Mr D, Your choice of language (and spelling) fails to earn others' respect.
Mr D, Your choice of language (and spelling) fails to earn others' respect.
Last edited by sundial; 2nd January 2024 at 02:41.
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
Poor Eddie, no camera or photographer could capture his face after this debacle.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
The original poster asked for advice . I take that sort of request seriously unlike some of the negging , timewasting loudmouths on this forum who regularly roll up and mess with people for their own juvenile amusement and ego but offer nothing positive other than to spout opinionated garbage backed up with zero knowledge of experience .
If you have nothing real in terms of advice to offer might I suggest you keep your criticisms to yourself and spout your empty opinions in the bear pit away from those of us offering constructive valid advice .
There is only one here talking through his ‘hole’ and it is not dunk! Dunk is a gentleman whose extensive photographic knowledge earns him much respect around here. As for you, the expression ‘rude and surly windbag’ comes easily to mind. So, don’t bother spitting back at me as I won’t see it as you have just most deservedly joined my blocked list!
Thing is you've rather taken offence a bit too much at what some other people have said. Your first post is excellent (and second too) but from then on in it's been about arguing with other posters rather than stopping and walking away. Anyone can take a photo with a phone optimising everything and think it looks good, especially now AI appears to be involved. I think there's going to be a swing back to film photography and have already seen a lot more interest in the recipes you can get for Fujifilm cameras and shooting in JPEG with no post-processing. There's very little art in taking a phone photo using the standard camera apps other than the composition.
Any chance you could start again and write a thread or two about the intricacies of proper photography? For example as you said earlier in the thread about how to choose the correct shutter speed, exposure index, focal length and aperature? Sure, I know Google is there for all of us but you seem to know what you're talking about.
"A man of little significance"
If you read the thread I’m perfectly polite until a couple of obvious trolling troublemakers start getting personal. Like all timewasting bullies they start whining “unfair” when they get shoved to the floor.
I have nothing against good phone cameras , I think
the camera on my iphone 15 pro max is superb and its the main reason I have it , the video capabilities put it even closer to professional motion picture gear and I’ve already said I’ve shot stills and images on both iphones and DSLRs that ended up being used as shots in multimillion dollar feature films.
I have nothing against people using camera phones to get into photography to whatever level they want.
I have an issue with timewasting trolls messing up someone’s request for advice and then acting hard done by when they are called out for it when show to be deliberately giving unhelpful advice just to create trouble and provoke a reaction. They are fair game at that point.
As to advice I never say no to someone asking for information on a subject I know something about and have relevent experience in so if anyone does want advice I’m happy to be asked . Unlike some of the gibbering rats on this forum I don’t comment on subjects I know nothing about.
Look, MrD, I will start by saying I apologise if you took my discussion in this thread as trolling, I don’t troll and definitely don’t try to use this forum negatively.
I have not responded to your direct insults in your posts to me and others, again as it doesn’t really get anywhere, and feels especially unnecessary given where Eddie is now and recent events he’s had to endure.
I’ve been a member here a long time, and it has largely been a positive experience.
I’ve said already that your technical knowledge is probably far past my own, but the the OP was asking about starting up a photography business as well as help with cameras, and that was my input.
I’ve re-read the entire thread and I’m still struggling to see deliberate trolling on my part, some light hearted comments with smilies yes, but nothing else to warrant your replies to me and others.
Probably a mistake, but I’m holding out my hand to say Happy New Year to you, let’s drop all the unpleasant stuff and get on with life.
A measured and kind response if there ever was one.
I salute you sir.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Mr Know-it-all strikes again.
Wow this is a mad thread!
It's against my better judgment that I add to this but I'm going to try to add some balance.
I deal with lots of photographers in my main business and also own part of a photography/videography business.
I'm a terrible photographer myself due to my complete lack of creative flair.
I've seen it suggested here to write a business plan etc but I wouldn't bother in this case. The financial barrier to entry is pretty low and you can find out relatively quickly if you have the creative flair to make a living here.
