I'm a bit fed up, am I wasting my time? (7 small images)

thebigsky

I'm feeling about down this evening, I've had a digital SLR for just over 3 months now and with a new baby I've pretty much been stuck at home so she's been my main subject for photography (this part I'm enjoying.)

I'm worried that I'm deluding myself as to the quality of the pictures I have been taking, the reason? The totally underwhelmed reaction I seem to get from my wife's parents and in fact my wife and other friends and family when I show them my latest pictures.

Whilst I remain a complete amateur, I've convinced myself that my pictures are, whilst a long way short of professional, better than your average happy snap. However I'm staring to doubt this is the case. Where better to turn than Dgrin for some honest opinions.

Here's a selection of shots, I'm not looking for an ego massage but I would like to know if the reactions I've received thus far are justified because if so I need to rethink pursuing this hobby.

Anyway here are a few of said shots:-















Any comments appreciated, good or bad.

Charlie

Pezpix

I love the third picture! But I'm biased towards photojournalistic style portrait work

Never give up Big Sky, and always remember, the learning curve is only as hard as you make it when it comes to your art. Personally, I always feel underwhelmed by my own work at times and the only way I can feel better is by discovering the little things about my photography that make me feel good.

GREAPER

I like several of them. A couple of them seem a bit soft but that may be what you were going for.

I think you have done a nice job of catching expresions.

Keep at it. You have a good eye.

DJ-S1

Charlie - In my decidedly amateur opinion - the first and fifth shots a really nice, and the others are shots that Daddy will love more than the rest of the world. Nothing wrong with that!

I think you may underestimate the ratio of "wow" shots folks get compared to how many are just average. I'm talking NORMAL people here, not the Andy's Yuri's and Harry's of the world. Most of us amateurs take tons of ordinary shots and get a few really above average ones out of them. The fact we can get some great ones means we are trying, we are interested in improving and we have some level of talent worth developing.

So stick with it, don't get discouraged! You've got a great subject to shoot and a good resource here to take advantage of. Your great-to-average ratio will improve with time. There aren't many folks who master their first dSLR in 3 months, give it time.

ziggy53

Charlie,

It could be the culture of the people, to whom you have shown these images, that one image is better than many. When some folks are shown many images, they may think you are looking for them to make a choice.

Save all of these images because, some day, they will have much greater significance and emotional appeal.

I see several that I like, and you're doing a lot that's right and good. I suggest that perhaps you are missing a little opportunity for extra improvement.

The first image, for instance, has a background that needs to be simplified, IMHO. I think I like this treatment better. I also created a Curve which promoted the mid-tones and highlights and pulled the darker tones down a bit. This increased contrast, but kept the image similar overall to original. Curves is very subjective, but I think I like it better.

Best,

ziggy53

wxwax

That's pretty darned funny!



The reaction you're getting reminds me of the reaction shooters get at the track. We like the artsy type shots, with high aesthetic value. But the riders want meat-and-potatoes shots that explicitly show them in action. They could care less about style, it's not what they want.

You're going for style. Perhaps your family just wants more mundane, meat-and-potatoes shots?

LeDude

the third is my favorite and I think very highly of it

take to heart the advice you get here, though mine you might want to take with a grain of salt (:D), and you'll certainly improve... you should be looking too at your shot to shot-you-like ratio as mentioned earlier... I started at about 2% and have moved to between 5 & 10%... the 5-10% are now better, I think, than the 2% at the beginning

a bulk critique I can offer about what you've posted in this thread is to be careful with your focus; make sure what is sharp is what you want most prominent and take care with your DOF

keep up the good work,
Rich

saurora

I think you're doing just great! I love #1 and #3. I find that other people, especially those who are not into photography, never like the shots that I like. Don't worry about it...you are not wasting your time. Just think of the great shots you will get of her when she's going to her first day of school, or when she gives her first dance recital, or when she graduates, and gets married....You have a lot of important photo ops lined up ahead of you in the future and no one can capture her essence better than you can!

Mongrel

Charlie,
FWIW...

I went through this same thing recently. It was as if this 'thing' (photography) that I feel so deeply in my very bones was having NO impact at all on my wife or kids. And these are the dearest people to me on earth. It hurt, not just *hurt* but HURT.

So...I started showing my work to other people and made up a few prints for some of them. These prints wound up on their walls, and I started getting comments and feedback from *other* people who saw them displayed. You know what? I got the validation I needed that I was onto *something* and going in the right direction. I had achieved (no, not arrived), recognition for a talent that I had begun to think only I saw.

Now, what happened next is interesting...

I would be out in public and get a very sincere compliment from people about my work IN FRONT OF my wife . Suddenly, she starting taking more of an interest in my photography and began making 'requests' for prints and buying frames. She confessed that she was frustrated because "all of your pictures are on that stupid computer, and I never get to see them!"

Things are decidedly better now, and she has come alongside me in this endeavor (which is what I've wanted from the start).

So, hang in there man, hang in there!

Re: your pics...

All of them 'work' to some extent. I really like the processing on them, especially the B&W's. They are all fine keepsake shots which you and your family will treasure for years. A few of them also stand on their own as 'photographs' for sure.

