Outdoor/animal photos, C & C?

[jazzitupphotography]

So I got a new lens for my XSi; the 55-250mm IS canon lens. The apperture is like 4-5.6, so not really as wide as I like. But it's miles ahead of my 18-55mm! I don't like how I have to be pretty far to take portraits though, and I miss my 50mm 1.8 which was dropped this summer and shattered. (I cried for months).

Anyways I'd like to get some C & C's if possible for these. I'm happy with some, but others don't seem quite right. I won't say anything else though because I don't want to affect the critiques!

Also other lens suggestions if possible. I want something I could do some close up macro-ish shots with, and get nice clear crisp pictures, and also portraits and not have to step too far away.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8 - tried editing out the rope, but it looked pretty worse

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

#21

 

[Inst!nct]

Wow, well in before the whole "too many pics to review and c&C"

that being said, i like the underexposed photos of the dog closeups

 

[PatrickCheung]

holy crap thats a lot of photos.

i love 5, 7, 10, 11, 19

 

[creisinger]

...that being said, i like the underexposed photos of the dog closeups

As Inst!inct clearly pointed out there are "some" images that are severely underepxosed.

#12, #13, #14 almost lead me to believe that this is a joke.
Why did you post those?

Secondly IMHO you posted way too many images to give CC.

Every time you post on the forum just pick your best shots or one shot where you need CC. I think that would be most effective.

I'm not too much of a fan of strong vignetting but that's personal taste.

Shooting animals such as dogs and horses require lots of patience and practice. None of these shots are special or particularly interesting.

Spend more time with your subjects and really pick only the best shots.

Good luck!

 

[jazzitupphotography]

I haven't posted on here in a long time. These are the pictures I've taken over 4-5 months.

Why can't you just critique some pictures, I never asked for everyone to comment about every single one of them.

creisinger- no need to be rude? I know they're underexposed, because I did it on purpose because I thought it made them look moody.

I don't get to post often. I don't see how too many pictures can be a problem. Pick 5 that you want to critique, no biggie.

 

[Weaving Wax]

Well, like others have said, 21 photos is quite a bit much to take in, but I like the underexposed shots. I think they're creative.

 

[jazzitupphotography]

Thank you! I was trying to achieve something different because my dog's coat is so light, it's kind of boring with correct exposure, haha.

Next time I'll post a few shots at a time, but I don't need a critique for every one of them.

 

[creisinger]

By all means I'm not being rude.

In my opinion certain images ARE underexposed whether you intentionally did this or not - how am I supposed to know that? I'm just stating facts.

If your dog has a light coat you can make this to your advantage and work with more contrast. Take the pictures at a proper exposure and edit them accordingly in post with higher contrast at darker settings.

For instance you always want to bring out the eyes. Without detail in the eyes your subject will look lifeless and uninteresting.

Here a few ideas on how to give a dog's face some "mood"

These are just a couple of Flickr examples.

No need to underexpose with low contrast.

I'm sorry but you asked for CC.

 

[jazzitupphotography]

#12, #13, #14 almost lead me to believe that this is a joke.
Why did you post those?

Can I make it any clearer?


I appreciate the usefull critiques though.
As I stated, I was experimenting. I have a bunch of properly exposed photos of my dog.

 

[Inst!nct]

#12, #13, #14 almost lead me to believe that this is a joke.
Why did you post those?

Can I make it any clearer?


I appreciate the useless critiques though.
As I stated, I was experimenting. I have a bunch of properly exposed photos of my dog.

I agree with OP, those were actually the only shots i thought were good.. Creisinger, i dont think you understood the "artistic" theme OP was going for with those, i didnt like them in the beginning but thought they were kind of cool in the end, i didnt, again, find anything in the other pictures, OP, honestly, take out 17 of those photos, and ill post good critique, because you might not realize it, but its a pain to pick out and comment on only certain ones out of the so many you have,

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

#1 Lacks a clear focal point. Eyes wander around looking for something to land on. Underexposed. I see a more compelling image cropping everthing above the waterline (at the horizon) off.

#2 Better exposure. Again to me, everything above the waterline is extraneous. I see a very painterly image cropping below the white waterline, and cropping up from the bottom a bit. Now you can get into those gentle, serene curves in the image that set a tone.

#3-#4 no comment.

#5 I think I want to see more, or none of the weeds at the bottom.

You use vignetting too much.

#6-7. it's funny how much I focus on the vignetting and not the image.

#8 The rope is the least of your worries. Pay attention to the background too. Many a great shot are killed by the background.


#9 What are you trying to express? What response are you trying to illicit from the viewer? If it's "oh look, a dogs tail" you have succeeded!

