real wedding reportage

THANK YOU CARDS

2012-01-07T12:02:00.008Z

First thing first, Happy New Year to you all. And let's make 2012 a successful year.
Many thanks also to all the followers and people who trusted 2exposures reliability in the past year.
Huge thank you also to the people you sent me their wishes and send over some cards.
Here are few examples of personal initiatives from the materials produced in 2011.

It is exciting to see that thanks to new technologies and affordable applications everybody can share on hard back precious memories. Ways of distributing images are very simple and cheap nowadays. And the quality looks good too. But do not forget to have great images first.
Contact us to capture and share those memories for all generations. davidB

NAMES and REFERENCES

2011-12-09T11:20:00.006Z

People often ask me who are the famous people I have photographed. I am always surprised by such a request but I guess this is part of the image we have of photographers. We eventually have to meet celebrities and work on their behalf but I am always very aware of their status and of the message they have to portray in the tabloids. So, it is never an easy task to find out what they, as private client, their PR or production company are after. It is always a delicate joggling where you have to compromise your personal creativity with their demands.

It is also a good opportunity now after more than a decade in London to flip through my folders and revisit those people. I do not like to use the term "famous" or "celebrity" because it always create that gap between you (the photographer) and the subject which is not the best way to approach a session. Anyway, you may find some names you heard of in the following random list I am putting together. I will put in bracket their "title" and you may visit Wikipedia to know more about them. They are quite a few missing...well...

So here follows people I have been asked to photographed who have some kind of celebrity status if you want. They are plenty of them I have met and photographed but that I will not mention as they were not the people I was commissioned to photograph. It wouldn't be fair to make some self-promotion just by circumstances.

REBECCA LENKIEWICZ(playwright/screenwriter) JOE PENHALL(playwright/screenwriter) ALAN HOLLINGHURST(writer) JOHN KING(writer) STEPHEN FRY(comedian/tv presenter) CHRSITOPHER BIGGINS(actor) HENRY PORTER(writer) TOM McCARTHY(writer/artist) TONY HADLEY(singer/actor) HELEN CHADWICK(singer) MICHEL PICOLI(actor) PATRICE LECONTE(film director) IOAN GRUFFUDD(actor) PADDY CONSIDINE(actor/film director) OM PURI(actor) ALISON STEADMAN(actress) SUSAN LYNCH(actress) JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS(actor) EMMI ROSSUM(actress) RICHARD COYLE(actor) ROBERT PUGH(actor) JOHN HENSHAW(actor) PHILIPPA COUSINS(film director) JEAN-MARC PUISSANT(set designer) YAN-SHU(choreographer) LARS ELLING(artist) ALESSANDO RAHO(artist) PAUL FRYER(artist) POLLY MORGAN(artist) ZEBRAHEAD(band) THE QUEEN, THE BAD AND THE UGLY(band) HARD-FI(band)

Now, I think it is also important I mention my full name. Because sadly when it comes to weddings, and especially with the digital flooding, most people are sceptical about your professionalism( which is understandable). My full name is DAVID BOULOGNE, and I use the davidB for the commercial aspect of my work in order not to confuse people. I do quite a few things beside wedding photography. You could say I am an artist/photographer (it is always very complicated to find the right term but I thing this is the closest) and I am showing my works in various exhibitions. I have had the privilege in the last few years to present my work with some high profile names, which make me very proud indeed as it feels I am going in the right direction somehow. So here follows a list of people I have been sharing art with. Here again I will only mention a few:

Magnum in Motion (agency), William Eggleston, Hannah Starkey, Gregory Crewdson, Cindy Sherman, Martin Parr, Bruce Gilden, Elliott Erwitt, Simon Roberts, David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Stephen Gill, Nadav Kander, Peter Marlow, Simon Wheatley, Jean-Loup Sieff, Peter Lindbergh, Sarah Moon, Kate Barry, Anne Deniau, Thierry des Ouches, Wolfe Von Lenkiewicz, Peter Suchin, Justin Coombes, Shezad Dawood, David Birkin, Douglas White, Martin Sexton

So I hope this will answer the question and make it official. It is also a good way for me to remember. I hope this list will make a difference in people's perception about what I do and give them a new perspective. But to me a person is a person, no matter unknown or famous they are, my eye is interested in capturing your inner beauty. Beauty is everywhere and there is a lot of it in weddings. Even if digital make it sound easier it simply doesn't. Most photographers shoot too much nonsense. Quantity is the opposite to quality as we know but it becomes more relevant today with the new technology. And what I produce is QUALITY with QUANTITY, and I know that very few people can still today deliver such expectation.
Look, analyze, feel images. Images are simply not only pictures, they are EMOTIONS OF A REAL, SOMETHING PRICELESS. Choose carefully your wedding photographer.

