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Weddings are serious, but just how do you find your photographer? (a clients guide)

January 7, 2019
Advice, From the Archive, Support, Wedding
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As an experienced photographer, I often take my craft for granted.  I forget that it has taken decades to get to where I am.  I don’t pretend to be the best photographer out there.  The truth is that because photography is subjective (everyone likes different styles, looks, processes), my style will not suit every client.

As a client, you have more power than you ever had in the past.  There are literally thousands of photographers out there, but that does not mean every one will be a good match for you.

Your wedding is important, it will probably be one of the most important days in your life, so it’s in your interest to make sure you get all the details right.

So How do you choose?  Do you know much about photography?  Now, first of all excuse the brazen use of our imagery on this post 😉

Well there are a few things you can do, some of them obvious, and some not so much.

Well the first thing you can do is work on recommendations, your family and friends may have been married recently.  Look at their album, their photographs, do you like them?  That’s a great start… but are they still available for your big day?  The more popular photographers will be booking almost two years in advance, so there is no time to waste…

Talk to your (possible) photographer and meet them, rapport is so important.  You will likely be stressed on the big day, you need to feel comfortable with your photographer.  This is especially important if your photographer is capturing your preparations with your closest friends, do you trust them to be respectful?  You wouldn’t want to feel like some pervert was stalking you in your smalls…

Next, make sure that the person you meet, is actually your photographer..  seems like a little thing but larger firms will have sales people visit you, and your photographer on the day will be a complete stranger.  It does happen… It happened to me… Of course I had no clue back then lol.  Oh and I hated the photographs.

Be realistic about price, if it’s cheap, then there is possibly a reason for that.  The average for a wedding photography package is about £1,500 although these days you can push for an awful lot at that price.  That said, you can get some good deals if you are happy to take a chance.

When you meet your photographer, try to look at one of their recent weddings in full.  You will be surprised how easy it can be to make a slideshow with 20 images that make them look really good.  Some photographers may even use photos that they have taken at training days with professional models and coaching on poses etc.  Don’t be fooled.  If you see a full wedding, although you may not be interested in the photos of Auntie Mable drunk on the dance floor, you will at least get an idea of the consistency of the photographer.  This is the best tip and reduces your risk of hiring someone who fails you.  Oh and it has been known for photographers to buy stock imagery to show themselves off.

Contract. contract, contract.  Make sure you get a contract.  It will help both parties.  You will have it written down what to expect.  Some photographers will make sure you get one, some will be a little more reluctant.  Always ask yourself why…

Make sure the photographer has insurance.  Sometimes the unexpected can happen.  The photographer’s car breaks down and they are 200 miles away… Insurance will help put your mind at rest a little.  Will their insurance come good?  It’s certainly worth asking a few questions…

So now you have read this, hire me… 😉

No, seriously, this is an important subject, one I have been wanting to write for some time.  I hate, literally hate to read about those couples who get duped for their wedding by a photographer who is little more than a conman.  They exist.  All you can do is minimise your chances of falling foul.

So now, you can hire me… 😉

Hooray…

Disclaimer:  No clients were harmed in the making of this post.. If you want to know more, please feel free to message us.

Landscape – I like the summer but mornings get too early.

April 11, 2016
Landscapes, travel
2 Comments

Landscapes.  I dabble, I will be honest, I don't spend the time on them that I should.  Commercially they are quite hard to make any profit from them, unless you happen to be called Peter Lik (Google him).  Worst of all, though, is that as the summer gets closer, the mornings get even earlier. So every once in a while, when work allows, I will get out there and capture a landscape or two, or just go and look for a possible future image for when the light is better. Mark-2016-04-04--42 I know I should do more, I know I should, but that is where we must try to balance our lives.  There are times that I wonder how some photographers manage to make their photography the sole purpose (or certainly give the impression).  Life does not seem to be in the way for some. 22608538936_448323f4e3_o I contemplate offering framed landscapes to clients who book a particular wedding package, but struggle with this too.  Who would want one of my Landscapes on their wall?  Lets face it, I don't even have any of my own hanging up. [caption id="attachment_1949" align="alignnone" width="3000"]British Army assist the Environment Agency with floods.  

The ‘SCURGE’ of photography and a client education

October 18, 2013
Opinion, Portraits
2 Comments

As I write this I have just discovered that another good friend of mine has been ‘ripped off’ by a so called professional photographer.  Why am I pissed off?  Simple, because every time this happens the effect is felt throughout the whole industry.  I have been a professional photographer for over ten years now and I do not know all there is about photography.  It has taken years to build a reputation, a style and a direction.  There is no short cuts for this,

There have always been con men and women, that is nothing new, but the recent progress in photography has made this a breeding ground for minimum risk chancers.  It is easy to set up a website, operate for a few weeks and then vanish.

Everyone is aware of the massive increase in photographers available and offering you their skills. This is both good and bad.  Good because it has removed much of the elitist attitudes and competition is always good.  Bad because most clients know little or nothing about the industry and how it should operate to be able to make an informed choice.

