[kbee]

Agreed with you on all your points. I know I would need to charge more than the local fauxtogs to clear my menial minimum wage job, but until I feel the work justifies it, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Certainly, I could price like the local fauxtogs to be ‘competitive’, but I don’t want to  be that photog by painting myself into a corner as the affordable (grossly underpriced) professional that deserves more.

Learning as you go IS unprofessional, and I just wonder how people feel justified in practicing on their paying clients like that. Granted, I completely back and support enthusiasts/amateurs who do free shoots to get experience, but that’s a whole different story than some of the folks featured here.

And you bring up an interesting point – currently the only victims I have to practice on are myself, my husband and my young niece and nephew. The hubby is patient but I don’t like to impose upon him too much. He goofs off anyway. I practice lighting a lot on myself, but because I don’t have a remote as of yet, pictures end up fuzzy. And the kids? As you said, they’re not exactly patient, so I only have 10 minutes max to shoot them before they’re done. And I’m just not a natural kid person, so I tend to get frustrated at their lack of cooperation. (Buaha!) I need to really spend more time learning my equipment and maybe bribe some of the college age kids in the family to let me shoot them. They can play on their iPhones to give me that time to fiddle and flick through a manual and Google stuff. 😉

The Likes on Facebook you mention makes me laugh! As much as I enjoy FB as a medium to contact family and friends, I think it has done a disservice in the way that fauxtogs have a false sense of support because some people smash the Like button. Reminds me of a batty uncle that Likes everything I post without fail. “Ugh, stomach ache. I feel like I am gonna die.” Within the minute, I get a Like from him (and if I don’t, I wonder if he’s okay). Pretty sure it’s him smashing the Like button on the fauxtogs pages too? 😉

[kbee]

Agreed with the others. It’s better to ask him and risk a little awkward “Um, no” if that wasn’t his plan, than to walk into the situation trying to guess it and end up missing that special moment he wanted captured for their lifetime together.

[kbee]

I am here to gawk at the train wreck on the front page, but I delve into the forums to learn more. I can look at a dozen blogs telling me what good photography looks like, but sometimes I prefer one like this that tells me what bad looks like.

We all agree it’s subjective; we all see things differently. For the most part, however, I think we can all agree there’s some seriously awful photography being thrown around out there, and it’s making money.

I’m keenly interested in setting up a photography business. I’ve looked into the business licensing and tax laws, and all the other boring paper-pushing that goes with that. It’s sites like these, however, that serve to curb my enthusiasm by reminding me that I am a far way off from being a pro.

My husband (how objective is he, you wonder?) thinks in a short amount of time that I can be a professional. I am grateful for his support and enthusiasm. Yet, we both know, that I would never want to become one of those people featured on this site. That’s going to take time and learning. Until I feel ready, I’m just lurking, reading, learning.

IHF: what you said about emotions being taken advantage of hits the nail on the head with a reply I did earlier regarding how it’s hard to get a real opinion on your work from your clients, friends and family because they are emotionally invested in you or your subject. It irritates me to see fauxtogs making money with seriously sub-standard work, but they continue to generate that revenue not because of their ‘skill’, but rather on the emotional importance of their subject to their clients. That, more than anything, gets my goat, and really makes me hesitate to put out a shingle until I feel I can do justice to someone’s memories and emotions with my skill and artistic ability.

[kbee]

The captions are hilarious. And yet, I am so thankful I didn’t eat at the time. Yeesh. Made already unpalatable food completely unappealing.

[kbee]

I come here for one thing: for a more varied viewpoint on photography. Let’s all face it – our family, our friends, and our clients (paying clients or no) are not likely to give us truly honest feedback if they do not like our photos. Why? They are emotionally invested in us, and/or they are emotionally invested in the subject. I look over some photos I took of my baby niece and though everything about them would make the people on these forums scream in horror, I love the photos because they’re of my niece. Technically, I know they’re not sound, but I keep them because of who they’re of and the memories they capture. Still, because of my evolution in my learning and the contributions of others on this site and numerous others, I can better spot what is good and what is not. I am thankful for that.

That is why feedback from others, without that emotional investment, can be invaluable. It can hurt, but there’s no fawning Like! thumbs up thrown your way from people placed outside of your immediate circle of supporters. I value this, and I cheer on any other tog who can swallow some criticism humbly without firing back with insults, lawsuit threats, suicide threats and so on.

Oops. I meant to just post and say I miss the original purpose of this thread. However, it was starting to devolve from serious fauxtography to more subjective critiques. Ah well, there’s more forums to peruse.

[kbee]

Val, your attitude wins you huge points. The fact that you listened and understood it wasn’t coming from a mean place makes it clear to me, as OctoberMoon said, that you’re serious and not near to being a faux. Good work, and good luck!

[kbee]

beg89, I saw the same report about the bride who drowned. Very sad. Then again, I don’t understand the appeal of ruining any dress anyway so the whole thing boggles me. For sure, I wouldn’t dream of wrecking my $2200 dress and photographing it for ‘posterity’.

cmra_grl11, I call that the Instagram effect. Enough said.

[kbee]

My modest little camera bag has the following:

Canon EOS 60D

18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens

50mm f/1.8 prime lens

Canon 430xEX II Speedlite

Sunpak tripod

Then there’s the other stuff – cleaning kit, lens caps, backup memory cards, manuals, discs. One day I dream of getting my hands on a 5D Mark III, a 70-200mm L lens, some softboxes, more flashes, remote trigger, some hoods and filters and more. I’ve only been doing this for a couple of years though and am still cutting my teeth on the whole thing, so for now my camera bag of goodies is good enough for now.

