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  • #24902
    IHF
    Participant

    lol he’s really bad.  A GWAC if I ever saw one.

    I find that the most heated “critques” are always about focus.  “why is it blurry?”, “looks like the focus fell on the hat instead of the subjects face” or “sorry but it’s just too OOF”.  These are the ones that seem to go off when the obvious is pointed out to them.  Then I think to myself “well, they were out of touch enough with reality to post an OOF shot for their photography peers to veiw”.  So it makes sense that they would be the ones that can’t handle any sort of critisism or questioning.

    one time a tog was told her shot was OOF, and we all gave her advice related to learning how to focus.  She went nuts!  “Tell me to get my users manual out?!  I’m not stupid you know!  I know how to focus!  My camera was on auto focus, and didn’t hit the mark!  This has nothing to do with my skill set!  I will have you know…,blah blah blah “.  She really went off on me because I told her to practice the different focus settings with inanimate objects around the house, and to practice moving subject with her friends and family until she’s nailing it.  “There’s no need to make  your clients focus guineepigs”.  Names and insults went flying, and she deleted her post and left the group.  All because someone had the gall to call her blurry OOF picture out of focus.  It’s too the point know that if I see the words blurry or out of focus typed under a photo, I pop some popcorn, grab a blanket and wait for the explosion that’s about to take place lol. Hey, some people are just more delusional than others depending on how many people they have in their lives that coddle them

    #24904
    picstop
    Participant

    I haven’t really given it a lot of thought but I think that an oof pic has got to be near the top if not at the top of the list of fails for a photo. In this day and age of amazing AF cameras, there is little excuse to not get a shot in focus. Yes, you may have to take responsibility and select an AF point and with regards to the cameras and lenses I use at F2.8 and less, you may have to do a little afma-ing. But for the most part, the photos these fauxs take are snapshots. For example, I looked through a lot of the ones by PH pros. My ancient P&S that I carry around for fun when I go on a hike can get better shots than this https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/a.505573086121842.121173.498124273533390/881151088564038/?type=1&theater
    I realize it’s not a ten grand fashion shoot but why people think they can post something like this is beyond me. If you can’t take a simpe snapshot of a bunch of kids, how can I expect you to take a decent shot of me and hand you cash for it? And on and on it goes as I look through the “portfolio” of shots, one oof after another. Not that the ones in focus are gems of any sort either. I’ve never used a $300 bridge camera for model shoots so I don’t know if it’s the camera limiting this “pro” or their inability to actually use it properly.
    I always get a kick out of how people “like” stuff. I guess I have higher standards. Personally, I don’t like “pizza skin”,
    https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/a.726733047339177.1073741857.498124273533390/726739084005240/?type=3&theater
    https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/a.734513066561175.1073741860.498124273533390/734513796561102/?type=3&theater
    To be fair, I think some of the soft photos are due to motion blur and/or ridiculously high iso settings (for the camera used). Which though it has little to do with AF, has everything to do with the ability of the photographer/gear.
    In the end, just another wannabe in a hack market.

    #24907
    cameraclicker
    Participant

    I haven’t really given it a lot of thought but I think that an oof pic has got to be near the top if not at the top of the list of fails for a photo. In this day and age of amazing AF cameras, there is little excuse to not get a shot in focus. Yes, you may have to take responsibility and select an AF point and with regards to the cameras and lenses I use at F2.8 and less, you may have to do a little afma-ing. But for the most part, the photos these fauxs take are snapshots. For example, I looked through a lot of the ones by PH pros. My ancient P&S that I carry around for fun when I go on a hike can get better shots than this https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/a.505573086121842.121173.498124273533390/881151088564038/?type=1&theater

    I don’t think that shot has a focus problem.  “ODECA” on the lanyard of the front girl is sharp and the “5” on the shirt of the girl in row 3 is also pretty good.  That suggests focus was achieved and DOF was pretty good too.  It’s too bad Facebook strips EXIF data.  I suspect that was a pretty slow shutter shot and the blur is due to motion.  Lighting in that shot is terrible!

    I’ve never used a $300 bridge camera for model shoots so I don’t know if it’s the camera limiting this “pro” or their inability to actually use it properly.