The few things I would do to start would be:
Buy something that looks "Pro" - when people are spending money on a photographer they like to see pro kit - IMHO I would just buy a full frame Sony of some sort and a small variety of lenses. It looks Pro to the customer, is easy to use and you are not going to push the limits of the equipment at the start anyway so it's just smoke and mirrors. (80% of photographers I deal with now use Sony for work although lots of them shoot Fuji or Leica for shooting their own kids\holidays) This means there will be loads of people familiar with the camera to help her if needed.
Start an Instagram and take loads of photos. Offer free photoshoots, find people starting businesses and offer to take photos of their products. Edit and upload the best to IG. Ask them to share your IG on theirs etc.
Get good. The business side is obviously easier if you get good creative outcomes.
Some people will say your wifes experience taking photos on a camera phone is useless, in this case but it's not. If she is great at composition and creativity it's far easier to learn how to use the pro camera tech than to teach that.
I deal with one girl who runs a social media business only using iphones,moment lenses and some decent lights and she gets far better outcomes than if I personally picked up a Fuji GFX100 from the office and pointed it at similar shoot.
I know Pro photographers with all the Sony or Canon kit and charge 3x the amount she does that don't get a measurably better product than her once it's on a website or IG.
Mate, you need to stand back and take a good look at yourself.
You've clearly got expertise in this field and are in a position to offer an expert informed opinion. You could've taken a helpful approach and offered supportive advice, instead you deliberately set out to blind the OP and others with terminology to reinforce your position as 'the expert' with no thought to how your comments would be received or whether they would actually be helpful. When other contributors gave their opinions, making perfectly valid points, you chose to be confrontational, thus ruining any chance of the thread continuing as a sensible debate.
Read through the thread again, ask yourself what impact your contributions are likely to have had and whether you've genuinely tried to be helpful. You may well be right with most points, it's the way you interact that's the problem. Have you ever heard of rational persuasion?.....I doubt it.
Your background and expertise is impressive, shame your attitude and ability to interact doesn`t match up. Despite your expertise I think the contributions of others on this thread will prove far more helpful.
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 2nd January 2024 at 17:11.
thanks appreciate you taking the time to post this after what an innocent question has descended in to!
you make a lot of good points and they are things we have discussed. The idea would be to do family photographs either at their home or out and about ( the same as we get done with our own photographer). A decent instagram and doing some free promo work etc at school should help. Either it works or it doesn’t but she will get some new skills either way !
The bit I’ve bolded is worth highlighting, using the school network that your wife is probably already tapped into will be huge for the area she’s looking to get into, both in getting some practice, building a portfolio and casting the net for the first paying jobs.
Not sure whether I said it already, but best of luck to her, earning a living doing something you love is a genuine privilege!
I think that’s poor advice unless this is a hobby business and the financial success or failure doesn’t matter.
There will be a cost for equipment, training and time and if that matters then I’d definitely write a plan.
If the financial outcome doesn’t matter then just push on.
it doesn’t really, set up costs will be 1-2k if it never produces an income the equipment can be sold at a small loss, and even if it can’t it wouldn’t be the end of the world . It’s more about her finding something that she might like to do around looking after the family after leaving the rat race but we don’t necessarily need the money.
They obviously haven’t heard of face/eye detection then!? You can even prioritise people so the bride takes precedence over the mother in law.Most are lucky if they can get the subject’s eyes sharp
As for ignoring professionals? It’s the weekend warriors and photo forum lurkers that should be avoided.
I learnt the most by working with and watching real cowboys along with just shooting and wanting to improve.
(I work in a totally different world to weddings, but have huge respect for those cowboys at the top of the game, while they couldn’t do what I do I’m also aware I wouldn’t t last 5min attempting to do what they do)
Last edited by MrSmith; 3rd January 2024 at 02:19. Reason: Cowboys