[isin2rt]

I am new to DSLR --new to photography for that matter. So any feedback would be helpful. Of course I played in photoshop to jazz up the color saturation --wow RAW makes a big difference on the tweaks you can accomplish! So much more fun.
I'm excited about the possabilities --but focus seems a little harder than I thought. On closer inspection I realized many pictures I shot today were in focus somewhere--just not where I thought! So I guess I need to figure out how to keep the camera steady so the main thing in focus is what I intend.
Let me know what you think.
isin2rt

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Hi and welcome. Well you seem to be getting the exposure ok, maybe a little underexposed, Pentax does tend to do that so you should check your manual and find out to compensate. I might as well suggest it because if I don't, someone else will Get yourself a copy of 'Understanding exposure' by Bryan Peterson.
You should also read this ; Rule of thirds - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia it will help you with composition.
IMO the best shots you compositionally that you posted hera are the first and last two. In the first one, it would have been even better if that curb had dissected the corner.
The second to last shot (the flowers) is a nice example with an in focus foreground and a pleasant looking out of focus background.
The last shot is a nice balance of light and dark, almost a yin and yang image. I also quite like the triangle between them at the top.
The other two shots are nice but too centred.
It all starts to fall into place after a while,just enjoy it .

Good start, I look forward to seeing more from you.

[isin2rt]

Thanks Gary, All you said is very helpful. This seems stupid--but I get so shutter happy when I have that thing in my hand (the camera) that I don't think about composition as much as I should. I am very drawn to color and how light hits things--and I suppose I will calm down eventually and think about the rule of 3rds--which I do know (I've been into art forever, I should know!).
I did just get two books this weekendigital Photgraphy by Jim Miotke and Digital Photography Masterclass by Tom Ang-- but maybe Understanding Exposure will be next. I've heard it mentioned on here several times.
Thanks for the feedback.
Kelly

[sawtooth235]

Isin2rt,

Focus is a subjective thing, but in-focus is always right.

Try experimenting with different apertures in the AV mode. Take a picture of the same subject with the same lighting at every apertures (f-stop). See how the amount of foregroung and background that is in focus changes from narrow at large apertures (small f-stop numbers like 2.0 or 2.8) to deeper at the smaller apertures (large f-stop numbers like 16 or 22).

Narrow depth-of-field shots isolate your main subject and bring attention to them. Broad depth-of-field can give an entire scene equal importance.

Takes lots of pictures and remember that we learn from doing.

Ray

[Ole]

To get the focus where you want it you should set the camera to use the center focus point only. Then center the object you want to be in focus in the viewfinder, press the shutter halfway, recompose while keeping the shutter depressed halfway. Then shoot. There are other ways to accomplish this depending on camera model. You can, of course, also resort to manual focus...

If you have set the camera to pick the focus pount you might not get what you want.

[isin2rt]

I love that -- Focus is a subjective thing, but in-focus is always right.- I agree!
I appreciate all of your comments and I will try the things you've suggested.

[Jimbo]

[QUOTEGet yourself a copy of 'Understanding exposure' by Bryan Peterson.
][/QUOTE]

I totally agree with Gary. I have read this at least three times and I am about to do it again.. Also get the Magic Lantern Guide for the Pentax K10 by Peter Burian. Much better then the manual that comes with the camera. Very well done on the shots by the way. JIMBO

[mee]

There is a blue cast in your images.

The truck behind the car is a bit distracting to me. But maybe that's what you intended. Beyond that they are fine.

[vijaykishan]

It seems like all the pictures are a tad under-exposed unless that was the intention to trigger a particular mood. The picture with the cat is the middle is what caught by attention BTW; it triggers a lot of imaginative stories in the mind. Thanks for sharing.

[just_life_photograph]

I think these are way over saturated. A good (free) place to start would be - A Year With My Camera it’s a free photography course, goes pretty slow but covers all the basics - I found it extremely helpful when I started. Great start - just keep shooting!

[caliscouser]

I think you did a great job with the subject matter at hand.
Keep on shooting and developing your style......and keep on posting!

[nonpigliounoshoot]

Welcome, interesting urban scenes.

[Photos-by-Chas]

Welcome to the forum. You've received some interesting and informative feedback, to which I can add nothing. I do like you r photos and suggest you keep on shooting because practice makes improvements. Good start.

[Fdooch]

Some people like it, but for me you went over a bit with saturation.

[tokyoscape]

...So any feedback would be helpful...

I like the first one a lot. But ... the cat image... I would make it jump before take a shot