    I think it’s his ability, or lack thereof.  If you have control of the light, even a cell phone will turn in a good photo, and if it’s your model shoot you should have control of the light.  Even if you don’t have control over the light, a bridge camera can provide reasonable results.  Casino Rama doesn’t want me to use my dSLR’s in their theatre.  Their thinking is that a good camera will allow saleable photos, and they do their best to prevent the audience from taking good photos, which I think is a shame because I see lots of people with their cell phones out shooting both stills and video.  In automated modes, the camera struggles.  I like the lights in this one, but the performer’s images suck!  Judging by the cameras I see in the audience I suspect poor, burned out photos are all a lot of people go home with.

    2015-02-07_21-23-04_IMG_4536_DxO

    It was taken in Aperture Priority mode which gave good spotlights but burned out the performers while the audience was black but recoverable in Photoshop.

    But with a bridge camera like my wife’s old Canon G11 (5 generations old, now), you can tell the camera what you want, and it delivers.

    2015-02-07_22-01-54_IMG_4593_DxO

    That Fujifilm he’s holding appears to have a pop-up flash and a hot shoe, so a good flash could be attached for shots like the “little models”, and in a studio environment you could use hot lights or off camera strobes.   His lighting and post processing are both bad.

    #24911
    picstop
    Participant

    I haven’t really given it a lot of thought but I think that an oof pic has got to be near the top if not at the top of the list of fails for a photo. In this day and age of amazing AF cameras, there is little excuse to not get a shot in focus. Yes, you may have to take responsibility and select an AF point and with regards to the cameras and lenses I use at F2.8 and less, you may have to do a little afma-ing. But for the most part, the photos these fauxs take are snapshots. For example, I looked through a lot of the ones by PH pros. My ancient P&S that I carry around for fun when I go on a hike can get better shots than this https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/a.505573086121842.121173.498124273533390/881151088564038/?type=1&theater

    I don’t think that shot has a focus problem. “ODECA” on the lanyard of the front girl is sharp and the “5″ on the shirt of the girl in row 3 is also pretty good. That suggests focus was achieved and DOF was pretty good too. It’s too bad Facebook strips EXIF data. I suspect that was a pretty slow shutter shot and the blur is due to motion. Lighting in that shot is terrible!

    —CC, you’re right. This example was not so much about lack of focus as it was about simply telling your camera to pop flash at min. 1/60’th would have given a half decent snap (which is all it is, a snap). In fact, most P&Ss would default to that while most real photographers would know enough to set their camera to do so manually. In fact, many of his runway shots are suffering from the same problem, slow shutter speeds and flash resulting in haloing.

    I’ve never used a $300 bridge camera for model shoots so I don’t know if it’s the camera limiting this “pro” or their inability to actually use it properly.

    I think it’s his ability, or lack thereof.

    —I was trying to be kind. I figured it’s his ability but, I dunno, I guess I just typed it out that way. No offense to anyone using a bridge camera. I like the example you posted with the G11. A friend of mine used to shoot local bands with the same camera (G11 then G12) for years with decent results. Indeed, telling the camera what you want as opposed to letting it do it’s thing makes all the difference in the world. I’ve never been to Rama (just a tad too far to go) and it irritates me that some people I’ve wanted to see play there and not at venues closer to me. On the flipside, I’m closer to the border so I’ve seen some great stuff over there. No cameras though 🙁

    #24914
    fstopper89
    Participant

    What really got me for a moment was somewhere in the comment thread (in the second image I linked) he had made a comment and then deleted it. I saw it on my phone, then when I refreshed it was gone and he made a different comment defending it as an “old movie look” or something. The comment that he deleted was “That’s why it’s not blurry.” But it is blurry. I’m not sure why he said that, if he was trying to say we were wrong in saying it was blurry or if he legitimately doesn’t understand what blurry or out of focus means. I would say 90% of the photos on his page are either out of focus, or have motion blur going on. This one should have never made it off of the camera: https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/a.505573086121842.121173.498124273533390/897038286975318/?type=1&theater

    The lighting of many is very orange and harsh and appear to have a pop-up flash used, however I don’t know for sure. His camera has a pop-up flash so I wouldn’t be surprised. https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/ms.c.eJwlx8cRADAIA7CNcphgwPsvloJ~_kmmnFWWVYbH0Tm9WeKLn6n9wXtq8hwMHnxYM8Q~-~-.bps.a.909344119078068.1073741883.498124273533390/909365285742618/?type=1&theater

    The few recent outdoor shots of the woman (https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/a.505573086121842.121173.498124273533390/939908922688254/?type=1&theater) are in focus, but the composition is just not flattering and the depth of field is so large you see mundane things like buildings in the background which don’t help the image at all. The backgrounds are altogether distracting. I am highly doubting he is shooting in manual mode. And he “liked” his own photo.

