You have a great camera and a great ability!

Ashley, i’ve said it before but you are super talented! So you are doing some professional work? You are obviously passionate about photography and what better work than to do something you’re passionate about! Don’t doubt yourself and BELIEVE what people are telling you!!!!

p.s really enjoyed the pics, tricky subjects but you captured them superbly and pics are so vivid! ABCaptures such an apt name. Can’t stop raving, am impressed and jealous!

what camera do u use?
really good pics!

I agree 100% with jerseygirl – Fantastic!!!

Sometimes it’s hard to make any constructive criticisms on work that is already beautiful, so I only have one suggestion: watch your compositions for cropping. I think you’re cropping a wee bit more on the right (as we face the pix) than the left. ie. in the ibis and Elliot. I do not believe in symmetry, and a good crop is powerful as you demonstrate in your pix, but you might keep your eye out for it as you do more in case it’s how you frame a shot.

Seriously consider a professional path. It may not necessarily mean portrait studios or journalism. Look into magazines – they use pools of photographers and when there’s an article, say Smithsonian does one on lizards, you may be in their group of freelance photographers to call on for an assignment. Why not investigate? Many people now believe they are pros due to good cameras, but you really are one. At the very least, contact a stock photo co. and let them buy some of the older ones you just have sitting around. It’s $ for your next new camera!

Wow you should be a National Geographic photographer!  I’m not kidding.  Those pictures are outstanding!

It may sound odd, but I have discovered that PC World, the online site of the magazine, covers information of all kinds and I am beginning to trust it along with Consumer Reports for things like evaluations of equipment, computers and cameras, etc. So I looked up Stock Photography, and sure enough, there are some articles along with digital monthly submissions of photos, and lots of other stuff. Through that I found a site called Stock Photo Price Calculator. By trying it, you’ll see via the menus exactly where Stock Photography is being used. Then I’d try doing a search for most reputable stock photo houses. Off the top of my head I can suggest Corbis, which I know is upscale photos used by Ad Agencies. The idea is that you upload your photos for a percentage of the sale price when it gets used for a single-use purchase. ie. you get 20%, or maybe 25 cents, per photo, but if it gets downloaded 1000 times it adds up. Professional photographers hated what stock did to the market, but it’s been around now for quite a while and it’s a good source of $ for starting photographers.

And if you specialize in certain subjects, like lizards, use the winning cover photo for a portfolio sheet of thumbnails; or print postcards, give your contact info. then load up your website with protected images, and contact magazines like Smithsonian. The Art Directors might want to put you in their files for future use. You never know.

(Idea: you could start with Rabbits Magazine, the one that’s sold in Pet Smart, and send an 8×10 with your watermark on it of Abbie to their Art Director. Read the fine print on their title page for contact info. I bet they’d love your shots, so research pricing them out.

Corbis, shutterstock, Photodisk are some big stock houses, I don’t know how they buy photos or how they pay the photographer, but when we buy from them, it’s very expensive, strict and controlled so I hope they compensate them well. You pay according to how you’re going to use it, and if in print, by the number if impressions that will be printed and the manner you use it.

For my large exhibit work, I buy most of the photos from istockphoto.com. Their license allows me to use it both for the exhibit booths, print brochures, webwork, whatever we need it for. I think their people get paid for each download and what resolution is downloaded.

Your photos are amazing and beautiful and I know there’s a market out there for them. If you submit I would suggest that you upload 2 versions of your work, the beautifully and artfully cropped versions, and another of the raw photo with everything that was in the frame. You never know how different designers will use it.

I have several photographers that I love to use because they shoot each subject in an off center format also. Like that one of the bird, it’s a Godsend for me to locate one like that which also has tons of background on one or both sides. Gives the artist so many more options in using it in the layout. When I finish an exhibit I like to give the photographers a link so they can see how their work was used.

Good luck! Kathy

wow you take amazing pictures!

It’s called Rabbits USA, the 2008 Annual magazine. I’d suggest buying one (or getting one at the library if they have it) and reading the fine print for their contact info. or their website. You might want to show them one decent sized photo of her, and a sheet of contact thumbnails so they have an idea of what you have to offer. But see if they specify what they want. Sometimes there are submission guidelines, just make sure you don’t give them something they can reprint easily.

Okay i just have to say… your son is going to be a heart breaker!!! he is sooooo adorable!!!!!

wow u sure werent kidding that its expensive! but the pictures are amazing, and it will last you a long time, a good investment i reckon! its not just the camera quality though, its also the way you have created the colours and angles, i mean if i got those on a postcard i wouldnt even think anything of it, because they look professional!

I love those photos! I wish you were around Dallas to do a photo shoot with my bunnies And your son is TOOO CUTE! I love the shot with his hands in his pockets, adorable!

You are truly an amazing photographer. My dad does hobby professional photography, development and enlarging; I’ve seen amazing pictures. You truly should be published-and not once-all of them!!! Can you imagine making your living off something you love and are darn good at??? I think you should do it!!

Those are remarkable photos, and congratulations on wining the contest and getting your photo on the cover of the brochure.  I take *a lot* of bunny photos for our adoption posters and website, I know what a difficult subject animals can be to photograph.

I second the reccomendation into looking into istockphotos.com or another online stock photo place… I have a friend who does website development/graphic design and he uses istockphotos a lot! I can’t imagine that it would hurt to look into it and upload some of your photos!

Absolutely stunning photographs! I would buy your work, especially framed. I too seriously encourage you to explore selling it commercially.