Hi Everyone
Today I am going to look at why newspaper photographers have the best start for a career in professional photography. As a conference and event photographer in Edinburgh, Scotland, this was a great way to ease me into the event photography business. I also started taking landscape photos, as this combined well with my love of the outdoors, in addition to sports photography as I was a keen runner, tennis player and golfer. However my big break came when I was offered a part-time job as a newspaper photographer in East Lothian and Edinburgh, before this I sent photos to local newspapers, but now I was finally getting paid.
Newspaper photography gives you a grounding in a wide range of disciplines. In one day I could photograph football, rugby, local politicians, shop openings and a neighbour dispute. There were often gala days, open events, which has certainly helped me as a conference photographer Edinburgh. Photographing events generally was also a big part the day and local celebration parties, this also helped prepare me as a wedding photographer in Scotland. The quick turnaround and tight timetables within the day is perfect practice for conference and wedding photographers in Scotland, both of which have specific key times that you can’t afford to miss as a professional photographer. Newspaper photographers also have to react to the unexpected and be prepared to go where you are not meant to be to get that special photo, this desperate need to be in the perfect position to catch that photo is also essential for event and wedding photographers. There are also no second chances in newspaper photography, you have to react well in what can often be as little as 5 or 10 minutes and during that period you must get some striking photos, no excuses. That kind of pressure also applies to conference photographers in Edinburgh and Glasgow. To feel constantly pressure to do your best is not a bad thing in any photographic discipline. The variety of people you meet and the need to interact well with them in order to get a great photographic content is also integral for the newspaper photographer,.
Unfortunately there are less openings for newspaper photographers nowadays due to the internet but there are still some openings and you can send some photos to the papers to get your foot in the door, so good luck, get out there and get snapping.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Hi Everyone
Today we are going to briefly look at the Unique Selling Point (USP) which all the best photographers will have. What exactly is your USP and how can it help you. Well, the reason it will help you is mainly due to the crowded market that the photographic industry is. It is not the only industry like this but it has become more so in recent times, particularly since the introduction of the digital camera and the the expansion of the internet, with the millions of photos around for all to see. So what can a conference and event photographer working in Scotland do to be seen. Well there are the obvious things like developing a good website, improving your SEO, marketing your business, but whilst all these things are essential, you have to make sure the product is first class and providing bespoke conference photos for your clients is a good place to start.
In actual fact USP is just another term for being a bit different and providing something unique for your clients., this will then help them to project a unique impression for their product, whether it is a physical object on sale or a service, depicted in the form of a conference photograph. As a photographer you should always try new things, from this starting point you will eventually find a style which is unique and gives your clients something a bit different. I like to catch the speakers at key moments, using unusual angles and even using infrared photography for some outdoor images at events, especially wedding photography photos in Scotland. I also emphasise the candid moments and utilise props such as clipboards, computer screens, phones etc. Your photos should capture what is going on, especially the emotional aspects, this is why football photographers in Scotland are on their guard after a goal, to capture the joy of the celebration. So practice, find a style that suits and apply it again and again and remember that whilst you must supply the client with what they require, you should never be frightened to experiment.
The attached photo was taken at from conference photography in Edinburgh three and a half years ago.
Hope this helps. Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
Hi Everyone
Starting to get back into the swing of things in the New Year like everyone else. Planning and sorting out your strategy for the year ahead should be the main priority for event and conference photographers in Scotland at this time of year. There is often a a slow start for some businesses in January and for conference photographers in Edinburgh Scotland, things are already a bit slow to start due to the effect of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. So what I usually do is take myself out into the landscape and get some infrared and landscape photography in Scotland and use the time to think about what investments are required and any new marketing plans for the year. I have already purchased a laptop at the beginning of the year which will enable me to edit high resolution images due to the impressive RAM of the machine I purchased. It is always good to have at least 16g RAM for editing all these event and conference photography images in Edinburgh and this should make my job a lot easier. I also plan to activate my other website at edinburghphotographer.com in the near future. At the weekend I visited Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and I managed some landscape and infrared photography on the day, even though the weather wasn’t exactly ideal, photo attached. It’s good to get out and about with my infrared camera after a recent spell getting it repaired.
