Dog portrait

[aerotigergirl]

I got my first DSLR for Christmas 2011, so I've been trying to learn how to use it. As for post-processing software, all I've got currently is what came with the Canon T2i, and I don't know how to use it, so very little was done to this photo after-the-fact. I'm looking for insight into composition and any constructive criticism regarding the technical details that I've probably overlooked.

Does it bother you that his left forepaw sinks into the pine needles, making it look like he's missing a foot?
Does it bother you that his right eye is in shadow (no catchlight)?
Is he properly focused? I have a laptop, and no real editing software, so I'm finding it difficult to tell.
Is it just too boring or pedestrian looking? Maybe it's just because I'm comparing the photos I've taken to all of the amazing ones I've seen here, but mine always seem so boring...

I should probably add that I've just got the standard kit lens that comes with the T2i, and this was taken about an hour before sunset.

Thanks in advance!



Camera Canon EOS REBEL T2i
Exposure 0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 55 mm
ISO Speed 125

[karen_s]

Well, I think you got a pretty good start with your new camera and might I say you are fortunate to have such a good looking well behaved model.

Anyway, to answer your questions ...

Didn't notice the buried paw till you pointed it out.

No, don't miss the catchlight in the far eye. I might if the shot were more of a head shot where the eyes were bigger, but not here.

Looks in focus to me, at this size anyway.

Not boring. A little to the standard side of things but really, it's nicely composed and shows the dog in an interesting environment.

One thing does stand out to me is the white of his chest, it looks overexposed or "blown." Black and white dogs are a bit of a challenge when it comes to exposure because of the large range of tones. As good as they are, cameras just aren't as good as the human eye. Couple of ideas to help with to avoid blowing things out ...

1. If you don't already, consider shooting in RAW format instead of JPEG. RAW captures more information with which to work in post processing (PP).

2. Expose to keep some details in the whites. Then, lighten the black if needed in PP.

3. Turn on the blinkies. I think the proper term in the manual is something like "Highlight Alert." If you turn this feature on, the overexposed areas of the image will blink on the LCD. If you have big blinking areas, you can adjust your exposure right then and try again. (I have this feature on ALL THE TIME!)

Hope that helps a little.

[aerotigergirl]

Thank you so much for your input! As I mentioned, I'm teaching myself as I go, so I didn't realize that sometimes it's a good idea to purposefully under- or over-expose a shot to get it right. I just looked at the little meter in my camera, made sure the pointer was dead-centered, and then shot! Now I realize my mistake, and I'll be more careful.

I have turned on the "blinkies" and I think that will help me a lot. I really appreciate your help!

[crockny]

Beautiful dog and nice pose! The thing that bothers me is the background -- I find it distracting. Next time try posing him with only the rock in the background and eliminate the trees/sky. It also looks like he has a harness on. You might want to remove that before doing his portrait - the handsome devil ...