Flower really bad :|

[BtBam]

So i went out my front yard this morning and found this.

This is one of my first SLR shots and im still 99% unsure on exactly what im doing.
I shot it in Av
f5.6
Shutter 1/250
Iso 100
Focal length 70mm

350D
Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 EX Aspherical DF


So im completely new, are parts of the flower over exposed?
What can i do shoot sharper, clearer pictures?

All C+C welcome, Please.
Need all of your help/advice. Be as brutal as you like.

In PS i resized it, cropped it, added the border and text. Saved Jpeg 60%

http://www.frantec.com.au/flower001.jpg

[scrumpy]

Read your User Guide
Use Auto Mode
Shoot, Shoot, Shoot
Read your User Guide
Shoot, Shoot, Shoot
Read your User Guide
Now show us more pictures

[BtBam]

aiight haha here :) these are all in M Mode now.
1)
http://www.frantec.com.au/flower003.jpg



2)
http://www.frantec.com.au/flower004.jpg



3)
http://www.frantec.com.au/flower005.jpg




4)
http://www.frantec.com.au/WaterDripfromMoss.jpg




5)
http://www.frantec.com.au/WaterDripfromMoss01.jpg




6)
http://www.frantec.com.au/WaterDripfromMoss02.jpg

[scrumpy]

Don't know what to say. Your first picture is...a picture. I like it very much and I suspect I've been 'taken for a ride' as we say in UK.

[BtBam]

Today was my first day ever using a SLR of any kind :\
Ive been interested in photography my entire life just never took the plunge till now.
This is just shots from my Front/Back Yard. I saw 1 bird all day and about 2 boring fly's.

I am honestly really happy that you like them as im not sure at all if they are good or very bad. Tomorrow i plan on playing around with the iso and wb and i still have to learn alot about DOF

[battleborn]

I love your shot 2. properly focused, with colors vivid. nice, as for the rest, i dont enjoy them as much. just wondering, why shot 2 doesnt have a stem comming down. Did u photoshop it ?

[MazerRakhm]

Well I'd say you're off to a good start, I really like your second picture.

[Michaelmjc]

Those are really nice compositions, I love the water dripping fromt he log.

[cfcRebel]

I say u did pretty good for first timer. The 1st one is alittle blurr on the petals because of the narrow DOF. I am no expert but if you want to get the flower in focus, try use higher f number(f8, f11?), move your camera slightly away from the flower. If u r not using tripod then increase your ISO to maintain the shutter speed to avoid motion blur. Hope that helps.:)

[BtBam]

I love your shot 2. properly focused, with colors vivid. nice, as for the rest, i dont enjoy them as much. just wondering, why shot 2 doesnt have a stem comming down. Did u photoshop it ?

battleborn
I turned the shutter speed up to 1/800 with f5.6 so the picture was pretty dark, opened it up in photoshop, changed the curves so it brought it up perfectly. There was hardly any stem in the picture and i just brushed it out in a couple seconds. Sharpened, re sized and saved it :)


MazerRakhmThanks i appreciate your comments more then i can say. I am really looking forward to a nice day and some new locations :) Not to mention learning more about my camera.


Michaelmjc
Thanks heaps mate :) i like #6 the most i think. Just the colours in it came out really really well, to me anyhow :)

I say u did pretty good for first timer. The 1st one is alittle blurr on the petals because of the narrow DOF. I am no expert but if you want to get the flower in focus, try use higher f number(f8, f11?), move your camera slightly away from the flower. If u r not using tripod then increase your ISO to maintain the shutter speed to avoid motion blur. Hope that helps.:)

Thanks cfc that picture was in my first round of shots early this morning, completely auto. All my shots are hand held :)

Since that photo i have practiced setting the Fstop and Shutter speed and completely ignored the ISO DOF and WB. I will be playing with them tomorrow :) hopefully get some sharper shots.


After today im not sure wether i want a larger lens or a macro lens. I wanted a macro lens 100% but after being outside today i saw 1 amazing bird and just couldnt get the reach to catch it proply :(



Here is another pic i took earlier, nothing interesting.. just nice colours lol :\

http://www.frantec.com.au/clovers.jpg