Squirrel picture needs comments

[Anisha Kaul]

I've yet not started studying the camera but I will soon,
The following photograph was taken by me in the morning, through zoomed lens, in the kids and pets mode

How could this have been improved by the manual mode, any comments?

http://s1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff492/anishakaul/?action=view&current=IMG_0561.jpg

 

[Overread]

Out of interest what camera were you using at the time to take this shot (kids and pets mode sounds like you are using a bridge/advanced single lens camera.

It's also a curious looking squirrel - the body looks more like a chipmunk with those stripes though the tail looks far more squirriel like.

 

[RauschPhotography]

I thought it looked more like a chipmunk, myself... Too dark, also wish the rodent in question took up more of the frame.

 

[Anisha Kaul]

Thanks for replying, well squirrels are like that in India and I don't know what is a chipmunk!

The squirrel was running here and there so I couldn't focus properly. And the photograph has been taken from the balcony of my house at the first floor.

The camera: Canon PowerShot SX210 IS

 

[vtf]

Here you go

 

[Anisha Kaul]

Well, any tips on improving the picture?

 

[Rudha]

well next time around try taking photos when its on the ground that way you can avoid all the branches taking away from the photographs but mind you there can clutter on the ground too the key is to make sure theres no distraction from your main subject unless you mean it to be there and for a good reason.

for operating in manual mode, if you can get a book explaining it like "understanding exposure" by bryan peterson (tpf fav haha) its a good book got me started, or google ISO, aperture and shutter speed and exposure triangle read as much as you can and experiment

for composition again read up, google photography composition and you'll get ton of sites, look for rule of thirds and other basic stuff

herz a link to kinda get started ....read up
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners

 

[sanpan]

Hi Anisha,

I have a camera just like yours, a CanonS3IS.
I have myself clicked a lot of pics of squirrels (Yes, they look like this in India :razz

I guess you could zoom in further so that the squirrel fills more of the frame and the other distracting elements are out of the frame. Be careful though, if you zoom in too much, then you will see some color aberrations.
I know its difficult coz they never sit still.

Also the pic looks a little dark, maybe you can click in Aperture priority and use a low f-number.

 

[Anisha Kaul]

Thanks and finally the image is there!!
Well AFA the branches are concerned, I thought it would look more more natural to have them. and I don't know why the photo looks black and white?

 

[Rudha]

i think it seems b\w because of the flat lighting and also underexposed like sanpan said....is it cloudy that day?? also the branches yeah it's a good idea to provide some context but not so much that it steals away from the subject like for instance that red thing on the left
and yeah it's a squirrel lol my reactions when i first saw 'squirrel' in america were exactly same 'a squirrel with no stripes?? weird'

 

[Anisha Kaul]

Well, the squirrel and the branches have nearly the same colour, that's why and yes it was a cloudy morning, I have never seen a squirrel without stripes

 

[Rudha]

cloudy days usually don't produce good colors but i don't wanna discourage you from shooting on cloudy days ....again hit google for ideas and squirrels w/o stripes yeah they are all in america haha although they could be chipmunks for all we know

 

[Anisha Kaul]

I didn't know that cloudy days didn't produce good colours, I heard it is the bright sunny day which is supposed to be avoided and the nights too.

 

[Rudha]

hmm i think you are referring to harsh sunlight at mid day that is avoided due to harsh shadows it produces, the best time of the day with some sun to be shooting around would be the 'golden hours' while cloudy days does produce great diffuser effect so you get even lighting ....like with anything in photography this is all advice you can take awesome portraits on overcast day it's always about context....lol start with basics and build up slowly and take loads of pics and oh don't forget cellphone cameras with some composing they can take neat pics

 

[Restomage]

sigh.