Hi All
I thought as we are approaching an ease in the lockdown regulations that this would be a good moment to talk about the benefits of having more time to concentrate on personal photographic projects. As a professional fine art and corporate event photographer working in Edinburgh and around Scotland, my event photography work has been a bit non-existant recently, although there are signs things are starting to pick up.
One of the advantages of this situation is that you are forced to concentrate on something fairly local and this restriction can be a good thing, as you have to think in a more micro way, concetrating on the small details of the place you live. How many of us dont visit what is around us. I think I visited Edinburgh Castle once in my lifetime, yet it is the first thing a visitor to the city would do. My infrared work has been a saviour during this time and I have had the luxury of being able to concetrate on small photography projects. I have visited a lot of harbours recently and each harbour is different and has its own individual challenges and cretive possiblities. On a recent visit to Eyemouth Harbour, I noticed reflections onteh watter, casued by a combination of light and oil in the water, I wondered how this would look in infrared and the results are shown on my website, with a photo attached to this blog. Photography has proved good for my mental health during this time and also forced me to stop thinking of getting new equipment, as I have no money anyway, I have been aiming to use my existing gear even more effectively. I have a wedding photography commission due next month and some motor sport event photography in Scotland, but all this is still in a bit of doublt at the moment, so we shall wait and see. Until then, there will be plenty of time for infrared photography and special projects.
Until next time, stay safe.
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
www.edinburghphotogrpaher.com
Hi All
One of the challenging things for professional corporate event photographers in Edinburgh and around Scotland during this lockdown has been how to best utilise our time without travelling as much as we would like. The irony is that with more time we would tend to travel to photograph different destinations but the lockdown has forced most of us to concentrate on the subjects close to home and try to see things from a different perspective. I managed to re-visit a few of my favourite local subjects, such as waves, the kittiwake chicks in Dunbar, bees and other local landmarks, but this time I tried to do it from a different perpective and often photographed subjects in infrared that I had previously never tackled before ie with the birds and insects for instance. There is also an opportunity to perfect a particular subject through repitition and to experiment when you wouldn't otherwise have the time, just keeping your eye in is good enough, so that when you return to some professional event or coprorate photography work, you are not rusty and you will be raring to go. I have also tried out a lot of new tricks and techniques with my software. given that we probably only use about 20% of the capability of our software, especially with a programme as extensive as Photoshop, we sould at least try new things to offer a different perspective to our clients. So keep the creative juices flowing and dont let this situation get you down. I know its easier said than done but we will hopefully come out of this as better photographers. I for one know I will have a more extensive library of fine art photography images once this is all over.
So, until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
www.edinburghphotographer.com
Hi All
Now for something a bit different. As a corporate and event photographer, operating in Edinburgh, East Lothian and throughout Scotland, freelance photography work is starting to come back again and I just finished a commercial corporate job recently photographing a classy Range Rover car for a Luxury Car Chauffeur business, which was great fun. However, I have had a bit more time on my hands and have managed a few projects that I would have found difficult otherwise due to lack of time. Many years ago, I photographed the kittiwake chicks in Dunbar Harbour and it has been a few years since I have returned. This year, however, I have manged a few days photographing the chicks just after hatching and the related activity that you get during this time. It is interesting watching the parents fetch the fish for the little ones and seeing how they rapidly grow - some of them are a bit like teenagers by now. It is a challenging subject to photograph as you have to be quick. You need a long lens but there is no space for a tripod, so you have to hand hold, which can be very tiring on your arms and your neck hurts from looking up alll the time. However, as lomg as you keep alert and shoot at a fast speed to combat camera shake, it is well worth it in the end. If you are patient enough and stay for at least an hour, the birds get used to you and trust you more, which means they are more likely to behave naturally. Anyway there are lots of pictures on my website in the Miscellaneous section, in addition to the one with this blog. Hopefully some of the corporate event photography commissions and weddings in East Lothian, Edinburgh and around Scotland, will start to commence soon.
Anyway, until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
www.edinburghphotographer.com
Hi Everyone
I have my first commission tomorrow after 3 months of virtual lockdown. After a whole load of corporate event and conference photography bookings were cancelled, it's good to get back to doing what I love ie being a professional photographer working in and around Edinburgh and throughout Scotland. Tomorrow i will be in my home county of East Lothian, where I will be photographing a classic car as a promotion next to Scotland's golf coast around this great county. I will be at Archerfield, Dirleton, Dunbar and Musselburgh Golf Club, I cant wait. I know some photographers who have taken a different approach during lockdown and who haven't really continued to shoot during this very difficult period, but although I had my moments of depression like everyone else, I have to keep taking photos and never failed to be motivated. My personal infrared project has also flourished during this time and I have made good progress on my infrared book, as well as providing a lot of new material for the publication. I also have extended my photography of harbours and waves and tried a topic new to infrared for me, namely photographing bees and insects in infrared. So all in all its been eventful, but i am eager to get back to some commercial PR and corporate photography and hopefully tomorrow will be the start of more to come. I hopefully have some motor sport photography in August and a wedding in September, so things are starting to look up.
Anyway, watch this space for more to come. Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
www.edinburghphotography.com
Hi Everyone
Like a lot of businesses, as a professional freelance photographer who normally photographs events and corporate conferences around Edinburgh and throughout Scotland, in addition to fine art photography, I have had to look at fresh markets and projects during this difficult time. However from a positive point of view, this has also enabled me to explore new ideas and extend existing initiatives that I previously had to delay due to lack of time. I have always liked photographing harbours around Scotland, nothing new in that, I hear you say and you would be right, however, this time, I am only photographing them in infrared. The harbours in question will all be located in Scotland and will include colour and infrared photos. The harbours in infrared photos include: Dunbar, Port Seton, Eyemouth, Cove Bay, St Abbs, Crail and Skye. The ones not located in East Lothian or the Borders were taken before lockdown.
So what considerations should I take into account when photographing harbours in infrared. Here they are below, for what it’s worth:
1. The usual rules for infrared photography apply ie sunshine for the best photos, as near to mid-day as possible, although on one occasion it was foggy and I still managed a few good shots
2. Check the tides, the harbour will look totally different without water and when it is shallow
3. Try and go when there is a higher likelihood of boats, ie get to know when the fishermen go out
4. Try and get the old boats in the photo ie the ones with character that look great in Infrared
5. Clouds are great for harbour photos with a blue sky backdrop to give that infrared contrast that we all love
6. Don’t just photograph the boats, there are, seagulls, nets, ropes, engines and even seals and otters in some harbours. I haven’t photographed an otter in a harbour yet, but I have managed a seal or two
7. Don’t stand too close to the edge and pay attention, I haven’t fallen in, but I did injure myself when I was concentrating too hard on the photo and not on the ground I front of me
8. Take a normal camera with you also, you may just catch a photo that needs conventional equipment
9. Don’t be frightened to include people now and again. They will help to tell a story
10. Vary your angles and vantage points for something different. You may want to be down at a low level or overlooking the harbour from above, but the main thing is to try and get something new and original
Hope this helps.
Until next time.
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
www.edinburghphotographer.com