Need some input on my photography...?

-So I have been working with my DSLR for around 6 months now, I feel i've grown at least a little and my photos are better... Here's my Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/54745657@N0鈥?/a> Constructive criticism is encouraged!



Also, a lot of people have tags or watermarks on their photos (soandso's photography) is this necessary?I have looked at the EXIF data of your images and I can see that you are simply shooting in Auto modes (portrait mode to be precise.) Can I ask why you have spent the money on a camera like this only to use it as a cheap point and shoot? You had may as well just sell it and buy a small compact P&S camera because you are not using that DSLR what is was designed for, taking control of the image and exposure!



From this moment on you will stay the OTHER side of the green box and learn how to use the manual settings! (you have been told!) You say you have grown a little with your DSLR but how could you have possibly grown when you are using the camera on fully auto and letting it do all the work! Start off with aperture priority, practice and learn how adjusting the aperture affects the image and the DOF. Here is a guide you should read..

http://www.bcphoto.biz/Other/DOF-tutoria鈥?/a>



And if I'm being honest, you need a lot of work on your composition..

http://photoinf.com/General/Geoff_Lawren鈥?/a>



If animals are your thing then perhaps this link will provide some inspiration, check out the galleries..

http://pawspetphotography.com/



You don't need to watermark your images.



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Additional:



"I have tried to use both apperature and shutter priority but it never seems to come out right" - Practice, practice, practice!.. The more time you spend in manual modes the quicker you will learn.

"but when the dogs are moving so fast" - Use shutter priority.

"and the lighting is changing so fast" - Aperture Priority (plus watch your WB)

"As well as with my longer zoom lens it tends to be even more difficult because there isn't much room to work with when the lighting gets crappy" - This is when you learn the limitations of your lenses. Investing in a faster lens or scrapping zoom lenses altogether and buying primes may be your solution. Again, practice will help here and once you learn how to control exposure yourself you will understand why that photo did not turn out and what you can do to remedy it. Also think about what lighting you are using? Perhaps an external flash may be worth investing in?



WB should not be set "just once" and then left! Where on Earth did you read that? I suggest you you read this link about WB and an 18% grey card..

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Revie鈥?/a>



A sheet of blank A4 paper also does a good job when setting manual WB. Getting the WB correct is very important. It can be difficult to get the WB correct when outside because of the changing weather conditions (the sun going behind a cloud will make a difference, as will shooting in the shade etc.) When I am shooting outside I will shoot RAW with auto WB and then alter the WB in post processing later using Lightroom if necessary.



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I agree with you about using flash, I try to always avoid it and would rather use a faster lens. If however it is necessary, even if it is just a fill flash for sunny days (which often can not be avoided, especially for doing any kind of portrait work) then I would use a diffuser on the flash. This will bounce the light, soften it and prevent any harsh shadows. Again if your WB is set without flash and then you use it then it will be significantly affected. If you want a very cheap and pretty effective diffuser for your pop up flash then put a piece of tissue over the flash and see how harsh shadows are reduced.



As for useful focal lengths for primes? Well it depends on what you are shooting. You will also have to take into account the crop factor on your cameras sensor. I consider a 28mm, 50mm, 85mm and 135mm prime lenses common and useful focal lengths. If you are into sports or wildlife then consider 200mm upwards. I collect and use old M42 prime lenses and have used them on my Canon DSLR when I owned one (and I am now looking to purchase again.) With a simple adapter widely available on eBay you can purchase some wonderful manual focus M42 mount lenses very cheaply. I picked up a 300mm f/4 SMC Takumar in a charity store for 拢12 recently and today I picked up a 135mm f/3.5 Carl Zeiss for only 拢2. With the adapter fitted to your XTI you can use these lenses (manual focus only and you will need to set the aperture on the lens yourself, this will also help you learn) and they will focus to infinity.



Google 'M42 to Canon' for more info.



.Part of what makes a great photo is the timing, angle, subgect, etc. But another part of what seperates one photographer from another is his or her technical skill. If you shoot everything on portrait scene mode, there is nothing that seperates you. In fact I can't say you've really learned much except for muscle memory from pushing buttons. My constructive criticism would be to take the time to make the pictures yours, and not the camera's.





And no, watermarks are not useful. All they do is show that people don't know Flickr has an expressed copyright. And in many other situations you are protected by implied copyrights. The chance of being ripped off in any way that would cause any legally valid damages is very, very slim. A whole movement in art (postmoderism) fully acknoledges that everything is just a copy of something else.
Hello! Your photography is great for a beginner. I would focus on getting a new lens with a lower aperture next. I use a 50 mm 1.8 and a 35mm 1.8. The lens that it comes with is not very good and you will not be able to improve your photography with that lens. After you purchase a new lens I would learn manual. A great book called understanding exposure is how I learned about manual. Using manual instead of auto will improve your photos by 100 percent!



As for tags, they can help people find your photos on flickr. And watermarks are necessary if you do not want people stealing your photos. Here is my flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/uremyraincloud/
Standard looking snapshots of dogs. White balance is off in quite a few (notice the yellow color tint in this photo for example:http://www.flickr.com/photos/54745657@N0鈥?/a> and several have exposure problems (mainly underexposure). In most of your shots you also have your subject directly in the middle of the frame, which is a no-no in terms of composition.



According to the EXIF information embedded in your photos, you shoot with your camera on auto white balance and auto exposure. That is a complete waste for a DSLR. Learn how to properly control exposure by shooting on manual (this will get rid of your underexposure problem). If you are not adjusting white balance somehow in post production, learn how to use the custom white balance function on your camera so your colors are more consistent.



If you are having trouble figuring out how to use your camera off the auto modes, purchase and carefully read a book called "Understanding Exposure."
The best thing to do is learn from others. It's not the camera, it's the photographer. Many want to be pro's say you need a better lens, well it turns out I got to National Geographic, when I was only 13.. With crap equipment. Check my stuff out and see what I do different. Contact me on the Contact page, and i'll gife you some more info. Take care. Peace
mostly dog snapshots... not particularly exciting...



but if you like them, stick with it... it just isn't everyones cup of tea...
I think you take very nice pictures. You have cute dogs too! And no, watermarking photos is not necessary.
Hello, I like your photos. For portraits, try to focus on the eyes.
Wow!! they are good, I loved the 3rd one on the first page.. keep going!!