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