How to hone my skills?

[domd]

The first two images are so vastly superior to all the others it's as though a different photographer did them!

Interesting... The first two were shot with constant light rather than flash. Maybe that suits me more? With a video background its certainly more familiar.

 

[e.rose]

The first two images are so vastly superior to all the others it's as though a different photographer did them!

Interesting... The first two were shot with constant light rather than flash. Maybe that suits me more? With a video background its certainly more familiar.

I don't think it means that it suites you more, so much as it means you need more practice with flash...

With constant light, you can always see where the light it hitting and where the shadows are falling, and those first 2 images show that you seem to have a good instinct for that. Good!

So now what you need to do is learn the correlation between what looks good hitting the model, and how that light is placed, and then translate that over to flash. -- It's OKAY... to check the back of the camera to make sure the light is hitting the way it should be when using flash (or any other light for that matter... screw those people who think the LCD is good for nothing more than a settings display )

That being said, perhaps using studio strobes that have a continuous modeling light will be good for you. It "flashes"... but the modeling light is on during all the times in between so you can see what the light is doing (aside from intensity, but you can at least keep an eye on the shadows and what not).

Keep on trucking' dude!

 

[domd]

QUOTE:
A lot of the shots have hot spots from the lighting where pros would have diffused or bounced the light to prevent this.

This is the sort of stuff Im after! If you or someone else could pick out a problem spot and tell me what a pro would have done to avoid it that would probably be very useful.

 

[jenko]

Technical issues aside, the first three are fun, creative, and enjoyable to look at. They have a pop art quality about them. You are on the right track!

 

[Designer]

If you or someone else could pick out a problem spot and tell me what a pro would have done to avoid it that would probably be very useful.

(copied from above)
"A lot of the shots have hot spots from the lighting where pros would have diffused or bounced the light to prevent this."

 

[DiskoJoe]

QUOTE:
A lot of the shots have hot spots from the lighting where pros would have diffused or bounced the light to prevent this.

This is the sort of stuff Im after! If you or someone else could pick out a problem spot and tell me what a pro would have done to avoid it that would probably be very useful.

Pros would go find out what other pros did by reading their blogs, like this one.....

Strobist

Read it, all of it. It will help.

 

[Gavjenks]

Overall these are FANTASTIC for a "beginner." (I'm not sure I believe it either =P Or you're just using a modest definition of beginner)
That said, nitpicks to help you improve (well mostly nitpicks):

1) Okay. Cool pose/concept. I'd like the face to pop a bit more somehow. Maybe a subtle snoot light? Possiblye even one going through the blinds but still zeroed in on her face? Also would frame it further to the right. The empty wall on the side isn't doing anything and more space to the right would be nice, since there is whatever mystery thing she's looking at over there (similar to putting more empty space in front of moving things)
2) Looks snapshot-y. Missed focus, blue light intersecting with her head is meh. My least favorite.
3) I really like the potential here, but you needed to move to the left more so that the little figure's position doesn't obscure the big face like it does. Rather they should take up two distinct horizontal positions. This is also a perfect situation for a tilt shift lens or view camera -- tilt the plane of focus so that her fingers and eyes are sharp but not anything else, then shop in the little figure. As is, the large eyes being blurry kills it more than anything. It needs to be a discussion / dynamic between the two figures, but is one sided and awkward this way. The only way I can think to do that is either everything in focus (mleh) or the tilt shift. Or perhaps focus stacking more than one image (hard to do convincingly when you have blurry stuff in between).
4) Really good! Again, would move the frame more to the left a bit, the black isn't doing much. Might have missed the eyes a bit in your focus.
5) Technically quite good, not exciting me terribly. Maybe I'm just not a fan of maternity.
6) Composition is very awkward. disembodied dark arm cutting through everything. I suggest panning right and showing more of the back of the head of the non-mirrored girl, and the arm being down to keep it all consistently vertical and not cut in half.
7) Looks like you missed the eyes in focus again a bit. White balance seems too magenta and red. Otherwise excellent.