Recent Photos, C&C please!

[SGerke]

Hello, everyone!

I'm posting some photos I've taken recently and had a chance to PP a little. Please let me know what you think and how I can improve!

PS I will be setting up a TinyPics account this weekend, but unfortunately that website is blocked from work so my apologies that the pictures are attachments. Luckily CiC isn't blocked

[Rhoads238]

Hello, everyone!

I'm posting some photos I've taken recently and had a chance to PP a little. Please let me know what you think and how I can improve!

PS I will be setting up a TinyPics account this weekend, but unfortunately that website is blocked from work so my apologies that the pictures are attachments. Luckily CiC isn't blocked

I may not be the most expirenced at critiques so disregard anything i say but here we go

The first photo i like overall but i think i would like it better turned to a landscape position.

The second i love the composition but i feel that it is a little blurry. that may be due to the low quality monitor i am using at school right now.

The third shot i like alot as well. I like the movement in the little girl on the swing. I do feel that it would have benifited from looking up slightly to put the girl on the swing on the top third axis.

The fourth is my favorite of the bunch. Again im no expert but i think the composition is great. but it may be slightly blurry. maybe a faster shutter speed would have helped.

The last is also blurry but again it may be because of the monitor so if it looks good to you dont mind me.i really like how the flash you used filled in the foreground and blacked out toward the horizion. I would do something to get rid of the reflection in the dogs eyes however.

again disregard anything i say as i am no professional like others here are.
but overall good job

[SGerke]

Thanks, Rhoades! I am also a beginner so any help is appreciated. The first was originally landscape and I thought maybe I'd try it portrait, but I'll post it this weekend in landscape so you can see.

I noticed the blurriness too, and I think it's primarily because I didn't have my tripod for any of these shots and I use a point and shoot (Canon SD1100 IS). I don't think there's a way to get a faster shutter speed other than using the "Kids & Pets" option which I was in all of these. Trying to save up for that Canon 40D I'd love to have, but it seems that money is always needed elsewhere (sigh).

Thanks again! I'll keep working on it and post some more soon.

[Donald]

Sarah

Is it a shutter speed issue or a focusing issue? I think that there are parts of the 'blurred' images that are sharp, suggesting that the 'problem' is with where you focused, rather than any general movement causing blurring.

Also, did you do any sharpening when you PP'd them?

[Rhoads238]

Thanks, Rhoades! I am also a beginner so any help is appreciated. The first was originally landscape and I thought maybe I'd try it portrait, but I'll post it this weekend in landscape so you can see.

I noticed the blurriness too, and I think it's primarily because I didn't have my tripod for any of these shots and I use a point and shoot (Canon SD1100 IS). I don't think there's a way to get a faster shutter speed other than using the "Kids & Pets" option which I was in all of these. Trying to save up for that Canon 40D I'd love to have, but it seems that money is always needed elsewhere (sigh).

Thanks again! I'll keep working on it and post some more soon.

i would love to see it! I know your pain i started out on a point and shoot as well. There might be a way to set the shutter speed on it but it wouldnt be worth all the trouble with menus in my opinion. Im sure kids and pets is a faster shutter speed because of their figety nature. Maybe try raising the iso so the shutterspeed would be forced to come down. I have heard that the canon is great but i personally prefer nikon. I like the way the buttons are laid out alot better. It feels more comfortable in my hands. Im not sure what the price point of the canon is but in my humble opinion i think a comprobable nikon is worth a look.

-Jason

[Rhoads238]

Sarah

Is it a shutter speed issue or a focusing issue? I think that there are parts of the 'blurred' images that are sharp, suggesting that the 'problem' is with where you focused, rather than any general movement causing blurring.

Akso, did you do any sharpening when you PP'd them?

I looked into the camera a little and it seems that the shutterspeed, aperature and focus are not manualy controlable. I definately agree that sharpening would help alot though.

-Jason

[SGerke]

Hi Donald,
It could very well be a focusing issue (another strong motivating factor to get a dSLR). I have yet to find out how/if I can manually focus my point and shoot (I don't think it's possible). How would I adjust this? Settings?

I did some sharpening, though when it was sharp enough in some areas of the photo it degraded the quality in other areas. Trying to balance that thin line.

I'll be taking a lot more this weekend, mostly landscapes/nature photos. Will post more throughout the weekend and next week.

