Forums > Critique > I need some feedback... I am a new photographer

Photographer

James Sweeney

Posts: 30

Kittery, Maine, US

Check out my work, and let me know what I should do differently... I am new to this photography thing

Dec 10 12 08:53 am Link

Photographer

James Sweeney

Posts: 30

Kittery, Maine, US

Come on... someone?? I've only been doing this for a month!

Dec 10 12 09:37 am Link

Photographer

Mirror51

Posts: 13

New York, New York, US

Not too bad for a beginner. Keep it up.

Dec 10 12 09:41 am Link

Retoucher

Stephanie M Retoucher

Posts: 276

Portland, Maine, US

Pay attention the framing when you're taking the shot - a number of your photos are cutting off knees, feet etc.

Also, do some reading on exposure and white balance. A lot of your photos look blown out, and those that aren't seem to have some color issues, either too blue or too yellow.

And beware of Photoshop... it is a powerful tool, and with great power comes great responsibility - https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/30923759

Dec 10 12 09:47 am Link

Photographer

Shot By Adam

Posts: 8093

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Lots of composition and lighting problems in most of your shots:

This image:

https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/30923759

Looks like you you used some sort of smudge technique on the makeup. It looks fake as hell. Also, why would you comment "This scares me" on your own photo? Awkward.

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121127/17/50b565e15ba30_m.jpg

Photo is way over exposed. All the highlights are blown out. It looks like an amateur snapshot. Obviously, you have a fascination with guns.


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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121203/11/50bcfdbed5c9d_m.jpg

Obviously shot in a hotel room. I can tell because you still have the hotel room coffee maker in the shot along with part of the TV as well. You also have one foot obscured and the other one cut off. Poor composition.

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121203/17/50bd5095c0a88_m.jpg

The cropped foot does not seem to be part of a compositional decision, rather just laziness in your cropping. Also, the portion of the picture frame in the photo is distracting and should have been removed.

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121127/17/50b565a588c74_m.jpg

Again, over exposed and blown out.

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121203/11/50bcff2edfb2d_m.jpg

The water looks plain and the blues could have been made to look better. The composition is weird with all the empty space in the shot on the right. Also that hair on her belly looks strange. In fact, it looks like she actually has a HAIRY BELLY. Better retouching and more attention to detail in your direction with the model could have fixed this.

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121201/09/50ba3b563fe92_m.jpg

AGAIN...a totally over exposed and blown out photo. The hat is so over exposed it actually draws attention to the flaws in how it was shot.

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121201/09/50ba3a6d08f5d_m.jpg

Another blown out photo

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121203/11/50bcfda0f3fc3_m.jpg

Another poor cropping job where you cut off her feet and have tons of useless dead space on the right side of the photo.

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121127/14/50b53c915dfa8_m.jpg

Another over exposed, blown out photo.

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121014/12/507b123816d8a_m.jpg

Cropped off knees and uninspiring pose. Your white balance is also WAY off.

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https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121127/14/50b53b7472a96_m.jpg

Probably the only photo in your portfolio that has any real merit.

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Other than the last shot I mentioned, your work needs a lot of work. You need to get a much better attention to detail in your photos when you are shooting.

Dec 10 12 09:54 am Link

Photographer

Chanel Rene

Posts: 6780

Huntington Beach, California, US

1st Photo
The fake makeup under the eye is bad.

Photo 2, 6, 8, 9, 11
Poor lighting. Way too blown out. 12 is better, but really flat for using 2 lights.

3 would be good if the softbox wasn't in the reflection

Overall it looks like you've got a lot to learn.
I would start simpler. Learn the basic with just a model standing or shooting headshots. Then worry about all the creative stuff later. Otherwise you've just wasted concepts on poor lighting and bad models. wink

Dec 10 12 09:54 am Link

Photographer

Orca Bay Images

Posts: 33877

Arcata, California, US

For starters, don't bump your thread after forty minutes. Wait a day if you get no responses.

As for your portfolio, get your lighting and exposure under control. You've got images that are blown-out and some that are just way too dark.

https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121130/10/50b8f6abc3d01_m.jpg
This is your simplest shot and one of the better in your port. Even so, the lighting is cool (blueish); she could do with a warming filter.

https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121210/13/50c64f0a96f1b_m.jpg
A miss here because the model has hotspots on her face and the image suffers badly from blur -- either motion or narrow depth of field.

https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121014/12/507b123816d8a_m.jpg
Total loss here. Dead pose, terrible expression, badly framed, and the color temp is way off.

https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121127/14/50b53b7472a96_m.jpg
Terribly dark.

https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121127/17/50b565a588c74_m.jpg
Blown out, out of focus.

https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121210/10/50c62398a94c8_m.jpg
Total mess. Kill this asap.

https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121203/17/50bd5095c0a88_m.jpg https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/121203/11/50bcfdbed5c9d_m.jpg
These are keepers -- for lack of better work -- but not particularly compelling. And, yeah, that softbox in the mirror is a problem.

Dec 10 12 02:18 pm Link