Posted by robert christopher: 
well this is an entirely new portfolio from alst week, dont know about before that. i also am a new artist and dont get to shoot much, but i would avoid bright sunlight at all cost, just too hard to balance light without lots of screens, i think that some of your images could be cropped tighter, and although you models are lovely they are also novices, and the two just shouldnt work together, sounds crazy but it never worked for me, i just dont know how to direct a model and compose a picture at the same time. save up some money and find a local model that will work with you, one with tons of nude/fashion experience, you will be amazed at the difference in your first images of a really experienced model.
try and use depth of field when outdoors to blur your backgrounds and concentrate on your model.
good luck

Thanks for the input. I'd much rather shoot on an overcast day. In fact, the nudes & the flag image were shot on overcast days. But some girls don't want to bother getting ready for a shoot if there is any chance that we will get rained out. Unforunately there are no experienced models in my area. What else do you suggest for working with novice models?

Posted by Paul Ferrara: 
I don't know how one is to offer "constructive" criticism of such a port.  All you did since the last time you posted this was to reshuffle your pictures a little.  I'd suggest that you pay attention to some of the other ports and go from there.

Paul

Um....I don't know what you mean by "Reshuffled" but I enhanced the skin tones on all of them & re-cropped most of them as well. Also posted a few that weren't in the old port.

Posted by Freelancer: 

Posted by robert christopher: 
well this is an entirely new portfolio from alst week, dont know about before that. i also am a new artist and dont get to shoot much, but i would avoid bright sunlight at all cost, just too hard to balance light without lots of screens, i think that some of your images could be cropped tighter, and although you models are lovely they are also novices, and the two just shouldnt work together, sounds crazy but it never worked for me, i just dont know how to direct a model and compose a picture at the same time. save up some money and find a local model that will work with you, one with tons of nude/fashion experience, you will be amazed at the difference in your first images of a really experienced model.
try and use depth of field when outdoors to blur your backgrounds and concentrate on your model.
good luck

Thanks for the input. I'd much rather shoot on an overcast day. In fact, the nudes & the flag image were shot on overcast days. But some girls don't want to bother getting ready for a shoot if there is any chance that we will get rained out. Unforunately there are no experienced models in my area. What else do you suggest for working with novice models?

find an image in a magazine or on this site that you like and bring it with you to your next shoot, and try and reproduce that one image, my hope is to come away from a shoot with one stellar image, all the rest are gravy. make a small contact sheet with all of the poses/ lighting setups that you want to try and reproduce and give a copy to your models, have them practice at home. and finally try and take your shot when she isnt expecting it, i work with one very beautiful woman who freezes everytime she thinks i am about to take her picture, i get great shots when she isnt looking at the camera, keep working

Posted by Freelancer: 

Posted by robert christopher: 
well this is an entirely new portfolio from alst week, dont know about before that. i also am a new artist and dont get to shoot much, but i would avoid bright sunlight at all cost, just too hard to balance light without lots of screens, i think that some of your images could be cropped tighter, and although you models are lovely they are also novices, and the two just shouldnt work together, sounds crazy but it never worked for me, i just dont know how to direct a model and compose a picture at the same time. save up some money and find a local model that will work with you, one with tons of nude/fashion experience, you will be amazed at the difference in your first images of a really experienced model.
try and use depth of field when outdoors to blur your backgrounds and concentrate on your model.
good luck

Thanks for the input. I'd much rather shoot on an overcast day. In fact, the nudes & the flag image were shot on overcast days. But some girls don't want to bother getting ready for a shoot if there is any chance that we will get rained out. Unforunately there are no experienced models in my area. What else do you suggest for working with novice models?

find an image in a magazine or on this site that you like and bring it with you to your next shoot, and try and reproduce that one image, my hope is to come away from a shoot with one stellar image, all the rest are gravy. make a small contact sheet with all of the poses/ lighting setups that you want to try and reproduce and give a copy to your models, have them practice at home. and finally try and take your shot when she isnt expecting it, i work with one very beautiful woman who freezes everytime she thinks i am about to take her picture, i get great shots when she isnt looking at the camera, keep working