My first post

[saiello]

This is my first post, as I'm rather new here. I'm using a Canon IS 5S so it's not a true digital SLR. The photo was taken at a local zoo, around 3pm on a very sunny day.

I would really like some solid criticism, how I could improve on my composition. It was a hard choice for me whether to post this or a picture of a polar bear I took, but hey there is always tomorrow. = )

Let me know what you think,
Steven

24735

[saltydog]

Hi Steven,

Well - to be honest with you, this is somewhat of a snapshot of a zoo animal. A nice and (fairly) sharp snapshot of a soulful looking rhino for sure, but for me there's not much more to it than that.

Your b/w conversion falls very flat, there is almost no contrast between the animal and the rocks behind it. Composition is another issue - your subject the rhino cuts the image almost exactly in half horizontally, not creating any visual dynamics here. I recommend reading up on "the rule of thirds". As old as it is, it's still a great guideline for composing your photographs.

Greetings,
Jana

[du8die]

I'm not a pro, and I probably couldn't do much better, but I don't think there's enough contrast between your subject and your background. They kind of blend together (especially around the top of the rhino's head).

My $0.02.

Well Done.

[Scottington]

Eh... I am not a huge fan of your B&W choice for this picture. What does thic look like in color, or was this taken in B&W?

As the above posters said, the contrast is not very good here, and the rhino definitely blends into the background.

[Miguel Delinquento]

I agree with most but not all prior criticism here. Yes it looks like a snapshot, yes the contrast is way too flat, and yes the image is just real static and doesn't convey the power or essence of the Rhino.
But I like the core idea of making this a black and white image. I'm thinking that you were trying to form some visual relationship between the Rhinocerous hide's texture and the rock wall behind. And that's a good way to apprach the shot.
There are a lot of good "how to" posts in the other forums here about black and white processing. I enjoy the transformation a lot. Keep at it.

M