How do pros handle your low quality snaps of family & friends?

[tom_mann1]

<p>I’m somewhere between an advanced amateur and a pro photographer. About 10% of my job is shooting product & people pix for my company. I’ve had the good fortune to have a couple hundred of my images used in various company PR brochures with runs of tens of thousands and have had a couple of solo and group fine art photo exhibits. I would like to keep and improve the modest photographic reputation that I have built up because I would like to see my pro photo activities increase even further.<br /> <br /> In addition to my commercial work, I also take plenty of snapshots of family and friends that are no better than anyone else’s snapshots. A few days ago my daughter posted many of my family snaps on Facebook, and I immediately started to receive comments from friends along the lines of, “Gee, I didn’t think you ever took a bad picture.” I responded with humor, but, to be honest, was somewhat taken aback as I’ve tried to maintain a reputation of being a halfway decent photographer.<br /> <br /> So, my question to other advanced photographers, is how do you handle the issue of your non-commercial / snapshot-level images getting released (albeit without malice)? <br /> <br /> Cheers,<br /> <br /> Tom M<br /> Washington, DC</p>

[rick_williams6]

<p>Tom.<br>

I would like to see some of your better images v's your lesser 'snaps'.<br>

I'm far from being a pro, but would love to guage a standard set by others with greater experience and skill than myself.<br>

The fact you have no images on your page makes it hard for someone like me to imagine the level of distress this must be causing you.<br>

Wishing you well.<br>

Rick</p>

 

[patricklavoie]

<p>i only post good images ; )</p>

<p>Seriously, some pro create a alias to be on facebook, soem give acces to there facebook to friend only..but to be honest, i try to apply my knowledge to all the picture i take, snap or not, for me it still the same camera, the same light knowledge..so i rarely if never have any red eyes on my images for example. When i want to take snap, i put the camera to AUTO everything so i can concentrate on the party and not to the technical aspect of photography..just get my camera out of my pocket (canon G9) and snap.</p>

<p>On the other hand, you and i are not god, its normal for us human to grab different kind of quality image..that put you and i on the same level as your / my friend for those brief moment.. ; )</p>

[mark_loader]

<p>Hi, Tom...a friend of mine takes really nice landscape shots ( not pro-level, mind ) but cannot take a decent shot of his kids to save his life. His wife, however, takes great kid-shots and only uses the PHD mode ( push here, dummy ). A wonderful child pro-photographer in the UK will discard 97 out of 100 shots taken...although the 3 he keeps are magical. Kids are hard to shoot well IMHO but the frustration and effort can sometimes be rewarded with a shot to treasure. Or we could all shoot something easier....like a war..."Hold still for a second, will ya?!" love from Downunder..Mark</p>

[mikael_karlsson]

<p>Tom:<br /><br />By keeping private/family photography and professional photography separated. Even though I hate photographing for non-business reasons I do occasionally photograph the family. Those photos are never posted with my name on them though.</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>Ramp up the temperature to what you need, and convert to monochrome. Sometimes this helps. '</p>

<p>In this way, I will tinker with color temperature ("white balance") and tint to create a look to the photo that is similar to variable contrast filtering on an optical enlarger. Those kinds of systems will go from either magenta to yellow or from greenish to purple.</p>

<p>Then I'll do my regular adjustments; then I'll convert to monochrome (not by desaturating; there is a monochrome switch in Aperture 2); then wrap up the image with cropping. That monochrome adjuster is based on RGB; idea is to use tint and temperature to institute a set of changes that look like VC printing. Then, if need be, adjust how color goes to black and white using that monochrome adjuster. You can simulate filtered printing in black and white this way. It's imperfect by a good bit, but gives up some of the look.</p>

<p>You can't always pull ice out of the fire, but sometimes it can help save a poor shot. </p>

<p>And, reduce those poor pictures to begin with. You will get to a point in there where by Everyman's standards, over 80% of the shots look good. That won't be the retention rate of refined scrutiny, but some improvement is on the way. Don't post the shot if you think it is really bad and has no purpose. </p>

[peter_ferling]

<p>Start replacing your snapshots with pro level ability. This years vacation, the next birthday, the next family outing. Keep things fresh. If you can't bury all of them, then I suggest you follow John's advice for those that must remain.</p>

<p>I still have my G5 for snapshots, and shoot raw. I like the articulated screen and allows me to get low, and use different angles quickly (anything that departs from a snapshot, but is just as quick). My wife get's a little irritated with having to wait for me to process my shots, but I've explained the very same issue with her. Trust me, I've gotten leads from others seeing them.</p>

[nathan_meador]

<p>I think there is some mis-understanding on the topic, the OP is not posting the 'snapshots' to his website, his daughter is posting them on her facebook page (am I correct?) And these are just snapshots he has taken on vacation an what-not...not his portfolio. I think your 'friends' should understand the difference between a quick 'snapshot' and a carefully composed photo.</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>Don't give them to your daughter if you don't want them seen. As it is, most people don't look at photos the way avid photographers do and while they may "see" a "great" picture, if it's family shots, they aren't looking for great, they are looking for family.</p>

[joshroot]

<p>Don't stress about it. Just tell people, "Hey, they're just snapshots". If people are seriously giving you flack, they are idiots. Worrying about this sort of stuff is a waste of time.</p>