The papers are always telling stories of a bride and groom duped into giving away their hard earned money and being heart broken when the resulting images are not at all what they expected.

So how can I help?

I am going to give prospective clients 5 tips to reduce the risk.

1.  Do your research.  Visit the photographers website (no website should set alarms going), check their galleries.  Is their work of a quality you would be happy with?  Are the images of a similar style?  Are they creative images?  Visit their Blog (most have them now), do their blog entries match their website in quality and style?  Look for endorsements but don’t trust them out of hand, anyone can write a few words.  Be more trusting of personal recommendations although this is not always possible.

2.  Speak to the photographer and meet them before any booking.  Check the quality of their work on their walls, again, does it match the website for quality and style?  Ask to see any other imagery that they have done that is not on their website or blog.  Always ask to see a complete wedding if that is what you want to hire your photographer for.  That could be either a digital display or a copy of the wedding album.  Be cautious if they refuse, why would they?  

3.  Make sure the photographer has insurance.  This should mean that you are protected to some degree.  If your wedding photographs are ruined then this insurance will cover for this.

4.  Get an contract.  This should be an agreement like an email identifying what you should expect may suffice in many cases.  I have had instances as a photographer where a client has said to me ‘but I thought I was going to get A, B and C’, the contract is there to protect the photographer as well as the client.  Make sure you read and understand what is written.

5.  Be cautious with up front payments.  Most photographers will charge you some kind of sitting fee, this is to be expected.  Make sure you know what you are getting for that.   You should however expect to pay up front for a wedding (this is standard practice) so seeing as much evidence of the photographers work as possible is a must. 

These simple suggestions will not remove the risk completely, but may minimise it.  Photography is subjective and in any dispute, if the images are well composed and exposed correctly, you might find any judgement does not go in your favour.  Make sure you actually like the work you have been shown.

A photographers web site should only contain images that they have taken themselves or within a larger company, although there have been instances where photographers put stock imagery on their page, so their website has professional imagery.

These points are not an exhaustive list but a mere five suggestions that will help minimise your risk.

It’s all in the exposure, and a day out with my daughter

September 27, 2013
Development, Portraits
2 Comments

Photography is as popular now as it has ever been, with many households in the west owning at least one reasonable SLR (or so it would seem).  The instant viability of the image means that if you miss the first shot you can adjust your settings and have another go (in many cases).  We take many more photographs than we used to and probably as a result this has actually devalued the image.  We can simply take another shot, means that getting it right first time is not important…

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The number of people I speak to who tell me that photography is actually not that easy, they went out and bought a really great camera that has all these buttons and hey, “why can’t I get the background to blur?”, or “my photo’s were too dark”, to name a couple.

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Whilst it is true that the newer cameras are technologically advanced and will continue to be so, there is a skill, a skill that is totally reliant on knowing the principals and more importantly being able to and understanding how to manipulate them.

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I have been toying with the idea of dabbling with film for some time now, and have recently bought an old large format ‘Speed Graphic’ or press camera from the 40’s and 50’s.  It is a big beast (not the biggest), and I have yet to find the memory card slot, let alone the playback screen.

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The fact of the matter I plan to work on some portraiture and possibly the odd landscape, and the exposure needs to be spot on.  So I decided to play around with some exposure techniques.  The first I tried was a rather clunky and simple method, where I take a spot meter reading from the lightest part of the face and then for my daughter I over exposed the whole image by 1.3 stops.  The exposure alteration will vary depending on the lightness of the skin.  The reason for this is the light meter will try to make your selected area mid grey, but for my daughter that would make her look too dark.  There is an element of trial and error to start with but as you look at your subject you will get to know what adjustment to make.

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Any way back to the subject, I had decided not to view any of the images until I was finished and my daughter was eating her promised ice cream.  Although not the same as film I wanted to add that little bit of pressure to the process as it was not that easy to re shoot if they had not come out.  It’s all part of the mind set needed for film.

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The images in this entry are those from the walk and as you can see I did not get too many.  But the exposures were exactly what I wanted and apart from a little split toning or desaturating in Lightroom, they are as they came out of the camera.

These images were taken on a D800 with a prime 105mm f2 lens and manual focus.

SLOW DOWN AND GET IT RIGHT FIRST TIME!

Another homecoming parade, how many left?

May 3, 2013
Afghanistan, Military work
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This week saw me attending another Homecoming and medal parade here in Germany.  I have lost track of how many of these I have covered over the years.  They are always great opportunities to capture some great images although this time for some reason, it got me thinking.

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With the imminent return home of British troops from Afghanistan in 2014, these may well be a thing of the past for a little while.  Of course this is great news when you consider how many soldiers we have lost during the conflict, but I can’t help feel a tinge of sadness.

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These parades are always great events supported by the soldiers and their families.  They are a show, a celebration, in many cases an opportunity to reflect and for some a way of closure.  But more than that these signify the end of a job well done.

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The British Armed forces are there to do these jobs, love them or hate them, these roles seem to come up all too often, usually when you least expect them.  These parades are significant as they mean the members of the Armed Forces have been doing a job they have trained hard for.

