Newbie Again

Hi I am new to POTN and very new to Photography. Any advice on my first upload would be greatly appreciated.

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I feel the first one is nice, a quiet peaceful scene, but a little let down by the lighting which is a bit dull and cold. Would have worked better in the evening (the so-called golden hour) I think.

But I think the second one is not nice, the bright reflections from and the out of focus nature of the leaves in the foreground (to the right and left) is quite distracting.

Much appreciated, it was a dull and overcast day> i need to learn how to brighten it up a bit. I do agree with the second one, I liked the idea myself because of the motion but will try again with a deeper DOF. Thank you fro the comments, it's a great way to learn.

#1 can use a slight contrast boost.
And actually #2 can be made much better with some contrast adjustment with curves. Turn on image editing in your profile and I'll upload an edit of it.

Done and thanks for the help. I am keen to see it.

Here's my take on it.

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Tragic_Golfer wrote in post #13974508
Much appreciated, it was a dull and overcast day> i need to learn how to brighten it up a bit. I do agree with the second one, I liked the idea myself because of the motion but will try again with a deeper DOF. Thank you fro the comments, it's a great way to learn.

Dull and overcast days are often better than sunny days. I dont know that brightening the scene is called for here. If you use photoshop do a levels adjustment (this allows to you set where in the scene black becomes black, and whites white). By darkening the scene you can allow the green colors to appear more saturated.

Dull days are great for waterfalls... If you have a tripod & a circular polarizer, use them to crerate a long exposure to make the water blur smoothly.

I'm new at this so I don't have much experience with the technical details, but I think if you add a little bit more contrast to the first one, you could get the image to pop out more, besides that to me it looks like a very nice photograph, and he second one is nice as well. I would like to have seen a longer exposure on the second one to get more blurr in the waterfall .
What camara are you using?

I have a 550d with a battery pack mounted, I shot these with a canon 50mm f1.8 which I have just purchased because I was told it's a great lens and will teach me to compose pictures and be more creative. I also have a canon 18-200 IS lens and a 430EXII Flash.
All awesome C&C, thank you. I can see the better colour and detail in the edited version Thanks QBX. I am going to buy a tripod and possibly a canon 17-55 f2.8 for family gatherings / work functions. I will go back there with the tripod and test the longer exposures.

Tragic_Golfer wrote in post #13978194
I have a 550d with a battery pack mounted, I shot these with a canon 50mm f1.8 which I have just purchased because I was told it's a great lens and will teach me to compose pictures and be more creative.

The 50 1.8 is a nice starter prime, but it doesnt come with any lessons built in. It doesnt have a built in creativity switch either. What will make you better is paying attention to your composition regardless of focal length. What will make you more creative is learning how field of view, depth of field, and focal length allow you to change the way you present the things you photograph.

Thanks gonzo. That ws what I meant LOL. I was told that by using a quality prime I will have to think it out more carefully. My first day out was a challenge, my fingures kept wanting to adjust the zoom.

Tragic_Golfer wrote in post #13978532
Thanks gonzo. That ws what I meant LOL. I was told that by using a quality prime I will have to think it out more carefully. My first day out was a challenge, my fingures kept wanting to adjust the zoom.

If you use a prime, especially one with a short focal length such as the 50mm/1.8, it makes you think about composition, and if you want a tight close up, it makes you walk (foot zoom), which brings its own set of complications, with perspective distortion etc.. I suggest you get either the 18-55 IS or the 55-250IS to open up your options a bit.

Read about the exposure triangle (ISO, Aperture & shutter speed) and experiment.. Keep shooting and posting here.. I have learned all I know by posting here and seeking feedback...

Let's see some close up shots with that 50mm....

I am thinking about buying the canon 17-55 f2.8 IS lens. I didnt get the kit lens with mine I bought the body and an 18-200 IS. Would the 17-55 be a good lens to use?

Tragic_Golfer wrote in post #13978696
I am thinking about buying the canon 17-55 f2.8 IS lens. I didnt get the kit lens with mine I bought the body and an 18-200 IS. Would the 17-55 be a good lens to use?

It'll be a GREAT lens to use.. but IMHO.. not now... You can get an 18-55IS or the 55-250IS both for half that price. Even the 18-200IS will help you learn a lot. You'll have to learn quite a bit about exposure etc, before you'll start using a such a lens as 17-55.. and its low light capabilities...

I started with those 2, learned a lot, sold them both and got a Tamron 18-270, and then when I got comfortable, got a 70-200F4L, and now I have gone full frame. It took me 3 years and almost constant shooting to get to here...

People here will say that it does not matter what is in front of the camera (lens) but what is behind (photographer) to make great photos...