Not a cool shot but the best I've done so far.

rpavich

Hi,
I'm probably a little different than the rest here. I'm using a Canon ELPH 300hs point and shoot camera, and trying to squeeze what I can out of it.

I just shoot pics while doing other things, no "set ups" so to speak, but I am interested in making what I do shoot as nice as I can get it.

Here are two pics.
The first one is of my dog Pancho. I had come home from work and he was predictably snoozing on the couch. I put the camera on macro to see what he would let me do.

The other one is the same time, but pulled back some to get my other pug in the shot. Both got a bit of a working over in PSE 10 to try and improve them as much as possible.

I'd appreciate any suggestions that you may have...as I said...I'm trying to improve.

Pancho


Gracie and Pancho

TonyCooper

The top one is too dark to interest me. If it wasn't for the text, I wouldn't really know it's a dog.

The second is better, but you have two major conflicts with your subjects: the blue window and the dog tags.

In most photographs, the eye will go first to the brightest or lightest part. Here, that's the bright blue. You can
crop this just above the back of the couch or, if you want to maintain your aspect ratio, close those curtains in
Elements by cloning or copy/pasting. I'd copy a section and paste it in behind this layer and use a Layer Mask.

The second bright spot is the dogtags. There are a number of ways to leave the dogtags there, but to tone
them down. Make a selection of the dogtags and change just that selection with an Adjustment Layer.

It's a good chance to learn about how to use some of the features of your Elements program.

rpavich

Thank you Tony, I hadn't even realized that about thedog tags and the window.

rpavich

Tony,
I took your advice and modified the picture of the two dogs. I took out the background window and toned down the dog tag as much as possible.

Much better...

Can you comment again?

TonyCooper

Much better. You did a good job on the dogtags.

This is why we ask for critiques of our images...other
people see things about our image that we don't see.

rpavich

Thanks Tony...
Yes...you're right...as many times as I looked at the photo...I never even realized how much the tags and the window distracted...until you mentioned it.

thanks again.

Jack'll do

The second image in the firstpost is just a snapshot of a couple of dogs on a couch. The viewer's eye is drawn to the very busy background instead of to the subjects. The reworked image however is truly outstanding. Our eyes are immediately drawn to the very expressive faces of these two adorable pups which almost jump out of the image at us. Very, very well done! clap

rpavich

Thank you Jack!

I agree that it turned out very nicely. I'm trying to keep these things in mind for the future