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forum => International forum for English speakers => Photography => : Syates November 25, 2007, 10:12:18 PM

: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Syates November 25, 2007, 10:12:18 PM
My most favourite one are landscapes - so relaxing! And the least are children, they move far to quick for an old woman like me ;-) SY
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: msdnv November 25, 2007, 11:13:48 PM
Favorits are kids (my daughters), but unfortunatly a very hard subjekt to get a nice shot. This one was a just an ocasional shot http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=1516034 durring different photosesion . The least is still life - I do not have fantasi to make a nice and interresting  composition.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: khz November 26, 2007, 12:12:34 AM
hi all,
my favourite is shooting models, since it is interactive, i dont get bored,
i shoot still life, food, or landscapes for sure but, they make me bored after a short time.

but only exception for this is the shooting with a 2 years old little girl lately.
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-6379873-cute-little-girl-with-a-santa-hat-on-white-background-space-for-messages.html
after having only 12 images after about 8 hours of work (me, my wife, and her mother runned and beg her all day to give some poses),
i reconsidered my standarts for shooting kids :)

i can have fun at shooting some concepts such as Lev's of course by the way ;)
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: andresr November 26, 2007, 04:48:55 AM
Definately my favourite subject has to be people .... its always interesting during the photoshoot as it is fun. Professional models are normally quite relaxed and the number of worthy photos is higher so I like that  :P
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: travismanley November 26, 2007, 11:19:53 PM
I started off doing a lot of food and product shots in a homemade light tent and just started working with models. It is a blast shooting people, much more rewarding then food (for me at least). It is a little harder, but much worth it!
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Forgiss November 27, 2007, 12:11:04 AM
good grief? favourite? we can have a favourite?

Man, as long as I am shooting... who cares!?!?

I have to confess that I think the most dificult is children (have no illusion friends... newborn babies are just not lying still!!!)

The most challenging is weddings... You can't interfere or move people arround too much, you start with an editorial style, switch to glamour for dressing up, switch to fashion for pre ceremony, swith to editorial for ceremony (with some fine art thrown in for good measure) then back to family photographer for the families and groups, and so on and so forth. The whole while you need to make the crapiest locations look like fairytale castles!

You have to have the patience and steady hand of a wild life photographer, for low light shooting, and catching just the right moment

You have to have the speed, agility and responses of a sports photographer to catch the frigging flower girls and other general action.

You have too carry all of your equipment like a Yak

and you have to smile and be creative for the better part of 12-16 hours on a day

(it also helps if you can do Crisis Management, and therefor, I can do a mean hairdo, have done a make-up course, can sew wedding gear (or my better solution = staplegun), know which calming meds doesn't go well with Champagne, can drive, carry extra sweets for difficult ring bearers (aged 3) and extra sunblock for hung over best men. I can also tie a straight, windsor or bowtie, and used to carry extra packs of batteries/film for when the mother of the bride run out, and an extra medium size black belt (worked into the cost of the wedding beforehand) for the groom/best man/father of the bride...

... Man I love stock!
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Susan November 27, 2007, 12:27:00 AM
I guess I am still evolving at a photographer... I change my mind frequently.  I love landscapes because I love to be outdoors.  Would love to try my hand at some real sports photography.  I am working on honing my studio skills now and plan on starting to learn how to work with people in the next few months.

I am with Sean... I just love everything about photography... I love that there is so much to learn.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: travismanley November 27, 2007, 12:44:24 AM
I did some photos of a friends 3 month old baby and I thought it was going to be a nightmare, but it was actually really easy. The baby just laid there quietly and let me snap off photo after photo. I shot it for about two hours and she didn't get cranky up until the very end of the shoot. Great learning experience!
: Re: What is your most favorite/ least favorite subject to photograph?
: realdealphoto November 27, 2007, 10:55:28 AM
Oh I don't think there can be any doubt that I prefer to shoot beautiful women. Preferably under studio conditions but outdoors is fun too. I also love to shoot editorial style street life and love to take long photo walks in places like the Venice Beach boardwalk and capture the life I see through a 400mm lens.

My least favorite and really the only thing I actually refuse to shoot is Weddings, for all the reasons Sean listed. It simply is not my cup of tea.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Forgiss November 27, 2007, 11:02:22 AM
The baby just laid there quietly and let me snap off photo after photo. I shot it for about two hours and she didn't get cranky up until the very end of the shoot.

what did you feed that baby?!?
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Syates November 28, 2007, 02:58:02 AM
The baby just laid there quietly and let me snap off photo after photo. I shot it for about two hours and she didn't get cranky up until the very end of the shoot.

what did you feed that baby?!?

That I want to know also! And is the baby for rent, hey that sounds like photographers dream, cooperative baby! Get a model release and then off to shoot it, the cuter, the better! SY
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: travismanley November 28, 2007, 04:06:40 AM
I was so surprised how well it went. I thought for sure this baby was going to cry the whole time and I wasn't going to get any good shots. I haven't been around a baby in like ten years so I wasn't going to be any help getting the baby to cooperate. I talked to the mother quite a bit before they came out to my studio and I had a pretty clear image of what i wanted to accomplish.

Her mother brought this little innertube looking thing and I stuck it under my backdrop and she laid her daughter on it and she just laid there for almost two hours (we did a few outfit changes and took a couple breaks). I hooked my camera up to an extra tv I had so the mother could see all the shots I was taking without having to stop and show her the pics on my camera.

I wish I could take credit for it but honestly it was just dumb luck on my part. I think she is teething now and is pretty cranky so I think im going to wait a little while before I line up another photo shoot.

Here is one of the first shots I took and the last shot when she started getting fussy. That one of her crying has been selling really well, I should have stuck it out a little longer and snapped a few more shots!



: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Syates November 28, 2007, 04:17:59 AM
What did you use for lighting?, they look great! SY
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: frisee November 28, 2007, 04:42:33 AM
hello one and all from FRISEE aka BICHON !!!

I would have to say, landscape is my favourite, but now that i have a new zoom to 200mm, i am starting to enjoy people shots .. .candid ones which hang out in the places i visit... interesting faces, interesting things they are doing....
now if you will excuse me, there is a nice lady in the house across from my house getting ready to retire for the evening. time to get some 'candid' shots   :D
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Syates November 28, 2007, 04:57:05 AM
hello one and all from FRISEE aka BICHON !!!

I would have to say, landscape is my favourite, but now that i have a new zoom to 200mm, i am starting to enjoy people shots .. .candid ones which hang out in the places i visit... interesting faces, interesting things they are doing....
now if you will excuse me, there is a nice lady in the house across from my house getting ready to retire for the evening. time to get some 'candid' shots   :D

Hi Bich, glad you joined in the fun! Why the name change, we all know - and love you as bichon! SY
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: anka November 28, 2007, 07:08:21 AM
Hello to everyone, nice to see such a wonderful forum and community on stock photography.

Favorite subject for me... is genre. Genre (street photos, for example) is not selling well, plus difficult to get model releases, so I'm learning genre portrait in studio setup.
Have a problem: very shy with models. So, do not have many.
My family is fed up with my efforts to take a picture of them.

Also landscape photo, since I love to travel.

Also... I just like to photograph life around.

Regards,

Anna
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Olga B. November 28, 2007, 04:19:38 PM
I do sports mostly. I'm crasy about shooting sports but the stockmarket is very limited I'd guess. I've tried shooting a baby too and it was fun. I hope to get enough light equipment with the time to do some more serious work on it. Generally, I prefer to shoot people. Now I'm getting ready to shoot objects. I tried a few things in the past mostly in the natural environment and liked it. So, who knows where I end up. LOL
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Talya November 28, 2007, 06:04:08 PM
I love to shoot sport. My kids give me a lot of opportunities. Not much use for stock although.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Syates November 28, 2007, 09:54:12 PM
I love to shoot sport. My kids give me a lot of opportunities. Not much use for stock although.

