[VampyreGTX]

Hey! My first time posting my pictures and am looking for some contructivecriticism. I didn't use the RAW format or do any PP as I'm trying to get the basics down still; however, I need a starting point. I missed a few great shots due to forgetting to reset the white balance, or reset a locked exposure setting; but all that comes in learning. Let me know what you think.


This first shot if of a Camelia at Magnolia Gardens Plantation in Charleston S.C.


This is a shot of the light of the Tybee Island Lighthouse on Tybee Island Georgia


This is the Harbourtown Lighthouse on Hilton Head Island


Not sure what kind of bird this is, any guesses?


I have one more photo I'd like to post, a silhoutte of boats in the sunset, but I haven't uploaded it yet.

[J.Scott]

Nice shots! If I could offer a bit of constructive criticism it would be this:

1st pic - if the light were not bright direct sunlight but more subtle and even lighting the textures of the petals would be more apparent. Direct sunlight gives harsh shadows.
- using a slightly more open aperture would give it a slightly tighter depth of field. This would make the background a bit more out of focus.
- it could also benefit from some cropping.

2nd pic - it would be a great shot if you could have moved a bit more directly under the dome and eliminated those broad, distracting horizontal bars.

3rd pic - I like this one! It could only be made better with either the use of a circular polarizing filter or at least some post processing to deepen the blue of the sky and the red of the lighthouse. It looks a bit pale and I know the colours in this should just pop out at you. (See below for my humble attempt at P.P. for this picture.)

4th pic - this is a heron, but I am not 100% sure which one exactly. (I will guess and say Great Blue Heron.) The shot is nice but the willow branches on the shore line do distract the viewer a bit.

[VampyreGTX]

Here's my other two shots, let me know what you think of these as well. Both of these were taken at the Harbourtown Marina on Hilton Head Island

[foxglove]

I don't feel quite like I should be giving critique, seeing as I haven't been doing much shooting lately, but a couple of your shots jumped out at me. You'll get your chance to return the favour soon, I'm sure!

The first lot:
Camellia - Well, to be honest, I find most flower pictures dull. Not that that stops me from taking them myself, of course... Anyway, I'd agree that this needs a tighter crop and shallower dof. If your lens allows it, it'd be neat to get right in so the flower fills the frame, and all you see are the concentric rings of petals, which I imagine is what drew you to the flower in the first place.

the light - Very cool! It seems a little flat, though - was it a grey day? It seems like all that glass ought to gleam. There are some distracting elements, I wonder if there is a different vantage point that would be less cluttered.

the lighthouse - You've already got some great help on this one. Nice composition, simple and clear, and conveys the height well.

great blue heron - The bird looks a tad out of focus. I know they're difficult to photograph, you never know when they're going to take off. It also looks like it's leaning on the shrub! A better angle to separate it from the background shrubbery would help, but you probably would have spooked it tramping around looking for better views. I've concluded that unless you have a big honkin' lens and/or stake out a known "bird spot" for hours, you just can't get really first-class photos of wary birds like these. Again, not that it stops me from trying...

Your other two:
boats in silhouette - Nice mood, soothing colour, I love the little bird on the roof! It's a bit busy, though, with all the aerials, strings of lights, and windows making "holes" in the silhouette. It might be improved by cropping off the sides to make it portrait orientation.

kayaks - Too much dof, too much background clutter. What caught your eye? The line of colourful kayaks, right? When you look at something in "real life", your brain edits out all the distractions - that's what "attention getting" is all about. But when you take a picture, you have to help the viewer see what you were seeing. Ever notice that when you look at a photo you've taken, you see stuff you didn't realise was there at the time you took it? That's because looking at a photo is different from looking at the real thing, on many levels. This is one of the hardest things to keep in my head when I'm shooting!

Back to your photo, though - you could crop out the car on the left, and that would help, but there's still too much dof. If you went back, or encountered something similar, try different angles to keep any bright objects in the background (like the truck cap visible over the kayaks) out of sight. Decide where to put the main focus - the dangling handle? the numbers on the bow? the abandoned water bottle? - and use a fairly wide aperture to isolate it. That'll put any visible background completely oof. Don't be afraid to fill the frame with your subject - unless you're interested in the context these kayaks are in, it doesn't matter if the building in the background, the trees, or whatever is even in the frame.

I've gone on about this one a little bit, but it illustrates something that I struggle with all the time - making your subject clear to your audience. You seem to have an eye for pattern (the flower petals, the light, the kayaks), so if you're taking a picture because you think the pattern's interesting, that's what has to be the subject. Think of the people viewing your photos as being just a little stupid, so you sort of have to whack us over the head with it: "Hey, stoopid! Lookit the pattern! Forget it's a flower, look at the circles! Cool, eh?"

I also suspect that you didn't get your knees sandy taking the kayak photo. Often the best angle on something involves getting into a really uncomfortable position and feeling a little silly. But don't worry, you're carrying a DSLR, people will assume you're a pro!

You're off to a good start, you'll get lots of help here.

By the way, what camera and lens(es) did you use?

Julie

[VampyreGTX]

Thanks for the responses so far!

julie, as for the boat silhouette, thanks for pointing out the bird! I never noticed that and I think it makes it nicer knowing it's there. I'll try the crop later today when I'm off work and will post the picture using your suggestions to see how it looks.

For all the pictures except the kayak, I used my K10d with the stock 18-55mm kit lens. The kayak one was shot with the 50-200mm lens.

For the kayak one, how's this one? (I know it's a little underexposed, but I'm looking for more of the composition and dof critique)



Finally, the light photo was taken on a cloudy day with a light rain outside so that explains the gray. That also the only angle you can take a picture of the actual light from due to the actual light being blocked off from direct access.

Anyway, this was my first trip with this camera and my first real pictures. I've already learned a great deal on exposure, dof, etc. with this and know I have plenty to learn.

Want to mention, the camelias were my wife's request as she loves flowers, naturally. I know this one is a little dark, but how's it in reference to the first beyond the exposure?

[foxglove]

julie, as for the boat silhouette, thanks for pointing out the bird! I never noticed that and I think it makes it nicer knowing it's there.

Hah! There's a nice example of things you don't notice when you take the photo!

The kayaks - yes, that's the sort of thing I was getting at.

Finally, the light photo was taken on a cloudy day with a light rain outside so that explains the gray. That also the only angle you can take a picture of the actual light from due to the actual light being blocked off from direct access.

Ah, bummer, but that's the way it is, sometimes. I wonder if the longer lens would have got you past the obstructions? You'd still have the greyness problem, though. Such is life.

Camelia number two is certainly better isolated from the background. I think it's a more interesting blossom, too - the opening centre is neat. You might find the pop-up flash is useful in such situations - I was rather surprised to get not bad results with the pop-up on my K100. I posted a thread (https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/14195-built-flash-isnt-so-bad.html) I was so surprised, in fact. Something to play with, anyway!

Julie