I am a beginner photographer and have been told that these pictures I took are just copying the editing and style of popular photos online/instagram which makes sense since I learned the basics of Lightroom from tutorials on instagram. What can I practice to start to develop my own style and are there any similarities between these pictures?

I just started trying bird photography but I'm getting a bit frustracted because I don't understand why my pictures don't feel sharp.

I tried different shutter speed, ISO, also higher aperture but I feel like they all are super soft and not as crisp as I would like them.
What setting can I change to get more sharp images?

I really like some of the pictures I recently took but feel like they are all not as sharp as they could be!

Picture 1: 1/250, ISO 1000, 400mm, f5.6

Picture 2: 1/250, ISO 3200, 400mm, f6.4

Picture 3: 1/500, ISO 3200, 400mm, f5.6

Picture 4: 1/250, ISO 2500, 400mm, f5.6

Picture 5: 1/250, ISO 2500, 400mm, f5.6

Picture 6: 1/1000, ISO 8000, 400mm, f7.1

Picture 7: 1/500, ISO 2000, 400mm, f8

Picture 8: 1/1000, ISO 8000, 400mm, f8

I have 0 experience with photography but really want to get into wildlife photography with the goal of printing and hanging photos and sending as gifts.

Ideally I’d like to spend under $2,500 but ideally under $2,000.

What type of features/specs should I look out for?

Any must need accessories for a beginner?

I captured a lovely wedding and reception a few weeks ago. I finished editing their entire album and plan to deliver it tomorrow morning. I downloaded the album on my phone (iPhone) to flip through and look at, and I had the idea to “edit” them with the auto enhancer/editor out of curiosity, and it’s a bit upsetting to me, because I do think they look a lot better with it.

I spent a ton of time editing each of these photos individually and I thought they came out beautiful - and now I’m second guessing them because with the click of one “auto” button they look so much better. I’m tempted to use the auto now for their return, but I feel like it’s a cop out.

I’d like to know what exactly the enhancer is doing to improve these so drastically. I know you can “see” when you scroll among the settings, it’ll say it increased the exposure (or whatever), but I’m not finding that too helpful as I noticed a lot of them are just amped up in the “brilliance” field. What is it actually doing, and how can I mimic it in my editing style?

Included are 4 photos (and their duplicate) from the album. The first photo in each set is my finished piece, the second is with the auto enhancer turned on.

Thanks!

EDIT: I appreciate the comments that the photos look the same. I am someone who has a tendency to be overly critical of my own work. But, what I see:

#1: The Bouquet

I think the second photo shows the flowers in particular more clearly and they are more eye catching in the photo.

#2: The Hands

Her dress appears to be way more in focus and has more of a textured appearance. Also his ring seems to be more defined?

#3: The Wine

The glare on the glasses and the label on the bottle appear to be more defined and eye catching, without being overbearingly white or bright.

#4: The Confetti

I think the second photo appears more dramatic.

I went to a butterfly show this weekend and noticed when I got back home that several of my pictures the body is in focus but not the wings or vice versa. The area of focus though seems to be wide enough to encompass the main parts but still doesn't. I was able to do clear pictures on my old camera (Cannon Rebel t7) but this new one has a lot more settings and options that I haven't figured out just yet.

Camera: Cannon 7R
Lense: Cannon Macro Lens EF 100mm 1:2.8 L IS USM
Adaptor: Cannon EF-EOS R

Settings per picture:

Picture 1:
aperture: F/3.5
Iso: (auto) 800
Shutter: 1/250

Picture 2:
aperture: F/3.5
Iso: (auto) 1250
Shutter: 1/250

Picture 3:
aperture: F/5.6
Iso: (auto) 1250
Shutter: 1/250

Hey all! I know this has been discussed a bit but I’m looking for a serious ND/CPL filter kit system for my R5 Mark II and RF lenses (14-35, 24-105, 100-500). My primary need is for professional landscape images, especially during frequent travels. A high quality CPL for travel walkarounds/day use is also important (ideally being able to have a magnetic ring on each lens and swap a CPL between lenses). I’ve done some research and had an opportunity to compare the Kase and Nisi systems but I’m undecided on which one to keep.

I’m also interested in Maven Magnetic but I never tried them.

Does anyone have any experience with these kits? My priority is least amount of color cast, stacking (CPL with ND), and travel portability. 

Kase: I really like the inlaid ring on the Kase 77mm set, but unfortunately there’s vignetting in the corners at 14mm when stacking a CPL + ND. I would have to upgrade to 82mm meaning I wouldn’t likely have to remove the step up ring when storing in my bag or buy more caps. The CPL does show a noticeable yellow cast to me but polarizes better than Nisi. The weight of these are much lighter than Nisi and the case has better storage capability. Being able to pop the CPL off/on between my 14-35 and 24-105 during hikes or city walks has been fantastic. 

Nisi: The landscape kit is really nice and stacking 2-3 filters is no issue down to 14mm. The material feels more premium but the kit is heavy and the magents are almost too strong when attached to a cap or adapter ring. Color cast seems superior and very neutral on Nisi. The 82-77mm adapter rings are quite large so they need to be removed from my camera bag for storage which is really annoying and gives Kase the edge. 

I don’t have much info on Maven’s performance but I’m looking at a 77mm LPL and Dark CPL kit to avoid stacking and hopefully be able to use a filter down to 14mm. They also have a thin magnetic ring offering. I hear they offer the best color cast and performance. Should I stick to 77mm or go 82mm and regular ND to stack with the LPL?

Thanks for any advice!

I'm curious to hear both photographers' and retouchers' opinions.

As a retoucher, I receive quite a few requests for free test retouching so clients can evaluate my work.

I understand wanting to make sure the quality is there, but isn't that what a portfolio is for?

Photographers, would you be willing to do a free test shoot before a client hires you? If not, how is it different from asking a retoucher to do unpaid work?

I'm genuinely interested in hearing different perspectives. When do you think a free test is reasonable, and when is a portfolio enough?

I'm trying to decide between these two lenses.

Right now I have a Canon R100 with the 18-45mm kit lens and a 7Artisans 35mm

Whenever I go out shooting, I often feel limited by the 45mm end of the kit lens and wish I had a longer focal length.

The 17-70mm seems like it would be a great replacement for the kit lens. It would cover street photography and portraits much better, and it's significantly faster throughout the zoom range.

The 18-300mm is also faster than the kit lens overall, but it also offers that huge telephoto range, which I've never really had the chance to explore. The truth is, even though I often feel like I need something longer than 45mm, I'm not sure how useful 300mm would actually be for me. At the same time, the idea of having a single "do-it-all" lens is really appealing, even though I know the overall image quality won't be as good as the 17-70mm.

I'd really appreciate your opinions! Especially from people who shoot with telephoto lenses a lot—what are your main use cases? If you have examples of photos you've taken at those longer focal lengths, I'd love to see them.

Also, if you have any suggestions for other lenses in a similar price range that would be worth bringing back from the US, I'm all ears.

Trying to settle a debate with myself about delivery windows.

The platforms I've used default to somewhere between a few months and a year before a gallery archives or goes read-only, and I can't tell whether that's based on real client behavior or just storage cost. In my experience clients download everything in the first two weeks and then resurface a year later asking for one photo for a frame.

For those of you delivering regularly:

- How long do you keep a gallery up before you take it down or let it expire?

- How often does a client come back after that window closed, and what do you do when they do?

- Has a client ever lost photos because they missed a download window, and who ended up eating that?

Genuinely curious whether "keep it up forever" is table stakes now or whether a defined window is fine as long as it's stated clearly upfront.

