WorldTraveler1204

Hello!
My name is Stephen, and I am taking a photography class in college. During this class I have fallen in love with photography, and have bought a prime lense.

My gear currently is a Cannon T6I rebel with one 50mm lense 1.4
one 55-250mm
one 18-55mm
Lenses.

My goals for photography are to be able to shoot birds, people, and landscapes. If anyone has any suggestions for gear to help me accomplish this that would be great! Also, i would like to shoot really tiny things outside. The other goal I have is to travel the world and shoot everyone in their natural environment. I also want to get the wildlife in every country too!

Please let me know how my pictures can be stronger. I want to perfect my craft. I am open to any and all critiques! I attached four photos that I have shot myself.


Thanks for reading this,
Stephen.

Attached file:
(Download)

Attached file:
(Download)

Attached file:
(Download)

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Welcome to UHH

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Welcome to the forum.
(Get a decent tripod for the landscapes.)

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

yo will need to increase you camera body number by at least two and it should be top of the line bodies and you will need several more lenses. Plus studio flash at least 3 of them. On camera flash at least two of them and get the highest flash light output (guide number) you can find on the market to work with your Camera. Learn green screen use and have a green screen in your studio. Oh yes you need a studio of some sort with a few backgrounds unless you really know green screen and Adobe. You should also get Adobe CS6.
Now if all of this seems expensive just think about how much you want that career in photography. You can opt to shoot for a studio full time and make money and gain experience. Studio's usually want you to have your own gear but not your own studio. So the Pro camera and lenses will get you a start.
One way or another you will need a website because no one carries around a portfolio of 11x14's any longer they ask for the link to your site.
Not trying to discourage but it will cost you to get into the profession.
Just be willing to be the best you can be and find out where Professional Photographers of America has their school of photography and plan on attending it.
I know this stuff because I am a professional Photographer. Retired but still out there shooting for a studio that took me back after 30 years of being on my own. Only got back to afford digital gear and they seemed more than happy to have someone with my experience back on board. I retired when digital hit and when I found the only film left was what had been in someone's freezer I turned to digital and found to get more gear I had to go back to work. Love the job and love the hobby. Also love Adobe and what I can do with it. Remember every spare penny you make for the first 2 to 5 years will buy your gear and if you work as a freelance you can take the cost off on taxes as business expenses. It's a tough occupation to get into. Sometimes luck and sometimes knowing people in the industry.

Newsbob Loc: SF Bay Area

If you don’t want to make photography as a career, spend some time learning post-processing. I was only able to view your first photo, but it had really good lighting. It could benefit from a bit of cropping on the left side. But mostly, it didn’t “pop.” There are thousands of excellent instructional sources about Lightroom and Photoshop as well as other similar programs. Join your local photo club, submit your photos and learn from the judges’ critiques. It’s a great hobby, but as a career, it’s difficult.

jdub82 Loc: Northern California

Welcome to the forum! The T6i is a good camera. As time goes on you will want to add to your lens collection. For birds and wildlife you will need more reach than the 55-250 lens will give you. Enjoy photography and explore the capabilities of your camera.

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

Learn to use what you have. Don’t rush to buy anything. Make you goals smaller. Focus on portraits or landscapes.Honestly the portrait you did needs a lot more instruction.

JoeB Loc: Mohawk Valley, NY

Hello Stephen, welcome to UHH. Very nice photos.

JoeB

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

Welcome to the forum.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

You have a great start in your lens range, they don't overlap. You will need a decent tripod with quick change head. To start with macro, get a set of aspherical close-up lenses. They screw on like a filter, are relatively cheap, very portable, and can yield surprisingly good results. A focusing rail for your macros would be a good addition. Have fun.

WorldTraveler1204

What instruction would you give me?? I need to learn as much as I can.

dbfalconer Loc: Salida CO

Welcome! Love your excitement! Those are ambitious goals! In time you may find a genre that you want to really focus on but it’s great to experiment with them all. The third shot, girl in cafe, is my favorite. It expresses a mood and tells more of a story than the others. (#2 was baffling. Owl? Carving? Two shapes of equal weight.) Have fun!

WorldTraveler1204

It’s an owl carving! When you say baffeling what does that mean exactly? Also, how would you improve my shots?

dbfalconer Loc: Salida CO

Hi! I just had to look so closely—couldn’t quite figure it out. Maybe the carving is vague—or your shot could have captured more detail. The other form, being the same size and general shape, was distracting: which part of photo should I look at? You want to lead the viewer’s eye around the photo, but there was no connection between those parts.
Girl #1– pleasant but no ‘pop.’ Maybe adjust lighting? Girl with laptop—also pleasant, nice personality. I’m just an amateur but the cafe scene had mood so I liked that. Girl was just sharp enough and I liked her gaze. I considered crop options but thought it was good as is. Just my opinions. Take lots of pix!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Check out http://digital-photography-school.com/ for starters.