kimberliswenson wrote:
It is all a matter of taste, I guess. Not may taste, though.
I agree... not mine either.
wilsondl2 wrote:
Ive been doing the same pose of a girl leaning against a tree with a fuzzy background for 40 years and 90% of the customers buy that shot. ..... If this was all they got it would be a differant story. ..... Amatures take what THEY want and like. - Dave
If you are shooting 100 senior portraits... they might all love the 'girl leaning against a tree with a fuzzy background' and I agree, that 90% (at least) will purchase THAT, as ONE of their options, and 5 to 10% *might* actually use THAT shot for their year book photo... but the other's (at least for/with me) want something different for the year book. The photo's the parents' send to family are often the 'old school style' - but the one the kid puts in the yearbook is often indicative of their choice & preference. If you look through the average school year book... you'll see some that are the same, but many that are very different, and often you can group which were done by which photographer.
As for that generic 'girl' (leaning against the tree)... if you are well established and lucky (or in a really small town - thus doing all the school year book photos, for all grades) you get her for 'sweet 16' shots, maybe Junior year, and Senior pictures.
If you are a 'rock' (well established) in the community... without a whole lot of competition, you'll get to shot her wedding (if you do that)... and you'll get some future family portraits, as her kids grow. Supplying happiness and memories to THAT CUSTOMER is all that matters, if that is your type of photography business, and you're building a client base from there.
When it comes to portraits, women do 90% of the purchasing (and setup the bookings). And, it's that girls' mother that will usually select the photographer based on good past experience(s). The dad's merely pay the bills, attempting to keep 'his girls' happy. So, it's all a win-win-win, if you are that type of professional photographer, you have 'boiler plate' stuff 'that sells' (and works) 90% of the time... just change the person, clothing, and lighting... and it's all good, sales wise. And, next year's 'sweet 16' - you have a whole new set of kids & parents to try to build from. I know many pro's that love this grind... it's their bread & butter, and produces about 75-95% of their yearly revenues. I'm glad for them... have no desire to compete with them in those areas... but clearly, those are not the only type or variety of professional photographer.
And, personally, (not that my opinion matters much to anyone here) I didn't care for the 'blown out' face of the guy in that photo, since it was intended to be a 'couple' photograph.
I LOVE seeing hair blown out a touch... and sometimes enjoy the 'halo' effect... and like messing with shadows and different back grounds... but washing out faces, blowing out features of the subject, aren't things I (personally) would show to or share with clients. However, my specialty isn't portraits... it's sports action & critters, and nature... so, my opinion is more personal than professional on that shot. As a photographer, I think a slight change of angle, use of a ND filter, would have worked MUCH BETTER. All that matters is what the people in the photo & their family thinks... but, me personally, I wouldn't have shared it with them IF I'd have ever shot it to begin with... but I haven't seen the balance of the set. Some of the other shots might be classic, perfect, and really impressive. IMHO, this one isn't.
JimH seems to have it figured out really well...
Personally, I used 2 external USB3 harddrives... and double drives in my system... and an off-site upload-to storage... and those photos that are most important to me, DVD (single layer, not double)... and in the last 12+ years, I've yet to loose a photo that was 'IN' my system (have had to do recovery on stuff BEFORE it got to my system... and stuff prior to being backed up & uploaded).
CD's & DVD's are not subject to magnetic interference. But, storing an external in a good fire safe pretty well protects it from anything that wouldn't otherwise end the world as we know it.
FYI: 1 terabyte of information (photos/videos) transfers over USB2 in about 27 hours... that same terabyte goes to a USB3 drive in about 6 hours. So, I'd suggest upgrading to USB3's - both slots & drives. Desktops with a PCI-Express slot can be upgraded. Note books with the PCI-Express socket (narrower than the old PCMCIA slots) are upgradable, no express slot... start saving for a new computer is you are dealing with massive files (size & quantity).
BTW - I have CD-Rom's that are over 20years old that work perfectly, and DVD's over 15 years old that are also fine. The key is keeping them dust & sun-light free... and in the general temperature range of 50 to 90 degrees, and no quick temperature changes. Do this, and have them written in FAT-16 (old style), FAT-32 or NTFS, with ISO verification standards... and they should be good for at least another 50 to 100 years (so long as you have a drive that is capable of hooking up). The DVD's & CD-Rom's, when 'session closed,' should allow for reading on any compatible drive & system. But Blu-ray's are the next phase the industry is pushing toward (because of sony, the movie industry, and the porn industry). DVD's are already well under a dollar to produce.
