A critique for photographer thinking of opening a biz

[jennifer_sparaco1]

OK, so I am completely prepared to be bashed although I'd really like to do

this so I guess if I have any sort of hope that would be good to know.

 

This photo is taken on 35mm film and then put on disk by Walmart. I am

assuming this is not the best way to get a digital photo, but my canon xti is

on it's way and in lieu of "real" digital photos I wanted to get a critique in

time to be able to return the xti if I need to..haha!

 

I just downloaded Photoshop and so I imagine I may need to become familiar with

that before I try to sell a photo.

 

Anyhow, enough excuses, I just wanted to give you the background of the photo.

Taken of my 1 week old son in a east window, early morning through sheers.

[Spearhead]

The way to think about this is: Would I expect this from a professional photographer I paid to take it? Unfortunately, I don't think you would - it has technical problems, composition problems, and lighting problems. For now, spend your time on improving your skills rather than opening a business.

[jennifer_sparaco1]

Thanks Jeff...I was afraid of that. Would you suggest continuing to keep photographing and learn from experience. There is no opportunity for secondary education in my small town. I have taken the one photo class at the local cc but it wasn't what I had hoped for. Can one learn by experience and books?

[bill_clark___minnetonka_mi]

Hi Jennifer,

 

I'm always learning! Always questioning, never satisfied. When I get to one level I push

myself to rise to the next.

 

How to do that?

 

You mentioned a few. Books, magazines, just walking and looking at people, how they

walk, what they wear, what would look good doing people photography. A passion, a

desire. I try to get people in a happy mood, make them look better than they think they

are.

 

I focus on weddings. I like the day. I enjoy creating a story for people to remember every

time they look at the photographs.

 

Weddings are different. I equate portrait photography like your going to produce a play at

a theater or a movie. Some budgets will allow you to hire talented people to do things

necessary to produce the event and you can direct. Fashion houses, ad folks do this.

 

But many have to do it all themselves. The set design, props, costumes, makeup, the

script, lighting, the actors --well the actors are usually your clients and they, most of the

time, don't know much about acting!--but they think and want to look like the big budget

studios in Hollywood.

 

So I would read a lot, talk a lot, visit places like this a lot, take classes that may cost you

money, after all it's an investment for your business, join the PPA and attend a trade show

or two and go to every class you can. Attend some concentrated seminars taught by

portrait photographers you see as a possible vision for your work.

 

Do you have a business plan?

 

Find someone you like who could be a mentor for you.

 

Do this, do that, and that and that....whew! Liots to learn. All your life, learn. Try new

things, never get stale.

 

And smile a lot and have some fun!

 

Take time off from all this to sip a soda or a cup of coffee with a friend.

 

Love & enjoy life!

[Spearhead]

<i>Can one learn by experience and books?</i><p>Experience is necessary, and books can help. There are both "how-to" books and books of photos. Sometimes the "how-to" books offer formulaic information, which may or may not be of value to you. I would look at photos you find similar to what you want to produce and then try to figure out how they are made. Also, look for photographers in your area, there may be someone willing to mentor you. If not, you may be able to find an online mentor. But start by shooting more.

[sunnypix]

You need to shoot and find yourself for at least a few months, maybe for friends and family for free, before you even think about shooting for money. Practice, and make sure you love it first :)

[jennifer_sparaco1]

Sunshyne,

 

First thanks for your input. However, You say you must love it first (and I assume you mean the photo or do you mean photography in general) If its the photo I do love this photograph. I'm not a complete idiot and have a successful architectural biz. My degree is in architecture so I am used to crits and have a thick skin when it comes to getting work critiqued, but I do love this photo. I'm not expecting everybody else to and I guess that at least in this case only I need to be happy. I was sort of thinking at least the composition was good. I guess I need to keep looking at photos so I can make an honest critique of my own work. I've been researching and researching photographers doing the same subject matter. And while I'm totally not saying that I'm better than any of them I was sort of thinking I am not a complete photographic idiot....but maybe I seem to be. That's the hard part. I wish I could take some classes and get true crits to really analyze where I am going wrong. It completely sucks not to be able to take a class like this. I'm used to learning in a situation you can compare your work with others and I'm missing that in this situation.

 

Maybe its the fact that this photo is of my own son, but I have to say I like the photo. I'm sure everybody is rolling their eyes and what is considered to be my ignorance!

 

Jennifer

[allen_r1]

Jennifer, I admire your enthusiasm and willingness to accept feedback but I have to agree that this is not a very good photo (as you suggested, I suspect your love of your child is clouding your judgment here). It is not what you would expect from a professional. Which brings me to my main point. If you want to get better, look at the work of other photographers. It is not just about learning facts about how to do photograph. It is also about developing an "eye". Viewing photos will help tremendously. Good luck!

[sprouty]

<I>"Taken of my 1 week old son..."</I>

<P>

Jennifer this is reason you love the photo, and truthfully, it is all the reason <I>you</I> need.

