n00b alert! - Is this a good pic?

[MookJong]

 

[DailyGeek]

You can go and read every book about compisition that has ever been written, but it's not going to make your a better photographer unless you understand for yourself what you like and dislike.

I quite agree. Like I've said, today was me being bored and going out with my camera. I don't really know for myself what I like and dislike yet

When you were taking these three pictures, run us through what you were thinking, why you thought they'd make a good shot and what is puzzling you about the results you have shown us.

I wanted to try and get some detailed close up shots, to see if I could manage it. The woodland one was just me thinking it'd be a cool angle and wanted to see if it'd look like I wanted it to.

And this is a perfect example of why the recent spate of comments about being better off with a DSLR is leaving me baffled.

Because it's my understanding that a DSLR with lots of settings etc to fiddle with would let me experiment a bit more, and they are generally better quality cameras with decent lenses, CCDs etc aren't they?

I'm not having a pop at you here, DailyGeek, I'm just wondering why you think owning a DSLR will 'get you into photography'. It's an honest question, with no malice attached, and I'd like to hear your answer.

I didn't think you was having a pop, although your posts seem slightly aggressive for some reason maybe I'm just a wuss.

This is more like it. You were trying to get depth into the photos you've taken? How so? Did you want more of them in focus? Did you want to get a feeling of depth into the photo?

I quite liked the spiderweb pic because it has a clear foreground/background which is probably the first and only time I've managed it

I wanted to get some detail into the pictures in the right places, but it was hit and miss - because it was all up to the camera I guess.

In all honestly there's little good I could comment on. Do you want me to say 'Great shot!' and leave it at that, or should I be a little more critical of your efforts and try and get you to open up and discuss things a little more?

Personally, I don't think they are bad pictures? Like I said I am not even trying to compete with 99% of you guys on this board. I just took what I thought might look good. They might be technically crap to a photographer, but to me, the look at least 'ok.'

 

[ChroniC]

Probably banging my head against a brick wall after seeing the same comment repeated for the umpteenth time.

It's almost as bad as being told/asked 'Wow, that's a great picture - you must have a great camera!'.

Or the million people who think auto tools in photoshop make a photo. Il stop now im just being lame.

 

[Aod]

wahoo!

Anyone know why a few of my pics have come out 'purpley?'

probably got the white balance set to indoor?

nope, its Chromatic Aberration, caused by low quality lenses

<edit>

i can see why the last shot was taken from the ground. here's a tip, buy a cheap tripod. they'll do you the world of good for those long-shots. it won't handle heavy SLRs + Lens, but for a compact it should manage just fine.

 

[ChroniC]

nope, its Chromatic Aberration, caused by low quality lenses

Kodak DX6490 that bad, one for the sticky then.

 

[Aod]

i'm not saying terrible, i'm saying low-quality, low price stuff. you'll only start to get rid of it in the £250+ range (afaik)

 

[glitch]

I quite agree. Like I've said, today was me being bored and going out with my camera. I don't really know for myself what I like and dislike yet

I'd recommend you get yourself 'out there' and find something you really enjoy photographing. It's a lot easier to improve your technique when you are repeatedly shooting similar subjects and you'll find that a genuine interest in your subject matter will hold your interest for longer.

I wanted to try and get some detailed close up shots, to see if I could manage it. The woodland one was just me thinking it'd be a cool angle and wanted to see if it'd look like I wanted it to.

Then you're off to a good start. A lot of people wouldn't have thought about getting right down there to take that shot, and while the resulting image is poor, the idea is there and that's better than most. You now need to bring your technical ability in line with your imagination and good things should start to happen.

Because it's my understanding that a DSLR with lots of settings etc to fiddle with would let me experiment a bit more, and they are generally better quality cameras with decent lenses, CCDs etc aren't they?

Yes and no. Anyone starting out in photography (and to be honest, some of those who've been there for some time) needs as little in the way of distraction as possible. Most photos that I see are lacking in compositional technique and not technical ability. You can have the 'best' camera and the 'best' lenses in the world, but if you don't know what to point them at and how to compose a photograph, they won't help one one bit. In fact they'll make things worse.

You've got a camera and that's all you need to 'become' a photographer. A truly good photographer can take a photo that will stand out regardless of the equipment used.

I didn't think you was having a pop, although your posts seem slightly aggressive for some reason maybe I'm just a wuss.

Sorry, I prefer to be direct! There's very little in the way of decent discussion in this forum any more and it's all gone a bit too 'nice' for my liking. If we're all supposed to be passionate about photography, where's the passion gone?

I quite liked the spiderweb pic because it has a clear foreground/background which is probably the first and only time I've managed it

Okay, so you achieved the result you were aiming for. Do you have any inkling as to how you did it or were you snapping away until you got the shot you wanted? And why did you want the foreground and background clear?

I wanted to get some detail into the pictures in the right places, but it was hit and miss - because it was all up to the camera I guess.

You're probably right there. But you've just taken a big step in admitting that you want to be doing the thinking and not letting the camera take the lead. What do you find is the most frustrating aspect of your current camera? Is there anything you would like to be able to do with it that you have yet to discover how?

Personally, I don't think they are bad pictures? Like I said I am not even trying to compete with 99% of you guys on this board. I just took what I thought might look good. They might be technically crap to a photographer, but to me, the look at least 'ok.'

I guess a 'bad' picture is dependant on the purpose for which it was taken. You'll find that a lot of the photography in here is more 'artistic' than 'journalistic' and people are basically aiming for pretty pictures.

I wouldn't say any of those are pretty, but it's mainly the quality of the results that determine that. The first one could be quite nice, what with the little creature poking his head out of the bark curl and the colours that must have been evident in real life but have been washed out in post-processing.