XMAS & NEW YEAR

Happy Christmas to all of you and fun New Year with a lot of love surrounding you.
We hope you have been nice and will receive presents accordingly. We would like to take this opportunity to inform all our generous couples from 2009 and before, that the best time to work on their coffee table book will be in January. Be in touch with us in order to obtain an estimate. We wish you all the best, and would like to thank you once more for your custom and trust. Many many thanks. You are keeping 2exposures alive despite the recent troubled waters.

ANSWERS TO A STUDENT part 2

Early student years Rayogram.
copyright David Boulogne


Here continues a discussion I am having with a student from Leeds University (see article 1 December 2009). He said he wanted to become a wedding photographer. So I asked him few more questions, ...


Hi sorry for the late reply hope this is some use to you and I feel as though I might get slaughtered by you. Been busy with my dissertation I completely forgot about the questions at the end. Hope they are of some use to you and I would like to keep contact. As for my answers I can see some things which might not go down with you quite so nicely but then I ask you to remember that I am still looking for the right job and with time that might change. Thank you for your replies it was great help for me and probably saved me from a fail.


Hi Milot, I am glad you took some time to answer my questions. That is really appreciated.
I think you did the right thing by focusing on your dissertation first - that is your priority. I won’t “slaughter” you. There is no reason why I would do it. The aim of this exchange is to produce a dialogue that can be instructive to other people in the same situation. To give advice is not about showing off your superiority to younger generations, but to help you to raise the adequate questions to your concerns. In the end I will not give you any answer, it is up to you to find them. It’s like going to the therapist. But what I would like to say before commenting your replies is that you already did the right thing by asking for help and not being shy about it. That is a great strength that most people will see as a weakness. I personally see your attitude as something genuine and honest that can only be profitable to your knowledge and decisions in life. So, I would suggest you keep on doing it. There is nothing wrong with not knowing and asking for advice.

1) Why do you like Photography? I can’t really explain why, I just feel good when I take the money shot (the one image which makes the whole effort to getting it worthwhile). I also think that I am more of a visual person as I am horrible with names but I never forget a face it’s like I am taking images with my head all the time and when I pass locations I seem to have the story in my mind as a good play for a photograph.


Most people who chose to express themselves with creative medias have dyslexia, like I use to have. Not being able to communicate with words or figures you find your own way, and Photography is your way. It has been proven that almost 2/3 of art students are dyslexic. There is nothing wrong with that. We are just different and are able to transmit or deliver things differently, and societies need artists otherwise we would fall into conformism. Not knowing why you like it is not really an issue, but accepting yourself as different is vital. What bothers me in your comment is the notion of money. You haven’t started yet that you are already thinking money. If you really like Photography or arts in general, money comes secondary at your stage. To be genuinely an artist has nothing to do with money, fame or success. Today most aspiring artists should realise that Art is not a profession. Therefore they shouldn’t expect any financial reward from it. What we experience today is the antithesis of what I just said, unfortunately.
Being a professional photographer is something else than being just a photographer. It means you have to specialise and compromise. You will obviously be chosen for your style, but you will have to produce quality AND quantity combined, including formal needs required by the customers whether you like it or not. A lot of freelances make the mistake to think selfishly as artists do. To be a professional photographer is to deliver a service in an artistic way, nevertheless it is a service being paid by a customer who expects some standards, quality and surprises. Creativity usually comes across in the last part.
If you take fashion photography for example, the real time spent shooting with models represents 10% of the overall time spent on a commission. And if you are lucky you can estimate at 5% the creativity delivered. It is the same in all the industries I am afraid. If you expect to be paid you have to compromise. Any sort of job will teach you that fundamental. We call those medias creative but there are not really on the level you would expect I guess . To do real art works is something personal and solitary you have to cope with.

2) Why do you want to do Wedding Photography? I think that it would be the best job for me because people employ a photographer for the style of photography he or she do. Also not having someone telling you what they want from you through the whole process is nice because to me it’s all about the creativity of the photographer (when a person is doing something he or she likes in their own way they are bound to get the images they want, this probably satisfying the employer two as they will get exactly what they hired them to do).


