New to Photography, need critique.

Ironlegs · Oct 7, 2013

Hello everyone,

Yesterday i finally decided to grab my camera and go out and try to to capture some cool things, it was the first time i held a camera in my hand and i realised that i really like it and i am looking forward to continue, to continue i need a critique so i will go the right way.

I like the first one cause i actually captured the one "dead" side of the field and second one filled with life.
Second one in my opinion has good colors and the grass looks just nice
The third one is just interesting, shame that i cut off the left side.
Fourth one has nice colors
Fifth one is just interesting idea... you can finally listen to the sound of sea !

Thanks for feedback.

PixelRabbit · Oct 7, 2013

You held a camera for the first time yesterday but have a portfolio already? Must have been a heck of a first day!

People tend to not click links, it's better to choose a couple of your favourite shots and post them directly in the thread to get feedback.

Designer · Oct 7, 2013

Please don't try to BS the forum. It kind of gets you off on the wrong foot. Start over.

Braineack · Oct 7, 2013

You were onto something with the tire shot.

The rest look like someone picked up the camera for the first time, walked around for 10 minutes trying to take "cool" pictures and then ran home to create a portfolio website, considered himself a photographer, and started posting for-hire $50 mini-sessions on CL.

Ironlegs · Oct 7, 2013

Thanks Pixelrabbit, i should have done that. What's wrong about portfolio though ? O_O I just wanted a site to share them all together.

Designer, what do you mean ?

Edit: Ok some of you are way too mean without any valid reason. I never said i am a photographer or something, i made a portfolio so i could upload all of them, i never wanted to sound like a photographer, thats why i came here, i wanted pros to critique me and teach me how to be better...

PixelRabbit · Oct 7, 2013

You are quite welcome Ironlegs, it just seems a little ... odd I suppose, picking up the camera for the first time and in the same day making a portfolio instead of just using a hosting site like Flickr or Photobucket. Portfolio's tend to indicate a collection of one's best work over time.

Don't be put off, this is a great place to learn, post a few in a thread and ask for feedback and forget this thread ever happened

Ironlegs · Oct 7, 2013

PixelRabbit, thanks a lot, my portfolio will remain "hidden" until i become better and be able to show off some high quality photos. I am sure it won't be soon but i will give it a try. I updated my post so people won't have to click anywhere.

The_Traveler · Oct 7, 2013

Would you expect to buy a piano and, in one day, be ready to perform?
Or buy a set of oil paints and have a set of canvases to view?

Modern cameras make the technologic part of taking pictures easier but to be a 'good' photographer takes time, effort and talent.

Yes, you are in the right place to learn but you are just starting.
Learn how to make good pictures, learn the technical stuff that is required, then ask people to evaluate your talent.

.

Ironlegs · Oct 7, 2013

That's why i came here, i want to know whats wrong about these pictures you know ? I need to know what to improve and how to improve it. I was expecting answers like "the lighting is wrong", "the back is too blurry" but i am just getting responses about something that is not important right now. I know it takes times and effort...

The_Traveler · Oct 7, 2013

Ironlegs said:
That's why i came here, i want to know whats wrong about these pictures you know ? I need to know what to improve and how to improve it. I was expecting answers like "the lighting is wrong", "the back is too blurry" but i am just getting responses about something that is not important right now. I know it takes times and effort...

Then, like everyone else here is cautioned to do, post one, two or, at the maximum, three of the best ones and tell us why you like them.
I don't mean why you like the subject, tell us why you think its a good picture.

Braineack · Oct 7, 2013

Then I suggest you work on your compositions.

Ironlegs · Oct 7, 2013

Thanks traveler, already did it.

Braineack please be more detailed... Can you specify what i screwed up so i will be more careful next time ?

limr · Oct 7, 2013

Ironlegs - Perhaps it feels like folks are being unfair and unhelpful, but you need to realize that it seems like you are asking us to be in charge of your learning when perhaps it would be better if you did a little homework on your own and then came back and asked us something more specific that we could address with suggestions and opinions (not lessons). Otherwise, you don't even know enough to understand our help or suggestions, and expecting us to teach you the lessons so that you do understand is not fair to us. You've got to do a little more on your own other than just "try[ing] to capture some cool things."

What has been suggested to you is that you do a little reading or researching about composition and subjects. If you understood a bit more about photography in general, then this advice would be more useful to you.

If you need something a bit more specific:
...Possibly too much dead space distracting from your subject. Centered horizon is often less effective than cutting out some of the sky or foreground, depending on what you want your focal point to be.
...The second picture is clearly of the leaf so it works better, but ultimately it's just a picture of a leaf. There's nothing particularly special about it. If the purpose is to highlight the colors, then I'm not sure it was successful.
...The tire picture is the most successful because there's something interesting about the angle of the feet inside the circle, but as you said - you cut part of it off.
...The fourth picture has no clear subject. There's not enough in it to show that you meant it to be about the colors.
...The last picture seems fine, if a bit gimmicky.

So what do you do with that help? You don't ask me to explain further about horizons or dead space or what makes good subjects. Instead, it's now time for you to do some of your own homework - read, practice more, try using the information you get from reading to look more critically at your practice shots. Then when you feel you have something successful, come back, post the picture, get some information about that specific image, and add it to your overall education. Forums are only a study group: we're all students sort of 'workshopping' each other. We're not a group full of teachers just waiting to instruct new students

Ironlegs · Oct 7, 2013

Now thats a constructive feedback, exactly what i was looking for. Thanks a lot, i wasnt expecting to be taught here... I might have been misunderstood. All i wanted was what you wrote, whats wrong about every picture so i can look more into those aspects. Tomorrow i might try to repeat the tire picture and the field and of course i will read more... Thanks again.

limr · Oct 7, 2013

Ironlegs said:
Now thats a constructive feedback, exactly what i was looking for. Thanks a lot, i wasnt expecting to be taught here... I might have been misunderstood. All i wanted was what you wrote, whats wrong about every picture so i can look more into those aspects. Tomorrow i might try to repeat the tire picture and the field and of course i will read more... Thanks again.

It takes a while to get used to the sort of 'culture' of a particular forum. Don't let a rough start run you off