Just started my photography Biz need C&C PLEASE!

[thereyougo!]

I commend you for sticking around and taking some of the crap you have gotten, just like anyplace online you will find a good selection of self righteous idiots. Especially in photography where people have forgotten it's still an art, and art is destroyed if treated like it's something "proper" because it's not, and never should be. That's why you have so many people who say "anyone can be a photographer", it isn't true, sure anyone can learn how to mimic other shots, but that makes it crap in my opinion, you want to do something that has never been done that's how art evolves, that means braking the rules, if you aren't willing to do that you won't get anything special in the long run, and where is the fun in that?

In spirit I do agree that breaking rules is a necessary step in the evolution of art but it must have one very important caveat:You must master the rules first!Even the most innovative and accomplished artists have learned and practiced the basics. When I was a music student I took private lessons from a member of the Chicago Symphony. My lesson was at 7AM. I would arrive at 6 and sit outside his studio to listen to him warm up. All he did was practice scales and arpeggios, just like a first year student. But his absolute mastery of those basic lessons was awe inspiring!Becoming knowledgeable and competent in the basics will give you the freedom to innovate without worrying about technique. The technique will be there automatically without thought. It is at that point that creativity can take over completely.onelove

+1. You have to understand the rules and know why you are breaking them. In so doing, your subject and intentions must be clear to people viewing your work.

 

[Joey_Ricard]

Liz, Slow down a bit.

My newly updated advice to you is to spend more time today getting your focus on track....Or off the track and onto the model's eyes in that one photo. Set your camera on a tripod and opposite something of decent contrast. Check your auto focus vs a manual focus (use LIVE view if you have it).
If you rely on AF when it isn't spot on (and it may not be with a particular lens) then you will have to account for that.

If your camera has the ability to use a separate button for focus than using the shutter button for both AF and metering, try to learn to do that.
There is a term that us Canon users have for this, but I can't think of it off hand. Someone chime in please. I think it's back button focus or something like that. I know it takes a little getting used to, but once you do you will have more control.

 

[cgipson1]

just like anyplace online you will find a good selection of self righteous idiots.

Yea.. sure... we are self righteous idiots... and shouldn't critique SH***y photos with the truth, right?

Ive spent a few days trying to get a picture of this cat or his little orange friend, I thought it was hard enough getting my hound to stop trying to knock the camera out of my hand for kisses but cats just don't stop moving, try getting close and they move to be pet, god forbid they notice you have legs lol.

someone thinks he's a self righteous idiot lmao

way to turn a generalization into a personal thing, I love that picture so you don't really win at anything dude. Other then making an ass out of yourself lol good job.

By the way if you took the time to clip that over here you would be smart enough to have read that I already pointed out major flaws in this photo myself. You might not think of yourself in a very high, or too high, light (I mean, how you turned what I said about no one in-particular into an insult to you obviously means you think you are rude enough for someone to think of you negatively. But I hope to god you are smart enough to realize I wouldn't OP something I think is great anyway.

And yes I see you take awesome shots of cats, good job, but one or two of them looks just like the shots I see at the shelter on their info-sheets, nothing special, though I do seriously love the expression on that one cat.

Loosen the hell up bud, I don't care how good you are your attitude will lose costumers too you know, I wouldn't be caught dead in a room near you if you where the last good photographer and I think anyone else with enough self respect would do the same if you are the kind of person to go out of your way to point out a bad photo to a remark that for all you know had nothing to do with you.

Sense I have already had paying clients come to me with some of my work I haven't posted and other clients on the way, I'm not gonna get too upset about this, in fact I don't give to licks about the above photo itself other then the super duper awesome pawsome coloration of it.

I was "generalizing" just like you did.. I am only an A-hole to those that deserve it (IMO!).. and you are really close to crossing that line. Yea.. I read your "critique" of your own photo... and it was nearly as incoherent as your photo. You claim to be a poet.. so you should hopefully know something about art and communication... but I have yet to see it. I do know something about poetry too! Care to post a link to some of yours? I want to see if you actually do write better than you shoot!

My customers don't get this attitude.. only those that think they have a clue.. and DONT! If you have paying photography clients.. then you probably fit into what we call "Craiglist/Facebook togs"... who put out crap for people who either don't know any better, or are too cheap to pay for the real thing. Even a knowledgable beginner would not post some like the two cat pictures you posted... they really demonstrate that you have no clue what a decent photo is!

I would suggest reading up on the Exposure Triangle, Depth of Field, and basic composition... but I am sure that your ego precludes the concept of "needing to improve"!

 

[cgipson1]

I think that buzz is from the fixer fumes.

hahaha... sounds like you have been there, done that!

Oh yeah. I processed my first photo 51 years ago and did pro work (both camera and darkroom) for decade or two. I kind of miss all of that.
In the darkroom I got to make magic with nothing but light.

onelove

I got started with the madness in High School.. used to shoot a lot of Tri-X, loved pushing that stuff. Beautiful grain! Light hasn't changed.. so you know more than most... the basic concepts never change! Applying it to digital is a little different, but not a whole lot (as I am sure you have already figured out!). We can be a opinionated, volatile bunch here.. but most of us do try to help, and have some fun! Look forward to seeing your future posts!

Charlie

 

[jterry85]

Dang! Last time I read this thread it was only at 4 pages! I'm gonna have to keep a closer eye on it...

 

[manaheim]

Bad photos and unqualified critics. A recipe for disaster. Welcome to TPF.

Mind you, when I say "bad critics", I refer only to the people who give these photos credit, for they have very little ... if any.

