Trying to get there!

I have been working hard over the last few years on my photography, I completed an associates degree for photography and am moving on towards a BFA.
I have done well in all my classes and think my work is improving, But I am still not convinced I am just there yet.
My goal is to be "there" and comfortable enough to start a small business in photography and be able to call myself a "Pro".
I was wondering if I can get some input on some current work.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/37490901@N05/6​698304673/

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Re: broadlight male

This is a formal portrait...I see them similar in the military. The military couldn't have the stubble on the face so that was a bit odd for me. Also, the tie is a bit loose. That should be tightened about 1/4 inch to close the gap between the knot and the collar. After that, any white that appears above the knot can be cloned out.

Watch the fabric pucker under the left shoulder and near the ribbon rack on his right.

A couple tricks for service coats:
-- If the subject doesn't have the chest to fill out the service coat, pad it with thin pads (like a woman might consider in a bra to help fill out there)
-- Have the subject pull down on the "coat tails" and then sit on the tails. This also closes gaps.
-- Make sure the whole rack of ribbons and the whole badge can be seen. Ribbons are important awards that are worn proudly and might be considered for a promotion. The badge shows the unit the person is with...and there's pride that is associated there, too.
-- Give a firm downward tug on the coat sleeves between the shoulder and elbow. This flattens out the shoulders a bit.

The lighting looks good to me. Good ratio between left and right so the picture does not appear flat.

Good job for this shot. The points I brought up are nits.

I'm not too great with portraits, but it looks like the blacks in the jacket in the last picture are quite crushed (like it's so dark you can't see the details in the folds and such). I'd also suggest posting larger pictures so people can see better.

As for the storm trooper (think that's what he is?) not sure why you cut off his leg.

I like the picture of the girl though!

Thanks for the replys, every bit of info (feedback) is a tool for me to learn from. I never noticed his tie was so loose, its amazing how we get focused in on something and loose sight of others.
Good to hear you feel the lighting is decent, I work really hard to try to get things right and during my studio class at school i would go to the studio with my costudents when I did not have the space just to hang out, watch, learn and take in as many other styles and info as possible.
Thanks again for the replys.

I think the S-trooper is well done, I like the background treatment.
The girl's face & hair are nice but there seems to be too much bulk in her shoulders. I'd use the liquefy tool and flatten the tops of her shoulders a bit or try another pose with her shoulders turned more toward 45 degrees to camera and make sure she relaxes. Also there seems to be some compression where her arms meet her body and that adds to the bulky feeling, relaxing and not forcing arms to body would fix that.
The lighting on the soldier seems too flat to me and I echo the other comments regarding composing and getting the medals in frame.
Having said all that I think you should forge ahead with your business now - the sooner the better. When you start making money you'll get better fast.

The Stormtrooper doesn't do much for me. It's a lot of effort to just have him sit on a stool that would normally be used for a head and shoulders shot. If having him reading a book was meant as a joke, the whole scene should reflect the incongruity.

The lady is an OK shot, but not spectacular. When posing with her hands in the shot make sure they are graceful. When fingers are spread out they can tend to get in awkward positions so you need to pay close attention to them.

Having once been a photographer in the Army for a few years, the 'military portrait' is a bit confusing since it seems that you printed a mirror image. The ribbons should be on the left side. In addition to the comments by Cpam, a classic military portrait is taken from about 45 degrees to the left and must include the right shoulder to show the current unit patch, and all the ribbons and decorations. For an enlisted person such as this you would normally back away a bit to show his left arm so his rank can be seen.

I don't think the formal portrait is military. The pips on the collars/lapels appear to be fire-fighter type logos. Therefore, the ribbons might actually be on the correct side for his form of service.

cpam.pix wrote in post #13707696
I don't think the formal portrait is military. The pips on the collars/lapels appear to be fire-fighter type logos. Therefore, the ribbons might actually be on the correct side for his form of service.

The formal is firefighter.

Thank you all for the comments, it is important to me to get to a point where I feel comfortable charging a customer for work. I want to do things right! So I have taken all the photo classes my Community college offers and now am going to finish up a BFA in photography.
I constantly look for workshops in my area and I am a reflector monkey for another photographer when I can as she is someone I can really learn from. I feel that I can always learn more and I want to present the best image possible.
I strive to shoot right from the start and stay away from photoshop, I don't want to use PS if I don't have to as it could be a crutch for bad shooting.

So please any input on my photos is greatly accepted.
Joe