I Suck -- This Time with Proof!

[D-B-J]

No, perv. I'm referencing my earlier post, where I was at an event and stressed. On review, the images are.. average. Could have done better, but not exactly sure how. It was rough lighting (inside a doggy day care building), cramped, low ceilings, etc. What are your thoughts on these images and how I could improve? And yes, the pink tinge was intentional, I added a vintage process to these, as the event was a "Beauty Brunch," and I the only gent there.


_RSP8017-Edit by f_one_eight, on Flickr

_RSP8023-Edit by f_one_eight, on Flickr

_RSP8090-Edit by f_one_eight, on Flickr

_RSP8106-Edit by f_one_eight, on Flickr

_RSP8225-Edit by f_one_eight, on Flickr



Jake

 

[runnah]

Eh not sure that there was much gold to be mined from this particular situation.

 

[pthrift]

I kind of agree with Runnah, I'm not sure you could have done any better without running new lighting throughout and raising the ceiling and a bunch of other impossible dreams.

however, I'm sure there will be others who will chime right in with suggestions to improve

 

[D-B-J]

I kind of agree with Runnah, I'm not sure you could have done any better without running new lighting throughout and raising the ceiling and a bunch of other impossible dreams.

however, I'm sure there will be others who will chime right in with suggestions to improve

You guys are just tryna make me feel better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[runnah]

You guys are just tryna make me feel better. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bah nah it's right. Sometimes the situation just flat out sucks and short of carting in 10k of lighting gear nothing is going to change that. Also there are times where just a well exposed photo is a win.

Measured expectations is key.

 

[FITBMX]

I like the first one. But as everyone else said, you can't get blood from a rock!

 

[D-B-J]

You guys are just tryna make me feel better. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bah nah it's right. Sometimes the situation just flat out sucks and short of carting in 10k of lighting gear nothing is going to change that. Also there are times where just a well exposed photo is a win.

Measured expectations is key.

I like to hold myself to an often unreachable standard. I expect every image to be gold, even if I'm playing in dirt. Ya know?

 

[D-B-J]

I like the first one. But as everyone else said, you can't get blood from a rock!

Very true.

 

[runnah]

I like to hold myself to an often unreachable standard. I expect every image to be gold, even if I'm playing in dirt. Ya know?

That's good but events are a different kettle of fish than fine art photography. The key to events is documenting that event.

 

[D-B-J]

I like to hold myself to an often unreachable standard. I expect every image to be gold, even if I'm playing in dirt. Ya know?

That's good but events are a different kettle of fish than fine art photography. The key to events is documenting that event.

Well I guess I did that, if that counts.

 

[gsgary]

Time to give up on events

 

[astroNikon]

Upgrade your equipment to give yourself a jolt to your creativity

oh wait, you already did that. ^^^ what Gary said then

 

[CameraClicker]

Girl's event or not, I don't think the pink tinge helps. Shooting a table full of stuff, I like to see the whole table in focus.
The bin tag is a better place to demonstrate you can do shallow DOF. A shot into the bin might improve it.
Third one is the winner of the group; I love the "Oh, really" expression. I would fix white balance to get good skin tone on her face.
Think of the room shot as a landscape. Your foreground elements are the blue napkins and white plates. They are out of focus. If they had been rocks at the shore, would you have them out of focus? I would use distortion control software to squeeze in the sides a bit and make the vertical elements vertical. The shot could be improved by taking it again when there were people at the food table or sitting at the empty table in the middle. A few people scattered around the edges of the room, most with their backs to you does not scream "This is a well attended and exciting event!"
The last one looks like she is auctioning off a box of dog biscuits. Her forehead is a little hot, and her expression is pleasant but not conveying that she is having a blast.
In both portraits, pay attention to bright spots, your eye goes to the brightest areas and you have areas that are as bright or brighter than their faces, so a little dodge and burn may be in order. Skin tone of their faces should be accurate.

All in all, they are not terrible, just not great. As has been expressed, at events you are not shooting fine art shots, just a bunch of portraits with some detail shots mixed in. In focus and minimal motion blur with good skin tones makes it a successful shoot.

 

[D-B-J]

Girl's event or not, I don't think the pink tinge helps. Shooting a table full of stuff, I like to see the whole table in focus.
The bin tag is a better place to demonstrate you can do shallow DOF. A shot into the bin might improve it.
Third one is the winner of the group; I love the "Oh, really" expression. I would fix white balance to get good skin tone on her face.
Think of the room shot as a landscape. Your foreground elements are the blue napkins and white plates. They are out of focus. If they had been rocks at the shore, would you have them out of focus? I would use distortion control software to squeeze in the sides a bit and make the vertical elements vertical. The shot could be improved by taking it again when there were people at the food table or sitting at the empty table in the middle. A few people scattered around the edges of the room, most with their backs to you does not scream "This is a well attended and exciting event!"
The last one looks like she is auctioning off a box of dog biscuits. Her forehead is a little hot, and her expression is pleasant but not conveying that she is having a blast.
In both portraits, pay attention to bright spots, your eye goes to the brightest areas and you have areas that are as bright or brighter than their faces, so a little dodge and burn may be in order. Skin tone of their faces should be accurate.

All in all, they are not terrible, just not great. As has been expressed, at events you are not shooting fine art shots, just a bunch of portraits with some detail shots mixed in. In focus and minimal motion blur with good skin tones makes it a successful shoot.

Thanks for the detailed reply!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[runnah]

Full disclosure, I was a little drunk last night so I might not have been as clear as I wanted to be.

Anyways so looking at the photos I can see I know that the only shot I would have cared about getting would have been a group shot with everyone holding a bag or around a table.