Do I have talent?

[exodus454]

Some people tell me they love my work, others are more "eh" towards it. Personally, I love photography and would like to consider working towards a career involving it. I'd love to see what the general concensus is around here is to help me work towards a decision.

http://exodus454.deviantart.com/


Comments, suggestions, constructive criticism always welcome.

Thanks many for the input!

 

[SilentZero]

Well I don't know enough about it to say if your talented or not. Some of the pics on there are ok, some I like more than others.

 

[RossMAN]

I'm not a photo expert either but damn I wish I could take pics like that!

I'm pretty much a point and shoot kinda guy

 

[exodus454]

any more comments?

 

[StrangerGuy]

I will judge you if you have adult pics....

 

[gopunk]

i like your pics, but i'm just a layperson

 

[Mickey Eye]

I lthink they are alright but I don't know how much you could make out of prints etc. How are you considering distributing them?

 

[Babbles]

An acquaintance of mine is a professional photographer, whom I think is very very good, and she always seems to have issue in scoring jobs to pay the bills. It seems to be a very competitive and tough business so based on her experience I would suggest it only as something to do on the side.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Added you to friends.

http://dmo580.deviantart.com

 

[edro]

You have some good photos there, but in the photography realm, you need to be good in the real world.

You need to be good on your feet, catch the perfect moment, focus it and snap it. Most photographers end up working for a newspaper doing photo journalism, or Olan Mills. You can be a freelance photographer that does whatever your client needs as well (pics of their business, house, family, weddings, stock photos for catalogs, magazines, etc.)

It is a very very competetive business and photographers are just like most other artists, a dime a dozen.

 

[y2kc]

I really like your work. Do what you love, the money will come. You won't regret it (like you would if you didn't try). I think you should pursue your dream.

Just have a solid backup plan, or marry a debutante...

 

[Kerouactivist]

What kind of a camera do you have?

 

[darkxshade]

Originally posted by: bthorny
What kind of a camera do you have?

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: y2kc
I really like your work. Do what you love, the money will come. You won't regret it (like you would if you didn't try). I think you should pursue your dream.

Just have a solid backup plan, or marry a debutante...

in general i agree with your advice, but i'm not so sure the money comes for most artists, many of whom i'm sure are doing what they love

 

[loic2003]

nice work. You thinking of freelancing or looking for a particluar position? What sorts of photography are you most into? Portraits, action, landscape, macro? Would you sell the work at a gallery or what?

I think you have the skills to achieve it, but it's all about being in the right place at the right time, which you don't reallly have much control over....


best of luck to you though, chief.

 

[homestarmy]

Of the three pics on the main page, the first one is cliche, but you did a good job of it. For the second one, I don't get the point. The face is out of focus, leaving what seems to be the gifts as the focal point.

But the third, I think that is really pretty great. I'll have to look at more of your photos.

EDIT: Wasn't familiar with the format, the third one wasn't really yours.

 

[homestarmy]

After looking at a few more, it just looks like you are looking around and saying 'hey, that looks like it'd make a cool picture' and not really trying to compose or say anything with your pictures.

It seems (so far) that you excessively like to use a shallow depth of field. Why? I understand your f1.8 lens might have been expensive, but it doesn't always have to have such a shallow depth of field.

EDIT: After looking at a few more, it doesn't seem that you use that excessively, more of just that those were coupled together. With the exception of those pics though, I think they really show some promise.

What is your background? I think you could benefit from some study of photography as an art form.

 

[jiwq]

Originally posted by: homestarmy
After looking at a few more, it just looks like you are looking around and saying 'hey, that looks like it'd make a cool picture' and not really trying to compose or say anything with your pictures.

It seems (so far) that you excessively like to use a shallow depth of field. Why? I understand your f1.8 lens might have been expensive, but it doesn't always have to have such a shallow depth of field.

EDIT: After looking at a few more, it doesn't seem that you use that excessively, more of just that those were coupled together. With the exception of those pics though, I think they really show some promise.

What is your background? I think you could benefit from some study of photography as an art form.

50mm 1.8 is expensive?

Well anyway, try to find a market. Some of these photos might do good as stock photos.

