Hi Everyone
Today we are going to briefly look at the Unique Selling Point (USP) which all the best photographers will have. What exactly is your USP and how can it help you. Well, the reason it will help you is mainly due to the crowded market that the photographic industry is. It is not the only industry like this but it has become more so in recent times, particularly since the introduction of the digital camera and the the expansion of the internet, with the millions of photos around for all to see. So what can a conference and event photographer working in Scotland do to be seen. Well there are the obvious things like developing a good website, improving your SEO, marketing your business, but whilst all these things are essential, you have to make sure the product is first class and providing bespoke conference photos for your clients is a good place to start.
In actual fact USP is just another term for being a bit different and providing something unique for your clients., this will then help them to project a unique impression for their product, whether it is a physical object on sale or a service, depicted in the form of a conference photograph. As a photographer you should always try new things, from this starting point you will eventually find a style which is unique and gives your clients something a bit different. I like to catch the speakers at key moments, using unusual angles and even using infrared photography for some outdoor images at events, especially wedding photography photos in Scotland. I also emphasise the candid moments and utilise props such as clipboards, computer screens, phones etc. Your photos should capture what is going on, especially the emotional aspects, this is why football photographers in Scotland are on their guard after a goal, to capture the joy of the celebration. So practice, find a style that suits and apply it again and again and remember that whilst you must supply the client with what they require, you should never be frightened to experiment.
The attached photo was taken at from conference photography in Edinburgh three and a half years ago.
Hope this helps. Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
Hi Everyone
Starting to get back into the swing of things in the New Year like everyone else. Planning and sorting out your strategy for the year ahead should be the main priority for event and conference photographers in Scotland at this time of year. There is often a a slow start for some businesses in January and for conference photographers in Edinburgh Scotland, things are already a bit slow to start due to the effect of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. So what I usually do is take myself out into the landscape and get some infrared and landscape photography in Scotland and use the time to think about what investments are required and any new marketing plans for the year. I have already purchased a laptop at the beginning of the year which will enable me to edit high resolution images due to the impressive RAM of the machine I purchased. It is always good to have at least 16g RAM for editing all these event and conference photography images in Edinburgh and this should make my job a lot easier. I also plan to activate my other website at edinburghphotographer.com in the near future. At the weekend I visited Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and I managed some landscape and infrared photography on the day, even though the weather wasn’t exactly ideal, photo attached. It’s good to get out and about with my infrared camera after a recent spell getting it repaired.
Anyway more to co e soon. Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
Hi Everyone
This will probably be my last blog before Christmas so I thought I would look at what the average professional conference and event photographer in Edinburgh, Glasgow and throughout Scotland actually does over the festive period. I have in the past worked over Christmas and New Year, especially when I was a newspaper photographer in East Lothian and Edinburgh, covering festive events, New Year dips into the sea etc. I also had a portrait photoshoot in East Lothian on Boxing Day. However with most Christmas parties over by this time, I try and use the time to get in some landscape and infrared photography in Scotland and this year I will be away for a couple of days at Arrochar in Argyll which weather permitting, which will give me an opportunity to get in some photography at this excellent location and if all else fails I will just chill out in a great place.
So what else can the corporate photographer Edinburgh do over Christmas. You can prepare a number of things but the list below is a starter for the event photographer in Scotland.
Event and conference photographer Edinburgh Scotland - strategy for 2023.
1. Look at your calendar for event photographer jobs in the coming year, identify gaps and timing challenges.
2. Check your IT and software, does it need cleaning up, do you need to finally update your computer or printer or both.
3. Check all your equipment and prioritise any future purchases for the year based on the return on your investment. Don’t buy a lens for the sake of it, only buy according to your needs and if you are asked to do a commission and you feel a new piece of equipment could help, then that may be the time to buy.
4. Use the time to update you training online and knowledge, there are many courses and videos online that can help even long term professional conference photographers in Edinburgh.
5. Plan how you will market your business, who are your client base, can they be reached through social media and if so what type of social media is more suitable. I find LinkedIn is best for business clients and Instagram and Facebook for personal customers, but as we all know there are many other platforms. Find which ones are best for you and your client base.
6. Think about giving yourself a new challenge in a genre you haven’t preciously photographed much. I started taking infrared photos from a converted camera about 8 years ago and haven’t looked back.
