Two Weeks, a thousand shots taken, and some of my best. (C&C)?

[ZWolfe21]

Well, as I said in the title, i've taken almost a thousand photos in two weeks, partly playing learning the camera, and mostly trying to get good shots. These photos below are some of my best shots, or so i'm told. I also believe to grow in anything, particularly when your new, you need feedback! Of course, by best I don't mean good, I mean they're the best of what i've done so far. Anyway so here it goes. Hopefully the resizing doesn't kill these photos, still new to all this. Hopefully its not bad for my first camera in two weeks, (Sony A200). Please let me know what you all think, i'm in need of some comments and tips here.

#1 This is the first photo i've ever had printed. Someone called it the lonely flower.

#2 I always did like the yellow on the tips of the antenni.

#3 Just some clover after a rainshower, the dead leaf in the right takes away alot from this picture I think, didn't think about it at the time.

#4 Trying my first "macro" shot of some rain drops on the grass by a pond.

#5 The first, and so far only, sunrise i've photographed. I didn't have time to wait for the sun to actually rise. But the pixels you can see are driving me nuts, I don't know what i'm missing. The dot near the top isn't a mistake, its suppose to be venus, AKA the morning star.

#6 Boones Cave State Park, just a very yellow flower bathing in the afternoon sun, looks almost fake.

#7 First decent bird shot. A white-throated sparrow I think it is.

 

[Samanax]

I think these images show some promise...they have some technical and compositional issues with them, but you seem to have a good eye. I like the 4th one the best.

Check out the following links to help you get better...

Digital Photography Tips For Beginners

Digital Photography Composition Tips

 

[Invictus]

I really like the colors in number four. and the detail of the sparrow isnt the best, but i still really liked it. congrats on the new camera, and keep doing what your doing!

 

[ZWolfe21]

I'm extreamly weak in most areas here. Particularly the technical side. I'm discovering there are things the RAW converter that came with my camera can do far better then the adobe camera raw plug-in. Those blusish washed out spots on the clover image for example don't appear when I mess with saturation in Sony RAW Converter but it doesn't side car the adjustments. Its definently a very complex system that I havn't begun to understand yet. Hopefully between these forums, those links and the three photography books i've purchased I can get ahold on this quickly! Thanks for your feedback!

EDIT: about the sparrow, what would you suggest I do different next time? I think perhaps the depth of field was too narrow. And believe it or not the water in the background was actually dirt brown. Amazing what can be accomplished in Photoshop... People wonder why i've just been giving away my 8 x 10 prints, this is why. Because, for the most part, I'm not entirely happy with the prints and there are things I don't know how to overcome yet.

 

[ToddLange]

hey i just got my a200 a month ago! lol. i have been shooting mainly action shots. baseball, motocross. havnt taken many macros yet. i need a tripod. lol

 

[ZWolfe21]

If I have learned one thing, its a camera like the a200 and a tripod almost come hand in hand. Just remember to keep the steady shot OFF when on your tripod when you get it, it'll actually blur your shots.

 

[fast1]

really nice, thanks for the share

 

[ZWolfe21]

Hopefully they're not bad for the first two weeks of photography i've ever done. I really wanna try astrophotography on my 8" newtonian sometime but I cower in fear at that right now lol.

 

[d40bby]

Hello ZWolfe!

I'm new around here as well, had my nikon about as long as you've been shooting with your sony!

I think you are doing a great job with your photos! I have been struggling with lighting, particularly outside...but that's neither here nor there, something I just need to work on.

Just wanted to say hey from another NC-shooter. I'm in Winston Salem...I hope you've been enjoying the weather as much as I have!

 

[ZWolfe21]

I would be if I didn't have to work 12 hour shifts. Lately its either sleep the day away or get off work just in time to watch the sun go down. And with my recent problems with pixelation in sunsets/sunrises... I've been agravated.

 

[Guido44]

Just shooting from the hip here but ...

In the first 4 shots, you could get in really close on any of those shots if your camera is capable.

JMO