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Sassy, thank you for your comments. I think I have been very receptive to valid criticisms, and I wouldn’t have put my photos out there if I didn’t want to hear it. It’s quite clear that no one on here likes the graphics. I get that. I’m pretty sure one of them was used on the invitation to her 1st birthday party, so it served its purpose. The shoes were done as part of a review. It’s interesting that when I shoot them out of the box, someone will invariably comment that it adds credibility to see them all dirty, yet here I shoot a pair that have been worn, I get the opposite. You’re spot on about the cake – one image was never intended to be uploaded (which is why I just deleted it), and I hadn’t realized how soft the other looked.

I’m certainly not desperate to look at other photographer’s work, but feel it’s fair to ask that if you are critiquing my images, you provide some samples of your own. I did have a look at yours, and they’re nice. You’ve chosen an excellent niche too. Not to take away from your talent, but I’m sure the Baby Bonus and Parenting Payments make it more commercially viable. Do you think they contribute to your success?

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WCS – Is there an echo in here? Please explain your duplicate comment, and what the current school of thought it for successfully marketing your work. You’re obviously very successful as a photographer, correct? And I’m sure you’ll provide a link to your site, right? Perhaps you’re one of those photographers so caught up in technology, you are missing the bigger picture. HDR is something we used to do with a split neutral density filter, but now anyone with a digital camera and computer can recreate. Mastering that may give you a great sense of accomplishment, but that doesn’t mean your portrait clients are going to ask for it.

I’ll meet you halfway, and rephrase my comment. The Facebook page is a marketing tool – images with a purpose, not necessarily my “best work”. But it’s all I have right now, other than some large prints, which are not current. Getting paid for my work is easy enough, but I’m here because I want to improve my product. Do you have anything to offer in that respect?

 

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CC – you obviously get that there is more to successful commercial photography than making every image a perfect representation of the ideal, and you made an excellent point with Sandy Tam. Pretty sure that I’ll stick around as long as there is more to learn.

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Once I have more current images that are appropriate for my market, I’ll have a portfolio online. California, Australia, and Utah have very different demographics.

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This may sound unusual to many of you, but my portfolio is just that – a portfolio. People flip (not click) through it, because it’s made up of prints.

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Yes, yes I do. Again, the security camera image was in someone’s portfolio. That’s their “best work”. The Facebook page is a marketing tool – images with a purpose, not my “best work”.

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emf – your comments are absolutely valid, and appreciated. I think what some people on this forum might be missing is that “good” photography doesn’t have to mean “fine art” photography. We have all seen photos that are perfect in every technical aspect, yet lack any sort of emotion. And being successful commercially requires both.

Step back a bit, and look at my Facebook page not as an online portfolio, but as a marketing tool. Although I did link to it from this site, everyone else who views it is not doing so with the critical eye of a photographer. They’re comparing it to “their uncle with that fancy (digital Rebel) camera”, or other local photographers. If I want to make money from my work (which isn’t a concern right now), I don’t need to compete with you guys, I only need to be better than my competition.

You don’t have to like the graphics or the backdrops either. I put those out there to gauge the response from prospective clients. If no one likes them, they’ll go away. If the response is positive, then I will have to make decisions on whether I want to spend more time taking photos, or processing images. Personally, I would rather take photos. But business stagnates without some market research and experimentation.

I’d be interested in reading what other members do as far as marketing, and how they find new clients.

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@thewestbackline – I don’t disagree about the dance photo. That photo was shot with my 17-40, and as much as I prefer shallow DOF, it’s not always possible with that lens. The chairs at the edges are a mess too. No one caught the blown out church steeple growing out of the groom’s head, but I think we can agree that photo would have been better served by a longer lens/wider aperture.

The blown out photo of the groom? Yeah, looks like some bad old family print off Kodachrome, but the bride liked that look. (I’m not someone who considers blown out, contrasty photos “art”, but there was a time when some considered that to be) Probably a bad choice for inclusion.

In the photo of the bride and groom where her dress is blown out, you see a dress with no highlight detail. The bride, groom, and all of their friends see a creeper best man photobomb, and they loved this image because of it. Would anyone want a print of this? No. But they’ll acknowledge that I caught the little moments that made their wedding memorable. There’s nothing special about this image either, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=613785111998860&set=pb.591852427525462.-2207520000.1383985382.&type=3&theater, but it serves the same purpose.

