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05/07/2009 07:51:56 AM · #1 |
| I have been feeling lately that just don't have what it takes to be a photographer. Not just a photographer, but I want to be a known photographer one day. I never do well in challenges, and I don't get many comments during the challenge, which tells me that my photos show no impact in others eyes. So, my question still stands, do you think I have potential? Please be completely honest, I will not cry... : ) |
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05/07/2009 08:07:36 AM · #2 |
of course you have potential! don't get discouraged by low scores and keep trying. if you want comments on a specific shot, create a thread and i'm sure a few people will give you some advice. i know for me the tutorials and just random threads in the forum have been really helpful, so just take a look around and see if you can find something new to try.
also, take a peak at the photos in the motivational posters challenges, i felt like complete crap yesterday and they actually cheered me up ;) |
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05/07/2009 08:27:55 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by bennettjamie:
I want to be a known photographer one day. |
I guess it depends what you want to be known for. The middle ground is so well populated that one has to be brilliant to get noticed. Digital photography has opened up high quality access to the masses and quite a lot of them are really really good. If you want to be known for taking shots that are a little (or a lot) different then there is less competition.
Good photography is about technical elements. Great photography is about creating an emotion in the viewer. If you take shots that create a genuine emotion in you, you're more likely to get others to feels the same way. |
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05/07/2009 08:34:56 AM · #4 |
Everybody has potential. It's important to determine how to approach things though. For me, I found that understanding the technical aspects of photography first was key. I needed to understand how I would manipulate my technique and approach to a photo before I could even consider applying my vision. Others will likely find that it is easier to develop a vision and then the means to the end afterward.
I think the most important thing, ultimately, is combining these two things and understanding their interplay, and that is what makes a photographer great. Photography is a very technical art, involving many complicated devices, but it is still an art, so that vision is crucial. You can try priming yourself by looking through photography books at the library, or by reading fiction and thinking about the way the author paints a picture in your head, or by painting. I say these are useful activities specifically because they are tangential. They encourage you to think about visual appearances and not just photography.
After that, you can shape your photography and approach to it to meet what you want to capture. Of course, the way that you shape is different for each type of photography, be it photojournalism, sports, landscape....
I will, however, say that I think it is dangerous to approach photography (and many other things, for that matter) with specific professional aims. Just because little Johnny threw a mean fastball in high school doesn't mean he can cut it in the big leagues, but that also doesn't mean that an entire childhood, adolescence, and college career as well as love of baseball was all in vain. The lessons last a lifetime.
Message edited by author 2009-05-07 08:36:00. |
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05/07/2009 08:41:28 AM · #5 |
I totally understand your feelings, I have been there myself. Recently I had a chance to have prints of images I took two years ago adjacent to recent images and there is a world of difference. By following the advice others have given you here, you can be in the same situation. Practice and studying what you and others are doing will improve your images.
You also have to decide what you want to photograph and what type photography. My gut tells me that I can't be good at all of it so I have concentrated in a couple of areas, but still play with the rest.
Practice (take a LOT of pictures) and paying attention to what is working and not is critical. Viewing others work and learning from that is helpful as well.
Hang with us.....if you like it and work at this can be very satisfying for you.
Message edited by author 2009-05-07 08:42:09. |
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05/07/2009 08:41:50 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by bennettjamie:
I have been feeling lately that just don't have what it takes to be a photographer. Not just a photographer, but I want to be a known photographer one day. I never do well in challenges, and I don't get many comments during the challenge, which tells me that my photos show no impact in others eyes. So, my question still stands, do you think I have potential? Please be completely honest, I will not cry... : ) |
Experience and patience are keys to success in any endeavor. One doesn't become a competant photographer the second you buy a Nikon DX2 or OlympusE-3 you know. :>)
Looking through your portfolio, three technical issues jump out immediately - (1) you have a tendency to see and/or concentrate on only what's in the center field of your view finder and not the image as a whole. Use of the DOF control to preview what you are looking at doesn't seem to be something you have quite grasped yet. (2) You have exposure control problems, DOF problems which cannot be corrected in post processing. It would help if you read up on technical issues like white balance, the effects of aperture/shutter speed/ISO and other camera controls (digital cameras are complicated beasts) and their effects on images. (3) Your post processing seems to limited to saturation and not exposure/brightness/contrast/gama compensation/highlights/shadows, etc. You probably shoot in .jpg and not RAW - .jpg images can be more difficult to post process because you aren't really seeing the image as it really was - the compression algorithyms for .jpg compensate for some issues and create a false reality.
