Hi Everyone
Today I am going to look at how event and conference photographers in Edinburgh can effectively market themselves to the wider public and to Communications Departments in Scotland and throughout the UK.
First of all you have to make up your mind who your target market is. Are you doing weddings, then Facebook is a good source for you, also Instagram, whereas if you are marketing as a conference photographer in Edinburgh, then you will want to use LinkedIn and probably Instagram, as Facebook tends to be used more for the general public, so for instance if you are a dog photographer in Scotland then you should use Facebook, whereas a newspaper and event photographer Glasgow you would be advised to use LinkedIn. There are a wide range of other social media platforms and I am far from an expert in this area but that gives you a rough idea where to start.
Other areas for consideration, are obviously your website, make sure it showcases your best work and is professional looking. There are a number of platforms to consider such as Square Space, Zenfolio and Wix, or you may wish to build it up through Word Press. The main thing is it demonstrates your experience and shows you are a bespoke photographer working in Scotland. You will need to ensure you are featured on Google Business and that you do all you can to improve your SEO for your website. Keep doing your blogs, link to other organisations and link your social media accounts to your website. Another effective source of improving your business is through networking groups, where you can increase your exposure locally and nationally with other businesses. Having other photographer friends is also a good idea, especially if you do weddings or other event photography commissions in Scotland, as they may be able to assist you in big jobs, or act as a back up if you are ever I’ll. it’s also a good idea to keep updating your training, especially in photoshop and other software. Keep up to date with the new equipment on the go and keep checking your own gear regularly, but only buy new equipment if you think it will help you on a commission. Keep updating your website and communicate regularly with your potential customers on social media. If you are ever invited to talk about your photography, then always do so, everyone is a potential customer of the future, you may also enjoy it.
So I hope all that helps to get you started on your way to being a professional photographer in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Hi Everyone
Today I am going to look at which lenses are best for which situation. As an event photographer in Edinburgh and someone who photographs conferences around Scotland, I have to make sure I have the right lenses for the occasion. If I photograph sport, I need longer lenses but not necessary beyond 200-300mm, although it’s good to have up to 400mm, hoewever you may want a shorter length if you are photographing football behind the goals, same with rugby. Also do you need fast expensive lenses for sport, not necessarily unless you are working in Low light or floodlit areas.
For wedding and conference photographers in Edinburgh, which are the best lenses, well that depends again on the light, you will however benefit from a zoom lens say 24-70mm for instance, also something a bit longer up to 200mm but probably not more. If you want to do some macro work at weddings then a macro lens may be useful, but overall you are best to minimise it, as you don’t want to be dragging a whole load of gear around all day, weddings are tiring enough without that. Should you go prime or zoom, well that depends again on the light, prime lenses are better in low light and you tend to get a faster lens for your money, however you lose that versatility that you have with zooms. I like prime lenses when I am photographing conferences in Edinburgh, as I can use them to good effect when someone is speaking on the podium, then use my zoom for the candid photos. Usually an 80mm prime lens is ideal for conferences. Also you can often take more lenses if you are shooting mirrorless due to the smaller size of the new lenses. For landscapes you want a wide angle such as 24 or 28mm at least, or even less ie 16-18mm. If you want to get all arty a fish eye or 10mm lens may be ideal for these whacky photos.
So I hope all this helps, happy photo shooting.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Hi Everyone
Out at the weekend photographing a wedding at Citation Glasgow. As an event photographer Edinburgh and Glasgow, It’s good to get back into wedding photography after a reduced number of weddings during the pandemic. The venue at Citation Glasgow was excellent and the wedding couple were fantastic. Photographs will follow once the couple have given their permission. Also at the weekend, I managed some infrared photography at my old home in Dunbar East Lothian. The weather was perfect for it, with sun, clouds and plenty detail for infrared photography in Scotland. Getting back to weddings, here are a few tips for wedding photographers in Scotland.
1. Preparation is key, check all your gear, make sure you get there in plenty of time, arrange for food and know all your timings on the day.
2. Have a strict timetable for the day and try to stick with it, but remember to take lots of candid shots.
3. Keep an eye on your camera settings, changing your speed, ISO and aperture depending on light and also your white balance for indoor and outdoor shooting.
