Axel & Mitch

Finally starting to get the hang of my camera I think, please tell me what you think of these shots. Straight out of camera, except with Axel's just cropping to get rid of my husbands coat hem.

Axel


Mitch

Aww cute dogs BG!

They're lovely dogs - like the second shot!

xx

VERY CUTE.

The first one I would like to see withour all his armour on....hehe

The second is lovely and would be perfect if you got his feet in.

[I struggle with getting the whole body in as they scamper about so much]

Thanks Azz and Zoundz

I agree Jols, sadly there were too many dogs around to be able to take off his stuff...I do try and find quiet places to take photos where I can take it off, but it's fairly rare

Is this one better of Mitch? I didn't think the background was as good, but he's all in it!



I could clone out the lead I guess, would that make it better?

yes much better and with the lead gone and slight crop would make it great.

That's lovely - clone out the lead - and next time, try and shoot on the grass! A great start though!

xx

I like the light reflected in the eyes of number 1.
Always look for that when taking a picture - it makes the eyes come alive.

Hi BG

The first thing I would do, is think more about location and light.

In these pictures, you've taken the shots with the dogs in the shade, against a bright sunlit background.

Simply put, the camera is trying it's best to find the correct exposure for the dogs, but that is causing the background to get brighter as well, which means it ends up over-exposed, like the picture of Axel demonstrates.
The shot of Mitch shows the opposite effect, with the background slightly better exposed which is causing the foreground, including Mitch, to be under exposed.

Think more about using the natural light to your advantage, rather than fighting against it.
Think about using the background to frame your subject too. Use what's around you to help build the image.
And I agree with Little Me. Always try to have your subjects' eyes catching the light. I'd always try to physically focus your shots on the eyes of your subject too, because when viewing another living creature, whether it be in real life or in a picture, we are instinctively drawn to it's eyes. And if the eyes are "dead", then we find it hard to connect with the picture.
Your first two shots are a perfect example of this.
Axel has some nice reflections in his eyes, whereas Mitch's eyes are dead, like black buttons. Think about where you need to position your subject in order to get those nice reflections.
I know this sounds a bit corny, but try to take the picture in your mind first. Think about the angle and strength of light hitting the subject, what would be a nice background? Should I shoot from a really low angle? Is there too much contrast between my foreground and background?
All of these things are so important, and I know it seems like a lot to think about at first, but with time and practice, all of this information will be processed by your brain in a heartbeat and will become second nature to you every time you take a picture.

I'd concentrate on those points to start off with, before I started worrying about cloning and cropping etc.
Get the basics right first. Too many people think they can edit their way out of trouble but if you learn to take a good picture, you won't have to worry about how to fix it later.

MD

Thanks everyone for your replies

Thanks Mande for your detailed information, very helpful! I don't know how I got the light reflecting like that, it must have been a fluke as Mitch was standing in the same place just lower down. How do you guarantee light like that? I agree that it brings the picture more the life.
I thought a light background like on Axels picture was a good thing? What's a better look, darker like Mitchs?
Thanks for all the help, I do want to learn and improve and get the best I can out of my camera.