egilley

Thanks for the feedback. I do not use my strobes in iTTL. I manually set both of my strobes, and I do a lot of guesswork, playing with the settings until I get something that looks pleasing. I am to the point where I have a general idea of where my portrait lighting ratios should be, but as the situation changes (people move , different poses, change in backdrop, etc) I still have to fiddle around quite a bit. I guess that once the lighting becomes second nature, I will become much more comfortable. It sounds to me like another strobe is the way to go, then I can focus on the light meter later on for fine tuning. It's probably best to learn this stuff through real trial and error, anyways.

OK, so I am using the Nikon Creative Lighting System with my D300. I have one SB800 and an SB600. For my

portraits, I am finding that I really need an extra light to add some "punch" to my photos. My problem is that I use

the SB600 as either a hairlight or a background light, but obviously I cannot use it for both purposes at the same

time. So I want to purchase a new flash, preferably another SB800 so that I always have a dedicated background

light and hairlight.

 

But I would also like to invest in a new light meter. I am looking at the Sekonic line. I have never used a light meter

before, but I hear it can help save time by not having to finneagle with the exposure settings as much. Also, I should

get better exposures if I learn how to use it properly. It is an item that I can use in studio and on-location.

 

So, the problem lies in the fact that I cannot purchase both of these items at this time. Which of these items seems

like it would have the most impact on my images? Which would you buy if you had to make a choice?

 

Thanks, everyone!

Thanks, everyone, for all of the great responses. I have learned a lot from your suggestions and I plan on implementing many of them. From my understanding of your posts, I need a cleaner more updated design, a less distracting color palette, a more streamlined and well-chosen portfolio for my gallery, and a less confusing message (boudoir, pets, people). Also, my images need sharpening ( I think that may be a result of the Microsoft OfficeLive image uploader as the images are not that soft when viewed in Photoshop).

 

Again, I really appreciate your responses. Thanks!

 

Earline

Hi, I was hoping some folks out there could take a look at my <a

href="http://www.ekgphotography.com">website</a> and critique the overall graphic design, logo, and navigation.

What kind of message am I sending with this site design? Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.<br>

My site is hosted by Microsoft OfficeLive, so it is not entirely customizable on my end. I do have some control over

the location of navigation links (left side of screen, top, or both) and the color palettes are predetermined but I can

select other palettes. I can also add in some HTML and JavaScript in the main body of my pages, but not in the

header. Also, what do you think of the galleries? <br>

 

Thanks so much!

 

Earline

http://www.ekgphotography.com

Liz,

 

I agree with the many other responses you have received.... it's about marketing and presenting a polished image. It's about consistency. Changing your logo and web site time after time sends an unprofessional message. Get a logo and a website that you like and stick with it. There are some days when I think about playing with my logo or changing my website colors and layout, and I just let the moment pass. I have business cards and flyers that match my site, and when people see my cards and flyers I want them to see one brand.

 

I think, of course, that it's important to be an excellent photographer, but in the end it's about getting the word out. I am still new to marketing, but I am realizing how utterly important it is to make a connection with potential customers.

For birds, turtles, alligators in or near water, I use a Circular Polarizer. Sunny Florida can make a Neutral Density filter pretty useful, and I always keep a UV protector on all my lenses.