Feedback please

[noclevername]

I am a photographer. Have been for 10 years or so, but as of a few years ago I got much more serious. My question is can I get some feedback on my work. My website is ncnphoto.com and I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Both positive and negative feedback back are welcome.

 

[unrlmth]

Why Facebook? Email/phone seems more appropriate for a professional service.

Do you normally have customers buy photos through the smugmug printing service? If you do, then you need to update your prices. If you don't then you should turn it off.

What are your specialties? Where are you located? I would put some sort of bio on your homepage.

Maybe spend some time browsing POTN and check out the websites of other professionals.

Here's one that you could use as reference: Cyprus Wedding Photographer | Professional Wedding Photography (literally the first one I found on POTN)

 

[noclevername]

Why Facebook? Email/phone seems more appropriate for a professional service.

Do you normally have customers buy photos through the smugmug printing service? If you do, then you need to update your prices. If you don't then you should turn it off.

What are your specialties? Where are you located? I would put some sort of bio on your homepage.

Maybe spend some time browsing POTN and check out the websites of other professionals.

Here's one that you could use as reference: Cyprus Wedding Photographer | Professional Wedding Photography (literally the first one I found on POTN)

So I rarely sell prints unless digital, so I've let smug mug do pricing. I photograph several genre from wedding,kids, models, rodeo so I advertise all. Facebook works well for exposure, but I don't pay Facebook to advertise I prefer to do so in person. I will have to check that out. Mainly the wedding, engagement, family, kids photos are to bring in money while I mainly shoot for magazine submissions. I've been published 17 times this year and twice internationally.

I am located northern colorado and frequent events in the area, as well as being a part of model/muah/photographer networking sites and groups. I will look into updating my bio with current info. Thank you this helps.

 

[Deleted member 245375]

I'd think you'd get a lot better constructive criticism if you asked an Admin/Mod to move this to the Photography & Video subforum here at the [H], but that's just me.

 

[noclevername]

I'd think you'd get a lot better constructive criticism if you asked an Admin/Mod to move this to the Photography & Video subforum here at the [H], but that's just me.

You may be onto something there. I knew the [H] community would think of things I didn't. I will do so haha. Thank you.

 

[northrop]

1. we do have an active Photo subforum: Photography & Video I strongly suggest utilizing that part of the forum.
2. get some better models. Preferably the ones that know what to do in front of the camera. It will help your photography a lot, even if it's just for practice.
3. redesign your site. If you can't code, smugmug has many presets that will make your site look heck of a lot better.
4. Photoshop seems to be a foreign to you, and given your 10 year experience it's downright terrible. I get it, if the customer likes the product you're giving them, then I guess that's fine. But seriously, learn to edit your shots better. Utilize all the tools. Google Nik Software is now free. Get it and use it along with Lightroom. If you come back and tell me that you've edited all the shots on your site, I will tell you did a really poor job with them. Using cheap effects and filters only works if you're trying something new. But there's no reason to be resorting to different sepia hue every other shot.
5. I tried really hard to find a single photo that I might like. With the one or two exceptions from your Band/Concert set, I really couldn't find anything. Primarily due to already mentioned non-existing/poor post processing. Take Rodeo set as an example. Every shot has a different white balance! Furthermore, and I can't stress this enough, it seems like you're trying to do too many things at once. Jack of all trades, master of none. And unfortunately, it shows. Concentrate on one aspect of your photography, be it modeling, family portraits, wedding, whatever. Research, practice, and work on your skill set! You seem to have trouble with strobes. Id suggest this blog as a starting point: Strobist
6. They say gear isn't important, it's the photographer. I say, gear isn't important, until it is. I don't know if it's your camera, cheap lens, or your editing that completely destroys color depth, but all your pictures look flat.

Keep working on it. Get some more practice.

 

[AltTabbins]

I would choose a different picture for the engagement photo on the front page. It looks like the guy is trying to eat her soul. Maybe find something a little more subtle.

 

[AltTabbins]

And very much this.

1. we do have an active Photo subforum: Photography & Video I strongly suggest utilizing that part of the forum.
2. get some better models. Preferably the ones that know what to do in front of the camera. It will help your photography a lot, even if it's just for practice.
3. redesign your site. If you can't code, smugmug has many presets that will make your site look heck of a lot better.
4. Photoshop seems to be a foreign to you, and given your 10 year experience it's downright terrible. I get it, if the customer likes the product you're giving them, then I guess that's fine. But seriously, learn to edit your shots better. Utilize all the tools. Google Nik Software is now free. Get it and use it along with Lightroom. If you come back and tell me that you've edited all the shots on your site, I will tell you did a really poor job with them. Using cheap effects and filters only works if you're trying something new. But there's no reason to be resorting to different sepia hue every other shot.
5. I tried really hard to find a single photo that I might like. With the one or two exceptions from your Band/Concert set, I really couldn't find anything. Primarily due to already mentioned non-existing/poor post processing. Take Rodeo set as an example. Every shot has a different white balance! Furthermore, and I can't stress this enough, it seems like you're trying to do too many things at once. Jack of all trades, master of none. And unfortunately, it shows. Concentrate on one aspect of your photography, be it modeling, family portraits, wedding, whatever. Research, practice, and work on your skill set! You seem to have trouble with strobes. Id suggest this blog as a starting point: Strobist
6. They say gear isn't important, it's the photographer. I say, gear isn't important, until it is. I don't know if it's your camera, cheap lens, or your editing that completely destroys color depth, but all your pictures look flat.

Keep working on it. Get some more practice.

 

[noclevername]

1. we do have an active Photo subforum: Photography & Video I strongly suggest utilizing that part of the forum.

Got the thread moved

2. get some better models. Preferably the ones that know what to do in front of the camera. It will help your photography a lot, even if it's just for practice.

It is hit and miss doing mainly TFP shoots

3. redesign your site. If you can't code, smugmug has many presets that will make your site look heck of a lot better.

Website is hosted by smugmug.....Shows that upper left hand corner. Website not fully updated with new shots as I have been waiting for certain shots to be released from a magazine publication to post online, they tend to frown upon posting a photo before its published.

4. Photoshop seems to be a foreign to you, and given your 10 year experience it's downright terrible. I get it, if the customer likes the product you're giving them, then I guess that's fine. But seriously, learn to edit your shots better. Utilize all the tools. Google Nik Software is now free. Get it and use it along with Lightroom. If you come back and tell me that you've edited all the shots on your site, I will tell you did a really poor job with them. Using cheap effects and filters only works if you're trying something new. But there's no reason to be resorting to different sepia hue every other shot.

Running CS6 and Nik Software. I have never been huge into massive photo manipulation unless the theme calls for it.

5. I tried really hard to find a single photo that I might like. With the one or two exceptions from your Band/Concert set, I really couldn't find anything. Primarily due to already mentioned non-existing/poor post processing. Take Rodeo set as an example. Every shot has a different white balance! Furthermore, and I can't stress this enough, it seems like you're trying to do too many things at once. Jack of all trades, master of none. And unfortunately, it shows. Concentrate on one aspect of your photography, be it modeling, family portraits, wedding, whatever. Research, practice, and work on your skill set! You seem to have trouble with strobes. Id suggest this blog as a starting point: Strobist

Studio lighting is an ongoing work as I get to play around with some Alien Bee's from time to time, but I have to work with what I have. All rodeo shots are either partial shade or full sunlight. I shoot out of the arena so not only am I working to get a good photo at a good iso, shutter speed, and Fstop set I am also trying to not get hit by the bull when he bucks off a rider. As to focusing on one area it is hard when being requested for all themes and genres while keeping a 40 hour a week job, especially working overnights. This only leaves me with Friday through Sunday to shoot.


6. They say gear isn't important, it's the photographer. I say, gear isn't important, until it is. I don't know if it's your camera, cheap lens, or your editing that completely destroys color depth, but all your pictures look flat.

Shooting with:
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon 1D Mark II n
Canon 50D

Lenses:
Canon 24-105mm L F4 USM IS
Canon 70-200mm L F2.8 USMx2 IS
Canon 28-135mm F4 IS USM
Tamron 17-35mm F2.8 Wide Angle

All that being said I am looking into everything said, not only does it help having some insight, but I though you deserved answers to all points.

Keep working on it. Get some more practice.

This has always been my goal as I know I have a long way to go. My dad has 35 years behind the lens and I have made it about 2 steps into the mile long path he left.

 

[MN Scout]

You need consistency in your photographic look. I feel if a customer is going to hire you they want to know what they are going to get a head of time.

For example, anytime someone getting married asks me how to find a good photographer, I always tell them to find someone with an active website where they post a handful of pictures from their wedding gigs from the previous weekend. That is a big indicator that the photographer can routinely capture a handful of quality pictures (the money shots), and that they should be able to do the same at your wedding. Seeing all the pictures from the different gigs is also a great way to understand that photographers editing "look".

Smugmug prints are good. You should be charging more and recommending that your customers buy straight through their album. (Prints are a huge money makers, and the ease of just buying from your site shouldn't be underestimated. Make sure the bride includes your website link somewhere in the program with a note about viewing the images there.)

If I was you I'd work on re-editing each of your albums, so that they have 2 styles of looks max. Right now your site is basically a portfolio, so you want them to look their best and be cohesive. Be critical on the images, and maybe swap in new ones, or crop differently etc. as you go through the pictures. I see no problem in pulling the images off, editing things, and uploading new albums.

 

[noclevername]

You need consistency in your photographic look. I feel if a customer is going to hire you they want to know what they are going to get a head of time.

For example, anytime someone getting married asks me how to find a good photographer, I always tell them to find someone with an active website where they post a handful of pictures from their wedding gigs from the previous weekend. That is a big indicator that the photographer can routinely capture a handful of quality pictures (the money shots), and that they should be able to do the same at your wedding. Seeing all the pictures from the different gigs is also a great way to understand that photographers editing "look".

Smugmug prints are good. You should be charging more and recommending that your customers buy straight through their album. (Prints are a huge money makers, and the ease of just buying from your site shouldn't be underestimated. Make sure the bride includes your website link somewhere in the program with a note about viewing the images there.)

If I was you I'd work on re-editing each of your albums, so that they have 2 styles of looks max. Right now your site is basically a portfolio, so you want them to look their best and be cohesive. Be critical on the images, and maybe swap in new ones, or crop differently etc. as you go through the pictures. I see no problem in pulling the images off, editing things, and uploading new albums.

Thank you for the feedback. I have been thinking of starting over with my portfolio as it is not the most current and up to date as it could be. My work is all over the place, but that is because I love shooting several genres. But I see what you mean by having more say a more focused area of expertise.
If I had to choose just one area and stick with it, I would love to solely shoot rodeos, but not having a way for people to order on the spot makes it hard. Most people won't buy prints from say a week old rodeo, they buy on the spot. There actually a lot of work I do that is unpaid sadly. Part of that is my love for what I do, but at the same time I understand I need to be charging more. In a way my lower prices have actually kept me from getting work, rather than give me more.

 

[MN Scout]

Thank you for the feedback. I have been thinking of starting over with my portfolio as it is not the most current and up to date as it could be. My work is all over the place, but that is because I love shooting several genres. But I see what you mean by having more say a more focused area of expertise.
If I had to choose just one area and stick with it, I would love to solely shoot rodeos, but not having a way for people to order on the spot makes it hard. Most people won't buy prints from say a week old rodeo, they buy on the spot. There actually a lot of work I do that is unpaid sadly. Part of that is my love for what I do, but at the same time I understand I need to be charging more. In a way my lower prices have actually kept me from getting work, rather than give me more.

It is OK to display multiple genres on your website, I didn't mean to suggest that you only display one topic. I just like to encourage only one or two editing styles for that genre.

I think it is OK to do free things occasionally if they are building your skill up in something you don't normally do and if it is for a cause you care deeply about, but I'm not a fan of doing the job for free if it is something you are good at and that that organization or person is making money from that event and most definitely if they are asking for you specifically. If you do it for free you might be taking a job from another person, and you are devaluing photography. Let them try and capture the event with their smartphones, and they'll realize they got worse coverage, images look bad, and that it was a lot of work, and hopefully for their next event they'll be willing to pay something.

I've been meaning to redo my portfolio website. I think I'll have a Landscape, Color IR, BW, and Bike Tours. Still mulling over exactly which, but those will likely be the top level categories. Bike Tours would drop down to another selection of albums, but the others would probably immediately have thumbnail icons for pictures. I really want people to be able to buy prints and digital licenses right from my portfolio. The redo is planned for mid November after my move, and is spurred on by me wanting to develop some side hustles to bring in extra funds each month.