Critique Please

 

<p >Hello, I am a newbie wedding photographer and I was wondering if I could get some critiques on my site from the pros. Images, website design, pricing structure, anything would help. Any feedback I get will be greatly appreciated. Thanks</p>

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<p >Rocky</p>

 

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<p ><a href="http://www.rockytyronephotography.com">My site</a></p>

<p>For a newbie you've got a great style, eye and ability. Your site is nice and works well.<br>

My only critiques would be<br>

1 - a tighter edit in your gallery, bring the number of pics down and use only your very very best. (I admit that I did not view all of them, I got bored) You have some great pics that show YOU. Your way is your strongest asset so play to it.<br>

2 - i don't see much of your personality in the site, whether this is down to the images you have chosen (a tighter edit will help show your personality I suspect) or whether it is the site design....<br>

That's my tuppence worth, I hope it helps.<br>

Best of luck</p>

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<p >Thank you David this helps me a lot. I was struggling with the amount of images in my gallery. I will cut them down immediately</p>

 

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<p>I agree with David.<br>

I did not like the pictures of the guy with no shirt on, to me, it is a distraction,and could be a turn off for some perspective brides and grooms.</p>

 

<p>Your pricing seems low for the quality of work that you do.</p>

<p>As far as number of images go, it's easier to look at a lot of images if there is a connection between them (telling the story of a wedding or two). Here it just seemed to be at random so there's no anticipation as to what will come next.</p>

<p>Thanks Roger. What if I broke the gallery down into sub-gallerys? Details, portraits, reception, ...</p>

<p>Great photos!!! You certainly have a knack for composition. The overall site layout is very clean and functional - it's not too busy that you can't figure out where you're going.</p>

<p>I think sub-galleries would be an improvement - the fun, jovial reception scenes definitely disrupt the romantic kiss and bride/groom shots. While the pictures are great, the current order of them might give a prospective client the idea that you're inconsistent / random. Maybe galleries like "Bride and Groom", "Group Shots", "Wedding Ceremony", "Reception", etc. or whatever would help even out the mood of each section of photos.</p>

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<p>I liked your photos. The only thing that I would ask is why do you use an yahoo e-mail? You have your own domain name. Personally I like seeing that the e-mail is going to the same address as the web site. You can always forward them to your yahoo account if you need web access.<br>

Richard</p>

<p>Rocky - I'm not qualified to speak to the business aspects of your web site, but I sure do like your images!</p>

I'm new myself but I'll comment anyway:

 

You have some nice work here though I don't think the strongest pictures are amongst the 'soonest' in your slideshow, it's better to have less work but of higher quality. Your decent site design is seriously let down by the font choice in your header and menu imo.

 

I have no idea what the going rate is in your area but I'm sure you could be charging much much more than you are! You might be new but you have a reasonable body of work now so I'm sure you can raise your prices.

I'm not a newbie photographer, so here are some ideas. One shot around the 33 count or so, outside shot was out of focus, caused by camera movement; dump that one.

 

Your evening shots were pretty darn good. I may add more romance to them and also pick up a 4 star filter. This will turn lit areas into a 4 star look, such as the candles around that table shot.

 

In just about all of the larger brides, place them behind the groom, not in front. This will slim them down a lot and take off a lot of the weight.

 

Your reception shots look as though they were shot around ISO 3200 or so. I'm not in favor of cranking up the ISO's on cameras and prefer to add extra lights when rooms are that dark. The photos look better to me.

 

Your website is set up really well. The only thing I would do is leave out the pricing, because you are on the low side.

<p>I see some nice images, some with significant issues, and a lack of experience with posing the B/G and groups. Many of the B/G images have the couple flat-footed and square to the camera....you need to work with some angles and watch how the B/G are connected. Also, in several images you're faced with difficult lighting conditions where you're in a losing battle with the direct sun light.</p>

<p>On the below groups, look at what's in your lens before you take the pic. The top photo: see how many people are just small, partial faces? Consider having the kids kneel/sit which gives you another row, and now we can see more of grandma. Your big guys on the ends were the perfect size for back row and you could bring the back row people forward, consider a couple of the single guys for kneeling at either side of the first row with the kids. Now you can come closer to the group and get more people and less background. Could you position the group to exclude the ugly utility pole and use the palm trees as an interest feature to one side rather than a merge issue smack dab in the middle of the frame? Cloning out the utility pole would also be an after-capture option.</p>

<p>The bottom photo: Posing.....Have the groom help the bride hold the bouquet between them instead of placing the hand in the pocket. Why is one guy doing the fig-leaf pose? Consider mixing the girls both right and left side of the b/g. Have a few guys kneel to create two rows instead of two which allows you to reduce the long lateral layout of people and brings everyone closer, more people fill factor in the frame. Lighting.....consider moving out of direct sunlight or placing the sun at a different angle to avoid the shadows falling on people/faces. Could you have moved everyone forward about 10 feet so that everyone would be in the shade noted at the bottom of the pic?</p>

