Newbie help, shots of hands needs improvement

[lilladyred]

Hi, I am new here an hopefully this post is in the right area to get some feedback an some help for improvement.

I am an amateur photographer, nothing for money. I average about 200 shots per week, mostly of woman nails but also landscapes. I use a Nikon D40 an a Sony Cyber shot.

What I am looking for help on is for photos like the ones below. I am a nail technician by trade an I compete in nail competitions. The photos below are from my last competition. I took Honorable Mention but was told my photos needed to be better an they cost me taking a spot in the top 3. One told me I needed to find a photographer that could shoot fruit.

I am not sure how shooting fruit compares to shooting hands, but I need to figure it out. I took these photos as I can't afford to hire a professional to do a photo shoot for me just for a competition.

Any clues, tips or pointing in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.



Taken with Nikon d40 edited with paint shop pro photo x






edited with paint shop pro photo x2

[FormElement]

Well...Here's a try for you. You need to get your light off the camera. It needs to be all the same kind of light (don't mix flourescent, standard, and daylight).

1) Don't use the on-camera flash.

2) $20 portrait studio

3) How To: Light Tent

4) Understanding White Balance

AND the kicker...

5) Need suggestions for ghetto newborn lighting

Basically you need a big, soft light source, good sharp focus, and correct white balance. Outdoors in the shade on a sunny day is the go-to near-guaranteed ambient lighting if you have nothing else.

[sk66]

You need a hand model....

In pic1 the hands are awkward... In pic 2 the photoshop is very obvious and the pic is more about the faked lightbulb than the fingernails...pic 3 is "ok" and pic 4 is the best, But all could benefit from someone with great hands and who knows how to pose them...


Yes there is such a thing as a "hand model" and yes, there is a reason.....If you can't afford to hire a pro, then you need to be more critical in your selection of model.

[lilladyred]

Thank you, I will look into all that was mentioned.

Yes a professional hand model would make everything better, unfortunatly I live so far away from any major citys the cost of one with transportation would far out weigh the prize of winning. However if theres a will there is a way so I will do some research on what hand models do an see if I can train my next girl to get her hands in more elegant poses.

Your feed back is extremely helpful an I will try to make more improvements. Again Thank you.

[JKJD]

I'm not sure exactly what types of photos you need for your competitions, but I would assume that showcasing the nails is your goal. In each of these pictures it seems to me that the nails are an after thought. My eye is drawn to other things in the photo first. The lights, the bulb, the mouth....etc. Maybe tone down the "other stuff" in the picture and focus more on your work.

Obviously, read all you can. There are so many good, free sources on the net with photography tips. Probably the best thing you can do is just to experiment. Practice before your competitions. Get a friend to help you out and stage a bunch of pictures until you find what types of shots work best. Try anything you can think of. Sometimes you will be suprised at something you thought would not look good. Then the picture turns out great.

[lputman]

Look in magazines and online for inspiration.

Nail Art Gallery - Creative Nail Designs and Perfect Nail Polish for Long Nails

ASHLY COVINGTON - Hand Model