Photography Critique and Question

blackoutbill

blackoutbill

Active member
I am just starting photography and I'd like some critiques on some pictures I've taken. I have a rebel xt with the 18-55mm kit lens. All the pictures are taken with that lens
This was taken with a screw on wide angle. I don't like the screw on at all because I think it definately produces less than par sharpness in images

1238176306IMG_1689.jpg


This is a picture of a Cactus

1238176662IMG_1816.jpg


Feel free to tell me anything about these shots and what I can do better.
I have a couple questions about lenses.
I want a wide angle or even a fisheye lens. I want to spend less than or around $400. I was thinking about a Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 but any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated
The lens I buy next is probably going to be a 50mm lens. I don't know whether I should buy the f/1.8 version or spend quite a bit more and get the f/1.4? I know the f/1.4 is worth the extra money but I don't know if I want to spend that much more. I feel like I am going to have huge buyers remorse with either lens.
Any help will be greatly appreciated
 
A couple of other things
I'm going to mostly be shooting skating and skiing and such. Maybe some portrait shots and scenery/ wildlife.
Some general 50mm lens questions regardless of aperture. How does this lens do with skiing and action shots? Is it a good all around lens lens for that application?
Also, there was a thread on here about urban lighting. It was helpful but I went onto strobist.com and the flikr site and got totally lost on all the different types of flashes. I want to start lighting things and I don't what to buy. Dann Carr's (sp?) is also helpful but I don't know if I need that proffessional of flashes. What is a good place to start?
 
Wow, I haven't heard about a screw on mount since my first SLR like 15 years ago. That cam is like 40 years old. What set up do you have?
 
Nah its a digital slr. I know what you are thinking of though. The wide angle I have screws onto a the lens where the filter would go.
As for out of focus, what I think the reason for that could be is the wide angle lens but then again maybe I shouldn't blame my gear and it could be me
 
Oh I see, you were referring to the treads on the lens, gotcha. I had the same problem with my focusing way back when I first started. It wasn't the equipment though, I guess my eye was a bit off. That was with my fully manuel 35mm cam I had an eye piece made cause I wear glasses and it was a hair off. Now I just use the autofocus. You could do a test and take a pic of something that you focus and then hand the cam over to somebody else taking a pic of the same thing and compare the 2. See what happens.
 
For where your photography is at right now the 50mm/f1.8 is fine, don't wast the extra money on the 1.4. There enough better ways to spend the extra dough and the .4 difference won't be a big deal at all. Next step is ditch the POS 18-55 that everyone who owns a DSLR uses because its useless. The 50mm is exceptional for portraits as well as action. Before investing in a fisheye think about putting some cash into getting an off-camera flash setup which will allow for a lot more creativity in your lighting techniques.

SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT

the more photos you take the better you will get. If you want to become a better photographer you need to shoot as often as possible. Try different techniques and styles to develop a better understanding of exposure, aperture, ISO and become more familiar with your camera.

Shoot PHOTOS not snapshots. If you want to be serious about photography whether as a hobby or profession, learn the difference between someone who can push a button and someone who understands composition, exposure and subject matter that will make a great shot. Spend time reading as much as you can about proper framing and composition as well as how to do post-production work on your shots. Things like this can take a mediocre shot and make it 100 times better

if you have any specific questions feel free to ask, I don't consider myself to be anything more than an amatur photog but I will be glad to help in any way I can.

check out my work at www.flickr.com/photos/davedphoto
 
So i re-touched the photo of the cactus just for emphasis, you can really enhance a photo with a basic knowledge of post-production techniques

1238218303Cactus_Re-edit.jpg

 
Idono dave, I'd almost say the OG photo looks a bit better, the touched

up one seems a bit too fake, the black things (cacti?) in the middle

look fake to me for some reason.. may just be because Im not 100% sure

of what I am looking at.

Also I would stay away from those wide angle screw ons, I cant say that I am a fan of them as they tend to kill quality. First photo looks alright, good timing but all of your colors look fairly flat. Also Im not sure how, because I have never dealt with screw on lens for dslr's but you gotta fix that vignetting. As much as I don't like the black circles in a retangular frame, I dislike off centered circles in a retangular frame much more.
 
shows what lazy photoshopping will do haha

i thought the spikes looked a bit too black, but not my photo so not really worth taking the time to fix properly. Point was more or less that with very little time shots can be sharper and more vividly colored
 
You could at least crop the vignetting in the first photo, it will make it 10 times better when you do that.
 
Thanks to all of you. I have never really done any post-production stuff before but I'll start playing around with it. Eheath, You are right about needing to crop itI can't remember who said it but the first picture really is flat. I was trying to find the right word and I couldn't, but flat is what it is.
 
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