Holy crap! I just found this site. Please someone tell me if Im a fauxtog!

[CourtneySmithPhotography]

http://www.facebook.com/photography.courtneysmith

[nairbynairb]

Yes.

Sorry, I don’t like to write a lot either

 

[Intuition]

Yea not sure you should be charging. Half the images are out of focus, I can see where you darkened the background in a few because you didn’t go all the way to the skin/clothes. You have posing issues with some of the babies. You have to get back to the basics for a bit.

[IHF]

I’m afraid so 🙁 all the classic faux stuff going on.

Liking ladders/fishing, gimmickiness, everything, even down to your bio/about

You don’t yet have an understanding of light, don’t know how to properly select focus, bad color managing, etc etc…  Just very beginner and very new to learning photography.  No harm in that, but when you choose to solicit before you have the basics down and a good understanding of the business as well… you’re choosing to be a fauxtographer.

The very best thing you could do for your photography is to stop selling your services, slow down, and start taking your lessons more seriously.  The technical asspects of photography can be a lot of fun to learn.  Even more fun that goofing with clients and having fun with props and crazy filters and actions.  It may be a little drier and a lot less ego driven, but oh so rewarding.  Don’t miss out on learning how to convey with a camera.  Don’t make this part of your journey about popularity, ego, money, and Facebook likes.  Make it about learning your camera.  Get that manual out and learn all the AF focus modes and what they can do for you.  Learn how to select your AF focus point/points.  Learn how to lock your focus and recompose if necessary.  Read up on color management and white balance, and take the steps needed to get a good handle on color.  Read up on DOF and how it works.  Keep editing on the back burner while you learn how to create good in camera shots.   Study light!  It’s all about the light!  No handle on how to use and manipulate light, and there’s just no point.  Learn about the golden hour, and basic lighting and modification techniques.  (and yes, even “natural light” photographers learn how to use and manipulate light.  It actually can be much more difficult and complicated to use natural light only)

Quit with the sessions and marketing, and start with learning.  You can turn this around and develop your skills, just put in that effort, and I bet you see great changes in your photography and how it makes you feel.  Allow yourself to be an amateur, it feels fantastic to shoot for yourself and your learning process instead of shooting for others.  Take the pressure off and get to really learning photography.  You’ll be more than glad you did, and so will your future clients 😉

[Worst Case Scenario]

On a plus note….. I didn’t see any spot colour! But yes you have every other faux trait.

You really should have learnt  how to focus, before how to make a watermark.

[CoastalTog]

Standard military wife Faux.  They were everywhere when I was in the service.  Entry level camera with a nifty fifty.  No lighting experience, post production is subpar (vignettes don’t count), and cheap pricing which tells us this is more of a hobby and taxes aren’t getting paid.  As mentioned above, all the gimmicks that come in the Fauxtographer handbook.

Your bio on your webpage tells us that you’ve only been doing this for a year.  That is hardly enough time to become a pro.  Your portfolio is limited and mediocre.  The one thing you have going is military spouses who like cheap photography.  You’ll always have work when living on Post.

Now that I’m done being brutally blunt, here are some suggestions:

1. Join the PPA and take advantage of everything they offer.  Attend some real workshops.  Get indemnification insurance because at the pace you’re going, you’re gonna need it.

2. Go to asmp and search cost of doing business.

3. Meet with a lawyer and draft up contracts and register your business.  You will find you will need to raise your prices significantly to turn a profit.  This will take you out of the cheap market and your skillset isn’t good enough to sustain in the next tier up.

4. Go back to the basics.  Check out Adorama TV or Snapfactory on YouTube for basic “how to” videos.

5. Invest in some good lenses.

6. Learn post processing.  This doesn’t mean kewl photoshop actions.  It means learning how to resize and sharpen your images for a variety of viewing.

[BCLC]

Please please please tell me you are thinking of babies safety this one does not look safe at all!!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/226790_181444515348802_551268167_n.jpg

Please look after babies if you are going to keep doing this, these types of images are composite learn how it’s done before you attempt it.

[CourtneySmithPhotography]

Thanks everyone their your input 🙂 there isn’t much to say back except ill keep trying to improve.

BCLC: It is a composite.

[BCLC]

The angle of that babies head just looks off that’s all but I’m glad if it is a composite 🙂

[Rise Against Fauxtogs]

Yikes!  Red eye!

[cameraclicker]

Red eye only takes a minute to fix. This was posted in March!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=266280010198585&set=a.266279086865344.1073741836.170870706406183&type=1&theater

[IHF]

So many blurry shots, AND not taking 2 seconds to remove red eye?!  WTH?!

But, she knows when to tilt folks https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=266280063531913&set=pb.170870706406183.-2207520000.1394648706.&type=3&theater

Courtney,

It’s disappointing that you still haven’t even nailed your focus since coming here and asking for opinions and help.  one word LAZY

[EyeDocPhotog]

I can’t speak intelligently to whether you should be charging people but most of your work appears the result of experimentation, ie., “let’s try this – I’m not quite sure how it’s going to look when I’m done. Oooh, that look OK, let’s post it!”

Instead, practice alot and post only your very BEST images. Focusing, lighting, post-processing, posing, color balance – all of these need some work. I wouldn’t be posting these photos for all to see, for as you get better, your older images will leave others thinking “what’s the deal here?! This shot is good, but this one looks like it needs work. No consistency, not professional.”

A rule of thumb I’ve used in the past – when I was able to shoot a scene, look at the downloaded image and KNOW RIGHT AWAY where I went wrong, I knoew I had moved to the next level. If you are still “surprised” bad a bad OR a good image you haven’t reached that level yet.

Consistency is KEY in any profession. What makes Tiger Woods a great golfer is his ability to UNIFORMLY REPRODUCE difficult shots time and again.

[JustBrowsing]

Courtney–Bumping this thread because I was curious as to what you decided to do after reading these critiques? Especially now that I see on your page you’re increasing your prices.

[Don]

Of all the advice given, the only one she took was “raise your prices”.

 

That’s hilarious.

[Author]

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