First Attempt @ Photography

[Iliou]

I've never owned a Camera and just this week my mother found her old Canon AE-1. It was in great condition and I went around and took some pics. They are a bit noisy becasue I have a shitty scanner. I guess positive criticizm is welcome, but if you are going to be a prick then just find another thread in which to be.

[Whispers InThe Storm]

There are generally three guidelines for a great photo composition (you probably have a point-and-shoot (I'm not familiar with Canon products)so you don't have to worry about exposure or shutter speed since the camera takes care of that for you):

1. Focus on the subject
2. Fill the frame with the subject
3. Simplify

You always want the subject to be in sharp focus unless there's an artistic reason for it not to be. You want the subject to be easily noticable - in most cases, this means fill the frame with it! And last, but not least, you'll want to simplify the picture. If there's something in there that isn't a part of the subject and doesn't support the subject (ie, it's distracting), get rid of it! I've put together some sample crops of your photos to illustrate what I'm talking about:







All of those are your original pictures, unedited except for a crop to pull attention to the subject (and I painted out the tip of a leaf that was hanging in the top of picture of the yellow flower). You don't always have to put the subject in the center of the picture; you can divide the picture into "thirds" and put the subject on one of the lines dividing the thirds (this is called the rule of thirds); or you can do what I do sometimes and just follow your instincts.

I think you've got a great start! Practice the three guidelines and you'll be taking better pictures than the majority of the public.

[bluegoddess16]

i agree with the focus comment. normally when people see a close-up of an object, crisp detail is very appealing. you appear to like to take close-ups(judging from your selection), but what you have to remember is that there has to be some distance from the image you are focusing on and your camera in order for it to be in sharp focus. i cant remember off the top of my head, but its something like at least 2 feet away from an object to correct focus(dont quote me on that). if you are interested in getting really close to your subject, consider a macro lens, or a cheaper alternative, close up filters. now this probably isnt even an option with the camera you are using(is it point and shoot?) but just something to think about if you want to get more into photography.

heres an example of a flower i shot with the macro option on my digital:



the great thing about shooting macro is the small depth of field which keeps the image from looking too busy.

good first try though! just remember to take you time, and really plan out how you want the image to look. unique framing can really make an interesting image out of an ordinary object.