"much prefer this kind of photography to the landscapes of Adams."
Agreed, albeit two totally different genres...

The diversity and surreal emotional impact truly take his work to the zenith of our craft...
So Timeless... So Poignant...

Had several posters of Elliot's work on my tiny apartment's wall during my years at the University of Maryland...
That is where I became hopelessly infatuated with Art & Craft of photography...
Never recovered, still afflicted with the same intense desire to create & master the craft...

Elliot is a true giant of lifestyle genre...
Only Dorothea Lange lifestyle collection towers above him...

Dorothea's work captures the very essence i.e. soul of her subjects with such visual impact that etches her "minds eye" so vividly into your conscience you never ever forget...

Lange’s Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California (1936) is the most iconic image depicting the Great Depression. The image “exists in more formats, prints, and places than (arguably) any other photograph in the world”

The resulting photograph captures 32-year-old migrant worker Florence Owens Thompson with her two daughters. Lange cropped the image closely, focusing in on Owens’ furrowed brow, her dirt-dusted fingers, and the tousled hair of her children who huddle against her—details that communicate weariness, affection, and deep human bonds.

Many thanks to all for sharing...

Jimmy the good news is you've nail focus on the floral display...
Albeit it's a tad under exposed... Typically when shooting "Still Life" a photographer will do a series of brackets and select the most appropriate and germane exposure (for the subject).

However in your initial capture here I believe you may have the floral display too close to the background which is casting a very distinct and annoying shadow on same... EZ fix? Move the floral display further from the background and use a longer focal length of your lens (assuming you are using zoom optics) or a longer prime.

Next soften the key light by bouncing it off a reflector (or shooting thru a scrim etc.)
It would help if you shared your f/? Stop and Focal Length? (and lens type) so other posters can provide meaningful guidance....

I've always found an example to be worth a Thousand Words so I've posted an example of a "static" subject taken with a long focal length... Illumination? Key light here is a collapsible silver/white reflector (72") held by our lighting assistant on this assignment. You can clearly see the oval reflector "Catch Light" in this talent's eyes. Camera: Nikon D3; SS: 1/250; ISO: 100; Lens: AF 300mm f/2.8 Tokina; at f/3.2; on a Sirui P-324 MonoPod

You can see more of Samantha's Fashion Editorials at Samantha Miller T.H.E. Artist Agency; Washington, DC

Hope this helps Jimmy or is at least food for thought?
Wishing you much Joy and Success on your photographic journey
Cheers! Thomas

Lifestyle (Millinery) Retro Panama Straw Fedora (Model: Samantha Miller (Agency Represented)); Wardrobe: Fedora by Stetson USA; Lighting Assistant: Collin Vass; Venue: Botanical Garden - Private estate (Germantown, MD)

(Download)

Lovely hair styling and makeup artistry Wayne...

Welcome to UHH Joseph...
Loving your Volleyball pivotal moment, excellent composition, stellar narrative so beautiful done
As Don mentioned you'll likely want to check out UHH's Sports Photography Forum

Be advised this forum contains one of the best aggregate of Commercial Photographers on UHH so you'll be in with a tough crowd there. Lot's of Z9 shooters... and very little BS, only Epic Publication Quality imagery.

That said, keen competition breeds excellence... Always has and likely always will..
Speaking of which if you want to find those who truly work at the zenith of our craft look to flickr...
There you can search using flickr's superb tools to ferret out precisely the genre and Kit you're interested in...

Wishing you much Joy and financial success on your Sports Shooter career journey Joseph.
Cheers! Thomas

Jules long ago I learned an epic kludge from a commercial shooter I was assisting... We had the herculean task of doing team portraiture on the fly... a.k.a. without much time for setup and/or adjusting equipment (wasn't in the budge). Soooo he simply set his white point on the off an aggregate statistical readings of the Sclera latent within the groups of players. Obviously shooting RAW and taking care not to "Clip" the highlights the results were simply amazing... I've duplicated this myself many times on portrait session... You will be surprised at how close you can nail WB off the Sclera (especially of young adults)... With age the aforemention begins to fall apart so you've been warned here to only use with healthy young adults (also many illnesses and even controlled substance abuse may (and often will) invalidate the results).

btw. ask any commercial "retoucher" and they will tell you that it's SOP to de-saturate and/or brighten the Sclera (within moderation obviously) to have the subject "Pop" in the image...

Or maybe just avoid poorly lit gyms? That's been my workaround for decades (I never shoot in a gym) lol

Hope this helps Jules and please keep up your stellar work in the "Sports" genre!

For others reading this post?
My primary documentation source here is current AI research published 01 March 2018 by The Institution of Engineering and Technology (UK):
https://ietresearch.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1049/iet-ipr.2017.0182
It's an awesome read... Amazing how innovative this research actually is...
Especially revealing is how Sclera colours form a compact cluster in xyY colour space

Please review this literature if you are serious about understanding the direction AI is taking in the photographic rendering arts... (This actually may require a health amount of college level mathematics in order to get your head completely around the research methodologies used)

Credits: The Institution of Engineering and Technology (which is registered as a Charity in England & Wales (no 211014) and Scotland (no SC038698)) Remember it was the "Brits" that broke the code of Hitler's enigma... Mathematical brilliance that staggers the imagination.

Fabulous radiant smile (both images)
At 23?
Gorgeous tasseled tresses...
Stunning Fashion Editorial pose dynamic...

And yet no diamond on her left hand ring finger Mark?
Serious Alert here... Please be prepared for a Wedding Event

If/when so I would highly recommend
Professional Techniques for the Wedding Photographer – by George Schaub (Author)
I have his January 1, 1985 version, studied it from cover to cover...
https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Techniques-Wedding-Photographer-George/dp/0817456015
It's a God Send for someone in your situation.
Thankfully George isn't trying to sell Kit, nothing but the facts and oh my goodness George certainly covers Wedding events with superb skill and knowledge.

I've deployed his wisdom time and time again...
Trust me, shooting a Wedding Event is akin to herding cats in the rain...

As a bridal makeup artist I get to deal with the bride and her maids while they are sober BEFORE the event...
As a Wedding Photographer I have had to deal with inebriated boisterous wedding families and guests far too often!

You've been warmed so please be prepared and know your kit well!
(btw, having a second shooter is an absolute must, not simply an option)...

Wishing you much joy and success with your granddaughter's journey
Thank you so much for sharing those endearing images...

Hello pvup
Welcome to the UHH...
I'm a big fan of Hello Kitty
And my Granddaughter loves Adorable KT Cat Plush Dolls...
I'm also a fan of Anime Art which btw is highly popular in Japan!

Please keep posting here and try to ignore the Geriatric Crowd.
Sadly they may be in need of special Geriatric care...
a.k.a. they have likely gone off their prescription meds... Compliance can be a serious issue for Geriatric patients .
Maybe just feel sorry for them, k?

One strawberry treat deserves another...

Bon Appetite "Lady Finger" Fruit & Berries Birthday Cake

"wonderful position as professional photogtapher. Welcome to UHH Freelance jim...
btw, it's Photographer (not photogtapher which google may not respond appropriately to)...

While I seldom (actually now rarely) post the Main Forum... Your Subject line of Models caught my eye. As I'm a Fashion & Beauty Genre shooter thus I'm keenly focused on Models, more specifically Agency Represented Models... enough said.

Jim please be aware that Photography isn't typically consider as a Profession (especially in the US for taxation purposes i.e. where "Professionals" fall in regards to if they are exempt or nonexempt employees. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) dictates compensation aspects such as minimum wage and overtime pay.
The reason I'm keenly aware of this in as I'm a "Professional" Licensed Makeup Artist and as such have had to remain on set for extended periods on large commercial gigs without the benefit to overtime.

Basically "Professionals" are Licensed in the Jurisdiction(s) in which they are allowed to practice. As a licensed Makeup Artist I'm allowed to work in Commercial Salons whereas unlicensed "Freelance" MUA'S aren't allowed same. Hope this helps to clarify an oft controversial and debated subject. Why? Because vendors of Photographic "Kit" are notorious for using the term "Professional Photographer" to market "Kit" to their perceived market demographic.

As for your query on actual camera gear? Sorry I'm only focused on finding/retaining paying clientele. Virtually all recent kit can *and is used* on Commercial Gigs (the iPhone comes to mind here). Jim it's all about meeting and or exceeding client expectations when it comes to Commercial Photography. As long as your client is happy little else matters.

In the words of a very talented Commercial Shooter Dean Collins 1953-2005
"Beauty is in the eyes of the Checkbook holder"
Truly believe the renowned Dean Collins got this right...

Wishing you joy and much success on your photographic journey Jim. Cheers! Thomas

Loving the second image... Stellar narrative with both of these enchanting ladies heading out on an autumn journey.
Those sparking catch lights in both their eyes add vibrancy and vitality to this autumn afternoon's aura...
Wonderful use of vanishing point perspective, epic composition so beautifully done...

I'm certain your client was elated to have these lovely "sister" renderings...
Thank you so much for sharing Chip

Interesting reflections... Thanks all for sharing...

btw, I didn't bother reviewing the click bait in as I'm already blasted by the camera vendor's YouTube ads...
If it's a High End product then they are likely selling "LifeStyle" not a camera, with either a scantly clan feminine model or the "Mighty Hunter" Wildlife BIF shot... to play on primal male urges resulting from the influence of Testosterone...

Nope... Camera Companies are true masters of the art of Customer Base Analysis... They are keenly aware of who their products are purchased by, thus their ad campaigns are finely honed to target same...

Food for thought... How many High End Camera Ads focus on Maternity Sessions? Or even New Born Sessions?
Yes they totally ignore the Female gender (That is behind the lens, NOT in front of it) lol

What really matters here is What you Shoot... And Why?
High End Kit advertising campaigns play to hobbyist i.e. enthusiast and certainly not working commercial shooters...

If you are shooting sports/action commercially then yes continual upgrades do in fact come with that genre...
Competition is keen in commercial photography... and the vendors realize this and focus ad campaign on the aforementioned...

However if you are shooting portraiture, catalog fashion or beauty genre then there are virtually few if any compelling reasons to upgrade... My 15 year old Nikon D3x is still paying the bills in my studio and my clients never ever ask me what "Gear" I shoot with... they only ask how soon I can turnaround their deliverables... lol

Wishing all much joy and success on your photographic journey... Cheers! Thomas

My workhorse? The venable Nikon Flagship D3x (Delivers steller image excellence; still highly competitive; preforms flawlessly) and below is my genre of choice...

(Download)

Chip your third capture in this series is absolutely precious!
So poignantly touching, enchanting and endearing...
Fabulous compositional elements and pose dynamic...
Wonderful attention to detail here... loving this talent's epic nail decor...
Beautiful color harmonies latent within...
Stellar catch-lights in those mesmerizing hazel/blue iris...

This image truly belongs in your Beauty Genre portfolio...
Thank you so much for sharing, this image totally made my day!

Wishing you much joy and success on your photographic journey Chip...

I've always used either two S-76 Silver Oxide or two LR44 Alkaline-manganese batteries however I'm thinking about changing over to a single 3V CR 1/3N Lithium power cell. Anyone have experience with the Lithium power cell, or are you still using twin Silver Oxide or Alkaline-Manganese batteries.

Reason for this query is to use the most eco-friendly power source. Current marketing "wisdom"? is claiming that lithium-ion batteries are the most popular eco-friendly option (the logical here is they strike a balance between sustainability and performance). This battery uses lithium ions to move an electrical charge between the battery's positive and negative electrodes.

That said there is no free lunch here... My background in Geology reminds me that lithium-ion, solid-state, and flow batteries require the extraction of raw materials like cobalt, metal salts, and lithium. For Lithium that is almost entirely from The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which btw is the main source of cobalt globally—in fact, well over 70% of the world's cobalt comes from these mines

The ugly t***h here is that the US Department of Labor is now finally informing the public of the horrific working conditions in many of these mines.

"Our research shows that lithium-ion batteries are produced with an input—cobalt—made by child labor."
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods/supply-chains/lithium-ion-batteries

But wait, the Nikon F3 battery is so small and lasts for up to one year?
The Paradox is where does one draw a line in the sand...

Albeit I'm still undecided on Lithium batteries at this juncture and will probably simply go with Alkaline-Manganese instead.... Your thoughts?

Enough said...
Happy Thanksgiving and best wishes for much Joy and Family Sharing during this special time of year.

Adorable...
Lovely long tassel auburn tresses

Thank you for sharing...

"Is this the American model?"... "I'm not sure about the us model."

Dug you can find the Nikon Serial Number of this D750 on the base of the camera.
If it is a US Warranty (American) Model it will be within this range: 3000001 < 3003566 - 3224290 > USA

FYI: Here are the entire suite of D750 Serial Numbers w/ Regions assigned to same

Nikon D750 Serial Numbers (with Region of Origin)
D750 Release Date: Sep 2014
2000001 < 2000254 - 2120590 > Japan
3000001 < 3003566 - 3224290 > USA
5000001 < 5000480 - 5014430 > Canada
6000001 < 6009748 - 6220784 > Europe
8000001 < 8005700 - 8026834 > Hong Kong
8500001 < 8503950 - 8518056 > Singapore
8700001 < 8707261 > Australia
8800001 < 8804462 > ?
8900001 < 8904119 - 8905376 > Middle East
9100001 < 9111170 - 9163396 > China

If it was produced to be sold in the US it will have one of the following Serial Numbers
< 3003566 - 3224290 > USA

btw, you can also find the SN and Region of Origin on the Original Packaging Material
If it was in an Original US (American) Packaging it will have 750 (U) just above the Bar Code on the Box
You can also find the Serial Number on a smaller separate sticker w/ Bar Code marked NO. xxxxxxx
If that Sticker is Missing then BEWARE... it can be carefully removed with a hair drier and patience...

Note: If this D750 doesn't have a USA Serial Number then Nikon USA will not service and/or repair it. Since it is an older model independent repair facilities also may not have parts, or will have to strip parts for a another broken one. Certainly not an ideal scenario... Have you considered investing in another NEW memory card to verify if the "Failure to Recognize" is indeed an issue with your large capacity card? Just a thought...

Hope this helps...

Wow! Full Contact for sure...
Were the officials asleep at the wheel?
Guessing if the ball was anywhere close by anything goes.

While I understand the competitive spirit I sadly believe it has now entered a very questionable paradigm...

"College athletes are considered amateurs—but they are the essential components of what has become a multibillion-dollar entertainment enterprise.

As coaches, administrators, and TV executives made more and more money from college football and men’s basketball, various college athletes laid the legal groundwork for why they should be paid for their labor. But none of those lawsuits fundamentally changed the business.

That is, until 2021, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that college athletes could be paid by outside sources for use of their name, image, and likeness—essentially, for endorsements. Justice Brett Kavanaugh was blunt in his concurring opinion.

“The NCAA’s business model would be flatly illegal in almost any other industry in America,” he wrote. The NCAA, the governing body of college sports, had built “a massive money-raising enterprise on the backs of student athletes who are not fairly compensated.”

I'm now so totally done with the NCAA...
Shame on an organization that prioritizes monitory gain over what should be a Love of Athletic Competition for Excellence... And to think how our current culture has evolved to now except this ruthless pursuit of recompense...

Nope, I'm now primarily focused on shooting Ballet where excellence is awarded by gaining a position in a Dance Troupe which performs classical ballet in the European Tradition...

Food for thought... Ballerinas are considered by many to be the finest conditioned athletes in the world... surreal strength and stamina packed into such a lean body mass... With graceful aerial leaps that defy gravity... Note: most ballerinas begin their training at just 3 of age. And many still preform into their late thirties and older.

That said brilliant reportage of the Saturday Night Fights Rick...
Again you are a master of your craft...