Adorama has published a new video featuring photographer Pye Jirsa as he teaches photographers more than 20 couples poses in less than 10 minutes. This is the second part of Jirsa's Couples Crash Course; the first part introduced five foundational couples poses that 'every photographer should know.'
This is part of the 'Master Your Craft' photography tutorial video series published on the Adorama YouTube channel.
I found it instructional and probably treated it as intended ie some ideas about variations on standard poses. I didn't see it as an opportunity to critique the photographer who had successfully brought it down to my level. Fill lights and reflectors would probably have complicated the video and confused the message. The next time I am photographing friends I will try and remember some of the things shown and it may just improve my images. Will it turn me into a superstar "people" photographer? of course not but that was never the intention. Ken
The 5Div autofocus in live view (DPAF) is really that much more consistent, for shooting wide open on f/1.4 or f/1.2 primes. If the light level is bright enough, it nails focus every time, without the worry of front-focus or back-focus and requiring AF micro-adjustment, as many wedding photographers who heavily abuse their gear have to worry about after every few months of hard work and bumping the camera around...
It's a good thing that he is not holding a very long lens. Holding a long lens at arms length is the pathway to camera shake.
Given that I am pretty nearsighted, wearing my reading glasses would have me squinting at the LCD, in order to not squint would require that I not use any of my glasses. I would have to hold the camera about 3 inches from my face - and the subjects would be large blurs in the background. (my eyeball Bokeh really sucks)
He is also shooting into a very bright background where it is very hard to see what is happening. If his camera's ability to focus is so limited, perhaps he should seriously look at a different model/brand.
That's one advantage of mirrorless- you get the on-sensor DPAF experience, but with the camera held "correctly" to your eye.
I think it's safe to assume that any portrait/wedding photographer who is "still" shooting with a 5Div is not interested in jumping to another brand, and is likely just waiting for an RF body that can match everything the 5Div offers. If this were January 2021, we'd probably see Pye doing this exact tutorial with an "EOS R5"...
Too much “directing”. Spend some time with the couple, get them comfortable, so they act naturally and communicate with each other, catch the moments. This seemed contrived.
I would have added some fill, or flash for sure. Even though portraits are about the people in front of the camera, nothing kills the shot like a grey or over exposed sky! There must be a reason why they're using the beach location.
Three things that caught my eye as I scrolled through this- the other wedding couple on the beach at 3.38 (or a crack in the space time continuum) - the burned out skies taking up so much of the frame...and.. Ok, it was two things.
I feel sorry for the women who get their photos taken outside in January on cold days. Watch this video I shot on my bike ride starting at the 24 second mark. https://youtu.be/o-nUA7E_S9w
I just do not understand why a pro teaches amateurs how to take pictures and then the amateurs start to take the professionals earnings away by giving the pictures for free and later for lower prices.. Pros loose their jobs, amateurs do not pay the taxes and have an another job as basic income. That was not my imagination...this has happened here in Finland, I know several pros who are on early pension cause the quality of the pics does not mean anything anymore - just cheap price. I´ve lost several clients from print cause they were forced to buy pics for cheaper prices from amateurs.. I see this a bit not moral post here in Dreview.. I`d never steal someones profession and income even if i could.
I am dealing with this sh....t every single day. Even though my photos are better than free photos people still don't want to spend money no matter how cheap it is.
It's happening in all areas of photography. I'm a pro too and struggle to compete with the cowboy amateurs who charge peanuts if at all. Sadly, only another photographer can see the difference in quality between shots. For instance, my dad hates blurry photos, personally i love them ! You can't win ! 🤣
Oh, a blind man can see the difference between my photos and those from amateurs like wrong white balance, framing, etc....but people these days are so used to sh...ty cell phone photos that they don't care. Good enough for FB and Twitter.
In my area, it seems the problem is over saturation of full timers and part timers with both charging way too much. Used to be there was the all those mysterious chemicals, dealing with those scary labs, not to mention shooting with slow slide film. Things well ahead of the average amateur for the expectations of the clients. It's much easier now for amateurs to produce good photos and many clients are happy with their friends phone shots. Im sorry indeed for those struggling, but it is what it is. And yes, I will help out folks I know can't afford 4 or 8K for a wedding shoot, but if they can, I refer them to one of my charging friends.
LOL. If you think those trivial things is what makes a novice a good photographer then you deserve losing clients to amateurs. What distinguishes a good photographer from a dilettante is not simple tricks, but the imagination and ability to see what others don't.
Quote It's much easier now for amateurs to produce good photos Quote ---------------- Cameras do not produce "good" pictures, it is the pros behind them. It is about the brain and eyes.. Whole thing is about morality. If one has not got it -then he/she may steal one`s clients and profession and income. When one has morality he/she does not steal, it is that easy. Even if one may stael, it does not mean one has to. Amateurs have also the main jobs and still are arrogant enough to take away pro`s job. And amateurs do not pay taxes of their photography, pros do. So it is also stealing from the society, you and me. Dpreview should not publish this kinda videos - with cheap tricks.
