Newbie needs help

[ol'dude]

Big step for me to move to a DSLR. I already love it and want to develop some skilss. I took this shot from 3 different angles and still could find a good one. I'm not satisfied with it at all. Need help with the lighting and composition. I'm using Nikon NX2.

ISO 800, 1/60, f3.8....Nikon D90.

[samhail]

Hi and welcome to the forum and the DSL world. You are going to love it. I am no expert so take my comments with a grain of salt but I have learned a lot here and I think you will too. What first struck me about the photo was the clutter. I could not initially tell what was the focus of the picture (I assume it was the cat since you posted in the animal section.) There is too much happening in the photo for my tastes. The picture frame and the things behind the cat are the most distracting. I think it would have looked nice if it was just the cat and the candles. Also, it seems the cat was not in focus. The candles were in focus but the cat did not seem to be. If you want the cat to be the subject of the photo then you should focus on it then take the picture. The cat doesn't necessarily have to be in the center but should be in focus. Last, it looks like you took the picture at an angle looking down at the table. Try to get level with the table when you take the picture so you have a nice straight bottom to the picture. These are just my two cents and I hope they help you. The most important thing to do is keep shooting. You will get better as you go along. Have fun.

[ol'dude]

Great feedback. The focus was supposed to be on the cat. For some reason I got "sidetracked" with the background. I'll try to get closer to the subject in the future and try to bounce the flash to soften the effect. I'll also get level as you suggest. Thanks for the help....