[KenCo1964]

Here are some of my pics taken between last summer and now. Using Olympus c-450 the only camera i have ever owned so i am a complete newbie. Any advice gratefully recieved.
Ken.

[Steve]

I have just taken a few minutes to look at the larger versions of the pictures and can assure you that you have the eye for a photograph. It is difficult to critique photographs as good as these and point out areas where you could improve when you consider the camera that they have been taken on.

My first comment is about the butterfly, although there is nothing wrong with it as it is and it shows the detail and patterns in the wing, animals and insect pictures are usually more interesting if you can show the face. This would make the picture very different though and may not have been what you had in mind but may be worth a thought should you get the chance to photograph these types of subjects in the future.

My next comment is on the second shot, the horizon is higher on the right than the left, judging from the standard of the others here I am sure that this is actually how it was, however sometimes bending the truth can make for a more pleasing result. As there are no buildings or anything that would look strange not vertical, I would be tempted to rotate the picture slightly to get the Horizon level. Please note that this is my personal choice and for some will not improve the picture.

The snow shot has come out great, correct exposure is quite difficult to achieve in the snow as the camera tends to underexpose the picture due to all the white. This shot however is great.

The forth shot is simple but effective, I am so glad that you framed the building off centre to the left and the horizon off centre and lower than half way up. This is great and complies with the rule of thirds which a lot of new photographers miss.

I like the detail and the lines in the last picture, nothing runs the same way, the roof lines, the boats and trailer, the steep hill. It’s a perfect capture of a scene that is very interesting and keeps your attention as you look around at all the detail.

Hope that helps?

[lolyton]

I would agree with most of what Steve has said about the images. Also he hinted at something that is very important in photography, everything thing about it is personal choice, what one person likes is not neccessarily another persons cup of tea. You will find this in all aspects of photography even if the photographer is considered the best in the world there will be people who do not like their work. This is one of things that makes photography interesting, sometimes controversial and the reason why people look for critiques.

If you are shooting images for no other reason than just for self pleasure then what i would say is that so long as you are happy with your images then the job has been done well.

Here are my personal opinions (this is what i feel, these may or may not be shared by other people but that is the way these things work).

Image 1- I think is a job done well, insects are not the easiest things to photograph ,but you seem to have captured this one well. The one thing i would say and i doubt you could have done much about it is that the orange line running through the background is a little off-putting.

Image 2- Sometimes wonkey horizons can work well, and i agree with steve in thinking that this one was probably like that because the road appears correct, however i would probably have straightend this one up a little so long as the road didn't look too silly afterwards.

Image 3- Great, really liked this one, the contrast between the trees and the snow worked really well. Also the way the tree line drew the eye into the picture from the left up to the detail in the cloud works well. The small patch of trees on the right of the frame are well placed too, without them the eye may escape from the frame. The one thing i cannot decide on is the small tree in the middle, my first thouht is that it needed to be there, but after looking i'm unsure. As a taken picture from the landscape it is brilliant, but if you do play around with image software such as photoshop then it may be worth looking at the image with the tree removed, but if not then you can be happy with result you got on this one.

Image 4- Simplicity works well in images, and this is a simple image that has worked well. Lots of people work with the rule of thirds as i do going across the frame from left to right, however i like the sky (i think being from Lincolnshire i am used to flat land and lots of sky), i often work with fifths for the top to bottom view. My personal preference on this image would be to keep the hut where it is but just lower it a little in the frame, also i would have liked it a little simpler still and tried to keep the sheep out of shot. Like i said personal preference and thats not to say i do not like this image cos i do.

Image 5- Out of all of them this is my least favourite image. before i spoke of simplicity, and in this one there is too much going on for my likeing, it requires he brain to fill in too much detail as a lot of parts have been chopped off which means also a lot of lines are leading out of the frame. My eye struggled to find the point of interest. The subject matter is good, and for me it is close to being an image i would like, maybe from a different angle or even slightly closer/further away it would work.

All in all though a good effort, one you should be proud of. Practice makes perfect (though in photography it should be practice makes better if you are lucky). Like Steve said the eye is definately there!

[Arkady]

Pretty much as above - all of them are good apart from the last one which is too fussy and need a 'hook' to draw the viewer's attention - instead of a general view (or GV as we in the trade call it) try for some detail shots - bits of rope, boat architecture etc
The insect one is as good as any, but bugs don't do it for me, I'm afraid.

[KenCo1964]

Thanks very much for the kinds words of advice, I honestly thought that after seeing some of the stunning photos on this site that I would have been slated for my attempts, considering how new I am to this and also the camera I am using. It is very encouraging and much appreciated.

1: I do have other photos of insects and butterflies face on but for some reason I really liked the cabbage white.
2: I have rotated this picture maybe still not enough but was a little scared to start with as I thought the trees would look lop sided, it was also suggested from someone off this sight that I crop the sun out, which I did before posting on here but please let me hear your views on this.
3: I understand what you say about the solitary tree in the centre of the picture, I did want to use this but obviously not to good effect. I did take pics of that tree at a closer distance.
4: The mention of kebabs had them running.
5: I agree with your comments on this but did not see this when I took it (not that I knew what to look for), only because the place has sentimental memories for me and is such a beautiful place anyway.
Thanks for your comments and look forward to posting more pics for comments soon.
Ken.

[Matty]

Nice images, i wont comment on them individually as i dont really know what im on about! Very pleasing though