My own two boys...

[OrionsByte]

I do listen to it. Its just hard to hear nothing good when before I belonged here, people always told me what good photos I take. I come here and I dont know if Ive gotten one good comment. Its kind of a blow when you just join something like this and have a passion for something to have to hear you suck. I dont mind hearing that I suck if I suck but damn. Its just negative and there wasnt much corrective happening.

Hehe trust me, we all went through the same thing. Problem is, the people that tell you your photos are good aren't photographers. They're friends and family who are impressed with your work because it's better than they could do. Around here, we're pickier with each other because we're trying to help each other get better.

You think your family and friends like your photos now, wait a few months. Let people around here adjust your technique a bit. Pay attention to books, sites, and videos folks recommend. Find other sources besides TPF for critique too, if you like. Soon people will look at your shots and say, "WOW!" instead of, "Hey, what a nice picture!"

TPF will still hate it though.

 

[sanderso]

TPF will still hate it though.

Agreed...the thing which makes TPF a valuable place is the interaction of the folks here. Yes, can be ugly...like making sausage....but, the end product is very tasty.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Its just negative and there wasnt much corrective happening.

The flip side is that people made helpful corrective suggestions concerning soft blurry over saturated images in one thread, and suggested you back off a bit. Your next thread took none of that advice, and your image was soft, blurry, and over saturated just like the other. Then you just blow it off, because, YOU like it. And then we are mean and nasty, and unhelpful.

I see your side, do you see the other?

 

[PhotoWrangler]

THanks. I dont set up what I take. I see it. I take it.

Wouldn't that be the definition of a 'snapshot'?

 

[PhotoWrangler]

I do listen to it. Its just hard to hear nothing good when before I belonged here, people always told me what good photos I take. I come here and I dont know if Ive gotten one good comment. Its kind of a blow when you just join something like this and have a passion for something to have to hear you suck. I dont mind hearing that I suck if I suck but damn. Its just negative and there wasnt much corrective happening.

Every single photographer who owns a camera has been told a time or two that their work sucks, and if they say they haven't, their lying. Those who accept that their work sucks, listen to advice of others who have been there, and put forth the effort to get better - do in fact get better. Those who don't... still suck.

 

[subscuck]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but if you're looking for technical improvement, which you say you are, you need to post the original pic, free of any pping, as Bitter suggested. I can look at the exif on this pic and tell you some things, but not knowing what you did in post, I can't tell you if it was exposed properly sooc, or if exposure was adjusted in post. I can't tell you if your lens is nice and contrasty, or if you did a serious contrast adjustment in post. See where I'm going with this? We all (well, almost all of us) PP our pics. Thing is, it's subtle. A little sharpening, a little color correction, maybe some cropping, etc., etc.

You can't be thin skinned on teh internets. Thin skinned will usually start a feeding frenzy that ends in the OP leaving a forum. Personnaly, I don't want to see you leave, I'd rather see you learn and grow. I guess the best advice I can give you is to post pics without emotional attachment to them. Post a pic for c&c and be open minded about the responses. Don't let that little voice keep telling you, "yeah, but I like it". Ask for c&c on a strictly technical basis, "how's the exposure, how's my focus, DOF, etc." Let composition and your artistic vision come later, after you've mastered the technical side. If people say they're snap-shotty, so be it. You don't care, you simply want to know what's technically wrong, you'll work on comp when you've learned about proper exposure, aperture, ISO, etc., etc.

So as to this pic, PPing aside, ISO 1600, 50mm lens, F2.0, 1/80 SS. In the light I'm assuming this was shot in, those numbers are about right. One thing to consider here is how your distance from your subject affects DOF at F2.0. In a small room, where you have no choice but to be close to your subject, a large aperture like that is going to give you very shallow DOF. This is shown by the boy on the left being slightly more OOF than the boy on the right. It's a catch 22 because you need a wide aperture to get a suitable hand held SS, which you got, but a wide aperture gives you such shallow DOF that part of your subject will be OOF. The easy option is to get more light in the room. The other option is shoot with a tripod so you can stop down some and get deeper DOF. This however will require a posed shot, rather than candid. You could also up your ISO to 3200, but I know nothing about Sony's and how well it performs at an ISO that high.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

THanks. I dont set up what I take. I see it. I take it.

Wouldn't that be the definition of a 'snapshot'?

Not really, I don't think this one was set up

tiananmen-square-tank1

and I sure hope this one wasn't...

http://www.biocookies.com/files/pictures/famous-pictures/iwojima1.jpg/image_view_fullscreen

 

[PhotoWrangler]

THanks. I dont set up what I take. I see it. I take it.

Wouldn't that be the definition of a 'snapshot'?

