Kerry C&C (be gentle!)

baby and crumble

Hi all,

i just got myself my first dslr about 2 weeks ago and had a play with it down in kerry this week. I'd really appreciate some critiques and comments on these shots (and the others in my pix.ie account, if you feel so inclined!) because i'm just starting. I learned the basics on my dads old slrs year ago when I was about 7, and I'm finding a lot is coming back to me!

Anyway, these haven't been through any processing except straightening horizons (i have a serious problem with that!!) and basic stuff like turning some to B&W, etc.

1) Playing with depth...

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2)


3)


4)


and probably my fave of the bunch...

5)


Any suggestions on how to make them better? cheers guys! (Why am I so nervous??? )

paulusdu

Some nice shots

#1 seems a bit soft, but maybe that was what you were going for. But to me is just looks like too many shades of grey.
#2 also seems a little soft and lacks a bit of vibrancy, the water is captured well though but the fern seems to take over the picture and just detracts from it really.
#3 i like, im a sucker for a nice sunset
#4 is my favorite of the 5, i really like it, It is nearly a silhouette but not quite, although maybe i would crop out the bottom fifth of the picture
#5 nice shot, i love the fact you can get the moon in there too. Although again, i would look at cropping out a bit of the bottom of the picture a bit.

As for horizons, I've had my camera over a year and i still can;t get a straight horizon !
Some really nice picture there, keep it up.

baby and crumble

thanks!

1) i'm still getting to grips with the depth of focus stuff, so it's a little messier than i'd like, you're right.

2) My first ever long shutter speed shot, no tripod... I wanted to get the rushing water but the staic fern... i think i need to invest in a tripod, eh?

and i haven't evenstarted thinking about cropping, I just figured i'd get them up and get some advice, so thanks a million!!!

ColmDawson

I think they're really quite good.

Fenster

#'s 1, 2, 3 and 4 are kinda ordinary and typical for a starting photographer (god, don't I sound arrogant!), but #5 is a cracker.

baby and crumble

Well since I AM a starting photographer, it's all good! At least i hope they're decent versions of the typical shots!!!!

dudara

Those are excellent for a starting photographer - keep it going.

randomguy

I like the 3rd one - for some reason makes me think of crosses on the hill of Golgotha.

One tip (coming from another beginner, though) - the 4th pic would be a lot stronger if the subject was in the bottom left. Have a look at stuff on the rule of thirds. And I don't mean cropping it, since that would lose the shimmering water - you would have had to change your angle by walking along the beach. Anyway, generally try to avoid having the subject in the dead centre.

baby and crumble

cheers! I have only gotten around to looking up rule of thirds last night, so thanks!

In regards to that shot, i also had the tiniest amount of battery possible, with what i thought was a limited amount of time to shoot with the sunset. I wish now i'd taken a few seconds to move around a bit though... Ah well, you live and you learn, eh?

pp_me129

As another poster said The Rule Of Thirds. #5 Personally I would obey the rule here and crop just above the moon see where it gets you.

AnCatDubh

Well you've a lot of near misses there but not bad at all and your thinking on composition is solid.

in #1 - could be a nice macro with more focus of the composition on the water drop and whatever light was catching it. As it stands, to me, it doesn't make for an interesting composition but the potential was there.

#2 the longer shutter speed is great to imply the motion of the stream / river but the colour is a bit yeuch (again just my opinion) - shows promise though in fairness. keep an eye out for similar opportunities.

#3 a nice idea (albeit cliched but we all like cliched). As a suggestion i'd have tried to included a little more in the bottom of the frame and tried a portrait format for a shot - it could have worked better.

#4 focal point is quite central but even so I still like it. Darkness and silhouette can work very nicely in a composition.

#5 like this one, but the bottom on my uncalibrated monitor, the land is really dark such that it doesn't say "this is land" although I guess what else would it be. I like that you've caught a sunset, a moon, a reflection. Maybe taken from a lower vantage point would have improved and given a better angle on the land. But a great image all the same

Cool stuff. Well done.

baby and crumble

thanks guys!