Why? If that are your kids it would be even easier to get a model release ;-) And I am sure pictures of happy active kids would sell like hot cakes! Btw what lens and settings do you use for your sport shoots mainly? SY
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Clivia November 28, 2007, 10:32:40 PM
I love macro photography. I don't do many macros for stock, its something I like to do for my own pleasure. Live caterpillars are much more difficult than babies!
I am also doing a series of portraits of my grandson from his birthday on 5th February 2005. I take a picture on the 5th of every month. They make a great album so far. I plan to continue until he starts school at age 5.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Talya November 29, 2007, 06:32:04 AM
I love to shoot sport. My kids give me a lot of opportunities. Not much use for stock although.

Why? If that are your kids it would be even easier to get a model release ;-) And I am sure pictures of happy active kids would sell like hot cakes! Btw what lens and settings do you use for your sport shoots mainly? SY
The release is one problem. Most of the time there is more than one kid. Parents from oposite team are not easy to reach.
Copyright is another. I hate reebok, adidas, underarmor... you name it. Last name on  back... Even in football, with helmets covering most of faces, a team logo makes it impossible.

I'm amateur by any means and my gear is cheap. I use 70-300/4-5.6 IS Canon.  Settings vary. When I shoot for a team (that means 8x12 will be the biggest prints, most of them smaller) I use ISO 400 f/5-8  and highest shutter speed possible (at least 1/1000). At sunny mornings and afternoons I try to take pictures for stocks and low my ISO to 100-200, f/5. SS less than 1/500 is no use so my time for stocks photos is limited (this is third problem).

A few I manadged to put on stocks do not sell as good as I expected, btw. Discouraging.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Forgiss November 29, 2007, 12:02:59 PM
A few I manadged to put on stocks do not sell as good as I expected, btw. Discouraging.

Woah... I must say, I see exactly the oposite. My sport images (few as they are) sell exceptionally well. and is generally outselling my business images (and outlasting them!!)

Another surprise (does it count as sport?) is dance. I sell 5-15 dance images a day and I only have about a 100... BIG GAP IN THE MARKET!
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Talya November 29, 2007, 06:14:39 PM
I really do not have enough photos for any conclusion but simple football laces close-up sells better. Still need to go through most of the fall season.  8)
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Lvnel December 30, 2007, 03:15:33 PM
I get excited about everything but end up editing only faces.

That's it - I think I like shooting faces. Older women - over 30 are my favourites at the moment. Much better attitude towards life, beautiful expressions, most of the times with less editing times than 17 year olds.

And I don't like full body shots at all.

If I had a choice of somebody shooting and me editing - I would love to do that as well :) But I am not allowed to edit Sean's pics. And I am not good enough to edit for another photographer.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Lvnel December 30, 2007, 03:23:50 PM
I do sports mostly. but the stockmarket is very limited I'd guess.

I think anything that you enjoy and therefore become good at will sell! Simply because your images will have more meaning and content.

I do lots of filler images and vectors, but what I am truly passionate about always sells better.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Susan January 01, 2008, 08:59:45 AM
I don't shoot children any more... however when I did I just loved catching them in the magical moments that make being around kids so gratifying.  They just love learning and the genuine expressions that lite up their little faces... sans ego is something I miss.

Luba your image is lovely!
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Lvnel January 01, 2008, 02:49:49 PM
Thank you very much!

About kids: I shot few shots of kids in the hospital and new-borns at home. I thought I would go crazy! I have so much respect for people that make a living out of baby photography! I honestly thought its easy  :-\

Besides the fact that you have to keep the whole body in and make sure nothing strange is cut off - parents are so sensitive to my tight crops - the baby keeps on moving in and out fo focus, and one second the hand is in - another - the whole body is out.