Not really, I don't think this one was set up

tiananmen-square-tank1

and I sure hope this one wasn't...

http://www.biocookies.com/files/pictures/famous-pictures/iwojima1.jpg/image_view_fullscreen

Ah... so then her photo falls into the photojournalism category then. I get it.

 

[Sonoma]

THanks. I dont set up what I take. I see it. I take it.

Wouldn't that be the definition of a 'snapshot'?

Not really, I don't think this one was set up

tiananmen-square-tank1

and I sure hope this one wasn't...

http://www.biocookies.com/files/pictures/famous-pictures/iwojima1.jpg/image_view_fullscreen

Not really a snapshot, but it was the second flag raised over Iwo Jima. Not sure if it was staged or not. Still a triumphant moment in history for sure!!

Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Wouldn't that be the definition of a 'snapshot'?

Not really, I don't think this one was set up

tiananmen-square-tank1

and I sure hope this one wasn't...

http://www.biocookies.com/files/pictures/famous-pictures/iwojima1.jpg/image_view_fullscreen

Ah... so then her photo falls into the photojournalism category then. I get it.

So photojournalism is the only photography that is not staged? I think you are confusing staged, with planned. so in fact, I don't think you do get it since you want to be a smart @ss. The OP can take "Candid" impromptu shots even, but there still has to be a thought process and perhaps some planning involved. Rarely do you just yank out the camera, click the shutter blindly and walk away with a good shot.

 

[Geaux]

Apparently my style doesnt work for everyone but I love to edit photos. I took this one in low light and wanted the grainy look. Sorry if its not popular with the crowd. But then Ive always kinda done my own thing....

Did you take the shot out of focus on purpose b/c you liked that look to? If so, excellent job, wouldn't have shot it any other way!

bokehfacesftw.

 

[Juice]

I do listen to it. Its just hard to hear nothing good when before I belonged here, people always told me what good photos I take. I come here and I dont know if Ive gotten one good comment. Its kind of a blow when you just join something like this and have a passion for something to have to hear you suck. I dont mind hearing that I suck if I suck but damn. Its just negative and there wasnt much corrective happening.

Boohoo.

It boggles my mind that people ask for opinions, then when they get the ones they don't want to hear, they flip their wig. People took time out of their day that they didn't have to in order to help you do better than the crap you posted and you have the nerve to get all defensive about it. How about showing a little gratitude and taking some advice from people who know a hell of a lot more about photography than you do?

If you think out of focus, over-processed garbage looks good, then why the hell would you ask for opinions if you were already decided about them? This irritates me to no end. I don't normally post on the countless threads this happens in, you're just the lucky one I decided to rant about.

Get over yourself. Learn some things. Get on with life.

 

[BJPhotography]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but if you're looking for technical improvement, which you say you are, you need to post the original pic, free of any pping, as Bitter suggested. I can look at the exif on this pic and tell you some things, but not knowing what you did in post, I can't tell you if it was exposed properly sooc, or if exposure was adjusted in post. I can't tell you if your lens is nice and contrasty, or if you did a serious contrast adjustment in post. See where I'm going with this? We all (well, almost all of us) PP our pics. Thing is, it's subtle. A little sharpening, a little color correction, maybe some cropping, etc., etc.

You can't be thin skinned on teh internets. Thin skinned will usually start a feeding frenzy that ends in the OP leaving a forum. Personnaly, I don't want to see you leave, I'd rather see you learn and grow. I guess the best advice I can give you is to post pics without emotional attachment to them. Post a pic for c&c and be open minded about the responses. Don't let that little voice keep telling you, "yeah, but I like it". Ask for c&c on a strictly technical basis, "how's the exposure, how's my focus, DOF, etc." Let composition and your artistic vision come later, after you've mastered the technical side. If people say they're snap-shotty, so be it. You don't care, you simply want to know what's technically wrong, you'll work on comp when you've learned about proper exposure, aperture, ISO, etc., etc.

So as to this pic, PPing aside, ISO 1600, 50mm lens, F2.0, 1/80 SS. In the light I'm assuming this was shot in, those numbers are about right. One thing to consider here is how your distance from your subject affects DOF at F2.0. In a small room, where you have no choice but to be close to your subject, a large aperture like that is going to give you very shallow DOF. This is shown by the boy on the left being slightly more OOF than the boy on the right. It's a catch 22 because you need a wide aperture to get a suitable hand held SS, which you got, but a wide aperture gives you such shallow DOF that part of your subject will be OOF. The easy option is to get more light in the room. The other option is shoot with a tripod so you can stop down some and get deeper DOF. This however will require a posed shot, rather than candid. You could also up your ISO to 3200, but I know nothing about Sony's and how well it performs at an ISO that high.