Today they are more and more apparently GOOD or CHEAP DEALS thanks to the combination of recession/digital. The truth always comes after you have pre-paid. Those deals do not give you anything valuable. If you pay cheap it's because what you will get is cheap, that's as simple as that. Not only you will have lost your precious money but you will also be disappointed with the result. And therefore you will have to rebook someone else which is nonsense.
Sorry to remind you again but the most precious thing left after your wedding is pictures.
Do not rely on wedding magazines, they tell you what you want to hear. They only want to sell their gloss. That may sound a bit old fashion but it isn't. I hear so many sad stories and that upsets me. Photography is my life and to work my best out to capture beauty on your behalf is a real joy and delectable hard work. Good images don't come easy. It is a very long process of knowledge, experience and sensitivity. DO NOT RELY ON MOBILE PHONES, CHEAP SLR, AMATEURS OF ALL SORTS, ETC...

By investing in the right professional you will not only cherish your images for ever but you will also save money and generate positive energy.

SPIELBERG AND SCORSESE - SAME FIGHT

2011-10-20T14:01:00.004+01:00

You may have also found some interesting article in your daily free papers from artist Tacita Dean. Her latest large scale installation in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern has almost been jeopardized because the radical shift experienced in the industry. There is no right or wrong as far as I am concerned. The trouble lies in an economical and ideological radicalism where digital has taken over film. Film is almost gone and therefore our choices have become reduced. Today's policy is either digital or...digital. Such a shame for so many reasons that I am not going to discuss again here.

NEW PACKAGES

2011-09-27T11:47:00.005+01:00

Thank you so so much for the album - it is perfect, we absolutely love it and it will help us to remember each moment of our amazing day for many years. Thank you!

2exposures has always been alternative, creative, dedicated and honest when it comes to deliver high standard wedding photography. We have always been set apart for producing quality and quantity. But most importantly we were the pioneer in giving away all the materials away to our newly weds. Since our start, we have been trough quite a adjustments with the technological trends and expectations. Needless to say that we always take in consideration many new alternatives but we also pay attention to what they are too often hiding sadly. We do not wish to adopt any new trick or the sake of it. What matters most to us is to find the right balance in what the new has to offer at its best. We have to be certain that your materials will be cherished for a long time at the best quality and format.

At first we were using films and providing all the prints on a 6x4 format into a stylish wooden box. You kept the negs at no extra cost. Albums were versatile, bespoke and suiting your budget as a separate contract.
Then we moved towards a mix of film and digital. You would pick the camera style and we would adapt it to produce the new online coffee table books. You kept the negs or a DVD with all the materials high res. The pictures were again presented in a box and you would order the album separately.

Today, we propose to work mainly from digital high res. A lot of being shot to capture every angle of you special day. Everything is edited, retouched with subtlety and delivered high res. on DVD with a convenient save to apply to most computers if you want to run a slide show or open easily with a preview software. But the new thing we have been testing in the last few months is that we are delivering a bespoke coffee table book with most options. We ask you to make you selection with your favorites, the ones you certainly don't want too. You can upgrade the format, the amount of pages for a little extra fee. You can then later order extra copies directly online for very competitive prices. We have a complete control over the production and editing process.
This option has been a real success so far and we aim to keep it for a while.

davidB having worked for the best professional photographic laboratories in Paris and for the most successful photographers has the eye and experience to deliver the best results on paper, either with colour or black and white materials.

Do not hesitate to ask for more details. Visit our website and the related links. There is a lot of useful info that you won't find anywhere else.
Note Some photography lovers are still occasionally asking for film. Do not worry, we are still very much moved by such request and will keep providing it. Simply email us at david@2exposures.com in order to obtain a quote.

BOOK COLLABORATION

2011-09-25T19:56:00.002+01:00

Domenico's 40th

Book Preview

Here is a new example of our services. We have been commissioned to capture the formal part of a birthday party for two hours. But the overall celebration gathered people from all around the world for 3 days. As we were, obviously, not assigned to cover the whole celebration our client wanted to include candid photographs taken by the guests. We were delighted to join forces and produce a story book with materials from various sources in order to make a wish come true.

