Would like a lil feedback :)

[itsjustbrandy]

This snap is of a beauutiful umbrella tree in our front yard.
What do you think of this picture though?
Be brutal.. it's okay..

Also, this is the only one that I was even half way satisfied with. The rest just seemd real 'sketchy-like' in the background. Not even blur. I do not know how else to describe it, but more like .. grainy.
I thought there was enough light outside... Is it the lens I'm using or maybe how I'm shooting...

All your advice really helps, thank you so much! :hugs:

(I didn't know if I should add this or not... I have not edited at all)

 

[tkaat]

why did you remove it. It looked really good You were beating your self up to much about it. It had a good DOF decent exposure actually the exposure made it like a pic "before the rain" if you get what i mean

 

[Sherman Banks]

It's a good photo Brandy! My recommendation would be to do more to draw the viewers eye to the focal point. The photo is quite busy with the coloration and lighting, but a larger aperture, tighter crop, or even a vignetting would push the viewers eye towards the nice looking flowers you've shot.

 

[nickisonfire]

your picture is no longer working..

 

[itsjustbrandy]

There it is! I'm not sure why the pic disappeared for a brief moment. I didn't remove it.
Anyhow- would I need a special filter to get the vignetting? OR is it possible to achieve by adjusting the setting?

And when you shoot outdoors, is it generally better to have a larger aperature?

 

[Sodak]

There it is! I'm not sure why the pic disappeared for a brief moment. I didn't remove it.
Anyhow- would I need a special filter to get the vignetting? OR is it possible to achieve by adjusting the setting?

And when you shoot outdoors, is it generally better to have a larger aperature?

The vignette is a lot easier to do PP, more control. As far as ap, well it depends on what you are shooting. Here you would have gotten more dof if you would have used larger than the f/11.

Nice picture though. I like it.

 

[Mesoam]

just a bit over exposed, can't see much detail of the petals...

 

[Samanax]

This snap is of a beauutiful umbrella tree in our front yard.
What do you think of this picture though?
Be brutal.. it's okay..

It's a nice shot, but there is a white balance issue...image seems to have a yellow/orange color cast. Would have been nice if you got closer and tightened the shot on the flowers a bit more.

Also, this is the only one that I was even half way satisfied with. The rest just seemd real 'sketchy-like' in the background. Not even blur. I do not know how else to describe it, but more like .. grainy.

This is the exif I got...

ISO - 6400
Aperture - f/5.6
Shutter Speed - 1/4000
Focal Length - 105mm

Why did you use ISO 6400? This is why the pictures were grainy.

I thought there was enough light outside... Is it the lens I'm using or maybe how I'm shooting...

It's the ISO setting. There probably was more than enough available light, but high ISO will produce grainy/noisy images.

(I didn't know if I should add this or not... I have not edited at all)

Almost all images taken with a DSLR should be post processed/edited a bit. This image could have the exposure taken down a bit, use more contrast, a little more saturation/vibrance and a little sharpening.

 

[itsjustbrandy]

The vignette is a lot easier to do PP, more control.

I'm sorry.. what's PP stand for?

It's a nice shot, but there is a white balance issue...image seems to have a yellow/orange color cast. Would have been nice if you got closer and tightened the shot on the flowers a bit more.

This is the exif I got...

ISO - 6400
Aperture - f/5.6
Shutter Speed - 1/4000
Focal Length - 105mm

Why did you use ISO 6400? This is why the pictures were grainy.It's the ISO setting. There probably was more than enough available light, but high ISO will produce grainy/noisy images.Almost all images taken with a DSLR should be post processed/edited a bit. This image could have the exposure taken down a bit, use more contrast, a little more saturation/vibrance and a little sharpening.

Noooot reeeallyyyy sure whyyy I was shooting with ISO 6400... to be honest, I haven't really played around with the ISO. I usually only alter the aperature and shutter settings..

