[Gnork]

I used to really love photography, then I got a bachelor’s degree in it. The main things I learned in school were how to please instructors with wildly varying opinions, and how to bullshit my way through a critique. Everything else, I’ve had to teach myself. (I already knew the basics including darkroom from a summer class in middle school.)

I’m working on rediscovering my love for photography, with very little luck. Every time I see someone on this forum tell someone else to go to school, I want to say, “Don’t do that! It will destroy your passion for photography!” Maybe I just had a bad experience.

[Gnork]

Cass, I’m from Tennessee, and I can attest that nearly everyone calls soft drinks/soda/pop “Coke,” even if it’s not Coke. The follow-up question of what kind is asked almost every time. My accent, though, only really comes out when I’ve been around my extended family (read: rednecks). Otherwise, I have a pretty neutral accent with a “y’all” thrown in here and there for good measure. (Incidentally, spell-check says y’all is a word. Score!)

[Gnork]

Yeah, I type “y’all,” too. It’s a contraction of “you” and “all,” so it requires an apostrophe. I wouldn’t use it in a term paper or newspaper article, but I use it in conversation. Basically, we Southerners are weird.

 

[Gnork]

Am I wrong to assume that you’re a student? These look like student projects (at least, they look like the kinds of things we did when I was in school).

[Gnork]

I’m not saying it’s not creepy, but am I the only one who knows that “Sexy Sadie” is the name of a Beatles song? Maybe she’s a Beatles fan.

[Gnork]

You seem to have a lot of focusing issues. I understand that sometimes people move when you’re taking a photo. It happens. When a photo turns out blurry, though, you shouldn’t include it in your portfolio. If a person has a great expression, or something about the photo really speaks to the personality of the person or event, go ahead and show it to your clients, prefacing with, “I know this photo is blurry, but I thought you might want to see the wonderful expression on your mother’s face,” for instance. For stationary objects, take your time and make sure you get the photo in focus. Most lenses cannot focus when too close to the object; back up and zoom in. Focusing will be easier.

If you truly enjoy photography, continue shooting as much as possible. I wouldn’t set up a business yet, though. Ask to take photos of your friends, their families, and their small events (housewarming parties, family get-togethers, etc.) for free. Photograph things around your house or your neighborhood, heck, photograph your pets. If you’re interested in photographing weddings, look into being a second shooter for a local photographer. He or she will probably want to see more out of your portfolio first, however. Read up on lighting and composition. Read every page of your camera manual, and be sure you understand each and every setting. Experiment with different lighting techniques. Buy dinner for a friend then sit him or her down on a stool with a drink (or 5) for a couple of hours and experiment with portrait lighting, posing, and composition.

You have a lot of work before you should really be charging for your services. I’m not saying you shouldn’t take money if your family or friends offer to give you $20 or something after you show them their photos, but marketing yourself as a photographer at this time will, in the long run, hurt your clients, your reputation, and you.

Just take photos as often as you can, and you may be able to charge for your work in the future. Good luck!

[Gnork]

One comment about the website– You have a “Portfolio” tab and a “Galleries” tab. I would re-title “Galleries” to “Client Galleries” or something of the like. Otherwise, potential clients might be turned off by the locked galleries (especially since a lot of photographers’ websites have their portfolios listed as Galleries.)

As for the photos, you have a lot of really nice photos. Overall, your lighting and balance seem right. The newborn shoot, though, seems a little flat. There is a fine line between softness for newborn photos and flat photos. Overall, your work is great.

One more nit-picky thing about the website- Be careful with background colors for photo websites. Sometimes, if the background is too warm or too cool, for instance, it can make the photos look out of balance (even if they’re perfectly balanced).  For example, I can’t tell if your black and white photos are slightly warm/sepia, or if it’s just a perceived cast from the warm brown background.

[Gnork]

cameraclicker, Flash doesn’t work on iPhones, but from what I know, Android supports Flash.

 

[Gnork]

Memphis, TN

[Gnork]

Ah. She probably does spend an hour on each photo, then.

[Gnork]

I have spent an hour editing a photo before. Granted, it was with CS2 on a PowerBook that had been dropped so many times that it took 5 minutes+ to crop an image, 10 minutes+ to apply curves, etc. Maybe we can hope that is her issue, too?

[Gnork]

Just a little tip- Never use the push out/glide flash drives if you can help it. They die fairly easily. Try to get the kind that turns instead. They can be a little more expensive, but I’ve lost files to the push out type on three separate occasions, using three different brands. I’ve never had an issue with the other kind.

[Gnork]

I’m going to be harsh here. She only charged you $150 for a wedding, and you expected great photos? Anyone who puts themselves through the hell that is wedding photography and only charges $150 is not going to deliver quality work. You get what you pay for. No, the photos aren’t good. But you agreed to pay her; you need to pay her the full amount. If you go to a cheap restaurant and order a $6 hamburger, will you refuse to pay for it because they didn’t bring you a filet mignon?

[Gnork]

Well, I’ve come to this topic a little late, apparently.

I’d just like to say one thing- One of the most valuable lessons you get out of going to school for photography (or any type of art, really) is how to take criticism without getting upset. You spend hours in the darkroom, perfecting your prints, go to class still smelling like fix, and the instructor rips you to shreds. You learn to listen to the criticism, learn from it, and not lash out at them (well, with the exception of the one instructor who gave the women a better grade when they argued with him. Creep.).  Lashing out accomplishes nothing but momentary personal satisfaction. You’ll still be angry tomorrow, and you won’t have learned anything. The posters on this forum may be a little harsh, but they are usually right. Listen to their advice, and learn from it. You’ll be better photographer for it.

[Gnork]

To go along with the posing discussion, this photo is another example:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151285306528714&set=a.10151285305898714.531945.119281728713&type=3&theater

Several of the men look like they need a desperate run to the restroom. Also, I also can’t decide if this was shot on a hill, or the frame is just tilted.

 

You seem to connect with your clients, and you’re clearly good at the business aspect of photography, since you’ve had so many clients. Overall, I’m not blown away by your work. You are definitely lacking in several technical skills, but that’s not my biggest problem with your work. My biggest concern is your pricing. I won’t go in to session and print pricing; the one that blows my mind is the disc with all ordered images. $1500? I understand that I live in a more economically depressed area than you, but that still seems steep, even accounting for higher cost of living. It’s made even worse by the fact that the disc doesn’t include all edited images, just the images they ordered. So my question for you- Does anyone actually buy that disc from you? If so, send them my way; I’ve got some swamp land in Florida to sell them.

 

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