Please critique following photos

[Magnatolia]

Hi All,

I've been using my D70 for a little while, but I'm not happy with the poor results I seem to be getting. A few of the problems are, nothing ever seems to be in crystal clear focus when zoomed into 100% on PC. Plus, when using an AF Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 G (what does this actually mean, and is this a good lens), I find that it takes forever to focus, which is very annoying becuase I would like to become a professional photographer, especially with wildlife and this causes a lot of missed shots.

I also can't use RAW mode because the results, when viewed on the PC are horrendous. They have extreme cases of noise, even though those settings are at their lowest on the camera.

Plus, it never seems to want to focus on the entire foreground. A prime example is when taking photos of flowers or groups of items such as nuts. It seems as if the camera is focussing on one tiny part of the picture which becomes near-invisible with all of the out-of-focus detail around it. Any ideas on these problems, and what may fix them?

Please have a look at the following selection of photos and let me know what you think, or what I could do better.

Thanks in advance
Jason

 

[DramaDork626]

I'd say the biggest problem is, they are all a little too grainy, and there isnt much contrast. But the composition is good for the most part. The third photo is a little boring. It doesn't tell me anything. And I am havingg trouble figuring out what the first one is

 

[Magnatolia]

Thanks for the reply,

The first photo is a dead jellyfish that washed up on the beach. I thought it looked like an interesting photo.

Could you please explain what you mean by not much contrast, and where the pictures appear grainy?

Also, could you suggest some things I could do differently, based on what you've seen, to make my photo's more compelling?

Thanks
Jason

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Please read the guidelines for this forum
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23315
In future only post photographs one at a time for a critique. Posting more than one picture at a time - unless it's for the purposes of comparison - is a sure way to get your post moved.
I'll let this stay as a one-off.
I think what you are asking for is a critique of your style and technique - and not of individual images.

 

[DramaDork626]

by not much contrast I mean there is not much color and shade difference, they are very "one toned:, it isn't vibrant enough. All of the pictures have a rough graininess to them. What you may want to do is mess around with the photos in photoshop.

 

['Daniel']

I'd say you need to get a different program to resize them. Photoshop resizes photos the best as far as i'm aware. Theres never granulization when resizing.

 

[JonMikal]

i also use a D70 and will be glad to help you out. i have a few questions for you, so, if you PM me we can try to work this through.

 

[danalec99]

Its the stoopid d70. j/k

Hi Jason,

I think this would be a great place to start.

You should also consider joining a basic photography class in your local community college or places like NYIP or if you are seriously interested; consider a BFA in Photography. Run a search on photography classes/schools, you will find a lot of info here.

Plus, it never seems to want to focus on the entire foreground. A prime example is when taking photos of flowers or groups of items such as nuts. It seems as if the camera is focussing on one tiny part of the picture which becomes near-invisible with all of the out-of-focus detail around it. Any ideas on these problems, and what may fix them?

Please refer to the above link. It is caused by a wide aperture and it is not usually a problem. The photographer can control these settings; whether you want a particular area stand out in an image or if you want the whole picture sharp, corner to corner.

I also can't use RAW mode because the results, when viewed on the PC are horrendous. They have extreme cases of noise, even though those settings are at their lowest on the camera.

RAW can wait. RAW comes in when you set the aperture and shutter speed. No need to rush or worry! We have a happy D70 clan here.

Good luck and welcome to tpf! :thumbsup: