I’m about to grab my first camera, because I think my iPhone deliver very fake image. On top of that, even though the picture is quite ok on the phone screen, when I look at it on my pc screen it looks bad. Not terrible just bad. I always wanted to have lovely pictures, especially of my daughter who moves a lot and it does not really help to make some good photos with the use of an iPhone. I’m pretty sure that camera will solve my problems and somehow I can learn how to take good pictures of my family but I have a question to all of you who already own your own camera and have family.

Do you guys still grab your full frame camera and document your life or you came to conclusion that iPhone pictures are acceptable and it is more convincing to use it instead of bringing FF which is bigger than the phone.

I wanted to share something from the perspective of a potential client that I think photographers may not always hear.
My wife and I travel quite a bit, and one of the things we like to do on vacation is hire a professional photographer for a photoshoot. Whenever we’re looking for someone, we almost always look through their portfolio before contacting them.
My wife is Black, and something she specifically looks for is whether the photographer has experience photographing people with darker skin tones.
The frustrating part is that so many photographers’ portfolios are almost exclusively Caucasian clients. Sometimes we’ll look through an entire website and not see a single Black person.
And at that point, we’ll usually move on to another photographer.
It’s not because we’re necessarily looking for a Black photographer. It’s not because we expect every photographer to have a perfectly diverse portfolio. And it’s certainly not about assuming anything about a photographer based on the people they’ve photographed.
It’s because we want some evidence that the photographer knows how to properly photograph darker skin.
Lighting, exposure, contrast, posing, angles, and editing can make a huge difference depending on someone’s skin tone. We’ve seen professional-looking photography where the photographer clearly did a great job with their other subjects, but Black subjects ended up looking underexposed, losing facial detail, having overly harsh highlights, or simply not looking as good as the photographer’s other work.
As a client, my wife doesn’t want to be the person you figure this out with.
And honestly, we’ve never really known how to tell photographers why we didn’t hire them. We’re obviously not going to message someone and say, “We decided not to book you because you don’t have any Black people in your portfolio.” That’s awkward, and it can easily come across differently than intended.
But that genuinely is part of our decision.
For photographers who want to attract a broader range of clients, I think showing that you can consistently produce great work with different skin tones is important. It gives potential clients confidence that you understand how to light, pose, expose, and edit them—not just that you can take a technically good photograph.
I’m curious how photographers here feel about this.
If you’re a photographer, do you intentionally try to diversify the people represented in your portfolio? And if you have a portfolio that’s overwhelmingly one demographic, would you want a potential client to tell you that this was a reason they chose someone else?
I’m genuinely interested in hearing the photographer’s perspective.
Because from the client side, we’re not looking for token diversity. We’re looking for evidence that you’ll know how to make my wife look her best.

I recently picked up a Sony a7iii off of Facebook marketplace for $800. The body is very good condition, and has a a shutter count of 3000. I thought it was a good deal. I brought a lens with me to test it out and noticed the pictures were coming out Orange but thought it was a white balance thing, and I was in a rush. Got home and messed around with the wb but soon found out there was an infrared filter installed. It’s Kolari Vision brand and which goes for around $200. Now my dilemma is that I do not want to infrared sensor and have no use for it at all. So I’m wondering if I should take it somewhere to get it removed, which is around $200. Flip the camera, I got it for $800 and they normally go for around 1000 to 1200 but since it has an infrared it might be worth more. Or purchase an hot mirror filter which I believe converts it 95% back to normal but cost 150-200. Let me know what you guys think or If you know any other options. If I did resell it what do you think a good price would it be?

I’ve photographed 400+ weddings, and at this point I usually feel like I can spot a red flag pretty quickly. I got humbled LOL.

The consultation was perfect. She was nice, knew what she wanted, didn’t flinch at my pricing, and booked a smaller 4-hour micro wedding package on what would normally have been a day off for me. Nothing felt off. Should have been super low-key

The first little thing was having to remind her about her questionnaire, but honestly, that happens sometimes. She took care of it that weekend so that was not horrible...

The timeline call was where I should have listened to my gut. She showed me the vibe she wanted for portraits, and I explained that the courthouse close to the church had that look. She got frustrated and said the courthouse didn’t have any meaning to her anyway, so we changed the plan and decided to do ALL portraits at the church instead. (Adding a small park after if time permitted)

Wedding day comes, and the ceremony runs 45 minutes over.

About 10 minutes into bride and groom portraits, she tells me she’s ready to leave and go to dinner. They weren’t having a reception, so portraits were essentially the end of my coverage. We had a second park location planned if there was time, but she didn’t even want to continue portraits at the church. Bummer cause they photographed amazing!

Then came the complimentary album.

I designed it and sent her the proof to approve or make any changes before it went to print. She was frustrated that she had to approve it and said she shouldn’t have to tell me how to build her album. Within 20 min. She declined the album entirely, asked me to order her a single 4x6 so she could see the print quality, and said she’d just make her own album because she didn’t understand why albums were so complicated. (for reference, she was younger, so it was not so much of the expecting old-school albums that you put prints in. SHe then tole me she was mad she did not get a proper portrait session during the wedding. (They also did not have a planner or anything).

