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Hi, I'm new to the forum...critiques please?
KimballPhotography
Registered Users Posts: 133 Major grins
Hi, I am new to the forums! I am, I guess what you could call, an professional amateur, lol:D . I have been photographing for many years, have always had a love for it and finally decided to "work for others". I started doing some freelance work a year ago. I get a lot of compliments on my work but would like to have some professional opinions and/or ideas to better myself. I am self taught as they don't offer any digital classes in my area. I am thinking of possibly taking an online course or two. Until then any help would be greatly apreciated!
www.kimballphotography.smugmug.com
Natalie Kimball
Myrtle Beach, SC
www.kimballphotography.smugmug.com
Natalie Kimball
Myrtle Beach, SC
Natalie:thumb
A single photograph can tell an entire story and bring back a multitude of memories.
A single photograph can tell an entire story and bring back a multitude of memories.
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Lynn
welcome to dgrin
post a few of your shots that you'd like us to critique, and we'll be happy to help. instructions on how to embed photos from smugmug are here
looking forwad to your participation!
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
If you get a chance do check out my site. If I can find the time I will try and post a few here. Thank you again and I'm looking forward to being part of this forum!
Natalie
www.kimballphotography.smugmug.com
**I hate to put a collage up...but it gives several examples of my work in b&w. I thought the facial expressions shown by this child were priceless! I did up the contrast a bit for a little bit of drama.
A single photograph can tell an entire story and bring back a multitude of memories.
If you get a chance do check out my site. If I can find the time I will try and post a few here. Thank you again and I'm looking forward to being part of this forum!
Natalie
www.kimballphotography.smugmug.com
**I hate to put a collage up...but it gives several examples of my work in b&w. I thought the facial expressions shown by this child were priceless! I did up the contrast a bit for a little bit of drama.[/QUOTE]
Glad you responded to the other posters that answered your call for critiques of your work/galleries. (I find many who ask for critiques for some reason seldom respond to them. Reading these type of forum threads are of interest to me as I always learn something new).
Please remenber any response that I could offer you comes from someone (me) that has a whole lot more to learn ahead of him than that he has already learned.
I visited your site. As one photographer to another, in response to your request, here are some issues that came to my mind:
a) Posted galleries of weddings and couples/engagements, as viewed by your Customers / Potential Customers, should present a story time line from one image to the next. Clients viewing your work presented in this manner can readily discern if you know what you are doing as a photographer. Yes, they are not photographers, but instinctively they know one when they see one. By this I mean you 'automatically' create a 'comfort zone' about your ability in your client's mind simply by their viewing a story from start to end. (I don't mean you must have every movement from begining to end but your completed story should not have any 'missing events' which your clients would normally expect to see when looking over your galleries).
b) The 'Eye reveals the Soul of the person'...
My paraphrase of this famous saying (which I can't remember exactly) still carries the original meaning.
Flash used properly reveals the Soul of your Subjects, in a large majority of enviorments in which one typically photographs people. The use of Flash is a very long learning curve. Its successful use, IMHO, gurantees you a successful photography business. With properly exposed Flash images revealing your subject's souls, your clients will usually be much happier than when viewing most 'Available Light Images', all in my Very, Very Humble Opinion.
I hope this does not start a 'Forum War'. It is ONLY my opinion, which is based on the following:
The next time you encounter children, (upto 16 years in this example), put your camera down and just take time to look into their eyes. You will see a Healthy Glow of Life, a Joyfullness, a Smile, their very 'Being'. To successfully capture this 'Being' on film or on your sensor a Flash (preferrably more than one) becomes a vital tool.
Capture their 'Being' and you won't find one parent or loved one who won't buy the picture.
There IS a place for Available Light Photography, especially with People Pictures, but it must enable you to capture the 'Being' that is posing before you. Avilable Light Photography should be part of the photographers skills.
May I invite you to view a wedding I shot last July.
All shots were with Flash. (inside and out).
Please note: The bride's mother bought an enlarged
print of the couple I shot earlier in the Spring. To my amazement, when I entered the catering hall on their wedding day, I found the picture hung on the wall behind the bride and groom's chair. It was nicely framed and decorated with a wedding theme. It was one of the images I shot by Available Light:
http://nickphoto123.smugmug.com/gallery/205556
Hope you find some of this constructive and useful,
Regards, Nicholas
Hi Greaper,
that was a computer glitch. I edited the post.
Regards, Nicholas
Photographer and Mom of Four!
_____________________________________
http://tinafolsomphotography.com
I think Mia should smile more...
Glad you responded to the other posters that answered your call for critiques of your work/galleries. (I find many who ask for critiques for some reason seldom respond to them. Reading these type of forum threads are of interest to me as I always learn something new).
Please remenber any response that I could offer you comes from someone (me) that has a whole lot more to learn ahead of him than that he has already learned.
I visited your site. As one photographer to another, in response to your request, here are some issues that came to my mind:
a) Posted galleries of weddings and couples/engagements, as viewed by your Customers / Potential Customers, should present a story time line from one image to the next. Clients viewing your work presented in this manner can readily discern if you know what you are doing as a photographer. Yes, they are not photographers, but instinctively they know one when they see one. By this I mean you 'automatically' create a 'comfort zone' about your ability in your client's mind simply by their viewing a story from start to end. (I don't mean you must have every movement from begining to end but your completed story should not have any 'missing events' which your clients would normally expect to see when looking over your galleries).[/QUOTE]
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The wedding photographs (not the bridal shots) were of a friends wedding and it was my very first. I think with it being my first I was a little overwhelmed and "under-prepared". Luckily, they knew that it was my first attempt and insisted I do them. I understand what you are saying and totally agree! As I learn I look back at photos I once thought were great and think "Did I really think that was good". I assume this is a repetative process that will ease with experience and time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[/QUOTE]b) The 'Eye reveals the Soul of the person'...
My paraphrase of this famous saying (which I can't remember exactly) still carries the original meaning.
Flash used properly reveals the Soul of your Subjects, in a large majority of enviorments in which one typically photographs people. The use of Flash is a very long learning curve. Its successful use, IMHO, gurantees you a successful photography business. With properly exposed Flash images revealing your subject's souls, your clients will usually be much happier than when viewing most 'Available Light Images', all in my Very, Very Humble Opinion.
I hope this does not start a 'Forum War'. It is ONLY my opinion, which is based on the following:
The next time you encounter children, (upto 16 years in this example), put your camera down and just take time to look into their eyes. You will see a Healthy Glow of Life, a Joyfullness, a Smile, their very 'Being'. To successfully capture this 'Being' on film or on your sensor a Flash (preferrably more than one) becomes a vital tool.
Capture their 'Being' and you won't find one parent or loved one who won't buy the picture.
There IS a place for Available Light Photography, especially with People Pictures, but it must enable you to capture the 'Being' that is posing before you. Avilable Light Photography should be part of the photographers skills.[/QUOTE]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Again, I totally agree. As I have just begun my venture I do not yet have all of the much needed accessories. Currently it is just me, my Digital Rebel *which I'm hoping to upgrade to the 20D*,18-75 lens (which I rarely use), my favorite 75-300 IS lens, my battery grip, two 1GB cards and photoshop. I just recently started shooting humans (
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[/QUOTE]May I invite you to view a wedding I shot last July.
All shots were with Flash. (inside and out).
Please note: The bride's mother bought an enlarged
print of the couple I shot earlier in the Spring. To my amazement, when I entered the catering hall on their wedding day, I found the picture hung on the wall behind the bride and groom's chair. It was nicely framed and decorated with a wedding theme. It was one of the images I shot by Available Light:
http://nickphoto123.smugmug.com/gallery/205556
Hope you find some of this constructive and useful,
Regards, Nicholas[/QUOTE]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! I found your post very insightful and I will take from it what you have offered. I also wanted to say that your wedding shots are beautiful (along with the others on your site). Thank you for sharing them!
Natalie (Impatient to learn more...more....MORE)
A single photograph can tell an entire story and bring back a multitude of memories.
Natalie (Must learn more...more...MORE)
A single photograph can tell an entire story and bring back a multitude of memories.
Quote: Natalie wrote:
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Again, I totally agree. As I have just begun my venture I do not yet have all of the much needed accessories. Currently it is just me, my Digital Rebel *which I'm hoping to upgrade to the 20D*,18-75 lens (which I rarely use), my favorite 75-300 IS lens, my battery grip, two 1GB cards and photoshop. I just recently started shooting humans (
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello Natalie and All,
My First digital camera was the $2,200 Canon D30, which was replaced a couple of months later with the $2,200 Canon D60, (a closely held Canon secret while I bought my D30), which I bought.
I already had 2 550EX Canon flashes from my Film Canon Elan II E.
The flashes were about $500 each.
Total spent 'going digital' not counting some lenses: $5,400.
Since December 2003, when I bought the newly released Sony F-828, I have not used any of my Canon cameras. The F-828, A $1,000 camera with a $150 flash (Sony F32-x) has been my camera of choice, and used exclusively since the day I bought my Sony F-828.
I relate all this to you for one reason:
You say: "Currently it is just me, my Digital Rebel *which I'm hoping to upgrade to the 20D*,..."
I suggest that you stay with the Rebel until you sharpen your Sales & Photographic Skills. Don't fall into the expensive trap I fell into.
The Rebel is highly rated. It is a good tool to learn with.
As for flash I recommend the Vivitar 285. Shoot it manually, which makes the best flash images. When with friends or socially use your built in flash with the TTL.
For about $160 you can get 2 (two!!!) Vivitar 285's and a Peanut Flash Trigger. Get a cheap flash stand and start shooting 2 flashes. You're digital now. It costs you nothing to practice. The web offers a great deal of instruction.
In 4 to 6 months you will be a very marketable People Photographer.
In closing, with people, your 18-75 lens will become your good friend.
I hope you find some of this useful.
Regards, Nicholas
www.nickphoto123.smugmug.com