Andrea

[chrioni]

Hello! This is my first time to join a photography forum and i also just recently got myself my very first camera! And I am so happy.I've always been interested in photography and it is only now that I got to do something about it.So here I am taking baby steps and I am so glad i ran into your forum.Thanks guys!

So this shot is of my sister at Vancouver china town. I took my 2 day old camera for some getting to know you walk downtown. I am tempted to crop it because somehow i feel the top part is too big but i couldn't bring myself to touch the picture.For some unknown reason i like staring at this photo. I'm not even sure if it is nice.I really like it though.Any comments?

[taken]

as ur taking baby steps right now in photography, dont try pleasing all ppl here or anywer try to please ur self first u did the right thing by not cropping or tweaking it any bit photography is just like telling a story so try telling one, thru some basic rules and regulation handed down by the experts get familiar with rules of the expert,dont question them they are simple rules,stick to them and keep shooting to please ur soul......

[chrioni]

thank you,taken. i will remember your tips and words of wisdom.hopefully i can post some more post worthy pics soon.have a lot of studying and practicing to do first :P

[shreds]

Indeed, always make the photograph you want, not one for others (sometimes even if they are paying you...it is your style as a photographer that is important).

However as you are at an early stage, learn the main rules of photography before you set out to deliberately break them.

Probably the biggest thing people forget when they are taking a photo is that whilst the subject is the most important thing, you can sometimes ignore distracting background objects that others (without the same level of interest in the subject) will think are distracting.

It is not always easy to avoid objects in the background but when you are taking the shot, think... could I move around a bit to omit that object? After a while it will become natural and you will move up, down and around to improve your composition. Does that object in the background complement what you are trying to say, or detract?

Think of pro photographers on a shoot...they rarely stand still, and will be always looking for a better angle, moving around the subject.

HTH and we look forward to more of your compositions.

[crisscross]

The pic is nice of your sister and no doubt as to location, but might have been 2x nice if you had managed to get her face against a contrasting part of the background....but not losing the Chinatown feel.

You seem to be using the camera auto (portrait) and it has chosen 1/60sec as OK, perhaps as the flash was only working for much shorter burst. But with a DSLR you are asking for trouble with movement blur at below 1/200 sec.

We can help you more if you tell us more about the lens, can see its on an Xsi, and lighting conditions, ie proportion of daylight, if any, to artificial and flash generated.

Keep posting!