I have been serious about photography for about 6 month now and I now find my self critiquing every picture I see.   Every magazine I get, every ad I see, if I like the shot, I can’t help try to figure out how to recreate it or put my on twist on it.  I find myself looking at ads I don’t like to try to figure out what would make the shot better.

I have copied and made commits to myself for future shoots on over 10 different pictures I have seen this week alone.  My file of references is get so big that I am going to have to go though and try to put the pictures in some kind of category order of what I like about the shots.  (lighting, poses, etc.)

Anybody else having do this and if so how to you keep track of all your ideals.

I’m putting this in general rather than photography, because I thought the same thing might happen to models and stylist, too.

I keep a workbook - a small sketchbook (about hardcover book size, but not very thick) - where I sketch out ideas and make notes on future shots. Or jot down concepts, etc.

I had many, many clippings when I started out, too. You'll find that you won't shoot half the stuff you're thinking of shooting now, because as you progress you'll think up your own stuff, and as you continue to gorw as a photographer, you'll learn how to develop a shot all the way from original concept to finished product.

But in the meantime, maybe pick out your faves and paste them onto a sketchbook or scrapbook, so you can write your notes around them. You'll surely get around to shooting at least a few of them in your own way.

hey! thats actually a good idea... i find myself paying more attention to ads now, tv, magazines and such, just so that i can get ideas for posing, clothing, expressions...all that great stuff!

Now you will never look at another ad the same again...

I've noticed that I've become much more critical and detail oriented.  I watched a bad movie recently that involved a dyslexic who never read aloud because she was ashamed of her difficulty.  At the moment that the magic professor guy helps her be brave and overcome (insert sappy music), she opens the book and I noticed the light that they aimed at her face as if it suddenly beamed forth from the book.  I wouldn't have noticed that before.

I see hair lights freakin' everywhere, in everything, even when the light on someone's face is muddy and has weird core shadows.

It's all about light, everywhere.  It totally distracts me and makes it much more difficult for me to suspend my disbelief, particularly with television.  (You've got two guys in a creepy dungeon with impending doom all around and spiderwebs everywhere in the gloom, but there are two brilliant spotlights shining straight down on their heads?  Hello?)

TRU! i use my treo and type in notes in the memo area because i have some of my best ideas on the subway. it is great when having the ideas in cali because it is also on the commute BUT it is always while driving!!!  so typing while keeping one eye on the road and steering with my right knee and occasionally the left pinky HAAAA.


shyly U R RIGHT!!! its ALLL ABOUT THE LIGHT!

Thank you all for the responses. 

I agree that lighting is very important.  It’s one of the first things I look at in a picture now.  I am constantly trying out new lighting angles.  Whenever I see a picture and I like the lighting try to figure out how to recreate the effect.  My 2 girls (4 and 8) are mommy’s little models.  I try out lighting ideals on them all the time and then if I like the result then I use it in a shoot.

yeah I find my self being more critical of not just add but my own pictures

That's a famous shot.  It wasn't photoshoped, btw, that stretch is actually missing a balustrade..

I keep an artists sketchbook as a note book (actually I keep several for different projects) and I sketch notes and lighting setups in there.  I also keep a clippings file.  I went to staples and got a cool expandable file box (accordion style) with a handle.  I then put different clippings in different sections along with one of the notebooks I use.  It works well.