# Unripe Berry



## helloyo53 (Sep 20, 2009)

Took this picture for a photo contest on another photo forum I'm on.








Feedback would be appreciated.  And before you even say it, I know, there is a fair bit of noise in the photo.


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## bigtwinky (Sep 20, 2009)

The colours are nice, but i dont see anything really in focus in the image.

The composition of the image is a bit off as well.  The berries make a nice line, but placing them mostly in the centre of the frame doesnt do it.  The leaf on the side, with its hole in the middle doesnt add to the image.

I would of loved to have seen closer in on the berries, filling the frame with them, with a less cluttered scene, keeping the same line you have going but more from bottom left to top right. 

Might not be possible, just pointing some things to look for


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## helloyo53 (Sep 21, 2009)

Thanks.

The photo was actually for a photo contest, and the category was "green".  So this fit it.  My camera wasn't co-operating with me again, so I couldn't get it focused.


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## bigtwinky (Sep 21, 2009)

I'm sure there was a way to get it in focus.  
I don't get the "my camera wasn't cooperating" thing.  Are you shooting mainly with everything set to automatic and let the camera decide for you?

If so, start looking into the manual and semi manual modes on the camera that allow for more control over what you want to accomplish.  Metering modes, using single point focus.

And if all else fails with focus, is there a way to turn your lens from AF (Auto focus) to MF (Manual focus) and decide on the focus yourself


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## helloyo53 (Sep 21, 2009)

bigtwinky said:


> I'm sure there was a way to get it in focus.
> I don't get the "my camera wasn't cooperating" thing.  Are you shooting mainly with everything set to automatic and let the camera decide for you?
> 
> If so, start looking into the manual and semi manual modes on the camera that allow for more control over what you want to accomplish.  Metering modes, using single point focus.
> ...



I shot in Automatic because I couldn't do anything right when I was shooting with Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Programmed AE, or just manual, it would work.  It was either too dark, too bright, or, most of all, not in focus.

No, I don't manual focus, I wish I did.

I'm starting to hate photography.  I can't do anything right with it.


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## alexanderdel (Sep 21, 2009)

helloyo53 said:


> bigtwinky said:
> 
> 
> > I'm sure there was a way to get it in focus.
> ...



Keep trying.
Experiment more and don't get discouraged by your mistakes. Just try the advice you get and if it looks good, repeat the method.
Study up on well composed pictures and mimic them when practicing.
And above all, please use MF from now on. It gives you full control of what you're shooting and how your photo will come out, use your judgment and execute.


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## alexanderdel (Sep 21, 2009)

And also about using the Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Programed AE, or the manual settings. There should always be a certain tweak you can do to make your photo come out right. You just have to know your camera, and if it doesn't look completely right on your review, throw it in photoshop and fix it there..


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## bigtwinky (Sep 21, 2009)

Maybe take a step back and start to read up on the basics of photography.  Pick up a book like "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.

Many people think that they can just pick up a camera and start shooting and get amazing results.  You need to take a step back and think about what you are doing.  Learn how to expose a photo before trying to twiddle with DOF and such


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## PhilGarber (Sep 23, 2009)

alexanderdel said:


> helloyo53 said:
> 
> 
> > bigtwinky said:
> ...




I agree, I use MF for all but photojournalism where I have to work quickly. MF is more fun and satisfying, IMO.


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## icassell (Sep 23, 2009)

To my eye on my little monitor here at work, it looks like the leaf to the left is in relative focus.  I don't know how you have your focal zones set (or what camera/lens you are using), but at this close range you don't have much depth-of-field to play with if your focus is off.  If you look at the macro images on this site and others, you will see that the actual DOF can be limited to only a few millimeters at times.  What lens/aperture did you use for this image?

Macro work is fun but, as in many endeavors, takes practice, practice, practice. Don't worry about entering photo contests yet.  You'll get there.


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## helloyo53 (Sep 24, 2009)

Okay, so I read up some stuff, and I figured out (from what I read) that my camera probably isn't the best for macro shots anyways.  It does not allow for interchangeable lenses, so I was using the stock lenses which is 70.8mm lens.  From what I read and from what I understand, that is good for taking landscape shots, but it is probably too big to be taking really close macro shots.  Correct me if I understood this wrong.

And from what I understand, is manual focus where there is a dial on the camera lens where you focus into something by yourself?


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