New photog Website/ FB critique

[GraceLouise]

Hey all! I FINALLY created a website, geesh, took me long enough!! Anyways, I'd love some critique if you don't mind! I know some of my images are underexposed thanks to my brand new lap top with a brilliant bright screen that messed up a whole slew of newer photos I edited. So, besides that...any advice?!

Cheers

http://www.gracelouisephotos.com

Grace Louise Photography | Facebook

[TPF Sponsor]

[orljustin]

"I am a natural light lifestyle photographer serving Southern Oregon, Douglas County and surrounding areas."

reads as

"I do not know how to use professional lighting equipment, such as a flash, to achieve results. Hopefully, the sun will be out when we shoot."

[ManhattanShutterBug]

If possible I would have it say portfolio or gallery and then when you click on it a drop down subs menu that say "family, children, wedding" etc. Also your about page is a little cheesy it sounds like every other photographer. I know about is the hardest part of making a website (or at least I find it is) but I think it should talk a little more about you personally, what your training is and then what you can do for the client (which you have) etc.

[tirediron]

A photographer's website should be all about the pictures. The image on your 'About' page is, well... lacking to say the least. It's muddy, has blown highlights, your (I assume that is you) eyes are closed... in short, it looks like a cell phone image at best. In contrast, the image on your 'Contact' page is a rather whimsical one.

A gmail address does not exactly scream "professional". Set up an e-mail address on your domain.

Many of the images in your wedding gallery are not helping to sell you, but rather to showecase a lack of knowledge or skill in lighting. As mentioned above, "natural light photographer" is almost always a copout for "I don't know lighting". Where the lighting conditions are good, you have some very nice images. Where they're not, your work suffers, in some cases badly.

I would strongly recommend putting down the business license (You do have one, don't you? Along with insurance, etc?) and spend a few months working on your lighting skills. Acquiring a few speedlights and decent set of studio strobes and knowing how to use them will take your work to a whole new level.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

[imagemaker46]

"I am a natural light lifestyle photographer serving Southern Oregon, Douglas County and surrounding areas."

reads as

"I do not know how to use professional lighting equipment, such as a flash, to achieve results. Hopefully, the sun will be out when we shoot."

I have to agree with this to some extent as well. I do most of my portrait shoots outdoors, but they never look as flat as the first image on your site, I almost stopped at that point. You have a few cute snaps of kids, but there is an overall lack of consistancy, both in quality and exposure. The home page slide show should be your strongest images, if these are your strongest images then you have some work to do.

[GraceLouise]

@OrlJustin- I don't currently shoot with any lighting equipment, and I make sure clients know that. I'm not trying to hide anything. I really love the way photos look with natural sun, and so that is the type of photography I have focused on perusing at this time.


@Manhattan- Thanks, I am currently working on making my gallery a drop down, I think its much nicer for orgnization.

@tirediron- I don't have a business license yet, as I really have only been doing this for 6 months. I have so much to learn, and this is really just the beginning stages of growth. I appreciate your advice about photos for the about page

@imagemaker- Thanks for your advice about fixing my homepage images. I really do need to re-edit due to a very bright screen. you mentioned Flat, can you please tell me which, its helpful to know what you see. Thanks

[imagemaker46]

I notice that you have changed some of the photos in the slide show already, the one that I thought was flat is gone. The shot with the girl leaning her head on the post is nice and I like the idea behind it, but it lacks some punch, you want the images strong. The group shot from the wedding looks good, except the one "loner" standing outside the group of guys. Girl in the field in front of the fence is standing an akward looking position.

[camz]

I hope the OP is coming back...you know us we're a warm bunch!

I love natural light as well . Nothing close to ideal! When it's right it's easy to shoot, no need for much equipment - just a good eye, good lense and camera. I actually know alot of award winning pros who shoot purely ambient. But unlike you they don't do weddings. So I checked out your site and saw alot of underexposed shots. Also since you do weddings, how do you go about covering indoor reception without lighting equipment? Looks like you're rushing your business launch as it's going to be tough to do weddings without it. It's easy to call shots with clients regarding time when doing family portraits. However doing weddings you're in the mercy of the client's time, location and conditions. You won't be able to pull off a good job without lighting.

The good thing about your website it loads fast. However I think alot of the pictures are underexposed and soft.

[2WheelPhoto]

I'm a student but I love when people ask me "what are these natural lighting photographers all about"?

I reply "well my photography certification program professors have explained in one way or another natural light photographers either can't afford off camera lighting, don't know how to make use of lighting, or both. These are among the ones that help customers to quickly realize it may be best to pay a little more for professionals".

[GraceLouise]

Camz- thanks for your feedback. the two weddings you see were for friends that paid very little. I don't know much about flash lighting but I intend to learn. I am publicizingnot my self as a wedding photog, rather just displaying what I have done so far. I am always honest and anyone that wants to book I make sure they know how much experience I do have.It seems as if you have all forgotten what it was like to be new and learning and looking for constructive critiques. Simply saying my images are flat or underexposed is really not that helpful.

[GraceLouise]

Camz, that last part was ment for everyone, not specifically you

[imagemaker46]

Camz- thanks for your feedback. the two weddings you see were for friends that paid very little. I don't know much about flash lighting but I intend to learn. I am publicizingnot my self as a wedding photog, rather just displaying what I have done so far. I am always honest and anyone that wants to book I make sure they know how much experience I do have.It seems as if you have all forgotten what it was like to be new and learning and looking for constructive critiques. Simply saying my images are flat or underexposed is really not that helpful.

It's not so much about "forgetting what it was like" I grew up in a different generation, a hard print portfolio, no internet web sites. The downside to a web site is when the "photographer" doesn't have the quality to really even have one. Adding the word "photographer or photography" implies that you have all the tools and skills to really be one. After being a photographer for 6 months, you clearly lack the experience or skills. As great as natural light is, if you can't use it correctly, or don't understand light then it leaves you with very little. Not everyone uses a flash, I personally don't use a flash 99% of the time, but then my field of photography doesn't require one, but as a professional I still have to know how to use one. Until you know how to use the basic tools to be a photographer, you are simply a camera owner with a web site. You do a some very nice images, but the majority are closer to the amateur side.

[shootermcgavin]

Grace it's a nice simple site. You may not need a business license in Oregon so you have to check on that. I don't really think you should put any kind of licensing on a website or insurance details, let someone ask for that. Good luck with the business!

[GraceLouise]

Imagemaker- you are absolutley right, but everyone was once just a camera owner with a vision. I am not trying to convince anyone that I am a professional. However if I took the advice of everyone above, then I would either quit, or delete my fb an and website until I had all the photography knowledge in the world. unfortunatley, there is always more to learn, and I'm sure no one above really knows everything. We are all still learning.

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Camz- thanks for your feedback. the two weddings you see were for friends that paid very little. .

It doesn't matter. This is a direct reflection of you and your skill, not "circumstances and excuses" You need to be the strongest critic of your own work.

As for the site, it looks clean and simple. One thing that jumps out at me right away is The Header on the homepage. Its looks to plain, and too long.

Also, you definitely need to work on your lighting. Even just using the pop up flash dialed way down for some face fill-light or a reflector on those shots with the heavy back lighting. The exposures are WAY off on most of these due to lack of lighting. You can get a cheap flash for probably $50-$100 and you can get a reflector for probably $20 ( $10 for just a small one ). If you can't afford a $10 reflector, you are in the wrong line of work.

I should add, you do look like you have a decent eye for some shots, but you are just holding yourself back with the "Natural light" crutch.