Just started my photography Biz need C&C PLEASE!

[Elizabeth30]

...I didn't intentionally start a business,

How do you unintentionally apply for a business license, take out liabilty insurance or apply for a sales-tax number?

...but sounds like most of you here talk of schooling.

Not at all, we're talking about learning! There's nothing wrong with formal education, but photography is most definitely a profession where you can, if you have the motivation, learn all you need to without ever setting foot inside a classroom. It takes a lot of time and practice. I would suggest that if you seriously want to be a professional photographer and not a Facebook Fauxtographer, then you should be putting several hours every day divided between reading and practicing. You're lucky - when many of us started, practicing was expensive.... Film, chemicals and paper were not cheap. Today, almost everyone owns a computer, and once you have your camera, there's almost no additional cost to practice. You can most definitely do it, but you have to work at it.

Good advice, thanks!!!

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Keep in mind that what friends and family think of your photography is a bit clouded by your relationships and most subjects tend to love pictures of themselves and their close ones. Coming onto a public forum you don't have the benefit of that partialality. We have no atachements to your subjects.

Here you will get fairly honest critique.

Good, that's what I was looking for!! It may be hard to hear some times but I am more than ready to take the next step in the learning process! I don't even know where to start?? I feel like I've played and played with my camera and editing tools, and I have a general knowledge of my camera and some of the settings. I some what understand DoF and don't understand light at all! All I know about light is when I'm outside, make sure the light is behind me lol. (although I do like the silhouette look too) ahhhhh! Where should I begin?

KmH posted a great start here: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...allery/267492-info-those-new-photography.html

 

[MLeeK]

OK. Constructive Criticism-
I apologize ahead of time.
1 is dark grayscale. There is no focus point that I can find in it except maybe on the collar. It is probably the best one of the bunch in glancing at the set.
2. Your subject is PURPLE. And I do mean purple-as in neon. Your overall composition is nicely placed for the rule of thirds, however her looking out of the short side of the image throws the balance a little. You need to make that negative space on the right side having meaning in order for it to balance well. The other track does help with that a bit. Fill flash should have been used here to exposure your subject properly and not have that huge white sky and blown out trees to draw your eye into it. Focus appears to be on the seam along her butt. The image has potential.
3.that hazy atmosphere is a popular look and it's pretty ok here. Your subject's face is green and her eyes are hidden in shadow. The placement of her feet coming towards the camera causes what is called foreshortening which makes that boot giant when compared to her body and head. Your horizon is tilted which is not always a bad thing, but in this case it makes you want to tilt your head to make it level.

4. the child's skin is glowing purple/orange. There is way too much of the carpet before your subject and way to many distractions in the background. There is something purple growing out of her head. With the color fixed it is a nice snapshot that would make a great scrapbook page.

All but the black and white are heavily contrasty with a high blacks level making your subjects glow with color, not vibrance. The heavy blacks are making the skin tones look dirty and the eyes disappear. The quality here is definitely not professional, but shows potential.

Conclusion: you need to get your monitor calibrated and learn about composition, exposure and how it controls the creative aspect of the image. You need to learn about flash, natural light and how to use both to your advantage both in exposure and in the creation of the image creatively.
Are they "professional" quality. Absolutely not. However if someone is willing to pay for them? OK, I guess. I will say that owning a DSLR and having a general idea of "some settings" does not make you ready to become a professional and this can definitely come back to haunt you down the road. If you sell poor quality images now (whether you think you're a pro or not) they are OUT THERE. With YOUR name attached as the creater. That makes you a professional in the eyes of the purchasing public. So... when someone else sees the poor quality you have out there with your name on it... What are the chances they are going to hire you? Down the road after you have seen and learned and are amazing, those can really come back to bite you in the azz.
It's a LARGE learning curve to create and control the image, but not one you can't do. And it won't take you forever to improve this quality immensely. Take the time to do it before you put yourself out of business with this kind of quality to bite you back.

