Advice Needed: Am I Any Good?

Question

www.flickr.com/ShortyDB43

There are two pages - check both.

I already asked this but didn't get very many responses. Do you think I'll make it in the world of photography? I have doubts about whether or not I have the potential to succeed...

I shoot in manual, not auto, and most of the shots were with film - Fuji Superia Reala and fuji.

Someone said my photos were nice but that were nice because of my camera. Not to be rude, but the camera doesn't do anything but take the picture!

Anyways, critiques/comments/advice are welcome and appreciated.

Answer 1

i once climbed a mountain , i was uncertain how to get to the top.

Answer 2

I really like your pictures - they all look very good.

If I were you, I would delete all the repeats. Just choose one, maybe two pictures of each subject to display.  

Answer 3

Photography does not have specific "levels" of attainment like they do in martial arts. What is "good art"? What does "pretty" mean? What does "make it" mean to you?

That said, you have a lot of room for improvement. We all do. If you are willing to work at improving, you and I both can "make it" - whatever that means.

Answer 4

I rarely leave critique unless I see some great potential. Technically, there's a few things that you could work on. A lot of your subjects and primary lines are centered, and while it doesn't hurt to break a rule once in a while, I really do see a difference in your photography when you offset the subject a bit. While I'm sure your aware of the rule of thirds, one reason it works is to keep the viewer "In" your photo longer. Placing your subject dead-center is akin to saying "This is what I photographed and that's all I have to show you." A person sees the subject, has no good reason to continue through the surrounding complexities, and moves on. No, I think that the centering works for "Red," as it draws my eyes in a vertical line, keeping me "In" longer. Also, the canyon photos are stunning, beautiful, and quite abstract, just like all the other photographs from that area. I mean, I know that an extremely similar photograph exists in both Epson's Complete Guide to Digital Printing and The Digital Photography Book, and those are just two books that I happen to have sitting immediately in front of me. My point is that your photos are great, but the hardest part of being a photographer is taking an old subject and making it new again. I've seen the canyons from that point of view, now show me something new. Other canyon shots of yours, such as "Falling Sand," do just that -- you took an image that I can't remember seeing from this particular area, and I find it very interesting.

You've got yourself a style as well, and I like to see that. You're a bold photographer, when I see your photos, I see rich color and contrast that really packs a punch. If all photos have something to say, yours are yelling, and I dig that. It's hard for me to pass up your photos because they look intriguing from thumbnail to fullview, and if I were to be shown some random flickr shots that had one or two of your own thrown in, I think I could say "Hey, these are D.Berskshire's work." If you're interested in accentuating your style, you may wish to give slide film a chance. By its nature, slides are typically contrasty and carry more accurate/saturated color. To add to this, after developement, they show their true image, instead of a negative. The downside to slide film is that it's not very forgiving, you need to nail the exposure if you want to pull it off. I don't know if you've tried it, but you can always use your XTI to test exposure before taking out the film camera for the final shot. If you are willing to give slides a chance, my favorite is Fujichrome Velvia or Velvia 100. It's on the expensive side, but there's just nothing like it in my humble opinion.  

By the by, the person that said your photos are nice because of your camera is probably just some kid that doesn't actually make photographs. You got it when you say that the camera doesn't make the photo.

Answer 5

cool