#10. This shot is fantastic! It could be brightened just a tad. Not a lot. The body creates a great leading line, and that back lighting on the head and snout really set it apart from the body. Congrats on this one. It's a keeper! :thumbup:

#11 After #10, this is rather unremarkable, underexposed, and rather flat.

#12 Do some Google and Flickr searches on Low Key photography. That's what you were trying for. Instead you just have an underexposed flat boring image.

#13. See #9. "Oh look, dog feet".


#14. Brightened up and with a a little contrast this image pops. The dogs expression sets the mood much more than your underexposure.


#15 Not bad. Nice Fall horseridin' image.

I still hate the vignetting. Learn when effects are appropriate.

#16-18, meh.

#19 I like this one. I like the saturation of the horse and the grass, and the contrast going on there. I hate the alien blue sky (at the top and corners). Mostly because it really draws the eye away from the subject.
Vignetting adds nothing to this really pretty decent image.

#20 is not flattering to the girl. (her stomach blends into the horse)

#21 is not flattering to the horse. And OMG! Did you just use reverse vignetting on this!?! Stop it! Don't use effects just because you can. Use them to say something. Use them to add commentary to the image. Adding vignetting does not make every image look old, either.

 

[o hey tyler]

Stand out ones are 10, 15, and 19 (minus the top edges with the dark blues). I think you have potential in terms of composition. But need to work on not going too overboard with post processing. I understand, it can be very addicting. But sometimes just a simple contrast tweak to make the photo have more of a dynamic range can be enough.

...that being said, i like the underexposed photos of the dog closeups

As Inst!inct clearly pointed out there are "some" images that are severely underepxosed.

#12, #13, #14 almost lead me to believe that this is a joke.
Why did you post those?

Secondly IMHO you posted way too many images to give CC.

Every time you post on the forum just pick your best shots or one shot where you need CC. I think that would be most effective.

I'm not too much of a fan of strong vignetting but that's personal taste.

Shooting animals such as dogs and horses require lots of patience and practice. None of these shots are special or particularly interesting.

Spend more time with your subjects and really pick only the best shots.

Good luck!

On an unrelated note...

So saying a bunch of more less than respectful things and then suffixing it with "Good luck!" is a good outline for critique? How would you feel if someone asked if your photo was a joke, even if you have been behind a camera for a while? On a related note, the "examples" you posted weren't great examples. On the first one I find the light bloom around the dogs head to be migraine inducing, and the second shot chops off the top part of the head. It also looks like it was shot with a camera phone.

 

[Ejazzle]

one thing that i have learned about vig is that it almost never works.

I'd like to see these photos with a little less pp.

non butt shots on 6 and 7 would have been better,

to me number 2 is the best

also in number 8 the fence behind the dog is annoying for some reason.

the butt shot in 15 works with the photo as a whole.

 

[Eventer]

LOVE the B&W dog one.
I dont like to comment on the horse ones as im a competition horse rider and things like riding in Sneakers and stuff looks yuck to me!!
And in the riding one the rider on the chestnut hands are way to low forcing the horse into a incorrect frame and the uneven hands in the one above in on the appy. hands too wide etc (I could go on for ages) Sorry for nickpicking but these are the forst things I notice and cringe at. but i mean as far as the actua "photography" Goes A++
But as far as the horse ones go i do like the 2nd to last one

 

[creisinger]

... How would you feel if someone asked if your photo was a joke, even if you have been behind a camera for a while?

Been there, done that. Seriously did never ever of you guys get a hit in the face thinking that you hit the "jackpot" when someone else came along at said the picture stinks?

Wow, I must be the first one then.

First of all photography in most instances is considered art.

Not everyone is going to like whatever anybody does.

These images were posted asking for C & C.

I gave my opinion and despite there were properly exposed shots in the OP I simply pointed out that there were strongly underexposed images in there.

Since the OP knows how to properly expose I did think these three dog images were a joke - sorry but they are (under epxosed).

OP initially wrote this:

Anyways I'd like to get some C & C's if possible for these. I'm happy with some, but others don't seem quite right. I won't say anything else though because I don't want to affect the critiques!

I'm not saying that there is no one else out there who won't like those shots. It's just my personal opinion.

Furthermore, I did try to motivate the OP to spend more time with his/her subjects to get better moments to capture. The "Good luck" was intended to keep him or her going.

Sometimes moments or places aren't ideal to be photographed. Many of the images show such moments. That's not the photographer's fault. It just takes time and patience (as I mentioned in a previous post) to catch those moments. Then go ahead and post your best shots.

We all learn from mistakes and get better.

Good luck!