would appreciate comments

[brenda]

hi i would appreciate any comments on how to improve on my photos,im still in the learning & experimenting stages so whatever advice you can give is appreciate, "yes" including the negative comments,as how else am i to learn where/what im doing wrong

ive been putting pics on my website,so i can see as time goes by if im making improvements,so drop by if you can.
http://www.chryslerchick.piczo.com

[brenda]

oops forgot to say
1st pic is taken on a mirror,to give reflectio

2nd pic taken on a black piece of paper stuck to a cardboard box

3rd pic taken on a white dinner plate..yes i did wash it after..l.o.l

im just experimenting on how to get different bakrounds cheaply without need to buy expensive backdrops

[Kombizz]

If I try to be honest with you, I did not like any of them !
1st image- the exposure is wrong
2nd one- the lighting is off
3rd one- it is better the last two, would be better to crop out that aphid !

[brenda]

hi kombizz
thanks for taking time to comment,its appreciated
1st pic,yes exposure prob is wrong as i took it outside in garden & was on a mirror so relected alot of light,but hey it was my 1st attempts at trying this.

2nd ok lighting is off,how do i rectify it ??

3rd..i like the little bug[aphid] its more natural...so i'll leave him where he is..

as i said im new & dont have any idea of correct apetures/exposures im just starting to learn.i can just about remember how to turn camera on .l.o.l

but i do appreciate comments but if your going to comment PLEASE tell me what i should have done,so i know,hence no 2
if you dont tell me how to rectify what ive done wrong,i cant learn.

thanks brenda

[ratcheer]

I like all three of them, although the second one is a bit overexposed. You are trying some very interesting techniques.

Tim

[brenda]

hi tim
thank you
look i know im being thick here l.o.l but im new to all this you say 2nd 1 over exposed..what do you mean over exposed, i thought over exposed was meaning to bright ? obviously thats not right then.
so if you have time can you tell me what it is to look out for to see if its over/under exposed.

many thanks
brenda

[KHedquist]

Brenda,

I would post two shots per week in the contest section of Byte. you will get much more response from the community there. If you want honest comments and are willing to participate, you will learn a lot as well as have fun.

Look forward to seeing more of your work.

Kevin

[brenda]

hi kevin
to be honest i hadnt realy had time at mo to take a look at the weekly contest pg.but surely a contest is for people who actualy know what their doing & can take reasonable photos..iam a total beginer so a contest would probably not be appropriate to put my photos in.

[shootem]

Hi Brenda. First let me say I like your experiments. I like #1 the best.

The biggest problem I see is focus. I'll bet you are hand holding your camera. Get a tripod. Or practice handholding techniques. Google search it for help.

The contest area was originally intended for contest entries, but we all use it for feedback, as that area gets the most traffic.

Keep up the experiments. You'll learn from them. Read comments/critiques on all that you can. You can learn tons from those too.

Get a basic photography book and learn about exposure and depth of field. That's probably the most important thing you can do at this point. Learn to understand the relationship of aperture and shutter speed. Even if you use a point and shoot, understand what your camera is doing.

Carolyn

[brenda]

hi carolyn
thanks for taking time out to help..
yes i am handholding..i was stupid & bought cheap tripod to try it but it keeps collapsing..thats why its cheap i suppose..

iam getting hang of DOF..but its the exposure/ap/shutter im not sure on realy & i just cant seem to get my brain to function to keep all the technical stuff logged in my head..l.o.l

but will take a look at the contest pg

thanks again for your advice its appreciated

[shootem]

Brenda, many top photogs believe this is the order of importance of equipment.

Glass (your lens)
Tripod and head
Camera Body

You can't get "the best shot possible" using a weak link. So - get the best you can afford. Buy used equipment. It certainly does not need to be new. Just know what you are getting.
\
Carolyn

[brenda]

well after the doggey tripod i wont buy cheaply again.just wasnt sure if i would actualy use a tripod so didnt see point in major expense,but as i seem to be steering at the mo towards flowers i will take advice & def get a decent one..

ive taken your advice and upload 2 pics into the comp but the dof one i think is def bit to much light.

thanks brenda

[shootem]

Well, and I on the other hand, think your first picture is the best one!

Different strokes for different folks!

Carolyn

www.carolynguildphotography.com

[Falcon1898]

Hi Brenda

I really liked the first photo. It is very innovative. The white (clouds?) and the blue sky act as very nice background.

However, to emphasize the mirroring effect, you might want to try it such that the white and blue divides exactly at the plane of reflection. It might be practically impossible for a given environment, but it would be a very neat scene.

I looked around your website, and found a common theme - aphids!

Cheers

James

[brenda]

hi yer james

yes my aphids are lovely arnt they.l.o.l pesky things take better pics than the subject,they just idnt want to feel left out..

now the weather is drying out here in uk maybe i can get bit more practise with the mirroring..the other prob i can see though is i get a misty/cloudy outline of the mirrored image & cant seen to get pic without it..not a big deal though as i was only experimenting..
thanks for tking time out to look at my pics & comment
cheers
brenda