 

[tirediron]

Some of use still shoot film and digital, i don't mind paying you don't get the same buzz shooting digital as you do shooting 120 film

I couldn't agree with you more... I love getting out on a quiet morning and burning through a couple of rolls of Ilford Delta 100 in the old Mamiya. I was referring to straight practicing... shooting 2-300 frames just to experiment with DoF. Today, with digital, that's cheap and cheerful. When you and I started, that was an expensive process.

 

[ph0enix]

Thank you and I really do want the criticism, I can take it, but this guy and the post after his were just demeaning. If anyone has some true advice I will gladly accept it, that was not advice.

Focus on the content instead of the packaging. The beauty of gsgary is his brutal honesty!

 

[sm4him]

..... but sounds like most of you here talk of schooling.

Nobody is talking about schooling; they're talking about LEARNING.

... now seeing as all the negative feedback I've had I'm not really sure I want to upload any that I've done for clients.

Depends. You have to decide: do you want to take pictures that your family loves and your FB friends fawn over? Sounds like you're already there, so if that's your aim, I'd probably not post any of my "client" shots for C&C here, because I can tell you, it's gonna be a wake-up call.
If, on the other hand, you want to stick that shingle back in the closet and make a decision that you are going to LEARN that camera, LEARN about lighting, about composition, about photographic technique and that you are going to PERSIST until your photos are professional quality, then...post away! You will learn quickly if you DO post your BEST efforts here, and then HEED what some of these forum members tell you. Some of them WILL be rude about it. Some will simply be blunt. But even in the bluntness and rudeness, most will stop and say, "try this....you need to understand about this..." and they'll post links, and you'll read OTHER C&Cs, and if you will determine not to bristle and react, but rather to listen and try to learn what they're saying...
well, this time next year, you might just be able to dust that shingle off and hang it up, proudly!

 

[Elizabeth30]

OK. Constructive Criticism-
I apologize ahead of time.
1 is dark grayscale. There is no focus point that I can find in it except maybe on the collar. It is probably the best one of the bunch in glancing at the set.
2. Your subject is PURPLE. And I do mean purple-as in neon. Your overall composition is nicely placed for the rule of thirds, however her looking out of the short side of the image throws the balance a little. You need to make that negative space on the right side having meaning in order for it to balance well. The other track does help with that a bit. Fill flash should have been used here to exposure your subject properly and not have that huge white sky and blown out trees to draw your eye into it. Focus appears to be on the seam along her butt. The image has potential.
3.that hazy atmosphere is a popular look and it's pretty ok here. Your subject's face is green and her eyes are hidden in shadow. The placement of her feet coming towards the camera causes what is called foreshortening which makes that boot giant when compared to her body and head. Your horizon is tilted which is not always a bad thing, but in this case it makes you want to tilt your head to make it level.

4. the child's skin is glowing purple/orange. There is way too much of the carpet before your subject and way to many distractions in the background. There is something purple growing out of her head. With the color fixed it is a nice snapshot that would make a great scrapbook page.

All but the black and white are heavily contrasty with a high blacks level making your subjects glow with color, not vibrance. The heavy blacks are making the skin tones look dirty and the eyes disappear. The quality here is definitely not professional, but shows potential.

Conclusion: you need to get your monitor calibrated and learn about composition, exposure and how it controls the creative aspect of the image. You need to learn about flash, natural light and how to use both to your advantage both in exposure and in the creation of the image creatively.
Are they "professional" quality. Absolutely not. However if someone is willing to pay for them? OK, I guess. I will say that owning a DSLR and having a general idea of "some settings" does not make you ready to become a professional and this can definitely come back to haunt you down the road. If you sell poor quality images now (whether you think you're a pro or not) they are OUT THERE. With YOUR name attached as the creater. That makes you a professional in the eyes of the purchasing public. So... when someone else sees the poor quality you have out there with your name on it... What are the chances they are going to hire you? Down the road after you have seen and learned and are amazing, those can really come back to bite you in the azz.
It's a LARGE learning curve to create and control the image, but not one you can't do. And it won't take you forever to improve this quality immensely. Take the time to do it before you put yourself out of business with this kind of quality to bite you back.

Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time. I will defiantly head your advice and start my learning process. I knew I had a lot to learn but never realized how much I still need to learn. I figured if people are askin me to do a shoot then I must be good? Well I never saw what everyone is talking about until now.

 

[MLeeK]

Here is my favorite site on BASIC composition-there is far more to it than this, but these are the very basic rules and will always serve you well. Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition.
Keith (KmH) has some awesome links in his signature to help you get started with exposure and the creative controls of exposure.
You NEED to get a calibrator. The Spyder3 Express is like $60 or something. It's an absolute must if you are working with photos or you have no REAL idea what you are creating until you get a print back from a reputable lab and realize it's horrific.

Here's my advice when learning: Do not add flash until you understand the exposure triangle and how each piece of it controls the exposure as well as the creative aspects of the image. Flash changes some of the rules and will make it complicated. First learn exposure, then learn flash.
That doesn't mean don't use flash ever, never... whatever. You will have to use it at times-you aren't going to quit snapping photos of your kids and life. But in your learning practice and work leave it out for now.
Concentrate on how each of those 3 elements work separately. When you are working on aperture shoot in aperture priority, shutter priority when working on shutter speed. Then start into manual and how to combine them to create the image and the exposure. You don't have to shoot all manual all of the time. MANY photographers are shooting in priority modes almost all of the time. In order to do that you have to understand what that mode is controlling for you and how it will change your photograph-hence learning how to shoot in manual.

When you have a fair understanding of what each element will do, then move on to flash with an external speedlight.

You can learn post processing through all of this, but do not concentrate on photoshop or gimp or whatever you are using. It's a crutch that can totally ruin your growth in camera if you think "I can fix it in PS."

Ask questions. This forum is blunt and to the point, but there is an amazing amount of knowledge exchanged here freely every day and they all will help you. If there is someone you just can't stomach-there is an ignore button or simply pay no heed to them.

Ask for CC. In order to get the best CC back from us you have to give us some info-your settings on the images and what you were working on or trying to do. What you think you screwed up and any questions you have for helping you achieve whatever it is that you think you aren't quite nailing. Be well aware that we aren't going to be like your friends, family and facebook where you are told you are the Greatest Ever. We are going to give it to you straight up with no chaser. However it's those wrong things that we are going to help you to change and learn how not to do or how to fix.

 

[Elizabeth30]

Here is my favorite site on BASIC composition-there is far more to it than this, but these are the very basic rules and will always serve you well. Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition.
Keith (KmH) has some awesome links in his signature to help you get started with exposure and the creative controls of exposure.
You NEED to get a calibrator. The Spyder3 Express is like $60 or something. It's an absolute must if you are working with photos or you have no REAL idea what you are creating until you get a print back from a reputable lab and realize it's horrific.

Here's my advice when learning: Do not add flash until you understand the exposure triangle and how each piece of it controls the exposure as well as the creative aspects of the image. Flash changes some of the rules and will make it complicated. First learn exposure, then learn flash.
That doesn't mean don't use flash ever, never... whatever. You will have to use it at times-you aren't going to quit snapping photos of your kids and life. But in your learning practice and work leave it out for now.
Concentrate on how each of those 3 elements work separately. When you are working on aperture shoot in aperture priority, shutter priority when working on shutter speed. Then start into manual and how to combine them to create the image and the exposure. You don't have to shoot all manual all of the time. MANY photographers are shooting in priority modes almost all of the time. In order to do that you have to understand what that mode is controlling for you and how it will change your photograph-hence learning how to shoot in manual.

When you have a fair understanding of what each element will do, then move on to flash with an external speedlight.