One, small suggestion:

You seem to be shooting down on your daughter or at the very least even with her. Try shooting from a lower perspective and see how that feels to you.

Take care and good light,

Mongrel

photogmomma

I hope you don't mind me commenting on each one individually. I found that this is what helped me the most. I think you definitely have a MUCH better eye than the "average bear" and the average "P&S" person. Definitely keep going.... Here are my comments on each shot....


I LOVE the expression in this photo! I think the yawn is something so hard to capture at just the right point - this is perfect! But the background is way too distracting. When I first started shooting my youngest, I found this out the hard way. Then I started dropping a blanket over EVERYTHING I put her in the second I pulled out the camera - the reactions I got were c completely different. And for a reason. They concentrated on HER instead of the surroundings. I'd consider taking the time to PS and blur the stuff that the baby is on - that might make him? her? (sorry!) stand out more! In this case, though, a simple crop from the left and right would make the baby stand out more!


Eh.... It's okay. Great focus on the eyes, but the forehead is too big. This is a VERY cute baby and this doesn't do her (I'm assuming from the pink!) any justice!


Once again, the background distracts from a GREAT shot of a wonderful expression! I love this shot otherwise!


Another "eh" because of the angle. Definitely stay at the baby's level. Shooting down doesn't do it for me.



This photo screams "CROP ME!!!!" What a wonderful expression on BOTH faces. There is no need for the fullness of the shoulder - crop to just behind the baby's ear, to the far right and then at teh top about the sam and below just an inch (in approximation) below the shoulder. Bring those wonderful faces into focus! I just LOVE the lighting on the baby's face! PERFECT! Well, in my opinion, anyway! I love the lighting in the whole shot, personally!


Fun, but others are better....


Not real wild about this. What is mom doing? I love the closeness of the two, but don't really understand what she's doing to the baby. I think if you had gotten lower and shot from the level of the baby towards the mom (?) bending over her to see how the mom is caring, this could have been much stronger.

Sooooo.... Your overall question.... Should you continue? ABSOLUTELY! Do you have room for improvement? I haven't met ANYONE who doesn't! Should you be "upset"? No! You are getting some really wonderful shots that just need some slight changes to make them amazing! You are capturing some true emotion - something I think is hard. Keep going and just keep shooting and take ALL the criticism (good AND bad) from everyone in mind, find your own "voice" and post 'em here! Even if your shots aren't "normal" ones (in other words, not everyone loves your shots even if YOU do), you are finding what moves YOU and that's the most important.

HTH!

firedancing4life

i like the first pic the best....

just wait until the crawling and walking...you won't stop snappin!

keep up the good work. some people might take a good photo for granted...unless it's totally bad...some might not say anything.

thebigsky

Wow, I'm overwhelmed by the time and effort everyone has taken to reply to my post, thank you all so much, it's genuinely appreciated.

I've really taken heart by the overall reaction which was more akin to what I was expecting than that received from from my nearest and dearest, if there's one thing I hate it's indifference.

Clearly there are subjecvtivity issues here as this is my daughter and I need to see past those. I also think I'm expecting too much too soon as this is a pretty steep learning curve.

The conclusions I've reached from all your excellent contributions are, keep experimenting with the artsy farty stuff but keep it to yourself until you've mastered it, meanwhile make sure you take some 'meat and potatoe' shots (I think you hit the nail on the head wxwax) while you're at it.

For instance the following pics did engender some positive responses even though in my mind I though they were more happy snappy:-








I think things will become easier when my daughter can sit up on her own, at the moment she needs propping up and I think this leads to me taking a lot of downward looking shots.

Ziggy, I love that conversion, thanks, it's definitely improved the shot, now can you magically cover the ring with a plain blanket

Mongrel - It really hurts doesn't it, It takes a lot to get me down but this certainly did it.

photogmoma - Wow, thanks for taking time to critique each picture, it's far more than I was expecting.

Again, thanks to everyone else, all the contributions have helped immensely.

Some further question if I may be so bold.

What aperture range do you typically use for portraits and to be considered valid should all facial features be in focus?

Can anyone point me in the direction of a portrait photographer's gallery who they consider to be absolutely on the money.

Charlie

rosselliot

I love 1,3 and 6! I love the few where only the eyes are in focus!

great job,

Ross

mghaner

I like 1
The first one is my favorite. I think you have some nice shots and you should not get discouraged. You have a great subject to work with, enjoy the time you have and shoot what makes you happy.

thebigsky

rosselliot wrote:

I love 1,3 and 6! I love the few where only the eyes are in focus!

great job,

Ross

Thanks Ross, if there's one thing I associate with babies it's big piercing eyes and soft skin, that's what I was trying to capture.

thebigsky

mghaner wrote:

The first one is my favorite. I think you have some nice shots and you should not get discouraged. You have a great subject to work with, enjoy the time you have and shoot what makes you happy.

Thanks for your comments, number one seems to be a favourite, I like it too. I might go back to the PP and see what I can do about the busy background.