Playing with my polaris razor

[Pete7D]

and testing my new canon 7D

[Photo-John]

Tighter. That will make a big difference in the strength of this type of photo. You've got a lot of wasted space that doesn't add anything. Pay attention to your foreground and background, too. Just shooting your subject isn't enough. The stuff in front and back are just as important to the story your photo tells. A composition with the right background can be the difference between a mediocre photo and an award winner.

Hope my criticism helps

[Pete7D]

what do you mean by tighter, and by having a lot of wasted space you mean to get closer to my object??
thanks
for the tip and good criticism.

[Photo-John]

what do you mean by tighter, and by having a lot of wasted space you mean to get closer to my object??

Yeah - tighter = closer. Wasted space is anything that doesn't add to the content / meaning of your photo. If it doesn't add anything, it shouldn't be there. Great photographers evaluate everything in their viewfinder and zoom, move, get closer, step back - do whatever they can to make sure everything in the image makes the sum of the parts something bigger.

[Pete7D]

Thanks for the tip!!

[zerodog]

I agree with john on these, closer. Lots of area around that does nothing but look a bit blurry.

The last one is cool for a few reasons.

Nice light
Nice background
Good composition. I think this one shows the setting well. This is close enough to show the detail, but far enough to give perspective.

[Photo-John]

The last one is cool for a few reasons.

Nice light
Nice background
Good composition. I think this one shows the setting well. This is close enough to show the detail, but far enough to give perspective.

Yeah, I should have mentioned that I like the last one - for all the reasons that zerodog mentioned. I wonder if you'd moved back farther and zoomed in more, if you might have been able to make that background look even more dramatic. Telephoto lenses aren't just about getting closer. They change your perspective, too. You can use them to change the proportions of your subject in relation to the background. If you look at my Red Bull Rampage post you might notice that I've used the telephoto in most of them to show how big the drops are. Next time you're out shooting, play with your zoom to see how you can pull the background in tighter and make it larger in relation to your subject.

[Harold Davis]

that is one neat looking vehicle!!

i agree with john's comments and might also suggest adding a little sharpening to the converted jpegs. the last one is really sweet in that nice light!!!

[splats]

I agree with Zero-dog and John about the last one too