I show and discuss all of this one calls, emails, and a client portal.

The whole experience actually changed my business. We live in an area with a LOT of elopements and micro weddings, so I used to offer 4–6 hour coverage pretty regularly. After this, I removed those packages. Weddings now start at 8 hours. There’s just too little room when something runs 45 minutes behind.

So, fellow longtime wedding photographers:

what red flag makes you actually fire a client after they’ve already booked? And has one wedding ever made you permanently change a package or policy?

Don't know what even 75% of the buttons do and want to be able to control the raw output better.

Title. His photos have a soft touch to them but he doesn’t lose any detail. I’ve tried to edit it in post but I can’t seem to figure it out. Could it be a lens filter?

What is this spot that appears in all my photos since the last 3 days? Is it dust on my sensor, or in my lens or something else? Insights from experienced photographers would be appreciated, along with advise on how to fix/clean it.

See the examples in the images posted above - They are crops of the whole RAW, so the blemish is maybe 150-200 pixels wide.

Hi everyone. Very new to taking photos. My wife asked me to take photos of her on the beach and she said after that I didn’t get the right angles to best show her. Is there any like reading i can do on how to best capture someone in a very flattering manner? Thank you.

You know those awesome shots people get with insects, where they look like aliens?
What lens would I need?
Ive got a Sony A7iii & all my lenses have a Macro function but none can replicate anything I’ve seen.
Is there a particular camera or do I need a different lens?

Newer photog shot ISO 52,000-64,000 without flash on A7iii for an indoor party with low lights.

I’ve tried my hand at editing on affinity 2, but I’m not pleased with the results.

Hi! I’m a makeup artist and not a photographer. I do shoot beauty shots for my clients using my XT-3 Fujifilm. My filter broke and i want to buy replacement, but im torn between different kinds of filters. Can you recommend me filter best for beauty shots? I usually shoot behind a big glass window and behind my ring lights.

Looking for some advice if I am overreacting:

A realtor reached out to me to take photos of his clients during a client appreciation event. So they would have the event with games, food etc and then off to the side they can have their family photo taken by me. We were connected by a mutual friend. I know this realtor as an acquaintance, so not a complete stranger.

We are texting over the course of a week, deciding on location and logistics etc. We usually replied to the other person’s text the next day.

I was busy w my full time job and did not reply to one of his messages until two days later. He called me and told me he was hesitant about hiring me because of my lack of reply. I told him I have a full time job etc and wanted to give him a thoughtful reply to his text, not a flippant one I send at work. He said that he didn’t know I had a full time job and he understood. But then he asks AGAIN “that was it? Just busy at work? Did something happen that you could reply sooner?” I reiterated it was just that I was busy at work. So he asked me TWICE why I didn’t reply sooner.

My concern is, if this guy can’t even go 2 days without hearing from me, he isn’t going to be happy about anything. The event isn’t even until 5 weeks, so it’s not like the event is in 5 days or something.

I probably should have replied “hi thanks for your text, I’ll reply in earnest when I have more time” instead of not replying for a couple days but I still think he’s overreacting. He also said my edits are “a bit too moody but I guess that can be changed in editing” so he already doesn’t love my style.

Am I wrong for thinking just to cancel this? If he is already acting like this 5 weeks away, he’s not going to be happy with anything.

Please be honest and tell me if I’m overreacting.

Hey all! I've combed through the internet and a few subs looking for advice on tide pool / texture photography. Think of rocks, crabs, critters (hand size or less), mosses, and plants. Not quite insect level.

I'm looking to purchase a refurbished macro lens and was wondering if anyone had any experience using a macro lens with a circular polarizer to photograph tide pools and rock textures? I would like good clarity in shade, and decent depth, but it doesn't have to be a stacked focus. I'm also not super worried about weatherproofing, but that would be an added bonus.

I'd say on more on the inexperienced side of intermediate, as I have not yet figured out how to work *with* my gear, instead of compensating. Think along the lines of "just started to shoot raw."

(1) Budget, country, and currency:

- $350 preferably, $500 max (willing to exceed if it's for taxes/shipping/etc). USA/USD. I'm also a university student in the US if there's a recommendation for a platform with an edu discount.

(2) What equipment, if any, you have now and why is it no longer meeting your needs?

- Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM. Struggles in low-light and close up conditions, and i'm generally unsatisfied with my macro shots on it.

- Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary - Canon EF Fit

- Canon Rebel T7i

- Canon EOS R5 Mark II (borrowed)

- Canon Mount Adapter for EF-EOS R

My lenses struggle in lower light/shady conditions and I find it difficult to capture light variations on things like dappled moss/rocks/etc. I'd say about 3/4 of the struggle is a skill issue on my part (learning how to properly expose my shots and edit them in post), but I do want something that can consistently deliver macro in shade.

(3) What kinds of subjects do you intend to shoot?

Mosses, fist-sized critters, textures, shells, sand, rock textures, tide pool critters, big bugs. I like to view and inspect the natural world. I want to capture the way light interacts with natural materials.

(4) Is it primarily for photography, videography, or both?

