First paid shoot in years!

[souljourney]

I cross posted this in the Portraits/Wedding forum. The weather and the babe were both being rather uncooperative today but I was rather happy with some of the shots! Any C&C welcome...I am trying to get back into the swing of things!

#1

#2

#3

#4

 

[just x joey]

meh, sorry to be so harsh, but any one culd have taken these. nothign special. lovely u get paid to take shots such as these tho!

 

[Megan14227]

I'm going to respectfully disagree with Just x Joey here. Not everyone has an "eye" for things. Maybe there are more creative ideas out there, but that does not mean that "anyone" could have taken these shots.

 

[Sweetsomedays]

I personaly love #2. #1 is very sweet but the background is kinda just...blah.

 

[Mesoam]

that child does not look pleased

 

[just x joey]

i was in a bad mood when i posted that sorry, long day at school! i mean, theya re okay photos. im very sorry if i offended u in any way.

#2 is very nice.

 

[souljourney]

Umm...WOW. That's all. You're in a s*#$y mood and I'm emotional but that was a little harsh. I've seen people gush over photos that have way less potential than these but thanks for the input, I guess. I never said they were the worlds most amazing shots. I stated that the odds were against me on this shoot: cranky/collicky baby and off and on pouring rain. With what I had to work with, I (and the family) was not too upset with the outcome. That's all.

Megan, thanks.

 

[just x joey]

well the second one is amazing.

 

[Universal Polymath]

None of my business, so I'm sorry for jumping in on this, but I think it's worth giving just x joey credit just for coming back to apologize. Lots and lots of people have bad days, but few of them actually come back to correct things they may have said at the height of that bad day. And on the internet, that's even more unheard of.

And souljourney, I think you did a really nice job, considering the battle against the weather and the baby's lack of cooperation. I think 2 is definitely my favorite. Like many people, I'm always a sucker for the "teeny-tiny-baby-appendage" shots.

 

[Richard]

Okay first let me say I think you did a good job, but...

1. The background is definitely distracting.

2. I think this one is a great shot, I like the depth of field choice but I feel like I want to see 2 feet.

3. Now this shot is good, I love the baby's expression! This would be a nice 4x6 on an office desk; if mom was closer to the baby then you would have something great.

4. I'm not sure what software you use, but I would clone out the white speck in the middle of the baby's head, and maybe clone out the white crustys around the mouth.

Overall was a good job for getting back out there. I haven't built up the courage to charge for pictures yet. And if the family is happy with them then that's really what matters.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

meh, sorry to be so harsh, but any one culd have taken these. nothign special. lovely u get paid to take shots such as these tho!

seriously, qft.

 

[souljourney]

I give him credit for coming back and apologizing but I also reserve the right to be a little emotional right now, too, and he definitely caught me on a really bad afternoon with such harsh words. I accept the apology but words like that are what keep people from coming back to *learn* in a forum that is meant just for that. I used to shoot film photography and just dove into digital. I'm nervous taking the paid jobs right now because I am learning digital editing as I go.

I would love to see two feet in #2, as well! :blushing:

Here is my retouch on #4:

 

[Richard]

Good job on the retouch on #4, looks a lot better.

 

[souljourney]

Thanks, Richard!

 

[LaFoto]

Well, I hope both of you have overcome their bad days and we can now speak about the photos, and I - for one - don't think that just everyone could have taken these. It takes a bit of "eye" to find a location, loads of patience to bring about photos with such cute expressions in a baby who is cranky, and it does take some knowledge to thus cleverly work with apertures and their resulting DOFs.

And I feel you managed to bring it all together with your now new digital camera.

As to the first and its slightly distracting background, well, yes, also I thought yesterday that if that had been mine, I'd probably have cropped in closer to be nearer to the subjects. But then I thought, hey, but he did that with the others, some are very close up, maybe one broader view was within the assignments he/they set up for the series.

And congrats for charging again.

It does take some courage, and I would still not be charging, had not the clients come up to me and SUGGESTED I take photos and SELL them instead of giving them away.
And if it comes down to it, also I still think that it would not necessarily need to be me who takes the photos I take, it COULD also be someone else, but it just happens to be me. So why not be happy about these circumstances !?