<P>

But this image doesn't translate the same feeling to me. It is harshly lit and unflattering to the subject.

[jennifer_sparaco1]

sp-

 

While I truly do appreciate all the opinions I have received...your comment really made me "see" the photo. I do see exactly what you mean. I thought I was being "creative" and while I still love the photo I completely "get" what you mean!

 

It's hard to know where you've been and where your going when you don't have feedback from people other than those without an untrained eye (kind of like me I guess). I'm not sure if there is a good forum for beginners to post photos where we can get good feedback on how we are progressing. I sure wish I could get somebody to look at a bunch of my pics and tell me whether all of them are as far off as this one.

[beauh44]

Hi Jennifer,<P>

 

<I>I sure wish I could get somebody to look at a bunch of my pics and tell me whether all of them are as far off as this one.</i><P>

 

I would think you could do that here! I'm sure Photonet wouldn't mind if you signed up as a "paid customer" - it's a relative bargain, really. (No, I don't work for 'em!) ;-)<P>

 

There's no shortage of folks who come here on a regular basis who'd be happy to critique your photographs, I'm sure!<P>

 

Meanwhile, there's been some good advice. I'm also in a relatively small town and except for one B&W photography course I took at a community college about 30 years ago, I'm pretty much self-taught - but realize I also have a long way to go, too. I think there are very few (wise) people in almost any vocation who feel they've "arrived". There's almost always an opportunity to learn more no matter what one's skill level is.<P>

 

So, I read a lot of books and magazines and try to buy essential equipment when I can afford it - camera(s), lenses, lights, modifiers, backdrops, etc. And then (for me) it boils down to practice, practice, practice.<P>

 

Also, in today's predominately digital world, it doesn't hurt to be well-versed not only in photography but post-production techniques, i.e. Photoshop. If you intend to make your own prints, well that can be a very daunting task at which to become proficient, if not good at it. (You could of course have labs handle this aspect)<P>

 

I might also suggest - since you mention starting up a business - checking out the closest, successful competition in your town. See what they're doing right and wrong and be formulating a plan to compete so that, when you feel you have the technical skills down, you'll have something to offer potential customers that the other guys can't. Good luck!

[sunnypix]

sorry hon, I meant the biz!! :)

[sunnypix]

* I just realized I never said that I DO LOVE the photo!! My advice was purely related to the business portion of your q... sorry!

[tana_d.]

I'm completely self taught - you can absolutely do it by practicing and reading.

 

Starting and running a successful photography business is a lot of work. I know you have an architectural biz; if that's the case then I trust you know the ins and outs of running your own business (taxes, licensing, marketing, pricing, etc). I have a photography business and specialize in newborns. Let me know if you want some critique.

 

Also, email me for some resources.

[craig_shearman1]

There may be few photo class opportunities where you live, but if you are serious there are dozens of workshops around the country where you can go live and breathe photography for a week or so at a time. Look into the Maine Photographic Workshops -- they're one of the best, with workshops on every topic under the sun -- and google others. You need to subscribe to Popular Photography and Shutterbug and read every book you can, then go out and shoot as much as you can. Having an infant of your own gives you an in-house guinea pig if you want to specialize in photographing children. Post your photos here and on sites like flickr for feedback. But all of that comes before even thinking about opening a business and holding yourself out to the world as a professional. We get "I want to open a photo business -- what kind of camera should I buy" messages on here almost every day. As an architect, what would your reaction be if you were on an architecture forum and somebody posted "I'm going to open an architecture business, what kind of drafting table should I buy?"

[brad_taylor2]

Hi Jennifer!

 

I don't know how long you've been taking photographs, but I certainly would not pay anyone for photography such as the one you posted. I mean, if I had seen this first, I certainly wouldn't have hired you. Why? It simply doesn't express the nature of the subject. It expresses the inexperience of the shooter.

 

I'm looking at the technical aspects of the pic first (of course I realize this is ultimately a subjective experience, but keep in mind the words of Miles Davis, "Learn the rules, then forget them."). So, here's a more specific critique....

 

1) Focal point/plane: The focal point is right at the folds of the baby's skin underneath the arm and onto its back a little. Given such a shallow depth of field (are you familiar with the aperture's relation to both depth of field and shutter speed in obtaining desired exposure?), why did you choose this point of the baby's body? A shallow DOF draws the eye directly to the point of the pic that's in focus, and is that really where you want the eye drawn? Why didn't you pull out a little bit and get the baby's face in while increasing your DOF? You would have gained added sharpness from the lens most likely because few lenses are very sharp at their widest aperture.

 

2) Exposure: At least a third of the shot is blown out and improperly exposed. While I like this technique for fashion, it rarely works for babies. Again, ask yourself, why did I choose to expose the photo this way? Since the highlights are blown and the face is underexposed, it once again brings my eye to the middle of the baby, the folds in the skin. Is this really what you want highlighted?? I highly doubt it.

