Are my pictures any good???

Question: Are my pictures any good!?!?!?

http://i290!.photobucket!.com/albums/ll254!.!.!.

http://i290!.photobucket!.com/albums/ll254!.!.!.

http://i290!.photobucket!.com/albums/ll254!.!.!.

Please tell me if there is something I should improve on!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

1-Kind of boring!. The lighting is too harsh (next time WAIT for good lighting, it will pay off in the end)!. I think the flowers are too far away and out of focus to have any real WOW factor!.
2-This one would be pretty good if it hadn't been over-exposed!.
3-Over-exposed (again, waiting for the right lighting is always worth it)!. It's boring too!.!.!.!.I'm not exactly sure what the interest is supposed to be!. I've seen a million tree branches, how is this special!?!?

I'm not trying to me mean, really!. Just some helpful criticism!. Keep trying, keep improving!. You'll get better, it takes time!. Go get some cheap, used photography books!. They'll help!.

EDIT: Just a side note!.!.!.I've been reading some of the comments you're getting about doing a bunch of editing with Photoshop and I think that's really bad advice!. Instead of relying on Photoshop to make your photos good, learn to take photos that won't need editing afterwards!. Anybody can turn a bad picture into a good one through manipulation, but it takes real talent and skill not to need it!. Just a thought!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Macro photography of flowers, plants, and insects is very common!.

I like your last photo more than the other two, because it is not a macro image!. Nature photography is tricky because to stand out from the crowd, you need to capture those fleeting moments in which the world around you stands still!. Wild animals are fickle subjects and they require a lot of patience to capture well!. I would suggest if you consider yourself a nature photographer to spend less time with the macro setting and try to get those hard-to-attain captures - running deer, sparrows, cranes, turtles, whatever's in your woods at home!. Your portfolio will suffer if all of your pictures are like 1 and 2 you've provided here, because anyone with a good macro setting can take those (although kudos for getting a dragonfly, they're quicker than spiders and ladybugs, which are also common in macro insect photography)!. Your pictures should be about how good you are, not how good your camera is!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

They are good but if you want them to be great then you should try to find something the focus on!. Right now the pictures kind of look like background!. Try to focus on one flower and leave the rest out of focus kind of like what you did with the bug!. Those pictures are nice but there are tons of pictures like that already!. The to find things that are unique and interesting!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i answered this once and yahoo went on break and i don't see my answer, it was rather long
i'll comment on the dragonfly:
the bokeh is good, the way the background i softened way back brings out the subject of the dragonfly!. however i think it is too centered, and the wings are as light as the background so tend to get lost!. if you can shade the background slightly that may help!.
it is refreshing to see a questioner that appreciates honesty!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Wow! These pictures are amazing! Are you professional!?
My favorite one is of the dragonfly!. It is so awesome that you got that perfect shot, of a beautiful creature!.
I love all the other shots, the lighting you have is beautiful!.
Sorry, I have no improvements, you are a great photographer!.
=]]
AnnieWww@QuestionHome@Com

The flower image is good, i would photoshop it a bit!.!. color correct, darken the greens and so on!.

The dragonfly is a good concept, background to distracting i would us photoshop to blur it!.!. but check your depth of field before you take the image too!. And it's alittle blown out!.!. use photoshop to adjust the levels abit!.

Tree branch image is good!.!. try an infered or black and white action to make it pop!.!.

Keep it up!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

no!.!.!. ever heard of the rule of thirds!? (look it up) what about DOF!?

ok blossom photo!? what are we supposed to be looking at!? we dont need to see everything in one go!.!.!. select a blossom, and shoot it sharp!.!. without lots of sky as a distraction!.!.!.

the dragonfly is sharp, but why is it hanging in the middle of the frame!? do we want to see lots of out of focus grassland!? this would have been much better if you cropped the image and punched the contrast!.!.!.

cross trees!?

heres a tip; you have arms and legs and knees and elbows for a reason!. try bending down, rotating the camera, dont just put it to your eye and press the button!.!.!. everyone does that!.!.!. try to be different, and youll see it in your images!.

im sorry if you think im a miserable old sod!.!.!. but i teach photograhy, and i figured youd rather have the truth!.!.!. so you can do something about it and improve your skills!. and it doesnt happen overnight, ive been doing this for 30 years!.!.!. any my beginnings were FAR worse!.!.!.

persevere!.!.!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

the first one is great!

#2 is too washed out, the insect doesn't really stand out!.

#3 needs to be focused on one main thing, i don't know where to look!

you photography is amazing and you have great potential!

I edited your photos for you!

#1 didn't need to be edited! =]

#2 http://farm4!.static!.flickr!.com/3243/2754!.!.!.
http://farm4!.static!.flickr!.com/3170/2754!.!.!.

#3http://farm4!.static!.flickr!.com/3073/2753!.!.!.

you are a great photographer!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Those pictures are actually pretty good,
I guess you can improve the focus on your subject in the 1st and second picture, and maybe adjust the lighting a bit on the 3rd with photoshop or something!.

Www@QuestionHome@Com

first one is great!.!.!. well framed and focused

second one!.!.!. well focused however the lighting could be worked on as it makes part of the wings un-seeable

third one!.!.!. not my cup of tea!.!.!. to many different depths in the shot so non of it seems focused propoallyWww@QuestionHome@Com

IN MY OPINION!.!.!.!.!.

First one!.!.!.!.!.A little amateur!.!.!.Anybody really could take that picture!.!.

Second one!.!.!.!.!.I love it!.!.!.!.I dont think that theres room for improvement on that one!.!.!.!.

Third one!.!.!.!.!.!.Very abstract!.!.!.!.!.Very good!.!.!.!.There isnt a very high level of difficulty but it catches my attention!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

they are really good, you know how to capture things, and make them stand out, i would suggest to go for things that are a bit more exciting!. but other than that your photography is greatWww@QuestionHome@Com

really good

the thing i would suggest is ls learning how to crop in an interesting way and find interesting things to take pictures of :)

good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

I like them, however there isn't anything "WOW" about them!.!. The angles are good!.
I don't know its just like something is missing from them!.!.
I think the last one would love really nice in sepia too!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I didn't enjoy the first one of the flowers but I like the dragon fly photo and the tree photo could be really cool but you need to work on lighting and angels!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

there good!
you have captured the main point and made it stand it which is good!

you take pictures of good things too [:Www@QuestionHome@Com

i like them, but I think you need to look at more good images and study about composition and lighting!. Keep practicing though!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Love them!. o!.o
How'd you get that dragonfly shot!?

Yeah, they're very good!. (: I think I like the last one the most!. Maybe try some photos of things other than nature!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

They are beautiful !Www@QuestionHome@Com

I really like them!. Especially how you focused on a scene of a particular thing, then blurred behind it!. They look great!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yea they are really good!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

the second one is the best framed!.
Www@QuestionHome@Com

YES Www@QuestionHome@Com

I really like them!.!.

I think you should try to make a panoramic shot!.!. looks good!Www@QuestionHome@Com

The only one I liked was the insect (wahtever it is)!.

Keep up the good workWww@QuestionHome@Com

yeah they are!.!.!.but a bit boring!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

i think they r really goodWww@QuestionHome@Com

its a good for a beginner !.!. practice more!.!.!.!. i assume with the 18-250mm!.!. there's a lot for you to discover!.!.!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hot Damn! You could make money doing this!Www@QuestionHome@Com

these are mediocre at bestWww@QuestionHome@Com

They are REALLY good!. My favorite is the second one!. Keep it up! :)Www@QuestionHome@Com