Beginner, few photos with Nikon D3400 18-55mm (kit lens)

[Dunams]

Feedback is much appreciated

 

[Jrsilva00]

I like the first one.
As for the other two pictures, showing part of the close cement ground and the metal structure does not add any interest or value to the picture. It is a bit distracting in fact.

Keep practice and enjoy photography

 

[NikonNature]

Welcome - to DPR and to photography.

I agree with Jrsilva00. Also, I could be wrong but it looks like the horizon isn't quite level. Maybe that's just a result of the wide angle.

Anyway, the first image is the best. It has a great sky and the pointy rock in the foreground seems to direct us there. As you keep shooting you will learn a lot about what makes a good image. I just encourage you to keep at it, study other people's work, and read/watch tutorials on composition and anything else that interests you. Welcome and have fun.

 

[SoCalWill]

That'll be a great monster stitch panorama when you have a full-frame camera and a legacy lens, you're asking for a bit much detail out of one shot from an entry level camera and the lens it came with however. Better to go for a composition better suited to what you have, a simpler scene with the horizon on the thirds that almost tells a story; using the longer end of your lens to capture all the detail in the frame below would be just about ideal.

Also, F/16 is making your lens unsharp, except for shooting groups you will probably never encounter a situation that requires more than F/8; when shooting landscapes, set the f-stop to wherever the lens is sharpest - check DxOmark and the reviews for your specific lens, and test yourself to see where the sweet spot is, that way you can get as much detail as possible to make big prints of these kinds of sweeping landscapes.







--
Digital Camera and Adobe Photoshop user since 1999.
Adobe Lightroom is my adult coloring book.

 

[Dunams]

Thank you for the feedback!

I'm also interested in buying a prime lens and I'm trying to decide between Nikkor 35mm f1.8 and 50mm f1.8 lenses.

I know the 35mm on my camera will actually be around 50mm zoom because of the crop sensor.

I'm more inclined towards the 35mm because it would give me a wider area for landscape views and street views. On the other hand the 50mm should result in better bokeh effect and better close-up photos.

What would you advise in this matter?

 

[NikonNature]

Thank you for the feedback!

I'm also interested in buying a prime lens and I'm trying to decide between Nikkor 35mm f1.8 and 50mm f1.8 lenses.

I know the 35mm on my camera will actually be around 50mm zoom because of the crop sensor.

I'm more inclined towards the 35mm because it would give me a wider area for landscape views and street views. On the other hand the 50mm should result in better bokeh effect and better close-up photos.

What would you advise in this matter?

Sorry for the long-winded answer but...

35mm will give you a field of view similar to the naked eye. Some people like a wider view - like an ultrawide such as Tokina's 11-16mm. That style can be very dramatic, but almost requires strong foreground elements. I also have a few landscapes with much longer focal lengths (150mm on FF). The bottom line is, it really depends on what you like, the specific subject, and the situation. If I were to make a recommendation it would be this:

1) Just keep your kit lens for now. Shoot a variety of landscapes from 18mm to 55mm. After six months or so pick your favorite shots and take note of what focal length they are. This could reveal a particular focal range that you favor. Of course this might change over time, but it's a good starting point.

2) On the other hand, a 35mm f/1.8 won't cost you too much. It could be a great general purpose lens and, being a prime, it would force you to stick to one focal length. That can help you develop good habits in the field, since you will need to move your feet to change the framing, rather than standing in one spot and zooming. It should be a great landscape lens.

Those two pieces of advice seem to contradict each other, but the underlying principal is to learn before you spend. Many people buy too much gear too quickly, chasing what they think will make the difference. The truth is, understanding light, composition and other photography techniques will make a much bigger difference and it's free. But it takes effort... :-D

 

[Malalajan]

Thank you for the feedback!

I'm also interested in buying a prime lens and I'm trying to decide between Nikkor 35mm f1.8 and 50mm f1.8 lenses.

I know the 35mm on my camera will actually be around 50mm zoom because of the crop sensor.

I'm more inclined towards the 35mm because it would give me a wider area for landscape views and street views. On the other hand the 50mm should result in better bokeh effect and better close-up photos.

What would you advise in this matter?

I agree with another poster that using a prime lens forces you to think more about composition and of course they are generally smaller and lighter. I like mine and am not sure if I want to invest in a zoom, apart from it may be useful on an upcoming holiday.

I like my 35mm (on APS) f2 which is fine for bokeh, good for portraits and some types of ladscape. Mostly because I got back into photography to because I wanted some better pics of the family and this is long enough to deliver. My favourite though is my 27mm f2.8 pancake a bit wider for landscapes, okay for portraits but also makes my Fujifilm X-T1 properly pocketable.

If you are lucky enough to have a bit of cash spare, I would advise you not to over think it too much, if you find a good, popular lens on an auction site and treat it well you can sell it on later with no real financial penalty. Once the 'new' premium has gone the residuals are pretty stable.

 

[Brisn5757]

I liked the compensation in the first photo as you had just a little bit of the hill your standing on to add a more dimension to your photo.

The second photo shows too much of the hill on the bottom right corner so it becomes distracting.

The third photo has nothing of interest for the viewer to fix his eye on.

It's a good start for a beginner.

Brian