[Gerbles]

I would definitely use a longer lens for portraits. The 28mm focal length is just not at all flattering and really should be avoided for portraits unless you are working at a distance or are purposefully going for distortion. If you could get your hands on an 135mm that would make such a difference in those head shots. I know being a college student doesn’t make it easy to save and acquire lenses, but you could rent one if you have a photoshoot planned.

 

[Gerbles]

^^^ Actually you did use the word “pro” which is an abbreviated form of  professional.

[Gerbles]

I would also work on the facial expression of your models. The first girl featured with the dark hair has a very goofy looking smile- not to offend anyone, just being totally honest. If you could direct her to smile with her eyes and not so much with her mouth- especially that sideways smile, I think that would improve things. The other model you have- the one with the red hair- looks as if she smelled something unpleasant in most of her photos.

Those issues accompanied with the lack of processing and flattering lighting are really hindering your work. I would definitely slow down and not charge anyone for quite some time until these issues are worked out.

[Gerbles]

All this seems to address is personal issues you have with other photographers. I thought this was going to be informative.

Edit: I have another commandment- Thou shalt spend more time practicing your craft than worrying about what fellow photographers say and do.

[Gerbles]

^^ What in tarnation…

[Gerbles]

I guess I’m not  understanding why you don’t think of your facebook business page as your portfolio. Is it not a body of work presented to potential clients? Sure, you may have a printed portfolio, but this is not what most people will see, as most marketing is done online these days (as you said- your page is for marketing purposes.). Therefore, I would prune your fb page back and get rid of about 95% of what you have presented. They aren’t very good- for a variety of reasons that have already been mentioned- bad/unflattering posing, bad lighting, dated studio backgrounds, lack of creativity, among others. And as for just striving to be a bit better than your competition, that sounds like you’re setting your sites pretty low. As of right now, I would suggest not charging at all and just shoot for the joy of shooting (and learn along the way- yes, even if you have decades of experience- which isn’t evident in your work)

And my qualifications for critiquing your work- hobbiest, about 4 years experience, never have made a dime with any of my work, and don’t plan to for quite some time, if ever. And if you think that discounts my suggestions, that’s completely fine.

[Gerbles]

lol, typical. Some of those photos scream “look, I’m learning OCF!”

[Gerbles]

Yeah, hate to say it, but judging from your work you’ve posted and the fact you’ve only second shot once, I’d have the couple find another photographer. Do you have more than one camera body, high quality fast lenses and a good working knowledge of OCF and bounce flash? I know this is not the advice you were looking for, and you’re probably going to do it anyway, so having said that- have a well thought out contract and liability insurance.

[Gerbles]

Sounds like she didn’t understand how digital cameras work.

[Gerbles]

Oh my god, she sucks!

[Gerbles]

I appreciate what you’re trying to achieve. I totally embrace the idea of using your craft to mirror your emotions and convey through art what you’re going through. I really think the idea behind these is moving and I like it. But they aren’t executed well. The focus seems to be off in several of the ones where you’re crouched down in the mud and the white balance is off. You will notice in the shade, everything has a slight blueish tint. This needs to be corrected. Also, I would like to see you a little closer in the frame and with a shallower DoF. Another thing I noticed is you cut off your toes in one of them, which is distracting. I would love to see this project again (totally redone), but with these things corrected and with better lighting- maybe off camera lighting.

Whether or not you display them on your business fb page is up to you. But if it were me, I would not have them there due to reasons already presented to you. If you want to display them, I would maybe have them in another online portfolio not meant for business purposes. You shouldn’t be ashamed of them, but there is also a question of whether it’s appropriate for your professional image.

[Gerbles]

I have a feeling if things keep going the way they are for her, there are going to be many more bad run-ins with clients in her near future….

[Gerbles]

I think perhaps your biggest issue is your inability to take constructive criticism. And yes, it was constructive. It was explained to you that your subjects are mundane and not eye-catching. What do you not understand about that? Do you need someone to spoon feed you reasons why they aren’t interesting? These things have been shot billions of times and are simply boring. Not only that, they aren’t technically executed well. See the detailed critique above. That’s not to say you can’t shoot mundane subjects in a unique way. I would suggest 1. you get some thicker skin, or not ask for criticism. You may be in high school, but could you try not to act like it? And 2. look at photos from photographers you admire. I like browsing 500px for inspiration. You can really grow by just looking at photos that are leaps and bounds beyond yours. What makes them so much better? Is it lighting, use of color, really ingenious composition? And lastly, 3. Don’t be a gearfag. You could do immensely better with the gear you have now, you just haven’t developed the skills yet. Don’t believe me- search flickr for tags with the body and lenses you use.

I hope you continue with photography and hopefully make a career out of it someday. But, you may want to turn down the dial on that attitude or you will end up sabotaging yourself in the end.

[Gerbles]

Absolutely do NOT hire her for your wedding. You already have reservations about her skill and professionalism and she sounds like a total flake. There are so many other wedding photographers out there that deserve work more than she does. Is she even a legitimate wedding photographer, or is she mainly a family portrait photographer?

Bottom line- you want to have total confidence in your wedding photographer because it is a once in a lifetime event. You also don’t want to be stressed on your wedding day wondering if she is struggling with lighting, has the proper equipment, is missing important shots, etc.. Don’t worry about hurting Sally’s feelings because it isn’t about her and your fiance needs to realize it is important that BOTH of you are happy with the choice of photographer. When I got married several years ago, I remember allotting a pretty big portion of our wedding budget for the photographer, and I am so glad I did- especially when looking at our photos.

[Gerbles]

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?

[Author]

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