You can learn post processing through all of this, but do not concentrate on photoshop or gimp or whatever you are using. It's a crutch that can totally ruin your growth in camera if you think "I can fix it in PS."

Ask questions. This forum is blunt and to the point, but there is an amazing amount of knowledge exchanged here freely every day and they all will help you. If there is someone you just can't stomach-there is an ignore button or simply pay no heed to them.

Ask for CC. In order to get the best CC back from us you have to give us some info-your settings on the images and what you were working on or trying to do. What you think you screwed up and any questions you have for helping you achieve whatever it is that you think you aren't quite nailing. Be well aware that we aren't going to be like your friends, family and facebook where you are told you are the Greatest Ever. We are going to give it to you straight up with no chaser. However it's those wrong things that we are going to help you to change and learn how not to do or how to fix.

Than k you so much! I appreciate your feedback and will start learn the exposure triangle as you all call it! I'm sure Im will have many many questions in my journey but I'm glad tom know you are all here to help! Thanks so much!

 

[gsgary]

I'm a FP4/HP5/Tri-X/Fuji Reala kind of guy in my Mamiya C330

 

[MarkCSmith]

Some pretty harsh replies here for sure but take them and learn from them. I was getting paid gigs before I really should have gotten paid gigs too, but who cares? I was honest about my level of experience in what the person wanted to pay me to shoot for them and in all cases they understood they were taking a gamble for a discounted price.

You do have to work on the basics, as your focus is off, that is THE basic rule of photography, get the proper focus. If you don't get that down, then it doesn't matter how accurate your exposure is or how crafty your lighting. As has been said, don't live at f/1.8, give yourself some room to breathe, you'll still get the bokeh that your clients want.

 

[Elizabeth30]

Some pretty harsh replies here for sure but take them and learn from them. I was getting paid gigs before I really should have gotten paid gigs too, but who cares? I was honest about my level of experience in what the person wanted to pay me to shoot for them and in all cases they understood they were taking a gamble for a discounted price.

You do have to work on the basics, as your focus is off, that is THE basic rule of photography, get the proper focus. If you don't get that down, then it doesn't matter how accurate your exposure is or how crafty your lighting. As has been said, don't live at f/1.8, give yourself some room to breathe, you'll still get the bokeh that your clients want.

My main problem with focus is that I have a hard time telling on the LCD or view finder what actually is in focus...... any tips for that? I mainly shoot with aperture priority becuase of the good bokeh but it does make my point of focus hard to find. and the lens I'm using doesn't zoom so no luck there. although I do have another lens it only opens to 3.4 which is a huge difference in DoF, however this one does zoom.

 

[Robin Usagani]

You can achieve good bokeh with ANY mode

 

[Elizabeth30]

You can achieve good bokeh with ANY mode

ok but the best bokeh I have seen is with the largest aperture.... ??? am 'i wrong??

 

[ph0enix]

Some pretty harsh replies here for sure but take them and learn from them. I was getting paid gigs before I really should have gotten paid gigs too, but who cares? I was honest about my level of experience in what the person wanted to pay me to shoot for them and in all cases they understood they were taking a gamble for a discounted price.

You do have to work on the basics, as your focus is off, that is THE basic rule of photography, get the proper focus. If you don't get that down, then it doesn't matter how accurate your exposure is or how crafty your lighting. As has been said, don't live at f/1.8, give yourself some room to breathe, you'll still get the bokeh that your clients want.

My main problem with focus is that I have a hard time telling on the LCD or view finder what actually is in focus...... any tips for that? I mainly shoot with aperture priority becuase of the good bokeh but it does make my point of focus hard to find. and the lens I'm using doesn't zoom so no luck there. although I do have another lens it only opens to 3.4 which is a huge difference in DoF, however this one does zoom.

I'm not familiar with Canon but there should be a focus indicator in the viewfinder. You probably shouldn't use the LCD screen to focus. Also, what AF mode do you use?