Need An Opinion On Photos

[num1habsfan]

Hey everyone. I need your opinions on some photos. Theres a contest in town to win $50 if the pic can make their calendar, and I have a lot of quality photos (right randi? ), so i'm gonna list a bunch below here that I have online, and I'd like you all to choose which you think is the best out of what I show you. Thank you in advance!! please ASK if you want to save these photos!!

1. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...yofIMG_3814.webp

2. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...yofIMG_3806.webp

3. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...an/IMG_3338.webp

4. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...an/IMG_3325.webp

5. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...an/ladybug2.webp

6. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...fan/ladybug.webp

7. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...wermcbride2.webp

8. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num1habfan/worm2.webp

9. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num.../beemcbride.webp

10. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...ightning2-1.webp

11. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num1habfan/wasp2.webp

12. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...n/flower2-1.webp

13. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...n/dragonfly.webp

14. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...n/flower8-2.webp

15. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...n/flower3-2.webp

16. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num1habfan/river3.webp

17. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num1habfan/river1.webp

18. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...n/flower6-1.webp

19. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num1habfan/fire25.webp

20. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...an/flower17.webp

21. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...fan/flower2.webp

22. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...yofIMG_3830.webp

23. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...yofIMG_3832.webp

24. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...n/parrhill6.webp

25. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...fan/spider1.webp <-just added

26. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num.../lightning2.webp <-just added

27. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...yofIMG_4086.webp <-just added

28. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...yofIMG_4053.webp <-just added

^^ thats mosttt of them, I do have a lot more, just not online. Please help me out!!

[tarnalberry]

This one is, in my opinion, the best compositionally and technically.

5. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...an/ladybug2.webp

This is also a solid composition and lighting. It's got more of a niche appeal than the first one, however.

13. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...n/dragonfly.webp

This has potential, but the cropping is a problem. I presume that this isn't the full frame?

21. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...fan/flower2.webp

[ravenwoodglass]

I agree number 5 is the best. I also like 13 a lot, 9, 21. Nuber 6 would be good if you did a bit of cropping to make the central deer stand out more and get rid of the busy background. Your landscape shots are okay and they are pretty but they need something to draw the eye. The one of the fire was my favorite but I don't think this would be one they would pick for a calender. It would make a great poster though. Maybe you could have some computer fun and put someone or something in the center of it. Like your least favorite doctor.

[TinkerbellSwt]

omg, I am having the hardest time picking the best.. The single deer one, crop it a bit, gorgeous.. Number 5 was also pretty...

[ebrbetty]

I like # 5 And #6

[Sweetfudge]

wow these are all really great pictures! what kind of camera do you use? any special editing program?

my votes are #'s 5 and 24 I hope you win!

[Phyllis28]

I like number 24. I have a personal preference for landscapes. However, I am not sure my opinion should count as I do not have an artistic bone in my body.

[Ursa Major]

I think no. 5 is the one (and I chose it without looking at anybody else's comments because I didn't want to be influenced in my decision). I also like the lightning picture. But that ladybug picture is unique and artistic, I love it.

There are other very nice pictures there. The flower ones are pretty. But too many people will have the same kind of pictures I think. It is better to be unique.

Some of the landscape pictures (especially the river ones) lack a point of interest, something that draws your eye.

[num1habsfan]

Thanks for the opinions everyone, keep them coming!!

Sweetfudge...I use a Canon Powershot A540. Just a simple 6 MP. No special editing done on any of these either lol. Just skilled focus hehehe

~ lisa ~

[Felidae]

I like #'s 5, 6 and 21. But they are all very good.

[Rusla]

This is really hard, Lisa. So, #5, #6, #13, #21. Mainly because of the depth, colour, composition, and detail. I like #1 because I like deers just the contrast needs to be different. But your flowers and bugs are phenomenal.

[num1habsfan]

This is really hard, Lisa. So, #5, #6, #13, #21. Mainly because of the depth, colour, composition, and detail. I like #1 because I like deers just the contrast needs to be different. But your flowers and bugs are phenomenal.

