Photography beginner, help me improve.

[superchud1]

Poor guy recently turned 13. Can you point out the things I did wrong in the photo. Only way to get better is to learn from your mistakes right.

Thanks



Canon XSi
Canon ESF 18-55mm Lens
430EX II flash bounced off wall

[Cola]

In this case if possible I would recommend bouncing your flash off of the ceiling which could avoid the right side of your frame being so dark.

Catch lights can really help a photo have more of a lively feel to it and with a photo of something like a dog,it can add to the "cute" factor.

The background (which i believe is a couch) could be a bit better thought out, it gives the impression that your dog was just laying there then you snapped a quick photo.

Another thing to keep in mind is the best kind of photo is one that tells a story or shares an emotion. Generally you want to take a photo at the climax of a situation such as if your dog was playing and looking up at you, or running after a ball or giving you the "begging face"

Also I'm not sure if you did any editing/post processing but in todays day and age photoshop, lightroom, etc is the darkroom of today. It can help to tweak the photo to your liking to find a good balance without going overboard.

It is a bit tough to critique this photo because it is a bit on the snapshot side but I did the best I could. It all comes with time and practice, keep shooting and you will keep getting better.

Good luck to you!