4. Use few lenses but bring 2 cameras. I use a 24-70mm, 70-210mm and an 85mm, sometimes a 50mm standard lens or 40mm, plus one flash with a modifier or of camera.
5. Make sure you cover every crucial part ie arrival, ceremony, speeches, cake cutting and first dance.
So enjoy and until next time, I will leave you with an infrared photo from Dunbar.
Kind Regards
Colin
Hi Everyone
In todays blog I am going to examine the new landscape that professional photographers live in and as an event photographer in Edinburgh, Scotland, I will be looking at how this effects me and other professional photographers in Scotland. As we all know new technology has taken away some of the craft in the profession. You no longer have to be a skilled darkroom operator, just a computer geek. New cameras can operate brilliantly in low light, which means you don’t have to be so skilled using flash and lighting systems. Auto modes can take excellent shots and even camera phone images are usable for commercial purposes and there are numerous filters and pre-sets that can help you capture that brilliant shot. So why should you employ a professional event photographer in Scotland for your conference photography in Edinburgh, well first of all you are hiring people with lots of experience, who can operate under pressure and who shoot a good number of excellent images, not just cherry picking a few for the camera club. Professionals will have benefited from extensive trading in using their camera and also editing, particularly with Photoshop. A professional photographer knows how to deal with the clients and has an eye for the perfect image, particularly the composition skills and lighting, they can also create something that little bit special and can deliver the results quickly, oh and while camera phones have improved, the small censor still has limitations for printing photos and enlarging them, but they are good for a back up.
So remember it pays to hire a professional photographer for your conference in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Hi Everyone
For my blog today I am going to look at some top tips for wedding photographers in Scotland and how this links in with conference photographers in Edinburgh and Glasgow. As an event photographer in Glasgow and Edinburgh, I am often asked what my favourite event is from the perspective of a photographer and I can honestly say it is very difficult to have a favourite, they all have their advantages and different creative challenges but overall, event photography gives me a buzz. you don't really know what is going to happen next and you derive a lot of satisfaction from providing some joy to the clients after the event to remind them of the day, or weekend. When I photograph conferences in Scotland, I am trying to tell a story, to create a series of unique images that summarise the day and to show the emotions and different stages of the event. Now whilst we all know wedding photography is totally unique, it does have some basic rules that apply to other types of event photography in Scotland, including conferences and even sport. So here are just some tips because wedding photography requires a lot of practice and dedication. So here we go:
1. Whilst there are set images the client has asked you to capture, you should at all times of the day, be trying to capture emotions and in the case of weddings that emotion will be joy, if you can do this, you are half way to producing some good images.
2. Know the venue and timings inside out well before the big day, so you have an idea where and when you will shoot specific situations.
3. Take 2 cameras and 2 of everything really but don't overdo the lenses, you will only have to carry them around with you and you could get stressed worrying about someone helping themselves to your equipment. You will need a zoom, wide angle and maybe a macro.
4. Get to know the couple in advance, so they are not strangers to you on the day and let them know what is expected of them, including any worries they may have.
5. Look after your memory cards like they are gold dust, use twin slot memory card cameras if you can.
6. Don't forget to take close ups of the details ie favours, flowers, ribbons on dresses etc. The couple have paid good money for these things and it is good to have a few reminders in their photos.
7. Don't panic, if you prepare in advance everything will be fine and try not to rush, just make sure you don't miss the key moments ie bride and groom exchanging rings, father and bride coming down the isle etc. I usually find that I can relax a bit once the couple have been married and they are also then more relaxed and therefor more likely to look good in the photographs.
8. Be polite to the guests, they are close friends and relatives of the couple after all, but do not be scared to assert yourself if necessary ie if they are standing in the way trying to photograph the wedding couple with their phones.
9. Take a number of photos of the same thing, just to make sure you have a few in focus, you won't have much time to check your screen, this also applies to conference photographers and event photographers in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Scotland.
10. Finally, enjoy the day, if you can enjoy the wedding and you feel part of the day, then the photos will benefit and your clients will be very happy.
Anyway, hope that helps, more wedding photography tips and some conference photography advice coming soon.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk