r/photography

My dad is coming out of retirement and we are going to service school photography. My dad has 25 years experience in this industry and I have seven years but am currently servicing another genre of photography. Des anyone have any general encouragement or advice? I really want all schools to not use life touch and I’m totally against any association. It’s really about protecting the kids for real. I have three daughters and I’m very involved in their protection

Hey everybody, in a few weeks I will be photographing a dj and I'm not sure at this moment whether there will be lasers or not. How do you shoot an event with professional DJs that use lasers? Obviously I'm not in charge of the lights and if he wants lasers he'll use them. I know they can fry sensors on mirrorless cameras so just trying to come up with a game plan. Can I just use a filter or is it just a hope for the best scenario?

Hey Folk, saw a job post up for a staff photographer role that expects you to have all the kit already (gimbal, camera, lens, tripod). Uk based company. That's not how a staff role works is it, or are they just taking the p***?

So I recently posted a series of street photography images from a German fair on r/pics.

The photos are obviously real: shot by me, edited in Lightroom, with a cinematic color grading inspired by some Kodak film aesthetics.

On photography-focused subreddits, people mostly discussed composition, color grading and atmosphere normally.

But on r/pics, the initial reaction was very different.

People immediately suspected the images were AI-generated within seconds of the post going up.

People started collectively investigating the images in the most absurd ways possible trying to prove whether they were real or fake.

At one point, a user even posted the official website of the fair after recognizing a specific illuminated heart-shaped sign that also appeared in my photos.

Meanwhile, another user pointed out that the guy’s t-shirt itself looked like one of those AI-generated boomer Amazon shirts.

People started realizing the images were probably legitimate, and comments became much more positive, and discussions moved toward the mood and atmosphere of the series instead of the AI accusations.

Eventually, the post still got removed by moderation for: “AI-generated pics / screenshots.” In a way, I don't know if I should be annoyed or flattered.

Apparently making photos look “cinematic” is enough to trigger AI suspicion now.

Has anyone else experienced something similar ?

I want to get myself an ND filter because I tried to do a long-exposure shot during the day and I couldn't. I want something of good quality but not break the bank, so I came accross a ND1000 filter from Hoya which I have heard is a good brand. I have seen cheap variable filters but I am assuming they have many compromises for being this cheap.
Since I am new to ND filters, I was wondering if a single 10 stops filter of great quality would be versatile enough?

I stumbled across this guy's channel (By Ben Photography) on YouTube the other day and ended up binge-watching a bunch of his stuff.

Usually, photography tutorials are either incredibly dry or way too "influencer-bready" without actually teaching anything. This guy actually makes things make sense while keeping it pretty entertaining.

Curious if any of you have watched his stuff? Is his advice as solid as it seems, or am I just getting sucked into the editing?

... and companies using it must be obliged by law to pay damages and refund lost profits to the professional photographic community (and others).

One possible measure for the amounts to be distributed could be their spendings for commercial art during foregoing years.

I am the consumer and booked a photographer for a family shoot. She was vetted on a FB group and is also the official photographer for a high end hotel in the area.

She generally did a great job but several of the returned photos look quite AI generated. I don't really like them.

So the question is am I right to feel this way? or is AI so prevalent in post processing that is just what happens? I really don't know if I should tell her or just leave it.

Coworker today asked if I'd shoot his kids wedding. I am not a professional. I am a fairly enthusiastic amateur who has an eye for composition and knows enough to get the results I want. But I'm not a pro.

That being said, it was made clear that the bulk wanted is the Ceremony itself, most of the candid reception stuff would be from disposables but I'd be doing some shooting there too obviously. I have a decent camera and glass (D500, 16-80 f2.8-4, 70-200 f2.8, 35mm f1.8 among other not as fast stuff), what I don't have is a flash of any kind currently. A speed light would be a quick pickup, but I'm not sure if I want to get into remote lighting, umbrellas, etc. I'm not looking to become a pro either.

With clear expectations set about what both sides expect ....... Is this a bad idea or worth exploring as an opportunity? I'm on the fence but leaning towards doing it with both sides having clear understandings.

*Edit - Really good advice from everyone. I will add that I was informed by him that his kid said they'd take the raw files and edit themselves even (which I'm fine with). However, some great points are being made and though I'm confident in my ability to make it work, there's too many risks of something going bad. I'm most likely going to decline. Thank you all.

Somewhat in response to the discussion about AI. I’ve always found it interesting that people seem to expect photography to be this magical viable career path that lasts a lifetime. It’s not. And it hasn’t been for a very long time.

This industry is FULL of incredible careers that exploded in the 90’s, early 2000’s, 2010’s, last year. only to fizzle out and fade away. It happens all the time, for a variety of reasons.

It has NEVER not been a hyper competitive, difficult, emotionally grinding career path, and anyone who has tasted even a modicum of success should be grateful everyday that they even got to. I thank my lucky stars every fucking morning that I somehow made it this far.

I am constantly fighting dwindling budgets, younger photographers working under rate, people shooting “work for hire” without understanding or caring what it means. And I’d be lying if I wasn’t that young photographer at one point in my life too. Hell, I still shoot under rate from time to time because thats simply the nature of the industry. If I said no to every job that didn’t pay me my full day rate with limited usage, covered expenses, processing fees, crew etc, I’d be a bartender.

