[dws1117]

These are a couple of shots of one of neighborhood squirrels taken from across the street. I'm still trying to learn the new Tamron 70-300mm lens. As the thread title says, what's right and what's wrong?

[Rickster]

For starters I would suggest either some cropping to remove the extraneous elements or try shooting again but get a lot closer. Try to fill most of the frame with the squirrel.

[paden501]

I disagree with the above post, especially with the last shot. The last one was a good use of 'the rule of thirds'.

Leaving enough space 'in front' of the subject helps to tell a story about the subject rather than just being a profile shot. This way you can see the subject's setting a little bit. It leaves you wondering what he's looking out for off the left of the photo.

The first shot could stand to highlight a little more of the squirrel... the shot is dominated by the tree and by the blank background.