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I do not mean to be disrespectful as the conflict in Afghanistan goes on and there will in all likelihood be more injured or even killed, so we cannot afford to look at the end with too much comfort.

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One thing I am glad of is how this operation seems to have brought the Armed Forces closer together.  In the past the fierce rivalry used to alienate certain cap badges or trades, but such is the nature of this conflict that every job out there has risk and danger, it is not just the infantry who are risking their lives on the front.  I think this conflict has shown the strengths of our armed forces as a whole and that should be commended.

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The opinions stated here are simply the opinions of the author and do not in any way necessarily reflect the stance of the Ministry of Defence. 

What’s it all about? and what IS the magic of photography?

February 20, 2013
Opinion, Portraits, Wedding
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Wow, heavy, or is it?

Today we were informed by WordPress that we have now reached our second anniversary, where does the time go?

How do you begin to approach questions like ‘What’s it all about’?  Well I suppose every single one of us would give a different answer and more than that, your answer would differ almost daily…

The question always reminds me of a Michael Caine line used in a song by Carter USM and it always makes me smile, not for any other reason than the acceptance that we all pose the question to ourselves at one time or another.  It’s only natural.

So what is this blog all about?  Well I am under no illusion that this gets seen by millions of people, tens of people is something….  This is a tool of my trade, a business tool an opportunity to shout about what we are doing, what our plans and ambitions are, so show some examples of our work, to interest you (well you can’t have it all I suppose), but ultimately a way of connecting.  There is no malice, just what is intended to be an honest approach.  The trouble with the written word is context. The skill in writing is just that, but often over looked is the skill in reading.  Most of us don’t really understand punctuation, me included.  Where should that colon come in, why does the apostrophe go there and how does the comma in a certain place change the meaning of the sentence?  Yes it is fair to say, I am not the best at writing, but I try.  We all communicate with each other, and talking is the best way because quite simply, the voice naturally has the natural inflexions that enhance the words themselves and make the meaning come to life. to give it context, to make it easier to understand.  I think it is far easier to misunderstand the written word than not and possibly the other way around for the spoken word.  That is not to say, the spoken word is never misunderstood because we all know it is.

I guess it makes sense then that unless you are certain the writer of some text is excellent and you have confidence that you read well, you should never take what you read too literally.  Easier said than done!  I know….  The more I write the more I understand just how artistic writing can be.

This leads me onto the next question, what IS the magic of photography?  Well apart from being a tag line for this blog, photography for many has always had that allure of magic.  If you go back to thee old film days (many of us view with a nostalgic tear), the actual process of creating an image onto a piece of glass or gelatin is nothing short of ingenious.  Using the right chemicals at the correct temperature for the exact amount of time to develop the latent image is nothing less than astonishing.  To see an image form on a blank piece of paper in the darkroom will always amaze me, it feels like magic.  Of course I know it is not, it is chemistry but I will never fully understand the process so no matter how much I research it, I like the feeling I get that I am witnessing a little miracle.

Photography has changed in many ways in recent years and like any development, change is never all good, but usually it is also never all bad either.  It is true the chemistry has gone, but the technological change is as dramatic and breath taking as the original process.  How modern digital cameras capture what they do, well there simply has to be an element of magic in there somewhere.

Again though, this is not all there is, the magic goes beyond that.  Surely the magic is in the emotion that a still image can portray?  The capture of a genuine smile, the love displayed in a wedding photograph, the drained exhaustion of a brand new mother holding their baby, the satisfaction of having received your scroll from University, the list goes on and on.  The capture of these things remind us of those moments and allow us to relive them, to remember.  This is the real magic of photography, a simple two dimensional print or image can be so much more than that.  In fact in cases where families have lost all their belongings in a fire often say that the hardest to come to terms with is the loss of their photos.  Makes you think….

Getting known and trying to break the norm.

November 28, 2012
Development, Portraits, Promotion
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Any photographer will tell you that one of the biggest journeys for them to take is the attempt to do something new, so find their own USP (Unique Selling Point).  More often and not these days it is a certain look done in post production (after the photo has been taken).  An example of this is the Dragan effect (google it).  The thing is with PP is that it is quite easily replicated.  Once someone comes out with a catchy look, its just a matter of time before everyone is doing it.  That USP then becomes dull, it loses its impact.

I have decided to undertake a couple of projects over this Christmas period working at charity events  and a Christmas fayre.

Why?

Well simple, I decided I needed to do two things.  Firstly be seen for what I do (taking portraits) and secondly to capture something that makes people go wow, which is not that easy.  I also wanted to make people go, “I like that, can I book a family shoot or a portrait session from you?”

A standard set up for this kind of event is probably a two light set up, maybe three.  A main light, fill and either a background light or hair light.  The idea being that this set up is versatile as the sweet spot can be organised to be quite large.

Well I decided I didn’t want to do that as although you can get reasonable light it will not suit everyone.  There is not really any set up that will suit everyone, so decisions have to be made.  I chose to use a ‘clam shell’ set up which has the main light as a 1.2m Octobox directly above the subject, and very close.  The fill light is under my feet and I shoot through the gap in between.  The problem is that to get this really amazing soft light the subject is close to the light and the sweet spot is quite small.  I can only fit (carefully) two subjects.

Ultimately here lays the problem.  I do not directly make any money from this shoot which as a business I have to make money to survive.  There will always be people that want a certain shot and it is difficult to almost alienate yourself from anyone, but I have to look at the bigger picture.  I want you to see that I can get some amazing pictures of you guys and in a studio with all my kit at my disposal and a couple of hours to spare, we can come up with same really memorable shots that you will love.

Looking at it that way, its a bit of a no brainer really….  What I particularly love about this is the options that remain in PP, like in any lighting situation I suppose.

In the thick of it and always experimenting

November 19, 2012
Development, Portraits
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As a photographer one of the best parts of the job is the sheer volume of options.  I love the fact that I can always learn new techniques, be it composition, lighting, style or… well the options some times feel pretty limitless. #

The only limit to a photographer is their imagination.

I love playing with lighting, the studio is a great place when things are going well and the most frustrating place when they are not.

Lighting is, in essence quite simple, even the most complex of lighting set ups should look simple, but simple is great to look at and natural.

After setting up a stand at a recent charity fashion show, I thought it would make a great opportunity to try a simple clamshell setup.  I have to say I have never used this one before and I really have no idea why.  It is an amazing light and with post pro can suit men, women and children.

For this one I had a 1.2m Octabox as the key light, with a simple shoot through brolly as the fill from the floor.  The lights were no more than 1m from the subject so I used a wide lens for most of them.

Another set up in the bank.

I made a photograph……… Snap, snap, snapping away.

October 22, 2012
Development, Opinion
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Snap, snap, snap, this photography lark is easy….. Isn’t it?

Any of you who have read some of my older posts will no doubt at times have noticed that I am a little critical of Photography as a form of art. As a photographer myself this is not meant in a detrimental way, more a quizzical way.

To describe an image as arty usually means it has a below a quality threshold but illustrates an effort to provoke some kind of thought process.

Now I am quite opinionated about art where it seems a skill of verbal diarrhea makes certain arty types go weak at the knees. I am however coming around to certain aspects of art in photography. Why?

Well I do think that far too many photographers are overly critical about their abilities, I know I am far too harsh at times. Does photography come naturally, we’ll for some it does and others it most certainly does not. Because it comes naturally to some does that mean it is any less impressive.

Where there is a problem, I think, is when photographers concentrate on an aesthetic composite over a narrative. After ten years, this is something I only now think I am getting to grips with, although some of that is my acceptance that each year that passes, my photography changes, the focus, my understanding of what I want to capture and how, seems to change constantly.

So what does this mean?

Well it means that as a photographer I am always adapting, moving, processing, getting better? Well, that will always be a matter of opinion. One thing I do know is that the more experienced I get, the clearer I see a photographic opportunity, the more I am able to preempt a situation and try to posting myself accordingly to get as many of the relevant elements I can into the frame.

The ultimate mission is to capture everything relevant to the narrative in a single shot. Not an easy thing to do, but always an objective.

You always want a picture editor to choose your image to support the article, and more often than not, one image is key (although with the Internet, there is an unlimited space). In print, one photograph is best, although not always possible.

So, as a conclusion, the images I take now are not simply a case of the fraction of a second it actually takes to capture the scene, but it becomes a culmination of a whole pile of ingredients. Like a chef, two people can make the same dish with the same ingredients and come up with completely different end products. This is the same with photography, two photographers at the same event with full freedom of movement will still come away with different images. The images I take now have taken far in excess of ten years to produce, which brings me to my final point, and one that for some time I never really understood. When I say I made a photograph, I now know I mean it. I construct an image from the surroundings, my position, my composition, my use of the photographic elements of shutter speed, aperture, ISO, the use of the lighting, or adding my own light. A photograph can really be so much more than just a snap, a brief moment captured as a still.

Building books and the tangible truth

October 22, 2012
Afghanistan, Military work, Opinion, Portraits
6 Comments

If there is one aspect of digital photography and the internet that I don’t like it is simply the lack of necessity to print your images.

There is nothing quite like a decent print, and trust me it is never simply a case of hitting the print button.  So in the last six months or so I have been responsible for producing 4 photographic books, and all I can say is wow.  Although the books have been limited run or one offs, the sense of achievement you get after all the work of putting them together and handling it is second to none.

I now have the printed book bug.

A reflective image is so different from a back lit image, that seeing your images feels like seeing it again for the first time.

There are some amazing companies out there that can produce these books and some of the software you can use to complete the books are very straight forward.  All I would say is don’t feel the need to over complicate the layout.

Photo books should ideally, in my humble opinion, be about an image at a time, although that is not always possible.  There is certainly a skill in putting a book together and I feel myself getting better each time.  There is a lot of work, in particular when you are trying to include other contributors.

