At the Zoo

[SJEaton]

Here's some of my fav pics I've taken so far at various zoos. My favourite zoo has to be Barcelona though as there's very few fences/glass so you can get great shots! Would welcome any C&C....and would love to see some of your own shots

[dje]

Nice shots Samantha. I think #1 is my favourite.

Dave

[SJEaton]

Nice shots Samantha. I think #1 is my favourite.

Dave

Thanks Dave, yes I love that one too

[Donald]

Would welcome any C&C....

Samantha

What are your views of them?

What would you pick out as the strengths and the areas for improvement?

Something to consider for the future - When you want some detailed C & C, you might find it better to post maybe just one image. It can get a bit overwhelming trying to provide constructive comment on a series of 5 images and you inevitably get caught up into comparing one against another and the comments are along the lines of "Number X is my favourite". This is fine, but if you are wanting more detailed analysis then it's an idea not to overwhelm your audience.

[SJEaton]

Samantha

What are your views of them?

What would you pick out as the strengths and the areas for improvement?

Something to consider for the future - When you want some detailed C & C, you might find it better to post maybe just one image. It can get a bit overwhelming trying to provide constructive comment on a series of 5 images and you inevitably get caught up into comparing one against another and the comments are along the lines of "Number X is my favourite". This is fine, but if you are wanting more detailed analysis then it's an idea not to overwhelm your audience.

Ok good point, thanks. I like them all, i like the textures in #2 and the detail in #4 with the sand on his whiskers . I'm pleased with the moment that I captured in #3 but this was taken behind perspex/glass so probably doesnt help the quality. I've only ever had comments from family and friends in the past on my photos and I often feel they are rather biased! I do generally get stuck on auto at present but I'm just learning all about photography at an evening class so hope I can start to use my own settings and make improvements. Was just interested in what people thought of my first amateur attempts.

[Donald]

Ok good point, thanks. I like them all, i like the textures in #2 and the detail in #4 with the sand on his whiskers . I'm pleased with the moment that I captured in #3 but this was taken behind perspex/glass so probably doesnt help the quality.

I think one of the most important parts on the learning to critically appraise your own work. So, well done. I believe that by doing what you have just done, you will learn and develop much faster than just by having us give you are views about which ones we like or don't like and why.

That one's definitely got the 'Aaww' factor. In terms of the composition, do you think there is maybe too much empty space at the bottom of the image? If you look below the animal's chin and neck, there is nothing there. All the interest is in the upper part of the image. If you were to crop is just a bit below the lowest part of the neck, do you think that would help it at all?

The other thing we have to think about is where we're focusing. I see that the auto settings set your aperture at f4.3. So, you didn't have a huge depth-of-field available to you. It looks to me as if the point of focus may be somewhere just under that ear that's nearest to us. The eyes and the nose seem a little soft (out-of-focus). Now, there is something to be said for the soft-focus look in an image such as this, but I think accepted thinking is that you always need to have the eyes really sharp.

The white areas on the bird are blown; e.g. the top of the head. All the detail is lost because the exposure has let these areas go completely white.

Another point to consider with this one is that, again, there's a lot of space not occupied by the primary subject; i.e. the bird. Now, I happen to think that the pattern on the water in the upper right quadrant is gorgeous. But I suspect that was not your planned image. So, you have to think - What is it I'm shooting and how is it that I show that off to best advantage.

I think this is good one. I note what you have said about it being taken through perspex. That is always going to present a challenge, but you've handled that one well. In terms of the composition, you have cropped it tight. I wonder of including the top of the mother's head would have helped the image a bit more? One of the disciplines we have to teach ourselves is to always look around the edges of the frame before we press the button - Is everything that needs to be in the frame included? Is everything that shouldn't be there, excluded? It's all about practice, practice and practice.

By now, you'll be feeling that all I'm doing is negatively commenting on your images. But I hope it's proving helpful.

This is a beauty.

You've nailed the focus and the exposure. It's a nicely balanced composition. Yes, there is space in the upper left quadrant and in relation to the second one above, I criticised this. So, what's the difference?

