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saveamoment asked: I have a question: Why are you answering questions and not out there shooting more great photos?

crownedroyal asked: I'm not anon, but here's my two cents. I'm not sure that intentionally overexposing your images is a good direction for a stylistic choice. I get the contrast (who doesn't like contrast?) but when you overexpose your images you lose detail in the highlights. Getting as much detail as possible is an integral part of a great image, because you will be able to enlarge it comfortably, without noticing blank white spaces where the light source hits your background/foreground harsher.

I get that, I really do. I habitually overexpose a lot of my portraiture, and that’s something that I’m working on and genuinely want to do less of in the future.

However, when it comes to my personal work I’d argue that art is observed and interpreted differently by each of its audiences—something that may not tickle your fancy might send mine through the roof, and so on.

Ultimately, I make art for myself. I can’t please everyone, nor do I aim to. 

Anonymous asked: Just a small tip. I really do like your photos and the contrasts in them, but you're still over editing a few just a tad bit. Try going slightly more natural. :)

Thank you. I’d appreciate this criticism a lot more if you weren’t anonymous, but I won’t say that I disagree with you. I’m constantly trying to refine what little photo “skills” I have, therefore, I’ll always welcome constructive criticism. :)

If you’ll notice, the majority of my photos are overexposed. This is definitely not an accident, but rather a stylistic choice. If by “going slightly more natural” you mean that I should refrain from high contrasts and overexposure, you may be asking a little much. However, I don’t think you’re necessarily referring to the high contrast of my photos, but rather their sharpness. I tend to like my photos clearly focused and noticeably sharp, which admittedly sometimes doesn’t always work to my advantage. 

To illustrate an example of this for you, let’s say that I capture a decent photo of a baby laughing. This particular child, though, is somewhat of a serious child, and not exactly in the business of granting undeserved laughs—especially when an oversized lens is barking in his face. Therefore, assuming that another go at this shot would result in a crying fit, I decide to move forward and possibly get some good shots of daddy holding baby or something. Later, when I get home and have the batch of photos enlarged on my computer screen, I find that the focus of baby’s face in said laughing photo is slightly off, but because it’s the only laughing photo could get, I use it anyway. (This is where my Photoshop abuse comes in.) After ten minutes of “strategic” sharpening in PS, I’m left with a dull, flat looking picture that, to be brought back to life, requires a bit more doctoring. As a result of this process, I’ve gotten photos like this or this, where overall quality has been compromised by a combination of amateurish focusing, editing and decision making.

What I believe this boils down to is practice and experience. Both of the provided photos were taken about a year ago, and in that time I can surely say that I’ve gotten better with focus and portraiture. I don’t think I can claim the same about photo editing yet, so I’ll definitely try to heed your advice and do less sharpening in the future.

Thanks again. 

superfreakinmario asked: hey i really like your blog. im just getting into photography and i was wondering if you could give me some pointers when i post some of my own stuff? :3

:D Thank you! 

Well, when I was a “beginning” photographer I always over edited. Like, I could never find a happy medium so I’d oversaturate or overuse filters, etc. But once I got out of that habit and focused more on how I wanted a shot to look as it was being captured, I found that there wasn’t much editing left to do.

Can I say that you should just experiment? Maybe rent some lenses for your camera/an external flash. See what you can do with those. 

But whatever you do, please, use manual. If you don’t know how to work the manual settings on your camera, do some research. Also, use manual focus. Auto focus is good for action photography, but when you have the time to manually focus your lens, you should.

Learning the mechanics of your camera, and in turn gaining control of it, is the only way you’ll grow as a photographer. 

Anonymous asked: Hi there! Can I ask what software do you use in editing your photography?

Photoshop CS3. 

laroquephotography asked: What are some of your thoughts when your capturing an image?

Hm.

My mind usually runs along the lines of an idea I’d like to communicate or a thought I’d like to elicit. Like, how a photo’s granularity may evoke a sense of nostalgia, or what the perfect symmetry of a photo will say about its subject’s personality or competency, etc.

As an artist, (and not), I try to always do things purposefully. 

Anonymous asked: You're a brilliant photographer. You definitely have an eye for it. I'm impressed!!!

You’re so sweet. Thank you! 

indigoooviolet asked: Good for you girl! Your photos are beautiful. Keep it up. :)

Thanks! I’ll try. Your photography is beautiful as well! 

chloenicolefinigan-deactivated2 asked: I love your stuff! Are all of these photos yours?

Thanks! Yes, they’re all mine.