Professional photographer Edinburgh Scotland - choosing your specialism
Hi Everyone
Today I am going to talk about how professional photographers specialise in one particular area of work. As a professional conference photographer Edinburgh Glasgow and throughout Scotland, I believe this is my specialist area but how do we come to realise the best genre of photography to suit our skills within the profession. I had a grounding in newspaper photography, which is a great method for all photographers to find their way. I did everything from sports photography, to PR, photographing politicians and gala days and general event photography in Edinburgh and East Lothian. this all round training helped me find both what I enjoyed and what I was good at, because I think you tend to enjoy doing something if you know you have the skills to excel at it, that's not to say you can't improve, as we can always upgrade our skills and the day I stop learning will be the day I stop breathing.
Most professional photographers try everything and this is also the case with myself. Some photographers like working in a controlled environment in a studio with control over the lighting. I prefer to work with what I have with minimal lighting and this is something again that I learned in newspaper photography, as you often have to work quick with less gear and one flash, you also can't control the light. I discovered I liked working with people but prefer to let them do their own thing, while I concentrate onto photography and try to capture the moment, as any professional event photographer in Edinburgh would do. So once you decide to specialise, you should decide on a strategy. As a conference and wedding photographer Edinburgh Scotland, I can fully concentrate on event photography Scotland and this is reflected in my strategy. So when you have decided what you want to do, here are a few pointers to get you moving note right direction:
1. Buy the gear you need for the genre you are working in, you can't afford to buy every type of camera and lens for the occasion. Conference photographers in Edinburgh, for instance will go for a fast all round lens, for low light situations indoors and at least zoom up to 200mm. There is no need for a sports lens up to 600mm, however you may want to use a Macro lens and wide angle on some occasions.
2. Network with other photographers in your genre, this is particularly true for wedding photographers, who tend to be involved in a range of networks with people working in the wedding industry.
3. Aim you advertising and SEO key wording strategy on the genre you wish to attract clients for. in the case of conference photographers in Edinburgh, they should contacting event managers and communications departments.
4. See how other people capture your genre and aim to go one better and to provide something totally unique. my USP is my infrared photography and low angled images.
5. Practice and keep training and learning.
Anyway, hope this helps.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Smart phones and the professional corporate event photographer Edinburgh
Hi Everyone
This blog is a bit different as I am going to move into uncharted territory. As a professional event and conference photographer Edinburgh Scotland, I will always defend professional level cameras against the ever popular smart phone cameras. I still maintain that position, however for the first time ever I have to concede the quality of the cameras on phones has reached a new level and can be used as a effective back up tool for photographers. I already use my phone at conference events in Edinburgh, to transfer images from the camera to my phone and this enables me to send photos to clients half way through the event. This makes photographing conferences in Scotland a lot easier and it is a valuable tool. Having purchased an iphone 13, I feel this is the first phone camera I have used that takes my breath away and it’s not even the best camera by Apple, with the iphone 14 pro even better. I have listed below some of the advantages of this phone and how it can assist professional photographers in Edinburgh.
Professional photographers and the iPhone.
1. The iPhone 13 camera is excellent in low light, with the ability to get get good results hand held and an easy to use exposure adjustment.
2. The portrait mode has some excellent settings to improve the light and create a studio effect, in addition to several other creative modes.
3. The wide angled lens and the ability to zoom in and easily switch to selfie mode is very helpful for event photographers in Edinburgh.
4. The editing mode is very useful and a number of excellent apps are available including the ability to use a professional mobile editing app by Photoshop.
5. There are also some low cost RAW file editing apps available which will assist the professional photographer.
6. Of course the smart phone camera is also useful for other things such as photographing the programme before conference photography in Edinburgh, taking photos of delegates who don’t want to be photographed and taking quick photos as a way to test the light before taking a group photo.
These are just some of the things that can help the professional photographer in Scotland. However I would like to point out that the DSLR camera is still superior when used the right way and the final prints will be better but the smartphone can be a very useful addition for the professional photographer. The other main issue is, it doesn’t look good for us professional photographers if we just have the same tools as the average person. If you are looking for a skilled professional event photographer in Scotland then you are well advised to go with a skilled artist who can utilise the correct light and composition to great effect. It is not all about point and shoot.
