Garry k wrote:
it says to me

that you need to learn some of the basics - such as lighting , posing and composition

thanks Gary

JahSun Visions wrote:
What does it tell you about me?

What feelings does it evoke ?

Peace and Blessings

What it tells me.
You are having fun being the photographer.
You are not stodgy minded and want to be creative instead of shooting the same shot over and over and over. And you are creative, kudos.

Consider backing up a bit or going for a wider look when shooting so you have more room to crop your images.
As you see what crop looks best you will improve at cropping as you shoot.
I noticed you've cut off hands, ends of feet and possibly other things that might be better left in.

LA StarShooter wrote:
Your portfolio says to me that you like to experiment. Your lighting is fine and you have deliberately have chosen to try different angles. I would say your approach is exploratory, and you're trying different ideas in posing, etc.

Try not to sell yourself to designers for free. Go for wardrobe stylists instead.

You may settle on something successful in your experimentation.

One question I would pose to you to contemplate. Is experimentation a substitute for vision?

Good luck.

Peace

I appreciate you making the time

To answer your question I would say exploration requires vision for who can truly explore without sight

Thanks

Shadow Dancer wrote:

What it tells me.
You are having fun being the photographer.
You are not stodgy minded and want to be creative instead of shooting the same shot over and over and over. And you are creative, kudos.

Consider backing up a bit or going for a wider look when shooting so you have more room to crop your images.
As you see what crop looks best you will improve at cropping as you shoot.
I noticed you've cut off hands, ends of feet and possibly other things that might be better left in.

Peace

Thanks for sharing

It felt good reading your words.

I appreciate your advice and will put it to mind

And yes, I am having fun.

JahSun Visions wrote:

thanks Gary

Feel free to return the favor

GSG Photography Studio wrote:
please, i would love to hear your thoughts?

It would be less confusing if you were to start a new thread, rather than mixing a second photographer into an ongoing critique of the first photographer.

It’s one thing, if one person is doing a one-off critique of several members who request a critique. Where you have multiple people critiquing multiple photographers in the same thread, trying to keep it all sorted out can boggle the mind.

I for one intend to critique the OP’s portfolio, but I haven’t found the time since I first saw this thread. If you start another thread, I’ll do the same for you.

Rays Fine Art wrote:
It tells me that you are a young, or at least young-ish man, who has taken a deep breath and plunged into the sometimes murky waters of model photography to try to see what can come of it.  While I agree generally with the need to learn the basics of composition, lighting, etc. (All of which can probably be had at your local community college for very little cost) but there's nothing wrong with leaving room to just flounder and find out what sorts of photography interest you most,  Then you concentrate on  half a dozen  or so of those in which to become truly proficient before taking on another two or three and repeat the process.  If your goal is to be an artist as well as a craftsman, remember that "artist" is not a goal to be achieved, it's a goal to eternally strive for, a lifelong growth process that can keep you young even past old age.
All IMHO as always, of course

wow

The depth of your words is amazing.

Thank you for sharing your wisdom

Peace and Blessings

LONDON Photo Art wrote:
It tells me you are an amateur who has creative ideas, but not yet the skills to execute them well.

Your cleanest photo, from a lighting/editing standpoint, is this one:
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45016258

but it suffers from 'elbow pointed at camera'. Have your models point their elbows to the side instead, and you'll get better results.

I like the creativity here:
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45012963

and once you learn more about lighting and editing, this kind of creativity will serve you well, to give your photos a distinctive style.

The BEST thing you can do, right away, to improve your port is to eliminate all the photos that have seriously overdone vignetting added during editing. That includes all of these:

https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45016285
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45012885
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45007930

Your desire -- like any newer photographer's -- is to have your subject stand out as brighter than the background. However, the way to accomplish this is not through heavy post-crop vignetting (this is almost always the sign of an amateur photographer), but instead through learning about light. Learn about both off-camera flash and light modifiers, as well as the properties of light, plus how to use natural light well, and you can accomplish your vision without post-crop vignetting.

