CC on this quick photo.

[JerseyJules]

IMHO, the photo definitely shows promise.

Seriously?!?

The OP stated in other words that it was nothing but a snap shot. And it shows promise?

THIS is why nobody learns **** around here.

An idea has to stem from somewhere. There are a million ways to improve upon the OP's photo and OP seems excited to learn: THAT is the promise. We have given her tips on lighting and reflectors as well as composition.

Constantly beating down newbies and talking **** about their work doesn't help someone learn. Encouragement and pointing out the elements that work, combined with critique of those that don't, tends to help much more.

Exactly!! PS.....Im a dude...LOL

 

[JerseyJules]

An idea has to stem from somewhere. There are a million ways to improve upon the OP's photo and OP seems excited to learn: THAT is the promise. We have given her tips on lighting and reflectors as well as composition.

Constantly beating down newbies and talking **** about their work doesn't help someone learn. Encouragement and pointing out the elements that work, combined with critique of those that don't, tends to help much more.

Sure it does, and I completely agree. But the particular photograph in question is a snap shot, stated by the OP themselves.

If I did a math problem wrong, my teacher wouldn't look at the answer and say "that answer has promise". No it doesn't. Its wrong. It will always be wrong. It will never be the right answer no matter how much promise it shows.

I have to go back and rework the problem.

Continuously reinforcing the WRONG answer is not teaching anyone anything.

Sooooo, Expressing your feelings or thoughts through photos just cause of the mere fact that it might not be a technically perfect textbook photo is the wrong answer? Perhaps Im getting into photography for the wrong reasons then, cause I thought it was an interpretive form of self expression. As in ART... I dont like set up shots, I like capturing spontaneous moments or feelings and preserving them and telling a story.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

Sooooo, Expressing your feelings or thoughts through photos just cause of the mere fact that it might not be a technically perfect textbook photo is the wrong answer? Perhaps Im getting into photography for the wrong reasons then, cause I thought it was an interpretive form of self expression. As in ART... I dont like set up shots, I like capturing spontaneous moments or feelings and preserving them and telling a story.

You're right. As I said earlier in this thread, or another thread just like it, I'm wrong. I take back everything I've said. I apologize.

 

[jowensphoto]

Seriously?!?

The OP stated in other words that it was nothing but a snap shot. And it shows promise?

THIS is why nobody learns **** around here.

An idea has to stem from somewhere. There are a million ways to improve upon the OP's photo and OP seems excited to learn: THAT is the promise. We have given her tips on lighting and reflectors as well as composition.

Constantly beating down newbies and talking **** about their work doesn't help someone learn. Encouragement and pointing out the elements that work, combined with critique of those that don't, tends to help much more.

Exactly!! PS.....Im a dude...LOL

Ahhhh! Sorry, everyone used to think I was a dude on here

 

[Derrel]

Here's a thought: Why don't the majority of you quit yer bitchin' at one another and simply give the OP the C&C he asked for? Stop posing. Stop trying to be well-liked. C&C the image FROM YOUR OWN POINT OF VIEW, and just STFU on the complaining about what an A-hole "the other guy" is? How about doing that on this post, and on ALL THE OTHER C&C posts on TPF? Maybe???

Gawd...all the whining about C&C given by people who are not "you"...there are about 15,20 members here who make a career out of being whiners...things are "too harsh", or things are "too soft", yadda yadda yadda....it's like a sorority house here...

Give your own C&C. If you wanna' be an "ATTA' BOY! Good shot!"C&C'er, that's fine. But please, STFU on the C&C of the C&Cs...mmmkay???

 

[PhotoWrangler]

....it's like a sorority house here...

Everyone seems to have 'synced up'... if you know what I'm sayin..... LOL LOL LOL!!!

 

[Ballistics]

If I did a math problem wrong, my teacher wouldn't look at the answer and say "that answer has promise". No it doesn't. Its wrong. It will always be wrong. It will never be the right answer no matter how much promise it shows.

As a former math teacher I can tell you that this is exactly wrong. Your math teachers may have done this to you, and that's a shame, but it's not what a good one will do.

If you showed your work, I can tell whether you were thinking in the right direction or not. If you made some trivial error toward the end, but were thinking in the right direction, I might give you 9/10. If you had the right idea but went about it incorrectly, maybe 5/10. In either case, I point out what's right, I point out what's wrong, and I push you in the right direction.

Kind of like critiquing a photograph. Or ANY OTHER KIND of pedagogy.

I'm certainly not going to argue that the critique you get on TPF is all that great. Some of it is downright terrible garbage from people who don't know a damn thing. Some of it is uninteresting commentary from people who can't get past one or two technical defects. Some of it is just annoying snarking off to garner social-awesomeness points from their annoying little buddies. There's wayyyy too much of all that stuff.

Some of it, though, is generous commentary aimed at teaching and helping. I disagree, sometimes strongly, with the content contained in these from time to time, but often the spirit in which the advice is offered is spot on.

The real ***** is sorting through it all. It must be intimidating.

While I don't always agree with your posts, I agree with the majority of this. :thumbup:

 

[Stradawhovious]

Here's a thought: Why don't the majority of you quit yer bitchin' at one another and simply give the OP the C&C he asked for? Stop posing. Stop trying to be well-liked. C&C the image FROM YOUR OWN POINT OF VIEW, and just STFU on the complaining about what an A-hole "the other guy" is? How about doing that on this post, and on ALL THE OTHER C&C posts on TPF? Maybe???