OP, I would personally recommend looking at the advice given by those here who were more critical of your work. Anyone who said anything close to an "attaboy!!!" should be discounted... completely.

Howlingwolf... shhh. Not so much with the talking. Trust me on this. You're embarrassing yourself.

 

[cgipson1]

Gipson?? Did you see what HowlingWolf said?
Are you just going to take that?

Lightspeed.. I was asleep by the time this was posted! I have to work in the morning at my successful, high paying professional job! I can't stay up late and argue like some wanna'be poet that probably works at McDonalds!

 

[cgipson1]

Bad photos and unqualified critics. A recipe for disaster. Welcome to TPF.

Mind you, when I say "bad critics", I refer only to the people who give these photos credit, for they have very little ... if any.

OP, I would personally recommend looking at the advice given by those here who were more critical of your work. Anyone who said anything close to an "attaboy!!!" should be discounted... completely.

Howlingwolf... shhh. Not so much with the talking. Trust me on this. You're embarrassing yourself.

Manaheim.. I hope someday I get the chance to buy you a beer or two.. (or whatever you prefer!) lol!

 

[jterry85]

Howlingwolf... shhh. Not so much with the talking. Trust me on this. You're embarrassing yourself.

^^Motion seconded! Is there a third Aye in the house?

 

[LightSpeed]

Gipson?? Did you see what HowlingWolf said?
Are you just going to take that?

Lightspeed.. I was asleep by the time this was posted! I have to work in the morning at my successful, high paying professional job! I can't stay up late and argue like some wanna'be poet that probably works at McDonalds!

LoL.
I knew you'd be coming back with guns ah blazin.

HowlingWolf, you may not believe this now, but Gipson is pretty cool people.
Ya'll just got off on the wrong foot.

 

[Elizabeth30]

Thank you so much! You have very encouraging words and I truley appreciate you taking the time to read the posts and give me a heart felt response!! I don't know anything about grey cards but I will look into it so thank you for that.
I do want my own style and it's funny you should say you like number 3 because I have had more people in his thread tell me how that one is the worse because the light is blowing out her face but that's the point! I like having the light straight into the camera. It gives the photo something different, something I really like. The composition is not great and focus is off but I love the light!!

Backlighting can be gorgeous in photography (like in #3) but in yours it's just too overpowering. If you had metered for her face - she still would've had the beautiful backlighting but the sun wouldn't be over powering her face so much. Positioning her differently would have helped as well so that she wouldn't just have this huge blown out area behind her. Do a google search or search on Flickr for backlighting. Check out www.megbitton.com - she has some beautiful backlit portaits.

Here is one of my favorite photographers. I LOVE her work and use of light! I'm going to post a link to one of her photos. Now I know the quality of the photo is way way better than mine but in terms of her use of light how is it different? Gorgeous C Family Peek | Facebook

 

[Diver_matt]

Big diff. The light isn't such a spot, it's present throughout the image. It also casts a soft halo on the girl, not so much like that it wraps around her. She's also on a wall coming in from the corner which draws the viewers attention to the subject. Shadows aren't so harsh.

 

[Nikon_Josh]

just like anyplace online you will find a good selection of self righteous idiots.

Yea.. sure... we are self righteous idiots... and shouldn't critique SH***y photos with the truth, right?

Ive spent a few days trying to get a picture of this cat or his little orange friend, I thought it was hard enough getting my hound to stop trying to knock the camera out of my hand for kisses but cats just don't stop moving, try getting close and they move to be pet, god forbid they notice you have legs lol.

someone thinks he's a self righteous idiot lmao

way to turn a generalization into a personal thing, I love that picture so you don't really win at anything dude. Other then making an ass out of yourself lol good job.

By the way if you took the time to clip that over here you would be smart enough to have read that I already pointed out major flaws in this photo myself. You might not think of yourself in a very high, or too high, light (I mean, how you turned what I said about no one in-particular into an insult to you obviously means you think you are rude enough for someone to think of you negatively. But I hope to god you are smart enough to realize I wouldn't OP something I think is great anyway.

And yes I see you take awesome shots of cats, good job, but one or two of them looks just like the shots I see at the shelter on their info-sheets, nothing special, though I do seriously love the expression on that one cat.

Loosen the hell up bud, I don't care how good you are your attitude will lose costumers too you know, I wouldn't be caught dead in a room near you if you where the last good photographer and I think anyone else with enough self respect would do the same if you are the kind of person to go out of your way to point out a bad photo to a remark that for all you know had nothing to do with you.

Sense I have already had paying clients come to me with some of my work I haven't posted and other clients on the way, I'm not gonna get too upset about this, in fact I don't give to licks about the above photo itself other then the super duper awesome pawsome coloration of it.

You get paying customers????????? :lmao: hahahaha Can you come and take a photo of my Cat please??? And I will pay you alot of money for it!

I like your style.. its great.... Getting the main subject OUT OF FOCUS is a very interesting approach to the art of photography! hahaha

 

[cgipson1]

You get paying customers????????? :lmao: hahahaha Can you come and take a photo of my Cat please??? And I will pay you alot of money for it!

I like your style.. its great.... Getting the main subject OUT OF FOCUS is a very interesting approach to the art of photography! hahaha

The TOTALLY UNREALISTIC STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY, maybe? You should ask him to write a poem about your cat... can't be any worse!

 

[bazooka]

Interesting, a thread which contains one who has accepted critique perfectly, and another who is defending that person that accepts critique poorly.