No direction, feeling lost

Rosiebud

Rosiebud

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96
Name
Ellie
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Yes
Not being the most confident person, and being relatively new to photography, I've been left feeling totally disheartened after speaking to an artist at Crufts.

All I wanted was a coloured pencil sketch of one of my dogs and showed him which one (he was insistent that it be one taken in natural light) - I received a 10 mins lecture on my 'flat' photo's that he could not work from :crying:

A Pro initially got me interested in photography again and mentored me for a few months before deciding not to any longer - despite me apparently making good progress. (He did teach me a lot, setting me exercises each week etc to understand various aspects of photography.) Since then I've been a bit rudderless I guess.

I've been looking at the Nikon 1's today with a view to selling my current gear.
 
Ellie
Why dont you post the photo up and let others give their opinions and maybe some hints and tips.
 
I draw and paint as long as you can see the likeness he should be able to imagine the structure and portray that in his drawing, the photos only a guide and that was rude to condem your photos, did you tell him/her got a big fat zero for customer relations

Stick with your photography everyone has off days :)
 
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I'll upload some tomorrow and maybe some opinions will help me to decide what to do :shrug:
 
Is photography a hobby for anyone on this forum? I am probably useless at it but I am not suicidal over it. I enjoy what I do (mainly non league footie and HDR (yes I know)) but I don't loose any sleep if it comes out bad. I get good shots and bad shots but still enjoy the getting out and shooting. For me the doing and improving is enjoyment enough. I am never going to play for Man City but kicking a ball about keeps me happy if you get my drift>
 
i get a lot more bad shots than good ones
but i still love it.....
 
Heck, I used to watermark my images so no-one else got the blame! :nuts:

Stick with it Ellie, don't let it get you down.
 
Photography is a skill that can never be perfected, there's ALWAYS something to learn.

Little steps Ellie, start with the basics of exposure and composition and add to it as you learn (y)
 
Right then Ellie, first things first. The person (clown) that you spoke to was definitely not an artist. He was simply a reproducer, and that's why he was so obnoxiously rude about your photos - he needs an expert photographer to produce a great picture that he can then copy exactly.
When I paint a client's subject any photo will do (although I prefer to get the colours at least!) because it is my job as an artist to capture the character of the subject and use artistic licence to add any little nuances etc. that the client may require.
As for your photography, remember that it is a complex 'art' and should be treated as great voyage of learning and discovery. Keep going and soon the odd exciting shot will come, and then more as your techniques and knowledge improve. Check out photos on this site that you like and usually the author will have included info on settings etc. that you can try yourself.
Don't get down about it - relax into it and let it 'develop'. :puke: (er, I'll get me coat..)
 
Wouldn't photography get boring if we were all good at it? I'm sure you'll find a lot better advice on here than you'll get from someone drawing dogs.
To me it's a challenge and an enjoyable one, take photos and enjoy it and if they're not perfect what does it matter, I've learnt a lot from reading on here about composition, light, exposure and so on, my photos are far from the high standard of many but they do still bring a smile to my face when I think back to what I was taking 12 months ago.....good luck and keep smiling and enjoying :)
 
I agree Martyn. The most fun thing about photography for me is learning a new technique and applying it.

Listen to critique, Ellie, but don't take it to heart - instead, use it as inspiration for progression.
 
I managed this from a not particularly good photo sent to me. Not possible to do my own shot as the dog had died.

tessjayne.jpg
 
Why are you letting a crap sketch artist with no imagination critique your photography? Surely what he's saying is he can't COPY from your photo because it's flat... which is his problem, not yours.

Sometimes flat is good.. it depends what the image is all about.

Post the image in question up and get some more valuable feedback on it.
 
buxtonmick said:
Right then Ellie, first things first. The person (clown) that you spoke to was definitely not an artist. He was simply a reproducer, and that's why he was so obnoxiously rude about your photos - he needs an expert photographer to produce a great picture that he can then copy exactly.
When I paint a client's subject any photo will do (although I prefer to get the colours at least!) because it is my job as an artist to capture the character of the subject and use artistic licence to add any little nuances etc. that the client may require.
As for your photography, remember that it is a complex 'art' and should be treated as great voyage of learning and discovery. Keep going and soon the odd exciting shot will come, and then more as your techniques and knowledge improve. Check out photos on this site that you like and usually the author will have included info on settings etc. that you can try yourself.
Don't get down about it - relax into it and let it 'develop'. :puke: (er, I'll get me coat..)
Click to expand...

I could not have said it better. Don't let some hack tell you that your art isn't any good. If you are struggling and feeling rudderless why not try taking a class, or finding a new mentor?
 
I'm sure someone here with Photoshop, could make a pencil drawing (using the filters) with an image if you provided one.

As for feeling downhearted... no need to be, especially after one throwaway comment like that.
 
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Ha ha! ^^

Ellie if you are feeling rudder less, how about joining a camera club? I have done this only recently and it has motivated me to try other sorts of photography and I have learnt such a lot. There is a real mix of people in my club with a range of gear. Some have very little technical expertise and some are very knowledgeable, but we all enjoy taking photographs, and that is the main thing. I still won't be hanging any of my photos on the wall anytime soon, but I live in hope!

I've also discovered Lightroom recently for processing my photos and I've been amazed at how I've been able to improve some of my old images.
 
Join a camera club, members always happy to give help and advice and the club competions force you to get out and take pics
 
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