New to Photography

jmtonkin · May 24, 2012

yerlem said:
well, was the lady charging for the photographs, or talking about how awesome her habilities were?? if not, everyone is allowed to buy whatever camera they want and use it in automatic. Granted, it's a waste of equipment, but they are not trying to be pros...

I have no way of knowing if she was charging unless I asked. But, at several points, she did make mention to how great her pictures were...

Haya.H · May 24, 2012

Okay i see where the frustration comes from when someones work isnt worthy and they call themselves "professional" but at the end of the day, its up to them whether they wanna educate themselves and grow as a photographer. its not up to any of us to push them in that direction in a nice or mean way. We can advise them, but there isnt a reason to get upset and be mean because they choose other wise. Like they say you can take the horse to the river but you cant make him drink.

oh and im guilty of the facebook page. Dont really see it in a bad way it was a good baby step that got a lot of people to view my photography and i actually got people asking me to do their pictures (seniors) and that wasnt even the point of the page. Even though I no longer use facebook at all, i think for some people thats the right next step.

jmtonkin · May 24, 2012

I get frustrated because to me, being a professional is something you work towards. Something that you earn. I'm practicing and learning hoping to someday become a professional. Just because you have a nice camera does not mean that you are a professional. To me, this devalues what it means to be a professional.

No, I can't make anyone do anything. But they need to realize what they are doing and also, more importantly, that they are not professionals.

IByte · May 24, 2012

Haya.H said:
Okay i see where the frustration comes from when someones work isnt worthy and they call themselves "professional" but at the end of the day, its up to them whether they wanna educate themselves and grow as a photographer. its not up to any of us to push them in that direction in a nice or mean way. We can advise them, but there isnt a reason to get upset and be mean because they choose other wise. Like they say you can take the horse to the river but you cant make him drink.

oh and im guilty of the facebook page. Dont really see it in a bad way it was a good baby step that got a lot of people to view my photography and i actually got people asking me to do their pictures (seniors) and that wasnt even the point of the page. Even though I no longer use facebook at all, i think for some people thats the right next step.

Because it's the constant "I bought a big boy camera, and my family and friends tell I'm a professional; therefore it must be true and I'm going into business next week" threads. Regardless of what expert you are in your field, it's a universal pet peeve.

jmtonkin · May 24, 2012

Strange analogy: Imagine that you suddenly proclaim yourself a professional football player. If I were a professional football player, I'd make sure you knew you weren't by knocking you to the ground a few times.

Its no different here, except I don't hit people...

Stradawhovious · May 24, 2012

Yeah..... I'm pretty sure she isn't coming back.

Feel free to keep at it though!

I love to watch.

:popcorn:

deggimatt · May 24, 2012

Hey It seems that this thread is somewhat entertaining. I have a video which is also very entertaining. The video stays on the subject. ENJOY!

HAHa

jmtonkin · May 24, 2012

deggimatt said:
Hey It seems that this thread is somewhat entertaining. I have a video which is also very entertaining. The video stays on the subject. ENJOY!

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjBSIvg3pjc

HAHa

That just made my day!

bunny99123 · May 24, 2012

Made my Day, too. Maybe they lady with the expensive camera was a gift from someone...or maybe she walked into a camera shop with a "I don't have a clue written." on her forehead. Everyone has a bigger toy than mine, but it doesn't stop me from taking photographs. Guilty got a Facebook page, too. I'm Cheesy

iPhoto17 · May 24, 2012

my last name is too long to make a fauxtographer facebook page

Ernicus · May 25, 2012

iPhoto17 said:
my last name is too long to make a fauxtographer facebook page

well if you're going to be fake...just make a fake name silly. durrr. that's rule 1 in being something you're not.

bunny99123 · May 25, 2012

Like on here...my real name is Karen. Bunny is my cat's name.

Jaemie · May 25, 2012

I have seen more than a few photos on this forum and elsewhere, taken by seasoned, serious photographers, that looked no better than the photos on this woman's Facebook page. Likewise, I've seen Facebook pages with brilliant, well-composed and technically superior photos taken by teens with little training and mediocre equipment. Of course, anyone can toss the word "Photography" after their name and stamp it on crappy photos and consider her or himself a serious photographer, when in fact they are not.

As the biggest network in the world, Facebook is a remarkably easy place to get exposure (no pun intended). Judging someone's work by their choice of showcase is ridiculous.

BlairWright · May 25, 2012

Haya.H said:
Hey Lakisha, Noob to noob? I would say ditch the facebook page and get better before you post any pictures and present your work.
I also think you shouldnt start of with photographing people. Start off with objects, flowers, landscapes, etc. that way you learn the color basics, angles, how to deal with lighting and many other basics that you need to know before you start photographing people. You need to google, google, google! Learn the rules, learn what aperture is, shutter speed, ISO, the format of a picture (RAW, JPEG, TIFF etc) all this will help you create a better photograph. Then start finding your style. It actually helps to look at other photographers work. As long as you dont copy or imitate of course. Wish you the best of luck and remember if you educate your self about the basics you'll improve, no doubt

Well said, I couldn't agree more