To answer the bag thing, I have a Canon backpack, the 200EG. While it’s fairly sturdy and comfortable to wear, I don’t like it because it falls over from being too top-head when the SLR is on top and (for my meager rig) with  little weight on the bottom. It’s very narrow on the base anyway, as you’d expect for a backpack style. I always have to be careful and prop it up against the wall so it doesn’t flump over and break something. I think I’ll end up getting a shoulder bag that stands better for my day-to-day use. Should I need to drag my equipment around for lengthy periods of time, the backpack will be a nice backup.

[kbee]

There are a lot of posts here that I don’t particularly agree with. I can see what the contributor is pointing out when they post something, but I might personally find it aesthetically pleasing. I’ve seen some real cruelty here and on FB – meaning nothing constructive – but the majority of this thread is useful for enthusiasts like me. A big hairy list of “what not to do”s. Feelings will get hurt, definitely. That’s what happens when someone is passionate about something. However, there’s a problem when someone is passionate but artistically lacking; what it does to the industry as a whole is another story.

I wish I could contribute the photos of the wife of a friend of mine, but I think she removed them. She was faux to the max. She actually took quite decent photos, but then defiled them in post by pasting crappy Curlz font in neon green over the top with inane phrases like “Baby love”, clip art and more. Photographers are not always graphic designers. (I’m working from the other end, with a B in Graphic Design moving into Photography.)

On a side note: the litmus test I apply to whether or not I think a photog is good is this: “Would I take these photos and file them away in an album, or place in a frame and hang on my wall? Will it stand the test of time or will I look back in 10 years and wonder WTF all that terrible white vignetting, neon text, spot coloring, insane blurring and unrealistic eye coloring is all about?” Because if I pay, I want something that stands the test of time. This is what photogs are for; snapping a shot in time to preserve memory. Many fauxtogs above, I would be surprised to see their work up on a wall in someone’s den somewhere.

[kbee]

Mrs Woo, like you, I have a photography page – nobody knows about it and it’s not made public – that I created so I don’t clutter up my personal FB page and just as a “one day…” wish should I ever want to start business. Kind of a private portfolio repository while I learn. That said, the general definition around here seems to be if you’re charging people money and yet you are seriously subpar at the craft, you are a fauxtog. Nobody has, as far as I know, called someone like you or me (amateurs or unpaid enthusiasts) a fauxtog.

beg89, I agree with you on the new fauxtog FB pages; there’s another one that’s sprung up ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/You-Call-Yourself-a-Photographer ). And while I do use YANAP and similar sites to see what’s hot and what’s not (so to speak), I agree that if photos are to be shared and critiqued, then do so and not just with a “lol look at this ew” mentality. While a fauxtog might not care about the technical or artistic faux pas they are committing, amateurs like me and genuinely curious yet clueless clients might like to know the difference between good and awful.

I enjoy this thread, and I’ve learned a lot. More than anything to keep the ol’ shingle in the shed for a while yet. 😉

Going back to lurking.

[kbee]

I think you did the right thing, though others are hypocritical and too afraid to speak up and give their honest opinion to your friend. My own FB friends are very ‘supportive’ when I post shots, but I try to take it all with a grain of salt. These guys are, after all, raving about Instagram and posting oversaturated blurry pics of their painted toenails. What I posted 6 months ago, I now wince at. Bad white  balance, blurry, bad cropping. I have a private Discards folder for my photos, and there’s more in there than my public folder.

As for the rest, this is why I am here. I’m still in the learning stage, understanding the ins and outs of my camera, looking at new lenses, trying new settings and subjects. I could never dream of charging someone while I am still learning the basics; the thought of doing so goes against sense of decency. I could start calling myself a pro photographer like those featured on YANAP; I feel I have better grasp than those, but am I up to par with a true pro? Hell no. I spent four digits on my equipment, I’m going to make sure I know how to use it, and make it pay for itself in quality before I make clients pay for it with mediocre crap.

I wish I had someone I knew in real life to talk photos with in an open and honest fashion, but I don’t. As of yet, I don’t have anything I think would stand up to honest criticism from folks here. In the meantime, I’m a lurker, so to speak, learning from everybody else’s input. Guess I’ll put off the ‘pro photographer’ title for a while yet. 😉

[kbee]

Apart from the pissing match, I’m taking in all the advice and criticism given in these forums. I don’t yet have a portfolio worth critiquing, being a new enthusiast to the art, I send big kudos to those who have posted theirs. While you’re under fire, people like me who come here to get some pointers are also learning from your photos and their critiques. Thanks for hanging it all out there. 😉 I’ve learned a ton in the last week than I have in the last year.

[kbee]

Agreed with the others that the original looks way better. I didn’t think the edited version was awful, but it reminded me of an Instagram shot that took all of 5 seconds to snap on someone’s iPhone. While it can look ‘artsy’ in the current trend, it looks cheap for someone who has a decent camera and expertise. Especially, to see it with the original, side by side, it just doesn’t compare.

I love the photo of the babies in the Coke crate, but again, I’d have liked to see more of the bears. They look like they’ve just been thrown there as an afterthought.

[kbee]

Jumping in quickly to say that I love your story, spike, and your folder dedication to Jade. TGLAAC!

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