I did not read all 12 pages of comment, only read a couple of pages. If I pay someone to teach me I am open and willing to take in what they are telling me in order to absorb the information and use it to be a better photographer, something I am always striving to be. I agree with his comments on the work you've shown, the work is a good start but does have faults. If you did not want to learn from this person perhaps you should have taken a class with someone else. A lot of people on this site would say any photo posted, and it could be the worst photo in the world, was a wonderful one, but saying that to every image does not help us to grow in our photography. Be open, listen and learn and you will be a better photographer. Or, if you just want to hear that someone likes your work keep on posting on this forum and you'll get that, no matter how bad it is.

I've taken those classes as well in DC from Smithsonian and Nat. Geo. pro's. Some were good and some were egotistic. I remember one of these guys I showed a print I had made of a gnarled tree in Great Basin NP and he was very interested in the negative. I got it and he was very impressed. It was Kodak 120 technical pan and he hadn't heard of it yet. I had an extra roll and I gave it to him, (wish I had it back now) and he used it that week in Rock Creek Park and was super impressed with it and congratulated me on finding it. He was one of the good instructors. I have taught and always thought nit was important to pass on knowledge and encouragement rath/er than try to show everyone how good I was.
Keep shooting, from. what I saw of your shots you are certainly on the right path!

Morning all! So I just got through taking a 5 day class with a very well known photographer who has won many, many awards, photos in the Smithsonian and is a judge for contests like Natures Best Photography. I learned sooo much about what makes a great photo.

Half way through the 5 days I was feeling quite overwhelmed and almost in tears because to get the photo that he would consider a photo seems near impossible. I totally understand photos before and just after sunrise and sunset are the best, but is it awful that I still want to take photos mid day? On several of my trips I have still gotten photos I really like, even though they do not have the special light and there are shadows etc. I scoured my photos and submitted them for the class and so far I do not have one photo that is not a "non-photo" due to shadow or lack of a hook or a background that is not totally creamy, or a host of other bad things.

I will post some of his comments to what I thought was going to be an ok photo.

The last one was reviewed verbally, the shadows! Bridge of the nose by eye, and the light patch of fur below the right eye as you look at the photo and curve shadow back to the nose is a big distraction. He could tell I was off by 2 degrees and that caused the bad shadow. The lighter fur to the left of the nose stops the eye from traveling from the lower left to the eye. You are supposed to have something soft in the lower left that makes your eye travel from lower left to the "hook" eye. In this case it does not work due to light fur interrupts the flow to the eye and then the shadows on the right. Then, the white fur on the lips could have been lightened to make it better if the other issues had not condemned it to be a "non-photo". Oh and the green line going through the background is bad.

Who knew you were not supposed to have sky in a bird photo, or that with something like a coyote all 4 legs must have separation and no crossover and that the farthest away front leg should be going forward. That the background must be very creamy with no light and dark areas. Shadows are the worst! Like crap, I was off by 2 or 4 degrees with the shadow. Must have a hook, no lines and of course good light, no messy sticks. Example an owl in a tree is bad if the leaves are all around it.

Anyway, I feel like a bad person/photographer for still liking some of my photos that are not perfect and still wanting to just have fun taking a photo and if I see a mom and baby moose at noon in a messy field of grass with a shadow, I'm still going to take the photo!

Again, I learned a LOT and the pro is a very nice guy and very talented. I will try and do what he says, but may still take what I know will be a "non-photo" am I bad?

Comments welcome, I have had lots of criticism lately, I can handle it! Well I might cry....