What do you do when clients don't give you feedback?

[Tracy Noe]

Message deleted

[Niresangwa]

I'd say the described response and the quality of the images seem to be commensurate.

If you can't get the mother of a the kid in the images to really love them, no one else will, that's for sure.

I'd suggest you take your images to the critique forum, which is where you can get specific help and ideas on what to improve.. this isnt really the place for it.

[Sweetlifephoto]

Tracy keep working on your craft, running a photography business is equally about your business savvy and your ability to bring a vision to your images. The time to run the business can take away from the time you would normally use to shoot. I have been shooting for 30 years and I learn something and hone my vision every time I shoot. It takes time and deliberate work to develop your vision. These images are similar to the type of thing any Mom with a decent camera could take of their kids, which is not good enough yet. Keep learning, experiment and pursue your passion just don't jump in too soon.

I would give you three tips to get you things to try:

1. Always get closer or further away from our subject than you think you should.
2. Change your point of view often - lie down, kneel, stand and get on a ladder or chair
3. Use wider apertures like f2.8 or 4 when shooting people to make the surrounding elements of your image blurry and bring the focus back to the subject.

[Tracy Noe]

Thanks for your input. This was my first time taking pictures for a non-family member and I wasn't sure what to expect. She did send a text message stating she was delighted with the pics and ordered 100+ prints from me. However, I was just expecting more from her like "this is my favorite pic," etc. I will continue to research and improve my photography!

[autofocus]

Tracy, I don't know if it's coincidental to just these four images that happen to be posted here, but all have the subject centered within the composition. Not that the rule of thirds needs to be followed religiously, but when followed you usually wind up with a more interesting composition. Your photos are OK, but appeal to me less because of the compositions. Even the viewer with little knowledge of the rules of composition will find photos or art more appealing when certain rules are adhered to, although they may not know why...they just see something and either like it, or dislike it. But from what I see, I do think the flair is there, and you should continue to pursue it..and please, do not take this as a set back.

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by Tracy Noe

I have been taking photographs for as long as I can remember and doing professional-type pics for my family for a few years. I recently decided to get more into professional photography and shoot some non-family members and had a blast!

I work full-time but have many days throughout the week to dedicate to photography (I work 24 hours on/48 hours off). I am seriously considering a part-time photography business on the side.

I recently did a photo-shoot for the 1-year-old of a former co-worker and was somewhat pleased with the shoot, very pleased with a handful of the pics. I posted some to Facebook with minimal response. The mom of the little boy did say thanks and she enjoyed the pics, but was not very enthusiastic about them (I did the pics for free, she just paid me for prints).

Her lack of enthusiasm has me re-thinking my idea to attempt to make money at photography. I had so much fun and truly enjoy taking photos but need to know if I can realistically charge for photo shoots/pictures now or if I need more experience and a broader portfolio. I also took a few pics of her family with limited response.

I guess I am just looking for honest feedback regarding my photos so I can decide whether to charge for my time or continue to take pictures for free to gain experience!

Thanks for your time reading this! Please feel free to be honest; that is the best way for me to learn!

excluding the critique of your photos, I was very confused when you mentioned "professional photography," as I have no idea what that means at all... maybe professional quality photos. I agree with Niresangwa on this one totally, go to the people critique section and make sure to read the rules there and then post a photo and you should get the proper critiques.