How do I break out of the low 6's?

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

10/11/2008 09:06:01 PM · #51

Well I would get to put a screen shot of my 7. score up on the fridge, and then my children would respect me.

Actually I do hear what everybody is saying. I am taking this all in. Everybody seems to have a different idea on this, so now I am a bit confused, but that is all good.

I do however think the mark of a good photographer is being able to adapt to the situation. If the DPC situation calls for a style of image I should be able to bring that. Then in another situation I should be able to shoot another style that fits for the occasion. I am in jeopardy of just making the same thing again and again, and I would prefer to be able to shoot any kind of image at any time. Right now I have found one thing I do well, but when the need calls for it (landscapes for example) I come up short. That is what this is all about.

Message edited by author 2008-10-11 21:09:08.

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

10/11/2008 11:42:53 PM · #52

Originally posted by Jason_Cross:

Originally posted by scalvert:

Originally posted by Jason_Cross:
So what you are saying is I need to roll with some sort of basic emotion like happy, sad ect... as a way to connect with the voters more?

Bingo. If your models are bored, the viewers will be too. If the models look like they're really having fun, then that genuine emotion will carry over to your score.*

Well this is good advice. I am going to try this with the next free study.

*Disclaimer: I've never actually finished within the top 20 of any Free Study... ;-P

Ken

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/11/2008 11:57:45 PM · #53

Originally posted by SandyP:

It is so easy to fall into a weekly grind of taking "challenge pictures". What can happen is that your photos end up looking contrived and boring (and usually have a score to reflect that), and not at all expressive of the phographers passion. I'm having a harder and harder time coming up with photos that really move me for the challenges because I am so not interested in forcing it any more like I used to just for a score. I am usually out there trying each week, but it's getting more rare that I come up with something I'm proud of.

This is where I used to be - I'd shoot around challenges and not for myself. These days I shoot what I want and if it works into a challenge and I like it, I'll enter it. I'm happier these days.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

10/11/2008 11:59:13 PM · #54

Ya, but don't you feel that in order to be a more well rounded photographer you have to be able to rise to the occasion and give people what they want as well as what makes you happy?

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

10/12/2008 12:07:20 AM · #55

Originally posted by Jason_Cross:

Ya, but don't you feel that in order to be a more well rounded photographer you have to be able to rise to the occasion and give people what they want as well as what makes you happy?

That's pretty much the approach I've taken- the challenge of learning to communicate in an appealing way on demand. In the process, I've learned a lot that I can apply when I shoot for myself.

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

10/12/2008 12:16:26 AM · #56

Originally posted by Jason_Cross:

Ya, but don't you feel that in order to be a more well rounded photographer you have to be able to rise to the occasion and give people what they want as well as what makes you happy?

BINGO! When it happens, it's awesome.

Pentax D-FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW

10/12/2008 12:20:42 AM · #57

Oh, and by the way I discovered today that I had no idea how to sharpen an image. I was doing it waaaaaayayayaya wrong.

K3Master

Pentax K-3

10/12/2008 12:22:15 AM · #58

Originally posted by Jason_Cross:

Oh, and by the way I discovered today that I had no idea how to sharpen an image. I was doing it waaaaaayayayaya wrong.

There's really no wrong way if you're getting the results that make you happy.

Pentax D-FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW

10/12/2008 12:25:15 AM · #59

Well compared to my old fashioned method the new way makes everything much much nicer. It is about 800 steps, and I can't remember them all, but my images will print much nicer now.

K3Master

Pentax K-3

10/12/2008 12:28:04 AM · #60

Originally posted by Jason_Cross:

Well compared to my old fashioned method the new way makes everything much much nicer. It is about 800 steps, and I can't remember them all, but my images will print much nicer now.

800...

I hope you're exaggerating. lol.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/12/2008 12:30:16 AM · #61

Ya, but it is much more intensive. I don't get some of the problems like the little purple ghosting and things like that when I sharpen. It looks much more realistic. But you have to add layer masks, blur, unsharpmask, and high pass filter. I never did any of that before. I just sharpend and called it good.

violinist123

Canon EOS-6D

10/12/2008 02:26:42 AM · #62

Originally posted by Jason_Cross:

Ya, but don't you feel that in order to be a more well rounded photographer you have to be able to rise to the occasion and give people what they want as well as what makes you happy?

Can't think of a single artist deserving of the title that practiced that approach. The only time you have to work with the goal of pleasing others is when you need money from them.

ShutterHack

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/12/2008 02:37:49 AM · #63

Jason, all you have to do is join a click here and then shoot the same recognizable subject week after week and all your friends can vote your entry higher than it deserves. Now, that's the true DPC Way! Isn't it? LOL