Help for Beginning Photographers

I have copied this thread from Avian in hopes that the tips below will help. When we are first starting, and even after we are doing this for 25+ years we sometimes fall in love with images that have many serious flaws. Be sure to scroll down all the way.

Here is Mark's original post:

This is one of my favorites, as for the expression on the Heron. It is not new, but please give it your best. Don't know if I will ever encounter this again. ; > )


Canon 5D
Lens EF300mm f/2.8L USM
ISO Speed 200
1/500Sec. @f/8.0
Metering Modes Spot
Exposure Compensation 0

Nice interaction. Image looks a bit skew. Also some blown out areas. Still well done

Hello,

The white are hot. The horizon needs some rotation and the busy environment is less than ideal. I always try to have the sun in my back so I prevent side lighting and deep shadows.

The interaction really is great. The techs have been covered.

While this is a neat interaction it is not "well done" as the image has many serious problems (some of which have been noted above):
1: As it usually is, the off-angled light is fatal with blown whites while the tricolored's head is in deep shadow.
2: There is a rather large o-o-f reed in the foreground center.
3-In the relatively harsh light, the foreground and background vegetation is very distracating.
4-The image is not level.

How to imrpove?

1-Point your shadow right at the subject.
2-Work in softer light or on cloudy days.
3-Use a bubble level in your camera's hot shoe: http://www.birdsasart.com/accs.html#BUBBLE
4-Look carefully for o-o-f foreground elements both when positioning the tripod and when looking through the viewfinder
5- Look for subjects in good situations with little or no background clutter.

Best of luck,

artie

Great advice from Artie - you really couldn't ask for any better advice Mark. You can learn a amazing amount here at BPN and your photography will improve dramatically - all it requires on your behalf - is that you keep a open mind and are wiling to take advice from great teachers like Artie.

Artie - great to see it moved to educational resources - do see a few in avian that could be better in ETL.