Hello!

I'm looking to see what people may think are my best and worst photos in what I have in the portfolio.  Perhaps a critique to let me know why, and maybe if there is time, a general critique of the photography. 

Any hints or techniques that I am missing in my photo's would be helpful.  I am primarily focusing on the boudoir photography, but any critique is welcome.

Thank you!

Worst.
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45647971

This looks like you set the camera on P.
The bright expanse behind the model overwhelms the eye (and the meter in the camera). Your subject is not the focal point of the image and it is difficult to see what you are trying to direct my eye towards.

I don't have a best for you now, I do have a "Least Worst".
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45656284

The model is bringing more to the image than you are, this isn't bad but it's not technically anything other than a snapshot.

My best advice would be to learn from what you have posted, then take down all but 4 of them and start over.
If you don't want to use flash, learn how to expose an image properly by setting your shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Learn how to use reflectors. Avoid large bright areas in the background, they draw attention and they are NOT the image.
Avoid placing people with dark hair in front of dark backgrounds, a big part of who they are disappears. Learn about rim lighting and other ways to seperate your models from the background.

Watch your compositions for things like being too centered, hidden or cropped off hands, fingertips etc. Work to create compositions that flow, that are part of what you are saying with your image.

Find a photo that you like and try to copy it. Do that about 30 or 40 times with different photos until you can look at a photo and have a pretty good idea how it was made. Study the masters, in your genre one that gets overlooked is Ruth Bernhard. I was lucky enough to see her work in a gallery and it was stunning. Ruth often spent 3 or 4 days setting up an image, then she took one exposure. You want to get closer to that way of working than the way your are working now.

It will be a LOT of work and it will never end. The best photographers (I am certainly not one of them!!!) will continue to improve until they pass on. Keep at it, good luck!!!!

I don't take myself very seriously, so you shouldn't.
Worst: https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45647947
I don't see much talent going into this.  The border is generally an eye-sore. cropping-in would help, but things aren't that interesting.  The clothes don't show much form or texture.  The subject isn't very interesting.  I've played with this kind of "back-lit" shot with white background and have some in my portfolio.  They are maternity shots, so the object was to get form and detail, just to give you an idea of my perspective.
If you wanted to get a silhouette, the shot geometry should be different.  You might want to refer to a youtube tutorial to get some ideas.

Best: https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45607376
I like the lighting and DOF, composition, with the words and the little bit of color.  This is one that I'd spend a little more time on bringing shadow detail up and tweaking it.

Thank you for the replies both of you.  I will look back at my portfolio with these critiques in mind.

-Kevin

Its brave of you to ask in this forum. Too many "Drive By Shootings" in my opinion. The one of a girl in a few fedora hat with a crochet pink top is by far your best work. And, its just a pain nice portrait all together. If you want to you could set that as a kind of stake in the ground not post anything lesser than that. But first you may have to set a marker not to shoot anything that is lesser than that!

The one in your first collection of a light complexioned, white-haired lady is overexposed and a bit too literal for me, and I think, most people's tastes. But I'm sure that you put a lot of hard work and careful thought into it. Take it as a good learning exercise.  Ms. White Hair would go better in your online port IF it was not all mixed in with other very dark and moody mages, such your avatar in particular. They just don't mix well together.

Asking for a review of your entire port is too much; Most people's attention span is not that long. Suggest that you pull together a subset of image and ask for review of that. If your local community college has a Photo program, you should look into that. Most of them are fine arts oriented and they do a lot of student critiques and student gallery shows. Is a great learning experience, but it takes a lot work and time, plus tuition $ of course.

I'm willing to go deeper if you DM me and if you do not say something irrelevant.

Despite a negative remark from one of our other MM friends, I think the photo of Casey in a leotard is very nice. But its kind of marred by almost but not all the way there lighting. It looks like it had some strong work in Post to "fix" it. Can you shoot that one over again, as many times as it takes, maybe with different people maybe with her, until you get it all the way great?  I think its almost there and you can do it.

I'm not a huge fan of boudoir photography.   I think most of its corny and cliche.  Try looking at mood boards for inspiration.   http://www.brittneypalmer.com/its-here- … -this-pro/   Several of your images are out of focus.   Try and keep the eye closest to the camera in sharp focus.   Since you like bedroom sets, etc. consider shooting at local Airbnb's.   Some are fantastic and feature very nice period pieces to pose your models on.   Speaking of models.   While two are stunners most are average.   Photographers for better or worse are judged by the quality of the models they feature.

So going forward try and google boudoir mood boards.   You'll have great examples to share with models.   Try and tell a story with your images.

Thank you all for your remarks.  I will look through and begin editing out photos.  I have to step back and look from a more impartial viewpoint.  Each photo shoot is a chance to work on my techniques and the way that I need to look at the space i'm working in.

Well first off, don’t pay too much attention to what people say about your work. Just keep plugging along trying to find your own style/niche, keep reading and viewing and don’t be concerned with trying to emulate other photographers, but let the good ones feed your imagination!

Sonia Blake, the model in this photograph https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45573226 says this about your photograph of her "I love this picture. So much!”

So what’s it matter, if someone was to say they don't?