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bsamcash

bsamcash

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 31, 2008
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I don't usually do this, but I thought I would throw myself out there.

I've been a semi-pro/hobbyist photographer for about 12 years and I am normally shy about my work. My wife, however, has finally convinced me to create an IG. I created the account about a week and a half ago and I post one new photo each day.

All criticism and advice is welcome!

https://www.instagram.com/briansfocus/

PS: I hope this isn't against forum rules.
 
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Good and interesting compositions, thanks for sharing.
The next level is storytelling (IMO). Not necessarily literally. Especially stories that evoke emotions.
 
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What is your end goal with your IG? Is it to gain clients? To use as a portfolio of sorts (which would also be for garnering clients)? Or just to share?

What kind of advice are you hoping for? ?
 
bsamcash said:
I don't usually do this, but I thought I would throw myself out there.

I've been a semi-pro/hobbyist photographer for about 12 years and I am normally shy about my work. My wife, however, has finally convinced me to create an IG. I created the account about a week and a half ago and I post one new photo each day.

All criticism and advice is welcome!

https://www.instagram.com/briansfocus/

PS: I hope this isn't against forum rules.
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I would think you'd check the Forum Rules about self-promotion first. You may want to ask the mods for clarification.

"Your purpose in joining MacRumors or posting should not be to promote, advertise, or otherwise call attention to your site, blog, product, or business. See this page if you want to advertise at MacRumors.

Self-promotion is not fair to our paid advertisers. Forum posts should be free of ads and promotions that benefit the poster. Legitimate recommendations and requests for help are permitted, but in ambiguous circumstances users without a previous forum track record will not be given the benefit of the doubt."

There's lots more details about self-promotion in the link below.

macrumors.zendesk.com

Forum Rules

Jump to: Instantly Bannable Offenses | Advertising/Self-promotion | Things Not to Do | Minor Problems The following rules govern use of the forums. You are also responsible for observing the Regist...
macrumors.zendesk.com macrumors.zendesk.com
 
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mollyc said:
What is your end goal with your IG? Is it to gain clients? To use as a portfolio of sorts (which would also be for garnering clients)? Or just to share?
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Just an outlet. I’ve tried the commissioned thing before and I hate it.
mollyc said:
What kind of advice are you hoping for? ?
Click to expand...
Not sure. I’m rather timid about my work, so the only criticism I’ve received were from photography classes in college, and close friends and family members.
 
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WildSky said:
Legitimate recommendations and requests for help are permitted, but in ambiguous circumstances users without a previous forum track record will not be given the benefit of the doubt
Click to expand...
Hopefully this is the clause that applies to this thread.
 
bsamcash said:
I don't usually do this, but I thought I would throw myself out there.

I've been a semi-pro/hobbyist photographer for about 12 years and I am normally shy about my work. My wife, however, has finally convinced me to create an IG. I created the account about a week and a half ago and I post one new photo each day.

All criticism and advice is welcome!

https://www.instagram.com/briansfocus/

PS: I hope this isn't against forum rules.
Click to expand...
Starting out is tough, particularly on IG. Nice photos so far and I'm throwing you a follow, keep them coming and good luck!
 
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maybe just change your thread title. i don’t get the feeling you are actually self promoting

i’ll look later to see if i have any feedback for you. ?
 
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Overall I'd say you have nice compositions, and your processing looks fairly cohesive. Given that your images are mostly street, it's hard to say how a client would relate to you, unless you are looking to do commercial/stock work.

But please keep sharing, and if you have a specific photo you'd like feedback on, then post it in the POTD or even a separate thread. Asking for CC is the best way to grow and evolve. ?
 
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I like what I saw, but without signing onto IG, I seem to be pretty much limited to the thumbnail views.
If you just want to share you certainly should consider the POTD thread. Post every day if that encourages you to get out and shoot, or post every blue moon if that's your mood. You can always watermark images and or limit their size, to reduce the chances of claim jumping.

If you want feedback there are a couple of other threads that are designed for just that. Folks here are generally kind, but if you ask for feedback you need to be prepared to take the negative along with the pats on the back. Both can provide you with valuable information as to how others view your images.
 
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OK, I have had a look. Bear in mind I am not a street photographer…. And also I am an idiot so don’t listen to me. I am looking forward to watching your feed grow and will maybe add my opinion later on again. For now though….

1. I think you need to make the subject of each image more obvious - tell the story like @wilberforce says, maybe post in threes
2. Think about the layout of your feed. You want a style and then have that flow through your feed. This is something I cannot be bothered doing but you get layout apps that help.
 
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great!

if you want feedback for a specific photo, make sure to include your gear and settings, and also what kind of feedback you’d like. color, composition, exposure, process, etc. ?
 
mollyc said:
great!

if you want feedback for a specific photo, make sure to include your gear and settings, and also what kind of feedback you’d like. color, composition, exposure, process, etc. ?
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Your macro floral work is stunning.
 
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MacNut said:
Is IG a good platform for promoting yourself. I wonder if that is where the market is.
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This is THE question you have to ask yourself, to what end is your goal? I put in a lot of time and effort for a couple of years to get 800 followers and finally came to the realization that it made no real difference in my photography or where I wanted to go with it.

If you really want to get anywhere without some sort of huge account tagging you, you're going to need to pay for advertising or a social media company work it all the time. It's the unfortunate reality of it and I've basically stopped putting time into it as a result.

Frankly, I've had way more success on sites like Reddit and FB Groups by sharing images of local landscapes and cityscapes. If your photos are good, they'll get noticed.
 
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ericgtr12 said:
This is THE question you have to ask yourself, to what end is your goal? I put in a lot of time and effort for a couple of years to get 800 followers and finally came to the realization that it made no real difference in my photography or where I wanted to go with it.

If you really want to get anywhere without some sort of huge account tagging you, you're going to need to pay for advertising or a social media company work it all the time. It's the unfortunate reality of it and I've basically stopped putting time into it as a result.

Frankly, I've had way more success on sites like Reddit and FB Groups by sharing images of local landscapes and cityscapes. If your photos are good, they'll get noticed.
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I find that some things I post on 500px take off while others don't. Time of day, algorithms all play a part in what takes off. I find it is harder to post real pictures to Instagram. You can only really post from a phone. There is no native way to do it from the website directly.
 
MacNut said:
Is IG a good platform for promoting yourself. I wonder if that is where the market is.
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I’m not trying to increase my follower count. I haven’t even told friends or family about that account.
 
MacNut said:
Is IG a good platform for promoting yourself. I wonder if that is where the market is.
Click to expand...
I think it is becoming more and more accepted that IG is becoming more like TikTok for short form videos and for influencers to punt free stuff. Lots of photographers are moving back to Twitter by the look of it.

I never got the whole tweet thing so I am not understanding the photography platform aspect of it either - not that I am thick, just not that bothered to look into it. Which is terrible I know.
 
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