We should all strive for technically perfect photos, but not at the expense of missing the “decisive moment”.

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I already made a very good living as a professional photographer. I’ve contracted with one commercial client for six years. The photo labs that printed my color sent me business on a regular basis too. Referrals from clients kept me about as busy as I wanted to be. But there’s no way today’s market, saturated as it has become, could ever support me in the manner my current employment does. So the title “professional” means little to me. I want to continue where I left off, but obviously need to brush up on some basics, while learning new skills.

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Flickr may be great for sharing your photos online, and if that works for you, go for it. But the advantage of Facebook as a marketing tool shouldn’t be overlooked. The images I put up there may not the best, but they’re still better than any of the tragic images I’ve seen on here. And when I posted them, they were shared and commented on, which allows me to reach my target audience.

Back on topic, I still welcome pointers from those of you that know what you’re talking about, and aren’t just blowing smoke. Cameraclicker nailed it with his “f8 and don’t be late” comment. I did event photography in SoCal where we contracted with the venue to provide photos of their clients, but the venue owner had very specific requirements. At the time, I was interested in paying off my photo gear (and home), so I did as instructed for about 600 events. That left me in a nice place financially, but not artistically. Medium format B&W was a nice creative outlet.

Demographics has played a huge role too. My former portrait clientele consisted of dual income families, usually with one or two children. Now I am surrounded by large, single income families, and they are not very sophisticated consumers. Even if they can be educated about what good photography is, the majority cannot afford it. At least I have a never-ending supply of subjects to practice on. It shouldn’t take me long to get back up to speed with my new gear, but I’m not going to kid myself into thinking this is a highly profitable venture. As I acknowledged in my into, I feel I am a bit rusty. But I have the means to purchase whatever gear I need, and the patience to continue learning, along with the humility to accept valid criticism.

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Seriously? I haven’t done much more than casual snapshots in the last ten years, but how the fuck can this tool think he has any right to be critical of other photographer’s work?

Was there some reason you didn’t crop out the out of focus blob in the foreground here? http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpgvalentine/10505498963/

Does this woman actually have a security camera growing out of her head? http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpgvalentine/10505350744/

Is this an example of a good candid shot, or a properly posed shot? http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpgvalentine/10393056805/

 

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@nesgran – thank you for the insight. You are correct about the color. I didn’t realize until I viewed some images on my laptop just how off the colors are on my monitors. I have plans to upgrade them, and do some sort of calibration. Although the blue skin tones seem to be limited to the images shot in front of the green screen, rather than using a backdrop.

As for the headshots, that’s always been my preference. Since I was taking the images for myself, I cropped tight. One group of photos was taken under terrible lighting conditions, at a cemetery. So a long lens was used to keep background distractions to a minimum. I don’t like the fact that my sync speed is limited to 1/200 or 1/250, when I could go to 1/400 or 1/500 with film, depending on the camera.

Not sure which photo of Sharon you’re referring to.

@Rpg Valentine – I don’t see a link to your photos, and your comments are of zero value, making you an ineffective armchair critic, at best. It’s ironic that we can say possession of a camera doesn’t automatically grant a person the title “photographer”, but having nothing more than a computer can certainly turn someone such as yourself into a douchebag. In all fairness, I suspect you would be one without a computer as well, if the above is your idea of constructive criticism.

But I will still answer your questions. Yes, I studied lighting, posing, the importance of lens selection, flash, mixed lighting, and printing. Lots of printing. I even took an offset printing course to get a better understanding of shooting for publication. And I spent a lot of time doing something you’re probably not familiar with – actual printing from negatives. It’s a great way to learn about exposure, composition, contrast range, and the differences between portrait work and commercial work for publication. I have not spent much time using Photoshop, other than minor adjustments. I used to have an assistant who was also the printer at a professional photo lab, back when I shot film. She was there when I took the photos, and knew exactly what I expected of my prints. I suppose now I will have to spend more time at the computer, and less time behind my camera. The other point that you got completely wrong, poor grammar aside, was that I “do it for the money”. I’m at an age where my job affords me the luxury of pursuing hobbies, so I can take photos because I enjoy photography, not because I need to make money. Yes, I may charge people as I see fit, but I could just as easily work for free.

 

 

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