Amateur Photographer

I've been making moving pictures professionally for nearly 24 years. Over the past year and a half or so I've tried my hand at still photography and have become painfully aware of the differences. I'm still very much an amateur photographer but I think I'm developing a good eye.

Yesterday I bought a Canon EF 50mm lens. This is my first lens that has a fixed focal length (for all the non-photographers reading this, it doesn't zoom). I made the purchase because my niece has asked me to take her senior pictures for her and it came highly recommended by the young lady in the camera store. Quite honestly, this project scares the crap out of me. The vast majority of my picture taking experience is wildlife or scenic shots. Portrait photography is sooo much different in sooo many ways. Plus, these will be the pictures that she'll have to commemorate her final year of high school. No pressure! The good news is she wants her pictures taken outside and I do much better with natural light.

I took these pictures after buying the lens so I can start getting used to how it shoots. One is a Lily I spotted blooming in our front yard and the other is my friend Lee, the aspiring painter.






















What do you think? Do I have a shot at making her happy or will I suffer the wrath of a 17 year old for the next 9 months?