I need HONEST opinions.

I'm new to photography and I want honest critiques. I have an iMac and I am using the adjustments in iPhoto only. I'm still trying to learn but these are the first pictures I took on a recent hunt and I thought they were pretty good. I'm posting before and post. Be as harsh as you want. I'm a fire fighter I have skin like leather.

IMAGE LINK: http://s206.photobucke​t.com …MG_1506-Version2.jpg.html

IMAGE LINK: http://s206.photobucke​t.com …MG_1506-Version4.jpg.html

IMAGE LINK: http://s206.photobucke​t.com …t/media/IMG_132​1.jpg.html

IMAGE LINK: http://s206.photobucke​t.com …MG_1321-Version2.jpg.html

I think you've done a pretty good job, honestly. The first one feels awfully crooked to me. I would straighten out the horizon line and crop it so as to position the duck a little more to the right of the composition. Your post-processing isn't too bad, what camera are you using?

EDIT: There's also a couple of specs of something in the upper left in the first picture. Maybe something on the front element of the lens or the sensor? I guess it could also be from that brush you're standing behind, in which case I'd photoshop that out.

The second photo is the better of the two, in my opinion. It creates a good story and makes you imagine what the man and dog may be looking at. I would have composed it a little bit lower, because there's a lot of headspace and the dogs body feels a bit cut off.

Nice work

I've never seen a picture of a duck like that so i think that is pretty cool. I would definitely straighten the horizon and you might see how it looks to crop tighter so the duck is bigger. I'm not a fan of the out of focus thing on the left side of the pic, so a closer crop might take that out too. I like the second pic as is.

Thank you guys. as far as gear I shot these with the 7D with 135mmL at f/2. Only reason I took this lens was I knew I would be in low light. The pic of my dad and his dog was taken in a slight misty fog just before 7am. I didn't pose the shot, My dad was watching ducks and starting to call at em. I'm guessing why the Duck pic is crooked is because I was actually laying in the brush on an angled levee. I have more pics but they are a little more out of focus simply because its just hard getting a duck coming in to land to slow down. Like I say I am learning and I looking for all the help I can get.

IMAGE LINK: http://s206.photobucke​t.com …MG_1506-Version3.jpg.html

I think on the second set, I like the more muted version a little better - subdued colors seem to match the mood of the photo. I'd agree that catching a bit more of the dog and person would have been better, slightly wider angle shot, but its still an interesting photo. Wonder how B&W might look for that one.

These are some of the same duck coming in to decoys but are little out of focus. This duck was close to 40 yard out at time pic was taken. I straighten the horizon.

IMAGE LINK: http://s206.photobucke​t.com …MG_1504-Version2.jpg.html

IMAGE LINK: http://s206.photobucke​t.com …MG_1504-Version3.jpg.html

IMAGE LINK: http://s206.photobucke​t.com …MG_1501-Version2.jpg.html

You know, I wouldn't sweat it too much. I think your pictures are fine. If you are happy with your picture and it pleases you then that is what counts. You're likely to get as many different opinions as to what you should do with this photo as you'll get responses. Your skill and ability will develop over time if that is your goal. I'm not the greatest photographer around but what matters to me is that my pictures are better and I'm faster and more skilled at post-processing than I was last year. This is strictly personal opinion but I think you'll be able to bring a picture closer to its full potential much quicker and easier with the use of a better photo editing tool such as lightroom. There are tons of good video tutorials out there that will get you using the various tools available in lightroom to do some pretty interesting things with your photos quickly and efficiently. Best of luck.

I want to get Lightroom. I know I have already been helped in ways like the straightening of the horizon, I would have never even seen that if it hadn't been mentioned. I just took the pic the way I saw it. this post stuff is a ton to learn and to me seems a bit over whelming with some of the stuff that can be done. Thanks everyone keep it coming

I'd say the color works better. However, I tried to fool around with your b&w version, got this with just a few minutes of punching up the contrast and hightlights. This was with Lightroom, which I'm pretty new at, but I think it's an improvement.

[QUOTE=patrick j;17330556]I'd say the color works better. However, I tried to fool around with your b&w version, got this with just a few minutes of punching up the contrast and hightlights. This was with Lightroom, which I'm pretty new at, but I think it's an improvement.


Yeah thats a lot better

I wouldn't have straightened the horizon in the first one. The bird is straight which is more important imo. You straightened the horizon which in turn has skewed the bird at an odd angle.

elrey2375 wrote in post #17330902
I wouldn't have straightened the horizon in the first one. The bird is straight which is more important imo. You straightened the horizon which in turn has skewed the bird at an odd angle.

I looked at that and thought the same thing but when ducks come in to land they can get into all kinds of weird positions. But I do see what you are saying.
Thank you

Not bad at all IMO. Catching birds in flight is tough and this looks pretty good.

As to 'level' - trees are expected to be vertical, birds not so much.

Thank you