When I studied photography at college it was far more complicated than it is today, I am and always will be more old school when it comes to photography but going digital has definitely helped my bank balance and time.
Taught to 'get it right in camera' was my tutors mantra and his voice is still in my head now telling me to get to know my camera and get the settings right.
It took me longer than most to switch over to what I deemed to be the 'dark side', looking back i just don't think i trusted digital cameras, knowing how SLR cameras worked, the mirror, along with good light and a brilliant lens and good subject matter, it was simple.
I just wasn't sure why we needed digital and how it would the images better.
I needn't have worried, we all know that now but changing and losing some control, was scary. I thought digital meant you were losing some control because by definition, if something is somewhat automated then in turn you are losing an element of control.
Again I needn't have worried, I only know this because I did endless research and 'played' with other peoples cameras before taking the plunge and buying my own.
So, armed with my new shiny camera I decided that I wanted to take portraits, I find faces fascinating. The ability to change our facial expressions on a whim is amazing, so being able to photograph someone's face and mood at that given moment is special.
I understand we don't always like ourselves in photographs but one look speaks a thousand words, all faces have uniques expressions and I love preserving them.
On the flip side, I hate having my photo taken, I don't like my face in them because I think I always look miserable. But I try not to tell my clients that.
Portraiture, I mostly do studio portraiture but I
am getting outside and creating more natural backdrops when I have a client with me, I often find my subject is a little more relaxed, taking the short walk to the fields and horses near me the natural surroundings have a calming effect and I can get some fantastic shots, also walking back and talking more lends a more relaxed feel to the last few photos in the studio and they can sometimes be the best shots of the day.
Family groups, I was never a huge fan of these but I did take on a few bookings, my studio took up one side of my house and I suppose I wasn't keen on the intrusion with clients coming into my home.
But the few I did do, I enjoyed. I didn't have groups bigger than 10 and I advised families not to be too precious about the image being perfect because they needed to look at the photograph and know that the image reflects the family.
Weddings, as a guest I love weddings, but I'm not so keen, it's an exhausting day and even with the limited amount of post production I comint myself to, Weddings are labour intensive. It takes weeks to go through the images and whittle them down to a reasonable amount and then be more critical to select the chosen few. The you have book a viewing and then you have to edit the chosen ones to create an album worthy of taking centre stage on anyones coffee table.
Weddings are rewarding but I prefer photography with little to no post production where I can let my images speak for themselves.
Small business and Products, This is probably my favourite subject matter to photograph.
While at college I worked in a commercial photograhy studio where we made sets, created models for shoots and used all manner of techniques to get the best out of food, jewellery and product photography. The use of dry ice, salt and tricks of the light could make the mundane look really amazing, it was there I discovered the true magic of photography. The camera never lies but it can embellish the truth given the right conditions.
Events, I love getting out and shooting events, it doesn't matter what the event it is, so long as it's not a wedding. Capturing candid flattering photos of people enjoying themselves is fantastic. You have to blend into the background so that people don't notice you or the camera which is harder than it sounds but you learn how to be invisible, only revealing yourself to ask for posed group shots when needed .
Workshops, When I had the retail outlet I made space for the artists and designers to calendar in workshops for their business and I would hold my own workshops, it's a brilliant way to meet your followers and engage but it's so satisfying to see a newly formed photography business flourish in their chosen field.
Comments