Another important effort is to do your best to create a narrative, to make the images inter connect and flow from one to the other and at times, even if you have a cracking image that misses the narrative, do not shoehorn it into the book just out of hand.  If you need to add another section to the book to fit it in, then try but be your own worst critic.

The end result is worth it though.

Finding the time, a photographers lot

October 19, 2012
Development, Portraits
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Well many of you may be aware the last few weeks have been a blur, but a happy one.  Now I am starting to move on and as a photographer, there is always a difficulty balancing the work with real life.  Any working photographer lives and breathes photography, and I find it gets worse the longer I go on.  Understanding light is probably the hardest thing with photography and it takes time.  There are no shortcuts here and learning to identify and use light is something every photographer constantly works with.

As I understand light more and more, I see opportunity and inspiration.  I suppose it feels a little bit like staring at the screen on ‘The Matrix’, you just start to see photographs everywhere.  That said seeing images and capturing images are two completely different things though the more I see light and its subtleties I base it on images I have taken.

Now I like working in the studio with controlled light.  There is a sense that anything is possible, if you can just control it as you need.  I really love photographing people but the most difficult part is ‘the people’, getting them to do what you want, no, need them to do.  A sitter does not have any idea what is going on in my head (probably a good thing), and I am working towards an end product that nestles in the outer reaches of my muddled head.

There is no substitute for working with people, it really is the only way you get to know the craft of lighting.  I can play with new ideas on an inanimate object but translating that to people is something that can only be done with people……

….and no two people are the same.

So there we have it, this post is no more than a plug, I need you to improve and you need me to take your portrait, so there you go, no excuses any more…

And here is to the weekend, all good in moderation.

 

Award winning, does it really make a difference?

October 12, 2012
Military work
10 Comments

I write this blog in somewhat of a state of shock.  I have just been told that I need to get myself over to London next week to pick up a couple of prizes from the Army photographic awards. This image was taken at 0500 using available red light on a high ISO and shows us packed like sardines into the back of a Chinook about to go on an operation.

This year was only the second time I have entered in ten years for one thing or another, and after being runner up last time, the improvement was great. This macro shot was taken with a macro lens and was supposed to be an observation of religious prominence within the military and more so with the Americans.  What is does not show however is the levels of religious diversity that we have now. 

If I am totally honest, I didn’t really hold out much hope as much of the last 12 months was doing video, and if I am even more honest, not to a great standard. Military equipment – this was one of my favorite portraits from Afghanistan, it shows an attitude and toughness that belies the old equipment they operate with.

So back to the competition.  I am obviously very pleased for the recognition, but I really don’t think it means all that much at the end of the day but what we can do to raise the profile of our small group of individuals who work hard to show our colleagues at their best.  This is not down to me being disrespectful to the other entrants in this particular competition, just the fact that winning competitions may be a skill but also requires a lot of luck.  After all three judges look at the images subjectively and pick their favorite and on another day with different judges, the results would, I am sure, probably be very different. This military portrait taken in the studio is intended to show a diversity within the whole port folio.  It is a standard portrait with a little twist.

I had no idea who was judging this competition, not that knowing that would have made any difference.  The simple fact is that photography is purely subjective and what one person loves another simply can’t stand… the Marmite thing I suppose. In the absence of a perfect boxing or skiiing shot (not much of either in Afghanistan), I wanted to demonstrate a little bit of the British soldiers sense of humour… unfortunately there was no lake in sight.

So what did I win?  Well rather surprisingly, the Professional port folio award and the best Professional image.  Wow, now I am speechless. From the harshness of Afghanistan to the grandeur of Hannover town hall for the Queens birthday celebrations, a city that has close ties to the royal family.

The port folio was a simple case of choosing eight images, each one fulfilling a single criteria.  Operational image, Sport, Macro, Black and white, portrait, military equipment, Interior and Public relations image.  So the portfolio was always going to be a mismatch off images rather than a coherent collection of images to support a narrative.

Which ever way you look at it, there will be controversy and disagreement, as everyone will see different things from the images submitted.  So there we have it for another year, I only hope that we as a photographic trade can make the most of this and promote ourselves as the self motivated, professional individuals we are.

The image selected by the judges as the winning image, taken just before the officer at the front of the picture screamed at me for not being where I should be.

 

More Royalty and the Rifles march on

July 17, 2012
Military work
1 Comment

Wow, where have the last two weeks gone?  Work has been crazy, a new promotion and a busy diary have contributed to my head spinning.

Having spent a vast amount of time in Afghanistan recently, it is natural to take some time to get back into the real world.  Life in Afghanistan in many ways is simple, you get up do your job, eat and sleep, there is not too much more to do.  Life back home seems so much more complicated as a result.

Getting the kids to school, sorting out the kids passport, chasing bills and paying invoices, meeting clients, and even at times taking the odd photograph, it all seems like there is so much to do.

So the tasking came in to photograph a home coming parade for some local press journalists from the UK came up.  This is after all our job so this is not a problem and it also gets me out of the office doing what I enjoy so its a winner all round.

