Are my photos good enough?

[Shades of Blue]

People get really defensive over this subject, especially if they have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into their own photography businesses. I tend to relate photography to the music business...because aspects of it are similar.

First you have the "bar band." These are the guys that have fun, play their music, and get paid enough money to buy a new guitar every now and then. I've been there and I knew I wasn't going to play arenas, but it was fun making money while it lasted. This is also me with photography. I take photos for friends and family and occasionally have a paying customer. I wouldn't mind if my business grew, but I won't have my dreams crushed if it doesn't.

Secondly you have the bands who relocate to a good music town and have a part time job while trying to really get their name out there. The best they usually hope for is opening for a big name band and they pull in some decent money, but not enough to not also have a part time job. I'd say this is the majority of professional photographers who are serious about their craft.

Lastly, you've got the big time bands that make it. Congratulations. I'm also sure there are lots of exceptional photographers out there who excel at what they do and make enough money to live comfortably, if not better than they would at a desk all day.


I know that their are photographers out there who loathe the part timer with the new camera for Christmas. My opinion is that if their pictures are good enough that someone will pay money for them, then it can't be all that bad. The next time you have a night out at the bar with the guys/girls and are digging the music, be sure to remember that those guys aren't "professionals."

Yup,
as others have stated before.
If the clients are happy then all is good.
But photographs to photographers can be reviewed in technical details of photographers. Or they are be reviewed by artistic measurements. Or by "current trendy stuff" measurements. Every one is going to review stuff differently based on their background, knowledge and experience and specific techniques.

Agreed! Hey, guitar players are the WORST. I can't tell you how many times I've had people come up to me after a gig and be like "dude I play guitar, do you know how to play this and so on..." It's like a never ending pecker matching episode. Everyone thinks they are the best guitar player in the universe. When you find a guitar player or photographer who is down to earth and can admit their flaws, then you've probably found a pretty dang good guitar player/ photographer...

 

[astroNikon]

People get really defensive over this subject, especially if they have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into their own photography businesses. I tend to relate photography to the music business...because aspects of it are similar.

First you have the "bar band." These are the guys that have fun, play their music, and get paid enough money to buy a new guitar every now and then. I've been there and I knew I wasn't going to play arenas, but it was fun making money while it lasted. This is also me with photography. I take photos for friends and family and occasionally have a paying customer. I wouldn't mind if my business grew, but I won't have my dreams crushed if it doesn't.

Secondly you have the bands who relocate to a good music town and have a part time job while trying to really get their name out there. The best they usually hope for is opening for a big name band and they pull in some decent money, but not enough to not also have a part time job. I'd say this is the majority of professional photographers who are serious about their craft.

Lastly, you've got the big time bands that make it. Congratulations. I'm also sure there are lots of exceptional photographers out there who excel at what they do and make enough money to live comfortably, if not better than they would at a desk all day.


I know that their are photographers out there who loathe the part timer with the new camera for Christmas. My opinion is that if their pictures are good enough that someone will pay money for them, then it can't be all that bad. The next time you have a night out at the bar with the guys/girls and are digging the music, be sure to remember that those guys aren't "professionals."

Yup,
as others have stated before.
If the clients are happy then all is good.
But photographs to photographers can be reviewed in technical details of photographers. Or they are be reviewed by artistic measurements. Or by "current trendy stuff" measurements. Every one is going to review stuff differently based on their background, knowledge and experience and specific techniques.

Agreed! Hey, guitar players are the WORST. I can't tell you how many times I've had people come up to me after a gig and be like "dude I play guitar, do you know how to play this and so on..." It's like a never ending pecker matching episode. Everyone thinks they are the best guitar player in the universe. When you find a guitar player or photographer who is down to earth and can admit their flaws, then you've probably found a pretty dang good guitar player/ photographer...

Ha! same with saxophonists and clarinetists. I keep quiet about my guitar stuff (still learning a lot) but I play an early '93 Epiphone.

 

[Shades of Blue]

People get really defensive over this subject, especially if they have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into their own photography businesses. I tend to relate photography to the music business...because aspects of it are similar.

First you have the "bar band." These are the guys that have fun, play their music, and get paid enough money to buy a new guitar every now and then. I've been there and I knew I wasn't going to play arenas, but it was fun making money while it lasted. This is also me with photography. I take photos for friends and family and occasionally have a paying customer. I wouldn't mind if my business grew, but I won't have my dreams crushed if it doesn't.

Secondly you have the bands who relocate to a good music town and have a part time job while trying to really get their name out there. The best they usually hope for is opening for a big name band and they pull in some decent money, but not enough to not also have a part time job. I'd say this is the majority of professional photographers who are serious about their craft.

Lastly, you've got the big time bands that make it. Congratulations. I'm also sure there are lots of exceptional photographers out there who excel at what they do and make enough money to live comfortably, if not better than they would at a desk all day.


