thiswayup wrote:

Disagree!

...Getting snapshot style to look right is bloody hard. Well, unless, possibly, you use one of those film cameras that does a lot of the work for you, especially if you use negative film. The combination of a flash very close to the axis, TTL off the film strip, and the roll-off you get from film really help, if your camera's flash system is first-rate. And even then you need skill - pros who shoot this style with film try to stay to just one film and one camera model so the quirks and tuning don't vary. Usually they're final generation 35mm premium compacts with sonnar design lenses.

Interesting - thanks for sharing

RoyMayh wrote:
I hope to not come across as harsh but here goes. I know you are trying to improve, so take everything with a grain of salt.

A few of the images don't really "tell a story". Look at the image and quickly answer "this image is about...". If it takes you more than 1 second to say a few words about the image then it probably is not really "that great".

Quite a few image are "just standing around naked and looking at the camera/photographer for the sake of standing around naked and looking at the photographer". The model can be attractive and can be in various states of arousal, great, that's accomplished, but what MORE is there about it. Models doing something, models thinking something, models feeling something is worth capturing a little more than just "standing around naked". That's ok but gets repetitive.

Consider "working with the model" to "create something". We understand these are amateurs and not pros, but even amateurs can "create a look or a feeling or something". They don't have to "just been there without much purpose other than looking at the camera to be photographed".

Some of the black and white conversions seem 'arbitrary', nothing special about them, doesn't look like the image was designed to be black and white, just converted hoping it would 'improve' and 'look a certain way' but that's not always successful and now it looks 'flat and boring black and white'.  Usually stronger light and stronger shadows work better, you use a fairly flat style of lighting so black/white conversions don't work that great.

Consider playing with shadows, many images the shadow is not 'interesting', it's just a little something behind the model because you have "on camera flash". Using  side light, rather than front light is better in the beginning, until you become a pro at different lighting styles. Side light is easier to master at first, then move to frontal lighting. Frontal lighting without a strong foundation of lighting styles/concepts can fail very fast and make things look not as professional as you would expect.

Keep on improving.

Thank you very much, hugely appreciated