Anyway more to co e soon. Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
Hi Everyone
This will probably be my last blog before Christmas so I thought I would look at what the average professional conference and event photographer in Edinburgh, Glasgow and throughout Scotland actually does over the festive period. I have in the past worked over Christmas and New Year, especially when I was a newspaper photographer in East Lothian and Edinburgh, covering festive events, New Year dips into the sea etc. I also had a portrait photoshoot in East Lothian on Boxing Day. However with most Christmas parties over by this time, I try and use the time to get in some landscape and infrared photography in Scotland and this year I will be away for a couple of days at Arrochar in Argyll which weather permitting, which will give me an opportunity to get in some photography at this excellent location and if all else fails I will just chill out in a great place.
So what else can the corporate photographer Edinburgh do over Christmas. You can prepare a number of things but the list below is a starter for the event photographer in Scotland.
Event and conference photographer Edinburgh Scotland - strategy for 2023.
1. Look at your calendar for event photographer jobs in the coming year, identify gaps and timing challenges.
2. Check your IT and software, does it need cleaning up, do you need to finally update your computer or printer or both.
3. Check all your equipment and prioritise any future purchases for the year based on the return on your investment. Don’t buy a lens for the sake of it, only buy according to your needs and if you are asked to do a commission and you feel a new piece of equipment could help, then that may be the time to buy.
4. Use the time to update you training online and knowledge, there are many courses and videos online that can help even long term professional conference photographers in Edinburgh.
5. Plan how you will market your business, who are your client base, can they be reached through social media and if so what type of social media is more suitable. I find LinkedIn is best for business clients and Instagram and Facebook for personal customers, but as we all know there are many other platforms. Find which ones are best for you and your client base.
6. Think about giving yourself a new challenge in a genre you haven’t preciously photographed much. I started taking infrared photos from a converted camera about 8 years ago and haven’t looked back.
7. Reflect on the previous year on has worked well and what didn’t and plan to overcome the area that didn’t work so well and improve even further in your strong areas.
Anyway, hope that helps.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Hi Everyone
I thought I would do a quick blog on how I have been getting on with the Canon R6 and the 100-400mm lens I recently purchased with a view to using for event photography in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Scotland. I have only used it for sports photography and general usage so far but I know how it will be able to help me with conference and event photography in Scotland and so far but my first impressions are good. Let’s start with the R6.
Canon R6 for the conference and event photographer Scotland.
Pros:
Excellent focus improvements for the Canon R, with better face recognition and fast frames per second for sports photographers in Scotland.
Outstanding ISO performance in low light. The R was good but this is even better, with very little noise even at super high settings.
Focus bracketing facility which was not available on the R but was on the RP for some strange reason.
At last, twin card slots, an essential for the professional conference photographer in Scotland.
Better touch screen than in previous models.
The HDR mode is much improved with more realistic outcomes.
Better battery life.
Excellent image stabilising built into camera.
Cons:
Only 20.1 pixels, which is enough for most photographers to be honest, but maybe not for landscape.
A bit pricey considering the pixel count and a new version is already available.
New R lenses still with some gaps compared to the selection of previous Canon R lenses and whilst the old Canon L lenses work with an adapter, you are still better with lenses tailored for the R cameras and they are pretty expensive.
Canon 100-200 mm lens
Pros:
Great focussing and tracking for sport.
Although the lens is not designed for really low light like some of the far more expensive L lenses, it can work well in low light conditions due to the fantastic ISO performance of the R6.
Works great with R6 focussing speed.
Compact and can be used hand held without a tripod or monopod.
Good value for money.
Cons:
The lens is a bit stiff and can bea problem when photographing subjects moving towards you, the zoom won’t move fast enough. I thought this may have just been my lens but the other one in the shop was the same. Maybe this will improve in time.
Not so good in low light, due to aperture, but still good value.
Not too robust ie a lot of plastic is involved and may not look the part for the professional who feels they have to turn up with gigantic lenses, especially for sport.
Thats it, my quick overview of the Canon R6 and the 100-400 zoom lens for the conference photographer Scotland. Hope it helps.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk