Don't even know what to call it

[jrtmurph]

I don't know why I took this photo except I thought it might be considered a little creative. I'm VERY green as you can see, but decided to jump right in. All comments welcome! Thank you.

[wulf]

"Needs more work"? No - that is a bit cruel and not very encouraging of me but, as I look at this picture, I don't see anything that grabs my attention.

What would you describe as the creative elements? The chances are that you would get a better result if you focused on one of them and thought about ways to make it the subject. That probably won't do much for this shot (although you could submit it for the "what would you do challenge", which will doubtless prove me wrong!) but will help take strong pictures in future.

Wulf

[jrtmurph]

Thank you. You're right, of course. As for the creative, I thought the combination of different things around the dumpster as well as the worn wall around it would count for something. LOL. Ok... try again.

[clockdoc]

One of the hardest things to do when you are new to photography is to move in closer. You must have seen something initially that prompted you to shoot it. By moving in closer you could have recorded how the pattern of the cinder blocks worked with the white paint and streams of light falling on the blocks. Look more closely at the shopping carts. Is there a pattern created by their wire mesh that may make an interesting abstract pattern?
I recall how my then 14 year old great-niece 'discovered' how light fell on a roll of wire fencing and created some interesting shadows/patterns. Learning photography is also learning to see in a different way. These are just two examples of shots you can get from this ordinary scene. Try cutting a rectangular hole of 4 x 6 inches in some dark cardboard about 8 x 10 inches in size. Leave the camera at home and take a walk viewing different scenes through this faming tool. You will be amazed at how you can train your eye to see compositions you never saw before. Good luck! Keep posting.

[wulf]

Originally Posted by clockdoc

Try cutting a rectangular hole of 4 x 6 inches in some dark cardboard about 8 x 10 inches in size. Leave the camera at home and take a walk viewing different scenes through this faming tool. You will be amazed at how you can train your eye to see compositions you never saw before.

Or do the same but take your camera with you. The cardboard is a tool to help you see different possibilities without the distraction of the camera; when you find something you like you can then work on catching that with the camera.

Good idea though and, as Lee says, it is all about learning to see more richly.

Wulf

ps. what size do your pictures come out of the camera? My old one was in a 4:3 ratio so I would have wanted a slightly different hole to judge shots with.

[Bateryman1970]

Originally Posted by jrtmurph

I don't know why I took this photo except I thought it might be considered a little creative. I'm VERY green as you can see, but decided to jump right in. All comments welcome! Thank you.

A few names:

"Wheely Rubbish"
"No dumping"
"too dump or not too Dump that Trolley it the Question!!"

I'll stop there a they are getting worse

Cheers

[jrtmurph]

Thanks for the suggestions about the cardboard. I'll try that for sure. As for settings, I'm sooooooooo new at this that I don't have a clue. I have so much to learn I'm pitiful. Automatic works for me at the moment (embarrassed to say). I'm still trying to figure out the aperture thing ... that to me is the hardest of all. I want to blur the background on some things and I just haven't gotten it yet. I'm scared mostly. I'll keep trying. Learning to be creative is difficult. Please hang in there with me.

As for the names, Bateryman, you are awesome. Talk about creative! Thanks for the good chuckles... I love it.

[clockdoc]

You may find this free download, Exposure Wheel, helpful in understanding the relationship between f/stops and shutter speeds. Please ask if you are confused as to how they work together. This download is for a Windows PC: http://www.download.com/Photography-...ml?tag=lst-0-2

[jrtmurph]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I've downloaded the wheel... now to figure that out, cut some cardboard, and of course sit at the computer and read all this stuff and tutorials. Let's see... when do I go shooting again? LOL... this is harder than I thought.

[Saralonde]

Don't worry, with a little time and effort, it gets better . Everyone was where you are once!