Originally Posted by WRB WRX

[img width=800 height=600]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff90/wrbwrx/100_0977.jpg[/img]

Cute photos, what kind of cat is that?



Scott

what in those photos are you trying to focus on?

While jblaze's response is rather short, I agree. The two photos you just posted are cluttered and don't really have a particular point they draw the eye to. It's just a mess of "stuff" as far as the viewer can tell.

With the stump thing, your subject is much lighter than its surroundings, and I think you're too zoomed out to really be able to give the viewer any idea of what he should be looking at. The bright and blurry foreground is also distracting. I'd also advise sticking to the rule of thirds now, it can help you frame things more effectively and make shots that don't seem static. A major portion of good photography is composition, getting the right angle and combination of subject components that work together in a logical manner and form a good aesthetic as a whole. The center not on the stump is dead center, and it dies there.

For the flowers, I'd advise against using flash. Your subject has been completely flattened by the unflattering light of the flash, and the contrast and snap in the colors is very muted. If you use flash, angle it away, or use a big sheet of translucent material perhaps to diffuse it and get more even illumination. It won't be the best lighting but it will make your subject matter more "clearer" than it is now. Watch out for surrounding clutter too, there's some well lit mess of something going on in the lower left corner as well as the stem thing in the top right. Plus you have some out of focus leaf reaching forward at the bottom of the frame. Another angle and more flattering and dynamic lighting might make the flowers pop better, as well as having a clearer subject for the viewer to pay attention to.

My comment was in reference to his "I cant seem to get the camara to focus on what I want it too when I zoom in on things." statement.

Are they look pretty in focus to me but they do not necessarily showcase any particular texture.

Where in the picture where you trying to focus but didn't do so successfully?

I think your log shot could be a good example for the hw assignment because it does feaure a lot of texture. If you're trying to feature the rotted/spider webby part of the log I would move closer to it and minimize the excess log. I see from your exif data that you did you did shoot wide open, that's good for getting a sharp image of the texture.

I would try to not use the zoom if at all possible, personally I try to never use a zoom. Instead if possible I just try to move closer to the subject. There is going to be a limit to how close you get... most of these texture pics you'll see people turn in a the result of sharp primes and extension tubes. I don't know if you can do that with your camera but don't be discouraged, this assignment is pretty much set up for macro photos.