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11/20/2006 02:43:14 PM · #1 |
 I joined DPC several yrs ago but for the most part have only been lurking on the site, enjoying the view. I just finished entering my second photo for the B&W challenge;
I knew it wasn't a "great" shot but i was surprised that it only placed 419/423! (Kinda hurts the ego) I kept clicking the update button all week, not expecting the score to jump but hoping for some comments. I got one comment ...(thank you 777STAN!) that simply said "tugs at the heart". I agree, but she's my dog so of coarse she tugs at my heart.
Anyway, I was hoping I might get some critiques from this post. Please, don't worry about negative comments. I'm asking for constructive criticism, hoping to get some tips on how to improve my score in future challenges.
Thanks for being a great community. I look forward to participating more, learning and improving as I go!
Carlos Mejia
Message edited by justine - fixed pix. |
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11/20/2006 02:54:25 PM · #2 |
Hello, carlos
I think the reason your shot scored lower then you'd hoped for is that either you or the dog moved.
Try placing your camera on a table, chair, monopod or best of all tripod.
Shots like this that are "emotive" you need a strong shot of the eyes so that the 'personality/soul' shows. |
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11/20/2006 02:57:04 PM · #3 |
I think its not as bad as the placing puts it.
I suggest the shutter speed is too slow ,assuming this was hand held, it lacks an overall sharpness, the lighting is way too harsh and in places has blown out, that could be with your editing the contrast too much.
pets are always a very difficult subject to photograph,practice with different lighting and aperatures and take loads, it will come, we all have more failures than successes..just keep trying.
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11/20/2006 02:58:46 PM · #4 |
Unless you dress the dog up in a robin hood outfit, or have several dogs lounging around all goofy like slobbering on each other, they tend to score low. It baffles me.
I think the DPC is for cat lovers for the most part.
DOF hurt your score on this one. The nose is out of focus and distracts you, and then only one eye is in focus. My eye has a hard time deciding what to look at. I personally think that this shot would have scored better if the entire head was tack sharp. |
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11/20/2006 02:58:59 PM · #5 |
Needs more contrast to begin with. The "grey eye" from the light reflecting out of the eye isn't very attractive. The motion blur throughout except the left hand side of the photo is a little distracting. The pose is unsettling. The mostly blown background doesn't really add anything.
If you did it again I would go with a much faster shutter. Perhaps change position so that the dog is mostly front lit instead of back and side. |
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11/20/2006 03:04:12 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by justine:
Hello, carlos
I think the reason your shot scored lower then you'd hoped for is that either you or the dog moved.
Try placing your camera on a table, chair, monopod or best of all tripod.
Shots like this that are "emotive" you need a strong shot of the eyes so that the 'personality/soul' shows. |
I agree with Justine. I believe the relatively slow shutter speed allowed movement in either the subject or the camera.
There are a few ways to minimize blur caused by movement. Among these are faster shutter speeds and stabilizing the camera (on a tripod or other study surface). In this photo, it seems that you could have increased your ISO setting to allow for a faster shutter speed. Increasing the lighting could also help you to get a faster shutter speed.
There are many factors that affect exposure times (shutter speeds), these were just a few that came to mind.
Remember, the more pictures you take, the better you get!
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11/20/2006 03:19:34 PM · #7 |
Gee...thanks to all of you for the quick replies! This is very helpful. I hope DPC isn't just for cat lovers... i'm stong on the other end of that scale.
I actually did use a tripod but I think i could have used more light and a higher ISO to sharpen shoot a faster shutter. The grey eye is actually not the lighting. She's 11 yrs old and has cataracks (sp?). I wanted to touch 'em up but thought that would be against the rules.
Again...thanks to all of you for the good advice! |
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