Please critique these pictures (zoo setting)

Hi all,

http://www.wsu.edu/~ge​ir/images/

I've been trying to use the Canon G1 to improve my camera techniques and get some better pictures out of it. Camera settings included on website.


These pictures were taken last weekend in Gainesville, Texas.

Please critique and comment. (Composition as well as camera settings)

Thanks,
Geir

On the last, interior, photo: What's the origin of the magenta/pink cast in the photo? Is that really what the place looked like? Whoopsy! Interior designer--fired, I'd say.

The headshot of the eagle (?) is amazing--just what the G1 is capable of. I gather it's at full zoom, but no converter? Background is too distracting to make this a "gallery" or POTD shot (check out Steve's Digicams POTD today (Tuesday, June 12) to see what's possible in this vein), but nonetheless, a very nice photo of a beautiful beast!

keep working on the images.

cheers,

the interior color comes from the fact that they had a dance band playing to the left of the picture and their spotlights were anything but white (the normal dance-band-type lighting), so the building didn't look like it...

The hawk, I had no option for background, since it was on my girlfriends arm... full zoom, no converter, 3 feet (probably) from the thing... I had to choose between sun in the background and all sorts of exposure problems or a wall...

It's nice to know people who work in zoos.... plenty of opportunities for pictures like this... if only the G1 would focus like my Rebel 2000....

Thanks for the feedback

Geir

I like the hawk picture the best. It really makes a dramatic statement. The focus is right on and the depth of field is there but would be better with a more consistant background, I think that sky blue would be good. But I like it a lot!

The parrot pictures might be better with a little closer shot. The first one has the wings out of focus, so you might as well get closer and put the focus on the bird and crop out around the birds wings. This might accomplish a stronger focus on the birds head and make a statement similar to the hawk. I like those fingernails as well. I have taken several animals pictures and try to take the whole animal as yours are and then get closer and take another and so on. The picture that I usually keep rarely has the whole animal. That is the great thing about digital, TAKE A BUNCH, SAVE ONE!

Your comment on the focus is always a problem but seems to be able to reduce the problem by expermentation.