My first attempt

[NINGirl]

Constructive criticism is very much needed.

 

[jdw4jesus]

Wow, those are beautiful! My only suggestion would be to get closer to your pictures! Then, they really pop out! I love them though! Tremendous job for your first attempt!

 

[baby girl]

good pics

 

[Piano Player]

Constructive criticism is very much needed.

Not bad for a first attempt. There is a lot of room for improvement.

#1 Nice subject, and interesting color contrast between your subject and the background. However, the flower is overexposed and out of focus. If you are using an automatic camera, find out how the focusing system works. You can lock focus, or recompose the subject so that the part you want in focus stays in focus. The dark background overexposed the flower. Most camera metering systems try to average exposure, which in this case did not work as well as it could have.

I like your composition except for the background. The chewed brown earth, and trunk distract from the picture's other elements. Try to find an angle that just has the lucious green in the background. That would also further highten the contrast between the subject and the background.

#2 Same comments as above. Again, the flower looks just a tad overexposed and out of focus. The chewed up earth distracts.

#3 If your going to put the horizon in a picture like this, try not to make it look as if your standing on the deck of a listing ship. Even it up. Again, a lot of distracting elements in the background. It looks like if you took a few steps to the left, the light pole would be hidden by the trunk. If you raised the angle of view, the fence and other elements would disappear.

Shots taken directly into the light can be very dramatic and interesting. No camera can hold all the contrast inherent in the scene, so you must decide what, if anything, should be properly exposed. Too many of these types of shot just let the camera meter decide. The camera will always pick something in the middle like in this photo. The tree is underexposed. Try the picture by properly exposing the tree (getting an even more dramatic highlight coming through), or let the tree go all the way to dark to empahsize its form.

#4 I think your best effort. Notice how musch better a flower picture looks when no distracting backgound elements appear. The picture does have a little contrast problem. The flower highlights are overexposed. Many times for flowers a cloudy day works better. A cloudy sky works like a giant softbox up in the sky to soften the highlights and reduce contrast. I also think composition could be improved here. There is a gap to the right in the flowers that could easily not appear if you change your angle, get closer, or try some other patch. The dead flowers could also be eliminated as well.

#5 Big light pole in foreground. Too much background stuff. Totally uninteresting sky. Wait for a better day with blue sky, and stand somewhere where the pole doesn't dominate.

 

[Talie]

great advice in there piano player - helpful stuff that will be useful to NINgirl's future efforts

 

[jdw4jesus]

It sure will help! Piano Player critiqued mine and it really will help!

 

[NINGirl]

Thank you so much Piano Player! I'm so glad you took time out to actually deeply critique me! I appreciate you, and everyone else so much. Alot of the flaws you pointed out are easily recognizable to me now.

 

[Billnew]

Love the pictures.
#2 might need a lower perspective.
To get more of a contrast.

If you are using digital, take pictures from every angle. And then decide which you like.
I have done flower pictures this way.

The others have great contrast and depth.

 

[Tyeise]

Strange question... prompted by your first picture-

Why don't photographers remove the dead blossoms first? It'd look so much better!

 

[Tiger Lily]

Nice attempt! I agree with the critique ! You got some great advice there.

 

[mamabear4]

Lots of good advice from piano player. I like the last picture the best, maybe because it's slightly out of focus in some places and that creates interest. I also believe that getting down on your subject's level makes for better pictures, especially flowers. Even shooting upward with the flower heads silhouetted against the bright sky make some interesting photos. My youngest daughter has taken a few like that in very low light (dusk) with a bright light providing a backlight which gives the petals of the flowers a soft glow. Experiement and you'll come up with really kool photos. We'd be interested in seein more of your pics.

 

[Andy_GB]

Good start. Two tips: go in tighter and reduce depth of field on the flowers.

 

[miracle26]

those pictures are really pretty! I really love the tree picture!!

 

[Kar_uhh]

I like the 3rd picture (the one of the tree) the best. The rest are ok. You should take pictures of other things too.

 

[Zinnia]

Great pictures! Good critique too, Piano Player! NINgirl, you have a good eye, which not everyone is gifted with, and then together with experience, and this good advice that you are willing to listen to, so you will be a wonderful photographer some day!

 

[NINGirl]

Thanks you guys!

 

[Satin and Silk]

I particularly like the first one - an interesting color combination. With practice and time, I think you'll come up with some great photos in the future. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them.

 

[cameocat]

Excellent start! You got some great advice there. Keep going, and the sky is the limit, as they say.