How can i improve?

[shelly]

A few photos of wildlife i have taken, im new to dslr photography so if you could tell me how i could improve it would be much appreciated

michelle x

(1)
This was taken in animal kingdom florida

(2)


Birds we had in our bird box in the summer
(3)

(4)

(5)

[DigiDiva]

I can only suggest that you could change your depth of field to have the background more out of focus, so the eye concentarates more on the subject, other than that, nice shots.

[GeoffWessex]

Depth of Field would increase by having a smaller aperture, but next time you see a pro at a wedding or other event, watch his/her action carefully...... in nearly every case, they will get the focus right for the main interest - in the case of portraits it's going to be the eyes. This would entail 'half-pressing' the shutter button... then, while they keep their finger in the 'half press', they will move slightly to re-compose and then press the button fully home. It's a four-stage operation.... half-click, focus, re-compose, shoot.

[Cathus]

One tip for improvement - watch your composition.

Before you press the shutter button look all around the frame to see if there is anything distracting or intruding that you don't need, if there is, see if you can zoom in to cut it out of the scene, or move your position. If you can't recompose to cut it out of the frame or move slightly then crop it out on the computer.
Is your main object large enough in the frame?

So in 1 I'd crop closer around the bird, in 3 I'd try to get the shot so the wire & light brown round object weren't in the frame, same as 4.

[KeithT]

My tips would be to use the viewfinder more than the live view for your dslr photography. This way you will become a part of the scene instead of someone who is always outside of it looking in. Chose your framing before you even put the camera to your eye and before you take the shot run your eye all around the frame to make sure you have nothing in it that will distract from the main subject matter (like a drain pipe or telephone line eg). Learn how to shoot with aperture value to control depth of field as others have said, so you can throw backgrounds out of focus keeping the main subject absolutely pin sharp, and don't be in a rush to take the image. Squeeze the shutter button gently until you hear it trip rather than pressing hard. This will prevent movement of the camera which is one of the main causes why an image blurs. And lastly, enjoy what you do.

[rbarry]

On a tchnical note, I can't really tell with the last image where the focus point was, as there is a lot of space between the foreground and background within the image. But, as far as I can tell it looks like the focus point in all the other images is slightly in front of your target subject. This could be due to an automatic focus setting choosing the subject for you and opting for the closest object rather than your chosen subject matter, or the lens you are using is suffering from a front focus error.
Let us know what combination of lens and camera body you are using in order that myself or others may be able to advise you if the issue is an easily remedied technical one, or whether there is an inherent problem with the lens or body.

[karenoliver]

Lots of practise and don't be afraid to use your manual setting on the camera. Try different settings for the same shot and see which you prefer. If you like wildlife look at the work of other wildlife photographers and see how they composed the shots. I'd say also try flash in the daytime, sometimes a bit of flash can brighten up the scene and make the shot look a bit more vibrant.

Karen

[amk1977]

Like Karen mentions, lots of practise and experimentation with the camera, understanding what settings would work best for any given situation. Avoid using the automatic presets and aim to use aperture priority and manual mode, which will give you the most control of the photograph.

When taking a photo, do you want to freeze frame the action or create motion blur to introduce the feeling of movement in your shot? How is the subject lit? Would repositioning yourself/the subject/light source, work better? Do you want to isolate your subject from the background or make them part of it (depth of field)?

If you have time (and not all photographs give you that opportunity), prepare your shot. Try to envisage the finished photo before you even press the button. On virtually every wildlife photography documentary I've seen, the photographer has gone out with an image already in their mind of what they want to capture in the camera. Don't just look at something and think "Oh that looks pretty", take a snapshot and move on. Walk around it. Look at objects surrounding the thing of interest. Do nearby elements add or detract from the shot. Be prepared to wait for your subject to do something of interest.

If wildlife photography is your main interest, then as Karen mentions, look at other wildlife photographers' work. Really study the photographs. Ask yourself, why the image works, what elements you particularly like. Maybe purchase some books or tutorial DVD's that give you specific advice on the subject.

Its also worth mentioning and bearing in mind, that you will be limited by your equipment, if its just the standard kit lens you are using.That's not to say that you won't take some very good pictures but, just be aware of your hardware's limitations and work to the best of your abilities within them. Professional photographers, have professional lenses. You're not going to produce the same results with an 55-200mm f4-5.6, as you will with a 70-200 f/2.8 or a 500mm f/8 vs a 400mm f/2.8.

[shelly]

aww thanks for all the advice everyone

you've all really helped me alot thank you

x