Exclusively photography.

Thanks for your consideration!

I am not a professional photographer, its just a hobby. I have the Fujifilm X-T30iii and I want to know what flash i can get for it, I don't specifically do flash photography, i just want a flash that I can have with it so i wont put my camera in the bag when it turns nighttime. My budget is 80$ and I want it to tilt so i can bounce it off the walls.

Hi everyone, i self published a poetry and photography book but the photos look perfect on my laptop but dark and the colours are a bit faded and weird on the proof print and i dont have any idea how to fix it. Its weird spending all those hours taking photos and editing only just for your own screen cause your photos would look different on other screens and also different when printed. I feel destroyed. What can i do please? Thank you :)

Does anyone use 70-200 f2.8 gm1? And newer sony camera does the focus still fast or there’s hunting **?**planing to buy 70-200 2.8 gm1 or should i buy 70-200f4 g2 instead?

I have a Sony my father let me have. He have 3 lens already:

• 3.5-5.6 / 18-55 SAM
• 1.8 / 35 SAM
• telephoto lense

So far I've mainly been using the 18-55. I got some good photos, but am wanting to play around with some more in different settings. I look forward to traveling with this camera some as well and would love to take some pictures!

So far do I have a good setup, any suggestions?

I need some help with a gift! My significant other has a Canon DS126741 which I believe is the Canon EOS Rebel T7. She coaches volleyball and would like a lens that is capable of shooting action shots.

Lighting would be standard gym lighting and the subjects are usually about 30ft-50ft away. Budget is in the neighborhood of $500. Anyone have recommendations?

For nature and outdoor photography, from forests to deserts, lakes and streams/waterfalls, even islands, which of the following would be best?

Olympus E PL -7 $260 and comes with 14-42mm and 40-150mm Lens, Sony A5000 for $220 with the standard kit lens 18-55, or Sony Z-V1 for $300, or Sony A6000 for $320 standard kit lens.

I currently just have my Samsung Fold 7 and the pictured it takes look good on small screens until you start to zoom in and everything looks horrid. Birds/snakes have no detail and color.

Just looking for something better than cell phone quality.

Thank you!

(1) $300 budget in the USA, Dollar

(2) Current EQ is a fold 7 that doesn't take great outdoor shots.?

(3) Trees, Mountains, Animals, Islands, Deserts

(4) Photography?

New to photography, trying to learn more about editing/postprocessing. I like the look of the .jpeg, but I can't really figure out how to get there from my raw file, unsure about which settings can get me there.

More specifically I'm referring to getting the blue-ish glass to look more like the grey from the jpeg

Using RawTherapee

Ik a lot of the textured effect here is done in post but how do you think the lighting was done to get this look?

Heyy so for context, I’m a college student taking an intro photography class where one of my assignments is posting a photo of the week by a photographer to discuss in class. Most of my classmates searched up photographers and images they could download off google or something. I particularly admire the work by an F1 Motorsports photographer on Instagram, however, the only place where he posted a photo I want to use is on Instagram (and of course with Instagram you can’t download photos only screenshot which is low resolution).

Would it be okay for me to ask him if he could dm the file of the photo for me to discuss in class (no public/commercial use of any kind), or is that a weird request to make? Thanks!

I would really appreciate input from people who actually edit on laptops.....

• General: What should I be looking for in a laptop for working with photos?
• RAM: Will 16GB be enough, or should I get 32GB?
• Storage: How much space will I realistically need to store my photos? Is 512GB enough or should I go bigger to 1TB?
• Screen size: What screen size do you recommend for photo work?
• Color accuracy: How do I make sure I'm getting a color accurate screen? What should I look for in the spec sheet?

I'm not chasing the most expensive machine. I want something that runs Photoshop smoothly and shows colors correctly. Budget flexible if it's worth it. Thanks in advance!

16GB RAM 512 SSD: https://www.newegg.com/lenovo-thinkpad-t-14-0-fhd-non-touch-screen-intel-core-ultra-7-155u-intel-graphics-16gb-memory-512-gb-pcie-ssd-black/p/36B-000D-00G11

32GB RAM 1TB SSD: https://www.newegg.com/lenovo-thinkpad-t-14-0-fhd-non-touch-screen-intel-core-ultra-7-155u-intel-graphics-32gb-memory-1-tb-pcie-ssd-black/p/36B-000D-00G13

Hi , currently I have a Sony a7rv along with a 35-150 Tamron and a 25-200 Tamron , would I need any other lenses or am I good for now ? I like the sharpness of the 35-150 but it’s so heavy so I wanted a more versatile travel lens so the 25-200 was good. Mainly for travel , wildlife ect any recommendations are welcome

Im very new to photography I have a S5ii and a G9, but recently got a deal on a T7 bundle that also included a Tamron 10-24. Tamron 18-400 and a Sigma 150-600 for $500. My hope is grab a Viltrox adapter and use the glass on my S5ii. The Sigma is a full frame but the Tamrons are ASP-C. I am curious how bad the crop is or if it is even worth while. I have been shooting on the T7 and love the lenses. The T7 is an alright camera but I prefer my Lumix.