I’ve been shooting photography and even videography most of my life in some shape or form and have yet to actually running to the people who claim that I just press a button and that what I’m doing, isn’t specialized to skill at all. As a matter of fact, the less educated they are the more they respect it. I would really like to hear from other people who have been shooting, probably decades longer than I have. And modern professionals or artists. What has your experience been regarding the claim of photography being “just pressing a button”?

Sometimes i catch myself thinking "man if only i could go to X destination, I'd have such cool photos to share"

But then i realized maybe the more beautiful the destination is, the less creative your photos need to be. A beautiful place is already beautiful in itself and stands on its own that maybe a wide angle from a smartphone could already capture beautifully.

Alternatively, the more mundane/boring a place is, the more creative your photography needs to be in order to find unique angles to tell a story. Framing, finding weird angles. Techniques such as taking a really cropped shot, or silhouettes where no details are visible, or focusing on shadow play etc.

So maybe being in a mundane place actually forces you to see the beauty that is likely already all around you, what do yall think?

I'm a street photographer based in East London looking to put on my own small photography exhibition, using my own prints and organising everything myself.

I'm after something fairly DIY and informal — ideally a small space I could hire for a day or weekend, hang my prints, invite people along and create a little event around the work. It doesn't need to be a traditional gallery; an empty shop, artist studio, community space or other alternative venue would be great.

I'm working with a relatively modest budget, so I'm particularly interested in affordable options around Hackney, Dalston, Bethnal Green or elsewhere in East London, but I'm happy to travel further across London if there's a cheap space that's suitable.

Has anyone organised something similar or know of spaces that are open to independent photographers? I'd love to hear about your experiences, costs and any recommendations.

Cheers!

I want to print out a bunch of 8x10s of my photos at the cheapest rate possible.

At this point - the project is basically an experiment- quality does not matter.

What services or suggestions (besides buying and setting up my own print workflow, not feasible right now) do y’all have?

I’ve used MPix, Google Photos & Snapfish in the past. What’s cheaper?

Can you show photos taken in "ugly places"?

Do you have any questions about running a photography business? Or you're a client who has concerns about the photographer they've worked with? Ask all your questions here.

anyone else have a strange obsession with grain and 'degraded' images?

i think that for me it began when nearly two decades ago i was getting into fashion photography and back then all of the (modelling) agencies would have tear sheets in models portfolios- literally pages on which a model of theirs was featured, torn out of a magazine. these pages would usually be crudely scanned and as such have all kinds of artifacts and such. for whatever reason, i really liked that aesthetic and tried for years to recreate it not realizing that it was literally as easy as re-scanning one of my images (preferably poorly).

soon as i began scanning my images a few years ago, that 'aha' realization was unlocked, but i only use it selectively now- it's easy to overdo.

besides that, i can't seem to back away from grain, which is ironic considering my first several years as a photographer i fought tooth and nail to avoid it, wanting to minimize it as much as possible, buying cameras with great iso performance in hopes of grain being lesser, etc., etc., but similar to the above obsession with degradation, i eventually became obsessed with grain, i can't even remember how or why. emulating film is likely the obvious answer, but that wasn't it- i shot film in tandem with digital. maybe it goes hand in hand with the degraded look, idk, but i admit i can overdo it... my go-to is "add noise, uniform, 2.45%" (sometimes 3.45%), very seldom heavier. but i worry it ties my images to a certain period in what will be hopefully a wider body of work.

most people strive for beautiful clean images but intentionally seem to want to crush blacks and add other kinds of chaos.

Hi there! As the title suggests I've been trying to figure out everyone's views on where they draw the line for street photography and especially something like fast paced flash.

Where do you guys tend to draw the line with the pictures you take? Every so often I take what I think artistically is a really good shot but could possibly come off as a bit distasteful.

Would love everyone's thoughts on this!

i have worked for over 15 years as a professional photographer and genuinely like my own work, but also am honest/objective enough to admit that i stagnated a few short years into picking up the camera.

there was a particular style/aesthetic i really liked and chased, and as soon as i figured it out and locked it down, i began to stagnate. for a few years, it didn't bother me as it got the results i wanted, but not long after, i kind of forgot how to be a student and almost felt like a train glued to the tracks, unable to deviate from them. it's a very strange feeling, as learning or even just experimenting costs nothing, has no bar to entry, and should be easy in essence, but alas, here i am seeing if anyone else shares this peculiar 'quirk'.

so yeah, i really struggle to break away from my established methods and ways, which really are very limiting in the first place. simple one-light setup or reliance on natural light. i'm embarrassed that so many years in i don't know more, but my clients have always been happy... but that's no longer enough for *me*, as i know i'm capable of so much more and generally want to advance myself. i just honestly don't know how at this point?

