[OctoberMoon]

I just plain don’t like the effect. Ever. It looks cheesy to me, like that Glamour Shots-esque foggy blur. Ugh.

[OctoberMoon]

Screw that guy. Your pictures, while not flawless, are FAR from being bad. If those had been my wedding pictures, I’d have been pretty darned pleased, and let me tell you–I am a very harsh critic when it comes to photography.

He owes you $300.

[OctoberMoon]

Looks like everybody expressed what I was going to! All right, I’m all done here. 😛

But let me echo what others have said–you have THE attitude it takes to become a great photographer. 🙂

[OctoberMoon]

Oh lordy…your website is the pinnacle of awfulness. I couldn’t even look at pictures because once I clicked on one to enlarge it, I couldn’t figure out how to close it. Esc didn’t even work. Everything is way too big, the pictures at the top are all cut off, there’s autostart music…I’m sorry, but ooh, it’s bad.

I saw a few throwaway shots on your wedding pages–goofy faces in casual shots with harsh and obvious flash. Those need to go. Other than that…hard to say without being able to pull up images.

[OctoberMoon]

For some strange reason, most of us start out thinking that things like spot color, obnoxious color toning and that Glamour Shot haze (though I’ve never been a fan of that one) were great. I have no idea why this is, but thankfully, it wears off of most photographers as time goes on!

[OctoberMoon]

Yeah, this is a bit of a necro, but I’m calling total bullshit on not being able to run a business with a cheaper camera. There’s a photographer in my town that is HORRIBLE. I don’t know what camera she’s using, but it wouldn’t matter. She doesn’t know squat about shooting, and knows even less about post work. And guess what? She gets a shit ton of business. You know what running a business means? Making money. That is all. Everyone has their own personal idea of what it means to be a good enough photographer to run a photography business, but guess what? None of our opinions mean anything when there’s somebody paying money for all these crapass photographers to take pictures. I could get paid RIGHT NOW to shoot portraits, and I’m better than at least three of the paid photographers in my town, but I won’t do it yet because I don’t feel that I’m ready, no matter if other people are already willing to pay me. I will do so when I feel my work is up to snuff by my own opinion. However…

Bottom line: if people are willing to pay you, you can run a business. Period.

That all being said, don’t let your lack of equipment deter you, Kimera. I’m in the same boat you are, just a couple of lenses ahead of you. See if you can find a good deal on a 50mm prime (new, they’re only about $125) and it will serve you well as a portrait lens. You gotta have money to make money, baby, and if people want to pay you? Let ’em. 🙂

[OctoberMoon]

I’m over in the Weenie Club with Kimera, hahaha. Canon Rebel XT! It was given to me by an online friend. I know it’s not much of a camera in the grand scheme of things, but it’s my baby. Sigma 70-300, 50mm f/1.8 and the regular ol’ kit lens which I only use for macros, all gifted to me as well. Never could’ve afforded any of this on my own, and hopefully it will be something I start making money with once I’ve had more practice. I’ve got a great eye for other people’s work and a lot of knowledge, but not much field application yet. However, what I AM good at is post work, which means I can turn out pretty good pictures as long as you’re not judging by the SOOC! 😛

[OctoberMoon]

All of those look oddly blurry to me, as if the focus is off.

[OctoberMoon]

My only other complaint is the black/white borders on your pictures. They look cheesy to me, and really detract from your work.

[OctoberMoon]

Brutal honesty coming up, please put on your helmet…:P Your lighting, toning and white balance are all terribly inconsistent. The use of flash is very obvious and harsh in a lot of your pictures.

Nude shot: good idea, badly executed. The window is distracting and her skin looks a bit rough due to the b/w processing.

Portrait of kid on a stump: Looks out of focus, it’s somewhat too dark and there are terrible shadows around his eyes and mouth.

One-year-old shot: flash on baby’s face is obvious and harsh and his legs are nonexistent.

Beach picture: just looks like any run-of-the-mill casual snapshot.

Children kissing: bad composition, too much tilt, horrible processing.

Helicopter: sky’s blown out while most of the helicopter is too dark.

Bridal picture: love the macabre idea, but the execution doesn’t carry it off. Obvious and harsh flash, looks like she’s just lying on some random concrete block. Doesn’t give any visual appeal to the idea.

I can apply some of everything I’ve said to the album you’ve linked as well.

Now for some good news! This is one of your very best shots: http://tinyurl.com/agy8yj4 Good separation of subject/background, nice blurred tree with visual interest. Like the composition. A reflector would help eliminate the shadows on the face and let you bring down your exposure a tad. He’s just a bit too bright in some spots, and a little bit too pink/cool. But you want your pictures to look more like this one and much less like the others.

Ditch the weird color tones, like the green on the picture of the children kissing. That’s a hallmark of a beginner photographer who’s trying too hard to be artsy. There are moments when color toning is appropriate, but they are few and far between when it comes to portraiture.

I apologize for having a lot of negative things to say, but I want to be honest because it’s obvious that you truly love photography and want to do this for a living. Just keep working at it! 🙂

[OctoberMoon]

Well. I’m pretty darned pleased with that feedback, considering those are from literally my first photo shoot! Thank you guys for the feedback. browneyedgirl, the toning is intentional, and I know it’s not for everyone, but those were shot on a very overcast day, and I couldn’t get them to look appealing to me without throwing in some sort of artificial color. The one with the haze was my attempt at some faux sunshine, haha. She has a very bright, sweet personality, and that’s hard to capture properly when it’s about to rain!

[OctoberMoon]

I’d just like to say that that’s one of the best reactions I’ve seen to criticism, and it’s the mark of a true photographer–one that knows when the criticism is true, takes it to heart, and truly wants to improve. Bravo. 🙂

[OctoberMoon]

I’m VERY impressed with your concert shots. That is definitely your strong suit.

[OctoberMoon]

If there is anything I hate, it’s seeing someone throw their supposed credentials and/or prices around, as if that’s what makes them a good photographer. Sometimes that is the case, but mostly, it just smacks of an ego that’s out of control. Ten grand, huh? I looked at your photos. There were a couple of exceptional shots, but mostly, they’re just mediocre crap, just like the stuff that comes from every other photographer that has an overblown, giant head and loves to talk down to others.

Now, where was I? caligula, those pictures aren’t perfect, but I really like the direction you went in. I would’ve personally gone for a slightly brighter, less hazy finish, though. These pictures scream for a clean crispness they don’t have.

[OctoberMoon]

Give up? Photography is like anything else–it takes practice. If you’re willing to put in serious hours behind a camera and learn learn learn, then no, don’t give up! That being said, I think you’ve got quite a lot of practicing to do. You have a few really nice shots in there, but a lot of them just look like random snapshots. My first piece of advice–work on composition and light. Don’t shoot in full-on sunlight, or shoot where there will be harsh shadows (such as in the photos of the little girl). Also, learn more about white balance, as a lot of your pictures are very yellow. But if you love photography, don’t give up!

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