D40 - Beginner Pix's

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http://mugi.zenfolio.com/

C & C welcome

Hi there.

I think your shots are excellent! Hard to believe you're a beginner!

I think you were using your 18-55? I guess birding with that lens is catching on: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=31706029

Thanks for sharing.
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James

In number 2, why did you not crop it to center the bird and level the horizon? It would have looked better without that ugly light pole on the right side.

4 would have looked nice centered as well.
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http://wilsonephillips.smugmug.com

I agree on leveling #2 and cropping the pole, but what is all this with centering?

Is that the rule on center? The subject must always be in the center of the frame.

WilsonEPhillips said:

In number 2, why did you not crop it to center the bird and level the
horizon? It would have looked better without that ugly light pole on
the right side.

4 would have looked nice centered as well.

Click to expand...

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Thank you guys for the C & C . I am a truely a beginner. Got my camera a few months ago for my BD. Thanks

--Thanks for the C & C will consider clopping next time. Thanks

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great shots, but theres no way your a beginner

lv4photo - I will take that as a compliment. Yes I am totally starting to take photos. Just purchased the D40 afew months ago for my BD.

Great start! You've got a good eye and it will only get better from here on in. I like number 1 and 4. Nice subject isolation by shooting against the blue sky. My only words of advice would be to ask yourself "what is my subject?".

For example, the viewers eye tends to lead to the brightest part of the image. So with the seagull and the camper van, I was unsure what was the subject. The camper van is big and bright and fairly in focus, but the bird competes for the viewers eye or vice versa. Try using a shallower depth of field (DOF), which means (assuming you are using the 18-55 3.5-5.6 at 55mm) opening up the aperture to f/5.6 instead of f/9. That way the seagull will remain in focus and the scenery behind it will be a wee bit more out of focus, which then tells the viewer you were indeed aiming at the seagull.

Numbers 3 and 5 could do with the same. In number 3, the seagull's butt blends in with the truck, and in number 5 it blends in with the airplane. I think I get what you were trying to do in number 5 by showing natural and man powered flight. Just a few more seconds and the plane and bird would have seperated and a more dramatic compostion.

Great start as I said, and the beauty of digital is that learning is free! Congrats on your D40 purchase!
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Ancient Canadian proverb: 'Don't eat yellow snow.'
D300 and assortment from FE to 200mm

I think you did great to capture the birds, but you have to much cltter in the shots. Fronts of cars and big honking RVs in the background are not attractive. In one you have the bird almost in silouhuette overlapping an airplane.
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I got no fancy film learnin'.

mgblack74 -Very informative. Thank you very much.

Well taken, thank you for the C & C

mgblack74 -Very informative. Thank you very much.

Good job! You're off to a "flying start". I look forward to your future posts.

Meanwhile, you already received some good guidance for future shots.
Good luck!

All the best,
Jim

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Photographers take pictures, not cameras.

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