Help

[des_76028]

Hi. My name is Destany, i am very new to this forum and photography as well. I love taking pics of people, cars, etc... but out of all the pics i take, there are very few i like. I was wondering if there was someone in the ft. worth area who would like to show me the ropes...or at least the basics.Or maybe let me know the best place to start...its a little overwhelming.

[janikphoto]

There sure is! They are called the Community College art dept.

[J Eddington]

What do you not like about your photos?

[Hanky]

Welcome to the forum Destany! Go to our transportation section and study technicues
for camera angles and lighting. Fortunately for me I shoot digital and when I throw away 80 % of what I shoot there are some left over. It just takes time and practice and show us some of your stuff there are plenty of helpful people here.

[des_76028]

thank you, im still figuring out what all is on this site, that is very helpful.

[dmcantrell]

Welcome Destany.

There are many avenues you could pursue to improve the quality of your images.

* Finding and contributing to this forum is a good start. Read as much as you can, post some of your images and ask for critiques, but be ready for negative feedback.

* Attending a community college class is a good suggestion. The structure of the classroom lectures and the scheduled assignments will probably improve your images.

* Buying and reading books on your own is also a valuable resource. Three that I might suggest are :

Understanding Exposure, Bryan Peterson

Learning to See Creatively, Bryan Peterson

The Digital Photography Book, Scott Kelby

* Get out and shoot photos, but do so in a manner that will help you learn. Try different angles, force yourself to see the entire frame and pick up on cluttered backgrounds and poor lighting, etc.

This is just a start. Good luck!

[des_76028]

Thank you! I would love to take a class, but unfortunately is not a possibility right now. I wasnt trying to ask for handouts, im just lost on where exactly to start....so thank you for your great suggestions. I heard of a photographer laura clark doing something similar... she held a contest called brain wash me, and people would sent in pics with those words incorporated in the pic and what few people were chosen got to spend a day with her got to ask questions...things like that. I just thought that was neat and didnt know if there was anything like that on here. Thank you so much

[dmcantrell]

Originally Posted by des_76028

I wasnt trying to ask for handouts, im just lost on where exactly to start

Try this. Identify -ONE- photo that you've taken that you are unhappy with. Look at it critically, and try to quantify -why- you are unhappy with it. Is it the color? Is it the focus? Is there clutter in the background? Etc, etc.

Then, do some searching for a similar image and try to find one that you like. Compare it to yours and try to come up with -specific aspects- that you can change. "In my photo the colors aren't as vibrant." or "In my photo I can't see the same level of detail." or "In my photo the person's face looks weird."

Then, try to determine exactly what you would change for the next attempt. Start small, e.g. "Next time I will make sure I stand in a different spot so that the McDonald's sign isn't in the background."

[texkam]

Hang out on the forum (if you can put up with us ). You'll learn a lot. If you see any get together opportunities (social or shooting) go for it.

Let's see some of your stuff.

[Dobick]

Originally Posted by des_76028

Thank you! I would love to take a class, but unfortunately is not a possibility right now. I wasnt trying to ask for handouts, im just lost on where exactly to start....so thank you for your great suggestions. I heard of a photographer laura clark doing something similar... she held a contest called brain wash me, and people would sent in pics with those words incorporated in the pic and what few people were chosen got to spend a day with her got to ask questions...things like that. I just thought that was neat and didnt know if there was anything like that on here. Thank you so much

There are quite a few workshops that get listed on here all the time.

Lauren has a regular workshop that you can buy which will get you one on one time with her and you get to spend the day with her. If I remember correctly it seemed to be very expensive and aimed at photographers who are trying to start out in business, or looking to refine their workflows.

From the little that you have posted it does not sound like you are at that point to benefit from something like that.

Understand also -- Lauren is fairly heavy handed with her post-processing. So the colors and techniques that you are seeing are a result of a lot of computer work.

Also -- identify a photo that you are happy with, and then pick another that you are unhappy with. Look critically at both and find out why you feel each way.

[ford_5o_fanatic]

here is a pic she took. c&C

[CaptainTom]

Good start

Camera basics 101

The viewers eye will immediately go to the lightest point on the image.
Try to compose the image with this in mind so it doesn't detract from you subject. In this image I see the white skull first. Is that the most important element of the photo? It does have a place, but the babies face is most important. crop out the skull.

The light carpet competes with the face. Darken it in post processing.
The whole photo appears 'soft' but this is likely due to the downsizing and jpeg effect for this forum. Learn how to downsize and keep the image sharp.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Quite often the problem with a photo is how the scene/subject is lit, so start by reading the lighting technique section here to get a start on how to learn how to light a shoot properly (even if it is just sunlight and a white piece of cardboard used as a reflector) and then get into composition.

[CaptainTom]

I took the liberty of making a couple of adjustments to show you there is another approach.