What I would suggest is that you pick up a couple of basic photography books and get a feel for the technical side of photography. Look on the web at some of the Great Masters and try to duplicate their images. And for the love of (small g) god, take the camera off of automatic focus/auto white balance/auto everything and work with the camera in full manual mode. All great photographers are in control of every aspect of the image starting from selecting the correct ASA/ISO to - well everything. Digital cameras make it much too easy - do the manual thing and gain a firm and complete understanding of how the camera works.
With respect to post processing, well get a really good post processor. For beginners in my adult classes, I always suggest Paintshop Pro (aka PSP) because it's nearly as versatile as Photoshop (in any of it's iterations) and has plenty of controls and settings in addition to the base controls to experiment with. And it's cheap - like $99 or close to it. Or if money is an issue, try GIMP which is an open source Photoshop emulator what, frankly, is quite impressive.
With respect to the "art" of photography - that's entirely subjective and not objective. You do have an eye for "art" based on what I've seen in the portfolio, but you tend towards the mundane "snapshot" rather than looking at a subject from all angles to achieve the effect you think you are seeing or want to produce. This is an experience issue and not an issue of "potential". Shoot, shoot and shoot - run images through the camera and wear the data card out. With all these images, eventually you will find one that really works - then go back and examine what you did, throw the other ones away and work with that. Experiment with different genres - landscapes, portraits, street, abstract and see what suits your muse. Once you have worked within the genre that feels right to you and you are comfortable with it, branch out to other genres and see what suits you there.
Last patience and time provide the experience that will move you from also ran to running with the leaders of the pack. You do have a good feel for position which is very important point to start - you just need to work out the technical issues and gain some more experience along with how to properly present your work.
If you want specific help, I'd be glad to offer my opinion on what does and doesn't work with respect to any specific image - my private email is listed in my profile. You might not get an immediate reply because I do have a life outside DPC, but you will get a reply within a short period of time.
Sorry for the length of this.
Later,
Tom |
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05/07/2009 09:09:19 AM · #7 |
| Thanks to everyone for replying, I do feel better, and thanks for motivating me again. I am appreciative. |
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05/07/2009 09:14:47 AM · #8 |
Great response, Tom.
There is an opinion piece from this week's NY Times you might find interesting. To roughly summarize, we like to think our most accomplished athletes and artists have "a gift", but the ability to develop a deliberate, strenuous and boring practice routine is the real key to genius. Practice, practice, practice!
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05/07/2009 09:27:19 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by citymars:
Great response, Tom.
There is an opinion piece from this week's NY Times you might find interesting. To roughly summarize, we like to think our most accomplished athletes and artists have "a gift", but the ability to develop a deliberate, strenuous and boring practice routine is the real key to genius. Practice, practice, practice! |
Yeah - I read that. It's amazing what time and experience can do for somebody. I translated a life long passion for fishing into a very successful custom charter business when I retired - I can always put people on fish, but I know the area, I've fished it in all kinds of weather, can adjust for conditions, etc.
It's a great article.
Later,
Tom |
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05/07/2009 09:35:28 AM · #10 |
Sure you have potential. Enter more challenges, don't get discouraged. In my prograsmming career I used to say "After I've made all the mistakes, what's left but perfection". Well you do get better with practice. I need to find or male more time for shooting, I've been slack in entries lately. I need to do prost processing workflow faster.
Being in the right place/time, timing and knowing people, getting a reputation and giving people a perception of professionality, then growing fame, is how to make money at it.
IMHO, these are some of the ones I liked.
"067_Without border_More saturation.jpg", is great artwork, frame it digitally or print it and try selling it. "Krissy Shoot 003_edited.jpg" and that series have great bokeh and DOF. I guess I just like those aspects in general. Someone holding a strobe/flash fill light from the Left side, about 70 degrees up, may improve those even more. Your "Christmas Party Portraits" should've had the same DOF to smooth out the textured background. From the "Carly Portrait Shoot", I like the 136/154 for more unusual poses, the 130/137 for excellent background DOF adding emphasis to the subject.
