New to the forum

[RTL]

Hi everyone! I am new to the forum. Love this site - lots of great and helpful tips. I have been checking out the tips daily, and have been making my way through the ebook, as well!

I am very new to photography and was hoping for some feedback I don't have any fancy equipment or anything - and am really new to shooting in RAW, so please be gentle, lol!

I am very interested in constructive feedback on how I can improve - any tricks, tips or areas I just need to practice at. Any suggestions on my post processing would be appreciated as well

Thanks!



Here is one I took of my sister and her son yesterday:

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Here is my exif data:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/littler...in/photostream

[JFSanders]

Welcome! Glad you decided to join us.

The skin tones are on the cool side. Check your WB. The composition is cluttered depending upon what or who is your subject. Shooting down on the little guys is mundane (everybody does it). He is a photogenic kid so that helps. The guard rail is distracting. As is the pickup in the background. Bothers me a little that the top of her head is cut off. Go down on one knee and shoot at eye level to the little guy. Use a wide aperture to blur out the Mom and the background. Move around to eliminate the guard rail and truck.

Jim

P.S. It is hard to critique a photograph when you have to go back and forth between to tabs to get exif data. Copy and paste it in your OP.

[BigFuzzy]

I agree with all Jim says and have a little to add about how to think about your images.

You saw this scene, and thought, "wow, cute/nice/cool" and then *click*

And that's fine in many ways if you're wanting/ok with snapshots.
However, i think you want more than snapshots of cute scenes, right?
If I'm right, keep reading, otherwise, ignore me haha.

Really ask yourself why you're taking a photo. What is it about this image that interested you. Then really focus on capturing THAT. The boy is what interested you so you should have been ready to focus on him. You do that either by getting closer, or having positioned yourself to clearly make him the center of attention (and by center, I don't mean leaving him in center of frame, see below). Use a shallow Depth of field to separate him from the background and try to ensure other distracting elements aren't in the frame.
Change your position, everyone else in the world could have taken this shot from the "standing here with camera at eye level" position. Get lower, get higher, tilt the camera left/right, etc! Change things up. Think "how can I make this scene different" before ever clicking the shutter.

As you get more experienced you'll start to scenes develope before they happen and you'll be able to put yourself in the best possible position to capture them.. but start thinking about that now.

I usually tell people to discard the first handful of ideas they have on how they're going to photograph any scene (especially when they're beginners) because it's likely every man, woman, and dog with a camera has already thought and shot that so if you want an image to be different don't even bother with those first few ideas.

It's a technically well exposed image that looks nice and sharp and I don't mind the "cool" feel of it but the distracting background elements and the subject plastered dead center in the frame makes it a bit snap-shottish for me to really enjoy. Look into the rule of 3rds as a starting point if you're not already familiar with it. I think lots of people get stuck on the "subject in the middle" thing because they only use the center focal point or don't know how to Focus Lock and recompose technique.. so start working on that now if you don't already know how as keeping your subjects away form the center (in most cases) will immediately start making your images a bit different than the average snap shot.

Good luck, good first effort, and keep posting!

[RTL]

Thank you to both of you for your help. Also I will certainly copy and paste my exif data in the future

I can certainly see what you mean about the truck and the guardrail. I think I was a bit attached to the guardrail thinking it added interest - but it really just distracts from the real focus: Jake!

Thank you for taking the time to look and help!

[JFSanders]

Unless the main subject is extremely strong it will need supporting elements and they may help tell the story, but you don't want them competing with the main subject for all of the attention. Now if Jake had been watching Mom bounce off the guard rail... Just kidding.

Jim

[Siser]

I really like the picture. However, I also find a bit annoying the head cut off. I'm not sure who is the main subject in the picture (of course the kid, but the composition doesn't say that).

For me the already gave you the best advice:

1) A shallow depth of field would help a lot.
2) A lower point of view, that would make the difference.

One last thing... I also liked the guardrail!! for me is original rather than distracting. (Not the truck).