How am I doing?

geuben · 13 Mar 2013 at 20:57

Evening all,

I've had my D3100 for about 2 years now. I take a fair amount of photos and I think I've learnt quite a bit and managed to take a few good ones.

Some of the photos that get posted on here though are incredibly impressive and I'd like to know what I can do to improve my shots.

Here are a choice few of my personal favourites. What do you guys think? Are they any good? What could I have done better. I do very little in post as I don't really know what I'm doing in that area.

Also, recently I've felt incapable of taking a good shot, I don't know if it's just the miserable weather putting my down or what. I went to a wedding recently and took a few shots, the venue was quite dark and I was sat quite far away so really struggled with my 50-200 f4-5.6. I either had to push the ISO up to Hi2 and have it look horrendously grainy or end up with a blurry shot from a too long shutter. I really didn't like any of the photos from that day but uploaded them to FB anyway (GF's friends wedding and she wanted them), lots of people who were at the wedding really liked them but they are the kind of people who post that a blurry cellphone photo is great or something. How do you guys deal with periods of no inspiration or poor results?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

King Damager · 13 Mar 2013 at 21:39

Quite like 2 or 3.

1 and 6 I feel need more in the image.

4 - perspective is just... Odd.

5's actually not bad technically I feel. But the subject isn't great.

2 could benefit some more processing, with some graduated filters playing with getting the colours to pop more.

3 - I don't like the selective colouring, but I feel that you've managed to find a theme where sticking together lots of freeze frames like that actually works for diving

it tends to be done at least once by people, and often poorly.

Overall, these aren't actually that bad, minor work needed really.

For inspiration, try googling photography projects/challenges. It often gives you a list of themes to try.

kd

Ksanti · 13 Mar 2013 at 21:45

I buy a new lens. Not the healthiest habit but it keeps me going

geuben · 13 Mar 2013 at 21:58

King Damager said:
Quite like 2 or 3.

1 and 6 I feel need more in the image....<constructive criticism>

Thanks for taking the time to comment on them.

4. Was taken on the rock in 2, I was stood right on the top hence the downward perspective. I get what you mean about it looking a bit odd. This was from the first month or so of owning the camera.

5. Was taken as a quick snap because I thought he lens was a bit ridiculous. I agree the subject isn't doing much but I think I got the technical side of it done well.

3. I chose the selective colouring to try and make the diver stand out a bit, the rock behind him was very similar in colour to him so he wasn't very prominent. That and I wanted to try the effect once, haven't done it since.

2. How would you go about "getting the colours to pop more"?

Ksanti said:
I buy a new lens. Not the healthiest habit but it keeps me going

I would like a faster replacement for my 18-55 kit lens...

Ksanti · 13 Mar 2013 at 22:20

35 f/1.8
Not even that expensive at all and a lovely lovely lens on a crop camera, thank me later.

geuben · 13 Mar 2013 at 22:21

Ksanti said:
35 f/1.8
Not even that expensive at all and a lovely lovely lens on a crop camera, thank me later.

Already own one.

Ksanti · 13 Mar 2013 at 22:49

So stop using the kit lens then!

Tamron 17-50 non VC can be had fairly cheap but tbh if you've already got the 35 not much point in a non stabilised kit lens and from what I've seen the VC version (or Sigma) isn't actually any appreciably softer than the non-VC it's just a little popular urban myth with a little smidgen of truth if you as kem.

geuben · 13 Mar 2013 at 22:52

Ksanti said:
So stop using the kit lens then!

Tamron 17-50 non VC can be had fairly cheap but tbh if you've already got the 35 not much point in a non stabilised kit lens and from what I've seen the VC version (or Sigma) isn't actually any appreciably softer than the non-VC it's just a little popular urban myth with a little smidgen of truth if you as kem.

I rarely use the kit lens any more, the 35 lives on my camera. My only gripe with the 35 is that sometimes I just want to get a bit more in frame, or be a bit closes but physically can't.

sid-180 · 25 Mar 2013 at 19:35

Some great shots on a D3100!

I like 1, 5, 6 really clean.