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Let me know when you are done organizing and cleaning up, and I’ll be back as soon as I can, to give you some input

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What are you looking for?  What direction are you wanting to take with your photography?  Your not a family portrait tog like YANAP is all about, So I’m  seriously questioning this inquiry.  Are you a paid tog, and this is where you send your potential clients, or is this your personal work?

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That explains a lot.  First step to take, to improve your photography, stop using the LCD to shoot.

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But hey, with that said, I do think its pretty petty to sit here and post links and poke fun, just for the entertainment.  I mean, none of the togs in this thread are any kind of threat to anyone.  Sure if they were to post asking the question, then by all means wake them up, because that means they most likely actually care about their photography and aren’t in it just for attention, or whatever high is involved with pretending to be something your not.  A good wake up call, and some solid advice and input, and maybe itll actually improve their photography.

This kind of behavior just makes you look desperate , angry and mean.  Leave that to YANAP 😉

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lol puzzle piece photography isn’t a successful photography business.  Nor is she trying to learn.  how many are those photos are paid shoots?  to me it looks like friends and fam, and maybe a handful of friends of friends thrown in.  I don’t think anyone here is jealous of a person that’s into Facebook like ladders and “like me, and I’ll like you back” and “like this status and I’ll share your page”.  ect ect Come on!  Get real.

It’s just someone into pretending to be a photographer, trying to get attention that they need, that’s been at it for awhile, and is good at paying people back for likes and such, or maybe shes even bought a few.  shes been snowing some people, including herself, but shes far from successful.  i bet she barely breaks even, and it will continue on this way until she gets board of it, because photography obviously isnt her thing.  Sure , she has a few legit comments/posts from actual people and/or clients.  So does every other fauxtog out there.  Not bitter at all, just not easily impressed or easily taken

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My first thoughts… The OP is a fauxtog trying to make another fauxtog look bad.  OR the bride, perfectly happy with the outcome was told by another tog that she used a faux And got her ruffles feathered.  Either way, this post was never about whether she should pay or not.  It’s all about trying to out someone, and cause some stir and drama within the faux pack in this area.  Faux packs are quite brutal.  I think once this forum matures, you’ll find it happening quite regularly.  Try not to get sucked in like you have.

OP, move on to something else more important in your life

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and your logo, fits in like a sore thumb.  It just doesn’t work at all.  Go look at your FB cover photo.  You used a templet that has a soft classic vintage type feel that a lot of togs use, and that logo screams confusion among it.  Yet, your website has a completely different feel.  I think hiring a designer to help you brand would be a good idea, but I’m afraid you have jumped in so quickly that you don’t quite have a style of your own yet to design effectively for.  You come across to me as very green and still experimenting, not knowing what direction to take with your photography, yet you started a business that markets to families on a budget…  Your logo doesn’t say family, your website doesn’t either, and unfortunately the templet you are using doesn’t at all describe your photography.  All in all  it comes across very faux

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There is a lot of hit and miss in your portfolio.  I don’t know if this is because you are both shooting and editing, and one of you is quite good, and the other is quite bad, or….  All I know is I’m confused.  I see some fabulous shots, and some horrible flops that should be no where near a pro’s portfolio.  I think I may need to come back another day when I have more time and go through some images with you, and dive a little deeper

 

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Looks like you are doing a great job documenting your memories.  You travel, and see interesting things, and I enjoyed looking through your stream.

As long as you are not charging, and just shooting for yourself while you learn, I think you are doing a fine job.

If you’re charging, PLEASE stop!  In no way is your portfolio professional.

I see a lot of underexposure.  Sometimes you try to fix it post, but other times you leave it as is.  When it’s “fixed” it looks strange, contrasty, hard…

Have you printed?  Because as I look, I see a lot of photos that would not print well at all.

Pay attention to the environment.  I see lot’s of unwanted things both in the foregrounds and backgrounds of your portraits. Instead of thinking “I can fix that in post”  try to work on fixing it in camera.  Learn light manip, and study how to use both available light and lighting to your advantage.  Keep shooting and studying, develop that eye.