Look at the percentage of teh whole image that's taken up by the primary subject. In this one I include the piece of wood, because that is an integral part of the image. The percentage in this one is much greater than the space in the second one. So, there's enough in this image to hold out attention and the background just helps to balance the composition, whereas, in #2 above, the background (the water), competed with the main subject for attention.

I don't think this one works at all. I think this sort of 'head-on' shot is very difficult to pull off. You were also working in very harsh and direct sunlight, so you had all the challenges of that to cope with. And the result is that there are parts of the image that are blown; i.e. gone completely to white and have no detail left in them

And finally - I hope we can really help you to get off 'Auto' and onto some of the creative mode settings. You really will find a whole new world of photography opening up to you.

So, well done. Keep them coming.

[Bobobird]

All nice shots but my favs are 1 and 3.

[SJEaton]

I think one of the most important parts on the learning to critically appraise your own work. So, well done. I believe that by doing what you have just done, you will learn and develop much faster than just by having us give you are views about which ones we like or don't like and why.


That one's definitely got the 'Aaww' factor. In terms of the composition, do you think there is maybe too much empty space at the bottom of the image? If you look below the animal's chin and neck, there is nothing there. All the interest is in the upper part of the image. If you were to crop is just a bit below the lowest part of the neck, do you think that would help it at all?

The other thing we have to think about is where we're focusing. I see that the auto settings set your aperture at f4.3. So, you didn't have a huge depth-of-field available to you. It looks to me as if the point of focus may be somewhere just under that ear that's nearest to us. The eyes and the nose seem a little soft (out-of-focus). Now, there is something to be said for the soft-focus look in an image such as this, but I think accepted thinking is that you always need to have the eyes really sharp.


The white areas on the bird are blown; e.g. the top of the head. All the detail is lost because the exposure has let these areas go completely white.

Another point to consider with this one is that, again, there's a lot of space not occupied by the primary subject; i.e. the bird. Now, I happen to think that the pattern on the water in the upper right quadrant is gorgeous. But I suspect that was not your planned image. So, you have to think - What is it I'm shooting and how is it that I show that off to best advantage.


I think this is good one. I note what you have said about it being taken through perspex. That is always going to present a challenge, but you've handled that one well. In terms of the composition, you have cropped it tight. I wonder of including the top of the mother's head would have helped the image a bit more? One of the disciplines we have to teach ourselves is to always look around the edges of the frame before we press the button - Is everything that needs to be in the frame included? Is everything that shouldn't be there, excluded? It's all about practice, practice and practice.


By now, you'll be feeling that all I'm doing is negatively commenting on your images. But I hope it's proving helpful.

This is a beauty.

You've nailed the focus and the exposure. It's a nicely balanced composition. Yes, there is space in the upper left quadrant and in relation to the second one above, I criticised this. So, what's the difference?

Look at the percentage of teh whole image that's taken up by the primary subject. In this one I include the piece of wood, because that is an integral part of the image. The percentage in this one is much greater than the space in the second one. So, there's enough in this image to hold out attention and the background just helps to balance the composition, whereas, in #2 above, the background (the water), competed with the main subject for attention.


I don't think this one works at all. I think this sort of 'head-on' shot is very difficult to pull off. You were also working in very harsh and direct sunlight, so you had all the challenges of that to cope with. And the result is that there are parts of the image that are blown; i.e. gone completely to white and have no detail left in them

And finally - I hope we can really help you to get off 'Auto' and onto some of the creative mode settings. You really will find a whole new world of photography opening up to you.

So, well done. Keep them coming.

Thanks you so much for this C&C. Its really really helpful and I'm not at all put off by the negative stuff, that's how we learn! With regards to the penguin shot I did purposefully do the composition with the bird offset as I loved the affects on the water so much and I often have an offset kind of style to my photos. I still welcome your comments regarding composition and will definitely be thinking more as I crop! Thanks again, much appreciated.

[SJEaton]

All nice shots but my favs are 1 and 3.

Thanks!

[SJEaton]

Another favourite of mine