If you toss stuff around, leave it laying around, don't take care of it... then it won't last as well or long. But, at least for now, backward compatibility on the DVD side is being maintained very well, and I honestly don't see DVD drives disappearing for atleast another dozen years, if then. And, even still, like vinyl records... there will be third party readers/copiers to convert to the then current technology. So, having lived in that industry for nearly 20 years (CD's, DVD's, Replication, etc.) I wouldn't worry much about backing up to DVD's... just take good care of those that have valuable backups on them... and do direct write copies, not compressed "backup's" when it comes to photos & videos.
Love that definition of 'expert' - hadn't heard that one before.
Another I once heard is: "Amateurs practice until they get it right, experts practice until they can't get it wrong." ~Unknown
"With computers & photography, as in life, every day is a learning experience, because regardless how much you think you know, there will always be some changes, upgrades, or differences in perspective that can improve what you are doing." ~Terry Mercer
I agree... if that couple SNAPSHOT was the 'best' - then I'd be demanding a refund. And, if I shot something like that, which is unlikely, it would have been deleted on the initial sort - and never shown to the client. Sadly, an ND filter, CP, and a slightly different angle could have made this photo much better easily.
Another of the things that annoy me, with some 'pros' is that the majority of their portrait shots look identical - other than the actual face - from person to person, couple to couple. Same poses, same angles, same lighting, same back grounds, same body positioning, and same prop(s). So little differences. Personally, I'd think that was boring.
I was once told that the 'customers' don't compare and that's what they want... and I responded with 'customers' imply repeat business; which, unless you change things up some, I'm wondering if you get.
Some of their shots was almost like the man that took 365 pictures of his beard & hair growth... one a day... from the same position (spot), angle, lighting, etc. then turned it into a high speed 'movie' and his body & face hardly moved from frame to frame... despite 365 different photos.
Personally, I only shoot RAW's when I'm capturing something I plan to print larger than 8x10, or is for commercial work... with the exclusion of sports action - those are seldom ever shot in RAW, unless it's a potential famous athlete. My High Res jpegs are 6 to 12MB, my RAW's are nearly 100MB EACH... with only about a 10% difference, unless the photograph is going to be printed larger than 11x14/16x20... THEN raw is really beneficial & necessary (IMHO). Otherwise, high res jpeg works pretty dang well, and doesn't take up as much space on the camera's memory card or my computers.
I totally agree about learning to use & adjust for the histogram. It's a very useful tool.
For most cameras, there are 4 setting choices people make shooting movement:
Auto - usually blurry, unless the lighting is almost perfect.
Sports - usually dark, but blur is usually stopped
TV - (shutter priority) - no or little blur, usually brighter light (unless indoors)
Manual - Ooooo Lala.... controls everything yourself, based on your equipment. Many generalities, and allows you to get the best your equipment can give when things are right.
The key to shooting motion is starting with the appropriate shutter speed (must be first decision - when shooting motion - and you want the slowest speed necessary to get the shot as you want).
Second, aperature - because it controls DoF and lighting issues. Wider opening = litter number, but shorter DoF... Narrower opening, less light in exposure, greater DoF, more light or higher ISO compensates for the darkness. NEVER alter your shutter speed to brighten motion shots.
Third, ISO - because it brightens or darkens, based on the other two settings and ambient lighting (or flash use).
Forth, exposure control...
Fifth, practice... practice, practice...
EVERY arena, gym, field I shoot... requires 1 to 5 'test shots' to adjust for the lighting (White Balance) & ISO & exposure. 99% of the time I already know what shutter speed & aperature I'll be wanting to shoot at for that given sport or action. If necessary, make yourself a 'cheat sheet' with the shutter speeds for different types of shots... and different aperature settings for different effects (DoF's) based on the lens you most often use. All the rest is what you change to compensate for your lighting & environment. Best of luck... it's a blast... especially when you get those awe shots.
A
www... squeaky toys... little stuffies on stick or string... one at a time, and then the group. There is often one 'leader' - remove them and the others will act very differently. Anyhow... Pomeranian's are 'cute' - I'd never own one, but I have a sister that 'love's them' (thus having a few over the years). LOL
How to get a great lightening shot... hummm... settings, practice, and some luck. But, it's usually re-creatable in any good storm, so luck has much less to do with it.
