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C&C requested!

Nice concepts, but a few comments to improve on...

Good concepts . . . however, #2 looks out of focus and #4 looks out of focus and a tad "washed out". I've only done a couple of homecoming parades and I learned one lesson from them - get a lot of shots with razor sharp focused smiling faces. If you did the game too, then you need a few action shots.

Overall though I think you're on the right track.

Originally Posted by Photogbiker Nice concepts, but a few comments to improve on...

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Originally Posted by 73Rocks Good concepts . . . however, #2 looks out of focus and #4 looks out of focus and a tad "washed out". I've only done a couple of homecoming parades and I learned one lesson from them - get a lot of shots with razor sharp focused smiling faces. If you did the game too, then you need a few action shots. Overall though I think you're on the right track.

Thanks for the comments. Yes, the AF missed some of these and I did not have a lot of images to choose from. In #2, I think the AF planed the low concrete wall behind the band. I need to better understand how and why the AF sensor chooses what it does (I hear that it's not all that clear). #5 was too dark so I added Gamma correction and overdid it a bit. I did not want to burn out the uniform, but the result was underexposed for everything else. Was the contrast too tough in this one?

Originally Posted by Photogbiker Nice concepts, but a few comments to improve on...

Sorry about that, somehow typed a whole critique and then only posted first line....

1. Love the tubas, but you cut them off at ankles. Better to include full leg, or cut higher up at thigh. Also might have been nice to get some faces.
2. Again, love the marching and your capture of the trombones in the air....but it is out of focus. Toss it.
3. Best of the bunch, but the helmet is the focal point and it should be in focus, not the socks.
4. His expression is the story here, but you are too far away. Seems washed out too, shooting into sun? Get closer. This shot of just his face down to shoulder pads would have been great. If closer the exposure would have picked up his face and not the background and been much more accurate.
5. eh? Some guy from the side. No interest. Including his face through the mask maybe? If he was in the stadium and a big crowd behind him maybe?

Overall I would say get closer, and practice pre-setting focus point with your camera. Looks like camera picked a focus point for you that was wrong in 3 of 5 shots, you need to actively select what is in focus. Never trust a camera, they are a computer and unfortunately do just what they are supposed to do.

Stop letting your camera chose the AF point. Get into single AF, move it to where you want it (assuming you can with your camera). You can always do a better job. Good luck!