    The noise and grain seem to be a very common issue. It seems the camera he is using is not capable of good focus and being noise-free in these darker environments. I mean this woman has green dots in her skin. https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/pb.498124273533390.-2207520000.1423965397./825839294095218/?type=3&theater

    Come on dude. I was taking more interesting and more in-focus sunset photos at the age of 8 with a disposable camera. https://www.facebook.com/498124273533390/photos/pb.498124273533390.-2207520000.1423965913./601270073218809/?type=3&theater

    With his strange grammatical errors and misspellings (both on his page and in the comment thread) I have to wonder if he is from the U.S. natively. If he is, he seems to fit into the common denominator of fauxtographers also having poor grammar skills. If he is not a native speaker than forgive me for that observation.

    I have to honestly wonder how many actual “bookings” and hired work he has gotten. He has been in business supposedly since 2010. It just seems so odd that after that many years his work still looks like that of a very new beginner shooting on auto. He also titles himself as the “lead photographer” of his company. Are there really others working for him? It doesn’t seem so. I always find it an odd coincidence that many fauxtographers refer to themselves as “us” and “we” like they are a multi-photographer successful company.

    #24952
    Don
    Participant

    The funny thing is this: The best photo in the catalog is the one someone else took of him.

    #25008
    fstopper89
    Participant

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Moment-in-Time-4-Photography/1575817565968782

    Cliche name, bad photos, charging money.

    And what is with this website? http://amomentintime4.com/

    “Unparalleled services, dedicated to becoming one of the top companies in the industry.”

    #25027
    inkh3art3d
    Participant

    OMG A Moment in Time 4 Photography is only one hour away from me. Hmmm. Curious. I’ve never heard of them.

    #25052
    Don
    Participant

    Also stolen stock photo for the only picture on the website.

    #25062
    picstop
    Participant

    I love how “a moment in time…” states on the website… “We are conveniently located near you”.  Really?  Unless you can drive at the speed of light, I think area code 318 and 905 cannot be considered “near you”.  And I too noticed the stock photo on the website.  Clearly from the quality of the images on his fb page, he is not using any lens with a red ring.  I doubt it would help him anyway with shots like this https://www.facebook.com/1575817565968782/photos/pb.1575817565968782.-2207520000.1424786437./1585120361705169/?type=3&theater or https://www.facebook.com/1575817565968782/photos/pb.1575817565968782.-2207520000.1424786437./1582569781960227/?type=3&theater

     

    #25065
    emf
    Participant

    #25062

    picstop
    Subscriber

    I love how “a moment in time…” states on the website… “We are conveniently located near you”. Really? Unless you can drive at the speed of light, I think area code 318 and 905 cannot be considered “near you”.

    LOL, that made me laugh too – I’m across the pond so they’re certainly not near me! Maybe they take the expression ‘global village’ a bit too literally! 🙂

    #25070
    justrobot
    Participant

    Here is a little local gem from my old hometown. Apparently she just purchased a D800 as well as 2 other Nikon cameras (maybe a D700 in there?) a bunch of new equipment also. They look like camera phone images to me personally. Oh and she also charges $350 for a full wedding…  https://www.facebook.com/Adirondack.Shutter.Bugg.photography

    And another: https://www.facebook.com/JenNicholsonPhotos I am not sure WHY there are 5 stars for this. I guess some people just don’t have the “eye” for a good photo? Or she paid them.

    Also:
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rancour-Photography/487434281281069
    https://www.facebook.com/KMLImpressionsphotography

    There are many more in the area. It sucks to have to go home for your wedding, only to have to hire your photographer from another state LOL.

    #25105
    Worst Case Scenario
    Participant

    This guy is obviously a kid just out of college…. But I’m giving him a special mention as his FB profile pic is of his “Diploma”

    Unfortunately  rotating an image was not covered in that course!

    https://www.facebook.com/JakeB6870

    #25108
    Worst Case Scenario
    Participant
    #25109
    nesgran
    Participant

    After looking through the shots, I think you are a little harsh on him. Now I don’t think he has any business running workshops but he seems a bit better than most of the fauxes out there. His subjects are, well, chavvy and he has no concept of proper white balance but on the whole it isn’t the train wreck we usually see on here. He is attempting off camera light, not very successfully mind you but he is experimenting at least and not proclaiming he is a strictly natural light photographer. I feel a bit sorry for the fat girl in the third shot, looks like the dress wasn’t made in her size and now it looks odd.

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