Cuddle Buddy
by XMountaineer

Comment by ryand:
I'm gonna have to agree with the others on this one about the harsh flash. The best way to fix that is to use a speedlight (bouncing off of the ceiling or a wall) such as the one scarbrd mentioned. You did a nice job with nailing the focus, that part of it is quite sharp. I would also point out that probably the best mode to use would be Aperture Priority (AV on Canon).

Also as previously mentioned, adobes photoshop elements is pretty cheap (under $100), I actually currently use that, though i look to upgrade sometime soon, it certainly suffices for almost everything until you get to advanced editing stuff.

Honestly though, the biggest thing this needs is a speedlight bounced off of a wall. I'm glad to see you are motivated to learn though and look forward to watching your profile.

Cuddle Buddy
by XMountaineer

Comment by scarbrd:
First of all, I really appreciate the details in your comments. That goes a long way to tell exactly what's going on here.

If you are using the built in flash on your 400D you will rarely get nicely lit pictures. The light is too direct and too close to the center of the lens. It's amazing that you didn't get some serious red eye shooting that close. If you are thinking about purchasing accessories for your camera a Canon 430EX would be something to consider.

While the focus is on your dog, the toy is too soft. This will detract from your score. You can control the depth of focus (called Depth of Field or DOF for short) by setting your camera on AV mode and select a higher number for your F-Stop. F8 or F11 would have helped here.

You say in your comments that your new to the whole post processing thing. You don't have to buy Photoshop. A more reasoble entry level yet with advanced features in Adobe's Photo Elements. Get that and the 3rd party book on post processing techniques and you learn out to keep the yeallow saturation in check, sharpening, and other useful techniques.

Otherwise, the composition is good, the diagonal placement of the eyes works well.

Keep entering and have fun doing it.

Cuddle Buddy
by XMountaineer

Comment by ericwoo:
Power down that flash...a lot. As soon as this one pops up, I can see that the flash overpowered the image. Normally my goal with flash is to make the image look as if no flash was used. Your flash could also use some sort of diffuser, as your shadows behind the pup's ear, and the doll's ear are very harsh. A diffuser works to make the light of your flash come from a larger source, in turn making your shadows softer. Even better, go ahead and buy a flash unit to get away from the on-camera unit, then use it judiciously.

Other than the flash, you have a great starting subject. I am sure that the doggie will be the star of may photos to come. Your composition does seem a bit tense with everything cramped into the frame. Don't be afraid to leave some negative space and try not to crop off important parts of the subject. Now every image and composition is different, in this one, I think that the dogs left ear should have been included. Do a search for 'rule of thirds' and you'll find some very interesting composition ideas and theories. I hope that this helps, and feel free to email me if you have any more questions.

E

Cuddle Buddy
by XMountaineer

Comment by bassbone:
You have a cute dog. I think you did a pretty nice job with the focus on the face. A couple of things I noticed:

I think the most major issue with the photo lies in the use of on camera flash. It will really give you very harsh lighting as it is directly at the subject, giving harsh shadows. Taking a photo in poor light will generally result in a low score here at DPC.

From a composition standpoint, the narrow crop of the photo makes the image seem a bit closed in to me. By going to a more square crop - it would allow you to keep the bear and the dog at opposite corners of the photo and provide a more interesting composition.

Keep snapping and keep entering!

Message edited by author 2008-01-23 17:58:54.

Cuddle Buddy
by XMountaineer

Comment by DrAchoo:
Technicals: You were a bit challenged by the environment and your equipment. The direct, on camera flash is always a bit tough because it either tends to be too strong or not strong enough. Once you decide to graduate to a flash unit, the easiest thing to do is point it at the ceiling. You tend to have much smoother light which will remove two problems with this shot: a) the yellow buddy is overexposed and b) the sharp shadows behind your dog's ear. The composition isn't bad. I like the vertical orientation, although I might want to see a bit more context (so not as zoomed in). Of course that always depends on what would come into the picture if we zoomed out.

The feel: Intimate. I like that. Reminds me of a cairn terrier I had as a kid. The dog has a nice emotive look.

Overall not a bad attempt for what you had to work with. Personally I recommend you work at getting away from a flash. Flash has its use, but it tends to really give an artificial feel to a picture (or sometimes it makes it feel like a "snapshot"). I try my hardest to not use a flash, even one I can point at the ceiling.

Hoping for a snow day
by XMountaineer

Comment by Mydee1:
Doesn't quiet translate the message to this viewer because....well, in my state...maybe 6 inches gets you a snow day. Otherwise, nicely done.

Hoping for a snow day
by XMountaineer

Comment by choltmeier:
The image seems pretty ordinary. The title doesn't quite pull it together for me. I wonder if there's a slightly more dramatic presentation of the school, i.e. a very wide lens with an angle closer to the ground or something.

Cuddle Buddy
by XMountaineer

Comment by trevytrev:
the lighting looks a bit harsh