What do you think?

[Magnum]

Hi guys,

I have very recently got into digital photography, thought I'd show you one of my recent pics I took of the QE2, would love to hear any comments - please go easy lol, I am a complete beginner!
These were taken with a Kodak DX3600, I bought a Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 yesterday which is a lot more advanced so I am looking forward to learning how to use it!

[payn817]

The only thing I can really see, is a bit of overexposure on the ship, and maybe too much water in the foreground. Not really so bad for a first shot. Welcome to the board, keep shooting!

[Herriot]

Lovely shot of a lovely vessel.
The sky is the really striking element of this composition and you have captured a really sharp image, might be an idea to crop out some of that water?

Well done and thanks!

Herriot

[Chunk]

You have a good exposure with a great sky. A couple things that could improve the shot are to leave a bit more space around the ship especially in front of it, giving it some space to move into, and move the horizon away from the centerline of the frame. In this case, since the sky is interesting and the water is not, show more sky.

[payn817]

LOL, goes to show, I know nothing about exposure. I do agree with the cropping of thewater though.

[Magnum]

Thanks for the comments! I'm lucky enough to live about 3 minutes walk from the beach so I see all the cruise liners coming past, I often go down to photograph them as I find they make really good subjects for a total beginner (ie they move really slow lol!)
Will keep it in mind about getting so much sea in the pic and the horizon, I just took a look at some of my others and most of them are pretty much the same - ie too much sea and horizon in centre of pic.
Going to see the QM2 tomorrow so she will be my first victim with new camera, will post the results!
I look forward to learning lots more with this forum, it's by far the most informative I have ever found.

[jar_e]

Great shot! Could almost be used as a stock shot for the company! Well done and the only thing would be not to have such a tight crop, but other than that, well done and welcome to the boards!

Jared

[Arctirus]

I'll say what everyone else has decent shot but could use more sky and less water with a little more space on both sides of the ship. Welcome to the board!

EDIT: By the way, if I lived by the beach I wouldn't be shooting boats ;)

[readingr]

First off welcome to the forum

Now I have been racking my tiny little brain to try and figure out whether your on the Isle of Wight Ryde, or down near Hythe - Calshot. You haven't left much horizon to make the call. I would say that this is somewhere near Ryde as you said your a short distance from the beach. Am I close? However saying Ryde I would have expected her to moving quicker through the water at this point.

I sail this area most weekends.

As for critique - just add more space at the front and always remember that the sea adds a lot of light so you need to underexpose a little.

[Magnum]

First off welcome to the forum

Now I have been racking my tiny little brain to try and figure out whether your on the Isle of Wight Ryde, or down near Hythe - Calshot. You haven't left much horizon to make the call. I would say that this is somewhere near Ryde as you said your a short distance from the beach. Am I close? However saying Ryde I would have expected her to moving quicker through the water at this point.

I sail this area most weekends.

As for critique - just add more space at the front and always remember that the sea adds a lot of light so you need to underexpose a little.

It's a small world!
I live in Hythe and actually started out taking pics from Hythe Pier.
Just lately I discovered how you can get way better shots from Calshot if you stand right at the end near where the activity centre place is - that's where this particular shot was done.

First time I went to Calshot and saw QM2 come past, my jaw hit the floor when I saw the sheer size - they come so close it's almost as if you could reach out and touch.
Wouldn't mind going over to the Isle of Wight one day soon as they seem to go quite close there - especially the point where they turn round.

Thanks for the critiques everyone, I am learning a lot already, it was my aim to fill the view finder with the subject as much as possible (I didn't know this was a negative thing lol) and try to get the horizon dead centre.

After reading these posts I went and played around a little, I cropped a lot of the sea out and it looks so much better!

[readingr]

Oh! what speed do you walk at??? 3 minutes to the beach???

I know Calshot well I have a speed boat in the Boat Park there. I would say the nearest house is a good 10 minute walk. Which is the reason I chose Ryde.

I have a load of Tall Ship photos taken from the beach - this is going back a few years.

[Magnum]

Oops, meant to say 3 mins walk to the pier, as much as I would like to be able to, I cannot walk that fast to Calshot!
I've not seen the Tall Ships, only been living here just over a year - wouldn't mind seeing at some point.

[readingr]

Do you sail/power boat? Perfect place in Hythe, My retirement plan is to buy a house in Hythe Marina and park the boat at the bottom of the garden or should I say mooring off the patio.

If I find the negatives I'll put some up.

PS. I forgot to put LOL after the walk comments - sorry if it sounded a little brusque

[SmartWombat]

Because the autofocus box is usually in the middle of the frame, it's really easy to take photos where the subject is in the middle of the frame.
But photos like that are not as strong an image as moving the subject away from the centre.

