Confidence Shot, Construtive Cristicism Needed

[little_earthquakes]

Candid photos is the type of photos that I plan to market, though. I guess those don't have enough commerical value?

Indoor, studio potraits are not my style. Candid photos were going to be my style...I guess what you're saying is that isn't the way to go?

And I'm still lost as to what the "bets stuff' is and isn't. Seems to me that's a matter of opinion.

 

[Big Mike]

Indoor, studio potraits are not my style. Candid photos were going to be my style...I guess what you're saying is that isn't the way to go?

That's OK, you don't have to be a studio photographer. I just have a feeling that 'environmental portraits' would be more market able than just candids. If you are going to market candid type photography, I would think that the best shots would be where there is no distracting background and where the subject it interacting with something or someone...whether is interacting with the viewer by looking at the camera, or interacting with a parent or another child.

Like Elsapet said, it will take time to build up a portfolio and get a good client base. Once you are more established and have people coming to you...you won't have to worry one bit about the type of photography you do or show on your site.

 

[The_Traveler]

Candid photos is the type of photos that I plan to market, though. I guess those don't have enough commerical value?

Indoor, studio potraits are not my style. Candid photos were going to be my style...I guess what you're saying is that isn't the way to go?

And I'm still lost as to what the "bets stuff' is and isn't. Seems to me that's a matter of opinion.

In my opinion, the pictures you have posted on your site are not 'finished' enough. There is little or no 'Aww' factor. Most of them don't look hugely different than what people can see as their own 'snaps.'

I would edit out 70% of them and present the rest in a more finished look and form - edit for color balance and crop, etc. Don't repeat models.

 

[little_earthquakes]

It's going to take time to not repeat models, I'm still portfolio building, it's going to be awhile before I can not repeat models at all. But that will happen eventually.

I've edited to the best of my abilities as far as color goes. I edit every single photo I take in photoshop. I guess I need to calibrate my monitor more.

I just took out more photos and added one formal portrait I took that wasn't in there before because I'm not personally all that fond of of it.

I took out a bunch more photos. Hopefully that is at least an improvement. Thanks very much for your help, everyone.

 

[little_earthquakes]

If you are going to market candid type photography, I would think that the best shots would be where there is no distracting background and where the subject it interacting with something or someone...whether is interacting with the viewer by looking at the camera, or interacting with a parent or another child.

Like Elsapet said, it will take time to build up a portfolio and get a good client base. Once you are more established and have people coming to you...you won't have to worry one bit about the type of photography you do or show on your site.

I'm sure your right. Thanks for the tips

 

[RMThompson]

There is only one sentence of advice I can give you, but it should do the trick:

Keep taking photographs and deleting snapshots.

 

[Mike_E]

Hi Lindsay, I believe that you can carve out a market for yourself with this style! You will have to believe in yourself absolutely though. I won't go into this much here more than to say that on your site you say you look forward to working with or hearing from your viewer. This is a hopeful sentiment but not a statement of fact. (I just deleted a couple of paragraphs trying to explain this because a couple of chapters wouldn't be enough) Look into educating your clients as opposed to selling them- if you do then you'll see why I brought this up.

A couple of things you are going to have to do though is 1: Bite the bullet and start using strobes. Daylight is great but is notoriously rotten at keeping someone else's schedule. If a client has a window of between 7pm and 7:40pm then that is when you'll have to shoot. Also strobes (flashguns if you are on a budget) will do wonderful things to your lenses if you don't have the absolute best. Namely allow you to go up a few stops in aperture into the sweet spot of the lens with out having to worry about the exposure being too dark or motion blur! Using strobes/flashguns will also allow you to use ISO 100 and will alleviate that grain. Also see "Dragging the shutter" to give you a hint of the benefits to your style.

