So, am I doing Ok for a beginner?

[dont.care]

I simply lol, when I read your posts. You surely are whiny little ass clown, aren’t you? It’s like you expect us to coddle you because your a beginner with a piss poor attitude. Generally people with half a brain and a little bit of gumption can decipher these posts. It’s not Enochian text here.  I have a question.. You were handed everything in life, weren’t you (rhetoric).  A 7D ($1,300+/-), 100mm f2.8L ($1,000+/-), 150-500 ($1,000+/-)  is not something a typical beginner runs out and buys. So, I’m assuming you’re probably better off than most financially to be able to afford such things (as you’ve said you’ll be trading the 150-500 for a 70-200 2.8 II for personal uses).. That leads me to deduce that you probably have been handed praise and compliment for everything even when undeserved. In short, you act like a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum on a forum geared toward exposing bad photographers that charge money for professional services. I think you should seek out a new tribe of Indians to cry to. I hardly think you’ll find much sympathy here. 🙂

[IHF]

Simon,

you are subscribed to this thread.  I also subscribed.  We are sent the unedited post in our e-mail, along with the edited version.  I took the time to cool off and think before I replied.  I chose my words wisely, because like you said it is up to us to make sure what we say is understood.  Repeatedly you have been disrespectful to people who have given you their time, even after things were very clearly explained to you.  Did you even read the article i gave you?  I tend to side with don’t care at this point.  Everything they have said has rung true, and now I sit here very confused.  I thought they were wrong, and I set out to prove it.  I don’t know where you are from, but never mind  means never mind, “what I had to say wasn’t very important for you to hear after all” and should be ignored as in never mind it.  intuition felt the need to explain after you jumped to the wrong conclusion, and your response to her explanation should have been something like “I apologize, I understand now what you meant, now that things have been explained to me”.  This may be your first critique, but I don’t its your first time in an online forum, learn some etiquette.  Don’t care has more than you, and that says something doesn’t it?

 

[IHF]

After reading your replies to my critique, and how you disregarded pretty much everything i had to say (except the fact that i really liked one of your images) and aren’t in this to make photographs, I change my critique to “meh, never mind”. Happy snapping 🙂

[Intuition]

I heart you I hate Fauxtography. I so Heart you.

[dont.care]

This may be your first critique, but I don’t its your first time in an online forum, learn some etiquette. Don’t care has more than you, and that says something doesn’t it?

Haha.. I doth not lack etiquette. I lack sympathy. When you go on a fishing expedition and come back seeking great praise of your fantastical catch and all you have in your net is minnows, and get mad when your shot down; Sympathy, I lack thereof. Notwithstanding the fact that he generally debased and fired off rhetoric after each critique he had asked for in some whimsical line of thinking that he–You know, as if it were going to change anything for him.

Ironically, I had initially (as you) thought otherwise about this fellow. What’s bad is, his photos are actually quite decent. Now, if he were to listen to and follow the advice in the aforementioned post, I’m sure he’d do fine.

🙂

[fstopper89]

First off, after reading Brownie’s initial critique, I didn’t really think he sounded arrogant at all, just honest. He gave reasons why he didn’t like some if the images.

Anyways, here is my critique.

You seem to know how to focus your camera and equipment pretty well. Most of the images have very sharp focus where they should be focused.

Yes, many seem to be a bit over-saturated. Yes you’ve said it was a personal preference, but it’s good to have an understanding on how to create more of a “clean edit” with normal saturation and then go ahead and do an edit you feel is more creative, such as higher saturation, textures, vintage styles, etc.

I really like this shot, though I feel the tree is a bit too centered in the image. Maybe composing it more where the tree was to the left would have been better, though that may cause the sun to be too centered. Play around with your own position when taking the photo and you can get both object off-center. http://www.flickr.com/photos/94214228@N05/8595419255/in/photostream

I like many of these butterfly shots. Focus is nice, colors and exposure seem good. They don’t seem over-saturated. This is one of my favorites. Though I’m not typically a fan of the 1×1 ratio, it works in this image. http://www.flickr.com/photos/94214228@N05/8593577329/in/photostream

Nice use of lines, angles, and pattern. Exposed well. http://www.flickr.com/photos/94214228@N05/8594592066/in/photostream

Cute dog, but the composition isn’t pleasing at all. His paw is cut off, the crop is too close by his back legs, and there are distracting elements in the background. It’s a fairly nice snapshot, but not very artistic. http://www.flickr.com/photos/94214228@N05/8577553390/in/photostream

Neat reflection. This would have looked better in a horizontal crop, not 1×1. Also the over-saturation just ruins this image. The contrast of the bright blue and the rusty red isn’t as pleasing. Think of opposites on the color wheel. Red contrasts best with green. I think that’s why the colors don’t work well together for me. With some editing, this could be improved. http://www.flickr.com/photos/94214228@N05/8577554122/in/photostream

