotted, and I appreciate the fact that you took an UNUSUAL photo of a duck. To my mind, it would become even more cryptic (and thus interesting, as it is then even less straightforward) if you cropped off most of the duck's body, leaving us to look at only the foot underwater and the duck's reflection. Just a thought I'm having... don't know if it'd work...

Don't know what to say about the third. The noise bugs me. The fact that the frame cuts through her knee while there is so much headroom bugs me. Her dark eyes (almost like black holes only) with no catchlight in them bug me. She looks downright angry here. I don't find her pose flattering at all... in short: that one I just don't like. But that's just me, of course.

The next two are nice - the central composition of the flower doesn't help though. But DOF (depth of field) is ok. The dip in the sunset photo looks good enough, I can live with the central composition there. And this kind of sun, the colour gradation in the sky, the silhouetted foreground ... all that works.

As to the next set: shooting against the sun as you did when you tried to capture the meadow and the blooming grass was a big risk and you pulled it off well for the most part. The poles in the background are a mild distraction, though...

I don't like vignetting. Full-stop. Can't help myself. So whenever someone vignettes their photos, I'll look and think "Ugh, a vignette again!" Sorry. Otherwise I do like the square as opposed to cylindrical building, and the red against the silvery colour, and the colours as a whole.

The last doesn't speak to me, but that's just me. As you can tell, it speaks to others. So there .

 

[Samanax]

Hi, I have been taking pics for over a year with my Panasonic FZ18. I woulld like some input on what I can do to improve and what I have done right since I have no way of judging other than myself.

See if there is a photography club or social group in your area and make contact with them. This is a really good way to learn and improve your photography. You can get some one-on-one help this way as members often love to talk about photography and are more than willing to help or mentor.

Here are some good web sites to visit too...

How To Improve Your Photography: 5 Easy Steps

Digital Photography Composition Tips

Basic Digital Photography Tips

21 Ways To Shoot Better Photographs

How to Make a Killer Photo using 8 Simple Composition Rules

The Golden Section in Photo Composition

Also, I do not know how to take pics except in the I/O mode. Would also like help on that as well.

What do you by "I/O mode"? Are you talking about the green box AUTO mode on the mode dial?

 

[Project 6]

I like 1 and 5 ( would appreciate if you #'erd your pics ) The duck foot def took me a while to fig out what it was..thought it was a gold fish at first...all in all not bad