First attempt

[BigDave123]

Hi everyone. I am new to this forum so please be gentle.

I bought a Canon Rebel XTI last boxing day and haven't regretted it once. I'm an amateur but obsessed. So far I am more about quantity than quality, but I'm improving.

I took this photo at a party in my friends backyard. This vine was climbing a fence. I like the photo, but I also see all the things I would do differently next time.

I would like to know what you all think.

P.S. Don't bother with the website yet. Still WAY under construction.

[Nicole]

I've edited down your picture size and posted it as a link back to your Flickr page per the critique section rules.

I think that's a really neat looking flower. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of the composition. I think that if it had filled the frame more it would have been more interesting. The background as it is, is kind of distracting, especially with the leaf in the way. I don't think that it's a lost cause, however. I think that with some editing, you could remove the entire background and replace it with black, which would simplify it overall. Or you could do that, plus a square crop focusing on the petals and center of the flower. I wonder what kind of flower it is.

[clockdoc]

Hi BigDave and welcome to the group. Excellent sharpness and nice color. Unless you are shooting this for illustration purposes in a textbook or other reference source, the central cropping doesn't always make for the best composition. On future posts, please add your camera details such as lens used, focal length used for the shot, shutter speed and aperture as well as ISO. That information can often help us to provide a more meaniful critique.

[BigDave123]

Thanks for the editing Nicole.

And thanks for the critique guys. Yeah, the composition is what I would have changed too. I was leaning over a thorny bush and trying to aim while avoiding bees. hahah

I'll try playing with the background and crop as you suggested Nicole. We'll see what happens.