I know that their are photographers out there who loathe the part timer with the new camera for Christmas. My opinion is that if their pictures are good enough that someone will pay money for them, then it can't be all that bad. The next time you have a night out at the bar with the guys/girls and are digging the music, be sure to remember that those guys aren't "professionals."

Yup,
as others have stated before.
If the clients are happy then all is good.
But photographs to photographers can be reviewed in technical details of photographers. Or they are be reviewed by artistic measurements. Or by "current trendy stuff" measurements. Every one is going to review stuff differently based on their background, knowledge and experience and specific techniques.

Agreed! Hey, guitar players are the WORST. I can't tell you how many times I've had people come up to me after a gig and be like "dude I play guitar, do you know how to play this and so on..." It's like a never ending pecker matching episode. Everyone thinks they are the best guitar player in the universe. When you find a guitar player or photographer who is down to earth and can admit their flaws, then you've probably found a pretty dang good guitar player/ photographer...

Ha! same with saxophonists and clarinetists. I keep quiet about my guitar stuff (still learning a lot) but I play an early '93 Epiphone.

I've been playing guitar for 15 years, and I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with a good 'ol Epi!!! People tend to try and mask their skill level behind an expensive guitar! But in all honesty, there are a lot of similarities between guitar players and photographers. The more confident the guitar player, the more gracious and willing to share their knowledge with others.

 

[Overread]

I think the key is to consider a few aspects:

1) Is the client happy? In professional work this is a major, but not only, consideration. Because this is the one that pays the bills. However you also have to consider the clients as a body not just an individual. Are your clients the right ones to be listening to? Ergo is your client today your client for tomorrow as well - if you're currently doing friends and family but want to do companies you've got to consider about building your skills and portfolio higher than what most family are happy with.

2) The client is happy, but can be client be MORE happy with little or no cost of production increase? Clearly any business generally aims to please the client for the least possible cost so as to reap the most reward from the profits and to deliver the best price to the client. However in something like photography changes to exposure, composition or editing workflow can result in big jumps in quality for no material investment nor production cost increase. Clearly this is something to work on - especially if you're considering point 1 and thus aiming always at a higher level of client.

3) Caring. Professionals and hobbyists alike like to think others in their craft care about their craft. Indeed the idea that someone else is working, charging money and not "caring" about what they produce is a shocking thing to some. That someone could be so slaved to money; so devoid of passion; so empty of soul etc..... that they don't "care" or project caring about their product.
This gets people a lot more than they realise; its why some get angry and frustrated at others not reaching their full potential.

4) No photo is perfect, but there reaches a point where perfection is more a question of taste and style than of raw skill and mechanics. Thus there will always be critical points to raise; however if your client is happy and if your skill level is as high as you need it to be for today's and tomorrow's client then you're doing well.

5) Stagnation - its easy to stagnate; to develop a series of skills that reach a plateaux where you can work without having to push the limits. This is risky as once you reach this point its very easy for little things to slip. You get complacent and lazy as you're not learning and just working; the drive to improve is weaker and thus you get lazy. Happens to us all in everything we do; this is why companies have refresher training, sure everyone "knows" what to do but they oft need reminders to remember what they "Should" do. For artists it can also serve as a regular period of time to reflect and try new things; to branch out with a new style or to experiment. Even if it doesn't become your main method and you still use the old methods you've at least refreshed yourself and stopped adding to the pile of little errors/lazy points

6) YOU. Clients have been mentioned lots; but YOU have to be happy too. Happy with what you produce, how you produce it and with your general standard of work. And again you have to avoid point 5 of complacency every so often too.

7) Peers/contemparies - actually these people don't have to be happy unless you want them to be. This is more about you than them and comes at the very end of the process.
That doesn't mean you ignore them, it just means that you have to put things into priorities and if you're meeting all the other points then this comes near the end. Of course this body of people is also a prime resource for help if you're not meeting those earlier goals and can really help shape and improve your work because its the most likely area of all to give you actual advice (this ignores yourself and self-learning of course). Clients are good at saying they like/dislike something but many will often lack the experience and vocabulary to articulate their thoughts and relay them to you and even themselves as to what they do and don't like about your work. You'll get basic feedback from them at best; only if you really mess up will you likely get more detail but likely nothing about methods to resolve the problems (that is your job, professional photographer).

 

[Overread]

The more confident the guitar player, the more gracious and willing to share their knowledge with others.

This is generally true; especially as the more confident and experienced tend to also realise that there are few if any real "secrets". That said I think professional VS hobbist also comes into this. For better or worse people get defensive about their skills to their community. It's why a pro might help someone in another county/country/discipline but if it gets to their own ground they might clam up more so. Mostly if they are worried about their market slot - of course part of that is confidence too! Just a different kind I think - business confidence not just craft.

 

[puchu]

ok, thanks