First, you've gotta have some great lightening. There needs to be some predictability in WHERE the lightening will strike. Like ocean waves, or dragon flies patrolling their territory, or Osprey's fishing to feed their young, there is usually some predictability. There are usually some 'sets' or timing to pay attention to, and get figured out. In the shot above, note the 'dark wall' cover above?!?! All the lightening came from that. Usually, lightening storms have multiple flashes in the same general area, or same 'set' of cloud cover... focus on those, pay attention to the winds, and the movement of those clouds - because that is where the lightening will be going.
Second, weather/water proof your camera (don't want anyone getting their camera ruined). They make some great covers, with one or both hand holes... that are 'tripod ready.' If you can, a porch or covered deck is great... better without any glass in the way (which will spot up if you aren't careful).
Third, I normally set the focus to manual & infinity... and tweak it from there. Usually fairly wide angle, seldom over 100mm, and seldom under 50mm. You don't want to crop too much, because you might want to blow it up to poster size or bigger. At the same time, too light isn't great for some applications (like advertizing, which needs copy space).
Forth, I usually try to set the aperature to a broad DoF (narrow) f8 or above to get the greatest distance potential.
Fifth, I try to set the shutter speed as slow as possible... which means that it needs to be on a tripod. 30 seconds, or sometimes even a shutter lock if it's dark enough. I never use the 'screen' during the shooting or focusing, only the preview to make sure things are in focus & sharp enough. If you have shutter lock... a really cool trick is to lock it open, and when the lightening occurs, slide a black board or card in from of the lens and unlock it. Double check your focus & settings, and lock it back up for the next shot...
Sixth, for lightening (and long shutters), I almost always use a wired remote trigger... less camera shake... none if your tripod is weighted & balanced correctly. Stability for long shutter speed & locks is vital.
Seventh, low ISO (100 usually... because a higher ISO will blow out the shot if the strike is too bright or close).
The settings for the shot above:
ISO 100
55mm
f/14
30s (30/1)
I've never YET shot any tornado funnels... but that's my hope, goal, and plan in the near future. And I'll be getting some more lightening strikes. They are surprisingly popular, especially if there are some clouds showing, or it's 'seen' hitting a tree, or building, or over a city.
Those hummingbird shots were with my 'tank' - it's big & heavy, slow, but perfect if you are prepared: 80-400 Tokina Pro with a Canon EF mount. My Canon 35-350 L was used on the other bird shots (it's a touch lighter, faster, and quieter).
Unless I KNOW the distance, I don't like using Prime lens for moving objects (likes birds in flight). It's way to tough to get them 'in the frame' when they are too close.
And, personally, for motion/action, I prefer a 'slider' telephoto over the twist. Slide for the distance, twist for manual focus over-rides. Sorta like a trombone player... after you've been doing it for a while, you have an idea where to push or pull the lens for 'that distance' - to get the shot, when things are moving. LOL
Tricia - the nest is really cool... would be tough not to shoot them every day, to capture their growth. How close to the nest do the parents let you get?? I'd love to stumble upon something like that. Way cool... The nests I find are usually 50+ feet off the ground, and I'm too damn old to be climbing trees with camera gear!
MWAC - thanks, that's pretty cool... better than the one that ships with Canon or Adobe I think (on quick look).
@Susanmarie - depends on the brand, but it's most always in the 'menu' settings... if it's there. Scroll through and look for 'actuations' or 'shutter releases' usually. One brand, many years ago had '# of clicks.' I don't think I've ever seen a dSLR that didn't track that. I have seen Point and Shoots & fixed lens pocket cameras that didn't (or if they did, I never found it).
@RMM - I didn't have photoshop back then.
I used what ever shipped with windows or Canon... or (back then) Flickr for the cropping and framing. Most 'finished' photos have some sharpening, and cropping, depending on the photo.
I'm learning more about photoshop; but, while I see the benefits, I much prefer taking pictures over spending time trying to 'create them' - but like making the best presentations I can.
Photoshop, to me, is extremely powerful... but generally to slow... because it's one photo at a time, and really more for a graphic artist, which I'm not. My goal is making the best capture I can the first time, and spending as little time as I can in the post-processing. Crop, angle, brightness, and a touch of sharpening. Pretty basic stuff. I sometimes use filters or reflectors... but most of the time it's just prior planning, patience, preparedness, and tons of practice.
BTW - $250 for a 40D with anything is an incredible deal. One of my son's shoots with my old 40, another with my 30 (pushing 300k clicks), a step son with an XsI, and another shooting one with my old 50D. The boys' love the dSLR's, the girls seem to prefer the pocket cameras.