If the camera locks the focus when you press the shutter button partway, then do that - and then recompose the image before you press all the way.



I'd like to see manufacturers make cameras with cross-type sensors at the thirds.
Then you could actually focus on moving objects and still compose what you wanted.

[readingr]

They do - I can get the grid on both my Fuji 4700 definately and Canon Powershot Pro 1 I think. Never used it though.

[Magnum]

Do you sail/power boat? Perfect place in Hythe, My retirement plan is to buy a house in Hythe Marina and park the boat at the bottom of the garden or should I say mooring off the patio.

If I find the negatives I'll put some up.

PS. I forgot to put LOL after the walk comments - sorry if it sounded a little brusque

Lol don't worry about it, it didn't sound brusque I just wondered what you meant by it until I re-read my post!

Yes I agree, Hythe is perfect for boating, and those houses in the Marina are to die for. Only downside is the price - I am waiting on winning the lottery so I can get one.

Would love to see your pics - I don't sail myself but would love to take it up, I guess being so close to the activity place where they do the sailing, I don't have an excuse not to!

I love boats, especially the cruise liners - I am female so this usually comes as a surprise to people, especially when they find out I sometimes have to spend literaly hours waiting for a late cruise liner going past lol.
What can I say, I just love them!

[SmartWombat]

Hmm, I didn't mean the grid, I get that on my A1 and A2.
But on my DSLR there are boxes where the AF points are.

Being an EOS 20D there aren't enough of them I lust after a 1DsII
They also are not cross-type sensors except in the central position.

SO the best AF is dead centre, which is not where I want the subject.
I've tried panning with a F1 car on the track using one of the corner sensor points, and it is far less reliable in focussing than the centre sensor.
The solution is to do it the old way
Pre-focus on a piece of track and hope the car goes over it !

Of course, that means if something exciting happens, it's probably not in focus
So for most work, I still use the centre focus point and live with centred subjects.
I just have to leave space to crop to a better composition.


The A1 and A2 have a flex focus point which can be moves anywhere in the image - but it's not that good. It's obviously focussing in software, based on the real-time acquired image off the sensor. I've found it still can focus on something near the flex focus cross rather than where I wanted it to focus.

[readingr]

Lol don't worry about it, it didn't sound brusque I just wondered what you meant by it until I re-read my post!

Yes I agree, Hythe is perfect for boating, and those houses in the Marina are to die for. Only downside is the price - I am waiting on winning the lottery so I can get one.

Would love to see your pics - I don't sail myself but would love to take it up, I guess being so close to the activity place where they do the sailing, I don't have an excuse not to!

I love boats, especially the cruise liners - I am female so this usually comes as a surprise to people, especially when they find out I sometimes have to spend literaly hours waiting for a late cruise liner going past lol.
What can I say, I just love them!

Being female and the love of boats a surprise - Hmmm! My wife fits the bill perfectly she's the skipper only in rank - I'm the sailor!!! lol,; By the way if you ever meet her I never said that!!

By the way have you marked 28th June in your calendar for the Naval Review? You may need to go to Gilkicker or Lee on Solent for pictures.

[readingr]

Hmm, I didn't mean the grid, I get that on my A1 and A2.
But on my DSLR there are boxes where the AF points are.

Being an EOS 20D there aren't enough of them I lust after a 1DsII
They also are not cross-type sensors except in the central position.

SO the best AF is dead centre, which is not where I want the subject.
I've tried panning with a F1 car on the track using one of the corner sensor points, and it is far less reliable in focussing than the centre sensor.
The solution is to do it the old way
Pre-focus on a piece of track and hope the car goes over it !

Of course, that means if something exciting happens, it's probably not in focus
So for most work, I still use the centre focus point and live with centred subjects.
I just have to leave space to crop to a better composition.


The A1 and A2 have a flex focus point which can be moves anywhere in the image - but it's not that good. It's obviously focussing in software, based on the real-time acquired image off the sensor. I've found it still can focus on something near the flex focus cross rather than where I wanted it to focus.

Sorry miss read your post - My canon Powershot Pro allows me to move the whole AF box all over the image. I have used a few times but never noticed the area being badly focused. In fact I've always been pleased with the results. So its time I did some tests using this facility to see if it really works.

I'll report back soon on this.

[Magnum]

Being female and the love of boats a surprise - Hmmm! My wife fits the bill perfectly she's the skipper only in rank - I'm the sailor!!! lol,; By the way if you ever meet her I never said that!!

By the way have you marked 28th June in your calendar for the Naval Review? You may need to go to Gilkicker or Lee on Solent for pictures.

Unfortunately I can't go, I have something else on that day so will have to miss it - if you go make sure you post me some pics!