7. Reflect on the previous year on has worked well and what didn’t and plan to overcome the area that didn’t work so well and improve even further in your strong areas.
Anyway, hope that helps.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Hi Everyone
I thought I would do a quick blog on how I have been getting on with the Canon R6 and the 100-400mm lens I recently purchased with a view to using for event photography in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Scotland. I have only used it for sports photography and general usage so far but I know how it will be able to help me with conference and event photography in Scotland and so far but my first impressions are good. Let’s start with the R6.
Canon R6 for the conference and event photographer Scotland.
Pros:
Excellent focus improvements for the Canon R, with better face recognition and fast frames per second for sports photographers in Scotland.
Outstanding ISO performance in low light. The R was good but this is even better, with very little noise even at super high settings.
Focus bracketing facility which was not available on the R but was on the RP for some strange reason.
At last, twin card slots, an essential for the professional conference photographer in Scotland.
Better touch screen than in previous models.
The HDR mode is much improved with more realistic outcomes.
Better battery life.
Excellent image stabilising built into camera.
Cons:
Only 20.1 pixels, which is enough for most photographers to be honest, but maybe not for landscape.
A bit pricey considering the pixel count and a new version is already available.
New R lenses still with some gaps compared to the selection of previous Canon R lenses and whilst the old Canon L lenses work with an adapter, you are still better with lenses tailored for the R cameras and they are pretty expensive.
Canon 100-200 mm lens
Pros:
Great focussing and tracking for sport.
Although the lens is not designed for really low light like some of the far more expensive L lenses, it can work well in low light conditions due to the fantastic ISO performance of the R6.
Works great with R6 focussing speed.
Compact and can be used hand held without a tripod or monopod.
Good value for money.
Cons:
The lens is a bit stiff and can bea problem when photographing subjects moving towards you, the zoom won’t move fast enough. I thought this may have just been my lens but the other one in the shop was the same. Maybe this will improve in time.
Not so good in low light, due to aperture, but still good value.
Not too robust ie a lot of plastic is involved and may not look the part for the professional who feels they have to turn up with gigantic lenses, especially for sport.
Thats it, my quick overview of the Canon R6 and the 100-400 zoom lens for the conference photographer Scotland. Hope it helps.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
Hi Everyone
As a professional event and conference photographer Edinburgh Glasgow and throughout Scotland, I tend to work indoors, however not all my work is indoors and as a newspaper photographer in Lothian, I had to drive to locations in severe weather, then to often work outside. I have also photographed sport, bungee jumping, weddings and supercars in the snow, so I know my way round bad weather. So what tips are there for professional photographers in severe weather. Here they are below:
1. Make sure you are dressed for it, prepare for the worst conditions. Event photographers in Scotland should be ready for ever changeable weather, even in the summer. So wrap up and make sure you car is also prepared for the weather. As a landscaper photographer in Scotland, I have often had to drive in all sort of locations and a healthy car is just about as important as a healthy photographer.
2. In bad weather, you won’t be able to take so many shots, your subjects won’t want to hang about, I had this at a wedding photography assignment once and I had to make the photos count, as the couple couldn’t stand for too long. This applies to all outdoor event photography in Scotland in the winter, or even in the summer sometimes.
3. It is even more important to check your gear when the weather is bad. You will also need more batteries and you won’t want to be changing lenses as much due to time constraints, so pack that zoom.
4. Take care of your gear, I once damaged a lens as I had in appropriate footwear whilst doing sports photography in Edinburgh once. I tried to get a good vantage point on a snowy hill and went flying. Use waterproof protection when required and a lens hood.
5. Always check the weather forecast and plan accordingly. It may be better to take the train rather than drive if possible, check on Twitter regarding any weather issues. I used to use this as my method of determining the football and rugby cancellations when working as a newspaper photographer Scotland. If the weather is due to be terrible, as an event photographer in Edinburgh, Scotland, you should contact the client. In the case of sport, will the event be cancelled. For wedding photographers in Scotland, have a chat with the couple about a revised programme of photos, given the bad weather. Finally, leave earlier than normal. The professional photographer should never be late for a commission.
Hope that helps. These tips may sound obvious, but I bet there are cases up and down the country where people have been caught out failing to take the above suggestions into account.
Anyway, until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk