Learning to take photos with my dog!

[sweet_t]

This is my first post up on Critique my shot. I'm still learning all the functions of my new dslr and need some help on how to improve my technique. Below is one of the first pictures I took with my Canon EOS 400D. The lighting isn't that great (I seem to be finding it hard to get the right light indoors). Despite the bad lighting, does this picture work? I would really love some tips on how to improve lighting or how I can edit this pic on photoshop.

Thanks! =)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/47146451@N00/2241920722/" title="GreenEye by jiminyClickit, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2348/2241920722_b714c19068.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="GreenEye" /></a>

Aperture: F4.5
Exposure:1/500
ISO: 800
Flash used.

[KathrynWilson]

Hi there :)

Could you post your settings so we could help you a bit better?

Unfortunately animals are very susceptible in direct light to the 'demon eye' you ended up with here. You could try fixing that in PS. Your depth of field is possibly just a wee bit narrow to get all of his face in too, and I would have preferred both ears to be fully in frame. But you are off to a good start - the exposure is not too bad, and the color and focus are nice.

[sweet_t]

Thanks for the advise. Here are the settings I used to take this pic (forgive my ignorance if i get the terminology wrong, still learning it all!)

Aperture: F4.5
Exposure:1/500
ISO: 800
Flash used.

As for white balance, I didn't really play around with it and left it on AWB. Anything else to take into account?

[KathrynWilson]

It would be your flash that caused the demon eye then. I might have used a slightly lower shutter speed as it still looks a tiny bit dark, but then I suspect you didn't have the easiest of lighting situations :) The relatively wide-open aperture is the reason that your depth of field missed the end of his little nose and beyond that. You could have gone for an aperture of say 8, and then used a lower shutter speed and possibly even higher ISO to compensate.

[sweet_t]

Wow, thanks so much. I will give your advise a try. I still have a lot to learn and its great that there's a forum like this :)