How can I progress in my photography and decide what kind of photographer I should be?

Question

Please visit my link at http://community.webshots.com/user/wilkyway79

Basically my problem is this: I am taking color and digital photography this spring semester and am halfway through the program. Looking over my pictures, I don't believe I am progressing as much as I would like to, and I don't have a clear area as to what I should focus on. I am not even sure what kind of photographer I should be now. I thought weddings but now I am not sure. Please look at my album on webshots and provide your opinion of what you like or what you think I should focus on (please be nice). The black and white photos are from the fall semester (intermediate black and white photography), and the color ones are just digital photos from before I started school.

Thanks for your input!

Answer 1

With your question,you're bringing me back some 35 years...
When I had the same,very,problem.

I did a lot of "random style photos" for a while,looking for what I was looking for.
From one day to another,I found myself,thinking in what kind of photografy I was interested to do.
In my case,I chosed : reportage(animals,insect,landscapes,people,etc).Therefore I started perfectioning my technics on those issues.I made mistakes.I made something good.
Most important,I put my heart in my images(Whatever it means),and,at the end I realized that the images that I" had suffered "more,were the best.The ones that showed what I wanted,the ones that people liked,despite some little mistakes in the technics.

Therefore,I can suggest to you :
-To improve your technical skills at first.
-Thinking well about the kind of photography you are interested in.
-Make mistakes(taking note of them).And don't be worried about critics.Listen to them.
-Make experience and use your heart.With photography,as an artist,you want to transmit to other people,feelings,ideas,etc.
You do have to be stubborn on this.

-All my best wishes...

Answer 2

It seems like you're exactly where you need to be at this stage in your career. There are some technical issues to work out, but you've got time. There are stylistic issues to work out, but you've got time. There are direction issues to work out, but, well you get it by now. I've been a commercial photographer for 12 years and I'm still evolving and learning, and that's the key to being succesful and happy.

In the short run, assist with some local photographers who do different types of work. You may learn you really HATE wedding photography, or that executive portraits are a blast, or food photography is not your thing. Having the opportunity to see different types of working situations can be tremendously beneficial when trying to decide where to go next.

All in all, keep shooting, remember that your style will evolve and if you're concientious about your approach it will take care of itself.

Answer 3

As with anything in college, don't feel that you need to be locked into a particular path right now...you will find yourself changing your mind and your interests many times during and well after college. For now, just focus on polishing your techniques (exposure, composition, lighting) and learning new skills (like using a view camera)...because those are the things you will be relying on regardless of which photographic specialty you eventually choose. The campus is the best place to take advantage of this because you have access to equipment that is normally very expensive for someone trying to learn on their own. Making mistakes on campus is not "costly", but rather, wonderful learning experiences.
As for developing the "photographer's eye", spend time looking at other professional photographers' work online, visit photo galleries, and ask lots of questions "what makes this a good photo?" "why is this photograph so hard to take / print?", etc. Keep note of which genre and experiences appealed to you the most.

Miscellaneous comments:
Wedding/Portrait Photography: do you have an assertive yet not a pushy personality? Do you enjoy working with people? Do you like being invited to wedding banquets? Can you take criticism, esp. from Type A people?
Landscape Photography: Kinda the opposite of wedding photography...it can be very lonely and you need to be very patient.
Product Photography: You enjoy working with 'camera movements'...you consider yourself as technical.
Fine Art Photography: You consider yourself an artist.
Journalistic Photography: You like being away from home and like adventure...you love to tell stories.

Answer 4

The principals for all photographers are the same....it's all about lighting and having control of it.
Wedding, Fashion, Advertising, Food and scientific all will use the same principals. I suggest you practise and practise on lots of different subjects.
I used to get a bowl of fruit or a bunch of flowers, set the camera to manual and then take the same shot but using all the different settings. F2.8 and shutter of 60th of a sec right through to F32 and 5 seconds shutter. This way you will learn what effect these settings have on the exposure.
The best way to get into studio photography is to do a photographers assistant course and work your way up.