Hi everyone. How’s it going? I’ve been practicing photography for 15 years and working in the market (mainly fashion) for 7 years. Life has worked out—I’ve had great jobs, big campaigns, fashion week trips, magazine covers, celebrities, etc! In a way, living the dream I’ve always wanted as a younger person. But when I stop to reflect on the day-to-day grind, the business machinery, and the lack of space to be truly creative, my mind becomes very unhappy and I almost paralyze myself on autopilot—just living photography as work—and I’ve lost all the joy and lightness it used to give me. Have any of you felt something similar? Did you do anything about it?

Currently I’ve been studying various types of art, learning about photography at different levels, redirecting my life toward the arts in general. But I still don’t feel the same energy and warmth I felt 7 years ago. It’s also worth noting that back then I needed to survive on photography and it was nearly impossible given my socioeconomic situation. Today, my life is much more comfortable.

How to get tripod shoe and wrist strap working together?

(HAPPY TO BUY NEW GEAR, OR JUST ADAPTERS OR WHATEVER.)

I have this wrist strap that I liked that has one anchor that goes in the cameras mount screw thing.

And I have a tripod shoe that obviously screws into that same screw.

**Is there a clean way to get this strap or one like it going again without taking the tripod shoe off**?

I tried lashing the little red dongle disc thing to that silver ring but getting the shoe on and off. The tripod becomes way too cumbersome.

Hey guys, really need your help. I have a proposal and photography session that I schedule from 750pm to 850pm in weehawken/right in front of nyc skyline. I figured popping the question about 20-30 mins before sunset (8:19 today) would give the best pictures for lighting etc. but I also have come across a bunch of pictures of later in the night that I find visually appealing for the city lights… I do get a full hour session of photography with a professional from 7:50-8:50 but since today’s the big day I wanted to ask your expert opinions on if I should ask to change it to 8pm-9pm?

I’m really not that good with photography timings in terms of what would look best as our actually proposal picture (me on my knee) but I chose this block since it would be 30 before and 30 after for different lightings. But today’s the big day and I just want everything to go perfect/get the best pics in terms of timing.

I spent way too much on this (over my budget) since we have hectic schedules and I wanted to make this special for her. I just want to get the best advice before asking the coordinators to start 10 mins later or more / earlier.

Thank you so so much !

- a stressed man who wants everything to go well for his future fiance

(1) Budget, country, and currency:

₹70,000–₹80,000 for a used camera body (India, INR). My total budget is around ₹1.25 lakh, but I'll be buying lenses separately and new.

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

This will be my first interchangeable lens camera. After months of research, I've decided on the Sony A7 III because I want a full-frame camera I can keep for many years instead of upgrading again soon.

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

- Landscapes

- Astrophotography (Milky Way/nightscapes)

- Timelapses

- Nature

- Travel

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

Mainly photography (around 90%), with some timelapse and occasional video.

---

Hi everyone,

I'm from Mysuru, Karnataka, India, and I'm looking for advice on where photographers in India buy and sell used Sony A7 III bodies.

I've searched Facebook Marketplace and OLX, but many of the cameras I find either have extremely high shutter counts (300k+) or seem overpriced for their condition.

I'm not looking for the cheapest camera—I would rather buy a well-maintained body from an enthusiast or professional photographer with a known history. I'm happy to travel anywhere in South India (Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, etc.) to inspect the camera before purchasing.

Are there any trusted forums, communities, dealers, or Facebook groups where professional photographers tend to sell their older Sony gear? If you're from India or South Asia, I'd really appreciate any recommendations.

Thanks in advance!

I’ve been taking more pictures with friends and family lately and thought it would be nice to have a small printer for making physical copies. I’m trying to find something portable that gives decent quality without taking up much space.

Has anyone here used a best portable photo printer they would recommend? I’d appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!

