Some C&C Please [First Shot]

armchairninja

Hi All,
Long time lurker on this forum, find the content very interesting, and there is definitely some talented people on here, who have helped inspire me to pick up a camera.
I bought a second hand dslr last week, and have so far actually been lost as to what to shoot, after having loads of ideas before buying the camera:o, but I went for a wander around the Curragh last weekend, and spotted this tree up around the old military graveyard, would have got a picture of the entrance building, but, there was cars parked outside etc., the good weather generally brings people to the place, unfortunately!:D
Anyway, its a fairly basic shot, i'm still learning the ins and outs of the camera etc., so its probably not the best, but i just want to see what others might think of it, changed it black and white in photoshop (im a bit more familiar with PS, tend to frequent the DA&D forum a good bit)

Cheers

swingking

It's a nice photo. Well done

only thing I'd do is crop so there is more room on the left hand side.

Ballyman

Hi

Are you from around the Newbridge area? There is a camera club in Newbridge that meets every thursday night at 8pm in the parish centre. It's for all levels of interest, from total beginner to pro and everything in between.

If you would like to learn more about your camera and get some help then drop along any week. You can PM me or email them if you have any questions.

Their website is: http://www.southkildarephoto.org/about

Thecageyone

cool shot, looks well in B&W. I would actually crop a little from the right though, a little too much empty space, nothing interesting there. Maybe if there was a stronger cloud formation going on or the sun/moon in upper right. Not a major crop, just an inch or so at that size. That along with more space to left as swingking suggested would make for a nicer shot.

Good stuff though, good luck with the new camera. I'm still hunting down my first dslr. What did you buy?

armchairninja

f you would like to learn more about your camera and get some help then drop along any week. You can PM me or email them if you have any questions.

Sent you a PM there.

cool shot, looks well in B&W. I would actually crop a little from the right though, a little too much empty space, nothing interesting there. Maybe if there was a stronger cloud formation going on or the sun/moon in upper right. Not a major crop, just an inch or so at that size. That along with more space to left as swingking suggested would make for a nicer shot.

Good stuff though, good luck with the new camera. I'm still hunting down my first dslr. What did you buy?

Yea, I wasnt sure what way to crop it, thought it looked a bit better sitting to the left, but now im not sure, ah well, its all a learning process!, I'll have a play around with it and see what I can come up with.
That shot was actually taken in the middle of the day, with not a cloud in the sky, oddly enough for this place!:D

I bought a 2nd hand 400d, came with Kit Lens, and a Tamron 80-210 lens, also 2 Batteries, a 4gb CF card, a card reader, some tutorial dvds (still have to watch them) and a shutter release cable, found it on photographyireland.net for €300, so decided to treat myself, just on the look out for a tripod now, but i think i have that sorted too.:)

FoxT

Well done - I really like the photo.
The composition is offbeat - but good. There is a sense of tension there - the frame is very empty & the tree leaning out to the left gives a visual hint that there may be something interesting & perhaps horrific going on outside of the frame, very Hitchkockian... I carry a camera everywhere & I know that this is a scene I could pass by every day w/o photographing - b/c I would not have been able to visualise how to make something interesting out of it.

More please!

- FoxT

armchairninja

FoxT wrote: »

Well done - I really like the photo.
The composition is offbeat - but good. There is a sense of tension there - the frame is very empty & the tree leaning out to the left gives a visual hint that there may be something interesting & perhaps horrific going on outside of the frame, very Hitchkockian... I carry a camera everywhere & I know that this is a scene I could pass by every day w/o photographing - b/c I would not have been able to visualise how to make something interesting out of it.

More please!

- FoxT

Cheers, thanks for that, didnt think that there was that much to be taken from it though

As for more, im still trying to find stuff to photograph, seem to have encountered a mental block since i actually got the camera that I had so many good plans for, typical really!:mad:

alexlyons

I actually like the composition. Maybe a little more to the left like swingking said, but I wouldn't take much or anything or the right.

streetshooter

I like the composition and the B&W conversion, but the shot is very under-exposed i.e too dark;)

Thecageyone

armchairninja wrote: »

I bought a 2nd hand 400d, came with Kit Lens, and a Tamron 80-210 lens, also 2 Batteries, a 4gb CF card, a card reader, some tutorial dvds (still have to watch them) and a shutter release cable, found it on photographyireland.net for €300, so decided to treat myself, just on the look out for a tripod now, but i think i have that sorted too.:)

Nice one. I've been prowling the used sites too but having no luck trying to get a trade for my xbox + cash for a dslr. There is one guy interested with an Olumpus E410, only thing worrying me on that one is how hard lenses are to find used for it.

Must check out that site you mention.

nilhg

armchairninja wrote: »

Cheers, thanks for that, didnt think that there was that much to be taken from it though

Nice start, well done, I've posted here before there is a steep learning curve when you get a DSLR , it can be intimidating.

armchairninja wrote: »

As for more, im still trying to find stuff to photograph, seem to have encountered a mental block since i actually got the camera that I had so many good plans for, typical really!:mad:

Take Ballyman's advice, come to our meeting any Thursday night, we'll do or best to turbocharge your mojo.:D

Thecageyone wrote: »

.There is one guy interested with an Olumpus E410, only thing worrying me on that one is how hard lenses are to find used for it.

Two ways of looking at that, could be that they are so good nobody wants to part with theirs.;)

I've had Olys for four years now, still with the kit lenses, though I bought a Sigma 30f1.4 for low light situations, I doubt if you'll be limited by the lenses.

magicbastarder

i think the image looks slightly better flipped horizontally.

Thecageyone

nilhg wrote: »

Two ways of looking at that, could be that they are so good nobody wants to part with theirs.;)

I've had Olys for four years now, still with the kit lenses, though I bought a Sigma 30f1.4 for low light situations, I doubt if you'll be limited by the lenses.

I see in your stream you have a zoom lens too? Some nice shots on there.

The Oly would be fine for me if I thought for sure down the line, few months or so, I can easily get hold of a nice macro lens, or a 50mm or telezoom.

The other big niggle I have with that model is the lack of right hand grip. And it's very small.

nilhg

Thecageyone wrote: »

I see in your stream you have a zoom lens too? Some nice shots on there.

The Oly would be fine for me if I thought for sure down the line, few months or so, I can easily get hold of a nice macro lens, or a 50mm or telezoom.

The other big niggle I have with that model is the lack of right hand grip. And it's very small.

Yeah, I have the 70-300, OK it's slow and slow to focus, but once you get used to it it's bloody fantastic for the money.

The second hand lenses do come up on ebay, you just need to be patient and they'll make decent money but then so do good canon or Nikon examples.

The 410 would be too small for me, you should keep an eye out for a 510, people seem fond of them though, i know I've no intention of flogging mine on even if I do buy an E30 (that's dependent on striking it lucky on the lotto:o)

armchairninja

Thanks for the advice people!:) Made some changes to this, as suggested - basically, gave a little more room on the left, and lightened it a bit, as it looked a little under exposed