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Your home slide show has random shots that don’t belong.  Levitation, seagull, a photo of a couple, yet you do not shoot couples, or at least this is what your portfolios and pricing suggests.

Babies have their own slide show, but later when looking at pricing, only newborns, and child’s mini sessions come up.  I think by changing your portfolio links to Family, Children, newborn, Senior, maternity.  You will have less confusion.  Also you need to add a family slide show.  Right now it feels that only children are in the family slide show, with one family pic thrown in.

You have too many multiples.  Same subjects repeated, same locations set ups repeated.  I see more of this problem in seniors and family/children. Clean this up because it looks as though you are just starting, and trying to portfolio build while charging as a pro.  This would be a huge red flag for me as a customer, because no where in your bio and/or pricing do you reveal you are just starting up, and only portfolio building.  As a photog your pricing and portfolio DO reveal that you are portfolio building and will eventually be raising your prices to make a profit.  If this is the case, why not let your clients and potential future clients in on that?  Always be honest in business when selling a professional service.

Put a little more thought into your pricing structure.
Do you offer only mini sessions for children? What does that mean?  Why can’t I get a “mini” session, it’s way cheaper?  Pricing is a little confusing.  I know what you mean, but a lay person would have a difficult time and still have a lot of questions. This could be a good thing that they need to contact you about pricing.  It’s a good way to sell yourself and your services to your clients.  This is why a lot of togs don’t list pricing on their websites, and require clients to contact them.  BUt you have chosen to post your prices because your prices are part of the sell, and a large part of why you are hired.  So your prices/packages need to be clear and concise, and easy to understand.  Otherwise you will be passed up by your market target that are shopping for price, and your client will move on to someone who’s prices and packages don’t confuse them, and it’s clear what the session will be like.

Your profile picture on your bio is a little scary, because I still don’t know you, even though you are offering to share yourself.  People who know you will understand, and not question it, but I’m pretty sure you are trying to target a larger audience and clientele, and you are turning these people off.  They don’t want to know the moment you became a photographer and why.  They want to know what you can do for them, how will they feel when they are with you?  what the session will be like, what you look like… but it all boils down to the finished product.  Right now your portfolio scares me a little bit, but I think if you clean up, organize, and make yourself think like a potential client, your web site will improve quite a bit

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TEV,

Might I make a suggestion?  You get paid for events, product photography, and I see senior portraits, head shots etc are listed on your Facebook Business page.  Yet, there are only a handful of samples of any of these genres provided.  That’s very confusing.  the way you have explained it, learning how to shoot good erotic photographs of women is your personal goal/project.  Why not explain in your mm bio that this is what you are working on?  Clean up your portfolio there showcasing only the best of what you have shot in this genre, and let your business page be about business, so future clients get a better idea of what you can provide them.  Better yet, create a dedicated site for business as well.  Trust me when I say, if you ever reach your goal, you won’t want the photos you have currently attached to your name or your professional work.  By separating personal from your business you will come off as more professional and most of those red flags we have (and potential clients have) while viewing your photography will be cleared up.  Keep your personal project personal, And between you and your model. I personally never publicly post my personal projects/lessons/experiments unless it is warranted And pertains to my work. I’m afraid you may be closing a lot of doors to paid work as things stand, and you won’t get the respect or the proper attention you are seeking If you don’t make some changes.  If you don’t want to be a GWC, then stop behaving as one.

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“The use of light and exposures and angles and composition is far more important the subject itself”

Ok let’s break it down your way, and a subject is just a subject, wether its a watch or a woman, and posing/directing/environment etc isn’t as important as light, lines, proper exposure and composition
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/1638400/viewall#/29180089

http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/1638400/viewall#/22830008

http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/1638400/viewall#/27777405

Good use of light, angles, and composition? Really?  And there are plenty more “good” ones in your portfolio to choose from.