Quote If you think those trivial things is what makes a novice a good photographer then you deserve losing clients to amateurs. -- Quote ---------------------- Trivial things..no not them. Amateurs stealin jobs and selling fo no price at all does it. You do not know me - but You are ready to say that I deserve losing my gigs and job: "how is this world today? Lousy." It is not this post, it is tens and hundreds of sites giving trivial little tricks away. Just enough to learn so much that something can be seen in the pictures. tell me Your profession and I`ll come and take it away and do Your job for free. how`s that, do You deserve it.
I always turn down requests of friends if they want me to photograph their wedding. Partly because i dont want to take the job from a pro, partly because it's less fun than casually photographing at a wedding.
It's really too bad though that sometimes i turn up with better equipment than the hired pro and my photos look more appealing because the pro might not even do retouching... If you charge for it, better work at the state of the art. Otherwise dont whine about people dont wanting to pay you.
Some people seem to think they can work like in the 90s and delivering the quality of that time is enough. Evolve! Or you wont survive in 2020, just sayin.
There is more complexity to this situation than most realize...
First, let's talk about sheer volume. Say, 100 pro photographers "back then", and 1000 pros now. You'd think that means the initial 100 pros are now screwed. Not necessarily, because half the equation was omitted. Say, what if the market also went from 100 customers, to 1000 customers? Or 2000 customers?
The point is, those "original" 100 pros can still find their same 100 clients who pay good money. But, they probably have to filter 900 new low-dollar customers in order to find their own perfect-fit customers.
That's how technology revolutions have always been. There's room at the top. If anything, it's easier to find work at the top once you get there, because so few others are confident enough to charge that much.
Having said that, YES, the industry has definitely changed in the last 15 years; middle-market price ranges have had to struggle, but the $$ is still there if you know how to run (and market) a business
...Second, let's talk about the education aspect: Indeed, a rising tide raises all ships. Teaching how to create GOOD portraits raises customer's standards, which is good for the industry.
It would be incorrect to say, "people don't seem overly concerned about photo quality anymore"... Because, actually, what people just aren't concerned with anymore is the gear. Because, yes, iPhones and other multi-lens, faux-DOF cameras are getting pretty good!
But, if the Instagram Influencer explosion is any indication, people still appreciate a perfect pose, epic light, and like it or not, "eye candy" in general.
As "just" a photographer, it might seem foolish to give away your secrets. However, ask any veteran full-time photographer what they really are, and they'll tell you- they're just another small business owner. And teaching others how to take better pictures is an awesome opportunity, especially if (as per my previous analogy) there are now 1000 eager learners, instead of just 100.
quote Some people seem to think they can work like in the 90s and delivering the quality of that time is enough. Evolve! Or you wont survive in 2020, just sayin. quote ---------------- I´m retired. Don`t have to fight with amateurs and their s.....y pics and a..s licking. I can watch from aside how selfish people take this profession down. In 90`s there was some quality and pics were not that plagiarizing as they are now. In old days we went through photography schools 4-5 years..now people just start with a phone and shoot the same picture from day one and sell cheap cheaper cheapest. Industry is dying.
quote However, ask any veteran full-time photographer what they really are, and they'll tell you- they're just another small business owner. quote ---------- Nope, luckily there are some staffers still holding the flag fly high. I was a staffer until I was a freelance because most photogs. were thrown out because papers bought cheaper pics (about 75-90%) from amateurs. Now owners have noticed, that the cheap pics are so bad - that fewer buy papers anymore and stories are seldom read. But real pros are gone and new cannot be found. This happens in Scandinavia..don`t know of US etc. But what is alarming is that in a site like DRview there are a lot of people who hate pros this much ( as in this thread) Amateurs are yelling..., give us Your knowledge for free and then we`re take your customers away. Stop whining about that - you filthy dinosaurs.
The bottom line is, aspiring to be a staff photographer these days just isn't a wise career goal. Like you said, you're retired, and that market was seriously damaged by amateurs over the last 15 years!
There were many photography industries that were utterly decimated by the invention of cheap digital cameras in the last 15-20 years, however portraiture and wedding photography has simply been at the top of the heap when it comes to "weathering the storm".
Simply put, if you're good at running/marketing a small business, then there is still plenty of money to be made in portraiture and weddings, due to the scale of growth in clients in all price ranges. So, while many markets such as kid's sports and others that previously had a near-zero barrier to entry have indeed been decimated, there's plenty of money to be made for a full-time professional photographer.
BTW, sharing (or asking for) knowledge for free isn't equivalent to "hating pros"... ;-)
I don't know Matthew, I'll take your word for it, but I see these comments often that amateurs are stealing the work of pros, how is that the case then if people still care about photo quality?
Perhaps people just like looking at pretty photos, but feel differently when it comes to paying for them?
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