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Archive 2013 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio

  
 
warrenjrphotog
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


All the best and thanks for taking the time out to view my current portfolio.

I would like an honest critique on my current portfolio.

My portfolio can be seen

I'm targeting clients that are looking for outdoor on location portraits in their natural environment.

http://warrenjrphotography.com/portfolio/

Any C&C is appreciated.

All the best to you and your family.



Aug 16, 2013 at 02:21 PM
Jim Rickards
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


I'll critique any photo you care to post here. I tend not to follow links. There's lots of post to view without that. Why not post a few of your favourite shots for critique? A whole portfolio is a project.




Aug 16, 2013 at 02:25 PM
slay12345
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Check out eyeist.com, they are new-ish website that connects with experts in your photography areas for portfolio reviews online.

Note: I am not affiliated with them, just think it's a cool paid service worth checking out if you want professional C&C.



Aug 16, 2013 at 02:49 PM
Ian Boys
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Briefly,

Overall 6/10

Overall pluses: in focus, OK backgrounds, OK exposure, some nice shots, nice variety in clients

Overall minuses: use longer focal lengths, attention to detail, not just one person per photo, not just small age range.

Per photo:
#1 Keep 7/10
#2 Unsure, shadows, background 4/10
#3 Ditch because of lack of connection to viewer but other things better 4/10
#4 Hell No. Bored and boring 1/10
#5 Ditch, Has some good things going for it but lack of expression kills it 2/10
#6 Keep, good shot, needs bit more space under chin but nice 8/10
#7 Keep but not keen on polehead or armpits 7/10
#8 Keep, lovely shot, get rid of single hair over eyes and cover hole in hair 8/10
#9 Keep. No connection but good light/feel 7/10
#10 Ditch - wedding hat and smile don't match grafitti/filthy background 3/10
#11 Keep - clone out distractions on left 6/10
#12 Keep until you do a better beach shot 6/10
#13 Hell no. Grumpy is not sultry. 1/10

Hope that helps.
Light, pose, clothes, expression, background all have to match.



Aug 16, 2013 at 03:24 PM
Ian Boys
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Oh, and look at what Lisa Holloway on these boards does. After the same clients and she has it nailed!

http://ljhollowayphotography.com/



Aug 16, 2013 at 03:26 PM
friscoron
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio



I think you're exposing to the right wayyyyy too much. It's always bad to expose to the right.

Aside from that, your portfolio have too many pictures with essentially the same composition, same exposure, just look like the same ad nauseum. I'd also recommend going with a more professional-looking website. And finally, you'll learn the hard way, but you need to be paid for your sessions up front, or at least the day of the shoot. Well, you don't "need to be paid upfront," but it will eliminate some problems.



Aug 16, 2013 at 03:39 PM
onelightnude
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Try to see this, all of them: http://zackarias.com/category/for-photographers/critique_for_photographers/


Aug 16, 2013 at 03:47 PM
warrenjrphotog
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Ian Boys wrote:
Briefly,

Overall 6/10

Overall pluses: in focus, OK backgrounds, OK exposure, some nice shots, nice variety in clients

Overall minuses: use longer focal lengths, attention to detail, not just one person per photo, not just small age range.

Per photo:
#1 Keep 7/10
#2 Unsure, shadows, background 4/10
#3 Ditch because of lack of connection to viewer but other things better 4/10
#4 Hell No. Bored and boring 1/10
#5 Ditch, Has some good things going for it but lack of expression kills it 2/10
#6 Keep, good shot, needs bit more space under chin but nice 8/10
#7 Keep but not keen on polehead or armpits 7/10
#8 Keep, lovely
...Show more

This is what I was looking for. There's always room for improvement.

I'm taking notes of your C&C.

Much appreciated & all the best to you.



Aug 16, 2013 at 03:51 PM
warrenjrphotog
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Ian Boys wrote:
Oh, and look at what Lisa Holloway on these boards does. After the same clients and she has it nailed!

http://ljhollowayphotography.com/


Her photos are beautiful.

So to alleviate the problem of shadows under the chin/around certain areas what do you recommend?

I've had the problem in the past and just used a large umbrella as fill in combination with my softbox and it seemed to fix the problem.

I also agree with the member that said that my photos are somewhat monotonous. Right now I'm just looking to get more standard portrait/head shots honing my lighting, style, composition, & posing, and then I want to expand my portfolio with more "artistic" shots.



Aug 16, 2013 at 03:57 PM
Ian Boys
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


You don't need to hone them, you need to rethink them completely. My guess is that in a year you'll probably only have #6 and #9 on your site and in five years you won't have either.


Aug 16, 2013 at 04:02 PM
Ian Boys
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Re shadows - bigger source closer and less harsh ratio to the ambient.


Aug 16, 2013 at 04:02 PM
warrenjrphotog
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Ian Boys wrote:
You don't need to hone them, you need to rethink them completely. My guess is that in a year you'll probably only have #6 and #9 on your site and in five years you won't have either.


Good point, thanks again for the critique.

Who are your favorite on location portrait/headshot photographers?





Aug 16, 2013 at 04:06 PM
warrenjrphotog
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Ian Boys wrote:
Re shadows - bigger source closer and less harsh ratio to the ambient.


Hmm I see where you're coming from.

Looks like I'm going to have to rethink my current lens set up as well (I'm using slow kit lenses at the moment which makes it difficult to bring the ambient up enough for the flash to act just as a fill).




Aug 16, 2013 at 04:10 PM
Sunny Sra
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


use a reflector...bounce some light


Aug 16, 2013 at 04:26 PM
warrenjrphotog
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Sunny Sra wrote:
use a reflector...bounce some light


I use reflectors for almost all of my headshots to pull out the eyes more and love them but have found using a large umbrella on camera axis to be best for filling in shadows.




Aug 16, 2013 at 04:47 PM
friscoron
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio



Just shoot every day, and focus on a single purpose in the shoot. For example, one day try a bunch of different things -- modifiers, settings, etc -- to clear up the shadow issue. Do it until you understand it, so when you go out on a shoot, you it's a done deal and you can focus on the posing or the background or the setting or whatever.

Then the next time, focus on your composition. Next time, focus on full-body shots, environmental shots, editorial shots. Keep doing each of these daily, if not more often, until you have it down. Until it just comes natural to you.

And no matter how long you're in photography, you never stop building on those grass roots.



Aug 16, 2013 at 09:12 PM
warrenjrphotog
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


friscoron wrote:
Just shoot every day, and focus on a single purpose in the shoot. For example, one day try a bunch of different things -- modifiers, settings, etc -- to clear up the shadow issue. Do it until you understand it, so when you go out on a shoot, you it's a done deal and you can focus on the posing or the background or the setting or whatever.

Then the next time, focus on your composition. Next time, focus on full-body shots, environmental shots, editorial shots. Keep doing each of these daily, if not more often, until you have it
...Show more

Very good advice, thanks and all the best.

Good critique is good every once in a while. The shadows under my subjects jawline didn't appear to me until someone mentioned it.

I figured out the problem today, my assistant has a tendency to hold the soft box at spotlight like angle causing the light to hit the face but not the neck area so I knocked that problem out of the way.

I'm thinking about buying a life sized mannequin so that I can play around with composition & lighting every day.

I have a photo shoot this Monday with two business men/models so we'll see how that turns out.

Thanks again everyone.



Aug 16, 2013 at 10:19 PM
Ian Boys
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Looking for professional C&C on current portfolio


Light centre at forehead height.


Aug 17, 2013 at 03:51 PM





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