Thanks for this post. It helped alot. Sorry but Juice, you dont have to be an ass. If you dont like the post, move on about it, but I dont need a lesson in how to be a hard ass thats uber like you.
I did not plan the photo. I was just sitting on the computer and turned around to see my boys watching me. It looked like something I could take a picture of and if I could keep them there long enough, to mess around with a few settings to get a better understanding of them in the light and space I was in. Thats really all. I now realize that I should post pictures that are unedited but because Im new here, I had no idea that that was the norm. I really dont know why Im still being bashed. I mean, keep kicking me while Im down really does help me improve at this point. I really appreciate those of you with some good corrective criticism and will use it when this photo op presents itself again. Thanks!!

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but if you're looking for technical improvement, which you say you are, you need to post the original pic, free of any pping, as Bitter suggested. I can look at the exif on this pic and tell you some things, but not knowing what you did in post, I can't tell you if it was exposed properly sooc, or if exposure was adjusted in post. I can't tell you if your lens is nice and contrasty, or if you did a serious contrast adjustment in post. See where I'm going with this? We all (well, almost all of us) PP our pics. Thing is, it's subtle. A little sharpening, a little color correction, maybe some cropping, etc., etc.

You can't be thin skinned on teh internets. Thin skinned will usually start a feeding frenzy that ends in the OP leaving a forum. Personnaly, I don't want to see you leave, I'd rather see you learn and grow. I guess the best advice I can give you is to post pics without emotional attachment to them. Post a pic for c&c and be open minded about the responses. Don't let that little voice keep telling you, "yeah, but I like it". Ask for c&c on a strictly technical basis, "how's the exposure, how's my focus, DOF, etc." Let composition and your artistic vision come later, after you've mastered the technical side. If people say they're snap-shotty, so be it. You don't care, you simply want to know what's technically wrong, you'll work on comp when you've learned about proper exposure, aperture, ISO, etc., etc.

So as to this pic, PPing aside, ISO 1600, 50mm lens, F2.0, 1/80 SS. In the light I'm assuming this was shot in, those numbers are about right. One thing to consider here is how your distance from your subject affects DOF at F2.0. In a small room, where you have no choice but to be close to your subject, a large aperture like that is going to give you very shallow DOF. This is shown by the boy on the left being slightly more OOF than the boy on the right. It's a catch 22 because you need a wide aperture to get a suitable hand held SS, which you got, but a wide aperture gives you such shallow DOF that part of your subject will be OOF. The easy option is to get more light in the room. The other option is shoot with a tripod so you can stop down some and get deeper DOF. This however will require a posed shot, rather than candid. You could also up your ISO to 3200, but I know nothing about Sony's and how well it performs at an ISO that high.

Thanks for this post. It helped alot. Sorry but Juice, you dont have to be an ass. If you dont like the post, move on about it, but I dont need a lesson in how to be a hard ass thats uber like you.
I did not plan the photo. I was just sitting on the computer and turned around to see my boys watching me. It looked like something I could take a picture of and if I could keep them there long enough, to mess around with a few settings to get a better understanding of them in the light and space I was in. Thats really all. I now realize that I should post pictures that are unedited but because Im new here, I had no idea that that was the norm. I really dont know why Im still being bashed. I mean, keep kicking me while Im down really does help me improve at this point. I really appreciate those of you with some good corrective criticism and will use it when this photo op presents itself again. Thanks!!

You can edit your pics moderately. Color, saturations, contrast, sharpness etc. You just need to practice at keeping it moderate and subtle. I don't want you to walk away thinking that you SHOULDN'T edit your pics, but we are trying to help your editing as well as your picture taking because they all go hand in hand to give you the finished product. If you were a chef, the photography would be the main dish you cooked and the processing would be the garnish for presentation and the final seasoning to taste. It can be very easy to go overboard so that your plate looks extremely gaudy with 4 cups of chopped parsley sprinkled over everything....or you can keep it simple and elegant so as to not distract from the main point; the food. (perhaps this way of looking at it will help more). Editing is your friend, but it can easily become your enemy.

As for everyone bashing you....everyone has their own way. Some people are more blunt, some people try to break it gently, and some people you may just catch in a pissy mood, thats just life on this forum. No use feeling down about it. As I said before, we have ALL been in your shoes. Just take the advice and try to grow. Its not going to happen over night. Thats the problem with photography. People think they can just grab an expensive camera and take great pictures. Thats not the case anymore than you can go grab a guitar and play like Eddie Van Halen. However, I don't think you are "Still being bashed" just keep in mind that many people are reading this thread for the first time and weighing in with their opinions.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

Thats the problem with photography. People think they can just grab an expensive camera and take great pictures. Thats not the case anymore than you can go grab a guitar and play like Eddie Van Halen.

Can we petition Nikon and Canon to post this in BIG RED letters on the boxes of every camera they sell?