I agree with you on that point, but before reaching that level of visibility and trust you need to gain skills. Too many young people want to be photographers and they do not really know why, maybe a sort of fame or fantasy world. It is not like that at all I am afraid. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of freelancers like to play that card, and people fancy that image too. To be a freelance photographer is a long lonely road where there is only you to be trusted. There is a lot of competition, lot of confusion and selfishness. First, if you want to become one I would advice you to take any kind of job on board. You will learn from everything and every commission will nourish the next one. The main problem when you are a student is the lack of experience, so run for it. Do food, interiors, baby, nudes, documentaries, anything and everything. After a while you will be able to decide what you don’t like. And therefore you interest is going to narrow, and then you will be able to specialize as we call it. Here again, do not take my words in a literal way. I do not really agree with the world of specialization we live in. I personally promote myself here as a wedding specialist but I do a very wide range of Photography, either paid or non-paid, because I am interested in a lot of things, and because I love experimenting and learning endlessly. So being specialized is finding a niche where you feel comfortable, good at delivering, and that’s your regular jog somehow. Then you can concentrate on various other photographic interests. Keep yourself alert constantly. My clients like my style because I am not traditional and because I put something else into my wedding photography. But still most of my clients expect me to deliver such and such formal pictures, that is the way it is. In the end you are being paid and commissioned to work for your clients, and it is a huge task especially with weddings. So it is a challenge but it is very exciting at the same time. The notion of “artistic” is very variable to be frank. A lot of people think my work is very artistic whereas I find it classic and stylistic. I am not doing Art with weddings, I try to get the right emotions with the right conditions in a reportage way. That is simply reportage I would say. Anyway to me working on a wedding or a demonstration is the same – it is a story. A lot of photographers are daydreaming and also see wedding photography as an office job where they can make a great deal of money. They have it completely wrong and you can tell when looking at their pictures. I am personally extremely happy to do the job I am doing whether it is doing weddings or something else. As long as I am doing photography the way I like it that’s what matters. But to reach that stage you have to respect your clients, to remain open to all the possibilities and to trust yourself that you can make it. It is a daily battle against the odds. And if you are ready for it you are welcomed on board! I have met and trained so many people who aspire to do photography and who gave up. To succeed is a natural selection like survival instinct. When I decided to enter the CFT Gobelins school I knew it was the right place for me. But the selection was very tight. It is not about paying the fee but about motivation and knowledge. There are only 15 positions allocated for students from around the world. If you manage to get in you obtain the best professional training in 2 years for free –which is very unusual and rewarding. So you expect that the 15 students are fully dedicated to become freelancers or working in the industry. 15 years later I can count on three fingers the people still evolving in the industry including myself. You have to ask yourself the following question: Is Photography a hobby or something you cannot live without?

3) Which works, artists or photographers do you like and why? Jerry Uelsmann is my favourite photographer. I love his work and creativity, his images are so well thought out and stunningly beautiful. His multiple negative images are not only visually challenging at times but the finish is stunning. I do create some of my own multiple negative images, some which are very similar to Uelsmanns work. I find that the dark room process is the way for me I like to feel the print instead of doing it on Photoshop which most of my peers at the college asked me. This brings me to the wedding photography aspect again as it would help me to travel to different locations, which would help improve my personal archive of images.

Thank you for passing the name of this “artist” I didn’t know. My first look at the website tells me that he has the skills, meaning the technical skills whether manual in the darkroom, or computer based with more recent works. Second thing is that the artist is very influenced by various sources from the late 19th Century and 20th Century, which makes sense looking at his date of birth. My third point is that he is more drawn towards illustration than Photography. On reading briefly his biography we learn his first job was being a teacher early stage. That sounds very strange to me. I believe you cannot be a teacher in your early twenties. So you have to learn how it is possible. Nevertheless he presents his Art in one unique way, his vision as a creative photomontage artist going from Surrealism to trendy Gothic / Spleen Baudelairian. I find the work nicely done but it is not my cup of tea, but that’s personal. I could suggest you look at Alexander Rodtchenko you may know, such as Man Ray, painter Rene Magritte of course and more recently multidisciplinary artist illustrator Dave McKean.
But what I would like to point out is that Jerry Uelsmann surely didn’t make a living out of his artworks until late. He must have had regular jobs, more concrete jobs such as teacher to have the freedom and the assets to produce his works. He may have been recognized not so long ago as his vision matched the illustrative art world we experience today and which really appeared in the 70’s with the rise of the sci-fi phenomenon. The work you like is more about photomontage which used to be done in a darkroom and which is produced more efficiently nowadays everywhere on a computer. It is a creation of fantasies which is completely different from real life photography. There is no problem with that but you might reconsider your aspirations for making a living. I personally would invest myself in learning all sorts of technical skills applied to the effects you intend to produce with your pictures by working as a graphic designer, and do alternatively photography for personal projects. I personally started by learning the darkroom and gained a lot of experience from it for then becoming freelance.
To be a graphic designer, a darkroom technician, a wedding photographer is to be an artisan. That means using your technical skills within the Art domain and to transfer them into a private or public commission for use or interest.
To be an artist is to be free from those contingencies(in theory)

I hope I answered your questions.
I wish you a Happy Xmas and am looking forward to hearing from you in 2010, with resolutions maybe?!

HIRE A PRO FOR YOUR WEDDING

I received this email few days ago which made me upset and sad for the couple who got married.
I want to take this opportunity to share it with you to let you aware of the latest trend which has been going on for the last two years. In ten years of doing wedding I have heard the craziest stories from bad experiences with bad photographers. Nowadays people tend to ask more often for amateurs to capture their weddings because they have a digital camera. The truth is that we all have a digital camera nowadays, and that doesn't make you a better photographer.

Subject: Photo Help!

Hi David,

I am hoping that you can give me some expert help! My sister got married in May but her wedding photos are not as good as they should have been... I was looking for a photographer or design person who would work with the photos and select the best sections and enlarge/make B+W/sepia etc...

What we would like is for a wedding book to be created by selecting bits and being creative. There is in fact not even 1 photo where they both look lovely. Do you do this or do you know anyone that would do it for Xmas?

You come very highly recommended from all of my friends!

Suni

Few years ago couples to be were looking for the best pro who could photograph the essence of their big day including the usual formal shots. On few occasions I would lose the job because they felt an other freelance was more appropriate to their style, and/or budget. This is a fair competition. People are then trying to find the best compromise and they compare the possibilities. In the end they would receive not only a product they really were expecting, but also a professional experience that makes the day runs smoothly ( I mean this is the way it should be as it is not always the case). Today two major factors are changing the way we are thinking Photography.

1 / The digital era
The photographic market has completely changed. Not only for the professional but mostly for the amateur. Back in the film days you had to have knowledge about your camera to take decent pictures and it did cost money. But it was dedication for a passion, and by spending time and money you would consider it as something valuable. Nowadays big file size cameras are affordable for most of us, and that is what companies want to achieve. It is becoming difficult to purchase films and others. The digital has killed the choice in fact. Therefore the job of photographer is disappearing as the email is showing us. And this is not only in the wedding industry.

2/ Recession
Somehow the digital came at the right moment. Decent cameras are appearing on the market in the last 2 years, just before the start of the recession. This season I experienced at last 10 potential customers turning me down not for an other pro but for their friend, brother or cousin who had a digital camera ! People think they will save money by skipping the photographic duty. I can affirm that they are completely wrong. But doing so they will have 1) bad pictures 2) lose their friendship 3) no recollection 4) waste money in trying to recover the damage
If there is one supplier you need to spend money into is definitely Photography. You can have a very little wedding in a pub and still photography will be essential to testify from your special day. To do such a job requires experience and impeccable performance - it requires a pro !

Don't waste your money and your energy, invest in a wedding photographer. That is my advice and my experience, as a pro but also as a potential customer.

ANSWERS TO A STUDENT

Self-portrait 1996
ID photograph studio exercise at CFT Gobelins

Recently a student from Leeds University contacted me regarding wedding photography.
He obtained my details from an online wedding listing. He left me a message and sounds young.
He emailed me his questions. I hope putting them online will help to understand people's vision or approach to wedding photography. I wish it could lead to many other questions.

1) What do you think is the best format to show your work to clients or employers ?