POLAROID BOOK

2011-08-23T07:51:00.003+01:00

On the recent wedding I work on, the bride and groom had a great idea to collect instant memories. Obviously my task is to tell a stories gathering all the love and details, but I think there is an important part of our memory that relates to more casual visuals. Too often nowadays digital compacts and mobile phones have infested the very special wedding event. Instead, purchase a light and bulky polaroid camera. Ask a friend to photograph your guests in the evening and stick all those images in a classic photo album. You can even take it with you straight to you honeymoon if you wish.
You can buy polaroid cameras and films too online. That is a little investment but in the end you get an instant result and avoid a lot of work gathering, selecting, retouching, editing, etc...time is money as we say, so here is your answer. It is stress free, smart and you have more time to enjoy the event without having to worry about the pictures.

TINY ARTICLE - BIG THINKING

2011-08-20T17:58:00.003+01:00

This is what I found yesterday in the West End Final of the London Evening Standard Free Paper / Friday 19th August 2011. Nothing new to me but somehow, especially coming from a paper, a serious question is raised towards the reliability of the digital format as a whole. Either printing prints or making hardbacks are the only valuable and long lasting ways of keeping your cherished memories. That sounds a bit old fashioned but it becomes strangely revolutionary!

DIALOGUE 3 FINALLY AVAILABLE

2011-07-14T19:51:00.001+01:00

dialogue 3

Praise the lows

By david boulogne

Book Preview

Simply click onto the badge to visit the book published with Blurb.

WHAT FUTURE HOLDS

2011-04-04T13:55:00.004+01:00

Photo courtesy to Jonathan Seymour

Today's reflection is going to be slightly different than usual. The recession, the depression, the harsh cuts, etc...all this make any kind of business very difficult indeed. Professional wedding photography is in deep trouble too. I never initially intended to become a wedding photographer but very quickly I realised I was good at telling wedding stories in a reportage style. Business took off instantly by 2000. I traveled to many places across UK, Italy, France and even Africa to cover very special celebrations. Until then though wedding photographer were not that popular across the photographic world. It was seen as quite cheesy and unattractive for the youngsters who tried to get on the ladder. I proposed many to assist me and teach them. Many refused and saw more prospects in Fashion and "glamorous" spheres. Nevertheless, I taught many others the job and many took that opportunity to realised it wasn't for them, but at least they tried and moved on. But in the end being a wedding photographer was a real job ( and still is to me, not anymore to most of us) because we were using the old fashion film. And consequently very very few dared taking the challenge of doing weddings. If you were talking with successful fashion photographers back then, almost all of them wouldn't actually do it, they were simply too scared of it - too much pressure, lack of knowledge and hectic pace. Not only it was really challenging technically but also you had tell a story within a determined frame. So basically to make it short, you can't lie. The negatives were there to prove whether you were good or not. You had to provide quantity, quality, good framing, good lighting, good organizer, good emotions, good story line, good creativity, good adaptation,etc...the list is long. That is the reason why professional wedding photographers were a small community and you had either the good ones and bad ones. And I was busy, very busy in fact. Up to 50 weddings a year. When you have all those parameters to deal and have a 100% control over, it is not simply a job, it is a passion, a dedication.

Why did I specialized in wedding photography? Well for very obvious reasons. First, people always get married and that will never change. Secondly, when you are good a something you try to stick to it. Also, I quickly realised that my main interest was journalism and for many reasons the journalism I loved didn't exist anymore. The wedding reportage was the perfect way of mixing pleasure and work. Also, most people back then would book your service between 1 year to 6 months in advance. You could therefore plan your other projects and personal life around it. But before all it is about passion. In fact every single wedding is interesting. It is up to you to decide whether what you are being paid for is just a job or a challenge, a passion. I always put myself on the edge when I am about to photograph a wedding. I love this balance of experience and right amount of improvisation. That is what reportage is about, and whether it is a wedding or a demonstration. Sadly, in the last 10 years, I have met so many suppliers who are being commissioned and who complain and moan. Well, my advice is get an other job.

In 2005 I created 2exposures with a partner. Digital was improving fast and most wedding photographers left film for digital. I decided to stick to film - why you are wondering? Well, there are two ways to anticipating the future and make your business look unique ( and for the good reasons though). If everyone moves to digital it automatically opens the doors to a wider pound of potential competition. By using film I though a margin wouldn't understand and recognize it's obvious advantages. There is nothing wrong with good competition but I have a real problem with the bad one. The problem most photographers create for themselves is that they all thought digital was better and would save them money. In the end, everybody nowadays own a "decent" digital compact or SLR and everybody see themselves almost as good as professionals.
Photographers have to lower their fees, spend more time retouching and therefore lose money. But there is no other way around it because there is too much competition. Conclusion: wedding photography quality is going down very quickly.
The trouble is that technology has little to do with being professional. What makes someone special is his eye and ability to tell stories with sensitivity. What we see today is just an accumulation of visual emptiness. Everything looks sharp, grand, it blows to your face but when you step back and intend to look in details there is nothing. It simply could be any other wedding, there is nothing personal. We live in a society of templates.