I recently uploaded photos from my summer trip to Europe (six countries) to a well-known company for prints. ALL of the prints I received were cropped or "zoomed in" by the company. I do my own cropping; I'm a perfectionist about it. Further cropping was unneeded, and wrecked many of my photos. For example, on an 8 X 10, the base of an ancient Roman column was mostly cut off. When I called to ask if I could request reprinting with no alterations, the woman I spoke to didn't seem to understand this was the practice of the company. So no, there was not a way to have the photos reprinted without the cropping. That company should warn people their photos will be altered. I got a a full refund. Can someone recommend a company that will print my photos without any unauthorized altering? Thanks!

Hi guys,

I've recently picked up a gig doing sports photography for a variety of sports at my university. I think I am off to a strong start but I am already looking for ways to improve. Who are some of the sport photography greats? What could I learn from their work? Does reddit have any advice for me?

I am a fairly experienced photographer already, but sports is quite new to me.

TIA

Hi! So I’ve been doing event photography lately. I know it’s common to kneel when taking photos especially amongst the crowds.

I’m recovering from a knee injury where I can walk fine now without a brace, but kneeling, crouching, and getting up is still very awkward, stiff, uncomfortable, & still a bit painful. I was standing in the aisle getting center photos, and another photographer got mad at me, saying “get down.” Which I understand, but I can’t just drop down for my photos. Like it would take me a long time to get down where it’s not painful but standing up is still a bit painful.

My main question is how do you navigate event spaces with this slight limited mobility? Do I stick to the sides then? I tried some photos from sitting in an aisle seat-photographing physically was comfortable then kneeling but still a bit awkward. Is there equipment for this? Do I just stick to bending my back lower/ lowering my upper body?? I know for my next event to talk to organizers and other photographers.

I’m just open to tips and advice please & thank you.

I've been a professional fashion/portrait/editorial photographer for nearly two decades now, globally-published in various major magazines, have shot ad campaigns for major brands, covers for major record labels, etc., etc.

Of course my title is no revelation... of course someone who specializes in wild life, architecture, landscape, product, automotive, etc. photography will be (much) better in each of those respective genres. Bloody DUH.

And I'd done several family shoots throughout the years, even a couple of weddings...

But it's been a while, and bloody hell was I ever humbled today. I thought seeing as my bread and butter is working with people, that it'd be easy, no work at all... but the big difference is that in my domain, I work usually at a snails pace, all the time I want to get the shots I want... I get to tweak and dial in, not only settings, but my subjects- pose, pose, pose, until I'm content. It's a controlled environment.

Today I promised two different sets of friends that I'd snap some family photos for them as it was a picture-perfect fall day where we live, and it was just CHAOS.

First family shoot, two kids aged 2.5 & 6, they were like energizer rabbits, never once sitting still, completely averse to any direction, not even open to being pled with (i.e. will buy you ice cream if you sit still for three minutes). Second shoot went marginally better, a very calm two year old, but eventually his boredom came through, he became restless, and that was that.

A very humbling, but fun and enjoyable experience, as I was there just as much for the hang as the photos- thankfully zero pressure from any of my friends of course... but the idea of doing this for money, delivering these photos for pay, terrified me. There are certainly some good shots in there, but the hit rate is so infinitely much lower than my usual stuff.

Couples/engagement shoots, wedding portraits, etc. are zero problem for me, as adults are okay at sitting still, posing, taking direction, but introduce kids and they're like these unpredictable elements of chaos which turns everything upside down, haha- I love it!

It's not the first time I feel deflated about my performance in a different genre of photography, and it's just a reminder that, again, just because you're good at one genre doesn't mean you will be at another- I sometimes got that kind of false confidence... not thinking I'd be 'strong' in an area other than mine, but at least decent... and with, for example, interior and architectural photography, as well as landscape stuff, yeah, even just decent is a far way away!