I do not believe in one standard way of showing your work across the trade. What I am looking for, as a photographer or as a client, is "personality" and "dedication". My work is about telling stories. Therefore I will try to find the best way to show with style this particular approach. People who use my service contact me because I am different, and most of the time the people I work for have similar taste to mines.
You should think about priorities first. If you want to do wedding photography, you have to see what is on the market. You have to meet professional wedding photographers, and position yourself either as one or as a customer. Think. If you were getting married, what sort of photographic service would you like to be delivered. I am not only talking obviously about the presentation, but mostly about the contents. How do you want the photographer to capture your wedding ?
If you are a freelance who only does weddings and cares about making money, you will provide cheap photography and cheap presentations. You can be a genius at retouching but still you style will remain poor and disengaged. On the contrary, if you care and and work hard, you will invest yourself in providing something unique people will recognize as your signature.

So "format" doesn't really mean anything. You have online format presentation, or website, which I do not trust personally, but you have to be out there. Until few years ago the main portfolios were in hardback and you had to commute a lot to show your work. Nowadays the main portfolio is your website, so do one with style at low cost. A lot of people visit websites but it doesn't mean they will contact you, very few in fact. But what matters is to have your visuals out there and to generate interest. Second phase is to motivate people to meet you and see your work in real. That's where you show your portfolios. Big, medium, small doesn't matter. What is important is to present something which will look like the final result first, then you can show different formats highlighting some details of your style.

2) What skills do you think would be expected of me as a graduating student; technically and socially and what level of experience would be expected ?

Basic skills of photography indeed and most especially without having trained with digital, which seems to be almost impossible nowadays. Why ? If you train with analogue cameras you have to understand the whole philosophy behind photography from the lab to shooting. It is endless to be honest but it is terribly exciting. You will later find this very same logic with the way engineers designed computers, softwares, digital cameras and online publishing. One major mistake nowadays is that most people think they are good photographers. To be honest to be one has nothing to do with a camera or device, it is about your eye and what you have to say. If you rely on technology to save you, you will be an average freelance; if you think outside the box and look with your eyes first there are more chances to succeed.
But what matters first at your stage, is to get the experience in as many areas as possible to make yourself an idea of what and how you want to do it.
When I was 16 I knew I would become a photographer in a split second. The grand plan was already laid down instantly. I went to Art University to make sure I loved photography. Once confirmed I passed the CFT Gobelins exam and got in to be a lab technician. I wanted to know as much as possible what was going behind the scene before being on stage. I knew already that too many photographers have actually no idea of what they are doing and even more after they have done it, they just rely on others, and I am talking about top professionals. After the school I worked in the best labs in Paris for the best photographers in the world working at all the possible positions. Once I knew I had knew enough for the time being, I moved to London to become freelance without any help, money and contacts, and I made it. You just need to be patient, impatient and dedicated.
But I would say that the most important is the motivation. If you don't have it young, you will never have it. If you feel like photography is your passion, you shouldn't sleep. You should photograph everything and learn as much as possible. If you are not really "sure", like it happens very often with young assistants, you should forget about it and come back in 10 years time when you feel like it !
I would say that you have to be generous with people, thirsty of photography and learn as much as possible from everyone and make your own opinion. School, studies, grades, that's important, it really shows your determination. But later, this is simply the school of Life, we adapt.
I personally never envisaged younger to do wedding photography, but it was the first real job I got as a freelance in London, and I realized that I was good at it. I was able to make a living out of photography and taking photos the way I wanted, and people would pay for that.

3) What sorts of equipment would be expected if I was to photograph weddings on my own ?

What do think ?
Would you use a 120 Rolleiflex with Metz torch ?
Would you use a 35mm reflex camera ?
Would you use a digital SLR ?
Would you use a disposable camera ?

It is up to you and to your customers.
What do you think your parents would want for example ?
What is the most convenient for you and for them ?
What is the most affordable for you ?
First at you stage, you have to compromise, and that will help you a lot later.
As I keep on saying, there is no perfect ideal camera, there is a perfect one for each of us.
Do not forget that you have to invest in flashgun and learn how to use it properly.

Now I would like to conclude with 3 of my questions, hoping that will engage a productive dialogue between two generations.

1) Why do you like Photography ?

2) Why do you want to do Wedding Photography ?

3) Which works, artists or photographers do you like and why ?

I am looking forward to continuing this question/answer possibility format.