[repaap]

Everyone has a different line they do not want to cross when it comes to PP. The more experience you gain the better aware you are of that line. As far as your portraits shots are concerned the most obvious critique I can give is probably the placement of the subjects in relation to the sunlight. I usually either have the person backlit with the sun directly behind them to add a rim light and a bit of glow in the hair or have them face the sunlight directly for nice even lighting. You seem to have chosen something in between these two options which has resulted in uneven lighting and unflattering shadows on the face. The first thing I do at a location is assess the lighting and where I can place the model in relation to that light to give the most desirable results. You may also want to think about utilizing the rule of thirds when place the subject in a horizontal composition.




Yes, the FA 85 1.4 has served me well and highly recommend it. There are plans for an eventual YouTube channel as well as a website. I have thought about it a great deal and I do not want to attempt the usual BTS style that many other Youtubers seem to gravitate towards. I instead want to focus on subjects and info that other photography channels do not discuss.



I get what you are saying about PP but I do not consider that image to be a photograph but more digital art that used a photograph as its foundation. I find nothing wrong with the image and as you say it is well executed as digital art but my time is quite limited and I am not as interested in looking at images that were mostly created in a computer as that is most definitely not a path I wish to go down. I generally look at other people's photography as a way to be inspired or motivated to do better in my own work as that is a major driving force in my life currently. Some may consider this philosophy as narrow mindedness but I look at it as a more focused and disciplined way of living and something I am quite proud of.

Unfortunately, I have done the research and YouTube is not really a viable financial earning path. I still want to do it but I would be lucky to make $200-$500 a month even after establishing a decent following if I ever manage to do that. My main reasons for launching a YouTube channel are to share my work with even more people, to inspire others and show what can be achieved with fairly modest resources, and to discuss subjects and issues that I do not see other photographers talking about on YouTube. I think doing these things will make me different and hopefully help me stand out from the crowd a little which in turn can hopefully open more doors as well granting me access to even more opportunities in the future. I have put a lot of thought into the production side of things and will most likely to be turning one of the bedrooms in my home into a dedicated YouTube room much in the same way I am converting my living room into a dedicated studio space for photography. I do not consider myself a teacher and I am not interested in doing tutorials. I am merely a working photographer that wishes to share his experiences, a few insights and some of his work.



I appreciate the support.




Thank you kindly!

Just a thought on PP versus photoshop mastering.
there is a difference on just normal PP what actually about 80 percent(pulled number out of my head) of us at here does, including my self. geting rid of dust, enhancing contrast, making DR wider ect. normal slides in LR. ect.

then there is 15 percent who makes little more effort&has skills, uses for PP several programs. that remaining 5 percent really plans their shots, uses flashes, lights, have good routine on PP, has places in their mind for where and what time to shoot and continue to survey on those. As percentage gets lower intensity of photography professionality goes higher.

I think that for your kind of photography there are lot of PP skills needed. to keep it natural, but also admireable. You need to make wow factor, which you are also doing well. It sure is different genre than family snapshots Then there are people, who takes pictures let’s say, their dog and does little of that ’photoshop magic’ and put them in fairy land. That is more like that digital art thingy. Interesting thing. I’d love to learn portraits better(leRolls trademark) and also those digital art PP skills....it just takes time, maybe little by little. I’m also itnerested many other things so..

to me looking at well phitoshopped(realistic look) is nice. As it also should be, but it get’s little repetive at some point. But I also like simple things too, and moment of surprise, when photographer has lef nice details to be discovered by one who is looking picture longer time, exploring.

[Mallee Boy]

With regard to pp and portraiture, there are many soft ware programs that work all sorts of magic (eg: Portrait Pro), Example: I did a little study of a very normal young mum, pretty in her own way, but showing the lines of life, stress, kids etc. She had a very basic make up knowledge (which made hers far superior to mine, but I have worked with some who do it really well) and the final shots were ho hum, but quite accurate in what we saw...and she agreed with that. I ran a shot through portrait pro and her reaction was quite funny..."I'm having that !...no if or buts, that is what I want".
I think, from my limited experience with portraiture, that the model is just so important, get one who knows her stuff, how to present herself, is confident in how she presents and you are well on your way to getting some good shots...as shown by LeRolls, whose work I admire.

[Tas]

K-1 and the D-FA* 70-200mm. FYI, this was using the same PP technique as that used in my last two images.



Tas

[BorisKolo]

[Hattifnatt]

More Berlin.

[Rondec]

Sunrise (DFA 15-30, multiple exposures)



Grain (DFA 24-70, pixel shift)



(the second image is a fairly heavy vertical crop out of a much wider image).

[redpit]

Very beautiful image!

[Erictator]

smc PENTAX-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM ƒ/4.5 300.0 mm 1/400 iso250



smc PENTAX-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM ƒ/5.0 300.0 mm 1/500 iso500



smc PENTAX-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM ƒ/5.0 300.0 mm 1/500 iso400

[awscreo]

Yes, the FA 85 1.4 has served me well and highly recommend it. There are plans for an eventual YouTube channel as well as a website. I have thought about it a great deal and I do not want to attempt the usual BTS style that many other Youtubers seem to gravitate towards. I instead want to focus on subjects and info that other photography channels do not discuss.

That would be cool, I'll definitely sub, let us know when it's out! I think some opportunity for master class / premium tutorials is there for you as well, I see people selling those on 500px a lot, and see nothing wrong with asking for some money in exchange for countless hours of experience

[longbow]

Irix 11mm Blackstone

[kenspo]

Bruce Dickinson and Iron Maiden from yesterday
K-1ii & D-FA* 70-200mm F/2.8

[fs999]

Excellent shots DimC !
Wow ! Superb butterfly Eric !

K-1 • FF Mode • 400 ISO • Tamron SP AF Di 90mm F2.8 Macro


K-1 • FF Mode • 100 ISO • Pentax FA* 24mm F2 IF AL


K-1 • Crop Mode • 100 ISO • HD Pentax DA 560mm F5.6 ED AW


K-1 • FF Mode • 800 ISO • Pentax FA 35mm F2 AL

[repaap]

Little rose, F28/2.8

[longbow]

Osprey - DFA 150-450


and close by......

[LensBeginner]

Excellent shots DimC !
Wow ! Superb butterfly Eric !


*snip*

K-1 • FF Mode • 800 ISO • Pentax FA 35mm F2 AL

Last one is magical!