This leads to number 2: POP. The one thing that the better pro's have in their photos is 'pop'. You can look up this term and how to accomplish it but in a nutshell it's where the subject seems to 'pop' off the photo at you. This is done with lighting which makes the subject distinct from the back- and foreground. It's also MUCH easier to do with a strobe or a flash because they have to be in close proximity to the subject to have much effect. the back- and foreground being further away leaves them mostly unaffected and therefore distinct in a relative fashion.

Good luck!

mike

 

[TheLostPhotographer]

Candid photos is the type of photos that I plan to market, though. I guess those don't have enough commerical value?
...

If you believe you can sell them then you will.

However, you've already admitted to being defeated by some nothing web forum not accepting you. There's no club secret. You just have to get out there and sell, sell, sell. All by yourself.

If you're prepared not to let anyone or, anything knock you down over the next 10 or, 20 years you just might make it. If you carry on looking for the net to give answers rather than getting out into the real world and selling then you'll get nowhere

You can use the net as a marketing tool, but it isn't going to come up with magic.

Anyway, all the best - hope you get there.

 

[little_earthquakes]

It was a fairly prominent children's photography website forum. But, it's not the end all be all, you're right. And I'm not going to let it defeat me or quit. I did believe that I can sell candid photos. Those are the kinds of photos that *I* personally like the most.

I personally hate posed studio photos, and I really really do not love the overly photoshoped candy colored digitized photos that are all the rage right now. They're pretty, but they're not real. I guess I'm a bit of an old school person, myself.

In the end, I'm just going to keep on going. Even if I don't have any clients. Because I truly love photography.

 

[TheLostPhotographer]

...

In the end, I'm just going to keep on going. Even if I don't have any clients. Because I truly love photography.

That's the spirit. No-one should ever be into photography just for the money.

 

[Digital Matt]

Indoor, studio potraits are not my style. Candid photos were going to be my style...I guess what you're saying is that isn't the way to go?

You may not want to be an indoor studio photographer, but I think it would be very smart of you to learn something about it. Any unwillingness to learn at this stage is only going to hurt you.

You need to learn about the different lighting techniques to turn your snapshots into portraits. If you only ever shoot candid type photos outside, they still need to have a finish on them that separates them from someone's down the street.

Oh, and about the music. Did Tori Amos give you permission to use her music to promote your site? Music has copyright laws just like photography.

 

[little_earthquakes]

I actually do know a little bit about indoor studio photography from what I did of it in high school, but not a whole lot. There isn't a whole lot of point of learning it now because I can't afford the equipment for a studio right now. I am broke, broke, broke and I live in a teeny apartment with two kids, my husband, and a roommate. As soon as I move to a bigger place, it may be more of an option for me.

I guess I could write Epic records, or look for some royalty free music.

 

[lifeafter2am]

If you want something dark and downtempo'ish I give you permission to use any of my music!

When I was reading around the site, I didn't get the feeling that this was a professional's website. It felt like an amature, that wanted to make money. For instace, I would take out the line with your email address and how it is the best way to get a hold of you, that is what the contact page is for. You should also have a link at the bottom of all the pages that has your email address. That whole trial version thing throws me off too.

 

[little_earthquakes]

The trial version thing IS annoying. As soon as I can, that will be removed from the site (you buy the license for the website and they remove the watermark, it's no longer a "trial version" at that point).

Well, it's unfortunate that it has an amature who wants to make money feel to it, because that's not who I am at all. Money would be nice but I am doing this because I love photography. If I just wanted money I'd go out and get a day job.

 

[lifeafter2am]

The trial version thing IS annoying. As soon as I can, that will be removed from the site (you buy the license for the website and they remove the watermark, it's no longer a "trial version" at that point).

Well, it's unfortunate that it has an amature who wants to make money feel to it, because that's not who I am at all. Money would be nice but I am doing this because I love photography. If I just wanted money I'd go out and get a day job.

Well that is good to hear! With a few changes, it would appear much more professional. Its getting there though. I don't understand why you wouldn't be admitted to their "club" or whatever though, I definitely don't know about them, but it looks good enough for a "Just Starting Out Business", much better than some others that I have seen out there.