Thanks, Donald & Jason for the C&C!

[Donald]

Yep, definitely time to think about where costs could be cut in the household to justify going to the dSLR.

I note you mention the 40D, although Jason also reminds you of the Nikon options. The fact is that you need to go into a store and handle cameras and see what feels 'right' for you.

But, the other thing to remember is that Canon has replaced the 40D with the 50D and now with the 60D. So the 40D (and mine is only 22 months old) is now 2 cameras 'out-of-date'. Of course, it's not out-of-date at all and, in my opinion, is a great camera. The advantage you have is that you can get good deals on 40D's, especially pre-used. But always check out the person/dealer you propose to buy from.

I'm sure Nikon will be about the same.

[LeoLeo]

Hi Sarah,

Maybe I'm posting a bit late, but my 40D suffer from the same issue... for some time. To be really honest ...wasn't camera fault, was mine...at least in my case. How come:
1st:
Metering
• Evaluative (linked to Face Detection AF frame)
• Center-weighted average
• Spot (center)
Spot is for "close portraits", and "Center-weighted" for landscapes, most ot the time. I'm using "evaluative" indoor, but I'm not happy with the results...
2nd:
AF area mode
• AiAF (Face Detection / 9-point)
• 1-point AF (fixed to center or Face Select and Track)
1-point AF when "try to snap some movement"

In my case, for outdoor pictures, Center-weighted average + fixed to center or Face Select and Track helps me to make a little better pictures of my son. I still don't have Donald's sharpness, but.., maybe.., I will bribe him to tell me how to get it

Hopes it helps a little bit,

Leo
PS: As far I'm still a novice, ... , I might be deeply wrong. The secret is somewhere out there , between thos two parameters.

[Shadowman]

Hi Donald,
It could very well be a focusing issue (another strong motivating factor to get a dSLR). I have yet to find out how/if I can manually focus my point and shoot (I don't think it's possible). How would I adjust this? Settings?

I did some sharpening, though when it was sharp enough in some areas of the photo it degraded the quality in other areas. Trying to balance that thin line.

I'll be taking a lot more this weekend, mostly landscapes/nature photos. Will post more throughout the weekend and next week.

Thanks, Donald & Jason for the C&C!

The best way to make sure it isn't human interaction causing the out of focus images would be to use the timer while placing the camera on a flat surface. Regarding faster exposures, try it in sports mode and also with flash.

[Katy Noelle]

Thanks, Rhoades! I am also a beginner so any help is appreciated. The first was originally landscape and I thought maybe I'd try it portrait, but I'll post it this weekend in landscape so you can see.

I noticed the blurriness too, and I think it's primarily because I didn't have my tripod for any of these shots and I use a point and shoot (Canon SD1100 IS). I don't think there's a way to get a faster shutter speed other than using the "Kids & Pets" option which I was in all of these. Trying to save up for that Canon 40D I'd love to have, but it seems that money is always needed elsewhere (sigh).

Thanks again! I'll keep working on it and post some more soon.

I was just recently in your boat with a point and shoot. Then, I got an entry DSLR and the fun and the troubles REALLY began!

The thing that I really appreciated about my point and shoot (before it started to seriously die on me) was that there were these little green hands that would pop up when I reviewed the picture. A red hand meant desperately blurry, yellow and, then, green for good and in focus. It was great! It made me work on camera shake and made me search out all sorts of different ways to steady that camera. It, also, taught me a lot about lighting; so, while you wait for that fancy, dancy camera, you can be discovering how "necessity is the mother of invention". (btw, there's a great tutorial on reducing camera shake, here.)

Also, when I was looking for a DSLR and was at sea because of the choices, someone recommended a Canon Rebel. They said that they were fast coming out with newer versions and that you could pick up an "older" model that wasn't too outdated for a reasonable price. I couldn't figure out what she meant, though, because, in the good ol' US, they give wonky names to all of the rebels. In Europe, though, they give nice sensible numbers. The higher the number, the more recent the model. This past June, I got a Canon 450D camera for a very, very reasonable price. It's not the 40D that I coveted but, there is aplenty for me to learn on this one!!! I just offer that out there as a reasonable option.

They say something like, "it's not the camera that makes the great photo..." I'm still waiting to see exactly what that means. Time will tell!