 

[pontifex]

my dad started his own photography business. he gets a lot of his money from going to HS sports games and selling them to the parents. he does a lot of senior portraits too. he also does a few weddings here and there. he doesn't make enough money to live off of though so he has another more regular job.

you have some nice photos there, but it think it would be hard to solely make money off of stuff like that.

of course, we live in a rural area too. so maybe in a big city it might be better. but then you might have more competition too.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: pontifex
my dad started his own photography business. he gets a lot of his money from going to HS sports games and selling them to the parents. he does a lot of senior portraits too. he also does a few weddings here and there. he doesn't make enough money to live off of though so he has another more regular job.

you have some nice photos there, but it think it would be hard to solely make money off of stuff like that.

of course, we live in a rural area too. so maybe in a big city it might be better. but then you might have more competition too.

My sis-in-law was just showing me some pics of her son at a race (motocross or whatever it's called)... photographer sets up in certain areas so he can get pics of all of the guys in the air, and with other decent backgrounds... takes pics from several locations. Then, he sells the pics for $5 each or something like that. I haven't seen the volume of business that he does, but I'd bet he profits by several hundred dollars every race.

I don't know exactly how he works it, but I don't think he prints them unless you order them. Seems to be fairly popular as most people don't have cameras that can take the quality of photos that he does, or rely on luck and perfect timing.. If your camera is shooting 5 shots a second, you just press the button, and sort of the good ones

 

[homestarmy]

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: homestarmy
After looking at a few more, it just looks like you are looking around and saying 'hey, that looks like it'd make a cool picture' and not really trying to compose or say anything with your pictures.

It seems (so far) that you excessively like to use a shallow depth of field. Why? I understand your f1.8 lens might have been expensive, but it doesn't always have to have such a shallow depth of field.

EDIT: After looking at a few more, it doesn't seem that you use that excessively, more of just that those were coupled together. With the exception of those pics though, I think they really show some promise.

What is your background? I think you could benefit from some study of photography as an art form.

50mm 1.8 is expensive?

Well anyway, try to find a market. Some of these photos might do good as stock photos.

Generally, an f1.8 lens is more expensive than something with less of an aperture. I don't know how much it costs, that why I said it MIGHT BE.

 

[homestarmy]

Originally posted by: pontifex
my dad started his own photography business. he gets a lot of his money from going to HS sports games and selling them to the parents. he does a lot of senior portraits too. he also does a few weddings here and there. he doesn't make enough money to live off of though so he has another more regular job.

you have some nice photos there, but it think it would be hard to solely make money off of stuff like that.

of course, we live in a rural area too. so maybe in a big city it might be better. but then you might have more competition too.

Right, there isn't really money in this unless you make a name for yourself. People make livings off of portraits, bleh!

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: pontifex
my dad started his own photography business. he gets a lot of his money from going to HS sports games and selling them to the parents. he does a lot of senior portraits too. he also does a few weddings here and there. he doesn't make enough money to live off of though so he has another more regular job.

you have some nice photos there, but it think it would be hard to solely make money off of stuff like that.

of course, we live in a rural area too. so maybe in a big city it might be better. but then you might have more competition too.

My sis-in-law was just showing me some pics of her son at a race (motocross or whatever it's called)... photographer sets up in certain areas so he can get pics of all of the guys in the air, and with other decent backgrounds... takes pics from several locations. Then, he sells the pics for $5 each or something like that. I haven't seen the volume of business that he does, but I'd bet he profits by several hundred dollars every race.

I don't know exactly how he works it, but I don't think he prints them unless you order them. Seems to be fairly popular as most people don't have cameras that can take the quality of photos that he does, or rely on luck and perfect timing.. If your camera is shooting 5 shots a second, you just press the button, and sort of the good ones

he must have some kind of deal with the race course because i'm not sure they would allow that normally.

i also forgot to mention that my dad does freelance stuff for the local newspapers too (mostly sports photos)

 

[LanceM]

It depends on what you want to do.

If you're willing (like others have noted) to take pictures at sporting events, weddings, local publications, and general portraits... then yeah. You're fine (well, probably... it does take a *different* sort of skill to capture the proper moments at sporting events, as well as keeping them technically solid).

If you wish to only stick to your artistic desires, then no. At least not yet.

 

[littleprince]

It's a competitive business. Anyone can make a career out of it. What are YOUR plans though? I mean my mom could qualify as the photographer at Walmart....