Critique my photography?

I was wondering if anyone would like to critique my photography. In my photos I use a Nikon D5000 with a 18-200mm lens and I don't use a tripod, I just freehand it, so I know the rule of thirds will be off a lot. I recently went to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia and I posted some of the photos on my Flickr. Please take a look and provide some critique (good or bad). Also I do have the link to my portfolio if you do not care to look at all 89 photos.

By the way I'm 14 if that really matter.

I agree with the quality part. The only thing I could really suggest is how you cut of a sea gull's feet and and a kangaroo's ears, try to get those in there also. Also, the center of the image is very important. It's the place viewers look to first. I suggest focusing the middle on the subject's eye or head. This turtle one is pretty perfect.

Modem Sunshine unluckily that is very wrong. A lot of people take thoughless snapshots with their cameras. However, that said, skiesoaring your photos are quite good in fact. Exposure is always spot on and focus is right. For a 18-200mm lens, these photos are quite good image quality wise. The photos get progressively better starting from the back, which means your improving, thats always good to see.

If there was one thing I would improve, it is your landscape photos, they lack the kind of eye-popping the other photos have. Photography books can help you with this.

I would say that the only real problems you have are with composition… Some shots are good, but you haven't composed them very well… And bits are chopped off…

"I just freehand it, so I know the rule of thirds will be off a lot"

That is nonsense! With proper technique, I. E. Using the viewfinder you can do rule of thirds freehand without any problems. I even manage to shoot panorama and hdr freehand.

As to your stream.one thing I do notice immediately in your portfolio is that each shot is landscape orientation even when that doesn't work too well. You can rotate your camera, you know!
You're also very prone to heavy saturation which works sometimes like the clown and the windmill but also does not work like the owl.

Last, your camera is stuck in auto exposure. That does not allow much creativity and certainly will not help you get the most out of the camera. It also is part of the problem where quite a lot of your work which is not in your portfolio is significantly under exposed.

I think you have a good eye overall. I do think, though, that there are a few things that could help to improve your photography.

1) Alot of your shots are alittle tight, meaning some of the animals have ears cut off, etc. I think it would add interest to either go in for a really close macro shot, or to show more of the animal (in this instance). There's a rule in photography that you shouldn't cut off appendages (so hands, feet, cutting off at joints, ears of animals, etc). The reason being is that it's visually uncomfortable.
2) for the coastal sunset photo, I believe you could bring down your exposure just a bit to make the coastline almost black and intensify this sky. This will make it more visually appealing and also minimize distraction; you want people looking at the landscape not the things on shore.

Hope this helps!

Not bad… But try using manual mode for more creativity. Take control of the camera, don't let the camera take control of you!

At 14 and a little more practice… What can go wrong?