A good rule of thumb is this: the best photos are ones that need very little editing. If a photo isn't very good, editing isn't the way to fix it. Taking a better photo is the way to go instead.

Try this: have your subject stand indoors, just inside a window or doorway. Turn out all the lights in the building, and try to close other curtains. Have only the window near the subject letting light into the room. Now stand between your subject and the light, as well as to the side (having them look towards the light) and take photos, and see what you think of the results. The result is that your subject will be well-lit, and everything else fairly dark.

This is just one way to accomplish the look I think you are after, there are many others, but this will give you good results right away.

Then invest literally dozens of hours into courses that teach you about light and how to use light well in photography. If you do this, you will find your work skyrocketing to a new level.

Peace London

Thank you

I appreciate you making the time to share your thoughts

I find them useful and applicable right now

Your comments, particullary on vignetting and editing, gave me a "I've been exposed" type of vibe.    I hadn't thought of it that way.  Thanks, it was time to know that.

I will use the lighting strategy you advised.

Blessings to you

Garry k wrote:
Feel free to return the favor

I got you

post a link to your thread

Camerosity wrote:

It would be less confusing if you were to start a new thread, rather than mixing a second photographer into an ongoing critique of the first photographer.

It’s one thing, if one person is doing a one-off critique of several members who request a critique. Where you have multiple people critiquing multiple photographers in the same thread, trying to keep it all sorted out can boggle the mind.

I for one intend to critique the OP’s portfolio, but I haven’t found the time since I first saw this thread. If you start another thread, I’ll do the same for you.

Thanks

JahSun Visions wrote:

I got you

post a link to your thread

just tale a look at my portfollio and telll me what it says to you

Garry k wrote:

JahSun Visions wrote:
I got you

post a link to your thread

just tale a look at my portfollio and telll me what it says to you

Camerosity wrote:

It would be less confusing if you were to start a new thread, rather than mixing a second photographer into an ongoing critique of the first photographer.

It’s one thing, if one person is doing a one-off critique of several members who request a critique. Where you have multiple people critiquing multiple photographers in the same thread, trying to keep it all sorted out can boggle the mind.

I for one intend to critique the OP’s portfolio, but I haven’t found the time since I first saw this thread. If you start another thread, I’ll do the same for you.

Sorry, could not resist. I couldn't say it better than Camerosity so I quoted him too.
Let's let JahSun Visions have his own thread all to himself, it's just simpler. Thanks!!!

Camerosity wrote:
I agree with what seems to be the consensus so far. You have some creative concepts and ideas, but you don’t yet have the technical knowledge to express them well.

The last dictionary definition of photography that I heard (quoted by Tony Corbell during a CreativeLive course) said that photography as both an art and a science.

Few people are both adept at both the art and the technical concepts. There are many people who are about 50% into the art and 50% into the technology – or maybe 60/40 one way or the other. They might be the ones who face the most challenges. But few people are in the 90/90 area.

Most people are oriented somewhat more in one direction than the other. While creativity can be learned, it seems to me that it’s easier for creatively-oriented people to learn technique than vice versa. Either way, most people face challenges, and you still have a lot to learn in both areas. That means to dive in and go to work, not to throw in the towel.

Of your photos, this one stands out to me the most:



To me that’s your best photo, both artistically and technically. It’s a flattering photo, it’s well-exposed and in focus, and the warm orange is balanced with its complimentary color (blue) in the background, which helps to make the colors pop.

While I realize that the model was lying on the floor (or on something), I still would have a bit of “air” or space below her at the bottom of the photo. The white or bluish white area to camera right in the background is distracting – and bright enough that it competes for attention with the model.



This is also good. Personally, I’d prefer that the model be a bit lighter (lightened in Photoshop rather than the exposure increased, which would make the window too bright), and I’d like to see a bit more of her face. Since that’s a matter or style and taste, others may disagree.

