First pix for a rookie

[Hillbilly270]

here are the first couple pix i took with my first DSLR camera.  Thought these were okay, but i know the sun wont always be out.......especially here in aberdeen.    Please comment for suggestions.  I didn't do any post photo touch up stuff......don't know how yet.

[seth30]

Nice lab, how old is he?  My two labs are about a 1 1/2.

[HuntingFanatic]

Very pretty!.....the pics are good too! 

[Hillbilly270]

She will be 6 years old next week.  been a great dog.

[carpsniperg2]

looks nice

[Pathfinder101]

Nice pics and nice lookin' dog!

[wapiti hunter2]

Focus on the eyes.  Unless the background is critical to your composition, zoom in on your subject and focus on the dog.  Don't worry about sunlight, sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't.  As you become more experienced you will learn to use light to your advantage.  For the moment focus on composition and learn the Rule of Thirds.  Google it and check out photo.net and some other photographic websites for tutorials.  Do not be afraid to shoot tons of shots and cull out all of the junk,  maybe up to 95%.  That's how you learn.  Good shots of the lab and always be sure to have fun. 

[Decker]

Nice DOF (depth of field). If you are serious about learning to use a DSLR, I would research online about how to shoot (and process) in RAW format. Adobe's Lightroom 2 has been a HUGE part of this for me and will allow you to do more than most other photo programs. A WEALTH of information can be gained by signing up for an account on flickr.com. (Which is subsidiary of Yahoo, so if you have one, your Yahoo login works.) There are more groups and information on there than one person could possibly hope for, besides great feedback (and praise) from fellow photographers. If you end up there, my flickr ID is Bora Bora Lover. Search me out and friend request me.

Decks

[Hillbilly270]

thanks for the info guys.  So i haven't figured out how to focus on one specific thing....just using auto-focus for now with my camera on aperature dependent.  Is there a way to change the focus point?  I haven't seen anything on it yet while researching.  I have CS2...is this going to work for me or do I need lightroom?  I will also check out the flickr thing too.  thanks for the tips.

[boneaddict]

I usually shoot with the center focus.  I can choose or program my camera what points I want, then generally as stated the eye is a great focus spot.  You'll learn about DOF after some experimenting.  great start.

[seth30]

She looks real healhty.

[bearpaw]

lab, the great american dog, awesome pics

[Decker]

What camera are you shooting?

[Hillbilly270]

i picked up a canon 30d with a 70-200 2.8 IS.  so now i'm broke and can't afford any other lens for a while

[Decker]

i picked up a canon 30d with a 70-200 2.8 IS.  so now i'm broke and can't afford any other lens for a while

Hah, no kiddin'. Nice set up. One of the biggest things that helps me is when I get a new camera, I READ THE MANUAL. I'll take it with me and bust it out where ever I have to wait for a time. I agree with Bone and also shoot primarily with only the center focus dot. If you have researched the rule of thirds as was previously mentioned and are trying to gain a composition where your subject is not at the center of the shot, you can simply use the auto focus by pressing down the shutter release half way, and while holding it there moving the frame to where ever you want the subject (which should now be in focus.) Make sense?