How To Become A 17-Year-Old Freelance Photographer

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

To be honest, your before and after shots show improvement. You now are exposing the pictures correctly. However, composition and technique is still quite poor. There are some obviously misfocused shots. Even the photo that you linked is not very good.

The next step is to learn the panning technique. Set a slower shutter speed on your camera and put it on AF-C (does the D50 have lock on? if so, turn it off). Follow the horse and rider in your viewfinder so that you are turning the camera smoothly. Right before the jump, start the burst and follow the horse through the jump and after the land. You should see an improvement in keeper photos. Also, since the background will be motion blurred, the composition and feel of the photo should be improved as well. Try new angles as well. Or if you are feeling brave, stand next to the obstacle and use a wide angle lens.

My view onb photography is 1/3rd gear and 2/3rd photographer. You have the gear part down, now just work on the photographer part.

Thanks for the advice (usually when I try using a slower shutter, though, the rider gets blurred...) - does anyone know how to avoid this? Oh, and what particular 'linked' picture are you talking about? Thanks

 

[seenew]

Thanks for the advice (usually when I try using a slower shutter, though, the rider gets blurred...) - does anyone know how to avoid this? Thanks

I think he means something like 1/30 or 1/40s shutter. Then, when you're panning with the rider and take a shot, the rider should come out relatively clear, and the background will have a nice motion blur to it. That's how they take road shots of cars.

 

[beavo451]

Eventually, I got to looking at other, (better) photographers - especially those that focused on jumping. That's when I realized that I needed a new camera.

Here's an example of one of their shots: http://www.christinahandley.com/details.php?gid=90&sgid=&pid=1094 (I can't post the picture in this thread, due to copyright violations...)

That is the particular linked photo I am talking about.

To avoid the blurred rider, pan the camera smoothly and in pace with the rider. If my previous explanation of panning is unclear, look up some panning techniques on Google. I don't have any good illustrations to show how to do it.

Here's a gallery from one of the 'professional' equine photographers I've looked at recently.

Main Site: http://rhoodphoto.tripod.com/id4.html
Gallery: http://www.shutterfly.com/progal/alb...98cf45c402efdf

There are one or two really good photos in the first link, but the rest are more or less snap shots. The portraiture and wedding section is pretty good, but could use improvement.

The second link is more snapshots. Could use some post processing work to bring out the dark face more. Fill flash would have been ideal, but I don't think it would be ideal. There is even one photo with severe lens flare (IMG_1216).

If you want a very good learning resource and community, fredmiranda.com is a very informative site. They can be pretty brutally honest at times, but don't become discouraged.

I would suggest to practice more and since the horses aren't always around, the best way to practice would be to shoot moving cars. Practice the panning technique, post more photos, and ask more questions will help you improve. Then you will start taking pictures that are worth buying.

I started out with a fully manual film camera and it has taken me nearly 5 years of learning and practicde to produce acceptable results where people will actually consider hiring me and buying my photos. You have plenty of time to learn and practice.

 

[gekko513]

That doesn't make any sense, unless you think the government owns everyone and everything.

If someone gives me their money for work, it is my money. When did it become the governments money? Taxation is robbery.

That's bull. There's no such thing as the governments money. Unless you've noticed, all the taxes that people pay are used on the people or on behalf of the people.

People who don't pay their fair share of taxes steal from the people who do pay taxes, because the expenses in the budget are the same and the cost is spread out on the tax payers.


And for AvSRoCkCO1067. I'm glad you started this thread. I think the main thing to learn here is that you need to find a niche where there's an unfilled demand. There's no use in doing what everyone else does even if your skills and equipment are decent. You need to find a market.

 

[mlrproducts]

And for AvSRoCkCO1067. I'm glad you started this thread. I think the main thing to learn here is that you need to find a niche where there's an unfilled demand. There's no use in doing what everyone else does even if your skills and equipment are decent. You need to find a market.

Take full advantage of and maximize that demand.

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

From reading this thread and viewing your website, and seeing how you word everything...

I really don't feel like photography is a passion in your life. Something to make some money in, maybe, but not much else. You focus on the equipment and the monetary issues, but nothing about creating pictures that "say something."

In my opinion, I'd spend more time to devoting yourself to photography for the sake of photography. Do that for six months or a year. Do it until you can find a REASON or an IDEA in the picture. Until you can observe the whole scene in your viewfinder, not the single instance in the center of the frame. THEN return to the marketplace and bring this mentality to the events. You'll find the photos will be a LOT better.

 

[Doctor Q]

Thread closed by request.