I wanted to take my photography to the next level and I’m glad that Silverlens organized these portfolio reviews with the photography masters. I submitted my best pictures to the PAL photo contest and it failed to even reach the short list. I was devastated and thanks to Silverlens photos for organizing these portfolio reviews to get direct feedback from the masters on how I can take my photography to the next level.
Portfolio Review with Isa Lorenzo, Derek Soriano, and Romy Vitug. (Dec. 8, 2008)
All of them gave me the feedback that most of my photos were generic. They were postcard perfect but they do not reflect my personality or my own signature style of photography. The photos don’t jump out except for those pictures taken with Aidan. It was devastating to hear na walang kwenta ang mga larawan ko.
Isa had some useful suggestions to create a collection of photos about a place and take a lot of photos about that place. I do hope to discover my own artistic style to the point that people looking at my photos will immediately identify that it was my photo.
I also learned that one of my photo strength is Aidan as the subject. Most of the photos were taken with love that’s why Aidan comes out alive. I plan to create a portfolio of photos in time for Aidan’s 3rd Birthday in January. Maybe I can do an exhibit somewhere in Serendra (if possible)
In the meantime, I’m thinking of selling my photos as postcards 🙂
as a semi-regular ‘reader’, i guess i can say that your photos generally have always given the impression that they were taken for purposes of documenting an event or experience rather than for artistic photography
The portfolio review will only add to your knowledge. If you don’t get it into the PAL shortlist, there’s still other avenues to explore… and yes, selling as postcards is one of them. 🙂
….anton you probably missed reading my comments in your january 16,2007 issues….flickeristas@the jewellery {ika – 2 banat}….those comments i made are guidelines-descriptions of ingredients one need to capture-framed the essence of agreat picture-photography{a great one} MUST have ‘captured character’ that must ‘define distinguish separate’ that particular captured-framed character shot{picture}from the rest of all the greatest-just plain beautiful but not of that great character that when you meet your next photography clients-admirers you won’t even remember what separate-made your plain beautiful picture different from the rest of all the beautiful….
… hmm not sure what pictures were those that “don’t jump up”… so far the one’s I’ve read/seen in blog entries makes me hungry, so works for me (hehehe talking bout food reviews – the best!)
“In the meantime, I’m thinking of selling my photos as postcards :)”
^ this is so funny!
good luck on your endeavor. = )
getting it straight from the “masters” is a smart thing to do, but facing a tad of disappointment (your “photos were generic”)with a great humor (“I’m thinking of selling my photos as postcards”)was a smarter thing. Meri krismas en a hapi nyu yir to yu en yur lab wans !!!!
….just postcards?….how about yearly calendars….gift wrappers theme….posters….book-note covers….home wall papers….gift-hat boxes filipino style covers….notes-messages cards….shopping bags….pictures in frames…..stationary envelopes….playing cards….etc.
Anton, this is why I love to visit your site, your “kwentos” are always so candid and honest. The pragmatic reaction,”selling my photos as postcards :)” to their critique of your works is so endearing, way to go!