<p>On your personal bio page. Consider a rewrite and make it more personal. Example, "I was raised by a photographer" sounds clumsy and impersonal.....share that your father was a professional photographer and make the text more personal. Make it more about your personal site/business rather than trying to be a studio. Since you're in Key West take advantage of some of the scenic wild-life & party scene and add some fun images to highlight and feature your location. I'm guessing you must have some great snaps from Mallory Street........ Good luck.</p><div></div>

<p>You are good, good enough to charge more based on what I saw in your wedding gallery. While I am not crazy about your web site, finding it drab, safe and pedestrian, your images are what it is all about and there solid. You seem to understand the use of balanced flash in particular in that light just before sunset and you get most of your colors with enough POP when you are not using the flash. Good Luck.</p>

<p>I don't know anything about websites, but you do have some nice photography. A suggestion on the above last photo to consider. First, always get rid of the white runner before shooting groups, unless there is some specific reason you can't. Next is a real basic posing rule, have those people transfer their body weight to the rear foot and turn their closer foot toward the camera some. They don't need to look all dramatic like they're going to ballet school, but their balance is off and their hips are awkward looking in some cases. Then just have the ladies settle up thos flowers so that they are below the waist "in general". Finally if you want the grooms hand in his pocket he needs to unbutton his jacket, the bride needs to lower her flowers again below the waist and her hand needs to be palm out as if you're handing her pocket change, then she can lowr the flowers and the wristline will/should break back into a nice delicate feminine position, also let her leave he index finger free from the flowers.</p>

<p>And just to clarify something about the flowers, when I say below the waist, it's the hand that holds the flowers not the whole bouquet. Some small flowers might indeed drop below the waist as a whole, but any taller ones will not, nor do they need to, just the hand position.</p>

 

<p >Thank you everyone. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your advice. I am looking forward to my next wedding so I can put everything I've learned on this thread to use.</p>

<p >I have tried to assist for a lot of wedding photographers down here and even offered to do it for free but I have had no luck. I am kind of building these skills by myself so I am grateful for this venue for feedback. Everything that was said makes a lot of sense so I wont make the same mistakes again. Thanks Rocky</p>

 

<p>Many of your images are very good, but interspersed are mediocre ones that I wouldn't keep in there. For example, #27 with the bride and the 3 bridesmaids, it doesn't go with the rest of the feel of your well composed shots. This one feels like a snapshot her mom took. Ok it's a bit better than that because it isn't just a bunch of girls hugging, but you get what I mean. Her expression doesn't look real, it just isn't very flattering of any of them. Good contrast is the very next shot is a real moment. Genuine shots are so nice! I would take out 32. While some people ascribe to the school of no overweight people in photos, I don't think that's the best approach. I think it's important to show real people, but show them at their best. In 32, I'm sure this is NOT the best angle for this woman. Vs 34 I think is the same person and you made her look amazing. 35, you have some beautiful previous dress shots in there. This would not be one of them IMO. I'd take it out. 39 while a real moment, I don't think it's too flattering to any of them, I'd take it out. Vs 49 is MUCH better composed. Really cool shot. I'd take out the bride with the beer in her hand. It would make me think as a bride, oh gosh if I get really drunk is he gonna capture me looking bad??? I like that you actually show group shots! But I'd only put in your best ones. Ones with telephone poles in the background like 58 should go. Remember on your portfolio that you are showing, you want it to be your absolute best work. 60 I like but I'd crop out the last girl on the right, she looks uncomfortable with the shot. 66 while a real moment, I'm not sure the gaping hole mouth is a way a bride would want to be portrayed. 67 she looks sad. I'd take it out. 75 may be at a wedding, but it just looks like a dude smoking. I'd take it out. If you are showing shots of wedding guests, be sure it is fairly obvious that's what they are. I'd move 82 WAY further up in your side show, or even start with it. It's key west! And I love it! 90 makes her look much bigger than she is. I'd take it out. 91 and all these other pool guy ones, I'd take out. 93 while yes, it's basically a great shot, the guys are giving possibly some really inappropriate hand signs. 108 looks too dark to me.</p>

<p>Other than that, great job. =)</p>

<p>Oh yeah, and get rid of the yahoo email address. That looks unprofessional.</p>

<p>This is a very minor nitpick. In the #1 picture in the wedding gallery, the couple kissing on the pier in front of the boats is lit such that they are separated from the background a little too well to my eyes. They look like they might have been photoshopped into a picture of the pier and boats. Of course, the exposure and the use the flash are technically just fine, and possibly my eyes have been ruined by seeing too much photoshopping. However, the 'problem' seems to be very common these days with the strobist boom happening. Especially in compositions where the feet of the people are not shown touching the ground, it's very easy to end up with a picture where the models and the background look like they came from different shots, even if the models are lit well and look three-dimensional.</p>