I've become a photo snob! yikes!

TermV wrote in post #9846799
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Your "photo snobbery" is simply you starting to look at photographs with a photographer's eye...

++

After you see what is good photos, you get a better understanding at what is wrong with bad photos. I get the same way, I've seen some photos of my friends which are how do you say, need improvement.

Understand where you're coming from and it works both ways. I shoot basketball and football for my local high school. Attended the fall sports (football) night at the HS. The woman who shot cross-country and soccer put together a fall sports slide show for the audience. Imagine my surprise when all my football shots showed up on HER slide show presentation?!!! I always get the last laugh when 1 of 10 soccer shots were actually on par with any of my football shots!

Secondly, there were 3 dads who shot football. Several senior parents put together picture books for their football playing sons. Imagine my surprise when the books were 3/4 MY shots again!

Guess it just comes with the territory. Credit and recognition would be nice sometimes, though! I'm sure you'll feel the same way when the finished product is nearly all your shots as well!

dave

snyderman wrote in post #9847532
Credit and recognition would be nice sometimes, though!

And sometimes not nice.

Around six years ago I went on a day's motorcycle ride with some friends. Took my N*k*n POS (err, P&S) and got a few snapshot type pics at the request of one of the riders. She wanted pics for the company employees' newsletter.

I didn't know until I put the pics on my computer that the AF had failed (permanently) and all the shots were oof. Recognizable, but nothing I would ever display or publish.

My friend was disappointed and asked if she could have them anyway - the images in the publication were going to be pretty small anyway.

I reluctantly said yes, with one condition:

"Nobody must EVER know who took these!"

TermV wrote in post #9846799
....
Your "photo snobbery" is simply you starting to look at photographs with a photographer's eye.

mbellot wrote in post #9847040
Really? I've taken hundreds (more likely thousands) of pics of my kids that I think are total crap. Maybe I'm too critical.

Exactly. As with any craft, the more you study it the more you learn what is good and what is not. Novices often just don't know any better, whther it is wine tasting or photography.

I personally have a different kind of snobbery, which is in fact equipment related. I had a manual everything SLR in the 80's and loved it very much, but after I graduated college in 1990 and had no access to a darkroom I gave it up and went to a film P&S. The film P&S was fine, but I found that digital P&S's just had too many compromises on speed and utility. From my SLR dyas I knew how to prefocus and time action shots, but with the delay of a digital P&S I was at a loss. I ended up getting a DSLR in 2005 because I was sooooo frustrated with what my P&S couldn't do.

Just yesterday we were at a small zoo, and most everyone else had P&S's that could not focus on the animals behind fences, while my 7d had no trouble at all. I didn't care that I had to carry 10lbs of gear, because I got the shots I wanted and am happy with them. For me it was worth it even though my images from there will never ever be published - I enjoyed the afternoon without frustration and am satisfied that I did a good job (IMHO).

timbop wrote in post #9849475
Exactly. As with any craft, the more you study it the more you learn what is good and what is not.

Unfortunately your logic falls apart with politics.

This has been a really insightful thread.

and now ... I have a question ... I have a quite adorable picture of my younger son, taken yesterday. First time on roller skates. But, it's BLURRY as all get out and I have no idea how to fix it (if it can even be fixed).

Anyone up for the challenge?

Is he moving? If yes, it's probably motion blur. You need to increase the shutter speed, whether it's with ISO or better light or flash.

theextremist04 wrote in post #9850564
Is he moving? If yes, it's probably motion blur. You need to increase the shutter speed, whether it's with ISO or better light or flash.

actually nope... he was standing still (LOL ... he was scared to death to move but did good with standing still by himself! hehe)

I don't think my flash fired at all .... so thats probably the problem ..... next on my "wish list" a good flash!

I would say the picture is what it is, blurry. There's not much that can be done after the fact, regardless of the cause of the blur.

That does not, of course, make it less adorable in your eyes.

post the pic and we'll make some suggestions. My guess is either motion blur due to a slow shutter speed or missed focus