Eat your heart out Andy Mac *DELETED*

[dynamike]

Post deleted by rolandogomez

[glennusdin]

I'd say they are nice but not quite there yet. Take some time and study his posing, framing and lighting, and give it another shot. Close, but no cigar quite yet.

BTW, they are fine images, but you raised the bar by comparing them to one the best beach shooters out there. AM has a very distinct style, and as you and others have found, its not so easy to copy.

But keep on trying, I like 'em anyway.

[dynamike]

Thanks Glenn,

I really appreciate the feedback. Close is good for now, but not forever. Andy does have a very unique style. He shoots swimwear very well.

You only get better by raising your expectations. No one around here shoots swimwear like Andy. If I want to get better at shooting swimwear (read more like Andy), I better start comparing myself to Andy. No one around here shoots fashion and beauty images like Rick Hughes. If I want to shoot better fashion and beauty, I better start comparing myself to Rick. No one around here shoots better low natural light glamour than Jim Lewchuck. If I wanna get better shooting low natural light glamour, I compare myself to Jim. No one around here shoots better beauty headshots than JT Smith. If I wanna get better shooting beauty headshots, I compare myself to JT.

Glenn, I'm not taking anytihng out on you. You were the only person to respond to my post publicly and over 300 have viewed it already. However others, some dear friends, have emailed me personally about my confidence level and how I'm coming across here. This leads me to beleive that a lot of folks have misunderstood me on this post.

First, let me preface, I know Andy personally. He's genuinely a nice guy. This post was meant to directly call him out to give me his input on these images. I am in no way saying I am better or as good as Andy in shooting swimwear. The 'eat your heart out' comment was not meant to incenuate that. I don't get out to the beach often and today I did and shot some good images to boot. I was proud of them. I wanted feedback from Andy himself. I guess I got a little carried away. I'm sorry for that.

I received a few emails from personal friends about this post and some others, and I have to say I am a little disturbed.

I feel good about what I do. I take average women (for the most part) and make them look and feel beautiful. I can also take models and shoot them pretty well too. I know I have some level of skill. I wouldn't have bet my life savings and my house on it if I didn't. It's been made evident to me that some feel like I'm the little chick running around the yard like I'm the big rooster.

Guys, I am not that way. Sometimes I can understand how it would seem like that. Hopefully my backup info about calling out Andy right here sheds some more light on that.

The threads titled "Mike's Promise" were just that, me living up to a promise. Some of you have been asking me privately and publicly to post my set ups. I said I would, so I did. Are they strong images? Nope. Are they a good diagram of what I was doing? I would like to think so.

We are all here to learn, right? I have garnered tons of knowledge from some very good photographers right here on GG. To some people here, I am a very good photographer. Am I on the level of Andy McFarland, Andy Pearlman, Rick Hughes, JT Smith, Jim Lewchuck, you get the point? Not really. I know that. That's why I call them out to give me feedback. At the same time, I owe it to this community to help those that I can. I give help to those I can and I get help from those that can help me. That's the way it works right? Trust me, I would much rather be at home with my wife instead of working like a dog 12-14 hours a day, spending a good 1/2 to 1 hour posting a set up or two of mine.

Guys and gals, it looks like my written word is not quite delivering the point I want it to. I'm sorry for those I have offended. I'm even more sorry for giving anyone the impression that I think I am a superphotoman.

Mike

I leave you with one more of Ms Randi.

[glennusdin]

At least I am a pr*ck who comes right out and says it in public.

As you have seen, the written word is harsher than the spoken word, so now you have seen how tough it is once the words get out there, to yank them back in.

Keep shooting and getting better.

[ARTFORMS]

You've got some good looking beach and bikini pictures, but I don't believe we will see Andy running the other way anytime soon. I shot this one during the golden hour just south of Myrtle Beach.



Jim

[dynamike]

Glenn,

I appreciate your public feedback. That's kinda why I posted it, so everyone could learn from me trying to shoot like Andy.

And no, you're not a *****.

Mike

[RandiJ]

Mike-
I absolutely love the last pic u posted in the lingerie. super hot!!!
u r the best. I had a blast working w/ u.
-Randi J.
(RandiJ26@onemodelplace.com)

[dynamike]

Randi,

Thank you so much for the kind words! Here's another.

You were a blast too. You were in tune with what we were trying to convey and I think you did an excellent job. I think you're a shoe-in for what we were shooting for.

Mike

[Bobby_G]

A quote from Glenn
[ QUOTE ]
the written word is harsher than the spoken word

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is key...for ALL of us that post here. All through high school and college, I only received 5 grades below an A....ALL were in english. I absolutely suck at writing...even more so when typing (I am one of those 2 finger peckers). If it weren't for spell check, most people would think I'm a bigger neck than they do already.

Mike, other than our correspondance via GG, I don't know you. I can tell that when your words seemingly are taken out of context, you are sensitive to how they came across...which tells ME that they truly did NOT read as intended. My advice....read and RE-READ a post before pushing the submit button. Thats what I do. I can't tell you how many times I was replying to a post that when I re-read my comments, I would have come across as a pompous ass...not intentionally, but my thoughts just never seem to convey in type as when I speak. (I hope that isn't happening here)

In every photo shoot I have, I try and try and TRY again to emulate a JT Smith headshot...I have come close, but never close enough to have the gonads to "call a JT Smith" out. I DID start a post once doing just that but deleted it because my skills are just not at that level.

You are correct in saying that MANY of the photogs here have a "distinct" style that many of us would like to emulate. My opinion is that if we DO INDEED make the comparison, the work better be somewhat comparible or it can backfire on us AND the entire post be taken incorrectly...

No offense intended...just my .02...



just saw the 2nd pics of Randi....both are stunning BTW...great job!

[2112]

I like em, but they look a little on the soft side. Maybe a little sharpening up, especially in the eyes would do some good.