please critique, thanx

[JP171]

a few photo's I'd like to have some opinions and pointers on thanx, not sure how to embed here









JP171 added 5 Minutes and 4 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

one more

[bburton]

Joe, the best of the bunch in my opinion is the first, and all it needs is a contrast adjustment to remove the "cloudiness." I also use a D40 for color work, and I find it has a tendency to overexpose, which I see in the second and third shots. I usually have to dial in a minus 0.3 or 0.7 exposure adjustment for my outdoor color shots.

Keep on clickin'

[wapiti]

On the fourth one, your shutter speed is much too slow to stop the bird. Panning might have helped, but I doubt it. For me at least, the bird is much too far away[too small in the frame]. You need to be much closer or have more reach in your lens. As Bruce suggested above, it too could use some contrast.

[toverman]

A contrast adjustment might help the first one, but it is also underexposed (not enough light). There are also flowers that obscure their faces, but that's a matter of personal preference. If they are people you care about, it doesn't matter as much.

[douge]

Joe,
Critiques are always tough to do.
Pix 1. I like the grouping of the mother on son. To inprove it would you will have to add light. Either by using a flash or a reflector. I prefer the off camera flash set so it adds just enought light to open up the scene, but not so much as to over power. It also adds a nice highlight to the eyes. When photographing children have an assistant with you to get the childs attentions (looking at the camera). It was very nice that you got down on their level.
Pix. 2 Nice try. Always move your subject to one of the four points in you picture frame. Also, in photographing flowers do them early in the day when they are just opening. I love the color of the Rose but it has been open way to long. The nice thing about flowers there is always a shot tomorrow you can do. Try again and see what you get, also spritz it with a fine mist for a little drama.
Pix. 3 Not sure what you were trying to accomplish with this pix other than show that there is a bird bath near a palm tree. I search the image for a bird or small animal and saw nothing. Try this image again at either early morning or late afternoon. Maybe wait for a bird to use the bath.
Pix. 4 The guys have covered.
Pix. 5 OUt of focus, dark, and your main focus it dead center. On this kind of picture, if possible use a flash, a tripod, if not a tripod a mono pod and move the fire breather to one side or the other. Get down on his leave when you shoot or laying down for a different perspective.
I hope these comments are helpful. Keep shooting there is always some new to see.
Douge

[mmuhlenkamp]

The first photo is the best, the others... just aren't terribly intersting. Keep shooting, get the feel of your camera, try to think about composition (which you did do with the first pic), learn how to expose properly, and maybe learn some photoshop skills to help make good pictures better.

[CaptainG]

Here's my effort, all done in iPhoto. Lightroom would be better but I have to leave.

[kneemeaux]

Douge pretty much says exactly what I was thinking on them all - first one is the best with some adjustments. The others need compositional improvements. The fire breather looks like a case of camera movement rather than out of focus - nothing is in focus. This is from using a WAY too slow shutter speed, which the camera will use if you use one of the automatic modes. For shots like that you need a fast lens (like a 50mm f/1.4 or 1.8) and manual mode.