<p>That having been said, Peter makes a good point. Snapshots don't have to suck. To be honest, because of the level of familiarity my family/friends have with me, the amount of skill I have with a camera, and the love that I have for my subjects, I think that my family/friends photos are consistently some of the best images I have ever shot. At the very least, they mean the most to me and to those I care about.</p>

<p>Photos from a friend's 30th birthday mean much more than some magazine shot once the magazine's check is cashed.</p>

[tom_mann1]

<p>Hi folks. Thanks for the interesting thoughts on this subject. I can't touch on all the points raised, but many of the comments made definitely resonate with me. These include: <br /> <br /> a) "Snaps don't have to suck";<br /> b) Apply my compositional and other photo skills even to casual snaps<br /> ......... I try, sigh ...<br /> c) Some of my best shots are of the family / friends & have led to work<br /> ......... Absolutely true for me as well ...<br /> <br /> <br /> In this case, what happened was exactly what Peter Ferling described ... My daughter and wife were tired of always having to wait for me to process family pix. They wanted the most recent set (the family vacation) before I had a chance to even look at them myself, let alone process them in any way. Because I knew that I wouldn't be able to get around to working on them for a couple of weeks, I just gave my daughter the whole lot including shots where the AF hadn't locked, shots where the flash hadn't yet cycled, people not looking their best, multiple takes of every scene, etc. <br /> <br /> I assumed that our teenage daughter would pick out the best of the lot. Instead, being of the age and generation that is completely satisfied with low quality cell phone snaps, and thinks that OOF pix of people hamming it up two inches away from a camera lens are the pinnacle of humor, she simply uploaded the entire set. When I discussed this with them, they commented that most people are vastly less critical about photos than me, a point noted by Craig Gillette (above). <br /> <br /> In the future, since I just don't have the time or inclination to process hundreds of snapshots that will likely only be viewed casually, and I don't want to delay my family's access to them, I guess that the best solution may be to at least always perform a quick initial culling. Restraining myself from doing simple adjustments will, of course, be difficult, but I'll see to it that I grow a thicker skin ;-) <br /> <br /> It also occurs to me that since everyone knows that it's always the arrow and never the Indian ;-), I could simply never bring a dSLR or a big lenses to family events where this situation is likely to arise. Of course, everyone could then dismiss any poor shots by saying, "Oh, he didn't have his big camera with him." ;-)<br /> <br /> Cheers,<br /> <br /> Tom M<br /> Washington, DC</p>

[williamting]

<p>Set up friends lists and modify privacy settings accordingly. There are composed shots, and then there are casual shots. Composed are publicly viewable, but photos of me and my own casual shots are only viewable by a small minority and they should be able to tell the difference in intent.</p>

[pjmeade]

<p>I make a point of only posting snaps on FB, no one who knows my work has said anything negative about it. Perhaps just a little extra USM will make yours look wow!</p>

[oskar_ojala]

<p>Control what snaps you give out and work on improving them. Snaps can be surprisingly challenging!</p>

[znabal]

<p>I see two separate issues...<br>

First is the snapshot issue, I always qualify a snapshot by saying "this is a quick snapshot, no editing etc". If someone doesn't understand the difference, oh well.<br>

Second is the posting everything issue...my teenage daughter does that too. It seems to be especially common on a lot of the social sites. I've tried to show her that by only showing the best 1 out of every 10, that her photos become 10x better right away.<br>

After vacations etc, I've taken to picking a handful, 3 -5 that I quickly process so that my wife is at least a little bit satisfied and has something to post. My daughter posts her own, oh well :) -jeffl</p>

[john_h.1]

<p><em>Just tell people, "Hey, they're just snapshots".</em></p>

<p>That was my thought exactly. I might say, "All those great pros have their just for fun shots too and we like ours."</p>

[edgreene]

<p>I was the "official" photographer at our recent family reunion. <br>

I set the camera (E3 w/FL50 hot shoe flash) on "P" and fired away. <br>

I posted the resized-cropped images on the family website. <br>

Were the shots more "professional" than what the other family members got? "Nope"; and "yes". Far better exposed and "professionally" cropped to lop-off the extraneous. "Better" composition perhaps but hey: too many had those clowns who stick their heads in or lean into the shot.</p>

<p>What's a "fun" or "snap shot"? </p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>For years I've routinely discarded prints, negatives and slides that were badly exposed, out of focus or blurred. I do the same with digital. I probably discard outright 10% of my digital photos during my first review pass.</p>

<p>Only occasionally do I save a flawed photo if it appeals to me in some way or has some redeeming quality. Sometimes I like the results of unintended "happy accidents" (as Bob Ross called them). So if someone happens to see of those flawed photos it doesn't bother me because I chose to keep that photo.</p>

<p>Most of my photos are casual candid snapshots anyway. If I didn't want anyone to see them I probably shouldn't have taken 'em in the first place.</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>I'm with those who said, "Hey they're just snapshots". I'd add, "I take them too". In the future you may want to tell your wife and daughter to ask you before posting any of your pictures.</p>

[dan_b.4]

<p>Take the "snaps" and then make some photographs of your family as if you were documenting people you don't know.</p>

[alan_ginman]

<p>I find it really sad that some people can't or won't apply their photographic skills to recording the people they love most in the world. My family is the most most important thing in my life and I want to record them. I also feel I have a duty to use my skills (and the money I spend!) on something that benefits these people.</p>

<p>Regards</p>

<p>Alan</p>