Dog Portrait (for critique)

[dsmgirl]

I'm interested in your impressions of this photo:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3641/3477947222_783001fdce.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/erica_marshall/3477947222/)
(click on photo to view larger sizes or leave comments/notes via Flickr)

If it doesn't grab you or there are specific things you find that could be improved, please post about it -I'm looking for honest feedback that'll help me improve my photography.

Thanks,
-Erica

[Telkin]

Nice sharp picture with good contrast and detail. Not much to improve on, maybe a vignette to draw attention to the face. That's about it.

[GDane123]

Only thing I'd do is ask him to say "CHEEEEESE" next time! =)

Interesting how you got it to focus on his head and blur the body a bit. I'm not good with manual focus at all yet so more power to ya!

[dsmgirl]

Thanks for the comments. I was told by someone that the shot was boring and the perspective was a bad choice. ...I wondered if others would agree.

As for the focus, it was autofocus. I have my camera set to one AF point and I focused on his eyes. I use manual focus for macros and when branches and fences interfere with AF, but the rest of the time I use autofocus. The depth of field is due to my Sigma 30mm f/1.4 at f/1.4 -I love that lens! (Although the much cheaper Canon 50mm f/1.8 II "fantastic plastic" or "nifty fifty" is a close second.)

-Erica

[briarlow]

The pathway is a bit to fussy and detracts from the dog, but nice different angle to take the photo.

[Mustang GT]

The pathway is a bit to fussy and detracts from the dog, but nice different angle to take the photo.


I like the pathway, so much that it pulls my eyes away from the dog :lol:
I usually like lower or eye level angles for dogs but I like this angle for that dog

[Flo]

Perfect focus where it should be. I would crop the photo to get the wooden table leg and bit of grass out.

[xoldboy]

I would crop the image as well, but as far as the picture in general goes, great job!

[Playm]

It's a cute dog.. but my feeling is that we see so many snapshots from this angle that I'd hesitate to actually do a portrait shot this way. Like I said, maybe it's just me, but when I think of a portrait, it would be eye level with a tighter crop. ... unless, of course, this shot would be an 'environmental' image in a collection of other personality type of shots.

I do like the brown eyes against the black face though. .. If it's your dog, maybe use it as a project to get some tighter shots. He/she reminds me of a lab ("Lucky") I had some years back. Looks like a sweet dog.

[Asquared]

Tough to get a nice shot of a black dog- you did a great job, good work!