My Journey/Growth in 4 images

[Mario Xavier]

I'm back and I want a new camera but not so fast - I can only get a new camera after Christmas if I use and grow out of the one I have (because I haven't used the one I've bought). No sense in wasting money.

Requirements: average 7 per week thru Feb 2014. Pics must be decently composed and exposed according to my ability at the time. This means that each week I must improve or compensate for my failures the previous weeks.

I'm now in week 5 and very happy with my progress but I really need your critiques.

Week 1: I picked up my Nex and began the challenge. This was "Work on composition even if the exposure sucks." <-- That turned out to be frustrating and again, I ended up spending hours trying to fix it later:


Week 2: I learned a lot from week 1. There was no fun in deleting 230 of 300 pictures and spending HOURS editing the remaining mediocre photos. So the tests were

• "Get it right in the camera". No PP Mario!
• Better composition
• Surprise! You're shooting Manual!
• Surprise! You're shooting at sunset for the first time!

Week 3: Was week 2 plus A moving target in the forest at sunset - It was a total bust. Shadows + a rapidly moving sun was eye opening:


Week 4: Was shooting scenery with an emphasis on learning PP tips to enhance a decent image instead of salvaging a bad one. I made a lot of mistakes but I learned a lot so it was worth it:

[rtbaum]

Well thought out plan and impressive photos

[chauncey]

Mario...saying that we all have "been there, done that" seems kinda trite, but we have been there, done that.
#1...You put the subjects in an attractive environment that draws the eye away from the subjects. Distance them from the background and use a shallower DOW to blur the background.
#2...The pose is simply uncalled for.
#3...Nice shot, perhaps a lower perspective or waiting for the sun be a bit lower in the sky to backlight her.
#4...You got the lines that you wanted, nice sky. Maybe bring out detail in the foliage.

Grab a cuppa and watch this...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpHMuK7Htic

BTW...what is your PP software?

[Mario Xavier]

@Randy - Thank you
@Chauncey - Thanks for the feedback and critique. I won't make any excuses. I'll do better.

I used Lightroom on all but #2.

[Brownbear]

Very interesting to read. I adore the 3rd image and think it is a beautiful and very well done capture. Love the sky and the composition of the 4th image, and the lighting and moment captured in the 1st image.

[Manfred M]

Hi Mario - I can't disagree with what Chauncy has written. Let me add a tiny bit of additional information.

Image 1 - Our eyes are drawn to the lightest areas if the image. If that is not your subject, your image may have a problem. In this shot, my eyes are drawn to the light background....

Image 2 - Again, my eyes are drawn to the really bright area behind the subject.

Image 3 - I assume the subject is the jumping girls, but she gets lost in the forest, so to speak. Again the eyes are drawn to the bright sun. You need get some light on the jumping girl to get her to stand out from the background. A very shallow DoF might be required as well as there is just too much sharp, in-focus background to draw our attention from your subject. I would be tempted to see what the image looks like without the log in the foreground.

Image 4 - I like this best of all of the shots. As Chauncy suggests, lightening up the foliage in the back a bit. Just a tiny bit too much of a dark, textureless blob there.