newbie studio shot

[Deadpoet]

:thumbsd: :thumbsd: :nono:
why wanna wack the newbie ... just say nicely la ...

Hi Tech, nice is a relative thing. I think I was rather nice, because I pointed out what I think is the problem with the picture. I did not leave uncertainty. OP did ask for comments, but was defensive after comments were given. How else do you think we should resond? Pat Op on the back, say job ok? That is not doing Op a favor? That is not nice to the OP but giving false sense of achievement.

If I am the OP, and my picture really sucks, I rather people tell me in the face, be direct about it, then having to read in between lines to get the real meaning. How inefficent! How unproductive!

 

[Zeckson Chow]

Hi Tech, nice is a relative thing. I think I was rather nice, because I pointed out what I think is the problem with the picture. I did not leave uncertainty. OP did ask for comments, but was defensive after comments were given. How else do you think we should resond? Pat Op on the back, say job ok? That is not doing Op a favor? That is not nice to the OP but giving false sense of achievement.

If I am the OP, and my picture really sucks, I rather people tell me in the face, be direct about it, then having to read in between lines to get the real meaning. How inefficent! How unproductive!

Sorry for being a busy body here, but in my personal opinion, the tone that you use might have contain some sense of harshness. I do stand by your points in giving good comments but I will watch my tone when writing. It is quite different between speaking and writing. We all certainly do not want to scare off our newbies but we would like to give warm encouragement to them by telling them that was wrong with their pictures and point to them how they can improve from there.

We need not to come down like a hammer on them. Afterall, they are newbies and baseline is, we have not even met them or know who they are. They are strangers at the moment. I stand is to be courteous a little in addressing their mistakes, my friend.

Hope this does not start off another famous ClubSNAP flame war.

 

[catchlights]

:thumbsd: :thumbsd: :nono:
why wanna wack the newbie ... just say nicely la ...

Read this, when some people try to put it nicely.... but the picture still....

 

[Deadpoet]

Sorry for being a busy body here, but in my personal opinion, the tone that you use might have contain some sense of harshness. I do stand by your points in giving good comments but I will watch my tone when writing. It is quite different between speaking and writing. We all certainly do not want to scare off our newbies but we would like to give warm encouragement to them by telling them that was wrong with their pictures and point to them how they can improve from there.

We need not to come down like a hammer on them. Afterall, they are newbies and baseline is, we have not even met them or know who they are. They are strangers at the moment. I stand is to be courteous a little in addressing their mistakes, my friend.

Hope this does not start off another famous ClubSNAP flame war.

Well, you were known to have started a few flame wars, and I had my fair share also.

My tone was indeed harsh, and delivery was blunt, but they are TO THE POINT. I don't mince words.

Encouragement should be forthcoming when something worth encouraging is produce. If the picture sucks, why call it anything else. Why try to minimize the impact to the newbie by making it easier for his/her ego to swallow? We all know the picture sucks, but the newbie, because all of us, worrying about stepping on toes hurting feelings and wanting to be politically correct, did not tell the reality. We are unnecessarily steepenning the learning curve.

Newbies or no newbies, if the picture is bad, let's call it as it is. To do otherwise, we are doing them a disservice.

 

[Zeckson Chow]

Well, you were known to have started a few flame wars, and I had my fair share also.

My tone was indeed harsh, and delivery was blunt, but they are TO THE POINT. I don't mince words.

Encouragement should be forthcoming when something worth encouraging is produce. If the picture sucks, why call it anything else. Why try to minimize the impact to the newbie by making it easier for his/her ego to swallow? We all know the picture sucks, but the newbie, because all of us, worrying about stepping on toes hurting feelings and wanting to be politically correct, did not tell the reality. We are unnecessarily steepenning the learning curve.

Newbies or no newbies, if the picture is bad, let's call it as it is. To do otherwise, we are not doing them a disservice.

Ha ha ha ha ha. I like your frankness.