So hope this helps and more to come on this subject in future blogs.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Southbank Marina Kirkintilloch
Southbank Marina Kirkintilloch by professional corporate event and conference photographer Edinburgh Scotland Colin Wright
Event photographer Edinburgh, advice for football photographers
Hi Everyone
As a conference and event photographer in Edinburgh Glasgow and Scotland, I often photograph a number of sports, particularly when I worked with newspapers, covering football, rugby, boxing, hockey, gymnastics and other local sports. I also photograph football regularly for fun for local clubs. As an experienced football photographer, I thought I would do a few tips for football photographers in Edinburgh, so here they are:
1. Position is everything in event, corporate and conference photography and this is even more important for the sports photographer in Edinburgh. For football and this is only if you have the freedom to move, as this is not always the case particularly for big scale professional matches, you should be positioned near the goal where your team are shooting, this depends on who you are covering the game for. The corner flag is a good position, although some photographers like to get behind the goals where they can photograph from the back with the net and ball in focus.
2. Move your body position, crouch down sometimes to change your angle for a more interesting viewpoint.
3. Shoot about 1/800, - 1/1250, that should be about right for football. It will need to be much faster for other sports ie motor racing. If the subject matter is moving towards you, a slower speed should suffice.
4. Whilst you should try and use equipment which has a good rate of frames per second, you should still try and time the shot so you are capturing the most impressive moment. This often means you click the shutter a fraction of a second earlier to capture the action.
5. You need to capture the ball at all times, unless it is a celebration photo.
6. As mentioned above, don’t just shoot the action, capture the crowd, celebrations, anything else happening. This applies to all conferences and event photography, as it is always important to capture these unexpected moments.
7. Take plenty batteries, you will need them for sports photography.
8. Whilst everyone thinks sports photographers need long lenses, this is not so important for football and a zoom from say 70mm up to 300mm should do. You may also want to take a shorter lens in case you need to take a portrait image later on.
9. Try and capture the goals if possible. Also try and get facial expressions and the footballers in the air in mid action, unless you have capture the goal, you should avoid showing the backs of the participants.
10. Lastly enjoy and have a banter with the players and crowd if possible.
Hope all this helps.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Looking for a conference photographer in Edinburgh, go for a professional
Hi Everyone
As a professional event photographer working in Scotland, today we are going to look at why you should hire a professional photographer for your conference in Edinburgh instead of going for that staff member who has a decent camera and has done one or two events in the past. so here are the reasons you should book a photographer for your Glasgow conference:
Why to book a professional event photographer Edinburgh, Scotland
1. A professional photographer should be qualified to work at a high standard, you can check this with them, they may have a formal qualification or have some accreditation from say an organisation like the Royal photographic Society. I know this is no guarantee of great work but it is always better than someone with no formal qualifications and you can always check their website for testimonials and the quality of the photography.
2. A professional conference photographer in Edinburgh will have invested in the right equipment for event photography and will have the time to research the most relevant and up to date gear suitable for the job. They won't just buy the latest gear all the time, as everything they purchase should have a justifiable return on investment.
3. Professionals are accustomed to photographing a large number of events and this essential experience means they are more reliable and less likely to make a mess of your precious conference. You can check on the previous events from their website. This should also give you an idea as to the venues they have attended and the profile of the event, in addition to the style of photographs to ensure the photos meet your requirements.
4. If you pay a professional in any walk of life, they are obligated to provide you with high quality images, someone who does it for free may not feel the same pressure to do a good job, as it is not their paid occupation. Thats not to say they will always do a bad job, it is just a more likely scenario if you go in house.
5. A professional photographer should have Public Liability and Public Indemnity Insurance and in some cases depending on the subject matter, a Disclosure Scotland certificate. This gives you some legal comeback in the unlikely event of anything going wrong.
6. A conference or event can cost thousands and the cost of an event photographer in Scotland is a small price to pay for the one lasting thing you will keep after the event. The photos can be used for a variety of purposes, including brochures, annual reports and posters and the professional photographer can assist in resizing and other important editing considerations after the event. The overall image of your company is at stake if you display results that are less than professional, just for the sake of saving a few pounds.
7. Employing a professional from outside your organisation always looks more professional than just using Jimmy from Accounts who is into photography. You will also be able to establish a long term relationship with a professional conference photographer Scotland for your future events, which could be valuable for the image of your company.
8. A professional photographer in Scotland will act in a manner that is good for the image of your company, they will have the right personality, know how to interact with delegates and when to remain in the background and when to assist at the event and this will help create a good impression of your organisation. They will have long term skills and experience that makes them a master at the cart of event photography in Edinburgh Glasgow and throughout Scotland and this will give you peace of mind for the big day.
Hope this helps and keep in mind this applies to all events including for wedding photographers in Scotland, award ceremony photographers and sports photography in Scotland.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotogrpahy.co.uk