[JanJan]

I finally got a chance to go on his website and do some screenshots. I made sure to remove the watermarks.

The “before” shot of the bride and groom is nice. The lighting is great. But when he removed the background and replaced it with a beach scene, it looks tacky.

View post on imgur.com

I don’t know why he had to super-impose newborns into a flower. When he showed me this on his phone, I didn’t want to say anything.

View post on imgur.com

I don’t get the blue smoke/clouds and lightning.

View post on imgur.com

He says he’s pretty comfortable with Photoshop, but he should not put this on his portfolio. It just looks tacky in my opinion. He should stick to what he’s good at and what he went to school for….studio photography.

[JanJan]

You should put your shots on Flickr or something. I tried going on your MM, but it’s no longer there. But judging from the screenshot, your profile was probably removed because you had young children, which they don’t want.

[JanJan]

@ebi – I was laughing when you mentioned your Caribbean trip about the photographer asking a local to scout for ladies. I agree, their standard of “beauty” is so much different from the US. I did a study abroad in the Virgin Islands during college. My roommate, who was originally from Anguilla, was overly-confident about her appearance because many guys thought she was “hot”, but she would be considered average-looking in the US.

As for models, I think the picking are slim when you’re new. Also, it depends on your area. I live in Vegas where fake boobs, plastic, and hoochie girls are the standards of beauty. When I was first shooting models, I was doing trade for print shoots with people from Model Mayhem, so I can build my portfolio. There was a time where most of the people I was shooting were on the verge of being like those hoochie video vixens that you see on rap music videos. Eventually, I got more and more pickier with shooting with models. I now prefer taller, high-fashion models, who are at least 5’8 and slim.

@Bill – Yes, I understand baby steps are important. I’m looking to get liability insurance because there is this studio owner who rents not only her space, but also her equipment for a cheap price, but she requires insurance. Also, I would get hassled less on locations if I tell the management that I’m insured. I will talk with a CPA down the line to see what my options are only if I get an overwhelming amount of work. As for my website, the pixel grid is on there by design. I wanted a free WordPress template that showcased my photographer better. This was my old design (http://dev.photosbyanjanette.com). The idea came from this photographer, Dean Zulich, who was the runner-up on VH-1’s The Shot, and I wanted my website to look similar to his – http://www.deanzulich.com/. I was happy there was a similar template out there for free.

@Browneyegirl – I’m glad you’re seeing a progression in my work. Even if I was a more successful photographer, I am not going to drop my main bread and butter. I still love web and graphic designing, but photography has taken over this past year because it’s just new and exciting for me, just like when my web career took off almost 8 years ago. In fact, in the far, far future if I get enough work and clients, I’m looking to run my own marketing and media agency that offers web and graphic design, online marketing, branding, and photography. I’ve worked with enough re-branding and change of ownership projects to find out that photography has always been left out in the cold because the company has spent a lot of money on re-branding and renovations. I’ve been part of web launches to find out that the company barely has enough product shots and ends up using stock photography.

I think with the over-saturation of  photographers in the midst of fauxtographers, being a full-time photographer is dying breed. Today, I just met with a photographer who went to school in 80’s and really knows his stuff, but can’t sustain enough business to support his family, so he’s a financial planner full-time.

[JanJan]

@nairbynairb, I actually did put that on my home page. It was done on purpose. I’m also on the same screen resolution and I kept it because when I saw it on an iPad, my cell phone, and other screens, I thought it looked great. It was my favorite photo and I was pushing tooth and nail inside to keep it on. But it’s now off the home page, but not because you suggested to take it off. I looked at my Google Analytics, and apparently the top screen resolution was 1920×1080. That was the deal-breaker. I also agree that I’m not ready to give it 100%, and even if I do quit my full-time job, I will still do the web and graphic designing on a freelance basis or merge all my services together as one business. I wasn’t 100% happy with a couple of the Special Occasion to be honest, so I removed them.

I was going through my files and there were many images over 1 MB that slipped through the cracks, so I optimized them again and made sure the file sizes were under 700 KB. My website being slow on people’s computers is a big concern. Before I did that, it wasn’t slow to me, and I’m running on Mac Snow Leopard with 4GB of ram and cable internet. Hopefully reducing the file sizes the images solved that problem.

@Bill – I am not yet legal. I am trying to get there. I am looking to getting liability insurance first. Depending on how things go with the photography (like if I get paid work practically every weekend), I will consider getting a business license, tax-ID, etc.

[JanJan]

I just want to laugh out loud at these people who want to sue us for exercising our 1st Amendment right of voicing our opinions on bad photography. A few months ago on a different area of this forum, I was talking bad about someone’s photography. Just a couple weeks ago, that person emailed me complaining that my review and this website was ranked #4 on a Google search for its area and threatened to sue me for slander (it’s actually libel) if I don’t get it removed. Just to avoid the threats and seeing that their work somewhat improved since the review (i.e. not worthy to land on the main page, but still not the greatest), I had the moderators remove the post. But God forbid what would happen if someone wrote a bad review on its Yelp page? Will that person threaten to sue as well?

Any “lawyer” on this forum who tries to shun people for voicing their 1st Amendment right by stating their opinions should be disbarred. I can’t speak for everyone, but when I make a unfavorable review, I am not out there to destroy your business. Your horrific photography will do that for you!

If my review only said “He/she person take horrible pictures and needs a lot of work”, that is my opinion and not grounds for a lawsuit. But if I said “That person takes horrible pictures and is a slut/womanizer” about a family photographer who I barely even know them personally, then yes, that person can sue me.

[JanJan]

Christina Kay is awful. I would be beyond pissed if my wedding photos came out like that!

I know on this picture, it’s supposed to be a path going up to the bride, but when you read it, it sounds reversed. I’m reading this as “The Bride Here Comes” as if it were Yoda saying this.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=509560952462932&set=a.505424652876562.1073741873.443606615725033&type=3&theater

[JanJan]

I guess I misread the page. When I first read it, I thought she didn’t use flashes at all, but then after reading it again and again, it’s only for her outdoor work. I wasn’t using her as a good example. My apologies.

I know this wonderful wedding photographer, who used to be my high school classmate, and her base rate is $4,500. When she wrote on her Facebook about barely getting into off-camera flash, I was surprised she wasn’t doing it before. I guess her style of photography is high ISO and prime fast lenses. I know another wedding photographer who has been shooting for 5 years, but when we did a studio shooting event with models, it was foreign to her and out of her comfort zone.

I guess it all depends on what kind of photography you want to get into.

[JanJan]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I take criticism very well because I know it makes me a better photographer. I got a lot of compliments for this picture, but it was coming from just regular people. Getting critiques from fellow photographers is helpful because it helps me pay attention to the details that I would normally not pay attention to. Like the fact that yes, it does look like she has 3 legs :::facepalm:::.

Like I mentioned before, this was taken during a shoot-out with multiple photographers to one model. Not many people were giving directions, so the model was just posing away. She just ended having her arms up, and when I showed her the picture from my LCD screen, she wanted the picture. So I gave it to her. I didn’t direct her to have her arms up like that.

Another thing I didn’t mention before was that that the organizer of this shootout asked us to only bring our camera and one flash. She didn’t want anyone to bring their whole setup. At the time she set this up, she was uncertain whether or not we needed a permit to shoot. It wasn’t until a couple days later before the event that she was told she will need a permit. She didn’t want to cancel the event, so she just continued to have the meeting anyway and found a location where we can hide if a ranger showed up.

Also, the assistance from the photographer pro (who was actually the organizer) was really fast. We didn’t want to hold up anyone’s time, so it was just a 5-10 minute thing between myself, the model, and her.

If I were to do this again, I would have waited until it got darker. I probably would have gotten away with just a reflector and light stand because this shot was taken at a bottom of the hill and the road was up top.

[JanJan]

This person (https://www.facebook.com/pages/SJ-Visuals/265280760180624) REALLY over-edits, and does it unnecessarily. Her images would actually be very good if she would just lay off the editing and stop with the gimmicks, like adding a white vignetting, selective coloring, or poor HDR attempts where the clarity was set to full 100.

Case in point:
http://sphotos-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/q71/s720x720/998788_586228898085807_1505590063_n.jpg
I personally know the woman on the motorcycle. She is a photographer herself (and an awesome one by the way) and the studio belongs to her. After holding a portfolio building event a couple days before, she wanted to be the model this time. I really don’t know why she picked S&J other than the fact that she attended her portfolio building event. Or maybe she knew her beforehand? I don’t know. But if I were her, I would be horrified at the results and all the unnecessary editing.

Again, another potentially great shot that was ruined by selective coloring and an awful white vingetting. This is the same woman as the one on the motorcycle and she looks like a ghost with red lipstick
http://sphotos-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/q71/s720x720/553050_583069828401714_1475363039_n.jpg

I don’t understand adding more and more grain to this picture:
http://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/156461_459451897430175_2010791769_n.jpg

The white vignetting was totally unnecessary in these following boudoir shots. If she removed them, it would be a pretty good picture.
http://sphotos-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/q71/s720x720/733758_580841805291183_1429029148_n.jpg
http://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/q71/s720x720/995928_580863331955697_127231597_n.jpg

[JanJan]

Thanks for the input! The good thing about getting reviews, especially from you, is that you spot things that I would never have guessed that I would need fixing. I re-edited the images based on your suggestions, and they look better even with the subtle changes. I deleted the old ones and re-uploaded them again, so unfortunately, the pictures from my original post are now gone.

Option 1

Option 2

I was actually leaning towards Option 1, mostly because it’s composed better than Option 2, in my opinion. In Option 1, her toes were not cut off, but her hand was. I knew this was going to be mentioned! LOL! I guess my 35mm was not wide enough to get her entire 6-foot frame (6’3 with her heels, and probably almost 7 feet with her arms up).

This was taken at Mt. Charleston, which is about 35 miles north of Las Vegas. Because the air is dry, there are not as many bugs compared to areas with more humidity. However, earlier that day, the model was leaning against a tree and had ants crawling all over her back and dress. Also, this shot was taken during a fashion photography meetup. It was a shoot-out with multiple photographers taking a picture of one model. She wanted to go for the “Steampunk” look, so she picked out this outfit. Of course, no one would normally wear an outfit like this in the woods, but when it comes to a “fashion” shoot with a model, anything goes with regards to wardrobe.

The lighting was pretty harsh and the meetup organizer realized we should have started later with better lighting.

Also with Mt. Charleston, a month before there was a forest fire that lasted for almost 2 weeks, which is probably why the trees looked a bit dead. Luckily, the whole entire mountain area did not looked as burned as a I thought!

 

[JanJan]

I really enjoyed viewing your work. My only nit-picky ones are the ones below. I honestly thought the white some-what vignetting at the bottom kind of ruined what was already a good shot.

http://www.karenleighphotography.com/families/h29ee7dc8#h29ee7dc8
http://www.karenleighphotography.com/families/h3b7d6f24#h3b7d6f24

I’m kind of in the same boat as you. I have a full-time job doing web/graphic design and I would like to pursue photography as a full-time job but my full-time job pays the bills.

Your website has too much going on, if you’re trying to market your services. If you are a portrait photographer, I would highlight it and make it more prominent. I would put your other favorite pictures either on a different website, Flick, or your Facebook page. From a user/potential client’s standpoint, people will not spend a whole lot of time browsing (usually one page deep maximum), so your best work should be on the forefront.

 

[JanJan]

I forgot to mention that the sky was VERY gloomy, gray, and bland.

[JanJan]

It’s entirely up to you on how you want to do your 365 photo-a-day/52 photo-a-week/30 day project. It’s better to set your own rules because it will make it easier for you to stay committed. At first, I was going to do a theme, but I decided not to because I know I wouldn’t commit to that for one whole year. As for my shots, it depends on the day. Sometimes I would find myself looking for a great shot, and sometimes I would take multiple shots and pick the best one. There is not too much thought to this project. Your rules might be different from someone else. For instance, the rule I made for myself is that at least 70% of my shots have to come from my DSLR and edited (if necessary) before I post it on my Tumblr. Perhaps another person doing this project might commit to doing this project on their camera phone only.

As for Model Mayhem, it’s hard to say because it varies by location. On the model’s profile, it says their experience level. I tend to pick the ones with no experience to some experience because they also need to build their portfolio. Most of the models are aware of my experience level, and they make their decision to work with me based on my portfolio. Sometimes, models (usually from out-of-town) would contact me as well. Here is my profile by the way – http://www.modelmayhem.com/2791923

You will just need to put yourself out there if you want your photography to grow. I’m a shy person myself, especially around big crowds, but I’m constantly seeking people to shoot with, even if there is a lull in my paid work. And I’ve met so many people and thanks to them, my portfolio is really diverse!

I think you’re thinking way too much into this. Just shoot for fun! Bring you camera with you at all times. Shoot anything! For the past year, I’ve been shooting anything, from models and families, to my dogs, and just everyday household products.

[JanJan]

I agree with BEG, why don’t you try a personal project?

For instance, I’m doing a 365 photo-a-day challenge, where I take one picture a day for 365 days.
http://anjanette365project.tumblr.com/

I’m not going to lie, it’s a pretty challenging project, especially towards the end, but it’s very rewarding. Since I started the project, I’ve been taking my camera with me at all times. I carry a large purse so I can fit my camera inside.

If you find a 365 photo-a-day project too much, you can also try a 52-week project. When I’m done with my 365 project this September, I’m going to only take at least one photo a week. If I take more than one picture, I will call it “This week in pictures”.

If you’re looking for subjects to shoot, why don’t you try trade for print (TFP) shoots with aspiring models? You can find them on Model Mayhem (http://www.modelmayhem.com). I credit Model Mayhem for helping me build my portfolio. It’s a free service and is kind of like a MySpace, but for models, photographers, makeup artists, etc.

Or you can also try joining a photography group in your area. Meetup.com can help you with that!

 

[JanJan]

I mostly have dressed “business casual” to all the after-ceremony weddings I have shot (only 2). I’ve wore black dress pants and a blouse. I need to be comfortable, especially in the Vegas heat where it gets as hot as 118 F (47 C) degrees in the summer.

 

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