Pitt The Younger Residence

[G2EWS]

Hi Folks,

I have put a couple of fun photos up after using my D300 in the week and now would like to show you some that I took at the same time which are more serious. Please be aware that I am a relative novice at 'proper' photography.

1. My dog Meg on our morning walk
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/C6REW/DSC_0454.jpg


2. Clock tower of the Manor House near our house. This house was owned by Pitt The Younger (Youngest UK Prime Minister)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/C6REW/DSC_0217.jpg

3. Manor House as in 2.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/C6REW/DSC_0220.jpg

These are straight out of the camera which I am ashamed to admit was on auto! However, I am interested in constructive critiscm however harsh it may be.

Regards

Chris

[Matt Charlton]

Hi Chris,

First of all, thanks for sharing, you'll be able to look back at these pictures in a few months and see just how much your skills have progressed.

At the moment, all three shots suffer from the same thing - you've got composition and framing issues with things in the foreground that are distracting and in some ways detracting from the things you're actually trying to photograph.

The first shot you've focused on the branches above Meg, you can see that they are a lot sharper than she is. If you'd stepped to the left a foot or so you'd have had her face clear of branches and you might have been able to do some sort of a peeking around the tree shot with that.

The 2nd shot would be lovely if it wasn't for that barbed wire fence, same thing with the third one, branches and barbed wire ruining the shots for me.

Theres not much you can do about these apart from get on the floor and crawl around them - if thats the angle you're wanting to shoot from. A telephoto lens wouldn't help much because especially with the 2nd shot you're close enough to the building anyway.

Best thing to remember is that you're at the start of a journey and its just a case of making your brain think about scenes differently, one day it'll just click :)

I look forward to seeing some more of your stuff and hope that the above wasn't too harsh or critical and that you find it helpful :)

[G2EWS]

Hi Matt,

Many thanks for commenting. I take on board everything you say.

As it happens I was not trying to take photos just taking my dog and Daughter for our morning walk. However that is not the point, I put these up for criticism and your thoughts is exactly what I was after. A different point of view than mine.

Once again many thanks,

Regards

Chris

[Matt Charlton]

Thats the best way to do it - go out for a walk, take your camera with you and see what you find (there might not be anything but there might be something you see that makes you go "oooh that could make a good photo"). Some of my favorite pictures have come about that way.

The most important thing is that you have fun. :)

[Techno-Geek]

That looks like it is at Holkem Hall .... Is it? lol

Tony :thumbs:

[G2EWS]

Hi Matt,

How true! A few weeks ago my Daughter told me to take my camera with me and I did not. The moon was over the Manor House and was huge! It would most definitely have made a picture to be proud of and I missed it!

Chris

[we11ingon]

Just a minor point... the horizon looks tilted to the left on all of them and is plainly apparent in number two perhaps you could try a few experiments in the garden to see if its a habitual way of holding the camera? Its easily fixed in photoshop but nice to get right first time.

[G2EWS]

Hi we11ingon,

Many thanks for the observance. I have had this mentioned by someone else so will keep my eye on it in the future.

I have now switched on the grid lines i the D300 viewfinder so hopefully I will be doing a better job.

Regards

Chris