Answer 5

From your portfolio, I didn't see much in the way of portrait photography...which is where the money is. I mean, I am a starving artist too! People want pictures of their families, children, graduates, weddings. While you should keep photographing "artistic" stuff, if you want to make a carreer of photography, learn more about making people beautiful on film. And digital, while it seems to go contrary to the craft...and I still use 35mm too...is the best way to capture your subjects.

Yes, weddings are very high stress. But they are wonderful!

Answer 6

Well, not to focus on the negative (and THERE is a photographic joke if there was one), but your work is lacking in two essential elements, to my eye.

One is a consistent point of view, or unifying theme. What are you trying to to show? Why? People are, studies show, most interested in people, and the human element or trace is largely absent in most of you work.

The second would be a unifying style. Are you trying to be evocative? meditative, documentarian? Look thourhg your woak and deicdee which image gave to the greatest pleasure to make, and try to work within that style.

All in all, at the moment, I would say that your work has all the piizzazz or Aunt Mabel's slideshow of her last vacation...that is to say, you have a collection of snapshots, not photographs.

I would suggest that, for the time being, you work in black and white, untill you really find your niche, or a subject that demands colour.

Answer 7

I looked through all your images and I have to agree with a previous observation that you seem to lack unity, or a vision if you will, in your images. I think from what you've stated that you already know this, and that is the first thing that will help you grow as a photographer. Understanding where you need to grow in your craft is critical to improving. I have been shooting since I was seven and I can think of nothing I want to do more than to share my experiences in life through my images. I think I have an concept that may help you. Remember that all good images tell a story. When you click that shutter, the image you take will not be true to what you are experiencing at the time. You must give hints inside your image of the rest of the experience that the viewer is missing. How did it make you feel? What mood did the scene evoke? As and example, I love what I call "lonely" shots. Early morning ,dense fog, hazy light, things going out of focus when they are further away - all of these things feel "lonely" or "cold" to me. People to whom I show my images to feel this emotion too. That's what you need to do. Tell a story. A good image is alive, it intrigues you and makes you want to look further. I'll give you a couple of examples in your own shots.

Your image called "blossoms" (23) and the one called "shadowed walkway" (64) both draw the viewer's eye through the image through repetition in (23) and through the curving path in (64). They make your eye and your mind travel through the image looking for more. On (64), my eye wants to see what is beyond that curve in the path. That is wonderful!

Your image called "man feeding birds" (68) and "from an artist's point of view" (71) are very good candid images. They both tell a story. One speaks of a guy feeding the birds. I wonder why he's there, why is he sitting, what is he thinking? My mind gets involved in the image. My mind perceives a story. The same with the artist. I ask: what does the artist think of his image, what will he do next, who is that girl, is she still there? I am a part of the story as I think about the image. I am there. Do you see?

You do still have to practice on getting the exposure correct, especially in harsh light (see your image called "orchids" (30) for lost highlights in the flower). And you need to watch the edges of your photos for distracting things like the glass light globe on the photo of the bridge (45). Keep your images focused on your story and don't let things intrude into your images that you don't intend. Its akin to someone putting their hand over your mouth when your telling a verbal story. Things get a bit muffled.

All in all, you have promise. I want you to do something, though. Go back through your images one by one and ask yourself on each one: does this image tell a story? Can anyone understand what I was trying to show them or make them feel? You can get all the technical stuff down as you go, but if you can put a little more of you in your images and tell a story that the viewer can understand, you will do very well with whatever type of photography you pursue. Good luck!

Answer 8

Looking at your pictures, I see that you have a very artistic mind. You excel at photos with specific subjects like sunsets, water lily. Although "swan lake" was a good idea, the background was too dark, which made it look like a swan floating in the air.

You should work on your lighting and angle decisions.

Your cloud shots are dark, sometimes, if you wait, the sun will change the lighting (pinks and blues).

Your photos, ideally are good, you just have to pick your moments and capture the right atmosphere.
Keywords: Lighting and angles.

Good luck.

Answer 9

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