I do love the idea of practicing and learning something new though, so it's a welcome challenge.

I will say, anytime I've done these family or couples shoots, I've always ended up enjoying them most, as it's just "real people", often friends, and it ends up being a fun hang.

Anyways, my utmost respect to those of you who specialize in family photography- it's no easy thing.

Just thought I’d give people a heads up in case they were factoring that warranty period into their purchasing decisions. Found this out through their support after I had already purchased one and since it’s still being advertised as having a 3 year warranty next to the “Add to Cart“ button I thought I’d raise a flag.

Have you achieved something you'd like to share with the class? Here's your place to pat yourself on the back and share in others' successes!

Note: This is a photography community to discuss techniques and issues as photographers, not a space to showcase tools or gear. Any form of advertising or self-promotion outside of showcasing photos or projects in the appropriate thread is prohibited. Any web-development projects or apps are prohibited as they do not relate to practise of photography.

Hey everyone...I'd like to turn my photos into shareable photozines and photobooks with custom layouts consisting of photos and text.

Are there any apps that do that? I've seen a canva app and some business-oriented ones that produce sales collateral but nothing that quite fits what I'd like. Browser-based ideally but phone is okay too. Thanks!

Sean Tucker recently did a really great video on photographing what you love and not photographing what you think other people will find impressive or enjoy. The question he posed is "What would happily take an afternoon to make photographs of if you were unconcerned with the results and the opinions of others?", but I cant answer that, does anyone have any advice on how to move forward?

Hi everyone,

Any recommendations on where to sell an expensive camera?

I have a limited edition camera that, per google, is worth 4+ grand.

1.Trade-in sites like KEH, for example, quoted me for around $2k less than what it is worth.

1. Ebay takes a 13.6% fee, amounting to several hundreds of dollars.

2. FredMiranda seemed like a good alternative, but new users are seen as less trustworthy, and I have not sold any cameras before.

3. I don't have enough karma for r/photomarket 😭

If this were a cheaper camera, I would not worry about the loss from 1. and 2. too much, but given that the difference may very well exceed $1000 based on the platform, I would like to know how I can best navigate this. Thanks!

Has anyone ever traveled with a light in their carry-on? I have a Nanlite FS-300B that I want to keep in my backpack, will I be allowed to fly? It plugs into an outlet so no batteries but it does have an internal fan.

I also want to take my Ronin sc-2 which I think is more believable to take on a plane, but with both would I have any problems?

Need to rant about something in the photography world? Here’s your safe space to be as salty as you want without judgement.

Get it all* off your chest!

^{*Let’s just keep the personal attacks and witch hunts out of it, k?}

Full schedule of our weekly community threads:

In 2005, photographer Robert Clark (National Geographic, Friday Night Lights) traveled across the US for two months shooting with a Sony Ericsson S710a, a flip phone with a 1.3MP camera.

Once a year I visit my friend in Seattle.

We do a photo walkabout, but the photos are rubbish: us hanging out in bars, the ferry, that waterfall that's famous, the cafe from Twin Peaks (What a TRIP getting coffee there)...

It's a blast, but the photos we make feel pointless other than us marking time.

Any ideas how we could make this annual meetup and walkabout closer to art? Have meaning? Become a collaborative jam session with direction?

—

Not that it matters, but...

Him: Fuji XT1 (the OG, baby!) + 50mm equivalent. (respect)

Me: Nikon d700 + 35-70mm kit lens.

Hello! Looking for some advice long time lurker first time poster .… I am a mom of two and have been doing sports photography for my kids teams. I have fallen in love with the subject matter and want to improve my skills and my gear but don’t wanna continue to throw money away only to regret my purchase. I feel like undergrad community college ain’t it… I took a few in my 20s- a film/Darkroom and one photoshop intro. does anyone have any real experience on how to start over late in life and really call myself a professional I have been shooting like crazy and I know that’s the best way to learn, but if I’m going to make a go at this, I really wanna be able to offer my clients professional service not just another hack job. There are so many cookie cutter photographers, boudoir, photographers, etc. that’s not what I’m interested in. But I would like to improve my technique so I can continue to capture these moments of my kids. Also, I am considering expanding my current services. I do real estate photography and I have a Canon R 50 and a few cheap lenses. I’ve been limping by with. I think I want toshoot sports photography and portraits more. I would love any kind advice.