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

Hi Everyone

As a professional conference photographer in Edinburgh, Glasgow and throughout Scotland, I have a wide range of experience in photographing events in Scotland and whether you are a wedding photographer in Edinburgh, a sports photographer in Glasgow, or an award ceremony photographer in Scotland, its the same set of rules and all the genres interplay with each other because they all involve uncontrolled photography, although some more than others, sports photography for instance offers less control over what will happen than at a conference photography event.  Rugby can also be a bit easier to predict than football, due to the action remaining in one area for a period of time, as opposed to football when the action can transfer from one part of the pitch to the other, the rules are the same however.  So for what its what its worth, here are some top tips for the event photographer.

1. Do your research, so you can predict as much as possible, with a conference, it is the timing of the speakers and the programme, for sport, you have to develop an understanding of the rules and to be able to predict what will likely happen next and in this case you can learn a lot from watching sport live.

2. Find the key players at the event and communicate with them regularly , in addition to creating a good impression, event photography, with the exception of some sports, is about trust and establishing good relationships, as much as it is about talent.

3. Position is everything and this is true of all types of events, whether you are photographing sport, conferences, birthday parties, or any kind of event, where you stand is crucial.  For instance as a wedding photographer in Glasgow, I once had to constantly assert myself to the amateur snappers, most of them with phones nowadays that my position was the priority and I even had to remind them that the wedding couple would not have been pleased if their photos had been less than perfect due to guests in the way and blocking the professional photographer.

4. Reacting fast is crucial in all event photography commissions, you cant afford to miss the key moments at a wedding, you must pay attention at all times during sport and this also includes when the ball is out of play, you need to watch the crowd, check out the reactions of the participants etc, remember when the famous photo of Eric Cantona was taken for instance.

5. Vary the lenses you use, try wide angle, at a conference to get all the participants in, get down low for rugby, so you are level with the players and you may get that magic try photo, its not all about long lenses, usually up to 300mm is fine and the rest is taken using shorter focal length lenses.

6. Don't forget to capture the emotions and this one is crucial, ie the emotional bride or father in law, the goal celebrations, the speaker at a conference who manages to generate laughter at the event, the list is endless.

7. Break the rules sometimes, try new angles, different gear.  I have used my infrared photography gear as a wedding photographer in East Lothian and Edinburgh and the clients were delighted with the results.

8. Look at what you have done and study where you can improve.

9. Keep your editing as short as possible, cropping and exposure should be your limit for most sports photos, whilst you may get the opportunity to work more on some wedding and conference photos later due to the time involved, but remember time is money, I learnt this as a sports photographer, getting home at night and having to work on the images and send them off right away, there was no time or energy for any fancy stuff.

10. Finally, enjoy it.  I get a buzz from all types of event photography and I usually come away feeling high at the end of the photoshoot.  I also feel I have been part of the event and can't wait to get home to see the results.

So hope that helps.  Until next time.

Kind Regards

Colin

www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk