Month: May 2017

iPad Generation This image of mine won the Rosebowl Trophy two years ago. It was a tough competition as many entries were by highly qualified members of the Royal Photographic Society. I find street photography very enjoyable though it doesn’t provide me with a source of income, it hasn’t so far and it’s not often you come across situations where your subject is completely unaware of you and you have a few moments in which you can grab the shot. May be if you are using a long telephoto lens but not when you are using a 35mm lens. It was a pleasant summer’s evening and music was being played by a small band in a hall. This young lady came and sat down in front of me on the carpet and got out her iPad. She was not only very attractive, but she was beautifully lit by downlighting ceiling lamps, separating her from the dark surroundings. The illumination of the iPad screen lit her face. I got out my Fuji X100 and fired a few shots. I didn’t want her or other people sitting around me to know that I was taking photos. So, I quickly fired a few shots without raising the camera to my eye or staring at the LCD monitor. Years of experience came in useful as I lined up the camera by guesswork. The image...

  Unless your friends have recommended a great photographer, finding a wedding photographer can be quite a daunting task. It’s obviously really important to make the right choice! A few years ago there were just a handful of wedding photographers to choose from. Not so anymore. These days everyone is a photographer and many hobbyists have set themselves up as wedding photographers without adequate training. All too often I hear couples expressing disappointment about the wedding photos. They are sometimes given over a thousand images, many of them being a second grade or rejects. Others being too dark and worse, their photographer failed to capture some important shots. As it’s all too late to do anything about it, busy couples just put up with it. So how do you go about booking the wedding photographer for your memorable day? Price alone, though a significant factor, should not be the main criteria. 1Meet with the photographer and look at his work, his wedding albums and other display products. Alternatively, make a Skype call with them. Interpersonal skills are vital at weddings.Bossy and rude photographers can ruin your day and upset guests. I am not exaggerating. It does happen. Do you like his style of photography – posing, lighting, the look of their wedding photos? 2Find out what training they have had in wedding photography. Professionals invest a lot of their...

Lighting bride or groom creatively always produces pleasant images. At weddings, photographers have to work fast and in the UK we can never be sure of the weather. It can suddenly get overcast and the light levels just drop. We, therefore, have to be skilled and equipped with the right tools to be able to shoot in any lighting conditions. At the recent SWPP trade show, Rick Friedman demonstrates how you can use wirelessly controlled speedlights with Westcott light modifiers and Pocketwizard IV to create pleasant modelling light. Here Rick is working with an experienced model Georgia. I can’t say I learned anything new and I use a similar set up myself but it’s always inspiring to see other professionals at...

The challenge of photographing large groups I am used to photographing a large group at weddings but it’s always a challenge. Most hotels and wedding venues let you go to the floor above that provides a fantastic vantage point. I don’t like height so ladders are out of the question. Some years ago I photographed a wedding at Wotton House in Surrey. The shot below was taken from a hill close to the flat lawn and, as you can see, it provided a perfect vantage point. I am blessed with a loud enough voice to communicate to the group. My wife, who jus my assistant at weddings, ensures that the large group is not spread out. For some reasons people do that otherwise. However, sometimes we don’t have either of the above two options mentioned above. I am not good with ladders and also they can be cumbersome to manoeuvre if you have access to them. So, I came up with this idea and this is where Fuji XT-1 and XT-2 are invaluable. I used my Portaflash LS-35 Studio Lighting stand and mounted the lightweight but sturdy head from MeFoto Q1 head. I then raised the camera up about 9ft high on the stand and...