Vancouver at Dusk. Complete noob in need of bash

[jjasc]

Hi. I just started getting into photography the past few months after I saw some stunning landscape images on the web. I finally got my hands on a DSLR for the first time today (XTi with kit lens) and played around with it for a couple hours. I hope to scrape together enough money to buy a 30D at the end of summer!

Here are two images I took during and  after sunset (Vancouver, Canada) from my porch a couple days ago. I've done quite a bit of research on the web about the various settings (iso, af, shutter speed), but this is the first time I've actually shot anything with a DSLR. I'm sure these images are not a very good since I'm a complete DSLR/photography noob. I'm sure I have lots and lots to learn about composition and would appreciate any and all feedback.

 Start swinging the bats, I have thick skin

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[BernardLanguillier]

Thanks for sharing these 2 images and welcome on LL!

Those are gorgious skies, but the image do, in my opinion, suffer a little bit from the lack of foreground and subject on the lower part of the image.

You might try to shoot a bit earlier so as to have some more light available to lighten up the foreground, locate yourself near a foregound that is able to reflect some of the sky (water for instance) or take a different approach and focus only on the sky?

Regards,
Bernard

[wolfnowl]

Hi, and welcome to the list!  For a first attempt, not bad.  As Bernard pointed out shooting a little earlier might bring out some of the foreground.  And since you're shooting digital, it cost you nothing but time to get out and play.  Being in Vancouver certainly gives you a great selection of subject matter as well.  It's like the old 'How do I get to Carnegie Hall?' question: practice, practice, practice.

On the main LL page Alain has a new article on 'Finding Inspiration'.  Well worth a read.

Mike
(currently in Kelowna, but subject to change w/o notice)

[jjasc]

Thanks for sharing these 2 images and welcome on LL!

Those are gorgious skies, but the image do, in my opinion, suffer a little bit from the lack of foreground and subject on the lower part of the image.

You might try to shoot a bit earlier so as to have some more light available to lighten up the foreground, locate yourself near a foregound that is able to reflect some of the sky (water for instance) or take a different approach and focus only on the sky?

Regards,
Bernard
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=119335\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for the feedback. Yea, I do need some sort of foreground. I didn't want to angle the camera down in those shots because the frame would include roofs (I was shooting from my back porch). We have been having some great skies lately. I'm going to try and hike up a nearbye mountain around sunset/dusk and capture a more unimpeded view of the sky, mountians, and water. And of course, some sort of foreground object like a tree, rock, or person.

[jjasc]

Hi, and welcome to the list!  For a first attempt, not bad.  As Bernard pointed out shooting a little earlier might bring out some of the foreground.  And since you're shooting digital, it cost you nothing but time to get out and play.  Being in Vancouver certainly gives you a great selection of subject matter as well.  It's like the old 'How do I get to Carnegie Hall?' question: practice, practice, practice.

On the main LL page Alain has a new article on 'Finding Inspiration'.  Well worth a read.

Mike
(currently in Kelowna, but subject to change w/o notice)
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=119425\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for the feedback!  I'll take a look at that article. thanks.