Again, thank you. I realized i have a clear picture of a spider, close zoom, that I forgot to link. But i know a lot of people hate spiders so I didnt if you guys wanna see it let me know. There sure seems to be a few favourites

~ Lisa ~

[gfp]

I'm not sure if you want some constructive feedback or just a selection to enter for the contest?

In the 1st case, just say so but you can also find some good places online... if you have a flickr account (or yahoo account you can get a flickr one for free)

In the 2nd case then the terms of the contest are important, if its local then something of specific local interest is always going to do better than a great shot that could be anywhere?

An overall comment is many of your shots lack light ...

Whereby I realise you already took 'em there are a few where waiting for the light might be a worthwhile thing...

When I say "waiting" you can put things in your favor my using the US Navy's sun calculator online... and listening for weather forecasts.

Open Original Shared Link

but sometimes it just doesn't happen, you can wait for hours for the light to be right and it never happens.

The second "tip" is that the composition often doesn't seem to have the "effort" put in...

Just taking one

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/num...yofIMG_3832.webp

The pipe you appear to be standing on is a distraction but overall the photo would have been stronger if you fought your way down to the bank... this would also have changed the angle of the sun which has blown-out the top part to lower so that the trees would partly obscure it... and the reflections would then have been from the water/ice?

The same in the river shot... if you had removed the reed from the photo first ?

All of this is perfectly normal but if you are serious then the idea should be to take the photo's and then decide what you did wrong for the next time.

[num1habsfan]

In the 2nd case then the terms of the contest are important, if its local then something of specific local interest is always going to do better than a great shot that could be anywhere?

...

An overall comment is many of your shots lack light ...

Whereby I realise you already took 'em there are a few where waiting for the light might be a worthwhile thing...

...

but sometimes it just doesn't happen, you can wait for hours for the light to be right and it never happens.

The second "tip" is that the composition often doesn't seem to have the "effort" put in...

...

All of this is perfectly normal but if you are serious then the idea should be to take the photo's and then decide what you did wrong for the next time.

I aint no professional photographer, and that one you linked i took from the vehicle causei was just driving down the road with my parents. Most of these shots i was in the right place at the right time, so theres no way i could wait for better lighting. All the contest rules are is photos that remind you of Saskatchewan, which is why i put the landscape ones in here as choices. Theres no restrictions on what the pic has to contain. Like i said, i just wanted a few calendar-worthy choices...

~ lisa ~

[num1habsfan]

In the 2nd case then the terms of the contest are important, if its local then something of specific local interest is always going to do better than a great shot that could be anywhere?

...

An overall comment is many of your shots lack light ...

Whereby I realise you already took 'em there are a few where waiting for the light might be a worthwhile thing...

...

but sometimes it just doesn't happen, you can wait for hours for the light to be right and it never happens.

The second "tip" is that the composition often doesn't seem to have the "effort" put in...

...

All of this is perfectly normal but if you are serious then the idea should be to take the photo's and then decide what you did wrong for the next time.

I aint no professional photographer, and that one you linked i took from the vehicle causei was just driving down the road with my parents. Most of these shots i was in the right place at the right time, so theres no way i could wait for better lighting. All the contest rules are is photos that remind you of Saskatchewan, which is why i put the landscape ones in here as choices. Theres no restrictions on what the pic has to contain. Like i said, i just wanted a few calendar-worthy choices...

~ lisa ~

[gfp]

Hey, I can hardly class myself as professional either (although I sell a few)

You can check out flickr without joining and there's lots of groups for learning and stuff... A friend pushed me into joining and I was a bit retiscent but I was really quite pleasantly surprised... I belong to a few groups one of which is called "critique" where we all give feedback on photo's we choose to ask for it on.

Even if you don't want to join you can still read some of the discussions and learn lots of good stuff you just can post replies etc.

and that one you linked i took from the vehicle causei was just driving down the road with my parents.

