Home Forums Photography Showcase New to the group and link to my work.

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  • #8922
    theravenscall
    Participant

    Hey everyone. I am new to the group and new to professional photography. Been photographing as a hobby for quite some time and decided to go pro. Working on getting my Professional Photography Certification as we speak. Here is a link to my facebook page with a majority of my work in it. Enjoy!

    #8923
    theravenscall
    Participant

    http://www.facebook.com/ravenphotographytn

    of course the I forget the link…. -sigh-

    #8927
    Gerbles
    Participant

    So, I guess some questions first: what sort of photography are you looking to do professionally? What sort of gear do you have? Are you comfortable with off camera flash or bounce flash? How long have you been shooting with a DSLR?

    #8928
    IHF
    Participant

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.503414186347908.104686.468572639832063&type=3

    After having a look around I was wondering the same as Gerbles, but then I found your professional portfolio album linked above.
    Quite a few things going wrong here.  Lots of on camera flash, bad light, bad set up, bad posing, some focus issues, composition issues, editing problems, color managing problems etc.  Not trying to overwhelm you over here, so in short… I think you have a lot more learning and work ahead of you before you consider going pro.  You’re just getting started in learning photography.  Give yourself some time.  Looks like you have a good understanding of exposure, but there’s so much more to it than that.  I notice too on your wall you are interested in blogging and making videos to teach beginners.  Please don’t do that.  Leave that to the experts who not only know their stuff, but know how to teach effectively.  The last thing a beginner needs is starting out with someone else’s bad habits.  Why not instead start a blog about your learning process “follow this amateur’s creative journey in learning photography” or something similar.  I’d much rather follow someone being honest about their skill level and accomplishments, than someone trying to teach me and behaving as they know and do more than than actually do.

    Right now it seems you are pretending to be something you are not, and it comes across as silly, and nothing to take seriously.  Put the same work up with a more honest approach like “Im a student of photography, aspiring to learn as much as I can about this wonderful medium.  Follow along” or something similar, take down the prices and all that marketing jazz, and start learning the foundations you need to be a pro, and then you have my attention.  As it stands, you are the reason why sites like this exist.

    If you would like me to go through shot by shot and be more thorough and try to help how things could be improved, I’d be happy to do so.  Just say the word, and I’ll come back and try to help as best I can. (I’m not a pro, and just a beginner like you, trying to learn)

    #8929
    IHF
    Participant

    And please!  Don’t book anymore weddings or events until you have learned off Carmela flash and/or light manipulation and have the proper equipment.  Events, you will be faced with working with less than ideal lighting conditions, and lots of venues don’t allow flash photography, so really good fast lenses (meaning lenses capable of very wide apertures) and cameras capable of very high ISOs without grain/noise are a must, if you want to deliver professional quality to your clients.

    #8930
    JLiu
    Participant

    lol…are you typing this from your phone, IHF?  off Carmela?

    #8931
    IHF
    Participant

    LOL yep, on a mobile. Oops!

    #8943
    Worst Case Scenario
    Participant

    I took one look at your FB page and the first thing I saw, was that you couldn’t even get your name /logo in a readable position!  Unless you have changed the name  to VEN photography I’d give up calling yourself a professional. I didn’t even bother scrolling down to see how bad the rest were. If you can’t even get your banner right, there’s no way you can expect people to pay you.

    #9025
    theravenscall
    Participant

    Wow, I love the snooty attitudes on this website.  While I admit to being in the learning stages and I learn something new every single day about  my camera and photography in general. I joined this site to network with other photographers and perhaps learn a little off of them. Am I the best.. by no means. Am I the worst? Hell no. Honestly I think I do damn good work for the equipment I use. And since everyone was so quick to pick me apart my equipment is listed on the facebook page. Since you were so quick to critique and try to break me apart and tell me to quit go find what I’m using in there. I don’t lie about my equipment, or my experience.

    And to those that say don’t book another wedding. I will and I have. I do my research before hand and will rent or buy the equipment I need if I don’t already have it. I am not getting in this business to produce shitty photographs or work. Those who book me, and they have, book me because they like what I have produced so far and the capabilities that I have to produce good work.

    Yes lighting is my own worst enemy. However, everyone I have talked to about this says it’s every photographers videographers worst enemy and usually stays that way. What am I doing to work on that? I study, I shoot, I break down my photos and go back and reshoot. Will I ever be perfect? No. But you know what, I am not giving up.

    To the person who mentioned the blog/video. Blog is already up. And it is about what you mentioned. When I say tutorials I suppose I should of mentioned going of things I have learned with my camera. Am I going to do a huge ‘this is how you take amazing photographs’ session? Hell no I know I am not ready for that. By tutorial I mean ‘basic’. Like “Hey, this setting on your camera vs this setting on your camera” or “f/stops’.

    You people are so quick to fucking judge others and then toss them under a god damn bus.

    I wish all of you the best in your photography experience and careers.

    #9027
    JLiu
    Participant

    I expected no less than the posted response.

    But…let’s take a step back and analyze the situation here.  You knew before posting that you are still (very much, based on a cursory glance) in the learning phases of photography, correct? I’m assuming you spent some time lurking this site – which, just as a reminder, is titled ‘You Are Not a Photographer’ – before you decided to post, right? If you didn’t, then I’m just going to assume you’re not one to read instructions before using heavy machinery. If you did spend time looking around the forums, then…did you honestly expect different? Seriously think about that and honestly answer before you respond.

    #9028
    IHF
    Participant

    Danielle,

    no one wants you to quit.  Quite the opposite.  I want you to work harder and learn. That’s why I offered to go through your images with you and give a more through critique, and why Gerbles ask more questions, so they could give better and more tailored advice/opinions.

    In photography we learn from our mistakes/errors/weaknesses, and regularly ask for criticism.  We learn nothing from praise or empty compliments.  So sorry if this wasn’t understood before you posted on the “you are not a photographer” forum.  I guess that’s why it’s important to read and get a feel of a forum first before joining.  There’s no nicey nice sugar coated advice given here, just straight forward honest feedback of photographer’s first impressions while viewing work.

    Criticism is NOT a bad thing, if you take it and use it to your advantage, and take it in the intended form in which it was given. Which in my case, was to help you, not hinder you.  Having people take the time to look through your portfolio and give you their time and honest feedback and advice, is a gift, not something to take as a negative thing and get defensive about.  If I didn’t care, and didn’t want you to improve, I would have typed “nice” and added a smiley.

    heres an article that explains what I’m trying to say much more effectively.

    http://psychologyforphotographers.com/5-things-you-should-know-about-receiving-photography-critique

    #9029
    JLiu
    Participant

    To continue my thoughts…

    Two of three people took time to either ask questions or identify areas of concern. One offered alternative considerations before proceeding with your endeavors. Neither were perceived as helpful.

    Instead, it was just easier to get defensive. Understandable as it may be to want to defend something of a personal nature, I have to ask again – did you honestly expect praise knowing your work as it currently stands?

    Nobody mentioned anything about you quitting. On the contrary, help was gladly offered. That hand was smacked away.

    #9035
    IHF
    Participant

    Take a look at the post within this forum “photography showcase”. In titled “constructive criticism please”.

    Shes a photographer who feels she’s not quite ready to go pro. (So not as advanced as you)  I think you could learn a lot from her thread, and how she handles herself, even if you never come back to this forum again, I hope you read it, and have a better understanding

    #9040
    JCFindley
    Participant

    What I have seen of this forum, the posters tend to be blunt but they put a lot of effort typing things that are helpful critiques if people are willing to listen.

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