 

[ortega]

thanks all. points noted;
- dist btwn model and backdrop
- soft box
- sync speed
- the pose
- the crease on the backdrop
- adjusting the lights to a higher height

lights to be adjusted to suit the subject and mood
small details like hair, hands, clothing
you can also try having lighting the bg first and then
add lights for the subject.

But I think that b4 you go into the studio
learn to shoot outdoors first, as mentioned b4

good luck and post your pix

 

[catchlights]

Ha ha ha ha ha. I like your frankness.

are you still testing anyone of us got color blind or not? why still using green green and tiny font? so hard to read you know?

 

[Splutter]

I don't think that the pic's really that soft actually. However, one look can tell that no postprocessing has been done whatsoever. I'm sure with the proper USM and common processing it'll look better. Try to put more distance between her and the background, something like 2 metres if possible. Also, do shoot at your max sync speed (based on camera body). Now for something other than the technical aspects....

You really have to ask yourself what you are trying to achieve in the shot. It doesn't seem to have a story to tell. If you are trying to make her look good, than you have to find a better facial expression than this. There isn't a focal point in the picture, can try to have some form of eye contact to start with. Hope this helps

 

[Zeckson Chow]

are you still testing anyone of us got color blind or not? why still using green green and tiny font? so hard to read you know?

Ha ha ha ha.

 

[TECH]

Hi Tech, nice is a relative thing. I think I was rather nice, because I pointed out what I think is the problem with the picture. I did not leave uncertainty. OP did ask for comments, but was defensive after comments were given. How else do you think we should resond? Pat Op on the back, say job ok? That is not doing Op a favor? That is not nice to the OP but giving false sense of achievement.

If I am the OP, and my picture really sucks, I rather people tell me in the face, be direct about it, then having to read in between lines to get the real meaning. How inefficent! How unproductive!

ok, since you like the 'direct' way ...
a good comment is something that gives you space for thinking, when a person tells you things so straightforwardly , it only shows that he does not respect your intelligence.
my point is , you are not direct but just rude.
give some thoughts bout it. i just hope CS is a friendlier forum for people to come.

 

[kentaroC]

post process? need some usm?
will take it down if thread starter has objections

hey the edited pic not bad at all

 

[smallaperture]

Dun worry, Z oal - this is very common the way critiques are given to newbies. You're treated like a punching bag just becos you're a newbie. If an oldbird here post a pic, the critiques are much subdued and more polite - well, that's my observation here. I have seen quite a few awlful or queer or weird B&W pictures of some body parts and they call it portrait, art, abstract art or whatever.

Sometimes, when I look back at some of the pictures I have taken a year or two ago, I am very ashamed of the quality of those pictures. I have improved a little and have also learnt a fair bit in this forum. Keep learning.

 

[Witness]

No, unless you use ambient as b/g light.
No, unless you use continuous light as b/g light. (edited)



Are you sure about this? The duration of a flash is 1/10000s or less, depends of the output, which is nothing to do with the camera sync speed.
Are you sure about this? The duration of a flash is 1/10000s or less, depends of the output, doesn’t really matter how high can your camera sync speed can goes, even if your camera can sync with flash 1/8000s. (edited)

sorry bout tt...made a mistake on it...

 

[jsbn]

i am using kit lens. i think that is why it is not sharp. there wasnt any motion.

To be brutally honest. Its not the kit lens that's not sharp.

Its the user problem.

99% of all photos that are not sharp are usually due to the user's fault and not equipment fault. Don't fault equipment. :nono:

 

[jsbn]

Thats a really good advice! :thumbsup:
And yah.. very meaningful too.

Most of us (like me, n00b photographers) tend to have emotional attachment to the recent photographs we take. And we always think our recently taken images are so good, but only after some time (several months passed), then we look at again at our old photos and shout "Oh, my, that SUCKS!".

My advise for you, z-oal: Take some time to learn. Pay attention to details, like focusing. And most importantly, have fun. And learn Photoshop too, if you're shooting in Digital. A bit of Photosho's Unsharp Mask and Curves will help you improve a lot on your image posted.

