Hi All
Now as we all know digital photography has changed the way we approach corporate photography commissions and as a professional specialist conference photographer operating in Edinburgh and around Scotland, it is vital to keep up with the times, particularly the changing expectations of today's clients. Here are a few things to be aware of:
1. Often conferences are based in multiple locations on the one day, so while you may need different equipment for different purposes, it is vital that you keep the gear down to a sensible level keeping you mobile
2. The length of the day is much longer, particularly for private sector photoshoots, so keep your energy up, make sure you keep well fed and watered (preferably by the client)
3. You will take more shots nowadays, gone are the days when you need to supply the client with a handful of shots, it will be hundreds now, so keep snapping and take some arty ones, even if they haven't asked for this, they will almost certainly like them
4. Make sure you are clear about the clients expectations before the start of the event, don't just assume its the same as an event you did recently, they are all different
5. Your personality is very important, you are not just a photographer in the background. The days of the rude wedding and event photographer are over, be nice but be natural and enthusiastic, remember we are privileged to be doing a great job for a living
Anyway, that's all for now, hope it helps.
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
www.edinburghphotographer.com
Hi All
This blog is really about 2 different issues involved in infrared photography. The first one, as a professional photographer from Edinburgh, Scotland, I always ask myself, what exactly do I want to achieve as an end result for this photo, ie the pre-visualisation aspect of photography. Now this is where infrared photography differs from other types of photography, in that the images look nothing like they do on the camera screen, its almost a bit like the film days when you had no idea what the final image would look like and pre-visualisation was vital. However, the point I am trying to make in this case is sometimes when I shoot infrared I want a realistic black and white photograph and not a weird white tree shot or over the top colours and this is where infrared is fantastic, as the contrast, structure and dynamic range is excellent. In this case I went up Arthur Seat in Edinburgh and shot mainly with the intention to get dramatic black and white images. Let me know what you think, there is one attached to this blog and 3 on the website. The other point I wanted to make was something I keep drilling on about and especially for black and white photography - its the importance of the sky and this photo wouldn't work without the cloud detail in the sky. Clouds like this actually excite me.
Anyway, of to my final conference photography commission of the year later this week.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
https://www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk/p304082559
www.edinburghphotographer.com
Hi All
I have just purchased a Canon EOS R mirrorless camera which I think will be ideal for my conference photography commissions in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland, particularly with the improved focusing and ISO performance and the ability to shoot silently, always useful for indoor event photographers. However, I thought I would test it a bit at the weekend before using it at a corporate conference photography commission on Thursday this week. As well as shooting indoors for a bit, I thought i would take it outside for some football photography. I didn't buy the camera for this reason but I thought it was still worth it to test it outdoors. As expected, it wasn't suitable for this purpose, however it is a great camera and I look forward to using it at corporate event photography commissions. It also got me thinking that it is good to test ourselves with equipment that is less than ideal for the purpose, it gets you working harder and makes you think about how you can adapt to situations with limited equipment. It was like this for me when I started as I simply couldn't afford more expensive gear, this improved my skills enabling me to adapt to different situations with one lens and to search if something wasn't right, for a solution with my existing gear, rather than just going out and buying something more modern and advanced. This is especially true with lighting and flash systems, there is no need to keep buying more up to date gear, just go out and get to know your existing stuff better. By the way, my recent purchase was a direct response to a need to shoot silently at events and also I am getting older and want to lighten the load on my back.
Anyway happy snapping.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
www.edinburghphotographer.com
Hi Everyone
As I approach the winter conference photography season with a conference photography commission in Edinburgh next week, I thought this would be a good time to reflect on the challenges and new issues facing conference and event photographers. I have been photographing conferences around Scotland for over 15 years and it is an aspect of corporate event photography that I really enjoy. As conferences are mainly held indoors - you may get the occasional outdoor group shot - the development and advances in digital camera equipment is very important for photographers involved in this line of work. I have just purchased a Canon EOS R Mirrorless camera and I cant wait to start using it at conferences. The improved ISO performance over the years has been fantastic for conference photographers, you cant always use flash and in some cases they wont allow flash at all, so you need this facility. One of the reasons I am looking forward to using the EOS R, is the ability to shoot without the loud shutter noise you get from DSLRs. This is vital in conferences as the constant shutter sound can annoy delegates. Smaller cameras are starting to show equal performance with the large DSLRs and this will also make life easier for photographers. I often attend events where some photographers still insist on using large lenses when there is no need. Large gear can intimidate the delegates and there is also an increased risk you could whack one the delegates on the head with your your massive telephoto lens. Wifi enablement can be very useful at conferences and often you are asked right away for images, this can be handy and prevents the need to carry a laptop. The improved focusing and touch screen facilities in new equipment can also be very useful for corporate event photographers. New lighting off camera flash and more portable equipment is also a boost for event photographers. All this means of course that more is expected of us, so you may find yourself working harder now at an event, but this is all good, as there is more scope for creativity and in some cases our job is a bit easier due to the technological improvements.
Hope all this helps, happy snapping.
Until next time.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
www.edinburghphotographer.com
Hi Everyone
Every photographer is different and my time as a professional photographer in Scotland is largely divided between my corporate conference photography commissions in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland and outdoor events, mostly sports photography in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife. So you can imagine that it is fairly seasonal to a certain extent, although I also photograph a number of conferences, award events and student graduation balls during the winter months. There is however, a period between November and the end of February where things slow down a bit. it is probably just as well as I can often work flat out in the spring and summer. Whilst marketing, training and general networking can dominate these winter months in my case, I also ensure there is time for personal projects and the art of photography. Indulging in your passion every now and again is essential for photographers. This year, I plan to extend my infrared photography in Scotland project to try and include some new subjects not normally associated with infrared photography - watch this space. I also want to re-visit my puddle photography in urban areas in Scotland , in addition to a Three City Triangle project encompassing Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, more details soon. Whilst winter is challenging due to lack of light and poor weather, it can be a great time for photography due to lack of crowds, dramatic light and night photography.
So, from next week, all will be clearer, but my advice to you is get outdoors and just go for it in the winter. it will be worth it, I promise.
Kind Regards
Colin
www.colinwrightphotography.co.uk
www.edinburghphotographer.com