ADDED: The competition part is just like any sports.
Message edited by author 2009-05-07 09:37:20. |
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05/07/2009 12:48:40 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by citymars:
Great response, Tom.
There is an opinion piece from this week's NY Times you might find interesting. To roughly summarize, we like to think our most accomplished athletes and artists have "a gift", but the ability to develop a deliberate, strenuous and boring practice routine is the real key to genius. Practice, practice, practice! |
A gift is a very real thing, and don't kid yourself.....practuice and desire cannot replace genuine talent.
You have to be accepting, and realistic, of your limitations as well in order to become the best that you can.
For instance, I have *ZERO* inclination to want to be a sports photographer......I like having weekends to myself and my family.
I'm not going to ba a wedding photographer either.....and I don't want to do the arts& crafts show circuit, either......so I'm already heavily limiting my ability to become a known and lucrative photographer.
BUT.....I have a certain reputation in the area for my landscape, or river/water images 'cause I have a real talent, and desire to spend time down at the river, or at lakesat many different times of the day and night, and I have the ability to see the water, skyline, bridges, and the combinations of them in such a manner that is pleasing to people from the area.
But I had to get comfortable finding what it is that I'm good at and to develop that......it certainly isn't something that happens over a short period of time. So....what kind of photography are you good at? Is there a market fopr it? Can you dedicate your time and efforts to refining and developing it further than what you do now?
Another thing you absolutely must do is shoot, shoot, SHOOT!!!!!
When I went to Honduras, I shot 3000 images in a week. I got probably a hundred that I really like, and at least a dozen that I'd blow up and use for an exhibition in a heartbeat were I asked to do so.
That's not a terrific ratio, but I also continued to learn from what I was shooting.
I don't even know if this information is all that helpful, but my point is that I'm still enthusiastic and delighted with my pghotography and always looking for an excuse to run off, anywhere, any time, to go shoot.....and it's because I want to get better, and find that terrific shot, no matter where I am.
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05/07/2009 01:53:57 PM · #12 |
You can consider DPC your learning experience, instead of the test of your skills. Some ideas that have been working for me:
-Play in some side challenges where you can experiment and get more feedback without worrying about betting beat up with low votes.
-Force yourself to comment on the entries that you give 4 and 5 votes to. By making yourself figure out what you do or don't like about someone else's entry, you will learn a few things that you can apply to your own photography.
-Try to appeal to a specific group of people, rather than the masses. It will probably get you a low score, but it is successful if you get comments letting you know you connected with someone.
-Look at you own shots and figure out what i is you like about your faves. Looking at my own pics, I realize I like what I call a "semi-abstract". |
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05/07/2009 09:55:31 PM · #13 |
| Your only 20 challenges deep! have patience. Vote alot, see alot, learn alot! |
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05/07/2009 10:06:26 PM · #14 |
A quote seen outside a tiny private school:
Whether you think you can - or think you can't - you're right.
I really can't say anything else that hasn't already been said. And DPC seems to be recognized as THE place to be if you're into serious competitive photography. There are many incredibly good photogs here.
Vote, comment, participate. Ask questions, search forums, PM users whose photos you admire. Go and study the first few pages of [user]JoeyLawrence[/user]'s portfolio from when he was a longhaired 15-yr-old and be inspired by what he did, all with a little ol' point and shoot. And look at the scores Joey, and a lot of us, got when we first joined the site!
Rinse and repeat.
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05/07/2009 10:55:03 PM · #15 |
Jamie. let me ask you a question... when you are shooting for a challenge, how many shots do you take?
I ask this, because all too often this is my problem: I think of an idea, I shoot 20 or 30 images, spend a half hour playing with pp, and submit.
I have read that many DPC'ers shoot hundreds of photos, play with processing, then go shoot hundreds more. They may submit and re-submit new photos several times before rollover. In short, they are challenging themselves to do better and find the perfect image to submit to each challenge.
I think your portraiture is quite strong, as are some animal and flower images. I agree with  Teafran to read many books, learn lighting, strive to continually improve your post-processing skills, and challenge yourself. (Hey, I am trying to slip out of mediocrity, myself... these are the very things I am trying to improve.)