 

3) Direction of light: I love backlighting, but often you need a little reflector or something to bring the shadows up to proper or desired exposure. My guess is that you didn't have a "desired" exposure because you don't really understand exposure yet. Also, backlighting highly accentuates curvatures/shapes, which is why it is great for food. But here, it once again brings my eye to the folds of the baby's skin. A front or side light around 45 degrees will soften all of that and give you a more even exposure all around. I'm not saying you can't backlight a baby and make it work, but it certainly doesn't work here.

 

So there you have it. All 3 of these essential elements draw my eye to one thing because so much of the photograph is uninteresting or jarring. Is this really what you want in a baby photo? Is this something someone would pay you for? Would you feel comfortable charging someone for a photo without understanding why a pic works or not?

 

You don't need to take a class in photography, but you do need to shoot a LOT more and read, read, read. Get the Ansel Adams series for a thorough understanding of exposure. Also, your xti will be great for instant feedback. Take one subject (your baby) and shoot one POV while varying the aperture/shutter speed so you can understand the relationship. Then shoot from another POV so you are varying the direction of light but again, varying the aperture/SS.

 

I hope this helps!

 

~B

[jennifer_sparaco1]

Brad,

 

Thank you for your response. I was afraid you were going to be overly harsh but after getting through the first sentences I thank you for your cc. It doesn't help much to tell somebody that the photo is no good in any way and then give no direction for improvement so it meant a lot that you did provide some direction.

 

My comments to you...

1. Actually the wrinkles and the fuzz on his back were what I was trying to capture. Now if I could only have one photo of my son...this would not be the one. But at a week old babies have this wonderful fine down on their backs and are often too small for their skin. This is what I wanted to photograph.

 

2. I do agree that perhaps I should have pulled out a bit and put the baby's face in the photo...but had the baby's face been in the photo and in focus would it have taken away from what I wanted to concentrate on? Maybe not.

 

3. After seeing the photo I would have liked to capture the same detail with a completely different lighting scenerio. It is a harsh...but at the time I had a photographer here...who has a very successful biz tell me "harsh light is the only way to photograph those details." I am not extremely well versed in lighting and exposure...I do know about aperture and ss.

 

I have to say I have been practicing like crazy and it makes all the difference with my new xti. I can take a photo from the same pov changing the ss and aperture and see the results immediately. digital is the way to go when learning. The immediate result really allows you to understand all that you have read.

 

I have posted a few more photos in the beginner section. I'd love for you to check them out and see how I am moving along.

 

Much thanks, jennifer

[andrew_welsh]

Jennifer:

 

I too am self-taught. So it is possible. Another good way to get good is to post photos into weekly or monthly contests. This exercises your creative juices as well as the technical skills. The key to contests is capturing the subject.. getting a vision of the end product, then using the technical skills necessary to capture it.

 

Regarding your picture- since your stated goal was to capture the fuzz on your son, you accomplished this perfectly. However when I looked at the photo, I did not see that as the intended purpose. I saw a picture of a wrinkly baby's side that was harshly lit. IMO a good artistic/ portrait photo needs no text explanation. The photo should be self-explanatory. So the critique is I didn't see the purpose of the photo when I looked at it; I just saw what appeared to be poor technical skill at trying for what I thought was the purpose of the photo.

 

Weekly photo contests are in the dpreview.com forums, dpchallenge.com, and fredmiranda.com forums (weekly/monthly assignments). All of these sites will give you excellent feedback as you practice. I find these contests give me some structure and discipline to practice.

 

Some resources on lighting, composition and portraiture that are good conceptual things to have before you practice:

 

http://super.nova.org/DPR/

 

http://jzportraits.home.att.net/

[brad_taylor2]

Hey Jennifer!

 

Hope all is coming along well. I realize you are trying to defend your desire to get this particular shot, and heck, maybe you do love the shot. And maybe this professional told you that this was the only way to get what you wanted. But I think you can see from the other posts here and the other opinions/critiques that this photo is more off-putting than anything else. If you were truly trying to capture the baby's wrinkles and hair as your "subject matter" then you should have just cropped it closely and made it even more abstract. That MIGHT have been interesting.

 

Your original post talks about starting a photo biz and with the critique you've gotten here, I think you can see that your idea of what you wanted to do and what makes a photo that people will enjoy are at different ends of the spectrum. In other words, if these are the types of baby photos you want to take, you'll have a difficult time selling them.

 

I know you want to defend your work, but I think everyone else just sees a poor picture. But what do we know, eh?

 

Keep practicing,

B

[gerund]

Jennifer,

 

Good visual instruction is next to hands on. I have found

http://smartflix.com/store/category/63/Photography to be a reasonably

priced source for good photography instructional videos.

 

Gerry