New camera for christmas

[miasmommy]

Just getting started... this is the first picture I took with it and since I had to cook dinner all day right after opening it I didn't get much daylight to play! But would love to hear any feedback.

[jiminyClickit]

miasmommy, Welcome

Feedback on salad? Mouthwateringly yummy. Have to love any photo that can do that.

Lose the candle/objects in background and I'll grab a fork. Well done for first shot. What's the camera?

[miasmommy]

Thanks! It's a Nikon D40. Is there anything I can do about the candle and stuff now or did you mean I should have moved them before I took the pic?

[jiminyClickit]

miasmommy,

Either/or. The dish stands so well on its own, anything that draws attention away without contributing to "Delicious" can disappear and make your photo magazineworthy.
Your choice: leave the b/g. Or select it, desaturate (drain color out). Or select it and lighten/blur some. Or clone out by replacing b/g with more tablecloth. Or lift salad/plate out and place on a new b/g.

Next time, backing up just enough to get all the candle (maybe a little unfocussed-on) would also be less distracting. It's the incompleteness that distracts.

NikonEnvy on Christmas: probably a sin of some kind. Enjoy, shoot well, post often. I live vicariously.

[FrankenPengie]

Tasty shot! Center of focus could come forward. The DOF looks fine making the candle appropriately out of focus. Adding the top of the candle would help. The other white thingy can go.