So when I shoot indoors, with low lighting, I would want to use a higher ISO? And wouldn't need it so much when shooting out.. ?

Oh and believe me.. I was trying to get in as close as I could, I just could get the lens to focus that close up.. I think its the lens? I like to get a macro! that would be nice

 

[Sherman Banks]

I'm sorry.. what's PP stand for?

Post production- using software to manipulate/correct your photos. This is very handy to have for color correction, white balance issues, adjusting sharpness & contrast, pretty much anything you want to do to the photo.

Your ISO is a very important setting to get to know, probably before the aperture or shutter as it will determine which aperture or shutter speed to use. A way to think of ISO is the lighter it is where you're shooting, the lower your ISO setting. You only want to shoot 800 and above when your lighting is too low to shoot with a decent shutter speed (thus preventing shake/blur). The more you push the ISO, the more noise you get in your photos. I always set my ISO first, then choose my aperture or shutter speed. Hope this helps you out!

 

[Sherman Banks]

Hope you don't mind, I made a few changes to the shot to address some of the issues people have mentioned.
Before:

After:

Just changed the white balance, adjusted the exposure, pushed the contrast, added vignetting (although there are those who don't like this), all done in Adobe Camera Raw. It's still a little underexposed but I couldn't push it too much without losing the detail on the pedals. The full file would be easier to work with rather than this compressed jpeg. I'm really just learning the program but these adjustments were pretty easy to do. Let me know what you think.

 

[Samanax]

Noooot reeeallyyyy sure whyyy I was shooting with ISO 6400... to be honest, I haven't really played around with the ISO. I usually only alter the aperature and shutter settings..

Time to start learning about the basics of photography.

Tips For Beginners - Read "The Basics Of Exposure"...very important to know this stuff.

You might also want to pick up [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003"]Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson[/ame].

Composition Tips

So when I shoot indoors, with low lighting, I would want to use a higher ISO? And wouldn't need it so much when shooting out.. ?

Yes, in low light situations you'll want to use a higher ISO...but remember that the higher you go the more noise you'll get in your image.

When you're outdoors and there is good light, use a lower ISO setting. The lower the ISO setting the less noise you'll get in your image.

Oh and believe me.. I was trying to get in as close as I could, I just could get the lens to focus that close up.. I think its the lens? I like to get a macro! that would be nice

Macro photography presents it's own set of challenges...lighting and focusing...but it is very rewarding.

 

[itsjustbrandy]

I DO like this PP you did with the photo Mr. Banks I think it makes it look like a whole new photo. I DO have to say that I kinda like the warmth in the shot as is, I definately think that it could have been toned down, knowing that I didn't even consider using the ISO setting.

This is something I will need to practice more with obviously, I'll try again soon, and post it later

Thanks for the links, they're very helpful. I already have Understanding Exposure. I am saving it for the beach when we go on vacation.

 

[Sherman Banks]

I DO like this PP you did with the photo Mr. Banks I think it makes it look like a whole new photo. I DO have to say that I kinda like the warmth in the shot as is, I definately think that it could have been toned down, knowing that I didn't even consider using the ISO setting.

Thanks for letting me mess with it. :thumbup: I do think the charm of the original lies with the warm tones of it though. You have a good eye to get a shot like this and practicing with all of your camera's settings will help you continue to take great shots. Keep it up and I look forward to seeing more of your work.

 

[Blyack.Hype]

cant u also use a UV haze filter?

Hope you don't mind, I made a few changes to the shot to address some of the issues people have mentioned.
Before:

After:

Just changed the white balance, adjusted the exposure, pushed the contrast, added vignetting (although there are those who don't like this), all done in Adobe Camera Raw. It's still a little underexposed but I couldn't push it too much without losing the detail on the pedals. The full file would be easier to work with rather than this compressed jpeg. I'm really just learning the program but these adjustments were pretty easy to do. Let me know what you think.