I like the composition of this bird shot, though his tail is a little bit cut off, and there is a little too much negative space on the top. I would have slightly increased exposure as well. He’s just a weeeee bit out of focus. Not a bad shot, but not a great shot. http://www.flickr.com/photos/94214228@N05/8576440899/in/photostream

This bird shot has much nicer focus. I can understand getting crisp shots of wildlife can be difficult. http://www.flickr.com/photos/94214228@N05/8577537540/in/photostream

Love this shot. Nice job not overexposing, it looks like it was in a bright environment. Maybe crop a little so the butterfly is more on the left side. http://www.flickr.com/photos/94214228@N05/8576435281/in/photostream

As far as Instagram, you have some creative shots and some weird shots. If I were you, I would create a separate album of Instagram shots on Flickr. IG is more for fun, less for quality.

Those fake shallow depth-of-field shots do nothing; you should always be controlling that using your aperture and focal length.

Your flower shots are mostly average. I have plenty of average flower shots as well, just because I like them… but they’re not going to win any awards. Others were right that you can’t usually make a flower more beautiful. Nothing wrong with having them in your portfolio, but it might benefit you to only post your best flower photos as you have many similar ones.

You are definitely a hobbyist and maybe not totally a beginner. You seem to have a decent understanding of your equipment and willingness to learn. But part of that is taking critique, harsh or not, and not seeing it as calling your work crap.

[simoncookerussell]

I simply lol, when I read your posts. You surely are whiny little ass clown, aren’t you? It’s like you expect us to coddle you because your a beginner with a piss poor attitude. Generally people with half a brain and a little bit of gumption can decipher these posts. It’s not Enochian text here.  I have a question.. You were handed everything in life, weren’t you (rhetoric).  A 7D ($1,300+/-), 100mm f2.8L ($1,000+/-), 150-500 ($1,000+/-)  is not something a typical beginner runs out and buys. So, I’m assuming you’re probably better off than most financially to be able to afford such things (as you’ve said you’ll be trading the 150-500 for a 70-200 2.8 II for personal uses).. That leads me to deduce that you probably have been handed praise and compliment for everything even when undeserved. In short, you act like a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum on a forum geared toward exposing bad photographers that charge money for professional services. I think you should seek out a new tribe of Indians to cry to. I hardly think you’ll find much sympathy here.

 
The biggest Lols, and your defending someone who accused me of making ass umptions!!
You wanna know the truth?
I’m unemployed, have been for well over two years.
I suffer from sever depression, severe mood swings and surprisingly enough, I don’t deal with people at all, hence why I don’t work.  Am I disfunctional, he’ll yes, do I like it, no I don’t. I can’t even deal with people on the Internet, how well do you think I deal in real life.
I live in a very big caravan I bought when I had to sell my house, I left my current partner two years ago for another woman, one who completely destroyed my life which inturn caused a severe breakdown, and that persons new partner after me killed himself two years later, she’s a very nasty woman.
My current partner took me back, and have pretty much only dealt with her and no one else for the last two years. It was her who bought me the camera and the lenses, not me. And is it good stuff for a beginner, your right, but I’ve never been one to buy shit (except the sigma) we have money because our cost of living is exceptionally low, and believe me, it’s a better way to live, no debt.
I’m not a happy person, photography helped me to stop thinking about the shit that goes on in my head, and for the first time, this place told me that I was shit, and I didn’t take it to well. Once I realized I had been a dick and this thread was kinda moving on, others then came in late and told me again was being a dick, so I argued with them, and then my arguing gets attention and its around in circles again.
I read the ‘Meh, Nevermind” as someone else chipping in their opinions of me and just changed their minds, assumption, yes, but just like your assuming things about me, we all do it and we are all usually wrong.
I’m sorry for being a dick, but your the group of people who created and joined in a forum the spends 90% of the time telling everybody else that they are shit as well, and there’s one hell of a lot of psychology going on there people.
Sorry I wasted your time, thanks to the people who did help, and I did learn a lot, and I’ll leave you in peace, so feel free to continue your aggression towards many other people your just making assumptions about.
Are they shit photographers, hell yes, but what are you doing in photography that makes you way better than them. Not much I “assume”

Good day.

[dont.care]

Ok, I apologise.. Self loathing is so much better 😉

[dont.care]

Look, I think you take good photos and with a little improvement I think you could take great photos.. I just have issues with people who have issues with people trying to help them

 

Sorry if I offend you, is what it is I guess

[simoncookerussell]

All I asked was very simple, “Am I OK for a “Beginner”? And beginner is the key word.

What I got was critisimsm as if I was a pro, or someone that should know better, or someone like a real being paid to work Fauxtog.

Deep down I know I’m doing ok for a beginner, being as I’m on IG a lot, I see other beginners, and well you don’t need to be explained my point there.