Gawd...all the whining about C&C given by people who are not "you"...there are about 15,20 members here who make a career out of being whiners...things are "too harsh", or things are "too soft", yadda yadda yadda....it's like a sorority house here...

Give your own C&C. If you wanna' be an "ATTA' BOY! Good shot!"C&C'er, that's fine. But please, STFU on the C&C of the C&Cs...mmmkay???

A Freakin' Men.


To the OP.... assuming they will wade through all the BS and find this post.......

It's dificult to isolate the lighting provided by the laptop through the busy background and ambient lighting. Try again with just the look you're going for, not the look you're going for plus a bunch of random distraction.

I've said this before, here, today...... If the photo isn't good enough to your standards, you already know the majority of what's wrong with it. You will get more meaningful, helpful feedback if you post your best, and let the seasoned vets here pick it apart. If it's a new theory on using a laptop as your primary lighting source, make the laptop your PRIMARY LIGHING SOURCE.

Give us your best, and most the folks here will return the favor.

 

[Rick58]

Would someone PLEASE nail the lid shut on this coffin...geez...enough already

 

[charlie76]

An answer in math is right or wrong. .

Actually 1+1 does not equal two ... I've seen the proof

 

[laynea24]

I'm not going to read through every post so I'm sorry if this has already been suggested.. Maybe try turning off all the other lights and set up a small behind the laptop screen and bounce it off of it. Like put it in its mini stand and sit it on the keyboard facing the screen and put it on a low enough output so that it doesn't blow out your subject. You may also need a blue gel to mimic the light that usually comes from a laptop. Maybe not though. Especially if you have the laptop on so it bounces off the colors that would be shining on your subject. Just a thought. I've never tried it so I don't know if it would work or not.

 

[Designer]

I'm not going to read through every post so I'm sorry if this has already been suggested.. Maybe try turning off all the other lights and set up a small behind the laptop screen and bounce it off of it. Like put it in its mini stand and sit it on the keyboard facing the screen and put it on a low enough output so that it doesn't blow out your subject. You may also need a blue gel to mimic the light that usually comes from a laptop. Maybe not though. Especially if you have the laptop on so it bounces off the colors that would be shining on your subject. Just a thought. I've never tried it so I don't know if it would work or not.

Um, actually, yes it has been suggested, however the OP has said he wants to do only "spontaneous" photos, which I take to mean that he doesn't want to "set up" a photo, just sort of wants it to happen, if I understand him correctly.

But I'm going to try it using the suggestion that I made to him.

 

[JerseyJules]

I'm not going to read through every post so I'm sorry if this has already been suggested.. Maybe try turning off all the other lights and set up a small behind the laptop screen and bounce it off of it. Like put it in its mini stand and sit it on the keyboard facing the screen and put it on a low enough output so that it doesn't blow out your subject. You may also need a blue gel to mimic the light that usually comes from a laptop. Maybe not though. Especially if you have the laptop on so it bounces off the colors that would be shining on your subject. Just a thought. I've never tried it so I don't know if it would work or not.

Um, actually, yes it has been suggested, however the OP has said he wants to do only "spontaneous" photos, which I take to mean that he doesn't want to "set up" a photo, just sort of wants it to happen, if I understand him correctly.

But I'm going to try it using the suggestion that I made to him.

Thats correct, I dont want to "set up" a photo, I just want it to "just happen". Same way life just "happens" and things just "happen". IMHO photos that just "happen" while not technically perfect in every aspect make the best stories in life. I dont like to take set up studio shots, thats not my goal. My goal is to learn to recognize and take photos of special moments or emotions in life that mean something to someone or might express feeling to someone else, a little bit better than the average person.
Tha particular photo that started this thread was one as such. I was lying on the floor playing with my kids and taking pictures of them, when I looked at my wife who was on the computer lying on the floor next to me and thought to myself "wow, look how pretty she is, and how nice the light looks on her" and I shot several photos, forever recording that moment in my life and that emotion I felt at that time. Thats photography IMHO.Not setting up a soup can in a studio to perfectly photograph it for a commercial.

Anyone can take photography classes, learn everything there is to know about the camera, lighting,framing ect ect, become a master of technicality and methods and still not recognize what might make a good photo or have artistic value. That type of stuff can not be taught or learned, you either have a creative imagination or you do not..Some of the greatest moments photographed in history have not been scripted or "set up", and would be torn to pieces on here by photo critiques....

 

[Stradawhovious]

Ah. I see.

Good luck with all that.

:meh:

If you want your pictures to turn out better on the fly, then learn how to take better pictues. In order for that to happen, you either have to take classes (which it seems you're against) or learn from others who have been there and done that and take away the knowledge from them what will work for what you want to do. It won't happen (forgive the pun) spontaneously.

Also, you have to realize that the people who "take pictures of soup cans in studios" have an awful lot to teach other folks about all aspects of photography.... and you might do well not to take shots at their craft. If they can afford to continue photographing soup cans in studios, chances are they're doing something right.

Just sayin'.

Have fun learning.

 

[paigew]

JerseyJules I totally see/understand/agree with you. What you want is to be able to document real life...artistically! You saw how beautiful your wife looked with the light illuminating her face; now you need to learn how to translate that into a photo you will cherish forever. I am just like you in that I don't want to 'set up' photos, I want them to just happen. I want to look at a photo and remember the memory, not how I ran around the house moving crap around and getting my lights set up. This is why photography has helped me to become a better housewife . You will get better at isolating your subject and creating pleasing images 'on the fly' if you practice.