Yep, you know how to expose properly, and know the exposure triangle well.  So do millions.  It’s not rocket science we are talking about here.  You should not be charging for an expertise you do not have, end of story

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Not bashing the girls at all.  They are all beautiful women.  I don’t like how they were photographed.  More care should have been taken.  Do you realize that all the YANAP features get paid as well?  All the togs to the link I posted are professionals too.  some charge hundreds.  getting paid is not a good gauge of skill.

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Manza
Good comp, other than the thing in the foreground.  The water looks fantastic, but the rock formation doesn’t have any umph or detail.  I think this could be improved by just shooting a different time of day.  The light is just too harsh.

Mantis
Light and shadows are too harsh, it just doesn’t work

Eye
The color and subject matter are really cool (never thought I’d say that about a photo of a dead fish). This is the image that pops out to me out of the bunch.  I think it would have worked even better if the eye wasn’t centered, and instead was crossing the bottom and left thirds.

Shisha
Black and white conversion is muddy and dark.  The subject just bleeds into the background, and my eye just goes “power lines” try tweaking it and really pay attention to your red, yellow, and blue this time.  I think with just the right balance it could be improved greatly.

Boat
It took me a minute to even realize there was a boat in the photo graph.  Straighten, and PP a little to make the silhouette stand out more.  (Maybe play with black point a bit, would do the trick). As is its just another sunset snap.

Beach 2
This I like.  Good balance, good light, good moment

Black and white portrait
Good conversion, I like the tight comp, but my eye is drawn to the light in the upper right, and not to the subject.  Watch your backgrounds

Color portrait
A touch too much head room, you cut off her hand, unflattering pose, and she looks a bit uncomfortable and stiff

Color portrait 2
Too much head room, awkward stiff pose, you cut her off at the ankles. This would have worked if you had moved in tighter, or moved back to get her completely in the frame.  When posing in a sitting position pay close attention to posture.  Shoulders back, OR more relaxed and leaning into the camera would have worked.  Also, having your sitting subjects only sit on the edge of their seat will be more flattering (or completely relaxed fully in a chair)  In this case though, being that its a backless seat, the edge would have worker better.  Watch the hands.  Instead of her hands placed neatly in her lap, I would have liked to see them dropped.  If leaning in towards the camera, have your subject relax their elbows and rest them above the knee, this will automatically make their hands drop and relax, and usually cross one another in a more pleasing way (having them wiggle and shake their arms and hands before hand helps get a more relaxed casual look). If shoulders back is more your preference, of course it would be achieved differently.  This has proved very difficult to explain in text.  Go ahead and look up directing tips for posing, and posing techniques  you’ll be amazed at the subtle changes you can make that can vastly improve your portraits.

Color portrait 3
I like this pose much better.  Her dropped arm looks a little stiff though, and I’d like to see her feet instead of all that head room.  Back off or move that camera down.

Color portrait 4
Nice angle, again too much head room, and her elbows are locked and stiff

Thank you for not being in business until you learn.  Admiral and right thing to do and very refreshing to see.  You are a photographer

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Your still a fauxtog because you charge for pro services and dont deliver but I DO see a little improvement.
You need to take the advice that was given and work on in camera and skip the editing until you achieve good SOOC shots.  When it’s time to learn good editing don’t use pre made actions.  Just stop with the actions already!

All of these are from the same session, yet they all are edited differently

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=541471142533302&set=a.541471115866638.135703.368612416485843&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=541471175866632&set=a.541471115866638.135703.368612416485843&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=541471195866630&set=a.541471115866638.135703.368612416485843&type=1&theater

The last one works best. Im sure this was only because it was a better shot to begin with and you didn’t feel the urge to try to “fix it” or get “artsy” as fauxs usually call it.

Do you expect a client to buy and display their photographs together in their home like this?  It’s not going to happen, and if it does it’ll look horribly odd.  Nope, chances are they will just keep the cd and be done with it. Have you even printed?  Maybe if you did you would see how bad your editing really is.

Focus issues. Read your manual and learn how to select your focus and recompose if its needed.  It’s not just Facebook folks
Fauxtographer And you won’t lose the title any time soon as long as you are still in business and not working on what’s more important

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