Finally created a website

[jaxhouse]

Only 40 hours a week?! :P

HA! Well, aside from work I have other commitments which take precedence.

[jaxhouse]

Ok, I removed the "Blog" menu items until a time when I actually have a blog. lol I also changed the slideshow on my home page. I created another hidden gallery, copied several photos to it...left a few portraits in it but they are mainly landscape/nature, removed the watermarks from those images and linked the slideshow on my homepage to it. I may do something similar to other slideshows on my site so that those images will not have watermarks.

Thanks again for your input!

[Jim Bryant]

There are some very good images posted, however, there's also a few mediocre images that drag down the rest. You need to edit and show your very best images.

[jaxhouse]

The pictures you are displaying are technically beautiful, with the hummingbird being the most striking. (except that you've got the humming bird in there twice, or two pictures that look a lot alike) The first negative thing that I saw was the big huge copyright watermark in the middle of the lake picture. I know that watermarks in this day and age are almost necessary, but when you put it in the middle of a beautiful picture... it's just a turn off for most people.

The watermark was a killer for me too, it was only on some and not others, but the size, type and placement was yucky :P Definitely get a little logo done.

If you tell Rspears you don't know what he means, he might even give you an example

OK...I tried to create a differant watermark. It is close to the simple watermark that I had in mind...just something simple, my name in a nice font. Only thing is I can't seem to be able to make it so that it will show up on both dark and light backgrounds. Is it about the right size?

Check it out and tell me what you think.

Thanks for any help that you may be able/willing to offer.

[moreinmind]

Hokay...So...

I just had to reset my password because I'm down shooting some industrial photography in the Domican Republic and couldn't remember the bloody thing on my Macbook...silly memory.

I had thought that I wasn't going to bother replying to this...but I said I would, so I would.

I don't mean to be rude about any of this, just realistic. Selling your images is half about good photography and half about good business. Too many photographers flat out suck at the business side of it and go nowhere with it.

First off - before anything - critiques from family and friends are 100% useless. What do those closest to you want to see you do? Succeed. They'll tell you YEAH go for it, you can do it, you can do anything you put your mind to...etc. True in some cases, not in many. Not everyone in the world can be a brilliant mathematician, and not everyone in the world can be a brilliant photographer, simply because they want to be.

1) Your website is weak. I've been a professional web designer longer than I've been a photographer and I've had schooling in marketing, business, blah blah blah...point is: Appearance is incredibly important. If your website looks like a copy and paste template - anyone who's going to actually PAY you any decent amount of money will know this.

2) Your photos don't target anything or anyone. You have some landscapes, wildlife, familty...etc. Being a diverse photographer is extremely important in being a pro or aiming to sell images, but if you're going to spread your portfolio, they need to be solid images. All of them. No repeats. No images that you think are "okay" purely to fill a portfolio.

3) Many of your landscapes show tilted horizons, that's bad. Keep them straight. Crop them as necessary. Some of your river/rock/tree photos are just boring. There's nothing in the m at all that stands out as worth seeing, much less paying for.

4) Your photos of the birds are badass. I love those. Particularly the one of the red bird in the snowy trees...awesome. The contrast between the bright red and the white is brilliant. That shit takes some serious patience.

5) You have family photos - all of which are very poorly lit. Either put your subjects in the sun, or use a front strobe light. Or shoot on a tripod and somehow eliminate the shadows. Shadow on men are fine - on women it's not so flattering at all - there are obvious exceptions to this and every other rule, but generally, women don't want to see shadows in their face, it only conveys and reminds them of their age. Even the most attractive people will not be pleased with their photos or think that they're unattractive/not photogenic - the trick as a photographer is to prove them wrong and SELL them on the notion that in fact, they're damn gorgeous. Lighting can be a HUGE help in this regard. Softening shadows, wrinkles, etc will go a long way in convincing someone to spend money on the photo YOU have taken.

