Trying to be "arty" - advice please

[iluvmercs]

I've been snapping away on holiday, and I want some decent photos I can be proud of, and want them to seem a little "arty", a little professional.

OK, my gear is a basic (Canon IXUS 75), and as previously stated in this forum, I've a novice "point and shoot" photographer, but how would you rate these pictures I've taken on holiday?

Criticism is welcome, seeing as its the only way I'll learn

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Thanks,

Darren

[Bacardi]

Darren, My advice would be to go somewhere nice, warm and sunny instead of Jaywick .

(Actually, you have been missing some loverly weather here)

[iluvmercs]

Bacardi said:

Darren, My advice would be to go somewhere nice, warm and sunny instead of Jaywick .

(Actually, you have been missing some loverly weather here)

'Tis awful weather here, really! Those sunsets are Photoshop'ed

I've heard the UK is in a mini heatwave at the moment! Enjoy it is what I say!

Darren

[cy88]

All IMHO:-

1. Lovely!

2. Not sure what this a picture of? Horizon is not "horizontal".

3. Horizon is really not "horizontal"!

4. Nice, but looks a little out of focus.

5. These shells are not terribly pretty, and the sea and sky are not terribly blue. Blurry huts are distracting.

6. Again, not clear what this is a photo of? Sunset or shell? Needs a tongue in cheek title like "Shell-ey Valentine" to save it

7. Nice, but could probably have been better with a zoom.

8. Big blurry thing crept into foreground! It might have been nice to have more of the huts in this and last picture, with their sillouettes against the sun as the focal point. Zoom lense and better viewpoint?

Lovely looking place though!

[iluvmercs]

cy88 said:

All IMHO:-

1. Lovely!

2. Not sure what this a picture of? Horizon is not "horizontal".

3. Horizon is really not "horizontal"!

4. Nice, but looks a little out of focus.

5. These shells are not terribly pretty, and the sea and sky are not terribly blue. Blurry huts are distracting.

6. Again, not clear what this is a photo of? Sunset or shell? Needs a tongue in cheek title like "Shell-ey Valentine" to save it

7. Nice, but could probably have been better with a zoom.

8. Big blurry thing crept into foreground! It might have been nice to have more of the huts in this and last picture, with their sillouettes against the sun as the focal point. Zoom lense and better viewpoint?

Lovely looking place though!

For pictures 2 & 3, I wanted to get a shot of the horizon, with close up detail of the boat deck/equipment with the horizon in the background. The only way I could get that was to lay down, with the camera on the deck. So I was in two minds.....have the deck equipment "on the wonk", or the horizon level? I guess it should have been the latter

As for the 2 shell photos.... The sunset one, was meant to be more of the shell, with a nice orange/yellow sunset in the background, and the other shell photo, was, again, meant to be the shells in high detail with a nice sea background. I guess you'd have to do that without the huts in the background?

And the last photo....I don't know what blurry bit is but you would have focused more on the huts in the distance, along with the sunset?

As for focus issue, I'm just using the auto-focus on the camera, so when you've got it on 12x focus, a shakey hand is evident

Thanks for the advice though.
Anyone else have any further input, please

Darren

[scoobylicious]

If I could be so bold, and hopefully not patronising you, try using the rule of thirds when composing your shots. Try to imagine the picture as three horizontal or vertical strips. For example:

Third deck, third sea, third sky:



Or, third sea, two thirds sky:



Or, third wood, third shells, third sky:



Or, third sea, two thirds sky, again:



I'm far from being an expert but that was the first thing I learnt that really helped me think about composition.

I love the first photo, brilliant!

[iluvmercs]

Thanks for that scoobylicious!

As I said, I'm a complete novice, and had received zero training, so basic advice is certainly welcome, not patronising!

Darren

[cy88]

scoobylicious said:

If I could be so bold, and hopefully not patronising you, try using the rule of thirds when composing your shots. Try to imagine the picture as three horizontal or vertical strips.

That is good advice.

Just had a very quick play in PS, and you will probably be able to sharpen up the pics to some degree afterwards, and boost the colour / contrast slightly?



Also, I liked this bit of the 2nd shell photo.....