I was so tired after an hours shooting! Sean, my husband, just moved the lights behind my back all the time - because i was moving so much, I did not even think ab lighting. Great to have a pro photographer as your assistant!
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: gRac34U January 04, 2008, 12:57:38 PM
nice photo.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Susan January 04, 2008, 10:14:46 PM
Luba,

I had to laugh at this one... before I had my own son I thought raising kids would be easy.  I had visions of performing all kinds of artistic endeavors while he was angelically sleeping.  Turns out he had severe colic for 5 or 6 months and almost never slept.  Then I spent years trying to keep the little dare devil from killing himself. (LOL... helped keep me in good shape)

He was very active and climbed almost everything... maybe he helped me develop stamina and timing for tykes. Or maybe I just waited until he was so worn out he could not move much anymore... my nieces and nephews were more sedate.

;)  You are lucky to have found such a good assistant.

Thank you very much!

About kids: I shot few shots of kids in the hospital and new-borns at home. I thought I would go crazy! I have so much respect for people that make a living out of baby photography! I honestly thought its easy  :-\

Besides the fact that you have to keep the whole body in and make sure nothing strange is cut off - parents are so sensitive to my tight crops - the baby keeps on moving in and out fo focus, and one second the hand is in - another - the whole body is out.

I was so tired after an hours shooting! Sean, my husband, just moved the lights behind my back all the time - because i was moving so much, I did not even think ab lighting. Great to have a pro photographer as your assistant!
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Lvnel January 05, 2008, 12:40:44 AM
Susan,

You just confirmed what I was afraid of all along! Sean asked me: what do I want to do while I am pregnant and when the baby is born? Right now, I think - nothing. Just play with the baby. All of our friends are 24-7 tied up with their new borns and all of them stopped working, at least for the first year.

I am taking off my hat before working mothers!

Shooting tomorrow an over 30s woman again. First time with her. Going to make some magic - briefed the make-up artist for funky make-up. Glam-glam. I like shooting ordinary women with just a bit of different make-up and then showing it to them and watch their reaction. Very rewarding.

One hubby told me that the pic I took of his wife is going to the grave with him. And the best part of it is that I leave most of the skin texture and fine lines, so I can tell the woman: its you, just with a bit better skin care routine, a bit more sleep and less kids.

And another hubby said: I can't believe her lips! And I did not touch the lips - its her natural form, just a good application of red lipstick.

Some women so shy, they don't even want to print photos of them alone, only if its with a hubby or a kid. Can you believe it? Sean spoiled me with my images, we had walls covered with my portraits, and one of them was my face, 1.5 meters high. People asked me how I feel about my own pic so big. Why should anything else be hanging on that wall?

My dream: every bedroom of every woman I shoot, has a life size shot of her, in the nuddies, for her hubby to see. And kids, and everybody that walks in. I am actually amazed, how many women actually long to be in front of the camera and never get a chance to show that side of them. And too shy to go to a photographer and ask for a glam shoot.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Susan January 12, 2008, 01:20:22 AM
Luba,

You have such great energy... I would love to have you shoot me.  Too bad you are so very far away.

You are going to love having kids.  And yes you need a few years with them... however photography is perfect you can work around them to some degree and you will have a beautiful gregarious upbeat model at your complete disposal.

I have to wait for grand kids and that could be a very long time.
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: TRITOOTH January 18, 2008, 09:07:22 PM
most favorite- like shooting my son- documenting his growing up

Absolutely least favorite- shooting weddings

 O0
: Re: What is your most favourite/ least favourite subject to photograph?
: Sundance January 20, 2008, 11:24:39 PM
I think YES - the thing that you shoot, must be SEXY, and the sexiest thing I know is a CAR.  :D
(http://images.stockxpert.com/pic/m/i/in/invictus99/5852571_18793389.jpg)

well, if you have no car to photograph, then you may be satisfying you lust with any other less attractive subject, doesn't mater what. ;D