As an infrared photographer in Scotland, I am always looking for new subjects to photograph and as we all know outdoor infrared photography in Scotland needs sunshine, so the majority of photos will be taken in the summer, when we have more light. Not good if you are in Scotland I hear you say. Not necessarily so, the light at this time of year can be intense midday. Also there are less people walking around when it’s cold, which will give you more opportunity for a remote atmospheric shot, apart from the occasional walker and their dog (the enemy of the outdoor landscape photography). The misconception about infrared is that you need trees and flowers in full bloom and you can only take photos in the summer.
I won’t go into too much detail at this stage (more detail to follow at a later date) why the following subjects are good to photograph in infrared, suffice, it’s not all about trees and the following subjects worked for me, so here we go:
Anything with green foliage, ie that goes for grass, trees etc
Tree branches out of season
Reflections on water, particularly trees
Metal objects, although watch out for the direction of the sun and its effect on the metal surface
Buildings with glass, again, its their reflective properties which make the shot
Clouds mixed with blue skies
People, particularly performers
Cars and planes, their metallic properties make them ideal for infrared photography
If you can mix a few of the above subjects into one image, even better. Anyway, happy shooting,
Until next time.
Colin
Colin Wright Photography
Hi All
Back into the swing of things for the New Year. I have started to do a few articles on my blog, which are linked into my Linkedin account, some are on event and corporate photography in Scotland and some on the subject of infrared photography in East Lothian and Scotland. I have an equine photoshoot coming up in March, looking forward to that and a conference photography event in Edinburgh soon, in addition to some newspaper photography work in Midlothian and Edinburgh. I was on my first newspaper PR photography commission of the New Year in Midlothian at the weekend. All the sport was cancelled due to the weather, boo hoo, but I still attended a couple of events for the Midlothian Advertiser, one of these was a Family Fun charity event at Newbattle Church in Newtongrange. The photo I will eave you with is from the Newtongrange Silver Band. Well done guys great sound, hope I wasnt too disruptive when I took your photo.
Just looking out the window, the sun is coming out, as an infrared photographer in Scotland, I can feel a photo or two coming on.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
Colin Wright Photography
Commissioning Controlled or Uncontrolled Environment Photographers and why it is Important
As an event photographer in Scotland, I am largely commissioned to photograph outdoor events, such as football, rugby, bungee jumping, motor sports etc. I also love doing fine art, landscape, street photography and photographing my kids playing outdoors. In addition, I photograph conferences and weddings indoors, but even then I prefer situations where I have no control over the environment. Whilst photographers tend to do commissioned work for both, it’s fair to say that most of us concentrate and prefer either a controlled or uncontrolled environment.
So what are the characteristics of these two types of photographers and how are they different. Generally, the vast majority of outdoor shots are unplanned and not pre-determined before the event. The photographer also in this uncontrolled environment usually has no influence over what will happen next and they thrive on this type of photoshoot, whereas the studio photo photographer prefers an environment where he or she can control the lighting, background, facial expression etc. Although largely an outdoor photographer, my favourite type of indoor photography is conferences, as they are mainly uncontrolled environment events, which involves photographing the speakers/workshop participants etc. This leads me on to different personality types, with some people preferring the unexpected and unplanned, while others prefer complete control. Some commissioned work can be a mixture of the two, ie newspaper photography and weddings, but even then, the photographer’s preference for one or the other will usually be shine through.
Why is all this important to a business, because you should be looking to commission a photographer, who closely matches your requirements. How can you do this, by looking for controlled or uncontrolled environment images in their portfolios. The last thing you want is an uncomfortable photographer outside his or her comfort zone. You don’t have to ask the question outright, as the images should demonstrate the skills of the photographer. Anyway, good luck, I will leave you with a classic uncontrolled environment image.
Colin
Colin Wright Photography
Hi Everyone
Happy New Year. Just back from a trip to Germany and ready to tackle the New Year with some big event and corporate photography in Edinburgh over the next week or two and some newspaper photography in Midlothian, Scotland. As an event photographer in Edinburgh, things start to pick up at the end January as people come out of their festive slumber and I am looking forward to some conference photography in Scotland. I will leave you with an infrared photograph taken in snow filled Germany. I rather like the way the snow has come out in infrared.
Anyway, until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
Colin Wright Photography
Hi Everyone
As its the holiday season, and I am normally a freelance corporate and event photographer out and about in Edinburgh or Scotland, I figured today would be a good time to do a short post looking at the important, but often slightly boring issue of preparing your gear for event photoshoots. Why is this important, because, after your skills as a photographer, or probably even more important, is that you must ensure nothing can go wrong on the day. If you lose all your photos you may as well leave the country, due to the long term effect on your reputation
Anyway here are my top 5 preparation tips
1. Have at least two of everything, this includes flash cameras, a choice of lenses. Every bit of equipment is capable of failing. It goes without saying you will need loads of batteries, chargers etc.
2. Check your settings and have them all prepared the day before, you may have time to arrange for replacements if anything goes wrong. If you have a dual card slot in you camera, use it. This once saved my life at a conference photography event in Edinburgh when one of the cards broke when I took it out after a full days shooting. Oh and make sure you change the settings on your camera to record to both cards
3. This may sound obvious but as an experienced outdoor photographer in Scotland , prepare all your waterproof clothing etc the day before. Don't be fooled by the seasons, this is Scotland after all. I photograph supercar events around Edinburgh and East Lothian and we had better weather in November and December than in July and August. Remember rain is the enemy protect your camera and yourself. 7 hours in the rain can effect your sanity and health - be prepared
4. Make a list of things you need and tick it off. It is so easy to forget one crucial item. If you forget a lens cloth or a flash diffuser for instance it could have a profound effect on your photos
5. Gauge the equipment you need for each job and make sure you take only what you need. This also helps you to visualise what you intend to do on the day, in addition to ensuring you don't take too much gear. I am getting on in the years now and don't want back trouble due to taking too much gear on the job. It also makes it easier to find the correct equipment when you need it, without getting into a flap
Anyway hope this helps. I am of to do some infrared photography in Scotland next week and some newspaper photography in Midlothian, as well as an equine photoshoot in January. See you soon and have a good new year
Kind Regards
Colin
Colin Wright Photography