I have never photographed a Rifles parade before so I was there early to get a good look around and make sure everyone knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.  In the middle of a parade it can be quite daunting to wander onto parade and shoot away.

 

It is mostly a simple case of letting certain people know what your intentions are and they will be fine.  They also know that they will be getting copies of the shots for their own use too so everyone’s  a winner.

 

The weather in Germany has been as bad as the UK recently so that will tend to be an issue but you can’t plan for every eventuality although in this case we worked out being quite lucky.

All in all it was a good day and we got some good coverage in the press back home.

Have courage in your convictions

June 23, 2012
Opinion
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Most people in our society will at some point in their life need (no, not need but want) a photographer, be it for their wedding, to photograph their new baby, their portrait, their pet. Their business products, the list goes on and on.

What do people look for?

Do you search for a photographer who captures something different or has a certain look you like?  A cheap photographer?  A friend who has a camera? Or nothing at all?

Where does the cost of a photographer come into it?  Should it enter the equation at all?

The photography industry is incredibly competitive at the moment and the industry can be very easy for anyone to access with the super high quality of even some of the budget cameras.  I wonder if this is a positive development, but regardless, this is where our industry is right now.  The client has never had so much choice.

What does that choice mean?

I think this depends on what your view of a photograph is.  Do you see a photograph as just a still image that simply records and reminds you of a memory?  Is a photograph a piece of art?  Can a single image really be that important?  Take a while to think about some famous images you can remember. It may be a war photograph from Vietnam or a celebrity portrait, but the chances are it will be a stunning image for one reason of another.

A photograph is history.  Although it is taken at the time the image is immediately assigned historic status.  I shows us what was.

When you are looking for a photographer, what is your main consideration?  I think there are two main perspectives.  Will I love the images or can I afford them?

Take a wedding for example.  This is for many people the most monumental day in their lives (although not for all).  I think it is fair to say that most couples will look for a look they like from their wedding photographer.  There is usually a budget but their first consideration in many cases is the look.  I have been asked if I can replicate someone else’s look for a wedding before………Mmmmm!

Each and every photographer is different, of course there are styles and fashions that you can find over and over, but you have to look at the image, see what has been captured, is there emotion, a certain use of light, a character in there or is it simple a flat image processed to a style?

Photographers are observers, we look for things, we search for a representation.  Some are better than others, that’s just the way fo the world I am afraid.  As a photographer we should always be striving for the next image, that killer image that may not be the most asthetic but one that has that bit of magic.  Sometimes that is not obvious but invariably there will be something.

To look at a photographers images, look into them, try to identify what they were looking at.  You can do this for any photographer and ask the question, why?  I guarantee you at times you won’t be able to answer the question but you will still see something that you like.
My work may remind you of someone elses work but for sure that’s all it is.  Photographers are individuals, our work is unique, we all see things differently and if you hire us you are buying into that vision and experience.  All photographers draw inspiration from the world around us.

As a client you should never look at a photographers work and then wonder if you can get a cheaper alternative by going elsewhere.  Another photographer cannot just step into anothers head.  So if you need a photographer, look around, look for somthing that you like, an edge, a look, a style or a vision and hire them.

If budget is an issue then look for an alternative, but don’t expect the same, you are only setting yourself for disappointment.

Your choice of photographer may, in the end, cost a little more than you wanted to pay but in years to come, those photographs could have more value to you because you will know in yourself that you did not compromise.

Did I mention that I shoot weddings and portraits…………………………………………………………………………..?  😉

Mike & Sara Ambrose wedding in Bath

June 16, 2012
Wedding
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I don’t get much opportunity to shoot weddings which is such a shame as I do really enjoy shooting them.  I deal with weddings in a similar way that I shoot my military work.  I like to get as much preparation time in that I can.  I don’t like shooting to a formula, but over time you get to know what shots work and which ones don’t.  As photographers we work to our strengths and one photographer is very different to another.

The wedding of Mike and Sara was given to me by a colleague as they already had a booking and to do the wedding I made the long journey from Germany, which meant that I didn’t get to meet the Bride and Groom until the day before the wedding, or go to see the venues.

I shot this wedding with a friend as my second shooter, Jim (Will) Williams, who I have worked with on a number of occasions and some of his images were simply stunning.

This wedding was a little different from any I have shot before as I was only required to shoot from the arrival at church to the start of the wedding breakfast.  In total about 4 hours which included a trip through the centre of Bath on the Jubilee weekend Saturday.  Everything went to plan and apart from the wedding car breaking down as well as the bus laid on for the guests.  The Bride and Groom were the definition of laid back which made this a pleasure.

The official images were handed over to my colleague to process so I have had the opportunity to be a little bit bolder with my own processing and I have done them in a way that is unusual for me, but then, why not?

Please feel free to look through the images and give me your feedback on them.

Herding cats and capturing character

May 13, 2012
Development, Portraits
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There is a popular phrase that we have all heard stating you should never work with children or animals, however as a photographer, you try that.  I recently came up with a promotion idea to get people into the studio, to see how we work and hopefully come away with plenty of workable images to wow the customers.

This became the ‘Pets win prizes’ competition.  The premise was for local people to bring their pets to our studio in order for us to try to capture some of their character.  The shoot was free and an image from their shoot was to be displayed on Facebook in a gallery for people to vote (like) their favorite.  The winner is the image that 7 days later has the most likes.  They then win a canvas wrap print of their pet (not necessarily the one used in the competition).

As with anything like this, the build up can be nervous as you find yourself asking the questions, like, did we promote this enough?  Will people turn up, have we explained the situation properly?  Has word got around?

I need not have worried because apart from a quiet hour at midday, the event was a success.  We got a variety of pets in from the expected cats and dogs to the more exotic Bearded Dragon and some tropical fish in a huge beer glass.

I like to put myself under pressure, and I limited each shoot to 15 minutes, which included the time to get to know the animal a little, try to find some of its character, decide on how to work with it and light it, and then execute (not the animal but the idea).  I could quite easily have set up a flat light setting and just gone for the safe option but I didn’t want a load of same images.  I wanted to be creative, to try to show off each animal as best I could in the time.

At the end of the day, I sit through the images and I have to be honest, I am happy with what we got.  There are a lovely range of shots, the customers went home happy and I now hope they like what they see.  I don’t photograph a lot of pets, so this was an ideal opportunity to try to broaden my horizons as a photographer.

As I try to complete the job, my eyes are heavy, this was a challenge but like all challenges I am left in its wake feeling content.  This is the kind of project I think I should do more often and I urge others to also.  It is all to easy for a professional photographer to focus on revenue, but there is a kind of warm feeling when you undertake a project for no obvious gain, that said I did take a couple of bookings today which is nice but certainly not what this was all about.

If you have read this blog today, could I urge you to visit our Facebook page, and visit the gallery.  Please take a little time and like any images you like.  The winning pet owner will I am sure be most grateful.  Plus there are more images from the set to see.  As with any of my work I love to hear from people, feedback is important.

Promotion and give away’s

May 2, 2012
Development, From the Archive, Opinion, Portraits, Wedding
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The technical side of photography is not a problem for me.  I know that may sound big-headed, it’s not meant to be.  My photographic training was, let’s say, comprehensive.  A seven month full-time course that in wider circles is well-respected, certainly gives you a grounding.  I look back at some of the work from back then and cringe at it, but I also accept it for what it is and am still striving.

A personal first from ten years ago, the use of many layers, taking days to do and really pushing the computers boundaries.

Having been presented with the subject ‘shopping’, it made sense to mimic some of the visual inspiration of the time.  Not great work now but it was a step.

When I graduated from the school, I felt a little bit like when I had just passed my driving test.  I knew how to take a photograph but that was just the mechanics, I now had to develop that knowledge into a style, to give my images some character.  This I think is where the real challenge of photography is.

I really enjoy shooting weddings, they are challenging and never easy, so you need your wits about you.

So ten years on, my photography has developed into its current manifestation and I now think I am a marketable commodity.  This is where my next hurdle lays.  All my training does not prepare me for self promotion.  Some of you who have been reading my blog or follow my Facebook page may be surprised to hear that, or maybe not.  I have in recent months been looking into the different ways to market yourself and mostly it is now down to the internet.

In the studio, you need to work hard to get the shots you want, you can never just turn up to a shoot.

Sometimes it is a shame that many elements used in the shot are hidden.

Inspiration is important to any photographer, we draw our inspiration from other image makers all the time.

Being in Germany does kind of limit my available market somewhat but this gives me the opportunities to try out marketing plans to get an idea about what works or doesn’t.  Mostly though I just want to stay busy, producing new work.  I have in the past organised a very successful studio open day where I allowed visitors to come in off the street into the studio, sample a micro shoot, see the product and as a result took bookings for bigger shoots.  My next project is similar, but based on the pets theme.  This one will be slightly different as it will be a kind of competition where people who have their pet photographed will then see their image on our Facebook page.  This is where they vote (by liking) their pets image and they then invite their family, friends, anyone who knows them to also like their image.  The winner will receive a canvas print of the winning image.  Votes can also be included by the general public, so there will be a need to really push the Facebook page.

Sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet, a studio full of animals is a daunting thought.

The idea excites me, I am intrigued as to how the project will work out.  This does need loads of work to work, but it is just another step in the journey of building a client base and a reputation that is in this industry all important.

I don’t find self promotion easy, I find that at times I feel clumsy and awkward with it, I am always too critical of my own work, but I accept that in these times I have to get beyond that and just go for it.

A change of perspective and the search for a new presentation.

May 1, 2012
Development, Opinion
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A change is as good as a rest, so they say.  I am leaving video behind at least for the time being and as I look to get back with my beloved stills camera, I have been trying to work in ways I do not normally.

Out came the 60mm Macro lens and on a perfect morning in England with dew sitting on the foliage I experimented.  I have shot macro before but it is not really something that a do much of, neither is the nature shot.

