Shooting everything i can find. need help.

[WarOnError]

Hi all, im trying to become a better photographer but I dont know where to start, so I just started taking pictures of anything I can find. The camera is a Powershot G3, im trying to learn on this before I end up buying a Rebel XTi or better. Let me know if you have ANY tips, be harsh if need to be, just lay it down.

http://www.warindustries.net/crit1.jpg
http://www.warindustries.net/crit2.jpg
http://www.warindustries.net/crit3.jpg
http://www.warindustries.net/crit4.jpg

[zanyzach37]

When I got my first camera, I did exactly what you did, and shot anything I could. I looked for stuff everywhere, tried to take shots I thought were "good", and basically ended up with a whole bunch of stuff that might have been technically correct but didn't give me much satisfaction.

Since you're just starting, and this is just my perspective, the best advice I could give would be to shoot things you enjoy and have a good time. You'll get better with practice, after handling the camera for a while, and learning how it works. You have some interesting shots, but I kind of get the feeling that, like you said, these were just images of "things that you found' rather than things you were invested in.

I tend to gravitate more towards the "creative" side of photography rather than the "technical", and I'm sure you'll get some solid advice from others on here with regard to the ins-and-outs of photography, and what you need to do to make your images more technically correct. But I think those things usually fall into place when you're having a good time and you really care about what you're shooting.

Keep up the good work... you're off to a great start.

[Robert_Lay]

Your 1st 3 shots are what I would call "exercises in macro". The 4th shot is what I would call an exercise in depth of field and the problem of isolating parts of the scene from the distraction elements.

You will find that you will get a higher incidence of acceptance when you first decide in which category or class of photograph you are producing and then ask yourself whether or not your photograph would stand a chance in a competition in that class or category. In order to reach the level of "fine art", a great deal of learning is required on such topics as "interest" and "composition" and "chiaroscuro".

You're off to a good start, but the sooner you focus on a particular category and compete in that category, the sooner you will find out what is important and what is not.

[MagicallyDelicious]

Just keep doing what you are doing. and ask peoples opinions on pictures....You'll start to notice things in your pictures that you didnt before and they will be things that will stay in your head every time you go and take more pictures.!

[spaceCow]

Check out this essay http://www.luminous-landscape.com/es...xt-level.shtml. Especially the Aesthetic Levels section. Shot lots, but take time to look at your shots especially your older ones. As I experiment more and read more (especially critiques), I really start seeing the flaws in my older exposures.

For your first two images, they lack focus and flow. When I look at them, my eye just wanders all over the place and I find the pictures uninteresting. Experiment with cropping and remove the uninteresting bits.

[snavlee]

my suggestion would be to find a definate subject for the picture. As mentioned above, the eye tends to wonder through these pictures without any real subject. Try to find something "worthy" of capturing and then compose a shot.

[strmrdr]

A good start is to find a stationary subject that appeals to you and shot it from all angles and in different lighting conditions over several days.
Taking random pictures will not help you learn.

Once thats done start playing with DOF and aparture values.