Nikon Forum Members = Average Photographers

sevencrossing

I agree PAD is a place for pictures not words or comments

I suggest if people do want comments they add

" please PM me with any helpful comments"

the only down side is, nobody else will see them

following my gate picture I have had a very helpfull PM from donaldejose

Ironheart

It is easy to "quote" a pic from PAD, and then cut/copy and paste the text into a discussion thread. The pic will go along for the ride, and we can all see the comments and contribute.

MaxBerlin

I looked through these photos and there are many good ones. Technically, most are very good to perfect.

Although I am a resolution chaser it's often the blurry grainy not so clear photos that 'hit' me.

Vipmediastar_JZ

This weekend I went to my first group photoshoot. It was a very big event with all the works, Models, Makeup Artists, Designers, photographers, etc etc..

I went as an assistant and I was shadowing the photographer so I was photographing off his poses, light placement and later one of the organizers "made" me a photographer because there were too many models waiting for photographers (due to date change some cancelled).
So my shadowing photos with natural light were fantastic IMO and were mostly candid.

When I went solo I froze and struggled to get the light setup correctly, posing the models etc using manual flash. I was put on the spot and had to setup with a line of models waiting so the stress was high but in a good way. I just have to learn to deal with it better.

After a while I had a better composition, better flash light, found a better backdrop and the Sun conditions improved with the last few models vs the images of the first few models.

Like the photographer tutoring me says: "Sadly everybody thinks this is a competition". "it is about your vision and creativity".

What I learned from this event is that practice, practice and more practice will give you better results.
Even if it is average photography if you love what you do than that is all that matters. I could do this everyday all day but I need to improve my technique and post processing.

I will add that all the models were lining up to shoot with the photographer I was assisting. His work is fantastic and everybody in the area knows it but he stand his ground that it is not a competition for all of them wanting to shoot with him.

sevencrossing

Ironheart and paste the text into a discussion thread.

This is tricky
Do you post into an existing thread, which has the same problem as comments on PAD, photos and comments become out of order
or risk starting a new thread ?

proudgeek

Speaking for myself, if you don't like something I've posted or see a way to improve it, feel free to let me know. You can do it over PM or call me out on Flickr, like AdamZ does when he feels like I didn't put enough effort into processing. It's all good.

manhattanboy

This weekend I went to my first group photoshoot. It was a very big event with all the works, Models, Makeup Artists, Designers, photographers, etc etc..

Very cool story. One can probably generalize and say experience in any field makes you better able to handle the stresses (i.e. one no longer panics when things go wrong). After reading your story I was wondering what lens/camera combo and flash did you find the best and why?

Rx4Photo

Very late to discussion ... I think the PAD lacks several styles of photography, probably likely because the people that are out there doing it don't have time to come here and post their photos. Portraiture is a prime example - we all went bananas over PitchBlack's photos because his work is truly exceptional. As of late, there's not much portraiture. Personally, I cringe every time I see someone post a portrait where the subject's got blemishes, scars, shadows under eyes, crappy background, etc. Crooked horizons just drive me nuts! Post processing is key to improving one's work. Otherwise it's a snapshot. That's what makes so many guys on 500px stand out.

Journalistic photography: I have a copy of National Geographic's - Greatest Photographs "Through The Lens" tabletop book and many of the photographs are grainy or slightly out of focus. Yet these are the photographs that ended up featured in stories in the magazine through the past several years. Most of these photos aren't planned or posed - simply taken at the spur of the moment regardless of perfect focus. Could any of us have taken many of these photographs? Probably. Were we there to take these photographs? No. But I guess what makes these special is the fact that they were moments that will never happen exactly the same again. Another major detail is that they all tell a story - even without the article for which they were taken included. I think a "story" is very important in journalistic style photography. Perfect focus is secondary.

Fine Art photography. OK, I follow a lot of people on Instagram and I occasionally come across someone who claims to be a "fine art" photographer. Look at their photos - many are all simply black and white nudes. What?? I so often want to ask them, what makes you think converting a nude photograph of a woman to B&W makes it "fine art." Please!! See Brooke Shaden.

There are so many brilliant photographers out there and most probably don't have time to log into sites like NR to post their latest cool photo. That's likely the primary reason the PAD thread lacks a certain dynamic. But hey, as others have said, I think we all can improve by seeing other's individual's work and we're all shooting what we love. That's what's most important. Right?

Vipmediastar_JZ

@manhattanboy The photographer asked me to borrow a Godox ad-360 light since his was delayed in shipping and is much smaller vs carrying a 3rd strobe to carry and power. I ended up taking 2 lights 2 speedlights two cameras 50mm 35mm 70-200f4 and 300mm f4e.

He was going to give me access to take shots so I took some gear.
All the photos were shot with the D810.

90% of the shots I took were the 300mm f4e because its under heavy evaluation mode and I was at a proper distance to the model and photogapher so that worked out for me. In addition I wanted to get the shots at f4 with the shallow DOF/bokeh.

The other 10% I used the 70-200mm just because. My last event I shot the 70-200mm 85% of the time and 50mm the other 10% and 35mm 5%

@Rx4Photo you are right about you speak. My goal is to focus on the portraits and I think in the last 2 shoots I have showns some improvement and with the group shoot having outdone myself minus some of the technical stuff. Models Make a big diffrence vs askig a friend to pose.

Ironheart

Ironheart and paste the text into a discussion thread.

This is tricky
Do you post into an existing thread, which has the same problem as comments on PAD, photos and comments become out of order
or risk starting a new thread ?

Personally, I think the "do a search before starting a new thread" is for technical discussions, and it is easy to see why having 17 DX vs FX threads or 3 threads on a particular lens is counterproductive. I think it is perfectly acceptable to have a detailed discussion of one photo on it's own thread. I personally love your concept of posting a single RAW file and having everyone take their own spin on it, I find those fascinating. If we had some discipline we could probably have a single thread for commentary, but it would also limit us to discussing one photo at a time, or as you point out the comments would be jumbled to hell and back. So PAD is for as @msmoto calls them "snapshots" and photos that we want to present but not get feedback on. If you specifically want to get, or someone wants to give, detailed comments and constructive criticism, I think its best done in its own thread.

sevencrossing

I personally love your concept of posting a single RAW file and having everyone take their own spin on it, I find those fascinating.

I can post a few more
If the Mods are happy, each one will have its own thread

donaldejose

For those who miss PitchBlack's work you can follow him and his girlfriend lupe on facebook:

www.facebook.com/mark.crislip

www.facebook.com/lupejelenafotografia

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.772836839462586.1073741833.329998673746407&type=3

JonMcGuffin

For the record, I *never* suggested changing PAD. Certainly it's about the only consistent and popular thread that works around here, don't change that!!

But I also don't think it's an excuse to just say "oh yeah, it's just a place to upload some pics that don't really count..."

Hey, the idea here is to upload good pics to share right? There is no shortage of crappy pics around the internet we can look at. I'd like to think if somebody uploads a pic, it's because they think it's a cut above you know?

JonMcGuffin

I will add that all the models were lining up to shoot with the photographer I was assisting. His work is fantastic and everybody in the area knows it but he stand his ground that it is not a competition for all of them wanting to shoot with him.

Who's the photographer VIP? Let us be the judge of that

On that note, can you share some of yours?

JonMcGuffin

I personally love your concept of posting a single RAW file and having everyone take their own spin on it, I find those fascinating.

I can post a few more
If the Mods are happy, each one will have its own thread

I second this.. So much of the final product is in the post processing of the image... I'd be game.

JonMcGuffin

Maybe it's best done, so that it truly is one photo at a time that the photographer who start it actually nomintes the next to submit, and then so on, etc. The "loose" rule will be at least once a week. So once about 4-5 days go by of people taking their crack at your photo, you then need to nominate somebody else here to post one the following week.

I can pretty much assure you.. this may not make us better photographers, but probably help us all out a lot with processing!

And why not do some kind of photo challenge? If there are 8-12 regulars here participating, I think that would actually be a lot of fun.

Ironheart

I like the idea of a Photo A Week thread, with exactly one photo chosen from PAD by the current PAW photog. The rule is you must be soliciting feedback via your sig or an explicit comment on PAD. We just need to prime the pump, I nominate @sevencrossing as the first photog. We can start on Sunday the 20th, this will be week 30 of 2015.

Benji2505

Coming back to the OP's original statement about the picture quality on PAD: Average is good because it keeps the thread and the forum alive. I am not sure whether NR would have enough users to sustain a curated prime quality picture thread.

I use PAD to go through the pictures and ask myself what I like and what I don't like in the pictures and try to apply it to my own ideas.

Concerning the question whether NR participants are too much into technicalities: I have the feeling that this is true.

heartyfisher

I think a "PAD comments" thread will do fine.. there are not that many comments or critiques you can do to an image .. so how would you do it? well just quote it in PAD then cut and paste the text into the "PAD Comments" .. of course only do it for people who have put "CC Welcome" you can even put examples of your edits for people who put "PP OK" I myself don't put "PP OK" cos I feel some of my pictures are my babies and I dont want anyone touching them !! :-) but many people are ok with that ..

