Okay how about these-Engagement shoot

[Teresa]

i did look it up online about the shutter speed and they all say N/A for the adjustment of the shutter speed...whatever the shutter speed is, it is automatically programed to certain programs (manual, nighttime, auto, etc) on my camera

 

[Sweetsomedays]

If your ss is on manual you should have control over it.

 

[bellacat]

I am just reading up on all the posts and teresa I agree with allsmiles, you really should consider taking a basic photography course at the local college. It will help you so much.

 

[JenR]

#1 and #2 I was on a moving pier that you could walk on and it wasn't the steadiest thing in the world and that was as high up as my tripod could go with me still able to see what I was shooting. No way was I bringing out a ladder on a moving/wobbly pier.
what do you mean by aperture...still learning the "logo" and i dont have attachable lens for my camera...i just have a sony cybershot DSC-H5...i can get a telephoto lens and wide angel but that is all they sell for my camera.
by soft do you mean blurry? i think the last were hard to get the "movement blur" off of them because they were moving and i was shooting and they didnt know it.

When I said they were soft, I mean that the subjects are not as sharp and in-focus as they should be. There are LOTS of possible reasons for image softness; like a shutter speed that is too slow, too wide an aperture, or the focus falling on the wrong spot.

 

[Johnboy2978]

These are about 10x better than the studio ones that you also posted. I think the main difference between these and the "studio" ones is that you've taken the lighting out of the equation. There are several books on lighting that you can invest in and it will go a long way to improving your shots.

On these shots, the two weak links are posing and depth of field. It looks like in most all of these, the aperture was about f/8. If you shoot with a more open apeture like 2.8, 3.5 something like that, it will blur the background more and separate the subject from the BG and give it an overall more pleasing look.

Posing books will also go a long way to improving these shots. Check amazon for both.

 

[Teresa]

I am just reading up on all the posts and teresa I agree with allsmiles, you really should consider taking a basic photography course at the local college. It will help you so much.

okay and is someone going to lend me the money to go back to school to take some courses in this?
i am married, have 2 kids (one 12 yr old step son and a 16 month old son). my hubby pays child support, bills, insurance, etc ..he is the ONLY one working. i so far have only gotten $175 income from this photography "job" for the engagement photo shoot i have done but that was a deposit for her bridal portraits and wedding day coverage.
we have no money for me to go back to school. I wish

 

[Sweetsomedays]

Then go to the library, grab every single book on photography you can and read them all. Practice what you read as you go.

It is not our responsability to teach you to take wonderful photo's. Thats your job.
We all have challenges and we all must find ways to overcome them. Some things do take time, lots and lots and lots of time. And you must find that time between school and family events

 

[Allsmiles7282]

okay and is someone going to lend me the money to go back to school to take some courses in this?
i am married, have 2 kids (one 12 yr old step son and a 16 month old son). my hubby pays child support, bills, insurance, etc ..he is the ONLY one working. i so far have only gotten $175 income from this photography "job" for the engagement photo shoot i have done but that was a deposit for her bridal portraits and wedding day coverage.
we have no money for me to go back to school. I wish

There are plenty of resources out there if you truly want to learn but you are going to have to put some work into it. Go to the library, go to a workshop from a fellow photographer, study art and light.

I think it is too easy to sit back and say "I cant because..." we could all do that. If you want it bad enough, you struggle and learn, the same way as anyone else.

BTW, I busted my butt in school to take photography classes and do a organic chemistry degree. Like I said, if you want it, it is there for the taking.

Good luck and we will be very delighted to see you put to use the things you learn. You'll be surprised how fast you can improve.

 

[bellacat]

okay and is someone going to lend me the money to go back to school to take some courses in this?
i am married, have 2 kids (one 12 yr old step son and a 16 month old son). my hubby pays child support, bills, insurance, etc ..he is the ONLY one working. i so far have only gotten $175 income from this photography "job" for the engagement photo shoot i have done but that was a deposit for her bridal portraits and wedding day coverage.
we have no money for me to go back to school. I wish

hey don't kill the messenger. I'm also married with 3 kids living on a very tight income as well primarily due to living in one of the most expensive counties in North California. That said, I am serious about photography and will do what ever it takes to get the education i need be it self learning or a class at a jr college. Its an investment worth every penny. If you are serious about wanting to make a career out of being a photographer then you need to take the advice we are giving you seriously. Excuses for one thing or another is not going to change that fact that maybe you are just not ready to jump into this as you might think you are. People pay photographers for their skill and talent. The more you learn and practice the better you will get. Keep plugging away at it and you will get better but also remember that with everything there is sacrifice and commitment.

I really don't mean to come off harsh or to sound like I am attacking you in anyway. I just know that from my own experience, if you want something bad enough you will find a way to make it happen. I have as many others here working my butt off in college. I was a single mom with a sick baby as I finished my bachelor degree in graphic design. I could have found a million excuses not to finish school but i didn't becuase i wanted it bad enough. Getting a student loan for education is not the worst thing in the world and in the end it will be an investment in your future.

 

[djscarrd]

Teresa,

Your photos would look a whole lot better than mine if I was just starting out in photography. There is a lot that you need to learn but it seems you are at a good start. I can see the creativity you are trying to display in your photos.

Practice with what you have now. Learn how to use it to achieve what you want. I've seen and known other photographers using P&S cameras that produce really nice stuff. I never went to college for photography. I learned by buying $40 books on photography, over the internet, and by watching other photographers.

If you enjoy it, then keep doing it.

Just my .02 cents.

Marvin

 

[The_Traveler]

I think this set of pictures is a good object lesson in posing. This lady is chubby and has a double chin. #6 is the only picture that doesn't emphasize one of these characteristics. Engagement pictures should de-emphasize the less attractive and emphasize the attractive.

 

[Teresa]

I think this set of pictures is a good object lesson in posing. This lady is chubby and has a double chin. #6 is the only picture that doesn't emphasize one of these characteristics. Engagement pictures should de-emphasize the less attractive and emphasize the attractive.

trust me i tried positioning her where her "weight" wouldn't show that bad.
i had about 40 of the train track photos and all or most of them showed her backside and the pair of jeans she was wearing was saggy sort of and made her butt look 4 times as big....

also, i tried to get a lot of them standing and her looking at him as that dimenished the problem but they had ideas and wanted to use those as well and when i edited the photos, i told her when she viewed the proofs "now, this would've been a better photo had your face been lifted a bit or had you been turned slightly, etc" and all she could really say about the "double chin/fat photos" was "oh my hair looks like crap!" LOL

 

[The_Traveler]

i told her when she viewed the proofs "now, this would've been a better photo had your face been lifted a bit or had you been turned slightly, etc" and all she could really say about the "double chin/fat photos" was "oh my hair looks like crap!" LOL

It's too late then. She knows she's overweight and she isn't going to bring it up to you. She talks about the things she can control.

As the person taking the pix, it is your responsibility to direct the shoot - and make her look good.

Take the pictures they want - but in addition to the ones you want.

 

[dpolston]

There are tricks to those issues too. I got my real break shooting "glamor and boudoir" portraits in a studio. No to be overly descriptive (because this is a PG-13 reply) taking full figured, nude womens photos is hard work but you can make the body types very attractive. I have shot flattering full body nudes of women size 16, 18 and up. Those techniques are very valuable tools and is beneficial to you to learn.

You need to learn them from a pro. Find another pro other than the one currently helping you work and perhaps she too can benefit from these tips.

Keep on shooting!

 

[dpolston]

Mornin' Lew! =o)