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Hi everyone... posting some pics for your critique. Ive finally set up a Flickr account! Any suggestions for improvement welcome. Thanks!!

Hi Chica,

You have some nice shots there. Have you done any sort of processing on them?
I was going to suggest some more contrast and saturation, but the more I look at them the less I think they need.

I guess my suggestion would be to keep an eye on the framing of the shot. The first shot is troubled by the branch in front. Could you have moved to the left or right to move the branch out the way?

The second shot looks fine.
I think the third shot could be improved by cropping away the green bars on the left, right and top. It would also make the bird a little larger in the frame.

I'm not sure what to do with the last shot. It's a great shot, but the right hand side feels a little empty. Perhaps try a crop utilising the rule-of-thirds.

These are nice shots. What I've mentioned are just things I would try.

Daniel

Thanks Daniel
These shots are straight out of the camera.... I dont know how to do any processing yet, but I am doing a photoshop course next week so maybe that will help me! I will give your suggestions a go and re-post to see if you think it improves the photos.

Thanks again - I am new at this so feedback is great.

Cathy

Heres my next go...

Your second cropping has really lifted the photos, especially the Gibbon.

Hi Cathy,
framing is one of those things that gets me everytime and it can be a real personal style thing so don't be afraid to try different things and don't always stick to the 6X4 traditional shape if it doesn't suit the shot. I just decide what is the best feature in a shot and aim to put in at the intersection of two thirds (as per the rule of thirds mentioned by Daniel), and then try an cut out anything distracting .. and you seem to have achieve this with the 2nd monkey crop so well done.

May also be worth trying the origional as a 6X4 Poitrait orientation and removing most of the branch, alos as a separate exercise its such a nice face shot you may want to crop in even tighter to make the face fill the frame. Guess it really comes down to what you are going to do with the finished product and what you want to empasise.

Mind you I have also be realy happy with some shots that completely break the rule ...but it's always a good starting point.

RE Photoshop

I am doing a photoshop course next week

What can you tell me about the course - who runs it, where and what level ? I have done some training but always interetsed in more - although I am trying to get it right from the camera PS is such a fun toy.
I'll send you a PM on the subject
Have fun
Deb T

Cathy,

What white balance settings were you using? I can't be certain about the other photos, but the white balance certainly looks wrong for the king parrot. The red looks almost orange and the green on the back looks a bit brown.

Hi Deb - Photoshop is run by the WEA and is an introductory course, though they also run more advanced courses there. It is running from next Monday from 1:30 - 5:30 for 4 days. I am looking forward to it. Tom and I did a DSLR course at the WEA last year (morer for my benefit) and the reports were that the PS course was a good one.

Andrew, I was using shade for my white balance for the parrot shot.

Cathy

Andrew, the colour shift on the bird is a result of shooting through very small mesh black cage wire - it has this affect and as Chica is new to photography and the Zoo she would not yet know this. As you can tell by her other photos white balance is spot on. Chica, the crops work much better and we will be able to practice again this Friday night..

Im looking forward to Friday night!! I need all the practice I can get!!!!

Just for interest, about the bird - there was no mesh, I took this one in the rainforest bit and he was wandering around collecting bits of bark etc. So cute. I shot it in raw so I will play with the white balance and see if his colours change.

Chica wrote:Heres my next go...

Much better, Cathy.

Now, do you think these look better?
If so, do you know why?

Daniel

Hey Daniel
Yes, I like them better - I have NO idea why I didnt see the branches in the original bowerbird shot, too busy checking out his cool eyes!
The monkey shot is nicer now too, frames his face better and he isnt so lost in his tree.

in regards to the parrot shot, it is actually an orange parrot, the colours pretty well match.