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how do i know if i am good?
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Aug 25, 2011 16:09:34   #
sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant
 
Mr ralls I concur with your advice 100%, You put it better than I could, and your advice is aplicable to any endevor. A tip of the hedgehog to you sir. I enjoyed your editing of the crane photo. I have found no matter how much time I take composing in the viewfinder before taking the shot, I can always find something to tweak in photoshop elements. 8-)

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Aug 25, 2011 16:32:52   #
Rich Loc: Titusville, Fl
 
brandy sanders wrote:
i love taking photos and i have been doing it since i was about 13. i am now 36 and i would like to get into photography a lil more. i have never taken any classes and i would love to do so. i bought my nikon d 90 in feb. and i love it. but i need to know how do you know if i will ever be good enough to be a"pro"?


Your photos are good. The top photo needs to be cropped, the wild flower is the subject but there is way too much green around it. Learn to pretty much fill you screen with your subject.

The photo of the wild ducks is too blue. I have many photos just like them in my albums but I found out how important "white balance" is and now I get more natural colors in my photos.

The last photo of the egret is good but in need of cropping. The subject is the egret but it gets lost in
a sea of green. Try to fill the frame.

Keep shooting and all will fit into place.

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Aug 25, 2011 16:33:33   #
Rich Loc: Titusville, Fl
 
brandy sanders wrote:
i love taking photos and i have been doing it since i was about 13. i am now 36 and i would like to get into photography a lil more. i have never taken any classes and i would love to do so. i bought my nikon d 90 in feb. and i love it. but i need to know how do you know if i will ever be good enough to be a"pro"?


Your photos are good. The top photo needs to be cropped, the wild flower is the subject but there is way too much green around it. Learn to pretty much fill you screen with your subject.

The photo of the wild ducks is too blue. I have many photos just like them in my albums but I found out how important "white balance" is and now I get more natural colors in my photos.

The last photo of the egret is good but in need of cropping. The subject is the egret but it gets lost in
a sea of green. Try to fill the frame.

Keep shooting and all will fit into place.

Reply
 
 
Aug 26, 2011 00:59:26   #
brandy sanders Loc: louisiana
 
KathyinNH wrote:
Hi Brandy, nice work. One suggestion that will help you a lot is to join a camera club in your area. I joined one approx. 5 years ago and it is the best thing I've ever done. It is incredible how much you will learn as a member. We have 2 photo contests every month and the critiques from those contests are invaluable. Good Luck.


i dont know if they have those around here but i will look into that. thanks for your coment!

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Aug 26, 2011 01:01:47   #
brandy sanders Loc: louisiana
 
Rich wrote:
brandy sanders wrote:
i love taking photos and i have been doing it since i was about 13. i am now 36 and i would like to get into photography a lil more. i have never taken any classes and i would love to do so. i bought my nikon d 90 in feb. and i love it. but i need to know how do you know if i will ever be good enough to be a"pro"?


Your photos are good. The top photo needs to be cropped, the wild flower is the subject but there is way too much green around it. Learn to pretty much fill you screen with your subject.
The photo of the wild ducks is too blue. I have many photos just like them in my albums but I found out how important "white balance" is and now I get more natural colors in my photos.

The last photo of the egret is good but in need of cropping. The subject is the egret but it gets lost in
a sea of green. Try to fill the frame.

Keep shooting and all will fit into place.
quote=brandy sanders i love taking photos and i h... (show quote)


awesome thanks for the advice! :mrgreen:

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Aug 26, 2011 01:12:54   #
brandy sanders Loc: louisiana
 
wmralls wrote:
brandy sanders wrote:
i love taking photos and i have been doing it since i was about 13. i am now 36 and i would like to get into photography a lil more. i have never taken any classes and i would love to do so. i bought my nikon d 90 in feb. and i love it. but i need to know how do you know if i will ever be good enough to be a"pro"?


Brandy.

First, my advice, then my critique of your pics.

1. I am a firm believer that anyone can excel, moving above others in the pack if they (a) believe in themselves, (b) are realistic, and (c) follow my signature guidance below. All of this ends up translating to work, hard work, and work that progresses the talent and skills. Just taking a lot of pics without critiquing the pics, without getting others to critique the pics (TO INCLUDE PROS), without learning from the pics, and without improving is simply a great waste of time and effort. To excel - or just call it "improve" - demands: a goal (you have a good start but should eventually refine your goal to something more specific like a pro that specializes in ...), a plan and your mention of classes is part of a good plan, and heart - the strength to preserver when it gets boring, tedious, tough to stay focused, demand sacrifices, and sometimes be just plain disheartening. Everyone that has achieved "Pro" status has gone through these emotions, gotten back on track, and stuck to the course. That's what separates the Pro's from the amateurs. You are getting into an area that can cost bucks. Good news is the expenditures do not have to come all at once.

2. Your pics are a touch above average. They show some thought toward composition, color, theme, and the technicals like focus, and depth of field. I really like the crane flying but it does exhibit the prime mantra, if you do not like a pic - get closer. A cropping if possible (given the rez the pic was shot at) would help. Never be afraid to "get in the face of" when shooting if possible, crop if not. The crane pic suffers a pit from the fact that the focal point, the crane, is overcome by the trees to the left. I am posting my example of how this could have been cropped. I also dulled down the background to get the bird to pop a bit. The "Wild Ducks" is nice;"Wild Flowers" mundane but using a good DOF (depth of field) to blur out the background. For me, backgrounds are always an issue. My first question to myself is whether or not the background, in all its glory, adds or detracts from my pic. Next question is whether or not that background is even needed in the final pic. Maybe I will take the main subject and add my own background post-processing (Photoshop).

So, good luck. The world can always use more and better pics of itself. :lol:
quote=brandy sanders i love taking photos and i h... (show quote)


thank you so much for the advice and the info. the example is great! i need a photo shop do you have any suggestions? so far you have given me the best advice. haha now someone has to top that. all of my photos have not been edited at all so i have work to do. thank you again!

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Aug 26, 2011 01:14:00   #
brandy sanders Loc: louisiana
 
rocco_7155 wrote:
Brandy,
also in Louisiana (though I am a transplanted "Yankee"). I love the variety of environments and subjects to photrograph in this state. The stuff you have posted looks good... Roc


thank rocco!

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Aug 26, 2011 02:25:08   #
ddeufemia
 
Well..Brandy I just went to Wikipedia and typed in the word professional. Would you be amazed at what I found out about your question? Ya take the class. On the other hand, a friend of mine that taught at Brooks for 15yrs. told me not to take classes because my artistic style would suffer from all the photo tricks and lazy short cuts they would seduce me with. Most gold miners (99%) never strike it rich. What about photography? Have fun and smile.

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Aug 26, 2011 17:26:51   #
kenb Loc: K.Tex
 
Brandy
I think you have a very good eye, I really like the white Egret with the dark back ground.
I like the contrast it draws your eye to the bird.
In your first photo of the wildflower if you could have had the flower in sharp focus and through dept of field have the background slightly out of focus think it would have directed your attention to the blossum.
Just my way of looking at things , not being critical at all I hope you understand.



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Aug 26, 2011 19:54:10   #
condor
 
Keep your camera handy at all times. When it's handy your photo eye will be on the lookout for that kodak moment.

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Aug 26, 2011 20:14:28   #
Rich Loc: Titusville, Fl
 
kenb wrote:
Brandy
I think you have a very good eye, I really like the white Egret with the dark back ground.
I like the contrast it draws your eye to the bird.
In your first photo of the wildflower if you could have had the flower in sharp focus and through dept of field have the background slightly out of focus think it would have directed your attention to the blossum.
Just my way of looking at things , not being critical at all I hope you understand.


Love you photo of the frog.

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Aug 26, 2011 22:23:24   #
sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant
 
brandy as for editing software my recomendation is photoshop elements9. You said you want to go pro, well that means go to school for photography or aprenticing with a pro. Either case you are going to run into elements big brother photoshop. it is the editing software used by an overwhelming number of professionals and schools. By getting elements when you master it you are at least 75% of the way to mastering photoshop. Now since you have posted some photos and took critique well, I'll let you in on the photographers secret. You will know you are ready when the ghost of ansel adams apears before you, soaks you in developer taps you on the shoulde three times with his tripod and says the magic words depth of field rule of thirds cannon is evil. Then you will know you are ready :!: :idea: :lol: :roll: Alll kidding aside I think you will make it. You ask good questions and you have a hunger to learn.

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Sep 1, 2011 11:28:30   #
brandy sanders Loc: louisiana
 
rocco_7155 wrote:
Brandy,
also in Louisiana (though I am a transplanted "Yankee"). I love the variety of environments and subjects to photrograph in this state. The stuff you have posted looks good... Roc


thank you for your input!

Reply
Sep 2, 2011 17:16:57   #
brandy sanders Loc: louisiana
 
wmralls wrote:
brandy sanders wrote:
i love taking photos and i have been doing it since i was about 13. i am now 36 and i would like to get into photography a lil more. i have never taken any classes and i would love to do so. i bought my nikon d 90 in feb. and i love it. but i need to know how do you know if i will ever be good enough to be a"pro"?


Brandy.

First, my advice, then my critique of your pics.

1. I am a firm believer that anyone can excel, moving above others in the pack if they (a) believe in themselves, (b) are realistic, and (c) follow my signature guidance below. All of this ends up translating to work, hard work, and work that progresses the talent and skills. Just taking a lot of pics without critiquing the pics, without getting others to critique the pics (TO INCLUDE PROS), without learning from the pics, and without improving is simply a great waste of time and effort. To excel - or just call it "improve" - demands: a goal (you have a good start but should eventually refine your goal to something more specific like a pro that specializes in ...), a plan and your mention of classes is part of a good plan, and heart - the strength to preserver when it gets boring, tedious, tough to stay focused, demand sacrifices, and sometimes be just plain disheartening. Everyone that has achieved "Pro" status has gone through these emotions, gotten back on track, and stuck to the course. That's what separates the Pro's from the amateurs. You are getting into an area that can cost bucks. Good news is the expenditures do not have to come all at once.

2. Your pics are a touch above average. They show some thought toward composition, color, theme, and the technicals like focus, and depth of field. I really like the crane flying but it does exhibit the prime mantra, if you do not like a pic - get closer. A cropping if possible (given the rez the pic was shot at) would help. Never be afraid to "get in the face of" when shooting if possible, crop if not. The crane pic suffers a pit from the fact that the focal point, the crane, is overcome by the trees to the left. I am posting my example of how this could have been cropped. I also dulled down the background to get the bird to pop a bit. The "Wild Ducks" is nice;"Wild Flowers" mundane but using a good DOF (depth of field) to blur out the background. For me, backgrounds are always an issue. My first question to myself is whether or not the background, in all its glory, adds or detracts from my pic. Next question is whether or not that background is even needed in the final pic. Maybe I will take the main subject and add my own background post-processing (Photoshop).

So, good luck. The world can always use more and better pics of itself. :lol:
quote=brandy sanders i love taking photos and i h... (show quote)


i do like it croped. it looks good

Reply
Sep 3, 2011 00:36:50   #
PENSACOLAPHOTOGRAPHER Loc: PENSACOLA
 
Alas, print quality is but a small portion of operating a photography business. Salesmanship determines profit. The photographer who tought me, always said, if you cant dazzel them with brilliance, baffle them with bull s@$t. As an artist, I am never completely satisfied. That is what keeps us competitive. The day I find myself happy with what I have produced, I'll put my camera away. Untill then, shoot what you love and you'll do well with what you shoot.

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