People Photos For C&C: Thank you in advance!

[jaicatalano]

I think it looks unnatural because they don't look comfortable. I normally get my client to do a pose and then tell them to own it. If they can't I scratch it and go on. Don't get offended either. If some offends you it's part of the exposing process. It hurts and I but the bigger picture is where can and will you go from here? Can you make the next session better? What have you learned? Will you use the same posses again and if so how will you vary them? I look forward to seeing more.

 

[cgipson1]

First off, it's none of your business if I charged or not. For all you know, it could be portfolio work. Second, the middle one is my daughter which I took over two years ago. Third, my clients were perfectly happy and ecstatic which is what counts! And, last but not least, it's amazing at how rude some people can be when they believe they are the only one who is right. I don't mind critique, but to be so arrogant is outright horrid!

You have a quote in your SIG: An Old Proverb: One can easily judge the character of a person by the way they treat people who can do nothing for them.

I can do something for you... I can help you improve, if you listen! (and yet you say "I was going for the odd cropping in the 1st and 3rd", even though many here with much more experience will tell you that is not really the best way to portray the subject... which implies you are going to do it your way, and that you will disregard the advice. SO WHY EVEN ASK FOR C&C???)

You can't do anything for me (unlikely at least) and yet, I am still trying to help! Yet you call me arrogant and rude!

So is the SIG just eye candy.. since you obviously don't pay attention to the content?

 

[jaicatalano]

Very honest and nicely said. Before I became a photographer I was a dancer. My teacher made a horrible comment (much worse than what I have ever read on TPF). He said it in front of 20 or 30 people. I was pretty devastated but I turned it into action and went on to have a pretty successful career in dance.

Anyway, I think you stated your point honestly which is what is most imp.

First off, it's none of your business if I charged or not. For all you know, it could be portfolio work. Second, the middle one is my daughter which I took over two years ago. Third, my clients were perfectly happy and ecstatic which is what counts! And, last but not least, it's amazing at how rude some people can be when they believe they are the only one who is right. I don't mind critique, but to be so arrogant is outright horrid!

The best learned lessons are learned in blood.

What I'm about to say, I mean constructively. However, I have a feeling you are going to take it personally. These are obviously professional and paid photographs, except for your daughter. The easiest way to tell this is by your reply.

That being said, they aren't very good. Mind you, I'm not saying my portrait work is any better... but I'm not charging people for mine yet. I won't charge until I feel that my work is competitive enough with others work to charge for it.

However, your reply towards others is a bit repulsive. It makes me not want to critique anymore. His reply was blunt, yes; but attacking? No.

Simply put, you just didn't like the fact that someone expressed that your work was "sub-par."

Now, if you want to be critiqued on the individual photos, I can do that for you, too.

1. He/she/it looks pissed off. There is emotion, but not the right emotion. The pose looks like a sad attempt for an entrance into Vogue magazine, the lighting is harsh, as with the shadows.
2. Underexposed, white balance is off, and zero processing was done to this image to correct either. It's noisy, and her eyes do not stand out. Lastly, although your daughter is very pretty, her arm pits are not. Toss that pose altogether. This should be the last time you ever use it. It's terrible.
3. The child would have been better off not smiling. Tones don't look bad, but the pose isn't that great either. He's not really expressing how much of a "fun time at play" he's actually having.

 

[MLeeK]

"Clients" are happy with Wal Mart work. Is that what you want to be?
I've put things out that are total trash as far as I am concerned and clients just loved it. They don't see the issues with any image because they only see the person they love.

Take these for example. They are awful and I told her that... She loved them
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/people-photography/293828-few-bridals.html

 

[Rick58]

Sorry Cloud, these aren't working for me either.
I'm guessing #1 is posed that way to show off the tatoo? The odd framing and messed up necklace chain just aren't working for me, but I'm traditional, so who knows what some poeple may like.
#2 seems dark, flat, underexposed
#3 would be cute if it was a family picnic snapshot

 

[Photographiend]

Oh wow... Not sure my critique is necessary at this point. I tend to like things that lack symmetry or are cropped in odd ways.

My biggest complaint is that #2 needed some light on her face.

 

[Photographiend]

"Clients" are happy with Wal Mart work. Is that what you want to be?
I've put things out that are total trash as far as I am concerned and clients just loved it. They don't see the issues with any image because they only see the person they love.

Sorry, I am not happy with Wal-Marts' work. Last year for my birthday we had no working camera and my husband took me to get family portraits at their studio. Cost us $300. I said "****! For that much I could have bought a new Camera AND got better pictures!"

I would say hers are better than Wal-Mart. That was kind of mean.

 

[MLeeK]

"Clients" are happy with Wal Mart work. Is that what you want to be?
I've put things out that are total trash as far as I am concerned and clients just loved it. They don't see the issues with any image because they only see the person they love.

Sorry, I am not happy with Wal-Marts' work. Last year for my birthday we had no working camera and my husband took me to get family portraits at their studio. Cost us $300. I said "****! For that much I could have bought a new Camera AND got better pictures!"

I would say hers are better than Wal-Mart. That was kind of mean.

I really don't mean it as mean in any way nor do I mean her work is the equivalent of wal mart, so I apologize if that is how I came off.
The point I am trying to make is she wants to be MORE. She wants to attract WOW clients, not just put out anything as long as clients are happy. Clients are happy with crap, that doesn't mean it's good. It means the client is happy. I have clients who love my crap (I added the link) and it makes me cringe. I want something MORE for them and for ME. That's why we ask for CC.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

I'll tell you this much. I don't know a huge amount, but I do know this:

When I first showed up here at TPF, I thought I was a good photographer. I learned very quickly that I was only mediocre.

For the first two weeks or so, I pretty much had convinced myself that everyone here were a$$holes and didn't know what they were talking about, because my family and friends have always said my work was good.

One day one of the members not only said my work sucked, but explained to me WHY it sucked in a PM. From that day forward, I started taking notes, reading carefully, and applying the things that are said here to my work. My friends and family went from telling me my work was good, to a couple of weeks ago a bunch of them saying "I always thought your work was good, but the stuff you have been posting here recently just makes me go WOW."

That's the guy I want to continue to be. Not the one that says "well, my clients are happy, that's all that matters. I want to be able to say, "My clients jaws drop every time I deliver their photos."

You can only get there by accepting that your work can improve tremendously. If you don't think it can, it never will.

 

[cloud9imagery]

Ok, clean slate. If I seemed offensive, fine, I apologize. I was taught to discuss critiques even if I didn't agree with them. Just to answer a few questions/comments:

1. I did not charge for any of these photographs. The first one was actually a shot for an interview for a reality modeling competition that I produce. The second was of my daughter year before last. And, the third is of my great-nephew playing at a football game which I just happened to catch while he was coming up the bleachers. None of them were sold at all.

2. No, the second one was not corrected at all, I realize that, and yes, it was crap. I wanted to find out (other than the cropping) what I could have done to improve it.

3. The sig was not for anyone or anything particular. I get quotes on my phone daily and just happened to decide to use the quotes on my sig as others have and plan to change it daily as I get a new one.

4. Thank you for the advice Aaron. I will take it to heart and try to remember it isn't personal. I guess I am in the same situation as you were. I have been told by my professors, family, friends and strangers that I am a great photographer, but of course, I have a ways to go in comparison. I guess I just need to set the standards higher now because I'm no longer "in a small town".

 

[cgipson1]

1. I did not charge for any of these photographs. The first one was actually a shot for an interview for a reality modeling competition that I produce. The second was of my daughter year before last. And, the third is of my great-nephew playing at a football game which I just happened to catch while he was coming up the bleachers. None of them were sold at all.

I see you have removed your Webpage links! Although if anyone googles Cloud9Imagery.com, it isn't hard to find! I just noticed that these were under your "Client Gallery" link... and Clients usually imply PAID, especially on what is obviously meant to be a business page!

If you didn't charge.... that's good! ;-) I apologize for my assumption based on the information in the above sentence! ( I am curious... you have your Daughters photos in your Client Gallery, for TWO years? That is a dedicated mom!)

3. The sig was not for anyone or anything particular. I get quotes on my phone daily and just happened to decide to use the quotes on my sig as others have and plan to change it daily as I get a new one.

Really.. so the SIG has no meaning. Gotcha!

 

[amolitor]

For the first two weeks or so, I pretty much had convinced myself that everyone here were a$$holes and didn't know what they were talking about, because my family and friends have always said my work was good.

One day one of the members not only said my work sucked, but explained to me WHY it sucked in a PM.

This is such a sad story You had to hang around for two weeks taking abuse, and then someone gave you some helpful feedback in a private message?

 

[AaronLLockhart]

This is such a sad story You had to hang around for two weeks taking abuse, and then someone gave you some helpful feedback in a private message?

Yep, then Pinocchio was transformed into a real boy, and everyone lived happily ever after. The End.

 

[amolitor]

I like the first one. It's unsettling.

The light is harsh, yes, but it works with the attitude of the model, which is also pretty harsh. It's out of balance, it's harsh, it's angry. The only thing I *don't* like is that it's not pushed hard enough. The vignette and soft background feel like "high school portrait" but the model is screaming "F*** YOU" at me with his eyes. Which one is it? Gimme the F*** YOU. I see way too damn many cookie cutter portraits on here.

Second one is uninspiring as is. She looks meek, maybe a little scared. Her hands behind her head are potentially suggestive. Is she going for a portrait here? In that case the light is blah. If she's going for a frightened girl in a world of trouble, well, make it darker in light and emotional tone and you you might have something really great here.

Third one? Eh, cute kid. I like that he's sort of grubby. It does look like missed focus on the eyes, and the light's all flat again. You punched it up by going b&w and pushing the contrast lever over, but that doesn't make the light good.

 

[amolitor]

This is such a sad story You had to hang around for two weeks taking abuse, and then someone gave you some helpful feedback in a private message?

Yep, then Pinocchio was transformed into a real boy, and everyone lived happily ever after. The End.

Yay!