….anton….devastated?….what for?….you have all the answers here in your own website our awesome planet….on how to capture-framed great pictures….you should have an idea that great pictures must have unique uncomprehendable ‘character’ to fit the descriptions called ‘great’….meaning they are not just plain beautiful or ordinary but also unusually highly thought provoking…captivating like a mysterious character-personality of maybe a woman or a young boy who’s lives beautifully impacted other peoples lives….like your lady president when ‘stresses compounding her aura{faces}’as she pauses but had-must regained her composure-strenght to smile….shifting her bad news of national calamities{tolls}to good news about filipino heroes coming home after achieving one accomplishments after another….or i will sent to next PAL photo contest pictures of my ‘natural’facial expressions{auras but mine only}just before and after i returned my hs mate from that metro station ferry boat ride{old dreams}to his family lol!{this few jokes are for laughing purposes only nothing serious please lol!}….nothing can be more natural than that….most great pictures taken are not arranged ones but accidental….let me give you further details info on which how when what where to PICK the right SUBJECTS or the right FOCUS OBJECTS to achieve great pictures….first is your own interpretations descriptions meanings as to what is a great picture to you….second…depends on your accidental state of the mind while taking that great picture….third depends on your intentions on great pictures fourth depends if it is unsually thought provoking….an attention getter enough….seeing objects that’s forming some meaning perhaps or a mysteriously scene stealer objects perhaps?….these initial thoughts are crucial in picking-framing the right objects of attention and must discussed it with yourself….just like you anton-rache….i was also thinking of sending few of my decades old pictures in PAL photo contest….but i could’nt remember where i last saw those 2 pictures….i am experiencing senior moments for quite sometimes now….i took the pictures while visiting NATO north atlantic{alliances}treaty org.{main headquarters}in heidelberg germany…below heidelberg old town’s historical bridge there was a small road along the river….it was an early fall season….a cloudy dark late afternoon and just got done raining….i was walking working on how to cut short my travel itineraries to at least 20 countries in expand of 6 months and alone….into 12 countries in 2 weeks so i can spend a lot of quiet time writing romance fictions adventurous love stories short novels mini stories{my past time-favorite hobby}while sitting in a tall medieval stone fence cliff of a rose garden on top of a high hill over looking entire old town below but under same heights of a castle not far from the rose garden
i always visits when i am in europe for mind cleansing-meditation journey….heidelberg’s old town is the cuttiest most romantic i’ve seen….the river road below catches the picturesque heidelberg’s old town and castles like architectures that symbolized power vast wealths and bloody conflicts between europeans centuries after centuries not far where i was standing….but what catches my eyes was this micro tiny mini green grasses species-plants flowers around the area….in particular was this small mini groups of lighter green leaves among the rest….i bent almost lying down to wet grounds to nourish my curiousities….smiles formed in my face seeing such a tiny cutesy unusual kind of greens….i took pictures of the micro mini plants using the park like river roads the romantic bridge and the castle like architectures in old town’s brick roads….but those were not even spectacular enough to steal the mysterious looking cutesy light green leaves….a miracle had happened in a way….one of the tiny leaves is suffering from the weight of a ‘water drop’….so it made lied down sideways along the road just to wait for the weight{waterdrop}to come off….i was smiling kasi pati ako napapangiwi at yung face{my round eyes-mouth lalo na lol!]ko na medyo naka nganga eh suffering din kasi i was waiting for the water drops to fall sooner than later kasi nakakapagod ang nakangiwi habang naghihintay sya na bumagsak….i got impatient coz of my almost lying down position plus my heavy mini backpack & a camera in my hand….so i said….i must take this coming shots when water drops so i hold still and was not breathing i think finally{during heightened tensions}….finally the water drop out of the poor little thing{micro tiny leaf}boy! how happy and relieved i was….i saw time stood still…while i was taking those shots in between the process….of falling waterdrops lol….i eventually fell in the semi wet grounds rolling over out of happiness-relief-feeling accomplished and fun lol!….yes over a ‘water drop in a micro light green leaf’
…..those shots were the most beautiful most memorable most captivating photos i ever {framed} took…..few greatest pictures i kept….but you will never understand….unless YOU romance photography the way i do….
viewing your food photos makes me salivate(yukyuk), literally! my husband and i love to eat good food and are out for dinner every friday,saturday,& sunday. i make it a point to view your blogs/archives before each weekend in preparation for our food-dates. irregardless of the comments they gave you, when it comes to convincing a viewer, your food photos gets the job done!
yeah your photos kinda suck. =)
Keep trying though…
Your photos may be generic, but some invoke emotion (though mostly hunger pangs lol). May kwenta ang litrato mo. As you say, you can sell them as postcards, or as somebody suggested, why not make it into an Our Awesome Planet calendar? Maybe mark the long weekends or suggest where to go on specific weekends? I’d surely buy that 😉
They really said “walang kwenta mga larawan mo?” 🙁
Or something to that effect?
Ouch. Well, I still think they’re great 😛
Why should you care what other people think? If you love it, just do it. And keep in mind that what YOU think is what counts most out of all the expert opinions out there.
It’s not about the mistakes you make. It’s all about not giving up. Keep on shooting. There is no right or wrong way of doing photography in the post modern. Who cares? as long as what you have in mind at the start of the shoot is what comes out at the end, then your photography is successful.