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05/12/2009 04:32:16 AM · #16 |
Everyone has the potential. It's just a matter of enhancing that potential. With this I say, go out and shoot more. Join more challenges. The more you practice, the more you improve your skills.
Cheers!
Captain Kimo |
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05/12/2009 04:45:15 AM · #17 |
Ansel Adams once said : "Your first 10000 photographs are your worst"
I think in the digital era you might have to multiply that number by 10.
So um...shoot lots. (I should too!)
Message edited by author 2009-05-12 04:45:28.
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05/12/2009 04:55:14 AM · #18 |
Ofcourse, we do... :) I haven't done particularly well with any challenge yet.. but I believe, i can do it one day. May be both of us will be on front page of DPC one day. who knows... :) I think practice & patience are the keys here. keep watching how and what other guys getting the best out of their images. and most importantly, keep reading articles about lighting etc.
so, keep clicking & keep smiling. :)
Cheers. |
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05/12/2009 04:58:59 AM · #19 |
Everyone has potential, but only a gifted few have natural talent. Sure, skills can be worked upon and you obviously need to nail the technicals. Listen to what people on here say but don't shoot solely for DPChallenge, that's a sure-fire way to restricting yourself. The critics and voters on DPC are harsh and most of us are pretty narrow minded when it comes to voting, you have one or two individuals who like the more out of the box ideas - but I am guilty of being one for `eyecandy` on this site.
Will you ever make it as a well known photographer? Doubtful, neither will I, neither will a lot of great photographers on here - but natural talent shines through and will be recognised pretty early on, JoeyL being a prime example of this, same with Alexsaberi, Librido, Heida and countless others, but they set themselves goals early on and have since moved on to bigger and better things.
Ultimately I would like to be respected in my field, but I am never going to be a `name` photographer. I am happy keeping my customers happy - I feel as long as I am putting food on the table and paying my mortgage with my photography then I have `made it`. I am 95% of the way there I feel.
It seems that you want to be known almost in the `celebrity` way - a nice quick way to make a buck with little or no work or talent required. You should thank reality TV for putting ideas like that in your head.
Going back to natural talent - I could buy a piano and learn to play it, but I know I could never be a famous pianist - I could buy a box of paints and teach myself to paint but I could never be a famous painter. Its just a few who naturally have that gift who will shine above the rest - but you will if find those are the ones who just practice their craft because they love it, not because they want to be famous doing it..
However you said at the beginning that you wanted us to be truthful and that you wont cry - OK, fair enough - personally I dont see anything in your current images that makes me think you will ever become famous or well known for your photography.
Now get out there and prove me wrong! |
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05/12/2009 05:33:16 AM · #20 |
I had almost forgotten about this article. I originally found it here and I forget who posted it:
//www.radiantvista.com/articles/the-myth-of-talent
The one line I really like is:
Being labeled talented only means we have survived being untalented
Message edited by author 2009-05-12 05:33:26.
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05/12/2009 06:23:01 AM · #21 |
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05/12/2009 03:49:02 PM · #22 |
Cheer NikonJeb - cheque is in the post! (out of those shots the image of my daughter is my absolute fave.)
Jamiebennett - do me a favour, post what you think is your very very bestest ever photo. Tell us why you think it is your best, tell us how the lighting, composition & processing suit your style. Tell us how you think you could of improved it. Tell us how you think you are going to be accepted by your peers as a great photographer.
The greatest benefit you have is that you are a member of this site - you could, with lots of hard work and determination, flourish as a photographer - if you really want to - dont shoot solely for this site, but certainly learn and be inspired by the work on this site. That is what keeps me going in my wedding photography - I just want to create some really amazing, romantic and emotional work - I am driven to succeed and deliver imagery like that to my clients. I could name a lot of people on here who have that drive and who inspire me daily - not because they are the best on there (although they do kick ass - sometimes), but because they have so much determination and passion and drive - MAK, Dmadden, DWterry, Yanko,  Lovethelight, hotpasta drachoo to name but a few - these are people who just strike me as people who are never happy with resting on their laurels - they will always put the last success behind them and move on - sometimes they mess it up next time around, but they are pretty tenacious - and that's the problem I have with your portfolio Jamie, you are thinking big but you don`t seem to be trying to be big..
Message edited by author 2009-05-12 15:49:56. |
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