Photography (help needed)

JayB

JayB

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Edit My Images
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Hey guys and gals, I don't want no arguing on which is best on this however I go have a question or 2. I have a nikon D810, had a D7100 before that but recently Im wondering if its me or the cameras or what but I cant seem to get nice (to my taste) kind of pictures like this for e.g.
www.vickiknights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/blogger/-toNWFnfXyLw/TudmZNnz7HI/AAAAAAAACNw/Bblsot81c7U/s1600/big%2Bfamily%2Bshoot%2Bin%2Bbushy%2Bpark.jpg

Broken to a link.............Please don't post other peoples images.

My pictures come out all flat and boring no matter what I try. Even with post processing I cant get anything like these. Then I was thinking that most of the pics I see like the above are taken with canon cameras. Perhaps that's just a coincidence but I don't know where I'm going wrong.

You can see some of my images here https://www.flickr.com/photos/98106232@N02/ but I just don't think they pop like the images above, perhaps I'm doing it all wrong in lightroom I don't know

I use:

Nikon D810/D7100
Mostly use the Tamron 24-70 2.8
Sigma 70-200 OS
Lightroom 5

Hope this makes sense to everyone, I am grateful for any help you can provide to help me in the right direction. Thanks
 
Flat lighting is the most likely course of flat looking photos. Boring is just not catching the right moment. Nothing to do with equipment.
 
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vetonbike said:
Flat lighting is the most likely course of flat looking photos. Boring is just not catching the right moment. Nothing to do with equipment.
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What he said^
Guns don't shoot people...

It's all about the light. Take one of those images and examine the light, then a cursory glance at the composition, angle of view etc. Then tomorrow, if it's not overcast, I bet you can recreate it.
 
quite a few are shallow depth of field

but if you want to buy a camera to fix boring people pictures, buy a instax. or a leica and shoot portra
 
JayB said:
Hey guys and gals, I don't want no arguing on which is best on this however I go have a question or 2. I have a nikon D810, had a D7100 before that but recently Im wondering if its me or the cameras
Click to expand...

It's you. It's never the camera.

JayB said:
My pictures come out all flat and boring no matter what I try. Even with post processing
Click to expand...

Processing is not the solution. Never has been, never will be. It can enhance what you have.. nothing more.


JayB said:
I cant get anything like these. Then I was thinking that most of the pics I see like the above are taken with canon cameras. Perhaps that's just a coincidence but I don't know where I'm going wrong.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a coincidence.


JayB said:
You can see some of my images here https://www.flickr.com/photos/98106232@N02/ but I just don't think they pop like the images above, perhaps I'm doing it all wrong in lightroom I don't know
Click to expand...


What do you feel is wrong with them? Some of your images are demonstrably better than the examples in the first post.

JayB said:
I use:

Nikon D810/D7100
Mostly use the Tamron 24-70 2.8
Sigma 70-200 OS
Lightroom 5
Click to expand...

Utterly irrelevant.

The only difference I can see between your images and the stuff you linked to, is that the stuff you linked to uses tired, and tragically over used processing techniques, and yours does not. I much prefer the quality of your images. Don't ruin it with all that processing b****x. Stop being a sheep. Repeat after me: "There's more to photography than Flickr.... There's more to photography than Flickr"... You are feeling sleepy... when you wake up, you will no longer have an urge to make your images look like they are faded RA4 prints, or that they are shot contre jour when they weren't. You will no longer feel a compulsion to reduce your blacks.. you will no longer respect the vignette... You will concentrate on content and story, and go your own way. You will no longer care how many "likes" you get.



Did that work?
 
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Your pictures are good. I think this is a bit of "grass is always greener" syndrome.
The example images in the OP use a particular processing style (slightly washed out, pastel colours, etc) that's trendy right now and because this is not what you do, you're thinking you must be doing something wrong. The only thing you're doing wrong is confusing "different" with "better".
 
Pookeyhead said:
...What do you feel is wrong with them? Some of your images are demonstrably better than the examples in the first post.
...
Click to expand...

sk66 said:
:plus1:
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Whilst I agree mostly with David's post above, I'm afraid what your people shots are lacking is 'you'.

Many of the poses are straight out of the 80s. Add in some really clumsy white background processing, then I can see why you feel like you need an improvement.

I'd suggest a decent posing course.
 
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