I'm not sure this is even a place to bring this up but I am having plenty of self-doubt - does anyone else go through this when starting out?
I don't know, maybe the photography business is not for me - I really - and I mean REALLY - love it; I get lost in it when I'm working and I wish I liked my work once I'm done, but I keep trying....
The story is, there's no one in my town that does photography - or at least wasn't, until another girl my age with the same situation - not a lot of education in photography, but learning and wanting to do it more full time - came along, and now she's got the market - or at least somewhat, because her prices have skyrocketed and it's turning a lot of people away.
The problem is, every time I see her work or see her little shop with the sign up above, I think I CAN'T DO THIS - I'm not good enough to compete with her - I really love her work.
She's at www.jennifernace.com - any of her pictures are great; the front page shows a slide show of some really nice ones.
This is my work:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/Hillers28.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/Hillers24.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/Hillers13.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/Hillers1.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/DSC_0918.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/344.jpg
How am I supposed to compete? I don't know how she does it - the way she lights her pictures has me just frustrated, because it's the kind of lighting I wish to use in my own work. I don't have a studio yet so I am going from place to place and dealing with whatever lighting situation I'm handed, but I'm so green I still don't know how to situate my equipment to get the look I want - very clean, crisp and luminous images.
I'm working on a Nikon D70 with a kit lens since I still can't afford a good 28-70 2.8 that I want, and a softbox or umbrella lights, and my Speedlight 600. Everything has to be set to auto though because it's still too hard for me to understand how to do things manually.
I'm taking a class online - I have been told by my instructor that my lighting setup is "very good" but I don't agree - I hate everything I've taken. Am I stupid to want this so badly that I keep trying? And how can you make yourself believe you're good enough when you see work like the link I've posted above? I could have a very good business here if my prices are competitive but I don't want to just be the one people pick because I'm cheaper, I also want to be GOOD!!
Sorry, I don't really have anywhere else to whine about this because people I know that don't do this for a living just say, "Oh, you're good enough" and I take it with a grain of salt - because they don't see what the rest of you would. I just had to vent my frustrations and fears somewhere and thanks if you were bold enough to read this!
I don't know, maybe the photography business is not for me - I really - and I mean REALLY - love it; I get lost in it when I'm working and I wish I liked my work once I'm done, but I keep trying....
The story is, there's no one in my town that does photography - or at least wasn't, until another girl my age with the same situation - not a lot of education in photography, but learning and wanting to do it more full time - came along, and now she's got the market - or at least somewhat, because her prices have skyrocketed and it's turning a lot of people away.
The problem is, every time I see her work or see her little shop with the sign up above, I think I CAN'T DO THIS - I'm not good enough to compete with her - I really love her work.
She's at www.jennifernace.com - any of her pictures are great; the front page shows a slide show of some really nice ones.
This is my work:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/Hillers28.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/Hillers24.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/Hillers13.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/Hillers1.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/DSC_0918.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/penamultimedia/344.jpg
How am I supposed to compete? I don't know how she does it - the way she lights her pictures has me just frustrated, because it's the kind of lighting I wish to use in my own work. I don't have a studio yet so I am going from place to place and dealing with whatever lighting situation I'm handed, but I'm so green I still don't know how to situate my equipment to get the look I want - very clean, crisp and luminous images.
I'm working on a Nikon D70 with a kit lens since I still can't afford a good 28-70 2.8 that I want, and a softbox or umbrella lights, and my Speedlight 600. Everything has to be set to auto though because it's still too hard for me to understand how to do things manually.
I'm taking a class online - I have been told by my instructor that my lighting setup is "very good" but I don't agree - I hate everything I've taken. Am I stupid to want this so badly that I keep trying? And how can you make yourself believe you're good enough when you see work like the link I've posted above? I could have a very good business here if my prices are competitive but I don't want to just be the one people pick because I'm cheaper, I also want to be GOOD!!
Sorry, I don't really have anywhere else to whine about this because people I know that don't do this for a living just say, "Oh, you're good enough" and I take it with a grain of salt - because they don't see what the rest of you would. I just had to vent my frustrations and fears somewhere and thanks if you were bold enough to read this!