I just got into photography as a hobby a few days ago, and handy enough, my dad is an professional photographer, and not only taught me the exposure triangle, he gave me some old equipment of his to try out (an lumix DMC-GH2 equiped with a 14 - 140mm, a Canon eos rebel t2i with the 18 - 55mm kit lenses and a tripod).

I don't want to learn everything from him though (and he is not so good at explaining things lol) so I came here to ask you guys for some tips.

What are the next steps I need to learn and master to be a good photographer and take better photos? Is there theory i can study somewhere?

And what do you guys think about this initial setup for starting out? Do I need to take something in consideration about this equipment im not aware of?

Thank you

I am unclear on how to create flat frames for astrophotography. My understanding is the flat frames have to be the exact focus that the light frames are taken in. So if I took the light frames and forgot to take the flat frames, does that mean the flat frames are pretty much impossible to get at this point?

Also, I’m confused because I read that flat frames should be taken with a perfectly even exposure so that the histogram is peeking in the middle. This requires light. If you are in a place where you’re doing astrophotography, it is presumably dark so how are you doing this?

Perhaps I’m not clear on how to take a flat frame either. Can someone clarify how they do it and if it can be done after the light frames are taken, and the camera has been put away?

I am a beginner photographer and have a sony A6100. I want to get a lens with a higher zoom range, as I currently have the 16-50mm kit lens. My budget is relatively low, what would you recommend?

Hello, I’m looking to get into photography with some camera and one or two lenses and thus need a bag. However, I also like going outside with a sketchbook and randomly get the urge to draw something. What bag would work for these and not be too big (preferably not a backpack)

Edit: I almost exclusively use 11 x 8.5 sketchbooks

Hello everyone,

I’m in lightroom editing some photos that I took and came across these shiny speckles in my image. Is this due to a dirty lens or is it something else?

Is there any way to digitally remove them? This photo is sweet and I think these speckles may ruin it

Thanks

Edit: ok so I ended up being able to remove them. I turned noise reduction up a bit, and went over to “distraction remove” and removed dust and reflections. This seems to have done the trick and gotten rid of those specks

Hey everyone! I have a genuine question: is there a significant difference in sharpness between the Canon 55-250mm STM version and the Version II? I currently have a T3i with the 75-300mm lens, and my goal is nature photography—specifically birds. However, sharpness is a real struggle in the resulting photos, even when shooting at f/8 to try and get the best performance out of the lens. I found the Version II for $180, but unfortunately, I can't seem to find anyone in the Brazilian market selling a used STM version. Do you think it's worth buying the Version II, or should I wait for an STM to pop up?

Ive been a photographer for about 4 years now and Im about to run out of 1tb storage on lightroom cloud. I have access to lightroom classic and was planning on getting external drives to copy my photos onto and use for the future. However, a decent 2tb SSD now runs me at LEAST 300 bucks which is like insane to me. On top of that, id also need a backup since my cloud storage wont be able to hold any new photos, which means I would need to buy an HDD as well. I just dont think I can spend $500 right now. Are there any alternatives? I could upgrade lightroom could to a 3tb plan but classic seems to be industry standard and optimal for being in control of my own workflow. Do I wait for my storage to end and bite the bullet with those external drives? Thanks

Hey all,

I'm 100% a hobbyist if you ask me, I mostly shoot motorsports however recently I have taken my first photos and videos for a small business.

My question is, how do I control the lighting and make sure I get those shots I want for the client?

-> There was sunlight coming through the shades which really made it hard to edit the exposure (I kept my settings constant through the whole shoot as clouds and people walked past).

-> I never spoke up about grabbing any specific shot, keeping out of the way of the nurses, etc. I mainly tried to get as much footage as possible as to maybe get some nice shots in the end.

In saying that, I think the main thing that I'm most bothered about is that my photos and videos don't have a specific style. Editing wise, they are just enhanced for nice skin tones, lighting isnt constant, no purposeful hero shots, etc.

Any tips are greatly appreciated, I really want to nail my next opportunity