What could I have done different?

[W&J]

Hey, I am still trying to learn all of this and your input is the biggest help. What could I have done different???

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f380/JasonLombard/helmet.jpg

[Radtech1]

OK, I have to ask a dumb question here: by "different" I assume you mean "better", right?

Well what would be "better" in your eyes? What do you not like about it? What does not work for you. If we had a better idea of the photo you saw in you mind when you pressed the button, then we could better help you get there.

Rad

[LuisE]

Bounce the flash I think. You get better results. Hope this help.

LuisE

[delinian]

Help with composition, or PP?

[Guineh]

A smaller aperture would have helped bring some of the bg elements in better focus. If you have an external flash, as someone else suggested, try bouncing the flash. I would also try to reposition the camera so the partial item on the left would be out of the frame, and the hat doesn't overlap the "moment of silence" artwork in the BG.

Meh... what do I know? I'm just a rank amateur ;)

[Sharyn1983]

use a tripod, long exposure, no flash...

[W&J]

Yes by "different" I mean better photo quality wise. Now this shot wasn't set-up, I just decided to take it on the fly. I appreciate all of your comments. I feel like I'm getting better and with time and your help, composition and all will improve.

[Titus213]

IMO the light is flat. Better lighting to separate the two main items. Might be able to do that with bounced flash.

[MCB]

Maybe if the surface under the hat was white. You don't have a lot of contrast there. And as others have said, no flash would be good. The reflections to the left of the 9 and on the back wall are a bit too much. But somehow the black hat seems underexposed and i can't really see a lot of detail on the hat itself (maybe that's just my monitor or the picture being compressed to display here...). It might be worth trying a shot with the camera a bit higher, looking down slightly at the hat. It looks like the left side of the hat is cropped a bit. You might try it with the whole hat. Maybe that won't be better, but I'd take a couple that way just to see.

Also, maybe this is dumb to even say, but you're shooting digital. Take 1000 pictures of that hat from different angles with different exposures and different lighting. What do you have to lose? Well, okay, lots an lots of time. :) But if you really care about the picture and it's something important or interesting to you, don't stop with a handful of images. I'm a horrible photographer, so i'm not a good example, but I took hundreds of pictures of garlic still lifes trying to get something to hang in my kitchen. Just garlic. :) I'd say keep going and really fill up your memory card.

Good luck!