All in all...I think you need to decide what you're really going for and focus on that. Build a solid plan and stick to it. Taking photos for fun is one thing, taking photos that you want to sell and expecting people to BUY them is entirely different.

I apologize in advance if this seems harsh, I've just had a night out of amazing food and drinks after two days of the most arduous shooting conditions I've ever encountered.

I think you have an eye for things - you just need to hone and perfect it and the presentation of your work.

Cheerio!

[jaxhouse]

Hokay...So...

I just had to reset my password because I'm down shooting some industrial photography in the Domican Republic and couldn't remember the bloody thing on my Macbook...silly memory.


I had thought that I wasn't going to bother replying to this...but I said I would, so I would.

I don't mean to be rude about any of this, just realistic. Selling your images is half about good photography and half about good business. Too many photographers flat out suck at the business side of it and go nowhere with it.

WOW...the Dominican Republic sounds awesome!

You don't come across as rude at all...sounds more like the constructive criticism I was looking for.

First off - before anything - critiques from family and friends are 100% useless. What do those closest to you want to see you do? Succeed. They'll tell you YEAH go for it, you can do it, you can do anything you put your mind to...etc. True in some cases, not in many. Not everyone in the world can be a brilliant mathematician, and not everyone in the world can be a brilliant photographer, simply because they want to be

.

Yes....I know that about family and friends but I have some who are professionals in the area where I live. That is why I posted it here...to get unbiased, professional opinions.

1) Your website is weak. I've been a professional web designer longer than I've been a photographer and I've had schooling in marketing, business, blah blah blah...point is: Appearance is incredibly important. If your website looks like a copy and paste template - anyone who's going to actually PAY you any decent amount of money will know this.

I realize this about my website, that I just used the templates that Zen offers but recall that I said it is still a work in progress. As time goes on I'll likely tweak it a lot more.

2) Your photos don't target anything or anyone. You have some landscapes, wildlife, familty...etc. Being a diverse photographer is extremely important in being a pro or aiming to sell images, but if you're going to spread your portfolio, they need to be solid images. All of them. No repeats. No images that you think are "okay" purely to fill a portfolio.

The album that I named Portfolio was the first that I created and I quickly uploaded some photos to it.

3) Many of your landscapes show tilted horizons, that's bad. Keep them straight. Crop them as necessary. Some of your river/rock/tree photos are just boring. There's nothing in the m at all that stands out as worth seeing, much less paying for.

Yeah....I edited one...the one with the dock in the foreground.

4) Your photos of the birds are badass. I love those. Particularly the one of the red bird in the snowy trees...awesome. The contrast between the bright red and the white is brilliant. That shit takes some serious patience.

Awesome! Thank you for the compiment!!

5) You have family photos - all of which are very poorly lit. Either put your subjects in the sun, or use a front strobe light. Or shoot on a tripod and somehow eliminate the shadows. Shadow on men are fine - on women it's not so flattering at all - there are obvious exceptions to this and every other rule, but generally, women don't want to see shadows in their face, it only conveys and reminds them of their age. Even the most attractive people will not be pleased with their photos or think that they're unattractive/not photogenic - the trick as a photographer is to prove them wrong and SELL them on the notion that in fact, they're damn gorgeous. Lighting can be a HUGE help in this regard. Softening shadows, wrinkles, etc will go a long way in convincing someone to spend money on the photo YOU have taken.

Thank you for these tips!

All in all...I think you need to decide what you're really going for and focus on that. Build a solid plan and stick to it. Taking photos for fun is one thing, taking photos that you want to sell and expecting people to BUY them is entirely different.

I apologize in advance if this seems harsh, I've just had a night out of amazing food and drinks after two days of the most arduous shooting conditions I've ever encountered.

I think you have an eye for things - you just need to hone and perfect it and the presentation of your work.

Thank you for the reply!! I know that I have room for improvement and I'm confident that will come as I learn more from experience, forums such as this and when my editing skills improve...honing and perfecting. I felt like I just needed to start somewhere!

Thanks again!

Oh...easy on the food and drink! lol