Need a refreshing drink

[haveago]

Picked lemons from my tree and made a cool drink as it was a very hot day today

[Donald]

Janis

The light picked up in the jug/pitcher really contributes to the picture. What I find distracting is the background. We have a metallic background, we have a very dark shadow area over on the left hand side and then we have a fruit sort of sitting there at the top not really contributing anything.

So, my point being, the idea of this is very good. But you have to give attention to every part of the frame, not just the main subject. When you're looking through the viewfinder, you have to check all round the edges as well. It's about training yourself to do that. We've all committed the sin. But it's practice, practice and more practice until you are doing it without even thinking about it.

[haveago]

Thanks Donald for your input. I will work on this on my very next photo. I still find this all a little confusing as I have never joined in a competition before let alone do what you have to do to get it in. I am also new to photography and have a long way to go but I find it all interesting. Thank you again.

[Donald]

Thanks Donald for your input. I will work on this on my very next photo. I still find this all a little confusing as I have never joined in a competition before let alone do what you have to do to get it in. I am also new to photography and have a long way to go but I find it all interesting. Thank you again.

Janis

You're very welcome. This is what CiC is all about - helping colleagues learn and to develop their knowledge and skills.

Please don't let the idea of needing to be competitive and enter competitions even come into your thinking. It shouldn't be about that at all. It's about you gradually (and it will be gradually) learning and feeling satisfied with what you achieve. There will be lots and lots of times where you just want to throw away your camera because you're frustrated that you don't know what all these other people seem to know and you can't make the images that they seem to be able to make so easily. And this idea you had that you could be a good photographer was stupid and you should just pack it all in.

I guarantee you'll go through all that. We all have.

But stick with it. The things that don't make any sense at the moment will, sometimes without you being conscious of it, become obvious and simple and you'll wonder why you didn't understand them before.

You've already crossed over the first, and maybe the biggest, hurdle - you've demonstrated that you have imagination and creativity. That's the bit that's really hard, or even impossible, to learn. It's innate. You've already got it. You can and will learn all the more technical stuff.

[cthermans]

Hello Janis:

When I got my first good camera there were lots of pictures I just deleted. I don't worry too much about the competitions, but I take pictures for me and what I find interesting and that will take all the pressure off. For a while I was getting too technical, but I have learned to relax and just enjoy the art of taking pictures.

It does take practice to see everything around the picture that you are after. I have problems taking pictures of people, I have to know people fairly well before I get the picture I want. Right now I find myself studying facial expressions of people I know and what I really like to capture. Unfortunately, I have to honour their wishes not to put their pictures on the net.

This site is great for learning new techniques and joining in the conversations. Have fun!

Cheri