I was lucky also to find a couple of bugs (this now seems to be what my kids now call them), crawling around.

I have also been looking at ways to present images better than just straight edges.  A part of me is reluctant as I do feel that in many ways these presentation methods are employed too often to make mediocre images seem better than they are.  This also goes for some of the post production so many photographers seem to be using now.

The search was down to looking for ways I could present some of my Afghan work in a book or for an exhibition.  So I looked for a few choices and have so far settled on the ‘Photoframe’ software that integrates with my Adobe software so well.  I am using it on a trial basis and at this stage I think it’s important to make visual mistakes, so there are a couple of frames that I don’t think work, or I don’t like.

I hope you like the images.

Where do I go from here?

May 1, 2012
Afghanistan
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Now I am back from Afghanistan I am hungry to work.. I have for the first time got a notebook to record ideas and concepts for personal projects.  I am amazed that this is something I have not done before because I get a lot of ideas that I then forget about.  So I have a book that I can write down ideas and concepts and include inspirational images that may have given me an idea.

An Afghan commander on a proud day as hundreds of soldier complete their basic training

I am not too sure where my Afghanistan experiences will take me.  Part of me feels that as an alien in that land I could not help but see images everywhere (sometimes I think we can get a bit blase about what we see around us every day).  Certainly the characters were plentiful.  My personal work at home is more geared towards the studio setting.  I like having the control but I now see that am able to control more in location work.  I am now the proud owner of a fairly comprehensive studio setup and I have new ideas coming out of my ears.  I just want to shoot.

A young soldier commands a vantage point as he scopes the area for signs of insurgency.

I think there is a part of me that wants to keep busy in line with the tempo I have been working for so long.  At the same time I am trying to fit back into my family that have got into their routine without me.  I have leave, too much leave but I have to take it.  This should give me the opportunity to work while keeping my feet grounded.  As my wife will agree, I do have a habit of being too focused on some things while neglecting others, something I am now aware of and do try to overcome.

Getting to know my children again is a hard reality as I have missed a huge part of their lives.

So, where do I go from here?  Photography has been a major part of my life for coming up to ten years and I just don’t see an end to that right now.  I am however fortunate to get paid for doing something I enjoy so much and find so rewarding.  I don’t have to find paying clients yet, however now is the best time to look at systems I can employ when I do.  I am fortunate that I can make business mistakes with the comfort that, for the time being at least, won’t have a negative impact on my families welfare.

Still seeing opportunity, it’s what drew me to this career.

So as I approach my photographic future, I am excited to see where I can go and just need to be bold and make the most of my situation.  I still look back at some of my Afghanistan portraits and think some of them will look good in a book as a printed record where they can be arranged as a representation of the tour.

A local Afghan watches over as his home is searched by British soldiers.

All in all there is plenty to keep me occupied for a little while but I need to make sure I push myself more creatively too.  So keep an eye out as I am sure I will be posting the odd thing on here.

A mass of faces, the new generation of the security of Afghanistan

Catching up and cooling off

April 9, 2012
Afghanistan
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Settling back in at home after six months away should not be taken lightly.  In my absence my family have learned to deal with my time away as have I.  This is no less than human nature.  There is a temptation to jump back in with both feet and just try to carry on where we all left off.  I’ve done that before…….

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I have also been keeping busy trying to sort my archive out.  There are lots of images to get organised and some catching up with processing images that kind of fell by the wayside.

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I took some images during my R+R (Rest and Recuperation) back in February.  Although I did have a quick glance, I never properly had a look.  So now back home with my own work station and newly installed Lightroom 4, I can kill two birds with one stone.  It feels so great to have internet access that works.

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These images taken during my time back home on a brief visit home (that is what it feels like), mid tour, were secondary to spending quality time.  I take my camera where ever I can (within reason).

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I had arranged a short intimate break for my wife and I to Berlin, a city I had only briefly visited once and did not make the most of it last time, we wanted to see the city, spend time together and catch up for lost time.

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So I did not take a camera bag full of my lenses, rather one body and a lonely 50mm.  A lens that I have got to know quite well.

R+R is a strange beast, you are back home, its fantastic to see your family, but its also clear that you will soon have to take that trip back to Afghanistan sooner than you think!

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You never properly relax.  It’s a rest, certainly, but you are not really home yet.

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Anyway I wasn’t carting all my gear around focusing on the images, but I grabbed a few on the way!

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These are a small selection.  I hope you like them.  They are a world away from the shots from Afghanistan. Now I am back, I am starting to put that chapter behind me, however life in the military is never really predictable, so you never know, I may end up going back out there again in the future, or somewhere else. I look back at my images and feel the strangest feeling of nostalgia, you never really expect to feel while you are out there.  The people you have met, the things you have seen, experiences few may have.  I am proud, my family are proud.  Everyone is happy that I was fortunate to come home in one unharmed.

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So to conclude, spare a thought for the ones who don’t, their families who have to pick up the pieces. all I can do now is look forward to what the future holds from now.

Thanks for visiting.