Reply To: Do I fall under the fauxtog category?

[reality check]

Agreed.  Don’t book any weddings in the near future, you have a long way to go.

First, I think you may need to calibrate.  Colors are way off, and your prints aren’t going to look very good as things stand.  Start working on a physical paper portfolio of your best shots.  By finishing your images and making photographs you will learn so much about color, comp, editing, light etc and it may even change and improve the way you shoot.  So many new togs skip this fundamental step, and miss out on a very important learning opportunity.

then study basic composition, and begin to learn directing and posing.

If purchasing and learning lighting is an issue for you right now, read up on using natural or available light, and consider getting some modifiers, because you aren’t using it at all to your advantage at the moment.  This is a much more difficult way to go about learning lighting, and a bit backwards, but I understand the financial end of things when you’re first getting started, and although it is more difficult, time consuming, and a bit limited,  it’s not impossible to go about it this way.

If you are serious about taking this on, you’re going to have to learn to say “no”.  This  is exactly how new togs get caught up in the faux trap.  All new togs have people requesting and willing to pay for their photography regardless of quality.  It’s up to you to make sure you are capable and competent FIRST so you have the best chance possible to succeed in this industry.