Hey, I take lots of those too. The problem is most of them just don't come out very good ...

What Im trying to explain (with my severely glutened brain at the moment) is really that 90% of great pictures are planned and thought out... The great Landscape photographer (probably the greatest IMHO) Ansel Adams said if he got 10 great photo's a year he would be happy. Many people consider 10 in a lifetime a hell of an achievement..

Anyway I truly think photography is a great hobby.... especially if like me you are a bit of a loner at times... for me its actually something I can use to communicate with people, I think I see lots of stuff differently to most people so when I photograph it it allows me to share a little of how I perceive things...

Its a great hobby anyway, I'm just saying how it works for me

Open Original Shared Link

This is a pretty good site to help get the most from your camera ...

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is if you want to explore photography a bit more then try planning your photo's more...

When its all boiled down photography is all about capturing light....

One thing I did was make studies of certain things... that are located conveniently close I was talking to a guy last night and he was saying he used to cycle to work every day across a bridge and stop and look at Notre Dame every morning because each time is unique... its really so true... Ive got probably 200 pictures of Notre Dame and only 1-2 are great... and these I planned specifically using the sun calculator and arrived 1/2 hour in advance .. set up a tripod and stuff. Even after this I took 20-30 shots of the same thing ...

This brings me to a second "great tip"... which is using a tripod...

The logic is that you take a lot longer composing and waiting than just walking up and pressing a button I found it really worked for me... just a cheap tripod from wallmart will work fine for this...

I rarely go anywhere without a camera.... but I still find 90% of my best photo's are planned...

What I do find and the reason I said its great if you don't mind being alone is its much harder to take photo's when your with other people... no-one minds 1-2 or even 9-10 but I find myself rushing ...

I was recently back visiting my parents so your statement rings a bell for me .... they live in a very picturesque area (just a bit wet) but when my Dad was driving I was constantly twitching and wanting to stop the car to take photo's... but even then I was rushed and hurried... so what Im trying to say is you need to make time for photography IMHO instead of fitting in a snap here and there... when I drive myself I tend to choose routes for instance based on which side of a mountain the sun is on... and even when I'm exploring new towns or cities I tend to follow the light not a guidebook... as an example its like turning up to take a picture say of a church with an impressive front... and you arrive and the sun is behind it... more or less whatever you do your not going to get a great photo.... so I tend to visit places and make an itinery based on where the sun will be... I use churches specifically as an example because in Europe they all face East-West... and I know the sun rises in the East and sets in the West and in the Northern hemisphere goes by South at mid-day on the way...

so theres no way i could wait for better lighting

Well when your alone you can... even the deer will wait about if you make yourself a little snow hole...

Much of my "photography equipement" I carry with me is clothing... I recently took a series of the pyramid at the louvre ... everyone was asking how I got no tourists... its actually dead simple... I had fleece under trousers, a down coat and waterproofs (just in case) .. ice climbing mittens and a rabbit skin hat (just like Elmer fudds) and I just waited until 2AM... every 15 mins I had to go and stir the water to stop it freezing... another shot I took involved wading chest high into a river full of meltwater from the hills ... because it was the only way to get the perspective I wanted ... I don't do this ALL the time... but sometimes the light is just right and .... sometimes you just have to wait for a few hours

[Michi8]

#5, 9, 24

Michelle

[tarnalberry]

I have a bunch of pics (>1000) on flickr too. Good place to do some critical eye analysis on photos.

[num1habsfan]

Hey people, I added a few more pictures. the first 1 I found in my photo album (its in old one so i forgot about it haha) and the rest i just took this weekend.

Keep votes coming!!

~ Lisa ~

[Tritty]

gfp is right about the light. I work for a publishing company - and the printing of some of them would just turn out to dark. From a publishing perspective - you will get the best reproductions from numbers 5, 6 and 27. 27 may turn a little dark - but it would be a nice landscape one if that's what you're going for....

[brendygirl]

I liked the bee