Beginners guide to finding flaws in your photos

[jsl]

Hi guys,

I'm new to DSLR photography and I want to improve my skills by learning from my mistakes. Fortunately, I have 2 cheapy lenses on my Canon 450D to help me:

Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II
Canon EF 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II

As a newbie, can you list out the sort of problems that I should be looking for in my shots? In particular, portrait and landscape shots. Once I am comfortable with noticing the flaws in my shots (and the lenses), I'm going to treat myself to a lens upgrade. At the moment, I look at most of the pictures I take and think "that's ok" - maybe ignorance is bliss but nevertheless, I'd like to learn!

Any advice would be great. If you have any specific advice with my lenses, that would be even better!

[Nicole]

Hi jsl I don't have any lens specific advice for you, but I'll give you a few other pieces of advice.

I'd say that a really good way to start figuring out what's "missing" for lack of a better word is to use the critique forums. Have a look at the rules and then post a shot and get some feedback. Use that feedback and see what you think of it (e.g. you might get a comment to frame something using the rule of thirds, but you may try it and see that centering the object works for that shot).

Also, you got some good feedback from inkista in another thread about whether or not to ditch your lenses. And she suggested learning how to use post-processing. I'm amazed at how much learning about processing helps take a shot from "meh" to "good" or better. No amount of post-processing can save some things, but there's a lot to be gained from learning to use it well.

And last, look at other photographers whose work you like and think about what it is you like about them and how you can use that in your own work. You can join groups specific for your lenses on Flickr and that can be pretty inspirational too.

That's my 2 cents for you.