My first proper DSLR pic - C&C needed

ScarySquirrel

ScarySquirrel

ScarySquirrel

Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2004
Posts
23,897
Location
South East
Hello, this is my first pic I am posting here, I got a DSLR the other day and this is the first pic that I have really managed to take.

CRITIQUE I WANT IF POSS:
Camera settings, FSTOP, anything you notice that ruined pic etc
Original Image, does it see over exposed in some places?
PP version, have I upped contrast too much etc.?

Be as harsh as you like, I am not so much worried about the subject I just want to learn to improve my technique, any tips, comments is GREATLY appreciated.

EOS 400D
Canon 50mm 1.8 Prime Lens
ISO 100
F1.8
1/80 Sec

Here is the original:

cat1origzx9.jpg


Here is the PP version:

cat1oz9.jpg
 
The pp is a little bit too contrasty imo. Maybe just tone it down a tad. Also I don't like the border im afraid. Its too thick. As for the pic, it looks fine to me. You could maybe have done with slightly more depth of field(by closing the aperture a bit(Higher F number)) Als othe composition isn't great, as the head is a bit too central. Try reading up on the rule of third, or golden mean. Other than that, not a bad shot. Cute cat as well. :)
 
messiah khan said:
The pp is a little bit too contrasty imo. Maybe just tone it down a tad. Also I don't like the border im afraid. Its too thick. As for the pic, it looks fine to me. You could maybe have done with slightly more depth of field(by closing the aperture a bit(Higher F number)) Als othe composition isn't great, as the head is a bit too central. Try reading up on the rule of third, or golden mean. Other than that, not a bad shot. Cute cat as well. :)
Click to expand...

Cool thanks for the comments. Hopefully over time I will get a better idea of how much to change the contrast, I'll have another go in about 20 mins and post that and your comments again MK would be great.

For the border, is white ok? Shall I just make it a bit smaller?

As for the DOF, do you think more so that the background is still out of focus but the rest of the cat is in focus?

Composition, I wasn't really thinking tbh, I was just snapping away :p
I'll read up on the rule of thirds like you suggested :)

Thanks for comments, I'll post revised PP version soon :)
 
I'll have a go at pp it if you want, just to show you how id go about it. Personally I prefer a black border, with a white pinstripe. With the dof, id like to see all of the head in focus, but the background out of focus. At the moment, the focus trails off a fraction too close(Look a tthe side of the head).
 
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messiah khan said:
I'll have a go at pp it if you want, just to show you how id go about it. Personally I prefer a black border, with a white pinstripe. With the dof, id like to see all of the head in focus, but the background out of focus. At the moment, the focus trails off a fraction too close(Look a tthe side of the head).
Click to expand...

If you don't mind dude that would really help, and if it isn't too much trouble let me know what you have done, and by how much. I hope that isn't too much to ask but It would be really useful for me.

As for the focus problem, would going up a stop (is that the term?) sort that out and give me slightly more DOF? I was using manual focus at the time. On this lens I find AF really slow and Manual is also quite fun to use imo :)
 
cat1origzx92gr1.jpg

There you go. :)
Your origional one;
cat1origzx9.jpg


You would be stopping down(making the aperture smaller) to give more dof.

Edit; I fiddled quite a bit in Lightroom, but essentially I; Upped the contrast, upped the black levels, upped the saturation, darkened the green channel and sharpened the front of the face. Oh, and cropped it and added a border.
 
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wow, dude that is awesome. I will try and recreate it as I wouldn't feel right diplaying that as mine. I see what you mean about the composition, it really makes a difference.

I really appreciate your help with this one, feel like I have learnt quite a lot from one pic which is always good. Muchos Grasias (sp?)
 
ScarySquirrel said:
One more quick question, what is the quickest way of getting a border with that white line?
Click to expand...

Once I've resized my pictures for the t'interweb, I have set up some a
Actions in Photoshop, one for 800*600, and another for 600*800. Does it automatically, and adds my copyright thingy to the bottom right corner. In PS, right-click on the title bar of the picture, and select "Canvas Size". I increase the number of pixels by 3 for the white line, and then do the same, but change the colour to black, and increase the values another 27 pixels. You can see the effect in my thread here
 
reddeathdrinker said:
Once I've resized my pictures for the t'interweb, I have set up some a
Actions in Photoshop, one for 800*600, and another for 600*800. Does it automatically, and adds my copyright thingy to the bottom right corner. In PS, right-click on the title bar of the picture, and select "Canvas Size". I increase the number of pixels by 3 for the white line, and then do the same, but change the colour to black, and increase the values another 27 pixels. You can see the effect in my thread here
Click to expand...

Awesome, I didn't realise you could increase canvas size again with a different colour without effecting the first colour. Thanks dude.
 
IN cs 2

go to image

go to canvas size

make sure relative is ticked
change the drop down to pixels

put a small number in the hight and width boxes

perhaps 25

under neath slect the color in the box (select white)

hit ok

you will now have a small white border

repeat and add a black border the same way (using a larger height and width for similair effect)
 
Thanks dude.

This is the closest I could get using Lightroom and PS to Khan's edit:

Khan's

cat1origzx92gr1.jpg


Mine

cat3myeditlg1.jpg


Overall quite pleased now, especially for my first attempt at getting some proper shots. It isn't even my cat :)

Again Kahn I appreciate your comments and tips

EDIT: Side by side I think mine needs more black around the face

EDIT2:

Added more black to face

cat4myeditbb0.jpg


I'll stop posting pics of this cat now, I think I have learnt all I can from him/her :)
 
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