Canon 40D VERY FIRST DIGITAL IMAGES, CRIT!

Hello all,

These are my first digital pictures from my 40D. Although I have taken film photography classes, I never really got a hand on a digital camera. These are my first. I just bought my 40D and took it for a fun ride.

From the get-go I will let you know that I was having fun rather than trying to get the PERFECT image. But anyways, CRIT and destroy the images.

I posted 8 pictures but then realized that we are only allowed to post 2 at a time and only reply with additional pictures if requested.

THANKS!

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no images to crit sry

#1. Toooooo dark, and underexposed, and it's a toilet
#2. Well nice try on the ghostwalk, but this one is a bit overexposed. the shoot is clumsy, and the ghost is a bit too visible. but nice try. Keep practicing, and learning on this forum and internet, about exposure, f-stops, DOF, rules of the third etc...
But keep practicing and using your camera.

Well I like #2 alot. I don't think it's overexposed. It looks just right on my calibrated monitor. I like the ghost image. You did a good job catching it.

My only complaint is that I would have rather seen this shot very symetrically framed, with the camera dead center of the isle. While this is usually an bad thing this is one of those shots where it would have been great.

Keep it up!

In addition to acchildress' comments about symmetry in the second shot (which I completely agree with), the white balance looks a bit off to me here...at least compared with the first shot. If you shot these in RAW, I'd go back and play with the white balance settings a bit...or considering this looked like a public library, I'd just go back and re-shoot it with the suggestions you get here...it's a very neat idea.

As far as the first shot goes, I have to disagree with spooch in that I don't think it's "underexposed" as much as simply poor lighting. If you bumped up the exposure any more, you'd end up with blown out highlights on the top of the toilet, the planters and the window. I will however agree with spooch in regards to the subject matter. Granted, whenever I get a new camera I tend to play with shots around the house myself to get a feeling for the new piece of equipment (which is what I'm sure you were doing here)...shots of the kitchen, the living room, my dogs, etc., but I'm not sure "the head" would ever really be my first choice. That said, the white balance is beautiful here and the image looks pretty crisp and sharp. Could probably use a little USM if the subject matter were more...umm...interesti​ng, but over-all you do have the right idea as far as working the new camera goes. I would add that there does also seem to be some lens distortion in this shot as well...kit lens? The wall line to the left of the toilet (image right) appears to be straight, but the window looks pretty slanted...a common problem with inexpensive lenses, especially in tight quarters such as this. I'll forgo any further critique on this shot as obviously it "is what it is"...getting a feel for the camera .

Peace,
Jim

Jim et. all,

Thanks for your feedback. The subject on the second photo was not shot to highlight the "greatness" of the toilet, rather I was interested in the vector created from the light.

The toilet photo was taken with a 10-22 mm a not so inexpensive lens.

I will go re-shot the library.

Thanks,

jguadian wrote in post #6635542
The toilet photo was taken with a 10-22 mm a not so inexpensive lens.

No matter how much your lens costs, this is always going to be just a toilet

Your library shot has a lot of potential.

LeuceDeuce wrote in post #6636843
No matter how much your lens costs, this is always going to be just a toilet

I'm sorry - but I think a toilet is a fine subject to photograph. I took this to show how I prep a public restroom... but the dissention in this thread against toilets inspires me to embark on a new photographic agenda to capture these porcelain sculptures.

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Reign wrote in post #6637726
I'm sorry - but I think a toilet is a fine subject to photograph. I took this to show how I prep a public restroom... but the dissention in this thread against toilets inspires me to embark on a new photographic agenda to capture these porcelain sculptures.

LOL we've hit a new low in this forum

LeuceDeuce wrote in post #6637877
LOL we've hit a new low in this forum

We have......

Art is often misunderstood

Ya know this is actually kind of a funny discussion to me about the toilets. A number of years ago when I started getting serious about photography (well, digital photography at least), I had been on this quest to find something "different" as a venue for my artistic expression. My main love in regards to photography has always been (and probably will always be) nature and critters, but at the time I was trying to think from a commercial stand point and let's face it, the market is soooooo saturated with such images that a person often needs something different...something outside of the box so to speak for his/her work to really stand out. As such, I started shooting "out houses" around Ohio! LOL!!! For several weeks I was going around to various parks and such trying to shoot as many different out houses and "port-a-johns" as I could find. I think my idea at the time was something along the lines of the juxtaposition between the out houses and the lovely views of nature around them in the park. My wife of course thought I had completely lost my mind! Of course when I sat down to start editing them and tried to view them from any "artistic perspective"...well...​I started to think she was right.

I do still have those images backed up to CD-ROM somewhere, but I could just never bring myself to print any of them. I suppose there are a few people out there who might have found some artistic value in them...there are of course people who can consider any kind of trash as "art" but I didn't want to build my reputation on that. More over from my own stand point I just decided that if I couldn't enjoy them, they simply were not worth doing so I've just stuck with what I love and know best...critters.

Anyways, this convo has really brought back some very strange memories! LOL!!!

Peace,
Jim

Jim,

Thank you for that story. That was actually very endearing. I love it! I would love for an opportunity to set a pristine white toilet on a beach or in the middle of a forest.

Ha!

"I'm sorry - but I think a toilet is a fine subject to photograph. I took this to show how I prep a public restroom... but the dissention in this thread against toilets inspires me to embark on a new photographic agenda to capture these porcelain sculptures."

Well ... you would save TP if you would just tear off a long piece and put it in the shape of a "V" - it's faster and easier - my neighbor taught me that when our kids were little!

No, I don't like that technique... I want full coverage and the V doesn't give me that