My 2 and a half Cents!

The popping of the ego of a noob photographer is very, very painful.

None but the most serious would be able to survive this painful pop.

 

[Witness]

The popping of the ego of a noob photographer is very, very painful.

None but the most serious would be able to survive this painful pop.

i was told by a fwen tt its who tt lasts the longest tt counts in a way...

 

[smallaperture]

The popping of the ego of a noob photographer is very, very painful.

None but the most serious would be able to survive this painful pop.

Newbie photog should take this like play-play and shoot-shoot for fun only la. :bsmilie: Dun take it too seriously. Otherwise, the ego would suffer, loose sleep or feel the pain.

 

[student]

You're treated like a punching bag just becos you're a newbie. If an oldbird here post a pic, the critiques are much subdued and more polite - well, that's my observation here. I have seen quite a few awlful or queer or weird B&W pictures of some body parts and they call it portrait, art, abstract art or whatever.

Hmm, interesting observations, and not unreasonable observations .

But is your interpretation of your observations necessarily correct?

1 Newbies do get more criticisms. Why? There are more things to criticise. Don't you think so? But I do agree that criticism should not make a person feel small. A criticism should be clear and direct, and directed to the issue, and not directed to the person (but some people do have the knack of "asking for it!")

2 An "oldbird", as you put it, have less things such as technical flaws to be criticised. Very often the issue is that of "art" and not something basic. I tend to avoid making comments on esthetics because esthetics are very subjective in its nature. So I may say that I do not like the images of the toes in a bucket because it may not mean anything to me. But others may find it enlightening! So the criticism is not something like you got the exposure wrong etc etc. The criticism are more directed at esthetic issues.

So if you find something weird or perculiar and not to your liking, it is perfectly fine! But remember, others may not share your opinion.

By the way, a couple of well respected master photographers (internationally - not clubsnap!) routinely make peculiar images of ears, one eye, curve of a buttock, exaggerated perspective etc etc. Just to name a couple - Bill Brandt and Ralph Gibson. And others make fuzzy images. And some make images that have no eye catchlights, hair with no details etc. I am sure you will find these images peculiar, awlful, queer and weird. But you will of course not be in agreement with museum curators, private collectors who pay thousands of dollars for these crazy images. And also the thousands and thousands of photographers who buy books with such crazy images.

As for me, I realise my esthetics are my own. If I do not like someone else's image, it is my perspective that is different. In this case, how can I be overly critical?

 

[Deadpoet]

ok, since you like the 'direct' way ...
a good comment is something that gives you space for thinking, when a person tells you things so straightforwardly , it only shows that he does not respect your intelligence.
my point is , you are not direct but just rude.
give some thoughts bout it. i just hope CS is a friendlier forum for people to come.

you are really way off base here. telling something straightforward has nothing to do with the lack of respect to the audience's intelligence.

To tell it straight forward means to be direct, to the point and with no uncertainty. Anything wrong with that? Or are we suppose to hint this hint that, hint left hint right, hint front and hint back, hopeing the audience gets it that we are talking about the middle?

A good comment is one that is correct about the things it is commenting on. Thinking about the comment is the audience's task and option, may choose to or may not, regardless of whether the comment is positive, negative, direct or indirect!

CS Forum is a very friendly place, or else, why are there so many of us here.

 

[ellery]

If it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, poos like a duck, smells like a duck - it most probably could be a duck but it could also be what you want it to be - the PC version. It is freaking duck for gads sake - the frustrated version. It is a duck - the direct version. In 3 hours I can make this into roast duck - eternal chinese food fixation knee jerk reaction. With some make up some feather styling, some designer togs , a little time and some studio lighting - meet supermodel duckie - the fashion wannabe photog version. Ignore the last 2 versions , it is my demented sense of humor surfacing. Which you approach you like best as a photog will determine how long you stay at the basement level. Your game your choice. We have all seen the basement, some of us are moving away from there, some like it there.