[stef]

Ugh, I have some undeveloped 120 I need to process. Oddly, I’ve been shooting a bit of medium format film lately. I really love the DOF you can get.

 

I absolutely do not miss the smell of the chemicals. I develop it in my bathroom. I’m waiting until I shoot another roll to develop both in one batch.

[stef]

Hi!

 

I’ve been visiting this site for ages now (well, not long after it went live), but definitely when it was still on the bad host that had issues. I’ve used it as examples to other wannabee photographers of what not to do, on multiple occasions.

 

I’m always happy to post constructive commentary, but often mine has lots of attitude to boot! Bonus! However, I’m always pleased to admit when I’m wrong… it’s just rare. You know how I know? Because Fuck you. 🙂

 

[stef]

Anyone who shoots basketball gets my vote for photographer of the year. That is one tough venue to shoot well without really expensive equipment. I only looked at a few to realize you knew what you were doing.

 

Your seniors are pretty good. On a couple I would’ve used a reflector, scrim, or fill flash to soften the light. You were using angles for good composition, and clearly know wtf you’re doing.

 

You have no reason to be posting here. Your pictures will never be seen on the front page of this site. If you want more valuable CC, I don’t think this is the site. People come here to gawk at tremendously bad photographers. You are not even close to one.

 

[stef]

Heather, here’s some advice:

STOP USING AUTO SETTINGS ON THE BEACH.

 

Once you set the light (properly), keep the same settings. Has the light changed? If not, the same settings apply. When you shoot in auto, it tries to adjust each time, and you end up with grey sand and dark faces. It’s incredibly obvious you were shooting in auto mode. Your exposures were all over the place.

 

You also need to look at the image before clicking the shutter. Yes, sometimes there’s something happening fast (like the kid pointing at the butterfly), but the mother’s breasts hanging over the fence kind of ruin that shot. [sound of hundreds of people off to look for that image] CROP THE SHIT OUTTA THAT SHOT and it’ll be much better. While the subject tries to present the “wonder of nature and discovery by children”, all I saw were breasts. The focus wasn’t even on the butterfly or the kid, it was on the cleavage! WTF? This is one of those shots that was so close to being really good, but fell off a ledge into oblivion and boobies. You even chopped the dad out of the image.

To save everyone the search, here’s the shot in question: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=394272663960270&set=a.394253107295559.95457.184246681629537&type=3&theater

 
Examples of really bad exposure…

Is this supposed to be a silhouette, or was it one of those lomography happy accidents that you decided was intentional?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=395374723850064&set=a.394253107295559.95457.184246681629537&type=3&theater

What about this? https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=394253863962150&set=a.394253107295559.95457.184246681629537&type=3&theater

 

I apologize for being harsh. I really do. I like to make good CC so that you have something to work with. After all, you’re putting your neck out on the chopping block, and I really respect that. But I’m having trouble with your shots. You really, really need to work on compositional skills and camera handling. Learn to use manual, and quickly adjust exposure to be perfect for the light… shoot that way until the light changes.

[stef]

lol, ouch.

 

There’s a submit button at the top of the page. You don’t need to post other people’s shots here in irony. That’s just douchey.

(Posting someone else’s shots here without pretending they’re yours is not so douchey.)

 

[stef]

Looking pretty good for a 16yo. That’s high praise from me.

 

A newer rebel with a 18-55 kit lens is fine. But your first upgrade should be a 50mm 1.4 for $300. Your particular style of photography will blossom with that lens. You will risk looking like a one-trick pony, but you’re good at it, so might as well run with it.

 

Remember that when doing shallow DOF photography, you really need to have perfect focus. Make sure your focus is on the face, specifically the leading eye. I did find most of your work in focus, but there were several notable exceptions.

 

My suggestion is to shoot in raw and keep those files. In a few years when you’re 20 and have some time, go back and reprocess them to be a little more timeless. What you’re doing now is fine, however.

 

You don’t need CC on this forum. You need more practice, and you can be really good. Get that practice now, while all your friends still look like models 🙂

… and save the raws!

[stef]

Lot of overprocessing, especially oversaturation.

You need to concentrate on seeing light, specifically seeing shadows. Faces need certain shadows, and you’re overprocessing them to a fault.

While I don’t expect to see your work on the front of this webpage, you need a lot of work on camera control, especially exposure, and tone down the processing. I believe you’re shooting with the intent to “fix it in post”, which is a huge problem.

 

There are exactly two things you should consider when thinking of fixing something in post.

Cropping

Levels (tonal range and contrast)

 

Work on your crops. That will help a lot. Do an experiment: Try to ONLY crop and adjust levels in post. Make an entire album doing ONLY those two things. Then, ask a photographer friend to crop and adjust some of the same images (without showing him your version) and compare. It will be a learning experience for both of you.

 

Edit: btw, I really liked the little kid sitting in the chair in the field. I only wish you had hidden the house in the background, stuck on the side of her head. You could’ve moved 4 inches to the left and hidden it behind her or the chair. That image had a lot of potential, but just missed the bullseye.

 

[stef]

Most of the maternity shots are OOF. Some of focused on the forward leg, and the face is soft.

Stop doing so much processing on the kid’s eyes. They look freaky. Otherwise, I liked the “rock star kids” album. Even the goofy overlays worked, and I normally don’t like overlays.

That’s all I looked at.

Suggestions: use a point focus, or focus/recompose. Learn it, live it, and your images will increase dramatically in “keepers”.

 

[stef]

The uncropped version of the first shot is better.

 

You’re not an egregious offender, but to be blunt, the other photographers are not jealous.

 

Here are the issues I see, at least in my little ivory tower world (which you’re welcome to ignore)

1. bad exposures. (first one)

2. overprocessing (first). The second shot looks like you composed the shot to be processed that way, so you get a pass on that.

3. ignoring the whole image to concentrate on a particular (3rd – the advertising on the shirt ruins what could’ve been a great image).

4. poor cropping (all)

 

What you do well is an innate ability to shoot kids being kids. This is a strong talent that gives you a big advantage to getting great shots… but you still have to have the camera and processing skills to realize it fully. Right now, you’re well on your way.

When shooting infants, keep a cloth handy to wipe faces of drool. Instruct the parents to dress all kids in timeless clothing without advertisements. Shoot a little wide to give you some room to play with crops, and make sure you set a focus point on the face (specifically, the front eye).

[stef]

lensbabies are really tough to nail focus, especially wide open.

 

[stef]

Carmen, I will say “no” but you scare me. Many of the red flags go up, but then when I look, the telltale signs aren’t there.

 

The bulk of your shots have something gimmicky. Concentrate on strong photography, composition, and solid processing first. You have a reasonable control of the camera, but I do see some OOF shots.

 

Edit: I’ll add you have some interesting compositions. That shows some forethought and initiative.

[stef]

lol!

 

I hate to say it, I kind of like that swan pic. But I left my wallet in my other pants.

[stef]

/thread, spike.

[stef]

Repost all you want, with attribution to “stef” at this site (https://youarenotaphotographer.com). I might out myself sometime, at which point attribution can either be here or my real site.

 

I’m placing it in the Creative Commons: Attribution required, Non-commercial, No-Derivatives.

 

[stef]

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