In the second, third and fourth photos on the top row, nothing is really sharp. If nothing else is sharp. You want the subject’s eyes (or at least the one that’s closer to the camera) to be sharp.

In the second photo (the first graffiti photo), the model doesn’t stand out from the background, it’s like she and the background are competing for attention. (Moving her farther from the background and throwing the background more out of focus and making the model sharper would have helped to direct attention to the model.)



In the photo above, the model stands out more, partly because she is larger in that photo, and largely because her bright yellow clothing is the brightest area of the picture.

When looking at a photo, the eye tends to go to the lightest area, the brightest color, or the area with the most contrast, more or less in that order.  (However, a really bright color might attract more attention than a somewhat light area of the photo, etc.).

The “horizon line” at the bottom of the photo isn’t level, which is a little distracting, and part of the model’s shoes are cropped out. You should get in the habit of taking an extra second or two to check the edges of the photo (to make sure no fingers, toes, etc., are cropped out, and to make sure that horizontal lines are horizontal and vertical lines are vertical before pushing the shutter button, unless you’re intentionally not making them horizontal or vertical.

With that photo, I would have been seriously tempted to make use of the woman in the graffiti – by having the model stand on the other side of her and sticking her tongue out at her, for example. Or maybe putting lipstick on the graffiti girl’s lips, cleaning her teeth with an oversize toothpick, etc.



Several years ago, tilting photos at extreme angles was a fad, and it still crops up from time to time. I’m not particularly fond of it (although one of my favorite models, who is also one of the best models I’ve worked with in years, is always trying to get me to shoot her in that way). Again, others may disagree.

Some of your photos (the first graffiti photo, the fourth photo on the front row and the kid sitting on the basketball goal) seem more like snapshots than well-planned, somewhat professional or artistic photos.



This photo is well composed and balanced. The red contrasts well with the model’s skin and the background, but the model’s skin seems kinda lifeless and possibly over-retouched.

I would have lit the model (and the background) differently. However, if you don’t have the equipment, just keep shooting with what you’ve got until you do.

Peace and Blessings

I appreciate your words.  They are informative.

I find it encouraging that the photo you selected as the best is also one of my most recent. 

I find your advice immediately applicable.

Thank you

LONDON Photo Art wrote:
It tells me you are an amateur who has creative ideas, but not yet the skills to execute them well.

Your cleanest photo, from a lighting/editing standpoint, is this one:
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45016258

but it suffers from 'elbow pointed at camera'. Have your models point their elbows to the side instead, and you'll get better results.

I like the creativity here:
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45012963

and once you learn more about lighting and editing, this kind of creativity will serve you well, to give your photos a distinctive style.

The BEST thing you can do, right away, to improve your port is to eliminate all the photos that have seriously overdone vignetting added during editing. That includes all of these:

https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45016285
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45012885
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/45007930

Your desire -- like any newer photographer's -- is to have your subject stand out as brighter than the background. However, the way to accomplish this is not through heavy post-crop vignetting (this is almost always the sign of an amateur photographer), but instead through learning about light. Learn about both off-camera flash and light modifiers, as well as the properties of light, plus how to use natural light well, and you can accomplish your vision without post-crop vignetting.

A good rule of thumb is this: the best photos are ones that need very little editing. If a photo isn't very good, editing isn't the way to fix it. Taking a better photo is the way to go instead.

Try this: have your subject stand indoors, just inside a window or doorway. Turn out all the lights in the building, and try to close other curtains. Have only the window near the subject letting light into the room. Now stand between your subject and the light, as well as to the side (having them look towards the light) and take photos, and see what you think of the results. The result is that your subject will be well-lit, and everything else fairly dark.

This is just one way to accomplish the look I think you are after, there are many others, but this will give you good results right away.

Then invest literally dozens of hours into courses that teach you about light and how to use light well in photography. If you do this, you will find your work skyrocketing to a new level.

Thank you, I found this extremely helpful