I want to crawl in a hole.

wildmaven · Oct 5, 2007

I posted my first 2 professional paid portrait sessions on a private board that my friends (yeah, right) use, and this was the only reply:

the focus isn't sharp at all
the lighting isn't proper (too many shadows)
the colors are bland ...
looks like a basic school picture ... no wow factor

This was for these two sessions:
http://wildmaven.org/portraits/emily/
http://wildmaven.org/portraits/julia/
Yes, you've seen these before, but are they really that bad? This has shaken my confidence so much I can't even tell you how much I just want to chuck this whole business. I know, I know, if I can't take criticism, I shouldn't be in this business in the first place...

Big Mike · Oct 5, 2007

Sounds like someone had some pee in their cornflakes and wanted to take it out on you.

Shrug it off and keep going.

After another year, review your shots and compare them to what you are doing them...use that to gauge where you are at.

oldnavy170 · Oct 5, 2007

Well when you just start out thats what it is......starting out! Its not what other people think its about what you think and of course what the customer thinks.

Like Mike said a year from now you'll look back at your photos and see what can always be better about them. Then again when they are better then you charge more. Thats just how it is about any business.

You have some great photos and next year you'll have some amazing photos.

Keep your faith girl!!!!!!!!!

zendianah · Oct 5, 2007

It doesn't matter what anyone thinks of your photos. Is the customer happy? Thats all that matters!! There was one photo that EVERYONE that I showed hated it. But the customer loved it. I even hated the picture. She said it had artistic quality.. I almost puked in my mouth when I heard that. But its her picture and she liked it -- thats all that counts. Would I put it in my portfolio... OH HELL NO.

acaldwell · Oct 5, 2007

oh wildmaven, they are not "that bad" as you say. Yes, we can always improve (look at my post from this week

), but everyone here is right - you just need to make sure your customer is pleased. Obviously, we strive to get better and better and the criticism helps, but it is more motivating when the criticism isn't rude. You are doing great, and you can't crawl in the hole right now b/c I'm in it. hahaha

cpd23 · Oct 5, 2007

I would also suggest looking at the photos and taking a look at what was posted can you see anything that might be true and that may help you become a better photographer by objectively apply what was posted. Try not to take it personally just use what you can and trash the rest

best of luck

wildmaven · Oct 5, 2007

acaldwell said:
you can't crawl in the hole right now b/c I'm in it. hahaha

I thought I was standing on something! :lmao:

The problem is that I have 6 booked photo shoots this weekend and now my confidence is shot. Not a great way to go into the weekend, eek.

Trenton Romulox · Oct 5, 2007

I'm not gonna sit here and say your shots were great, they weren't. They're good though. There is nothing there that screams 'awesome', but the most important thing is, there was also nothing there that screams 'bad'. Don't you let your confidence be shot because people bashed on some of your shots, seriously. Let your confidence be driven by what YOU think of your work, and not what everyone else thinks of it! Suck it up and stick with it! Come on now, don't let people throw you down and the ground, and you best damn not let them keep you there!

wildmaven · Oct 5, 2007

I just hate criticism without constructive advice, ya know? That's what got me.

"the focus isn't sharp at all" - What do you think went wrong?
"the lighting isn't proper (too many shadows)" - How would you have adjusted the lights?
"the colors are bland ..." - All of them? How could this be improved?
"looks like a basic school picture" - This tells me nothing!

heip · Oct 5, 2007

Beauty is in the eye of the buyer.

stellar_gal · Oct 5, 2007

Ditto on PP. And big hugs to you...

Just keep on shooting girl! Maybe look at your work with an objective eye. I imagine sometimes with a so-so image that the client says its crap and wont tell me what's wrong with it. Then I have to think harder and I maybe only saw the sweet kids smile or something else special, but in reality it may lack some sharpness (too much coffee!) or the outfit I gave thumbs up on is just aweful in the photos.

Just keep up your sessions, take your time, breathe and if they'll pose for
you, it will give you a little more time to compose better and get up close to take a manual reading, ect. Sometimes we just get in the zone and it clouds the fine details that we know we can capture, but just didnt for some reason. Cheer up. Happy Shooting!!

Garbz · Oct 5, 2007

Criticism without constructive advice is like a book without... ok forgot where I was going. Either way there's a method to receiving critique. a) if the critique is constructive look at if it is relevant at all since it may not be, b) if it's very negative ask yourself can this person do better and do you even like their photos? They may hate yours because you think theirs are **** and thus look nothing alike ... uah hopefully. c) if it's a professional photographer who you really admire who told you that it's rubbish crawl back in the hole. d) and if it isn't constructive like the above comment ignore it and assume the poster is talking out of their ass.

Actually that reminds me there was some rude prick on this forum but I haven't seen him in ages.

Mike Jordan · Oct 5, 2007

Well, you have people here to pat you on the back to make you feel better and if that is what you need, you probably will say my critisizum isn't constructive either.

I see a few things that jump out at me on your images...

One, you have a tendency to crop to close without having the composition to make it work. Your head shots are just to tight for how you are posing her. You need to give her some room around her head for the head shot.

Two, you are cropping off body parts, paticularly, arms, shoulders and hands. Rule of thumb, you should not crop at a joint... i.e. wrist, ankle, elbow, neck, fingers, etc.

Three, a good number of the first group of the teen, you have her square on to the camera.

On the little girl you aren't paying attention to your cropping there either. You also have her square to the camera in some but little girls like this tend to come out better than older people do.

While I wouldn't say your focus is out, you do have a bit of softness in some of them. It might be you haven't sharpened them enough or it could be from the compression down to screen size. You might try upping the sharping a bit more and see if that helps.

In some of both sets your lighting is uneven, with her face being more in shadow than her body is.

Are they bad? No they aren't. Color looks good as does exposure (other than the un-even lighting in some). You are not that far off and I think paying closer attention to cropping of the whole image and cropping of hands, arms, legs, etc., will jump you up a several levels towards some really good images.

I don't know what kind of critisizum your friends gave you, but one of the first things that you should learn, is to tell the difference between people that are trying to help and those that are trying to tear you down. If your friends were really trying to help you with their critiques (even if maybe they didn't know how to go into a lot of detail) then they wouldn't have been doing you any favors by patting you on the back and telling how great your imagea are. You would probably rather hear that, but really, would that help you get better? Remember, all confidence is is the ability to hide the butterflys so people won't know how nervous you are. Some people have really learned how to keep those butterflys hidden. But they still have them.

That's good you have more shooting oppurtunities. The best way to get better is to shoot, shoot, shoot... and then shoot some more. Just take the time to evaluate your shooting so that each time you go shoot again, you are not making the same mistakes twice... or at least no more than 3 or 4 times.

Both girls are cute. And you are lucky to have people to shoot like this. Have fun and good luck.

Mike

tallbell · Oct 5, 2007

Hi there darlin', I have looked at some of your shots and I think they are great. The first post I put on here, scared me to death... I got, wow akward lighting, and wow harsh light , and then I went to view the pictures of the postee's. I felt much better after that, and after showing them to the parents $430.00 later and 2 referrals. I shrugged it off and bought studio lighting.

craig · Oct 5, 2007

Tough deal for sure. There will always be critics. As time goes on you will figure out sincere thoughts on your work as opposed to someone who has read too many photography books.

We all have moments of self doubt. That will never end. Only answer is too love your photography all the time. Know that once the love is gone the photos will suffer.

Love & Bass