Photography Workshop

I've just arrived back home from the lovely photography workshop at Briarcliffe College. I left my house at 5:30pm. Disappointed that I left my camera as well as my portfolio at home, I was glad that I was just able to go and listen. When I arrived, I was very pleased with the intimacy of the workshop and slowly throughout that there was a lot of interaction. I took a lot of ideas out of the workshop and received a lot of answers from the speaking photographers. One of the things I have trouble with the most with getting started is pricing. Right now, I'm only 17. I struggle maintaining that business confidence since I feel not many people take working with a 17 year old seriously. I feel as if, if I set $2,000 for the job, charging people who are 5 years older than me who I know personally is unrealistic. Currently, I wouldn't price for "nothing less than $18,000" (although I'd obviously LOVE that). Even $200 is a lot for me at my current stance. I also still deal with the awkwardness of setting a price since most of the people I work with now are mutually related in a personal way. I think I'm fine for now though.
I've concluded that I need more education, basically. I need to learn about business plans and "how to make a real person look good" and I also need more experiences. Many of the speakers talked about how one of the biggest challenged is learning how to problem solve. The only way to LEARN that is to have those problem solving experiences, and actually performing the solution.
I really enjoyed this workshop. I learned from other peoples Q&As and its always amazing to get advice from experienced people who have been in this industry as well as the fact that it was a panel of various photographers who shoot different things. Even the advertising speaker was really beneficial to listen to.
Overall, I think it was a wonderful night. I learned a lot, my boyfriend won me $100 and even he said he really enjoyed the workshop as well. Even though he's not interested in photography, he said he got a lot out of the advice on the business/marketing aspect. THE END!

uhhhhhhhhh..random shot

Time Management

Time management seems to be a serious issue with me. I take on so many tasks at once and then get jumbbled up because everything is piled on top of one another. Lately I've been trying to accomplish tasks as soon as I recieve them but it just ends up being done at the last minute. Thats something I NEED to adjust. Its a life adjustment that needs to be done.

Elle magazine inspired ad photos

 

Not my best but I had to get this assignment done. I originally planned to shoot an editorial type photo but the weather on my free days was not cutting it for me. Anywho..

One day I hope I will maybe understand how professional retouchers can have so much patience to touch up every little hair on a persons face. For now I just used iPhoto retouch since I don't have photoshop. 

For the most part these are sooc with a little color face or contrast boost. I used this ad for makeup inspiration:  

I set my white balance to tungsten because I used a tiny lil' lamp that was almost like a flashlight. The colors in the photos I took were a tad washed out; I used yellow and purple for my eyes but still kept the pink lip. Obviously, with editing the colors the vibrance was lost. (click on the photo to see better)

I think the second photo is my favorite as an ad. 

The 3rd is another favorite but a little less practical since if it was in a magazine itd have the crease right through the subject. 

I also like the 2nd to last photo just because of the shadow on my face. 

Fact of the day: I really want to invest in better lighting sources!

oldie but goodie

Here are a few shots from last year when I made my friend Caitlin into a Leopard!

Had to post

How crazy is that!?

Entering Fall

Self shots are the easiest to take when it comes to carrying out ideas, in my opinion. You can pose the way you see it and bring forth an emotion much faster than with a model. Holding the camera right is always the problem I personally face.

lost

I feel so lost as a photographer. Lately I've been scared to even pick up my camera because of the confidence I'm lacking lately in my work. I'm intimidated by others arround me and I want to just have no restrictions and have total creative freedom. My 145 class's homework, due tomorrow might i add, is to shoot 9 different concepts for a CD cover without using people. But I LOVE shooting people. I have so many ideas but they all involve people so where do I begin? 9? How will I approach this? I guess I have many other ideas but no acess to what I'd shoot my fullest potential on. This makes me lack motivation. Thats where I question my passion. My passion isn't for "Photography" I guess its more so "Photographing people" because if my passion was really for photography I wouldn't be procrastinating this. I want to shoot, but I don't like what I'm shooting. Everywhere I turn people are flaunting their photos. Should I have this attitude as well? How do you just gain confidence!? I want to know. Everyone arround me is so talented and most know where they want to be and what exactly they want to shoot. Most have this awesome equipment and then theres me who has a great camera with a crappy lens taking 1400 pictures with 2 lights on, one lamp, no flash, lights off no lamp one candle, all lights on, no flash, curtains pulled. What Im saying is, I guess I'm just frustrated. I feel a bit confined. And, I'm undereducated. I don't know the full potential of my camera yet. I hope to continue to expand my knowledge taking this course. I hope I can gain confidence and be able to shoot with it. Wish me luck on this assignment :-X