Curious

[Intuition]

I’m currently in school for Photography, but I’m curious to what people think of my work. I try hard not to be a fauxtog, and everyone I work with knows that I am a student and I’m learning as I go. I also only recently was able to calibrate my monitors with hardware so a lot of my older stuff is ridiculously dark. I do acknowledge I sometimes get caught up in fauxtog-ey cycles sometimes then i smack myself and get better. I also tend to get Actiony with some of my conceptual/editorial-esque type work, I know it, it’s a flaw haha. but anyway be honest, as much as it may hurt, I can only get better for it 🙂

http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=345019928854895

[Intuition]

I don’t know whether to be scared at the lack of replies or happy -_- haha

[Nightrose]

I like the first album with the dogs – just watch that some of the backgrounds look a little wonky and would benefit from being straightened (nitpicking).  The other pet photo albums are good too, and I think they’re better than the ones with the children (this could be because I like animals more than I like kids, lol). Perhaps pet photography could be something you can focus on once you finish your schooling?

The “stunning canvas” shots are cool, and you’ve got some pretty interesting conceptual work – maybe some of them could be better focussed – but there are some nice ideas.

The action shots of the girl in the snow don’t really work – wonky horizons, too dark (as you pointed out in your post, you only recently calibrated your monitor), and not enough shutter speed to make them crisp. The intentionally blurry shot of her jumping needs to be taken out of your portfolio, as it is nowhere near the quality of your other work.  Sometimes ideas don’t work out, and the resulting shots should never been seen by others 😀

I did notice you have some photos that are selectively coloured. Be aware that people will rip you to shreds for these, but it is something that most of us have dabbled with at some time or another, and at least your colours stay within the lines!  I’d say just work on honing your post-production skills, lighten photos up a bit more and work to your strengths. Try and avoid the gimmiky effects as they tend to date really quickly.  Simple and classic is always better.

I think you are doing well and have some definate areas of strength with the pet photos. It’s just a matter of experimenting, having fun, and finding out what you are best at. Also try to leave sub-par photos out of your portfolio to make it look stronger 🙂

 

 

[Intuition]

Yea, the dog shoot that was studio was my first mass undertaking. It was 13 dogs, and all were excited and happy and I wasn’t thinking to have the dog owner stand behind me, so she was off to the left. That led me to doing some funky angles to try to get them to interact with me as well, hence some of the wonky angles on the background. I do actually intend to pursue pet photography, as I love animals as well.

 

Focus has always been a bit of a learning curve for me, I use single point to try and train myself to pay attention to it at the moment. At least that’s the idea haha! I have the extreme pleasure of having a make up artist as a friend who pretty much goes along with everything I want to do, even sitting outside in -20 Fahrenheit standing weather  haha ( she’s the model in stunning  canvas) and it gives me a lot of practice with the more conceptional ideas.

The blurry shot was for class, had to ‘show movement’ it’s only in there cause I thought it was a funny story but I totally understand and agree with what you’re saying. And the selective coloring. sigh. I did a few cause I thought in the beginning that it was teh ‘in’ thing to do ( which I guess it sorta is? blech) Now I know better. I do have one selective color that Ilovelemme see if I can find it and you can tell me if it’s heinous. Here it is : http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/422446_358649204158634_974599690_n.jpg

Ignore the giant honking watermark I no longer use -_-

 

Thank you very much for the critique I really do appreciate it

[stef]

Watch your horizons. https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s720x720/285733_431084896915064_1133611872_n.jpg

Watch your focus point. This is both out of focus, and tilty. https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/389182_431084940248393_1326458092_n.jpg

This is a funny pic, but it could benefit from a better crop, and it looks like you were walking backwards while shooting it (causing focus to fall a little short). https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/527818_431085063581714_327847115_n.jpg

Watch your white balance. On your easter shoot, WB is all over the place. https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/551047_385267478163473_1675099832_n.jpg

 

I give you full props on resisting tons of opportunities to do a horrendous spot color. Overall your camera handling is good, and I think you need to work on composition, and white balance. Get yourself a gray card and use it on all studio sessions. They’re cheap, and one shot at the beginning will really help you get proper white balance on the entire studio session. Slow down and make sure your focus is spot on, and walk the edges of the frame for composition. Fix tilted horizons either in-camera or in post if you aren’t paying attention.

 

Congrats! You are not a fauxtographer.

[Intuition]

Thanks stef! I appreciate it. I follow this site and another forum that reams bad photography and it’s actually taught me a lot more about how to be a better photographer then I ever thought it would.

I completely agree about my horizons -_- I seem to have this tilt all the time, I think it’s something to with my default standing/shooting I need to be more aware of. I have ( recently mind you) started getting really anal about horizons, I went on vacation to Seward Alaska and while they were all general vacation shoots ( I am decidedly NOT a nature/landscape photographer) I went through and had to fix my wonky horizons haha! I do have a nasty habit of not watching my background too. I even have a pic of a person and their dog, with a rottweiler pooping in the background. Never saw it till post haha!

White balance plagues me. I did rectify some of it with getting the colormunki and finally calibrating this monitor which helps a little, but I need to learn how to properly use my grey cards. I get to put them in the shot, but then I’m a little lost. I have lightroom and photoshop, but I primarily use Lightroom for ease of use. I get a little pissy opening things in photoshop since I can’t just pull from a catalog like lightroom if that makes sense? So any tips you can throw my way about that I’d much appreciate!

[stef]

Shoot the gray card under the same light you’ll be using. Have your subject hold it by his chin.

In lightroom, use the dropper tool (hit w) and click on the gray card. Sometimes there are minor differences so you might repeat it.

Now copy/paste the wb into all the other shots with ctrl-shift-c/v

[Intuition]

okay thanks! I had thought for some reason the white balance dropper in LR was only for what was meant to be white. That clears up a whole bunch! thanks a a lot!

[Author]

Posts