Brownie’s original post set me off simply because his critiques were based more on his taste than anything else. I, like other photographers like Serge Ramelli, who in his last few videos mentions a lot that he loves over saturation. I love bright and colorful pics. I don’t care if you don’t, I thought I would care, but after this experience here, I actually don’t give a fuck what others think about what Simon Cooke-Russell likes.

Brownies first comment was in regards to how much he dislikes some of the edits I do, his words “bizarre edits that I rarely find interesting” these pictures are funny little artworks I make in snapseed from really badly exposed pictures. They are not to be taken seriously, I just like making them, for my own enjoyment. its the attitude within those types of comments that set me off. Do you understand this? My Flickr account was set up as a place for me to put all my fav pics away from the 1000 odd on IG that is a mess of everything, I never thought that I would be here, and for them to be looked upon as a whole, it was my bad.

And then he goes on about my Flickr organization, come on man, it’s it really that fucking relavent?

And even after numerous times I explained the 1×1 IG issue, people still go on about the composition in those pics. I got it, I understood the first time, and I explained the reason, stop retelling me. For every 1×1 picture, there is a “as shot” original. But no one after I mentioned this, asked to see the original composition! I even mentioned that I’d repost one of the originals to be redone if some one was to pic one.

And now, after the shit this thread has turned into, you are now saying, your doing ok, you need some work still, and you may be a good photographer, well that’s kinda how you all could have started. and now my camera is packed away because I simply don’t like it at the moment, simply because I have no confidence, and this thread has yet proven to me that I still have big issues dealing with people.

[simoncookerussell]

And heres a tip for the Forum owner/admin and members, how about you spend more of your energy into making a website that only shows off the best photographers out there trying to make a living amoungst all the Fauxtogs. Because all you are showing the public here is the bad, if you start showing off the good instead, at least the to soon be married couple who are looking for a photographer will get a better idea of what looks good so they at least have the knowledge base to pick out the bad.

But like I said before, psycology is an wonderful thing, negative sites are created by negative people. if you google the top 50 of the best of the best photographers in the world, you’ll never ever see them doing what you guys do here.

think about it

Because when I feel down and depressed, I want others to be so as well.

 

[JanJan]

Well, I’m a beginner too, like I mentioned in a previous post, and I’m on the same boat as you as well. I would expect and even welcome straight-forward critiques like Brownie’s, because for me, it helps me grow into a better photographer. I rather have someone spout out “pro-like” jargon so I can research it and apply it to my own stuff. What kind of critiques or “criticism” would you expect? Bottom line, you were just pissed off because everyone was not fully agreeable with your work and you didn’t get the response you wanted.

If you already knew you’re not good with people, especially with people on the internet, you should have thought twice about posting something on here for feedback on your work. Depression aside, your attitude is really taking away from your photography, which like I mentioned in a previous post, is great for someone who has been doing this for 5 months. Many others have also said the same thing, but obviously it seems like in Simon’s world that it’s all or nothing…everyone has to be agreeable with your work.

Like you have said many, many times,  you shoot for yourself, so go ahead and continue to do that. No one but yourself is stopping you. Myself and others will not lose any sleep if you stop or continue shooting. We were trying to help when asked, and you just basically spit in everyone’s face. Just do everyone in your area a favor and please not even think of doing this as a service for money based on your attitude alone. And don’t even bother going on digital-photography-school.com for feedback on your work because there are moderators who screens everything and will not even post your thread with your attitude.

[IHF]

Simon,

I’m going to tell you something that needs no reply, (absolutely no reply at all) and I believe I’m speaking for everyone when I say this.

No one would have critiqued and spent so much time trying to help, if we didn’t see any potential.  We simply just wouldn’t have given a crap.  One time a tog posted here who was a beginner aspiring to go pro, and all that was said was “I think you take lovely family snap shots”.  No one else chimed in at all.  Why? Eh, nothing really to say.  She left happy, not knowing what was said was actually negative as hell, and no one wished to explain otherwise.  You on the other hand got much much more.  Even after you responding so negatively, people still felt compelled to  critique and talk with you.  Quit feeling sorry for yourself and get out there and shoot!

Learn everything you can, don’t be a wuss.  With time you will be very grateful you came here, but only if you chose to continue. Imagine being able to convey what you feel in a photograph, and without explanation, you make people feel and understand just by viewing it.  That would be a gift for yourself that only you can give.  Learn how to photograph effectively, so you can then learn how to convey.  Conversation and socializing may not be your thing, but maybe photography could be.  Leave this thread alone for a while (or all together), sit and chew on what I said.  You have a decision to make.

[simoncookerussell]

i Hate Fauxtography, one thing I will reply is that you are very very good at how you just get what to say and how you should say it, regardless of the situation.

i and everyone else here should learn to do so also, including you alarnold, so not a good way to handle anyone with depression.

[IHF]

Stop it Simon!!  NO ONE here was bad to you, but yourself.  Everyone handled themselves perfectly given the situation, but YOU

STOP it!

like I said, no reply necessary … Leave it be, go on a positive note

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