Newbie Posting!

Okay, I'm a newbie but I did do a shoot last Saturday. Now before you even take a peek, please remember that I am BRAND new at this, these are good friends of mine who just wanted a shot for their mom for her birthday and I totally have no idea WTH I'm doing in PhotoShop. Before you ask, I know how terrible the lighting is, that's something I desperately need to learn and I'm trying every chance I get. Also, I'm light years away from being good enough to charge anything, so please don't think I made any money off these or anything like that. With that in mind, here are the results of my first "official" photo shoot: http://jessicamedders.​smugmug.com …2_GALgr/1/46954​3467_7szkJ

You have NOTHING to be ashamed of!

If that's your first attempt, you're into the right hobby!
I'm not going to "critique" your shots as I think it's best to keep at it, look at others' images, see what you like/don't like and try to develop your own eye - which you've clearly already "got".

Take more pics, experiment more, post more, take more pics, post more pics....
....well, you get the idea!

Oh my, thanks so much! *I* thought that there were a few that really turned out okay, but I look at the caliber of some of the shots posted here and mine pale in comparison! I've definitely got to find some more people to practice with! Thanks again for looking!

jessicaCPST wrote in post #7293163
Oh my, thanks so much! *I* thought that there were a few that really turned out okay, but I look at the caliber of some of the shots posted here and mine pale in comparison! I've definitely got to find some more people to practice with! Thanks again for looking!

You're welcome, and you should know that many POTN members have been shooting for 30+ years (me included, if Nikon film counts.....hmm, maybe it doesn't?!) and many are professionals.
BUT, many are not pros (including me!) and many are new.
So, just keep at it, and don't worry about things like pixels, new camera bodies/lenses, and spending 100 hours in photoshop.

Your best bet for improving "your" photography is to get off your PC and take pictures as much as you can!

Later.....

HI There,
pictures are not bad at all.
here are my suggestions:
1. try to avoid direct sunlight, even if you are shooting outside, find a shaded area where the light on the face is soft, that way you will not get the shadows on the faces
2. try to use one focus point and dont let the camera choose it for you, focus on the eye, recompose and take the shot. that way you will have a mich higher infocus pictures.

keep on shooting, you did very well for a first try

skygod44 wrote in post #7293191
You're welcome, and you should know that many POTN members have been shooting for 30+ years (me included, if Nikon film counts.....

Please! We all know it doesn't!

Anyways, I think a lot of these are great! Some aren't as great, but there are too many good ones to pick out favorites. My only advice is to pay attention to shadows and watch the wide apertures. Some of the shots have one subject's face in shadow and the others catching the sun. When you lined the three people up side-by-side and shot at f/2.8 you didn't catch all of them in focus. You could stop down a bit and still have plenty of DoF.

Nice shots!

Kudos. Thanks for sharing your first official shoot with us! While I can't say that I have been shooting for thirty years (I am not even that old) I do have to agree skygod44 that you will develop if you just keep at it. I guess I just have three things:
1) Direct sunlight creates some nasty shadows (unless that is your intent)
2) shooting with the sun behind your subject actually creates some sweet light as long as you compose and expose for such things
3) buy yourself a good reflector (white or silver on one side gold on the other) this way you can "channel" light the way you want it too. Flashes are cool, but using ambient light is much better, let alone more natural.
4) DOF (depth of field) is something you have to be very cognizant of especially shooting three people who aren't on the same focus plane and at anything less than f8 with a tele.
5) finally...glass does make a difference in the crispness/saturation of photos. Some will tell you "kits" lens are fine...but I used kit lens for several years and than upgraded to a simple canon 85mm f1.8 price and the difference was astounding! If you find portraiture exciting looking into an 1.8 85mm prime or eventually a 70-200L f2.8. I bought my 85mm on ebay for $300 and there hasn't been a single day I haven't used it. Be wary of the downward spiral of equipment-itis. Its (expletive) expensive. I love your eye...keep it up!!

okay...I lied, that is five things. (I am going to go learn how to count!)

I think these are great, Love the shots with the girl in the yellow top, great use of dof also, very nice, keep it up, soon you'll be charging

Very nice !!!!!!!!!

I really like # 3 , # 20 and # 48 .

again very nice !!!!!!!!!!

Also here is a friends web site i think you will enjoy , she is very very good .

http://www.bentonphoto​graphy.net/index2.php

Andregen8 wrote in post #7293628
Kudos. Thanks for sharing your first official shoot with us! While I can't say that I have been shooting for thirty years (I am not even that old) I do have to agree skygod44 that you will develop if you just keep at it. I guess I just have three things:
1) Direct sunlight creates some nasty shadows (unless that is your intent)
2) shooting with the sun behind your subject actually creates some sweet light as long as you compose and expose for such things
3) buy yourself a good reflector (white or silver on one side gold on the other) this way you can "channel" light the way you want it too. Flashes are cool, but using ambient light is much better, let alone more natural.
4) DOF (depth of field) is something you have to be very cognizant of especially shooting three people who aren't on the same focus plane and at anything less than f8 with a tele.
5) finally...glass does make a difference in the crispness/saturation of photos. Some will tell you "kits" lens are fine...but I used kit lens for several years and than upgraded to a simple canon 85mm f1.8 price and the difference was astounding! If you find portraiture exciting looking into an 1.8 85mm prime or eventually a 70-200L f2.8. I bought my 85mm on ebay for $300 and there hasn't been a single day I haven't used it. Be wary of the downward spiral of equipment-itis. Its (expletive) expensive. I love your eye...keep it up!!

Now, I've got my eye on that Canon 70-200L f/2.8 for sure.

What is the difference (besides focal length) in the 85mm f/1.8 and my 50mm f/1.8?

I shot these pictures at f/2.8 (which I've figured out wasn't that great an idea), what aperture should I have been shooting at? I could have found some shade but the brunette wanted the shots in the sun and I *knew* it was going to be a disaster from the conception.

UtahRob wrote in post #7293694
Very nice !!!!!!!!!

I really like # 3 , # 20 and # 48 .

again very nice !!!!!!!!!!

Also here is a friends web site i think you will enjoy , she is very very good .

http://www.bentonphoto​graphy.net/index2.php

Okay, you're my new favorite member, because those are EXACTLY the ones I love the most. Matter of fact, I ordered the #20 in an 8X12 just so I could see it in person. She may want it, she may not. I ordered the rest she chose in 4X6 "proofs" so she can choose which ones she wants enlargements of, if any.

#37, #48 and #53 could be your money shots. Very nice. You've got the talent.

Thanks so much!

very nice shots...welcome to POTN. after reading your post..l thought to myself "Oh God...look at all the disclaimers on the images"...lol. it was a pleasant suprise to see the quality of the images. great portraits! keep shooting and posting, as skygod said earlier, youve found the right hobby

bravo