Input is MORE than welcome, in fact NEEDED!

[LillieBelle]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61264912@N02/sets/.

 

[o hey tyler]

Have you read your camera manual?

 

[LillieBelle]

yes at least twice probably more like 3 times at least. That bad?

 

[e.rose]

Your processing is less than appealing. If you've had your camera for 9 days only... back up step AWAY from picnik ... and just learn *photography* first. The processing on the first one especially is just... no.

In the next couple she's *way* too small in the frame to be the subject.

This: PregoBelly | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Is just completely unflattering. The lighting is unflattering, the angle is unflattering, the pose is unflattering, and your post process makes it look like she has a skin disease.

Congratulations on your new camera. I hope you have fun learning, but you definitely need to do *more* of that... learning, that is.

I'm not trying to be mean... just constructive, so I hope you don't take any of this the wrong way. :hug::

 

[RedWylder]

Yea I'd say you overdid it on the processing. Some of the pictures could be pretty good if they weren't soooo processed/blotchy. I like that you are being creative with where you take the pictures and how you take them so keep practicing and you'll get it!

 

[andynrach]

Hey, I give you credit for taking on this task only nine days out of the box. That said, if photography is something that really interests you I would start with the basics and then move onto photo editing techniques. Learn what your ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds are and how they effect your photos. Once you learn this, shoot in manual mode ALL THE TIME so you can get a feel for what you're looking at. Your exposures don't look that bad, so if you were shooting in manual mode you did okay in my opinion (I'm fairly new at this, too) Next, I would take the time to learn about composition. When you're shooting people, don't be afraid to get in close to the person to take the shot, otherwise you have a great picture of the street and not a great picture of your expecting sister. Your local library system can be a wonderful resource! Scott Kelby is a photoshop fella that breaks things down very simply for new photographers, and he has a plethora of books available.

Your choice of locations is very creative!! So not what I would expect for maternity and yet quite intriguing! It also seems to fit your sister's personality, which is awesome. Last but not least, less is ALWAYS more in regards to editing. You spent a lot of money on a camera so you could capture every pristine pixel in it's glorious beauty, don't hide and hurt them with processing. What looks cool one minute may very look awful to you the next. It's really easy to get caught up in, "Wow, that's neat....what happens when I do this?" I am SO guilty of that! I'll be in LOVE with a photo and then look at it the next morning and think, "Holy crap, what was I thinking?" Editing can be like a drunken hook up that way.....so care enough about your pixels to let them be themselves for now. So..... Great creativity! I can't wait to see where you go and how you grow! Welcome to the world of light!

 

[Josh66]

Did you forget to rotate some of them, or is that how you intended for them to be viewed?

I have to agree, PP needs work. Particularly "PregoBelly" - the PP makes her look hairy... Not too flattering...

The colors seem 'off' in some of them, but your PP is so 'all over the place' that it's hard to tell if that was intentional or not. A calibrated monitor is highly recommended for PP work...


Anyway - keep at it, you'll get better. You can only go up from here (I hope that doesn't sound like an insult - you're just starting out, there is a lot to learn).

 

[kundalini]

I only see red X's, no images.

Of course, I'm a rollin' and a tumblin' tonight.

 

[Josh66]

I only see red X's, no images.

Hmm... All I saw was the link to the Flickr account - my comments are based on that.

 

[Stryker]

I understand where you are right now in photography because when I got my camera and CS5 with tons of plug ins, I banged it, not made love to it. I overdid my processing, just like what you did, to make it interesting for my friends to see how good I was in using the the camera and the software.

If you want to get serious with your camera, I suggest you enroll in a photo workshop, be a member of a camera club, and read a few books (Scott Kelby and Brian Peterson to name two) to start you off. Here' a small tip. Get your favorite movie, play it in your DVD player, and watch it again. Forget the story, put yourself in the shoes of the guy behind the camera. Look at how he frames the scene, how the lighting was done, how he focused the set. Did he blur the background? Was the character in the middle of the frame? Was the landscape shot clear from top to bottom? Was there enough light?

While processing your shot, get your favorite magazine, find your favorite print ad and compare your output. Do it soft and slow, be tender, and take things easy. Dont bang it...

Just a question, does a preggy woman's tummy skin really look like that? I'll answer that. NO, DEFINITELY, NO. When my wife was preggy, her tummy skin was smooth, and I would even listen to that alien inside her moving. If her skin was as grainy and weird as the one in the photo, I'll dump her. I might even shoot her with my 1911 because SHE'S NOT HUMAN

Just injecting a little humor here. But again DONT BANG IT. Congratulations on your new camera. Have fun with it and hope to see more of your photos here.

 

[o hey tyler]

Your processing is less than appealing. If you've had your camera for 9 days only... back up step AWAY from picnik ... and just learn *photography* first. The processing on the first one especially is just... no.

In the next couple she's *way* too small in the frame to be the subject.

This: PregoBelly | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Is just completely unflattering. The lighting is unflattering, the angle is unflattering, the pose is unflattering, and your post process makes it look like she has a skin disease.

Congratulations on your new camera. I hope you have fun learning, but you definitely need to do *more* of that... learning, that is.

I'm not trying to be mean... just constructive, so I hope you don't take any of this the wrong way. :hug::

Yes

 

[LillieBelle]

Thanks for all the input will scratch all and sell.....I am been shooting for 6 years. Obviously this is not the life for me.......

 

[RauschPhotography]

Aww... too late I didn't even get to see these pictures!

 

[andynrach]

I can understand your frustration, but Rome wasn't built in a day. What I discerned from the thread is your biggest obstacle is your processing, not necessarily your camera work. I didn't realize you had been shooting for six years, you stated you just took the camera out of the box nine days ago. I assumed it was your first camera, and it was my bad. Since you've been shooting for six years, you understand that this is a process, and there are good days and bad days. A stone never gets polished unless it has something hard(er) to buffer it, and you got buffered. Now, grab your camera, and work towards the polishing. You got some positive feedback as well, so build on it. Not everyone is going to like what you do, even if you put thirty years into this and go pro, you are going to have clients that you aren't going to please. Don't defeat yourself so easily.

 

[kundalini]

Thanks for all the input will scratch all and sell.....I am been shooting for 6 years. Obviously this is not the life for me.......

I wouldn't let some unknown persons from the internet make any life decisions for me...... especially from the Beginners forum. OTOH, perhaps these unknown persons are seeing areas to improve upon that your family and friends aren't capable of seeing, don't know what to look for or how to express an improvement. Perhaps it's a matter of different opinions on your particular style. Absolutely nothing wrong with having a style that is outside the box. There is plenty of room to learn new tricks after six years.

Why not have another go at it? I couldn't see the images and I didn't click on your link.