I think we should try the "PAD Comments" thread.. because it is less structured and more adhoc and people do not feel obliged to comment and critique as I do on "critique my image" thread .. (Hmm.. maybe that's why I subconsciously avoid that thread .. )

spraynpray

Maybe it's best done, so that it truly is one photo at a time that the photographer who start it actually nomintes the next to submit, and then so on, etc. The "loose" rule will be at least once a week. So once about 4-5 days go by of people taking their crack at your photo, you then need to nominate somebody else here to post one the following week.

I can pretty much assure you.. this may not make us better photographers, but probably help us all out a lot with processing!

And why not do some kind of photo challenge? If there are 8-12 regulars here participating, I think that would actually be a lot of fun.

I like the idea of a Photo A Week thread, with exactly one photo chosen from PAD by the current PAW photog. The rule is you must be soliciting feedback via your sig or an explicit comment on PAD. We just need to prime the pump, I nominate @sevencrossing as the first photog. We can start on Sunday the 20th, this will be week 30 of 2015.

I think a "PAD comments" thread will do fine.. there are not that many comments or critiques you can do to an image .. so how would you do it? well just quote it in PAD then cut and paste the text into the "PAD Comments" .. of course only do it for people who have put "CC Welcome" you can even put examples of your edits for people who put "PP OK" I myself don't put "PP OK" cos I feel some of my pictures are my babies and I dont want anyone touching them !! :-) but many people are ok with that ..

I think we should try the "PAD Comments" thread.. because it is less structured and more adhoc and people do not feel obliged to comment and critique as I do on "critique my image" thread .. (Hmm.. maybe that's why I subconsciously avoid that thread .. )

All good ideas, choose one and go for it guys.

Msmoto

I will be waiting....

Vipmediastar_JZ

Who's the photographer VIP? Let us be the judge of that

On that note, can you share some of yours?

To see his work
if you have Facebook Click here
if you don't click here

For this shoot and todays PAD image

Marta- Steampunk-Dystopia Themed photoshoot

D810+300mm F4E

Rx4Photo

Did you get any full body photos @Vipmediastar_JZ? That outfit is killer!! I didn't realize there were feathers in her hair until I viewed his photos.

Vipmediastar_JZ

Unfortunately for this model I dont have full body shots but I do have one with the feather in her head. I have some partial/full body of others. I was normally at 20ft to 10ft and next to the model assisting with placement or direction and behind the scenes coverage (equipment and placement shots). So getting full body required to go way behind the photographer with the 300mm and since I was assisting I couldn't wander off too much. I just took some candids as much as I could trying to focus on the upper body mostly. I could have used the 70-200mm but the 300mm needed to be evaluated in a live shoot to consider if it will live in my bag.

JonMcGuffin

Unfortunately for this model I dont have full body shots but I do have one with the feather in her head. I have some partial/full body of others. I was normally at 20ft to 10ft and next to the model assisting with placement or direction. So getting full body required to go way behind the photographer with the 300mm and since I was assisting I couldn't wander off too much. I just took some candids as much as I could trying to focus on the upper body mostly. I could have used the 70-200mm but the 300mm needed to be evaluated in a live shoot to consider if it will live in my bag.

And so has a verdict been made? Keep it or no? Thanks for posting the link(s). Yes, he's a very good photographer... rghh.. image maker... That's probably the more accurate modern day term isn't it?

Ok, I'm on board and support the idea/concept of one member posting a RAW file from their library for others to process, and comment, critique, and discuss. I think it would be kind of fun to have the person nominate the next similar to that silly Ice Bucket challenge thing everybody did last year.

PAD is great, I wouldn't change it... but if we want to be come better image creators, PAD isn't necessarily the best place. I think good constructive criticism along with sharing of knowledge and abilities amongst the certainly very capable photographers here is the way to achieve that.

My last thing.. I made the comment about "average" in terms of the pictures in PAD. That wasn't a fair assessment. From a universal standpoint, the images in there are WAY above average. We're all above average in an absolute sense. I was really trying to infer that given how much we study, watch, and talk photography.. the pictures coming out from us aren't anything (usually) to write home about. Not that PAD is a portfolio driven area but just that it seems for a bunch of guys who love all things Nikon, gear, and photography. The pics aren't really representing the way I think they maybe should or could...