New to here, be kind!

[Trag]

Hey all, I've been browsing here for a while and have a great interest in photography but haven't really known where to start! I've taken a few photos recently that I think are half decent anyway so just thought I'd post them here to see what you all think! I love the forum by the way, there are some great photographers here!

[payn817]

well, you are starting a good way. Just snap some shots, and ask for critiques. I can't really give you anything with these, as it doesn't snow here, and I know nothing about the shooting situations. As for subjects, when doing the foliage, try using macro mode.

[swmdrayfan]

Hi Trag, and welcome. You're going to get some great advice and help here. What kind of camera are you using?

Top picture---seems to have a purple cast to it. Plus I think if you crop the bottom to eliminate the objects there, you'll get rid of something that distracts the viewer.

Middle---The DOF seems ok, but it's kind of hard for me to tell if the branch with the snow on it is in focus. Also some creative cropping on either side will make the branch seem less centered.

Bottom--the hue in this shot really doesn't do it justice. Plus it looks out of focus.

Just my 2 cents....
John

[readingr]

Trag,

These are good first attempts.

From the top - it depends on the type of camera you have but to me the exposure here is a little overexposed for the snow. So you need to stop down from 1 - 1.5 AV, Even point and shoot digitals allow you to do this, but you'll need to read the manual for your camera

The twig (Middle shot) - This would be really good if you hadn't got the trunk of the tree crossing it so be careful of what is in the background before you shoot, Take a long look before pressing the button and try lots of different positions to make sure you have the best shot and background. On my monitor the tip of the branch looks in focus but the rest is a little out of focus, so you need to learn how to use the auto focus on subjects like this. If your digital then just shoot a load and use the focus braketing so that you get an idea of the differences.

The best shot is the last the flower buds - The composition here is quite good and again it seems a little soft so using the auto focus may be the issue here. The camera again seems to have exposed for the sky and giving you an almost silhouette of the buds.

Hope some of that helps - just keep shooting and posting and you'll improve very quickly.

Roger

[Trag]

Hi guys, thanks for the comments, and I know I've got a lot to learn but Im willing to give it a go anyway and see what I can do!
With regard to the first image, I went back and had a look at it, and attempted to get rid of the distracting features to the foreground of the image, and also get rid of the cast. I've also tried to remove the reddish hue from the last image, although my photoshop skills aren't quite the best just yet!
Thanks anyway, and I'll keep posting. I suppose the last two shots are out of focus a little as I didn't have much time to take the pictures, so couldn't just snap away, as I was already late getting home, with the food for the dinner! Ah well, maybe when I've a bit more time I'll do it again!

[Iflygti83]

I like the idea of the first picture, but I'd try it from a different angle. Maybe across the pond at a low angle would look better. The second picture is interesting too, but I definitely think that the first one has more potential.