NEW TO PHOTOGRAPHY

[kiki]

Hi friends,my name is kiki,I'm new to photography,and still have lots to learn. I would love any opinions or critiques on my photography,that would help me improve. Thanks in advance..

 

[soufiej]

IMO, the first question would be, where's the rest of the bird? On another photo? Giving us more than one shot is likely to get you more than one response. Do you have more?

What camera do you own?

 

[kiki]

Here are a few more pics..what do you think?

 

[kiki]

IMO, the first question would be, where's the rest of the bird? On another photo? Giving us more than one shot is likely to get you more than one response. Do you have more?

What camera do you own?

Sorry,I'm new on here and I'm just learning how to do everything. I did post more pics..I do have pics with the FULL bird in it,I will look for them and post them,thank you.

 

[kiki]

IMO, the first question would be, where's the rest of the bird? On another photo? Giving us more than one shot is likely to get you more than one response. Do you have more?

What camera do you own?

Sorry,I'm new on here and I'm just learning how to do everything. I did post more pics..I do have pics with the FULL bird in it,I will look for them and post them,thank you.

I own a Nikon D3100..

 

[JacaRanda]

Hi Kiki,

Welcome to TPF. Glad you have an interest in photographing wildlife.

There are lots of fun things to learn in order to help you improve your skills.
It will help to know the camera and lenses you have.

The very first tip I would give is to take your time to observe the behaviors of the animals.

 

[kiki]

Ok so here are two with the full bird..

 

[JacaRanda]

IMO, the first question would be, where's the rest of the bird? On another photo? Giving us more than one shot is likely to get you more than one response. Do you have more?

What camera do you own?

Sorry,I'm new on here and I'm just learning how to do everything. I did post more pics..I do have pics with the FULL bird in it,I will look for them and post them,thank you.

Tip #2. Try not to clip any portion of your subjects wings, feet, head, toes, etc. unless you are intentionally shooting a portrait. I think your duck photo is a nice example of when it's fine to clip or crop out parts of the body.

 

[kiki]

Hi Kiki,

Welcome to TPF. Glad you have an interest in photographing wildlife.

There are lots of fun things to learn in order to help you improve your skills.
It will help to know the camera and lenses you have.

The very first tip I would give is to take your time to observe the behaviors of the animals.

Hi @JacaRanda thanks for responding. I'm not only learning how to shoot photography but also how to use this sight! My camera is a Nikon D3100 and the lense that I use most of the time,is a Sigma DG 70-300mm. Could you please tell me if the other photos I posted,can be seen?

 

[kiki]

IMO, the first question would be, where's the rest of the bird? On another photo? Giving us more than one shot is likely to get you more than one response. Do you have more?

What camera do you own?

Sorry,I'm new on here and I'm just learning how to do everything. I did post more pics..I do have pics with the FULL bird in it,I will look for them and post them,thank you.

Tip #2. Try not to clip any portion of your subjects wings, feet, head, toes, etc. unless you are intentionally shooting a portrait. I think your duck photo is a nice example of when it's fine to clip or crop out parts of the body.

Yes, I totally agree, usually I do try and keep the entire subject in the photo, though on some occassions,I don't.

 

[JacaRanda]

Hi Kiki,

Yes the second set of phots can be seen. I really like the 2nd Great Egret. It is backlit meaning the subject is between you and the sun. That scenario can be tricky but I think you've done well. The Egret is underexposed, but the light shining through the tail feathers and base of it's neck gives it an artistic look. (Those kinds of things can be enhanced with software)

 

[JacaRanda]

IMO, the first question would be, where's the rest of the bird? On another photo? Giving us more than one shot is likely to get you more than one response. Do you have more?

What camera do you own?

Sorry,I'm new on here and I'm just learning how to do everything. I did post more pics..I do have pics with the FULL bird in it,I will look for them and post them,thank you.

Tip #2. Try not to clip any portion of your subjects wings, feet, head, toes, etc. unless you are intentionally shooting a portrait. I think your duck photo is a nice example of when it's fine to clip or crop out parts of the body.

Yes, I totally agree, usually I do try and keep the entire subject in the photo, though on some occassions,I don't.

Not to worry. It is wildlife and many times you won't be able to make an adjustment quick enough. You will also end up taking many many shots of the same subject within a short amount of time. To me, that is normal.

 

[soufiej]

Kiki, I think your shots are quite good for someone who claims not to know much about photography. Your composition would indicate someone who thinks a bit before taking a shot.

First, are you the person shown with the camera in your gallery?

How long have you been working with your camera?

Who taught you how to use your camera? Are you taking any classes, on line or off?

Do you have a goal for your photography for, say, this year?

What would you say is your best quality when it comes to photography? What's your worst? Or, what do you need to work on the most?

Are you shooting with your camera set to fully automatic?


For now, my only comment would be, most telescopic lenses are not totally sharp at the extremes of either their wide angle or their telescopic range. There are probably some youtube reviews of your lens which will give you some insight into the best (sharpest image quality) range for this specific lens. If the lens suffers a bit at full zoom, you might want to back off a bit and make up the difference in post production. If it suffers at wide angle, if possible, move back a bit to get the shot you see in your head.

Otherwise, I'd say you've done well for a first entry to the forum.

 

[dennybeall]

The original bird shot would look better as a full bird OR perhaps much closer with just the head and fish, like a portrait as said. It's nice and sharp and interesting in that the action with the fish is captured. Really like the water in the background!
The full length bird shots had some lighting issues, both good and problems as mentioned, and I'd guess they really aren't running up a steep hill????

 

[Nettles]

I really do like that shot of the horse -- it's got something extra for me. If there's time have a quick look all around the frame before pressing the button. In this case you probably would have noticed the horses ear just being chopped out of the frame. And a larger aperture in the lens might have thrown the second horse more out of focus, which would have helped too -- in my opinion.

There's quite a few things to think about, isn't there! But with good vision and lots of practice you'll boost your skills and confidence.