First post, first critque of a "person"

[Pinellas Guy]

This is my first post on DPS. This is one of my first shots I took with my 35 f1.8. I like the shot, though I'm sure there are many flaws - so critique away. It's my parents dog - they have the shot as their wallpaper on the PC.

I purchased my D3100 a few months ago and trying to find some people or dogs to photograph. So much better than my P+Ss. I plan on taking photos of my sister-in-law who is expecting. I will do it earlier in her term in case she desires to hire a photog with the skills. Will be great practice regardless.

What do you think about the DOF, and the lighting in particular though you are all free to state other observations.

Kyle



Aperture f/1.8
Focal Length In35mm Format 52 mm
ISO Speed 800
Flash No Flash


P.S. - Mods - you may move to the animal forum, but most of the shots I saw there were wild animals and not domesticated animals.

[windrider86]

This is one of those photos that you want to just go "oooh"

Your main focus is on the dogs expression. With that being said, notice how much space is in front of him? Would it bring more impact to the image if it were cropped closer?

[Rentham]

Originally Posted by Pinellas Guy

What do you think about the DOF, and the lighting in particular though you are all free to state other observations.

Cool shot, Kyle. This shot is definitely about the moment / expression you caught. For me that supersedes any technical issues.

I'm not sure what kind of critique you're looking for on the DOF. You shot wide open, which is a perfectly sensible thing to do for this kind of shot so the focus is on the subject. Sometimes the bokeh on cheaper or wide lenses can be harsh, but it seems okay in this shot.

Light is nice and soft, you have good catch lights on his camera right eye. The other eye is going dark and the angle of his head is making that eyeball go out into space. The only other comment I have is the arm of the chair is jutting into his head. Usually it is best to keep the head in a clean spot.

[Pinellas Guy]

Thanks for the critique. I did notice the chair when I was taking pics of him, but didn't want to move the chair because its hard to get dogs to sit still.

So right about the chair. Just a little moving around would have had space between the two. You never really notice the background until you frame it, and then you see something thats does not seem right.

His name is Reebok

[kevingeary]

The crop is awkward to me. You cut off his paws and the left side of the frame is too open and distracting. I agree that this is one of those shots where it's best to fill the frame with the subject. The background doesn't add anything, so placing him to the side only increased the distraction factor.

I'll give you one thing...dogs are difficult to photograph artistically.