Looking For Opinions

Hi James,
Welcome to FAA!
First glance, I notice some of your horizons are crooked. Many look blurry and pixelated with noise. Be sure to view them all at 100%. Others will be along to give you great advice and links.
I've gotta run,

Fran

I like your ocean shots very much. Think about why someone would want to purchase your images. This image, for example, looks like a plain old bunch of trees. Your description says you took in during a polar vortex, but I can't see the ice. I would delete this image. Think about Quality ove Quantity.

-- Out of focus
-- 1% or more leaning CCW
-- Needs contrast

I like the composition though.

the waterspout is interesting, but only to those that are into it, the setting is just a snap shot, and not really worth selling. if this was over the water it would look better. it's also crooked and looks noisy. you have really no keywords.


this isn't a picture of anything. the description says where you shot it - but not why. the idea behind selling is - your creating things that a common buyer cannot make.


avoid vignette, it ruined a potentially ok shot.


this is a very nice looking image but it will never print because it's way too noisy and not at all sharp. tell us more about the location, and less about the gear. this isn't a camera club and knowing the lens won't help the sale.


this tree could be used as a frame, but it's not framing anything, it's just in the way. its not sharp and the compression looks too high.

i would say most if not all the images here won't be able to print due to clarity issues. once you have that set, use descriptions that is about the work, and more tags. the bio, i would leave out the cancer parts, leave in the USAF, and just focus on what your specialties are.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Welcome to the mix neighbor....

Let's see, first things first if you want to sell you have to shoot things in a way John Q can't or doesn't think he can shoot with his cell phone camera. For instance, the image below is nice enough but is not something anyone driving down the road could not pull over and shoot....



You want a clear subject most of the time. Like the winter vortex which I see you took down I am not sure what I am looking at here. Turkey Creek Maybe?



Keywords, you need ALL applicable keywords to get found.

The boat in Navarre aside from the issues Joseph mentioned also has a lot of white specks....

Looks like a lot of the issues are coming from the scans. Out of 678 images here, I think three of mine are from prints because of the scan issues. I have no real advice to give you there other than look at your scans a lot closer and with a more critical eye.

Rotated the image, using a window to verify that the horizon is now level. I couldn't see it until I did this...guess I need better glasses. :-)

Thanks

What editing software are you using?

I'm using Java Image Editor and GIMP, depending on what I'm doing at the time (each has its advantages and disadvantages).

I am not familiar enough with either to tell you how but I am pretty sure Gimp has a straighten tool.

I know it has rotate, but only by 90 or 180 degrees. For that, I used Java Image Editor, which lets you rotate by one or two degrees. By the way, changes were not showing up for a while, as I kept forgetting to hit submit again. I also just noticed that every time I fixed (or replaced, for the water spout) an image, all of my comments and tags were removed. I just finished removing all of the camera details and, where I could think of more to say, saying more. Also, if there are any problems with the Point Lobos scans, then there's no hope, as they were scanned for me to CD at the local photo shop (the one all of the local pros use), so it would have to be the negatives, themselves. The older ones, with my first Nikon digital, definitely will not print as large as the others (e.g., I have a 30x20 of the Point Lobos shot with the baby Seagulls on my living room wall, but I would never attempt that with the water spout image, which was done with my old Nikon digital. That won't be a problem with new images, though (Nikon D5200, 24 MP).

I know it has rotate, but only by 90 or 180 degrees. For that, I used Java Image Editor, which lets you rotate by one or two degrees. By the way, changes were not showing up for a while, as I kept forgetting to hit submit again. I also just noticed that every time I fixed (or replaced, for the water spout) an image, all of my comments and tags were removed. I just finished removing all of the camera details and, where I could think of more to say, saying more. Also, if there are any problems with the Point Lobos scans, then there's no hope, as they were scanned for me to CD at the local photo shop (the one all of the local pros use), so it would have to be the negatives, themselves. The older ones, with my first Nikon digital, definitely will not print as large as the others (e.g., I have a 30x20 of the Point Lobos shot with the baby Seagulls on my living room wall, but I would never attempt that with the water spout image, which was done with my old Nikon digital. That won't be a problem with new images, though (Nikon D5200, 24 MP).

When you replace an image, make sure you do it via the Edit button. Hit edit then there should be a Change Image button. This will let you change the image but keep views, comments and keep the image in the same groups or galleries.

I have another related question on subject matter. I like going out to the Eglin AFB Armament Museum (static displays of USAF aircraft, missiles, etc.) and shooting images of both current and historic aircraft there. I usually shoot both "normal" and stereo pairs.

Would any of this be likely to sell here? And does anyone know of stereo images (either parallel viewing image pairs or anaglyphs) would sell? I'm guessing the answer to that last bit (stereo) is no, but before I count those out, I'd rather ask...... As for my guess on the 2D photos, I don't even have a guess.

No idea on the stereo shots. I DO see museum aircraft museum shots sell. Sometimes you can tell they are in a museum but usually not.

I have never sold an obvious museum shot myself but have them up. I have two shot in the armament museum myself.

I don't know what you mean by stereo, but I don't question too much what may or may not sell. I judge my own shots for technical quality as well as composition. I have many shots here that I think will sell that haven't and a few I have sold that makes me question why. Here's one that I sold



I put it here because I liked it and thought it was a nice addition to my FAA collection, but it still surprised me that I sold that one.

Stereo photography ... also known as 3D (true 3D, especially with image pairs---one left image, one right image). This is something I learned from a former professional photographer for the USAF who cross-trained into Intel, and, until 11Sep01, was teaching me various things at the static displays on Hurlburt Field. Needless to say, as of 11Sep, we no longer had time to leave for lunch ... not to mention the fact that the static displays are near the main gate, and the chances of the SFs being friendly with someone taking photos near the main gate was right about nil ... or worse. More likely, we'd have been jacked up (flat on the ground, knee in your back, one SF with a 9mm pointed at your head, another with an M-16. Not good. Definitely not good.

I learned both normal stereo (shoot first with the left eye, then right eye) and hyper-stereo (longer distances, shoot left image first, then move 1' to the right for every 100' to your subject (that ratio varies, depending on who you talk to). Hyper-stereo can produce some amazing three-dimensional photo pairs. It's fun, too. :-)

i can't imagine the stereo versions selling that well. maybe back in 1850 when stereopticons were popular. i would stick with learning what is art and what is interesting to other people, getting a clean shot, and so on, before experimenting and getting fancy.

if you shoot in museum, make sure to exclude, signs, reflections, other people, etc don't make it look like a snap shot inside of a museum. because again, if the buyer thinks they can do it themselves they will leave and move on.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Honestly, I can't imagine stereo imagery selling very well, either. But like I said, I had to at least get an opinion. :-)

Oh, and the majority of the aircraft are outside. I usually don't even bother going inside. I'll get the captures I like and upload them. After all, it's not costing me anything to upload another image, unless it is really bad, and takes everything else down with it.....

The sun is setting nicely over the BUFF this time of year

Then you have come to the "RIGHT" place. lol..if you ask..they will tell you ...that is a fact.. whether you like it or not ..you ask in the right place. Have a nice day..:-)

I did ask...and I got some great answers! I have done a bit of online research, and whether or not they're selling, I can't say, but I do see quite a few collections of military aircraft photography listed on various sites. If the weather forecast holds, I'm planning on going to the Eglin air park Saturday. And why do all spell-checkers think "Eglin" is not a valid spelling for, oh, only the largest USAF base in the world (at least, last time I checked)? Same goes for Hurlburt Field...it's only the home of HQ AFSOC. Sigh..... :-)

Type it enough and the Droid will autofill both for you.

Aircraft sell.I love them.. I will check them out NOW.. nothing more exceptional for subject matter.. wonderful.. Jean

Aircraft sell.I love them.. I will check them out NOW.. nothing more exceptional for subject matter.. wonderful.. Jean

Where are the aircraft?

Keep in mind, aircraft sell but and it can be a big but, aircraft sell much better when it is not obviously a museum display.

Where are the aircraft? They're at the Eglin air park right now. I don't expect to be there until Saturday, myself.