My point is, a lot of people seem to come here bitching and whining about whatever perceived grievances they have about an industry that has been in a state of constant change for the last three decades. Welp - guess what? The industry doesn’t owe you a happy easy career where everything stays kush forever.

But the work is out there, and if you care enough and know how to get it, and don’t spend every opportunity moaning about why it doesn’t fall in your lap exactly how you want it, you can STILL make a decent living doing this. And it is my belief it will remain that way for those who understand how to adapt to the tides. Is it easy? Does it make sense? Nope. And what’s worse is that optimism and hard work and determination won’t guarantee you shit either! Fuck! Oh well.

Nobody forced you to become a photographer. If you chose this path and didn’t prepare for the possibility that it won’t work out, that’s on you and you alone.

The art director of one of the “big 5” companies I shoot for explained to me yesterday that their new marketing person is transitioning their lifestlye photography to be AI generated. So going forward, their social media and marketing collateral will be produced by a computer and feature ai models instead of actual humans. “You wouldn’t believe the quality”, I think were their words.

I’ve been worried for a while about this upheaval, and I guess … it’s getting real 😬. In some ways I get it. It’s cheaper. It’s less work. You don’t have to deal with coordinating photoshoots, purchasing props, worrying about models flaking, correcting in post… but jeez.

When I talk to people about this upheaval, they say Photography won’t be replaced because “ai can’t generate real emotion”, and “ai can’t capture real experiences”. But I see so many AI headshot apps and see such amazing quality come out of some of these products, I cant help but worry.

To clarify, I’m doing great for now and I can deal with the income ding this will cause. But as ai gets better… after 20 years as a professional photographer I’m starting to seriously wonder if I need to start thinking about a backup career

Have you had experiences like this? Any thoughts on how to hedge your bets against the behemoth at our f-stop?

One or more of the astronauts has some good style and technique behind the lens!

The shots of the moon and earth are just mind-blowing of course, but I thought it was also really cool to see some moody dark but well exposed shots of the cabin, I don't think I've ever seen that perspective of a space mission before. Bravo.

WE ARE SO SMALL

Shot this reflection with my old Canon PowerShot SX230 HS. Really happy with how this camera still performs! Any tips to make it look even more cinematic?

My girlfriend’s family was originally quoted $1,800 for photo + video coverage for her quinceañera. Later, my girlfriend asked if I’d be willing to do it at a more affordable rate.

At first, I said I’d think about it, but I ended up saying no.

For context: I’ve been doing photography as a hobby for years. At one point I tried launching a photography business, but it failed because I didn’t really approach it seriously. Even so, I’ve done paid gigs before, and this year I decided I want to actually treat it like a real business and stick to my rates.

Recently I sat down and worked out my pricing properly. My starting rate for photo only is around $1,200 for 2–3 hours (and more if video is involved).

Her family is willing to pay me something to photograph the event, but it would still be well below the rates I’ve set for myself. I’m grateful they thought of me, but I also feel underpaid for the amount of work and responsibility involved.

What makes this harder is:

• I’m not super close with her family
• My girlfriend and I already argued about it
• I’ve done a lot of free/cheap shoots in the past, which I’m trying to stop doing if I want to be taken seriously
• My parents are pressuring me, saying it’s “good money”
• If I attend as a guest and don’t photograph, I worry people will think I refused to help
• There’s also that awkward feeling of wondering: Am I invited because they want me there, or because they want a photographer?

Part of me feels guilty turning it down because it’d still be the most I’ve ever been paid for a single gig. But another part of me feels like if I cave on my rates now, I’m undermining the whole point of trying to build this into a real business.

The only compromise I can think of is just attending as a guest, bringing my pocket camera, casually taking some photos, and gifting them whatever I happen to get — totally unofficially.

I honestly don’t know what the right move is here. Am I being unreasonable for sticking to my rates, or should I just take the opportunity?

TL;DR:
Girlfriend’s family wants me to shoot her quinceañera because I’m cheaper than the $1,800 quote they got elsewhere. I’m trying to take photography seriously as a business and my rates start around $1,200, so I feel underpaid doing it for less. Now I feel guilty saying no, my girlfriend/parents are pressuring me, and I’m stuck between sticking to my rates or taking the gig for the experience/money.

I feel like there’s a very distinct type of photo from NBA games in maybe the 80s or 90s. I couldn’t find an exact match online but the key elements I recall are dark (almost black) stands/seats, fully illuminated court, and shadows. It’s almost like the court is isolated from everything else.

The image I found is close but not exact. I swear there are more exaggerated examples out there.

How did photographers achieve that look? Is it as simple as just using a flash which causes the background to darken?

I don’t mean conceptual work is bad. Sometimes the idea behind an image can make it much more powerful. But lately I feel like, in a lot of gallery and museum photography, the actual image itself seems secondary to the artist statement or theoretical framework around it.

Sometimes I’ll see work where the writing does most of the heavy lifting, and without the explanation the photos don’t really stand on their own visually or emotionally.

