Hi Everyone 

I thought I would do a quick blog post today to expand on a previous blog about the use of mobile phones for photography.  As a professional landscape and event photographer Edinburgh Scotland, I use my phone like anyone else but now it is a vital tool for the photographer.  Although I would never use it on its own for a professional commission, I have started to create printable art work as a back up or when I don’t have a camera and I regularly use it for social and family photography, in addition to editing.  With the ability to transfer photos to your phone through the Canon app, I can now select, sort and edit photos on my phone.  This is a valuable tool for photographers.  I also take photos if I have a quick 20 minutes or so to spare and this is the photo shown below.  So yes all photographers can make use of a phone, especially if you learn how to use it as a valuable tool, making use of the different lenses, exposure settings and studio feature.  So here we are, but don’t worry I haven’t thrown away my cameras yet.  Next week we will look at why the camera is still king.

Until next time.

Kind Regards

Colin 

www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk

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

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