Forum Replies Created
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creyes8519
ParticipantI went to school for Media Communication. I’ve taken 3 different photography classes. I have my own Nikon and remote control and do my own family portraits because at the moment I can not afford to pay a professional photographer for every holiday. I also take pics of my kids just for fun and read about photography techniques so my own photos look better. Just to give you a little background in case you’re wondering “Who the F is attacking me?”
I will never get into the photography game for a number of reasons, but I have tremendous respect for photographers. At the same time, I have a real hard time with A LOT of pro photographers. Seriously…the more experience, the more snobby they seem to get. I once had an instructor who was one of those types. I took a photo of my grandmother, and I was really proud of myself because to me it really captured her 100%. My father still has it to this day in his office at work and gets compliments all the time from his co-workers and clients. Her personality really shined through in the picture. I thought that pic was golden and I still do! She was dead center in the frame. Top of her head a little snapped off, there was a febreeze bottle in the background that did kinda make it look like it was a tiny little bottle next to her ear. My instructor took one look at it and said “Have I taught you nothing?” Sometimes I think photographers with a passion for photography really work so hard at making their own work perfect, that they forget how to look at a picture! You can’t just look at a picture for how technically sound it is. Sure, exposure, lighting and composition are all very important elements to creating a good photo, but you also have to see the moment that the photographer captured. That’s what normal folks actually see when they look at a photo… not if it’s properly composed or exposed correctly. I appreciate your critique about the photo of the newborn and mother on the bed that the OP posted on here. You did mention the baby’s expression and despite the errors, that she should keep the photo in her portfolio. But I was just offended when you told her that she should stop charging for her work. I do not agree. She has a lot of pictures in her Facebook that I do not believe she should put in her portfolio, and that is something she’ll learn with time. But she has captured some great photos that have “sold” me, as a consumer.
From a consumer’s perspective, if I am scouting for photographers in the area to take a family portrait, I would put the OP as someone on the list that I would consider, depending on prices and what-not. Listen, for a lot of people money is an issue. I know it is for me! If I didn’t become a DIYer, I would be looking for the most affordable but at the same time I don’t want crap pictures. In my area, there are a lot of outstanding photographers but you look at their price list and we’re talking $200-400 a session. No, sorry, I simply cannot afford those kind of prices for things like Holiday photos, birthday photos etc. SO, next option….. head down to Walmart, JCPenny…. But… ugh…. i hate those pictures. So …. because I can’t afford it I can’t have nice pictures taken of my kids? Because you experienced photographers believe that all photographers should have 5-10+ years experience before charging money? And then after those 5-10+ years charge $200-300 per session? Really, photogs…. look at it from the consumer’s perspective! I actually am in this diliemma right now because I have not been able to take good pictures of my kids’ birthday parties because being a host and photographer at the same time is next to impossible. But I can’t hire anyone because I just can not afford it! I have went on Craigslist to check out some deals and the photographers on there are just hopeless….
There were a couple of things that bothered me about this thread and it was not because I was trying to protect a “fellow mom”. It was because I am annoyed by the damn snobbery! I understand that a lot of professional photographers are probably peeved because of new photographers taking their business, but that’s not their fault….. it’s yours. Look at clothing/shoe designers! You’ve got Jimmy Choo who charges thousands for a pair of shoes, there are designers who sell at Sears and JCPenny, and then there’s Payless designers. The designers featured at Payless has their market, and Jimmy Choo has theirs. It’s all about marketing. There’s an episode of “Weeds” that I think I can relate to this discussion. The main character work as an assistant in a really high-class firm. She goes to parties with rich folks and sells dimes for like hundreds of dollars because she tells her clients that it is really exclusive product. She even gives it a cute little french name. She puts her weed in a pretty little package with a bow and she sells loads of it for a 500%+ mark-up! Market your services properly and you won’t have the problem with clients choosing a new photog over you based on price.
ParticipantNo, i would not hire her because she is affordable, i would hire her becauase i genuinely like her work. I do not agree with the opinion that right out of the gate photogs should charge high prices. When she becomes more skilled, has more equipment and experience… By all means, raise prices. Sure she will lose existing clientele but she will gain a new one. I attacked a person who was rude from the start. Very sarcastic, and offensive… Ill continue later.
ParticipantAs a consumer who does have a knowledge about photography, I may not hire Malula exclusively to take my wedding photos, but I would definitely feel comfortable with her as a second shooter and I would choose her take my kids birthday pics for sure!
Participantugh………. train tracks
Participant(cont.) I mean, You’ve got a pic of an orange black lady that appears to be making love with a tree. Seriously dude… get off the high horse
ParticipantMBC…. stop being a damn snob. Horrible! I think your comment on how she should stop charging to take photos is ridiculous. I am not a photographer…I’m a hobbyist, and I am more of a consumer who has a good understanding of photography and the elements that go into it… If I looked at her portfolio, yes I would consider her to take my family pictures. Sure there are other photographers out there with years of experience, who have been to workshops, who may be award-winning photographers and they take beyond stunning photos, but 99.9% of the time to book with a photographer like that it’s going to cost some serious $$$$. As the OP said, she’s affordable… so yes I would choose her over the more experienced photographer.
Also, for the other snob complaining about her logo…. her logo makes her business more approachable. I can tell without even knowing who this person is that this is a fellow mom like myself who loves kids and would be pleasant to talk to if I called her on the phone. She probably doesn’t struggle too hard to get clients because of her friendly inviting logo. And really it’s an annoying thing to tell photographers… about their stupid logo/watermarks… it’s none of your business. It is THEIR BUSINESS! Your not liking the logo is your opinion and it is subjective. I love her logo. She’s marketing to moms!
I looked at most of your work and for a photographer who’s only been working for a year, you do awesome work. I would hire you. My favorite album is the birth album! BEAUTIFUL! You definitely need to work on getting the best expressions out of people…. A lot of your pregnant moms look sad or don’t seem very engaged… they’re just there, you know?. Definitely when you’re photographing them, talk about the new arrival… what they’re going to name the baby, talk about your own birth experience and your newborn experiences and you’ll see that motherly glow come right out and catch it! You definitely need some better angles and you need to work on your composition to make your pics really stand out. Also, don’t become a “natural light” snob… artificial lighting is a wonderful tool and it will cut your PP down in half if you really learn how to work with it properly. In fact, you can work better with natural light if you have a better understanding about studio lighting. Just keep that in mind… don’t limit yourself. Exception would be your pop-up flash…. the pop-up flash is the devil! Even in daylight it fucking sucks… do yourself a favor and get some strobes. I actually got a few manual strobes from Amazon for like $28 each and they work just fine. A little more work than if you would use Nikon’s flashes, but the cost is like a very small fraction of what the Nikon flashes will cost you.
I agree with some of what MBC says about your pictures… they’re definitely good things to keep in mind. However, these things do not make you a fauxtog… these are just things that you need to work on. That’s all. Things you should listen to, absorb, and make your next session all the more better. Should these mothers have paid for these shots… ABSOLUTELY! They are photographs that they will cherish. To the critical photographer’s eye, your photos are full of technical problems, composition problems, posing problems, etc. To your clients, these are great pictures. No, grandma could not have done a better job. They’re really good. Also, please remember that WB can be a bit subjective! For instance, the photo of the mom with the tats that MBC pointed out should have been balanced for daylight… no… the WB is fine. Her skin tone looks natural and the light is warm enough. I’ve looked at MBC’s own porfolio and I do not find the skin tones of his subjects very appealing…. and for someone who likes to pick apart a new photographer’s work, sir, your own work after 20 years is mediocre. I would never pay you to photograph my wedding and no HARSH shadows are NEVER good unless you’re Terry Richardson which sir you are not. I really looked through your portfolio and back at this forum, and back to your portfolio and did not believe that those pics are actually yours. You have some pics on your site that actually DO belong on YANAP….
ParticipantAl, your avatar is just plain awesome.
