Overwhelming

Sigal

Hello,

I'm not sure this is the right forum to write this message in, but couldn't find any better.

I started photography about a year and a half ago.

I took some evening courses, bought a digital camera and started playing.

Now I bought a new house and starting to build my studio in the garage.

I just want to share some of my fears.

I feel there is too much information, endless things to look at, and I feel overwhelmed.

I don't understand how lighting works, when to choose which light. Don't know where to go to with my photography, and lots and lots of doubts and questions are filling my head.

I used to submit my photos on fanartreview, and got some good reviews there, but want to hear from you guys, how to overcome those fears and doubts.... !!!

Maybe I should talk to a phsycologist :huh but I thought it will be nice to hear some of your experiences :

Thank you and have a great year,
Sigal

flyingpylon

I agree that sometimes it can all be overwhelming. I think the thing to remember is that a large majority of the time, it all boils down to lighting and composition. That's why you can look at photographs taken many years ago and still go "Wow!"

Recently I read some older photography books (like 20 years old) that were very refreshing. No mention of pixels, white balance, computers, or anything digital at all. Just the basics of good photography. One book in particular was very good because it contained short bios of well known photographers and tried to focus on why they photographed, with only a little bit of technical info about their work.

So my suggestion is to step back, take a breath, and just think about what you're really trying to do and what parts of it you enjoy rather than getting stuck on the endless treadmill of "what's new" and "what's hot" and trying to eke out the very last pixel of perfection in every part of the process, etc.

Art Scott

I am a fan of Peter Gowland. He was the one responsible for the Rigid Tool calendars, with those beautiful babes in swimsuits.....he wrote several books on glamour photography and explained lighting with diagrams and such. After buying one of his books I spent about 3 hours on the phone with him. I have never found another photographer so earger to help....this was approx 20yrs ago.......

Start slow....photo the wife, kids, pets...alot.....try different lighting setups so you can SEE what changing a light will do.

Peter Gowland convinced me that for straight portrait work I only needed 3 lights....1 front main and 2 backlights....he also told me I only needed 1 background (a deep black) and several sheets of colored gel to mix and match for creating an almost unlimited array of colored backgrounds.....Today I would get a blue and green screen and a 20 or 30 digital backgrounds and call it good:

http://www.owens-originals.com/

http://www.prostudiousa.com/ They have their catalog on CD also.

Being nervous is good.....When I did shoot I was always nervious.....it keptme on my toes and thinking....If I got too relaxed I might make a mistake.....

Begining is always difficult...make a list of what you'd like to photograph....People (portraits and weddings), Fine art (still lifes, nudes..etc)...then start out with one or the other....[a still life can't complain about the pose ]...practise...practice...practice.....no need to waste money printing You're digital....so the only commodity your using will be time.....get a stryfoam wig head to practice portrait lighting and such.....Watch the Flea Market on here for equip and ebay.......get 2 or 3 clamp lights from wal-mart ($6 to $10 ) and some halogen bulbs (100 to 250 watts), they are hot but work great and are cheap....old bed sheets work great for diffusion material.....if there is theatrical supply nearby go get a swatch book of Rosco Gels and pick a few colors to work with, they are realatively cheap.....don't get discouraged..you have formal training from your schooling...some of started out without anything except for a love of the art....Always approach your photography as an art and don't worry too much about what others think, worry about if you like it or not...if you do then you will exude confidence and that will make clients like your work......

Okay that is my 1.5 cents worth.

Sigal

Thank you for the kind words
You made me smile, and you gave me motivation

Art Scott

Sigal wrote:

You made me smile, and you gave me motivation

Glad I could be of service.

GerryDavid

Sigal wrote:

I don't understand how lighting works, when to choose which light. Don't know where to go to with my photography, and lots and lots of doubts and questions are filling my head.

I would suggest taking a lighting class. I took part 1 of 2 at my local college and learned a fair bit. I wish I could take part 2 since its more a hands on where part 1 was more theory and some application.

imax

F= False
E= Evidence
A= Appearing
R= Real

Welcome Sigal, and may I say that you are off to a great start. You have a camera, and a studio. In my opinion the next thing that you should do is put together a business plan. A roadmap to where you want to go. It's human nature to fear change, to leave your comfort zone. But by putting together a business plan it will give you direction, something to shoot for.

Lighting for me is done on a shoestring. I still use the onboard flash of my 20 D. I have invested in some cheap home depot lights $20, a 3 million candlelight flashlight $20, some foamcore, and some PVC that I built a life size lightbox out of. Here some portraits I recently did of my kids using available light through my lr window and the HD lights. They don't look to shabby up on the wall if I do say so myself and my wife was quite pleased with them.

http://imax.smugmug.com/gallery/742628/1/49368906

Talk to local photographers whenever you get a chance. There is plenty of information out there that's for sure. But what you should find is what works for you. Go for it and don't regret your decision. If it's what you want to do and you really enjoy it, then by all means do it and enjoy it.:D