Any talent here?

Question

I would really like to be a photographer when i'm older. Right now im 13. So i have pleny time to improve, but i was wondering if you guys think there is any talent here. Please be honest. All of these were obviousually taken by me.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p161/loveitacrzything/ifug9.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p161/loveitacrzything/Picture188.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p161/loveitacrzything/Picture116.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p161/loveitacrzything/Picture187.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p161/loveitacrzything/Picture182.jpg


--Thanks

Firstly, thanks to all of the advice && compliments.
Second, It seems to me as though amny of you guys are sayin i need to pick new and more ntrestign subjects. I will work on that, and try to come up with more "story telling" pictures. once again.. thanks

Answer 1

I definitely believe you've got talent, now you just need some polishing. It is true, not everyone can take a good sunset picture and the difference between a sunset shot taken by an average person and a photographer, professional or amateur, is technique. There were a few pointers given already concerning angles and the like, but for sunsets it takes an addition to your equipment as well. I'm concentrating on sunsets because they make up the bulk of what you've shared. Without knowing what kind of camera you use, I can't just tell you what is needed, but I can point you in the right direction. Your sunset shots are rather dark, this is because the camera can only expose for either the sky or the foreground elements [i.e., trees, grass, etc.]. The unaided camera lens will usually blow out, or over-expose the sky and leave the foreground a silhouette. The fix for this is a neutral density filter or neutral density graduate. They come in varying strengths and serve to stop the sky down a couple of exposures so the camera can properly expose everything else by allowing for slower shutter speeds. It also will allow for more detail in the sky like clouds, which can produce interesting color effects, especially during sunset. A ND filter is also known as a grey filter, the strengths go from .3 to .6 to .9 or varying depending on the manufacturer. A graduate filter starts grey on one end and graduates to clear on the other. The ND graduate is used the most with sunsets or sunrises as the dark end will stop down the exposure of the sky leaving the foreground exposure unaltered, meter for the foreground and you'll not only get the sky and details of clouds, you'll get the detail in the foreground as well. Using this technique requires a lot of practice and I recommend purchasing a book on understanding exposure in order to grasp the whole concept. If you don't have an SLR style digital camera, you can still use ND graduates, but you'll need a tripod and I would suggest you get the slot style, rectangular filters and just hold them up in front of the lens of whatever camera you use. If you do have a DSLR, simply get a slot filter holder for the lens and you're in business.

I think when you completely understand light, exposure, and metering, you'll definitely start to improve your technique. Just go to the photography section of barnes & noble, that'll be a good place to start. Good luck!

Answer 2

As you say, you have lots of time to learn and improve.

Your sunsets are snapshots, with your camera pointed at it and little more to recommend them. The reflection has no subject or interest. Also the horizon is crooked in several.

This does not mean you have no talent. In photography, talent is something you can learn, at least to some degree. Get a few books on beginning photography, and art. Study your camera manual, learn what the settings are and how they affect your image. Look at magazines and pro websites and study the pictures you like. Think about the lighting and composition. Then try to capture a similar image in your world. Pay attention to detail. Watch how light changes through the day. If you have a local camera club, join up. Keep studying and practicing and you will see improvement as you go.

Photography is a great hobby, enjoy!

Answer 3

Do you want compliments or do you want an honest opinion?
In my honest opinion, yours are nice, pretty photos, but there's absolutely nothing special about them. Anybody can point a camera at a nice scenery and push the button, and if you do it many times, you'll get a pretty picture.
The great photos are not the ones, that make us say: "Oh, how pretty."
The great photos are the ones, that make us say: "How did she see this? How did she find this angle? Why didn't I see it, when I was there?"
The most exciting pictures are not the ones showing landscapes (we know that there are beautiful landscapes.) The best pictures are the unusual ones (a picture of a tree branch might be more interesting than a picture of the whole tree, or a picture of a human hand can be more interesting than a portrait.)
Look for unusual angles, look for light hitting some object in an unusual way, look for contrasts like a child next to a huge machine or red Lady Bug on a large green leaf, or a broken, fallen tree surrounded by nice and healthy trees. Look for something that will make your pictures different (have you seen pictures of a great photographer Richard Avadon? He took many portraits in black and white and printed them at high contrast to make faces bleached white, almost hardly visible, so just the eyes would really stand out.. Beautiful and unusual work!)
If you have a passion for it, you'll succeed. Just do not settle on taking pretty pictures of sunsets. Good luck!

Answer 4

Your pictures are beautiful. But I think that You should try putting something more interestilng in the foreground. You're concentrating on things at a distance some times It's nice to see things up close. Also you should provide some information on where you took these photographs. With that kind of information your photographs will be more interesting. So just keep on practicing. I think someday you could become a very success photographer.

Answer 5

i have to somewhat disagree with those who say "anyone can take a good sunset picture".. i have seen many that were not so good! Anyhow, I think you have a good eye, a good idea of composition as well. I would say if you are really interested in taking up photography as say a career in the future, then definately do what ever you can. Also- what kind of camera were these pics taken with- i mean if they were taken with a disposable camera then they are very good because those cameras dont give you any control, however, if it was an advanced or digital camera, then i would honestly say that the pictures are "typical", but for 13 they are definately very good. Keep up the good work, i want to be a photographer when i "grow up " i just wish i would have started when i was 13!!

Answer 6

For a 13 year old you have a pretty good eye. Now for the criticism /it's not hard to take a good sunset picture. It's even harder to take a bad one. Experiment with your subject matter. A picture should tell a story with just one look..we all know the sun sets and rises so that's nothing new, Be able to take risk and start shooting photos that move you then they will move others. Try different subject matters that you don't see every day on a calendar. Don't be afraid to extend the boundaries of the world. If you going to do landscapes do them from a different angle or in black and white or sepia. study the masters like ansel adams or annie lebowitz...good luck!

Answer 7

The question is do you have any talent?

The answer is a strong yes. You have already got some of the basics down that many never grasp. For instance not putting the horizon line i n the center. Using dark foregrounds to create depth. Using light at a time of day when the color will impart a mood onto the subject.
Now the question is do you want to become a really good photographer.
If so you also must learn to be brutal on what is lacking on your photos. Do not worry about the subject matter so much but more on what can you do to improve on the pictures you like to take.
For instance you like to take pictures of reflections. Now ask your self what can you do to make it more dramatic and even more memorable? Then practice, practice, practice.
With the advantage of digital if you litter ally take 1000s of crafted(IE thought out pictures) of a subject you love you will take your photography to levels you never even dreamed of.
Good Luck

Answer 8

You take some very good panoramic photographs. I would like to see some portraits and some photos of things up close ie flowers and butterflys. I think with a really good camera, preferably not digital, you could take some wonderful photos, it looks like you already have an eye for it. Good luck and keep working at it!!

Answer 9

Honestly that is better than I could do. Follow your dream.
I know a guy that went to Alaska (He is 20) on vacation and took a picture of a whale jumping out of the ocean. It was beautiful. He sold it to the rest of the people on the cruise ship and made a profit over 1,000 dollars. (He framed them and then shipped them to people.) He is not even a professional!

Answer 10

I thought they were good. The last one had some reflection marks, or whatever you want to call them. But they are all way better that I could probably do. Very pretty pics.