ParticipantI totally understand now. You definitely have a camera with low ISO performance. I know plenty of photographers who use entry-level DSLRs and do just fine with it and take awesome photos for their clients. Shit, I’ve seen photographers shoot high fashion shots with a disposable camera. The camera does not make the photographer. You just need to know your limitations. I use a prime lens, I try and get as much light as possible indoors, I use a tripod if I have to, and occassionally I’ll use an external flash for bounce if the room is a little too dark. For you, I would definitely avoid using ISO settings any higher than 400 and work around it. Outdoors during the day obviously won’t be a problem, but indoors you definitely have to play around with light and your camera settings.
Your photography is just fine, but keep it simple with the editing. Your fall photoshoot is a good example of where I personally would not have used that editing style. It’s not bad, and some clients may find it appealing, but to me it just takes away detail and most importantly, it takes away from the beautiful fall colors that should show through.
Also… I understand your reasoning for not giving clients prints. Like I said, it is YOUR business and I am not here to tell you to run it. The photographer who shot my homebirth did just that. She gave me a disc of high-res photos. Photos were great. She is far from a fauxtographer.
ParticipantLearn about composition. I do the same as you, I take pictures of my own family with a tripod. Invest in a remote control. The timer is a pain in the ass.
ParticipantWell, I looked at your photos… I think you have some really excellent shots. Don’t edit so much where you lose detail.
^^ Example of a cute shot where the editing did not do it justice.
Also, learn to be a little picky when choosing your shots to post on FB or your website. For example
vs.
First shot is cute, nice composition, nice catch-lights in the eyes, WB is OK (again, not digging the editing). Second shot, too much color cast on the RS of his face, eyes are dark, hand is cut off… not a TERRIBLE shot but if I took it I would not have added it to my FB.
This one….
You’re focused on her cap, not her eyes. I would toss it.
Also you mention your equipment. I am currently shooting with a Nikon D3100 (I’m not a pro, mind you). I make it work. I avoid using a high ISO whenever possible. The highest I’ll go is ISO 400 and if I must 800. The D3100 starts getting a little noisy at 400, is bad at 800 and is god-awful at 1600. Even if you try and correct the noise, it will make you lose detail which sucks. I notice a lot of your indoor shots have this problem with I can assume is because you have the same problem as me and you need a better camera. Either that or you are shooting on Auto…. when I use the Auto setting I notice that it seems to use higher ISOs. Do your research if it is your camera… if you want to do events like birthday parties your are going to need to get the right camera for your business. Go to Snapsort.com before you buy your new camera and compare and really pick the right one.
I will not tell you how to run your business. Just because you give your photos to your clients on a CD for them to print on their own does not make you a Fauxtographer. A fauxtographer, to me, is someone that I would not pay to take pictures of my family. Your photos are good enough where I would pay. To me it seems like you are offering affordable prices that are appropriate for your level of skill, experience, and resources.
Overall, good job. Just keep asking for advice and listen to the more experienced photographers and you should be on the right track.
ParticipantWork on your white balance. You have some awesome shots that are a little too warm. Some with some color cast that take away from the picture. Most are almost spot-on. I love that you’re 16 and you take your work seriously. I really really like your work your subjects look so happy and relaxed. Your shots look so fun and really a lot of seasoned professionals, even high-end photographers, fail to show that in their photos. It’s refreshing and you definitely already have your own style going on. Kudos.
ParticipantIt does not matter if you do not post the picture in your portfolio. The client’s likely to hand out these pictures to friends, family, etc. It represents the quality of your work. Just don’t do it.
ParticipantPainstaking photoshop work. I’m too lazy to do that with my kids lol
ParticipantWhat are you doing here?? Your pics are awesome. Someone is being a real snob about the ladders. Seriously?? Her pics are awesome. I would hire you and pay good money to get you to take pictures of my family. The stuff about the fonts and stuff though is good advice though. Work on that but your pics are fabulous.
ParticipantYou are NOT a fauxtographer. The name of your Facebook page says it all. What the others said about the engagement shoot…. I agree. Your nature shots are good to me. My least favorite would be of the turtle and lizard in your hand. Just my opinion.
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