Still Learning but would love feedback on my photos!

I am absolutely still learning but I would love to hear some feedback on photos to point in a good direction. There is so much to learn and having a bit of guidance would be incredible. Any help is appreciated! I am very much in love with patterns of water in nature but had no idea how to edit/crop these. They are cropped closer at the moment so you can see the detail.

Shoot also just realized maybe I should've posted the non-cropped versions? Let me know please am 100% new to the forum and not quite sure the best approach.

Rackle, welcome to the forum.
What gear are you using to capture theses?

I quite like both, although second would have been better with a macro setup.

Nice job on the cob web. Although I suspect that the architect is unsettled with how visible it is.

Sad to say, the composition of the dewy leaf could be improved with getting in closer. What is that tan strip? It's distracting. This is a case where a little hunting might have produced a more amenable subject.

Welcome to the forum. Many knowledgeable people here, you should learn much. Feel free to ask anything. The cobweb shot is cool, like it. The second shot just looks like you pulled up your camera & hit the trigger. Find a subject, isolate it. Either by cropping it, shallow depth of field (DOF, only the subject is in focus), or physically moving your body to change composition. The tan strip for instance. Move it. If you can't, move you. If you can't, find another subject.

As mentioned, it can't hurt to list your gear so we know what you're working with. Doesn't matter if it's a point & shoot or DSLR, just helps to know.

Have fun! I will only give one piece of advice that has been said to me by every wonderful photographer I know, "Take a ton of photographs!" It must mean something because every successful shooter I know has told me the same thing.

I absolutely agree the sunlight makes for the best water photos that I have been able to capture. The main issue is that I don't typically go looking for photos so never know when something is going to pop up that simply catches my eye. The spider web in my first photo I saw over by some bushes when I was getting out of my car at a gas station haha. No way to improve that lighting. I am torn between my love for capturing random moments I run into that spark interest vs trying to find a perfect situation where the light makes the magic you are speaking of. Also, I have no idea how to capture my favorite version of that which is absolutely when the light hits water droplets and they look like diamonds. So beautiful but every photo I take just looks so dull in comparison.

The first photo was a completely random moment so I am sorry to say it was taken with my G8 samsung phone (I saw this by some bushes at a gas station and just had to capture it). The second was me attempting to use a D3400 Nikon camera I have with this pretty cheap promaster macro lens attached that doesn't actually go with the camera (it still works ish but the functionality is limited and it is almost impossible to get it to focus). I am pretty sure neither of those means for taking these photos matches with what everyone else has hence why I was a bit reluctant to admit it! HA! I love everything about macro but can't seem to figure out how to use the lens properly even with googling. Also, I really do love the act of simply finding things that already exist around me in my day to day and capturing them at that moment...and carrying around the big camera, getting it out and set up, then figuring out how to capture the moment while my doggo is trying to get me to keep walking tends to be both incredibly difficult and (for those watching) incredibly hilarious. I have fallen down a few times from her tugging while I am trying to take the photo hahahah!

Also thanks so much for the welcome. I am excited to finally get some feedback on the photos. It means a lot to have a place like this to discuss and learn.

I think it would make more sense if I had not cropped it. The focus is on that little set of leaves that are sitting at the edge of a wood planter ( the tan strip) which I can see now is lost in context if you do not have my knowledge of what it looked like as a whole I appreciate the feedback!

And yes... pretty sure the little spidey lady was not thrilled by her web's photo debut ha!

Thanks so much for the response! I absolutely appreciate it! Good advice for sure.

I think posting these still meets the restrictions of the thread rules.. thought maybe I should post the versions that are not cropped.

I posted the non-cropped versions of the photos.. In the one with the tan strip you can see the other side of the planter so I maybe makes more sense? Still think based on the feedback that it could have been improved for sure and likely wasn't the best option for the photo.

On the spider web you would have been better off framing it so that one of the sky showed through. The web and dew pop out of the dark but get lost in the edges of the frame. The drawback of using a phone is that you are stuck with a relatively wide lens and the only options for changing the framing is cropping.

You are in the right track, welcome and good luck going forward.