JeanD wrote:

Photons... You are doing good and the potential is there. I would say...
In general, your pics seem to be lacking a reason to be. Having no goals (use) in mind can make a picture's subject appear weaker. So for every shot you make you might try to give it a definite style and approach to help you focus on your choices of location, model, angles and light. Say this next shoot I will concentrate on a fashion oriented approach and another one on a conceptual approach; giving each projecy a well thought preparation and visualisation.

Cheers !

Jean

Thank you very much! That's great advice.

Bret Sutton wrote:
I was hoping you could take a look at my portfolio, and give me any advice you would be willing to share.

I'm fairly new to photographing people (outside of sports or military action). I use both a Nikon D50 and a Canon 20D (still trying to figure out which camera I like better). I got both my cameras used and don't have users manuals. So I'm still learning how all the settings work, and doing so by trial and error.

Natural light is my friend. I don't have or use lighting equipment. I can’t afford an external flash at the moment, so I do what I can. I have tried cutting up a milk jug and holding the plastic in front of my cameras flash to soften it up. Still playing with that.

I also don't have Photoshop or anything like it, just used the basic Iphoto program on my Macbook to adjust overall contrast and color. So as much as that sucks, there is a reason why I haven’t spent the money. I'm trying to adjust my abilities. I don't want to become a "photoshop" or a "digital darkroom" Photographer.

Thank you for your time.

Bret

Bret... First of all you should not look at photoshop or any other software as something that will "cheat" your pics in making them better. They are the darkroom of the digital era. Over use of digital darkroom is simply as bad as over use of any other techniques that exist in a chemical darkroom.

Now... You do not need much equipment to create good pictures. You need equipment when you need to satisfy specific needs or clients. A few reflector boards ( anything white and readily available to start with ) and a camera.

Put the camera on manual mode and use it as simply as you would use a traditional film camera. You don't need the user manual that much. But I would suggest you study more about composition of your shots. Many have incorrect framing and it shows as snapshots. Pay more attention to the final quality of the images you take. Fill in some of the low light areas to detach the subject from the background, etc... In short, read more about photography techniques than user manuals.

Cheers

Jean

JeanD wrote:

Bret... First of all you should not look at photoshop or any other software as something that will "cheat" your pics in making them better. They are the darkroom of the digital era. Over use of digital darkroom is simply as bad as over use of any other techniques that exist in a chemical darkroom.

Now... You do not need much equipment to create good pictures. You need equipment when you need to satisfy specific needs or clients. A few reflector boards ( anything white and readily available to start with ) and a camera.

Put the camera on manual mode and use it as simply as you would use a traditional film camera. You don't need the user manual that much. But I would suggest you study more about composition of your shots. Many have incorrect framing and it shows as snapshots. Pay more attention to the final quality of the images you take. Fill in some of the low light areas to detach the subject from the background, etc... In short, read more about photography techniques than user manuals.

Cheers

Jean

I hope you don't mind if I jump in with some advice for Bret also.

Bret, you can use simple things to get better lighting and it won't cost an arm and a leg. One thing to practice if you're using continuous lighting is to look at the subject specifically and the overall scene in general. You won't be able to control lighting in the whole scene outside in most cases, but it's important to try to control the lighting on the subject. Practice looking at the subject and how the light is hitting him/her and how it will look in camers. It will be very different as your eyes will see a wider range of light than the camera will.

Your use of the milk jug is a great idea. Most people don't realize that on-camera flash can be modified some by using some creativity as you did. One thing I used to do is clip a plastic ID holder in front of my on camera flash, then I could insert different types of diffusers (piece of paper, cheesecloth, colored transparent plastic pieces, etc.) into it for different effects. That will give you some interesting options to add catchlights in the eyes.

Reflectors: this can be a huge help to you if you shoot outside a lot. If you have someone available to hold them for you, it's great. If not, get creative again. This is what I use. It's lightweight, rigid, and easy to cut to the sizes you need. And it's cheap. It comes with one side already a silver reflective color. I got a couple cans of gold metallic paint and painted the other side. Then I put together a way to mount a couple of them to my light stands so I didn't need anyone to hold them.



Also, if you notice in that image, I have the model standing in the shade. Direct sunlight causes harsh shadows. Shade is softer for lighting. Try putting the subject in shade if possible. Or, use available reflective surfaces (buildings, cars, shrubbery, etc.) if you can.

Best of luck.

And sorry for threadjacking, Jean.

Photons 2 Pixels Images wrote:
I hope you don't mind if I jump in with some advice for Bret also.

Bret, you can use simple things to get better lighting and it won't cost an arm and a leg. One thing to practice if you're using continuous lighting is to look at the subject specifically and the overall scene in general. You won't be able to control lighting in the whole scene outside in most cases, but it's important to try to control the lighting on the subject. Practice looking at the subject and how the light is hitting him/her and how it will look in camers. It will be very different as your eyes will see a wider range of light than the camera will.

Your use of the milk jug is a great idea. Most people don't realize that on-camera flash can be modified some by using some creativity as you did. One thing I used to do is clip a plastic ID holder in front of my on camera flash, then I could insert different types of diffusers (piece of paper, cheesecloth, colored transparent plastic pieces, etc.) into it for different effects. That will give you some interesting options to add catchlights in the eyes.

Reflectors: this can be a huge help to you if you shoot outside a lot. If you have someone available to hold them for you, it's great. If not, get creative again. This is what I use. It's lightweight, rigid, and easy to cut to the sizes you need. And it's cheap. It comes with one side already a silver reflective color. I got a couple cans of gold metallic paint and painted the other side. Then I put together a way to mount a couple of them to my light stands so I didn't need anyone to hold them.



Also, if you notice in that image, I have the model standing in the shade. Direct sunlight causes harsh shadows. Shade is softer for lighting. Try putting the subject in shade if possible. Or, use available reflective surfaces (buildings, cars, shrubbery, etc.) if you can.

Best of luck.

And sorry for threadjacking, Jean.

Not at all !! This is meant to be constructive for anyone willing to share as well !
I hope Bret read your post and can make the best out of what he has at hand !

Cheers!

Jean