Engagement Shoot - Client

[CapturedFoto]

Hello all,

I am a semi-professional photographer, trying to get into the Wedding Photography side more.

I have done 6 weddings and 1 engagement shoot but am wondering if I have done something wrong as I get no email or phone calls.


Any way Here are three images I have just worked on. Please let me know what you all think.

The 3rd one was created this way in Photoshop and Lightroom

 

[DanOstergren]

I'm going to start off by saying that brutal honesty is the foundation of true caring, so please don't take offense to what I or what many others here will likely have to say about these photos, as these honest opinions are intended to help you improve however harsh some of them may come off.

To me, these photos are unsellable. The selective color in the first image is the first thing I notice, and REALLY throws me off. Selective coloring in any case is something I would recommend you never do to any photo ever again unless the client asks for it. Either pick color or black and white, but never put the two together in the same photo. In my opinion when it comes to wedding and engagement, a client is looking for images that reflect reality, and the sort of editing and technique you used in these photos do not reflect that. I would advise you to practice with using good lighting, composition, and SUBTLE editing techniques to create a good image rather than manipulating it in photoshop, and avoid special affects if you want to be a wedding or engagement photographer. In my personal opinion, it is a bad sign in almost all cases when you can tell that a photo has been edited. Save the artsy stuff for personal work, not client work. But I will say it again: DO NOT DO SELECTIVE COLORING unless you want your photos to look like they came from a cheap shopping mall photo studio, or from Wal-Mart! Do you honestly want people to look at your work and think they came from a run of the mill crap studio, or would you rather they look at them and think "WOW, a really skilled photographer must have taken these!"?

 

[gsgary]

going by those shots Yes

 

[CapturedFoto]

Ok Thank you.

I knew someone would speak bad about these fotos.

I will upload more in a few minutes, and let me know what you think of those ones.

 

[DanOstergren]

Ok Thank you.

I knew someone would speak bad about these fotos.

I will upload more in a few minutes, and let me know what you think of those ones.

There is no spiteful intention in my feedback; I am giving you my honest and sincere opinions in the hopes that you will try doing better work, which will ultimately lead to more paying clients for you.

 

[gsgary]

For me selective colouring is a big no no

 

[DanOstergren]

These ones are much better than the first set, but I feel like the white balance is too far to the warm/orange side. It looks unnatural and unflattering in my opinion. The cropping is akward in almost all of the shots for me as well, as you keep cutting off their hands. I would also recommend not putting your subjects directly in the middle of the shots. Using the rule of thirds would definitely lend to better photos for you in my opinion. http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds

 

[CapturedFoto]

Thank you for the input...!

I must say I looked at your Portfolio, Cool but very odd pictures

 

[DanOstergren]

Thank you for the input...!

I must say I looked at your Portfolio, Cool but very odd pictures

I'm an oddball, that's for sure! It's only natural that it reflects in my photos. ;]

 

[CapturedFoto]

Okay Here is a Custom white Balance I did

 

[DanOstergren]

Okay Here is a Custom white Balance I did

View attachment 50003

It's much better to me, but perhaps bring the "tint" slider a little more away from the green side. They are surrounded by a lot of greenery, so it's natural that there is going to be some green light reflected on to them. All you need to do is make a small adjustment just to get it to a more natural skin tone.

 

[DanielLewis76]

Thats a better shot. For me I would probably have dialled down the DOF slightly and placed them more to the left of shot.

Something a bit more like this.

 

[Starskream666]

Most clients see selective colouring and automatically think wow these look so professional this guy knows what hes doing. Its so funny. But yeah those aren't semi professional shots. I hope you didn't charge much

 

[texkam]

am wondering if I have done something wrong as I get no email or phone calls.

Wonder no more. It has been confirmed.


Lose the gimicks and shoot images than can stand on their own merit.

 

[DanOstergren]

Most clients see selective colouring and automatically think wow these look so professional this guy knows what hes doing. Its so funny. But yeah those aren't semi professional shots. I hope you didn't charge much

By clients, you mean people who go to the mall for their engagement shots and want to pay $18 for their photo shoot and five prints of the same photo because they have a coupon?