My trip to Whipsnade [Quite a few pics]

[JDP]

Hi Guys.

Visited Whipsnade a while ago and had a look at some images again which i have taken and i was more happy to edit them and keep them? (weird!?) And i have moved to using lightroom than photoshop for any PP for the picture itself (photoshop for messing around) and this is what comes out... What do you guys think?

I shot in Manual... i didn't think of having my camera on AV or TV, and i had it on Al-focus. Not releasing it should have been on Al-Servo. (or have i got it around the wrong way?)

Have my images improved since i have been on the forum, or am i still making same mistakes?

Here are the pictures anyway, what do you guys think? I'd love to know how to get better zoo shots, could someone please explain?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Thanks

JDP.

 

[JDP]

7.

8. I hate the sky in this one.

Time for some un-natural backgrounds, How do i remove them and replace with a blur or a new background compelty.

9.

10. a little bright?

And lastly, my attempt at some landscape photography, like?

11.

 

[Cobra]

In answer to your first question James, yep I think you have improved slightly
Just a few quick comments
#1 a bit soft but you did well to not blow the whites
#2 not bad but looks over sharpened to me also try getting down lower (penguins eye level)
#3 can't really fault but as above regarding the "height"
#4 a bit soft and a tad over saturated
#5 quite good but the background spoils it a bit
#6 a little saturated and you have either caught the wire or a piece of dirty glass across the eyes
( it happens and takes quite awhile to "instinctively miss it",, but its noticing it thats the trick )
#7 not a lot wrong with that, you could try cloning out the fence if you felt like it.
#8 you know what you did here, so thats a good thing
#9 again you could clone out the back ground but its quite labour intensive on something like that, its a great "practise shot"
but in time you will learn to avoid doing it.
#10 Yep a little bright and a little over saturated
#11 I'm not a land scape person so won't comment

I would also suggest that you just post one or three images for critique
you will get more / better feedback
Hope that all helps and doesn't sound negative, as thats not how Its intended

 

[JDP]

In answer to your first question James, yep I think you have improved slightly
Just a few quick comments
#1 a bit soft but you did well to not blow the whites
#2 not bad but looks over sharpened to me also try getting down lower (penguins eye level)
#3 can't really fault but as above regarding the "height"
#4 a bit soft and a tad over saturated
#5 quite good but the background spoils it a bit
#6 a little saturated and you have either caught the wire or a piece of dirty glass across the eyes
( it happens and takes quite awhile to "instinctively miss it",, but its noticing it thats the trick )
#7 not a lot wrong with that, you could try cloning out the fence if you felt like it.
#8 you know what you did here, so thats a good thing
#9 again you could clone out the back ground but its quite labour intensive on something like that, its a great "practise shot"
but in time you will learn to avoid doing it.
#10 Yep a little bright and a little over saturated
#11 I'm not a land scape person so won't comment

I would also suggest that you just post one or three images for critique
you will get more / better feedback
Hope that all helps and doesn't sound negative, as thats not how Its intended

Thanks mate, getting there slowly but surely! Thanks for the feedback on all of the images much appreciated, I'm going to pay a visit into lightroom, and see what i can get, and improve the ones i need too.

Will do, i might change the title and remove the critique category. It helps so so much truly appreciate it.

With #6 i did unfortunetly catch the wire bar, how do i avoid this?
With #8 what is the best way to stop the sky from blowing out?
With #9 do i need to use a faster f stop to increase the DoF?

Thanks again mate!!!

 

[Cobra]

How can i avoid blowing out the sky like i have done in image #8?

Thanks again mate!!!

No worries
1) You need to expose for the sky
( or highlights)
usually a stop or maybe 2 under, should help.
Unfortunately in very strong light its almost impossible without the
use of filters. ( I never "bother" with them so someone else would be better placed to comment on that aspect)
2) or Try a different angle if possible, so that the sky isn't in the shot
or at at least it can be cropped out.

I suspect that if you had walked a few yards to your left,
you would have had trees as a back drop and avoided the sky totally?
hope that helps ?

 

[JDP]

No worries
1) You need to expose for the sky
( or highlights)
usually a stop or maybe 2 under, should help.
Unfortunately in very strong light its almost impossible without the
use of filters. ( I never "bother" with them so someone else would be better placed to comment on that aspect)
2) or Try a different angle if possible, so that the sky isn't in the shot
or at at least it can be cropped out.

I suspect that if you had walked a few yards to your left,
you would have had trees as a back drop and avoided the sky totally?
hope that helps ?

thank you so much mate. I have a UV filter but i dropped it and its well and truly buggered :thumbsdown: I'll definitely think of the background next time. I think it would have done, been able to completely crop it out. I'll have a fiddle! .

Once again mate it has so so much.

 

[Doddy1974]

Any picture with a ring tailed lemur is a hit for me!!!
I dont' know enough to give you any constructive crit, and I don't know what your pics were like before....

 

[JDP]

Any picture with a ring tailed lemur is a hit for me!!!
I dont' know enough to give you any constructive crit, and I don't know what your pics were like before....

Cool, One of your favorite animals too then?.
Fair enough, here are the only two relating to zoos. I dont post much;

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=132431
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=182979

 

[Doddy1974]

Since getting into photopgraphy, and spending so much more time at the zoo, yes, they are indeed my favourite animal! They fascinate me...they come right up to you and don't move too quick allowing you to get great shots of them!

 

[JDP]

Since getting into photopgraphy, and spending so much more time at the zoo, yes, they are indeed my favourite animal! They fascinate me...they come right up to you and don't move too quick allowing you to get great shots of them!

Ah that's awesome, they are beautiful animals. If i can afford it during my sandwich year i plan to go to Madagascar to do some Lemur conservation (maybe if i win the lottery! ) And yeah they are awesome to take pictures of!