Wildlife in Garden - C&C Please :-)

[jackiex_x]

This is a couple of toads having a hug (one has an unusually large belly for
some reason?)

This is a worm that took an interest in my lens cap...

.... then my gorillapod

This is a dead fly (i didn't kill it tho!) but was easier to photograph than
a live one!

I'm quite please with these shots but am open to constructive criticism as
always :razz:

 

[Frequency]

Will you be angry if i say you are not much serious about composing and achieving good results???? This is not at all a destructive criticism.... I just want you to change your approach a bit...
#1: You wnated to show something here...but viewer cannot remove twigs and leaves and see what is there
#2 and#3 are good examples of bad composing...
#4 Much under exposed.....

OK, Ok I am here to see how you are going to shock me

Regards

 

[Forkie]

I'm afraid I'm with Frequency on this one. You've done well to seek out the creatures you wanted to photograph, but there is no composition or technical competence to speak of in these shots.

No. 1: I wouldn't have known there were two toads if you hadn't said so. For shots of wildlife, either follow it and wait for it do to something visually appealing to photograph or don't bother. An interesting subject does not necessarily make for an interesting photo.

No. 2 and No. 3: I don't understand why the whole worm isn't in either shot. A worm can easily be picked up and put somewhere interesting and photographed, then put back where you found it. But yours just happens to be crawling over your lens cap (which does not make for an appealing backdrop) and actually behind your Gorillapod. Why didn't you move the Grillapod before shooting?

No. 4. The focus and composition are way off. You shot far too wide open for this, see the 4-5mm of line of carpet that's in sharp focus in front of the fly? Thats' how wrong the focus is!

It's great that you're getting out there and shooting, but you have a lot of work to do with regard to aesthetics, composition and exposure. I recommend a read up on it. You could do a quick 10 minute start here: Top 10 Photography Composition Rules.


PS: Just as a matter of interest, due to the unusually warm whether we're having, I suspect the bloated toad is full of spawn and the gentlemen toad on top is doing the dirty deed.

 

[jackiex_x]

Back to the drawing board

 

[Forkie]

Don't be put off! Keep shooting, but think about how you would like to see a photo of something before shooting. Don't fall into the trap of believing that the interesting subject alone will make a good photo. You need to position it, get your lighting and exposure right and show the subject off! Have fun doing it.

Next time you find a toad (although, perhaps not while it's mating!), pick it up and put it on a plant pot or somewhere where you can get down to it's level - it would make a much more interesting photo (make sure you always put it back where you found it, though).

Particularly with animals, getting down to their eye level will give the viewer a toad/worm/fly's eye view of the world and will be much more exciting.

When you get it right, you'll wonder why you never did it before. Find another toad and do it!

 

[Joel_W]

I really have to agree with both frequency and Forkie in their assessments of your pictures. As Forkie said, you can't even see two frogs in pic #1. In pic #4 you just missed the focus completely, not to mention that the entire composition is basically just a dead fly on a carpet. What made you want to photograph it?

 

[jackiex_x]

Next time you find a toad (although, perhaps not while it's mating!), pick it up and put it on a plant pot or somewhere where you can get down to it's level - it would make a much more interesting photo (make sure you always put it back where you found it, though).

Particularly with animals, getting down to their eye level will give the viewer a toad/worm/fly's eye view of the world and will be much more exciting.

When you get it right, you'll wonder why you never did it before. Find another toad and do it!

Well in my defence, I would have normally tried to make it more interesting but I didn't like to disturb them and they were in a gap at the side of my shed which took ages to get my tripod in the right place and get enough lighting even to do that shot! But maybe cause I'd seen them with my own eyes I was biased when i saw the photo.

not to mention that the entire composition is basically just a dead fly on a carpet. What made you want to photograph it?

Well I've only recently bought a macro lens and am fascinated with the things the eye can't see so am obsessed with insects atm lol.

 

[Joel_W]

not to mention that the entire composition is basically just a dead fly on a carpet. What made you want to photograph it?

Well I've only recently bought a macro lens and am fascinated with the things the eye can't see so am obsessed with insects atm lol.

Kind of figured that. Don't fee too bad about it, we all went through that stage, and I still take pictures like that every so often. I usually end up deleting them during PP. After I download my pictures, I go through them and edit with my finger glued to the delete button. Here, I'm looking for subject/composition more then anything else. Creating these isn't what I use PP for. So it's the delete button time and time again.

 

[jackiex_x]

yeah, i thought they were good until you experts pointed out all the flaws, now I can see myself they're a pile of ****

 

[Scuba]

yeah, i thought they were good until you experts pointed out all the flaws, now I can see myself they're a pile of ****

Ah the fun of learning. You will get better.

 

[Frequency]

Back to the drawing board

This is too bad....
Only when you click a lot every day you will be wonder struck how you improve day by day..... Just kindle the creative spark in you and see a new world around you

 

[Forkie]

Next time you find a toad (although, perhaps not while it's mating!), pick it up and put it on a plant pot or somewhere where you can get down to it's level - it would make a much more interesting photo (make sure you always put it back where you found it, though).

Particularly with animals, getting down to their eye level will give the viewer a toad/worm/fly's eye view of the world and will be much more exciting.

When you get it right, you'll wonder why you never did it before. Find another toad and do it!

Well in my defence, I would have normally tried to make it more interesting but I didn't like to disturb them and they were in a gap at the side of my shed which took ages to get my tripod in the right place and get enough lighting even to do that shot! But maybe cause I'd seen them with my own eyes I was biased when i saw the photo.

Good, I'm glad you decided not to disturb them. But if they are down a narrow gap that you can barely see down, it's probably best not to bother! By all means take a snapshot to show your kids/wife/Mum that there were toads there but if you want an artistic shot, unless you can move the toads or at least wait for them to move somewhere better, I'd leave it.

I'll say this again just to make sure: Don't be downhearted! It takes time and practice to get this stuff right, but the reward is worth it!

 

[jackiex_x]

I'll say this again just to make sure: Don't be downhearted! It takes time and practice to get this stuff right, but the reward is worth it!

Thank you