If you would be so kind as to take a look at my picture New Friends and leave some critique I would appreciate it. I enjoy photography, but am a complete novice and any advice/critique would be welcome!

First, welcome to Caedes. I applaud your approach, and wish all new members would follow your example. Very positive attitude, and, from one member to another, thank you.

Before critiquing your work, I'd like to ask a couple of things.

First, what kind, if any, editing software do you use, and how proficient are you with it? Second, how familiar, if at all are you with photography terminology, or editing terminology?

These pieces of info might help us better gauge how we help you, or advise you.

I have a Microsoft photo editing program (not photoshop)which lets me play around, but I am really not very familiar with anything besides one touch auto level, and contrast/brightness. In other words, I am not familiar with more advanced techniques like cloning, etc.

I guess the same would hold true from a terminology viewpoint. I've always been a point and click type guy, but friends say I have a good eye (whether that's true or not is debatable!), and I would like to become more proficient (without spending a million dollars!).

You don't need a million, or even a thousand dollars. You need patience, and the willingness to learn, which you seem to have.

when you say "microsoft" do you mean "Digital Image", or "Picture It!"? there's several editing programs availablefor free online.

One, which I use constantly, is Photofiltre. Another is Picassa. Add ".com" to either name, and you'll go to their websites, and look for the "download" buttons.

Browse through the "Photography" and "Desktop" forums (here, at the site). There's tons of guides, as well as questions and answers, all which can, and probably will,help fill you in on terminology, techniques, etc. Also, check out the tutorials, the link for which can be found on the left, under "Galleries".

That oughta keep you busy for a while :o)

Oh, and always feel free to ask. Most members, including myself, would be more than happy to share what they know. Except for a certain wiley Canadian, who'll charge a hefty cookie toll (joke).

Ok, good luck.

Thank you so much for the advice. I did mean Digital Image, but I will certainly check out the others you have mentioned here.

I checked out your gallery...do you live with a camera around your neck? There are some spectacular shots there!

That's very nice of you, but there are far better works here than mine. Look around, and enjoy!

I am enjoying it...immensely! A question: I have a 35mm minolta 9000 and a FujiFinePix Digital with 10x optical zoom...I seem to have better luck with the 35mm, but the digital is certaily easier to download and manipulate. I odn't have the money for a digital SLR. Should i spend more time getting to know the Fuji, or stick with my tried and true SLR?

yes ;-)

*nudges rob* pssst… that was an either/or choice.

yes, I know.

shhhhh

I have a FujiFinePix Digital with 10x optical zoom.. not a bad camera easy to use (which is what I like)

The PIC they're talkin' 'bout !!

Point taken! I will work with both of them!

see? I knew what I was doing....

glad to hear it

Let's discuss New Friends .. and dispense with all of this nano-babble .. photography starts in the brain, is captured via optics and wiz-bang magic ... and only THEN can you add a page-curl to the corner

;)

1) .. One thing you should learn, if you haven't already, is Depth-of-Field .. seeing everything in an image is the province of scenics .. every blade of grass to every leaf on on the trees had better be in focus Or you're going to hear about it, Mister ... but in a different case, such as "New Friends" .. for situations like this, your camera should be on a wider aperture, so that your portrait\subject is separated from the background via sharp-vs-blur focus .. this is especially true for ugly environments such as Zoos, and Fairs, and other events where Joe-Tourist is walking around in shorts ... don't let me see it .. shun vain and tacky personages from thine pixels

2) .. Zoos are a pet-peeve of mine .. (full disclosure) .. animal habitats, however valiant their efforts were to make me eat my words, leave a lot to be desired .. and the more of it you have in your shot, the less valuable your shot will be .. I realize your image was more about your nephew, and less about the tiger, and was one of those "shoot it NOW, or lose it forever" moments ... but if you seek satisfaction shooting in zoos .. don't ever allow me to know it was a zoo, pixically (?) .. in your written description we do prefer the truth ... I, uh, meant the "satisfaction" of ME

3) .. Lastly, and I feel I must say this to be fair to others .. Caedes-dot-net is not a destination for family photos .. and while your image carries a certain impact, other members are having similar images rejected at the door ... and it's only a matter of time before one of these adults throws eight-year-old arguments at us about YOUR image being accepted, and not theirs ... I ask, only, that you keep this policy in mind for future uploads

Hey wait just a minute, I resent that, I could be one of those Joe-Tourists walking around in shorts, lol.

Seriously, I appreciate the feedback and if it I had felt it was just a family photo I would have posted it at Flickr or some such nonsense and let the rest of my family take a gander at it.

I do enjoy photography and would like to become better at it. In my own, wierd, distorted mind this may have been one of the better photo's I had ever taken and submitted it here not as a vanity issue but rather to get honest critique on it.

I am disapponted though, I must admit - I was just getting ready to upload a picture of my Father-in-law in his Bermuda Shorts and black socks passing the entrance to the zoo on his way to the County Fair! Oh well, back to the drawing board!

Thanx again to everyone for their assistance and honest feedback!

As a photo, wallpaper "worthiness" aside, it's a very well done shot (in my opinion, or IMO for short). Technically, perhaps, it needs some work. Yeah, some cloning could and should be done. The composition itself, the crop, the framing of the subject.. I'm liking it.

If anything, try bringing out the reflections more. It tells a story. It, to me, doesn't just say "here's this kid, looking at a tiger". That alone makes it more than just a snap, even if ideally, it might not be what's asked of members who upload here. If that makes any sense.

With this first upload, I'd say you're leaps and bounds ahead of some of other first-timers, including yours truly.

Interesting. With help from ::J_272004 (actually she did 95% of the work) we went the opposite direction and removed the reflection, the tourist in the backround and the sill of the glass from the left of the picture. I would be happy to upload the result or forward it to anyone one-on-one if they are interested.

Is there a way to bring out the reflection ?

PS Your words are to kind and I am overwhelmed by the assistance and support I have recieved in my first 24 hours on the site!

Your attitude, and openness to suggestions, help etc were what made me want to help. I'm guessing the same could be said for the others here as well.

Do I dare try another submission? Or will rejection shatter my already fragile self-confidence?

Do ya feel... lucky? Well, do ya? ;-)

Off course i do, how else do learn I 'Harry' ? Already submitted a winter shot...not as confident on this one as the first though!