From Hobby to Lifestyle

simplekym · Sep 10, 2008

I've been taking photos for quite some time now. In this world of photography however consider me a beginner.
Within the past year I've decided to take my hobby and turn it into a lifestyle. Here are some photos below - I will gladly take comments and critique.

To each his own!

#1

#2

#3

#4

LaFoto · Sep 11, 2008

simplekym said:
To each his own!

Hmmm ... yes.
What else can now be said?

zandman · Sep 11, 2008

i like the title of the thread. i think it's cool.

Raze · Sep 11, 2008

1: I would have liked this one only I find the string VERY distracting
2: This is probably the shot you were going for but I would have liked all of his head.
3: I think it looks a little too yellow? (could be just my screen)
4: I like this but I would try to bump the contrast.

jong · Sep 11, 2008

#4 i like it, but the background is distrating specially the leg

Village Idiot · Sep 11, 2008

What is the photography "lifestyle"?

Anyways, what are you going for? They all look like snapshots. Are you wanting to take artsistic prints and sell them. Do you want to make photography your profession? If you're just going for the lifestyle and not the profession, plan on being a starving artist that never gets anywhere.

If you really want to advance yourself, read more. Learn about composition, editing, lighting, posing, modeling, etc...

simplekym · Sep 11, 2008

I do appreicate everyone's comments! Many of the things you said about my photos, I was thinking! LOL I guess I should have followed my instinct. I appreciate your thoughts. Keep bringing them on.

Village Idiot said:
What is the photography "lifestyle"?

Anyways, what are you going for? They all look like snapshots. Are you wanting to take artistic prints and sell them. Do you want to make photography your profession? If you're just going for the lifestyle and not the profession, plan on being a starving artist that never gets anywhere.

If you really want to advance yourself, read more. Learn about composition, editing, lighting, posing, modeling, etc...

to preface - i'm a beginner. this is the beginners' thread, is it not?

i never once claimed to be a professional. i have loved photography for a long time. and now, as an adult i want to grow this hobby into a possible career. that is why i have chosen to become apart of this forum. i am here to learn and grow.

honestly, Mr. Village Idiot, i want to learn from photographers who, unlike you, are willing to teach others with positive words of wisdom. i am not willing to listen to people who are constantly criticizing others and snubbing their noses at those less experienced.

iron sharpens iron. have you lost focus of the point of this forum?

i am a poetic soul and i am very passionate. in my opinion - the difference between someone who takes pictures and a photographer is the ability to tell a story. when you look through the view finder, and all you think about is technique and the can and cannots of photography than you have lost the whole foundation and point of ART. you might as well pick up a new "hobby". yes technique is a big part of photography - but without heart and unrequited creative juices then whats the point if you're blind to the world around you?

do i want to take artistic images and sell them? yes - maybe one day i will. am i wanting photography to be a career? yes i do. do i want to become better as a photographer? um, yes. definitely. do i think of myself as photographer now? YES.

there will be those of you who read this and think that its a little over kill. however - i'm tired of reading village idiot's prudent posts.

simplekym · Sep 11, 2008

Village Idiot · Sep 11, 2008

I never said I was nice. I'm not snubbing my nose at anyone. I was asking a legitimate question. "What are you going for?" I could have gone through and given you a very detailed list of what I think could improve those photos but I figured any thing more than this:

Raze said:
1: I would have liked this one only I find the string VERY distracting
2: This is probably the shot you were going for but I would have liked all of his head.
3: I think it looks a little too yellow? (could be just my screen)
4: I like this but I would try to bump the contrast.

would be lost on this thread if I had no idea what it is you were attempting in these photos. I have snapshots of my dog, my friends' kids, food, and shells. But if you were actually trying to improve your photos and wanted something beyond, "Rule of thirds, exposure, nice pic, dangly string, blah blah blah..." I could have provided it.

The difference between someone who takes pictures and a photographer is that a photographer can capture photos that make people go "Wow!" and not, nice pic.

I'm sure most people that read my posts on here will agree, I'm a sarcastic individual that doesn't just throw out your general comments about composing the shot better and bump up the contrast. Most of my suggestions involve a bit of understanding. If you're not willing to learn anything, then carry on...

manaheim · Sep 11, 2008

I gotta find the pet peeves thread and add:

"People who are brand new to forums and criticize the natives for not understanding the way the forums are run."

Aaaaaanyway...

Given that we now know you mean "lifestyle" as "profession", I think we can assume you weren't going for snapshots, here, so I'll try to give you some comments.

There are some interesting elements in here, but overall the composition isn't terribly interesting to me. I bet with some different angles, and perhaps the elements not taking up the entire frame, you might have pulled it off... not certain. A bit of sharpening and contrast may help a bit, but overall I think composition is what kills you here.
I think I see what you were going for here, and I do think it's a neat idea, but for some reason the crop doesn't seem to work. A compositional adjustment might get it, but at the moment it looks like you tried to take a pic of the dogs face and just missed by a hair. Maybe look up the rule of thirds as it may give you some ideas. Also some sharpening would help, esp. with those lines and the gray hairs in his fur and such. (German Shorthaired Pointer, I believe, yeah?)
Again, I see what you're going for and I think you did a pretty reasonable job coming close. I would have maybe taken it from a bit lower and pointed the camera up a touch so the veggie plate wasn't so centered. Also, watch your aperature and how close you are to the subject... in all of your pictures you have a very shallow depth of field, and in this case you were focused on the veggies so the cake is out of focus... I think, generally, a bride (or whomever tossed that shindig) would be more interested in a cake being detailed than the veggies. As someone else mentioned your color balance is off. Watch out for incandescants. They'll wreck a shot easily. You're not so far off that you cannot adjust, but if you get a lot of this you may consider shooting in raw.
Pretty nice. Not totally sure about where you cut off the top of his head, but it's not bad. Brighten it up a touch, pop the contrast a bit and sharpen it and I think you have a winner.

Going forward, I would definitely suggest not lecturing us too much. Most of us (even the ones that may be a bit curt with you on occasion) are here very much to help. We have good days and bad, and some of us are snipper than others by default.

Keep shooting, and welcome to the forums and to your new found goals. I wish you much luck on them!