Curious if others feel this way, or if I’m just looking at the wrong kinds of contemporary photography.

Edit:

I don't think intention or conceptual photography are bad per se. But the images should'nt come secondary to the idea behind them.

Take Richard Misrach for example. His photographs work on two levels: first as images themselves, through their use of light, color, composition, atmosphere, rhythm, scale, and emotional ambiguity; and second through the meanings that can be read into them, whether environmental, political, cultural, or art historical.

What makes Misrach’s work so strong, in my opinion, is that the photographic layer stands completely on its own. The interpretive layer adds depth, but it isn’t necessary for the images to function. That’s the distinction I’m trying to make I’m not against concepts or intention; I just don’t think the image itself should become secondary to the concept.

A complete fluke actually, I’ve been doing street and architecture photography for a fair while but I don’t claim to be a professional photographer nor have I ever advertised selling prints, somebody just happened to stroll upon my instagram and saw a building I had captured in London that their friend happened to be obsessed with.

So now a piece of my art is going to be sat in somebody else’s house halfway across the world. What an insane feeling that I honestly never thought I’d feel.

Need help choosing between black mist filter 1/8 or 1/4. I'm going to be taking photos of tokyo's cityscape at night this summer. I imagine I will be using a wide angle lense. I don't want to create to much halo. Has anyone had any experience with black mist filter in night photography and Which one would you choose and why?

I've made two trips to the High Arctic — Svalbard in May 2017 and Scoresby Sund, East Greenland in September 2018. Both were photography-focused expeditions aboard small vessels. Here's what photographing polar bears actually looks like.

Finding them is the hardest part

We spent days in Svalbard spotting bears so far away they were a single pixel in the frame. We started calling them "1-pixel bears." A white animal against a white landscape through a long lens, hoping it moves.

Almost halfway through the expedition, we found a large male sleeping on ice near the ship. The crew anchored for the night. Around 2:15 AM I heard a knock on my cabin door — "the bear is walking, let's go." I'd been sleeping in my base layers in anticipation. The next two hours were spent in the zodiac photographing him walking the land and swimming across the fjord in full midnight sun daylight. Back after 6 AM to hot chocolate from the chef.

In Greenland it's harder. The local Inuit community hunts polar bears, so they're wary and rarely seen. On our first zodiac outing in Scoresby Sund, we found one rolling atop an iceberg in evening light. We didn't see another trace for the rest of the trip. That image later appeared on the cover of Canadian Photography (CAPA) Magazine and was featured by BBC Earth.

On the photography

The Greenland frame was shot on a Canon 70D, a crop sensor body, with a 100–400mm lens, deliberately chosen for the 1.6x crop factor giving effective 640mm. The window to get it right was short.

The midnight sun in Svalbard means full daylight at 2 AM. What it does to the quality of light is hard to describe. Patience is the main skill. You position yourself, you wait.

On getting there

Scoresby Sund required a flight to Reykjavik, a domestic flight to Akureyri in northern Iceland, and 36 hours at sea through the Denmark Strait. For Svalbard, you typically fly from the Norwegian city of Tromsø to Longyearbyen. The operator you choose matters more than any gear decision as you're dependent on their local knowledge and judgment about where to position the zodiac.

Happy to answer questions about either expedition.

I’ve been getting more serious about photography lately and I want to improve my composition and framing instead of relying on editing to “save” photos afterwards.

Current setup:

• Sony A5100
• Sigma 150-600 for wildlife
• Sony/Zeiss 16-70mm for pretty much everything else
• I shoot mostly RAW right now and edit in Affinity V3 (free version)
• The problem is that I end up barely editing most of my photos because the workflow feels too time consuming, so a lot of RAW files just sit on my drive untouched
• Because of that, I’ve been thinking about switching more towards JPEG shooting and getting better results straight out of camera, especially since editing on iPad (Lightroom Mobile) is much simpler for me

The style I’m drawn to:

• Leica / Fujifilm type images
• cinematic colors
• photos that feel intentional and balanced without looking overprocessed
• street/travel/everyday photography
• slightly documentary feeling but still aesthetic

My problem:

A lot of my photos feel “okay” technically, but not visually strong. Sometimes the subject doesn’t stand out enough, backgrounds feel messy, or the image just feels flat even if exposure/colors are fine.

Things I already try:

• rule of thirds
• leading lines
• shooting lower/higher angles sometimes
• waiting for people to enter the frame
• simplifying backgrounds
• paying attention to light

But I still feel like experienced photographers instantly see compositions that I completely miss.

So my questions are:

1. What helped you improve composition the most?
2. How do you train your eye to notice better frames in real life?
3. Any exercises that actually work?
4. What separates average compositions from really strong ones?
5. Is it mainly experience, or are there specific things I should consciously look for every time before pressing the shutter?

Also curious:

Do you think shooting JPEG and trying to get things right in camera is actually a good way to improve faster than shooting RAW and heavily editing everything later?

I feel like focusing more on composition, timing and light instead of spending tons of time editing might actually help me improve faster, but I’m not sure if that’s the right approach.

Would appreciate brutal honesty if needed.