[Bill]

@ebi – what is that? looks like a mojito, looks really good and tasty.

well the embedding worked for me on the visual side but when trying to post it here, it leaves the image out.

I always have trouble with this site embedding things like images and stuff like that ebi, your not alone.

 

 

[Bill]

They look nice.  I like the smiling kid one better, the other looks like he is going to smack you, lol.

The top one, kid smiling, nice catchlight, looks like you used a bounce-back umbrella.

The second  one, mad kid [jk], looks like it is 2 of you, an assistant or someone holding a reflector.

[Bill]

Hello Cat – Just to warn you, I am not critiquing you to be mean or anything like that, just pointing out what I see as another photographer.

Your not bad, it looks like you have a certain style and it needs some mixing up. True the models you are using [not sure if they are friends or not] need some emotion, they all look too plain, no one looks happy or sad or anything, just bland expressions.
There were not too many photos on your web site, but the ones I looked at, I have some questions. What resolution are they when uploaded? I ask, because many look pixelated like they are really low quality.

Here are some examples, screenshots I took:

zoomed in 150%
100% from site
This one looks out of focus, low res?
Look at the difference in expressions

If these are the result of low-res images on your site, then you need high quality ones to display.  If they are, like you state, then you have some technical issues to address like focus and sharpness, but these are minor.

The only major issue I see is the web-site.  The iTunes layout on Google Chrome is wanky and does not flow very well.  What ever app you used to create it could also be the reason the images look so low quality, out of focus and pixelated.  Might need more background on that, so don’t take it to heart just yet.

I do like the fact that you have a mobile page, and the images appear to be sharper there then your desktop version but I cannot zoom into them to “really” compare.

You have a good look that just needs a little tweaking, but by far not a faux if that’s what you were worrying about.

[Bill]

Jones points out a lot of good helpful tidbits. We all make mistakes and sometimes get caught up in the moment, but after everything is said and done, once you download your images, you have full control of what to put out there for all to see.

I started out in landscapes and still do them from time to time between shoots to keep myself busy and to interact with others. I get some of my business that way, so I keep doing it. They either see me or they see the camera and want to ask questions or just check out my gear.
I remember I did a wedding for a friend on a tight budget and man, did I make a ton of mistakes. I felt bad, because I knew better, but the end result was that they were happy. In my opinion, they were not that great, by my standards. Not making excuses but the church was not a flattering venue, mixed lighting and I forgot to change the ISO, so I ran most shots at a really low shutter speed, so of course many were blurry. No flash was allowed due to someone having a condition of some sort from what I was told. I remember one shot that they loved, I had to soften the image up to hide the background because no matter what angle I took, there was an EXIT sign smack dab in the frame somewhere.

The good thing was like I said, they were happy with what I showed them. I did not show them the really blurry ones.

Danny, as for your editing skills, if you don’t have Lightroom or Photoshop, by Lightroom, it is cheaper and go on youtube. There are literally thousands of videos by groups and individuals to teach you tips and the fundamentals about either program. Lynda.com and several others sell subscriptions with good helpful tutorials for both programs and many more. I use it when I don’t know a certain feature on PS, I don’t use every feature option that PS offers, who does? If you are really serious about your hobby and maybe want to be more professional about your images, then this is a good start.

If you want to get better at the physical part, just shoot more. Find something and make it interesting. Practice, Practice, Practice.
If you get frustrated, shoot some more. Look for that common element that is driving you crazy, learn it and master it, then find the next one. Try shooting things outside your comfort range. It will get you to think on the fly and getting faster at getting that shot.
If your not having any luck at that, try some local groups that go on photo treks, Meetup, facebook, flickr and craigslist all have little groups you can join, many for free to get hands-on experience from others.

Good Luck man!~

[Bill]

I think I missed  my stop about a mile ago

[Bill]

@alarnold – baby steps.  The main thing I would do before worrying about the full legality part would be to do enough jobs to cover paying for insurance for you and your gear.  Even if you don’t have much, loosing a camera or accidentally knocking something over can be very detrimental to your wallet.

I remember being on a shoot and someone backed into one of my light-stands with a large soft-box and strobe, the soft-box and light-stand survived but the strobe shattered along with the modeling lamp.  Luckily for me it was one of my least expensive strobes about $300, but still having $300 smash on the ground by accident is very likely, especially of you shoot on location.  Do yourself a favor and get the insurance 1st before anything else, then talk to a professional CPA.

You do good work, so you should have no problem.

Also CC mentioned that your images appear to have a screen or pixel grid over them, I am seeing this to.  Is this by design?  Just wondering.  I have a 27″ retina screen, not sure if that has anything to do with it.  It seems to only be on the images on your slideshow on the home-page.

As for the loading speed, it seems fine to me, but I am on a fast machine with a cable modem so that may not be an issue where I am located.

[Bill]

LOL, Cameraclicker.  I work into the nights a lot, the wife is in the other room sleeping [she has a real job where she has to be up early in the AM] and web sites like that drive me crazy when you can’t find how to turn it off.

Now t fully disclose, my website also has a subtle guitar and snappy little beat that goes on, but the volume is right in front of you, nice and easy to get to.  I usually turn it off myself, I’m sure many others do to.

 

[Bill]

Hello Alarnold  –  I remember you.  You asked for a critique or something of that nature, not too long ago.  The woman in the woods was the image you were asking about.

Very nice portfolio.  I would say, if you could juggle the paying job and the photography together, then do both.  You never know when the photography may get slow.  I have a buddy in L.A. that is pretty good and he has has ups and downs all the time.  He can make $15K one month and chump change for the next few months, so he kept his day job just for that reason.

Questions?  For your photography, are you all legal?  meaning, do you have a business license?  Tax-ID #?  Insurance and all that jazz?  The reason I ask, is because if you don’t, you may be missing out on a lot of write-offs.

If it is still just a paying hobby, then you may consider it, but I would not go the corporation route unless your situation has a benefit for it, otherwise you will be paying double taxes.  The company will pay income tax and require quarterly earning reports to be filled and you, as an employee of the company, will pay income tax as well.  One of the benefits is that you are protected somewhat from lawsuits as the company becomes a living entity.

I am by no means a professional at this, your better off talking to a CPA  to see what avenue would better benefit you.

Good Luck!

[Bill]

You can turn the music off on his web site, it’s hidden slightly but the functionality is there.

If you go to his site, for me his site is skewed to the left side of the browser.  if you go to the top of the page there is an image of a piece of parchment with a red tab.  Hover over it and it should drop down.  Click on the musical note on that parchment to toggle the music off and on.

 

[Bill]

She has a new web-page now.  http://jmommy2012.wix.com/masp2012#!portraits/ckiy

Sadly, most of the traffic will probably come this site.

I love her quote on her “Documentary” page

Being a Photography has tought me a lot about Live.. & What I can get on a Camera..

 

[Bill]

I think there should be a search query for people hiring a photographer to make sure that they are not listed on here. That would be a great community service.

[Bill]

I thought I may have seen those pics somewhere. I was actually surprised that there were so few comments on it.

[Bill]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=479853385417773&set=a.479852002084578.1073741843.405203189549460&type=1

wow that’s some strange hat he is wearing…….oh that’s a street light, my bad

[Bill]

Thank you ebi for clearing that up. I was starting to get a little defensive, not sure why, but I was.

[Bill]

@ Learner – what’s wrong with your eyes? That is fine art at it’s finest {SARCASM}

[Author]

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