We are still in a recession or depression or reflection - something like that. Many newcomers proposed very low fares. And there are so many of them that somehow the new clientele sees that range of prices as a normal and correct one. Unfortunately for them the actual average fee of £800 according to many glossy magazines is way below professional wedding photography. Also, remember that we are still in a recession and that they are more people out there ready to corruption and lies. Meaning that many online ads propose an amazing fee of £600 per day. I just wonder what you get for that?! Rubbish certainly but in the end I am pretty certain you will have to spend the double to obtain satisfaction because in the end this is you wedding day and this is special. Instead you could have spent the same amount of money with someone reliable and creative and you would have had more. A bit silly isn't it? Most top talented photographers I know really struggle and 2exposures is way below what I anticipated this year. I arrive to this difficult and painful situation to question the very essence of my passion. It sadly comes to the conclusion that Photography is dead. Not totally maybe but for a while. What is happening is the wedding industry is not only happening in other photographic areas but across the creative industries. For most people it seems so easy to be an artist of all sorts just by using digital devices and apps and the likes. To be a professional in the art sector is to be reliable, creative and passionate. If the future of wedding photography is to become a template, formal and bland I might give it a break and reconsider mine.

BESPOKE BOOKS

2011-02-25T11:50:00.007Z

"Richard & Olfat" Wedding book made by 2exposures with other supplier's materials.
Cover only shown. No preview available for that particular order.

I have been asked few times to make bespoke coffee table books from other materials than mine. That is something I never refuse as I really enjoy making them. It is also a good opportunity to see what other photographers do. I recently finished one. It was a very revealing experience for the groom and myself. The wedding took place in central London in some very posh venues. It was a small intimate celebration in three acts. First, a civil ceremony followed by a drinks reception for lunch. Then, drinks followed by diner in a very famous private club with more guests. Finally a small gathering for a blessing ceremony a week later.

I accepted the challenge to build a story from an event I never took part of and the deadline was also tight. I asked my client to explain to me in details what happened and how he wanted it. He gave me a couple of invitations to include and all the images the photographer delivered. I asked him to make a selection of the "must have" ones and a "candid" ones.

First I had a look at the materials...and what a disaster it was! The photographer on duty had no clue what he was doing. I wouldn't even call this person a photographer. Out of 500 images I only counted maybe 3 which were framed, sharp and lighten up properly. None of them had a story to tell. I was appalling photography. Those people should never have the possibility to present themselves as what they pretend to be. I was outraged not only because he ruined this couple's wedding pictures but also because those people are an insult to the trade. That is why I keep on insisting and proposing a body which would dissect, analyze and judge the profession. That body would ban, help and accredit freelancers. But not such thing exists and it will take a while before it happens.

Anyway, my anger gone I started working on the selection, retouching, editing, etc...but I was also thinking that it takes two to tango. And this "photographer" was not the only one to blame. Those people get somehow the job because the clients they are facing have no interest and/or knowledge about what they are dealing with. If you are about to spend a certain amount of money into a service and especially if you decide to use lush facilities, you want it to be remembered in the best possible way then. If you want a good venue, good food, you need good photography, don't you think? Well, it is funny to say that because somehow everybody knows how important the photographer is but more and more often people are reluctant to pay for a good one and spend the money elsewhere. I am not saying that because this is my trade, but after the wedding there will be only one real way to remember all the efforts and happiness then experienced and that would be through the images produced by the professional. And in the end they waste their money, get nothing for it and have to pay more to save the little available. That doesn't make any sense to me I am afraid.

I was a bit concerned a couple of years ago when I was being assaulted by guests who carried an affordable compact digital. Not because they would steal my job but because people's appreciation would go down. I think we got over that and most of us realize that digital is convenient and cheap but it takes a pro to get good pictures. It is about knowledge, education and respect. I will not pretend to be a Dj tomorrow because there is a cheap and easy software that makes me feel like. That is just the surface of things. To make someone special takes many years of learning , experience, taste and challenge.

When I took the challenge to work on that last book order, I knew that the result would not be great but I knew I would do my best to enhance the poor quality and make something tangible from it. That's where digital is great technology if you know how to use it. It could have been much better if in the first place a good photographer would have been in duty.
But bare in mind that the experience I am highlighting is far from isolated. Bad photographers are everywhere and they have developed the digital tricks to make you believe the opposite. Please pay attention, ask for great service, skills in organizing and photographing, simply look for quality. Photography is the most valuable service to book and will always be. I know too many people who are in tears because they have either lost or booked the wrong person. You have to be demanding and involved.

To conclude, if you have your wedding images as digital files and wish to make an album, do not hesitate to contact me what ever quality you have been given. I will do my best to make it look good. You can have samples of them online with Blurb publishing. Enter 2exposures in the top box and click enter www.blurb.com
Or simply click the icon below to have a little perspective of what I do.

alexandra & damien by davidB/2exposures | Make Your Own Book

LAST 2010 FEED BACK

2011-01-01T13:24:00.006Z

I received a top comment on the last day of 2010 from groom Jono's parents my Blurb page. The words are kind, constructive and dearly appreciated. It is very touching to find a feed back that perfectly describes what my photographic approach is about.It makes my 2010 complete. And strangely enough Mr Whale from Australia really looks like Santa Claus!

We might be just a tad biased, but this book encapsulates the magic of a very special day in September 2009. David doesn't just capture the images (though he does so brilliantly - exceptional photography!), somehow he evokes the whole mood - the fluttering excitement of the bride-to-be, the buzz of the bridesmaids, the magic of the ceremony and the joy of the celebration. Could not recommend him too highly.

Barbara and Gary Whale

posted at 04:19am Dec 31 PST

GREETINGS

2010-12-20T21:02:00.002Z

HYPER-REALISM

2010-12-17T16:58:00.005Z

The industry is changing quickly, very quickly in fact. And when things are changing so quickly it means that the industry is looking for something fundamental to establish, something to grasp avidly because it is losing track. The problem I am going to develop now is not relevant only to wedding photography but to photography in general. How our aspirations anticipate our imagery interpretation.
The art of reportage is to capture and communicate a feeling in a form which not only original but also driven by honesty and a sense of reality. Reportage doesn't perform by transforming our vision of the daily in a different dimension but it has the ability to transcend the real by highlighting a beauty that most people cannot perceive. Reportage is about observation and it is a philosophy of life. To photograph in that vein is a constant analysis of the world. Photography helps us to understand more the world we live in and our role. That is the reason why most reportage photographers have a critical mindset and have been predominantly engaged in conflicts. Obviously wedding reportage is not aimed at criticizing the event but it is engaged in capturing that other side of human nature, and that is about happiness and its beauty in the widest sense. Wedding photography focuses on the admirable and essential magnificence of life.
And to capture it in various forms is an art that very few can perform on a regular basis.

Now, the traditional reportage golden age had its own quite specific quality and is long gone. Today the spectrum is very wide in its presentation and contents and can widen for many years. The trouble of today is that this multiplicity of representations hide a certain lack of rigor and real essence. The more you use tricks the more obvious it becomes that your content is very weak. And that phenomenon affects deeply the wedding industry as it remains an open, autonomous and non-body supervised. It is therefore very difficult for customers to actually know what they want in the first place, and secondly be confident that what they pay for will be delivered accordingly.

That is why digital technology is helping the mediocre to perform relatively well. It is quite astonishing actually that most people in the last couple of years I propose the film alternative saw me as a foul. Digital is supreme nowadays and if you use film people don't think you are a professional whereas it should be the other way around. Anyway after many adjustments and reflections I decided to provide digital only. Never mind the film, it doesn't change the approach to the subject and the essence of reportage photography. The trouble though lies in the fact that digital technology open then doors to fictional reality such as Hyper-realism or CGI technology.

Photography is a very broad industry. Digital is perfect to serve certain branches such as advertising, food, fashion, etc...because it aims to produce some kind of imaginary that doesn't exist. That is what most advertisers, graphic designers and so one have done from the start. There is nothing new as it is the very core of their industry with or without digital technology. But real reportage is the antithesis to that. You can though spot or slightly retouch your images like it has always been with brushes and pencils in the past, you do it with Photoshop today. Instead of reinforcing the highlights and soften the shadows under the enlarger, you do it again with the software. But in any case reportage aims to capture reality at its best but there is a certain limit to the quality we can pretend to. Even the old fashion reflex cameras had already a excellent quality superior to the eye. Not only the perfection and accuracy increase tremendously but that has been enhanced by the softwares.

We are now reaching that supra real reality all over everywhere. And I find it a shame that it is being used more and more often in the wedding world. Firstly, because it is not what reportage is about. Secondly because it is a lie. If you manage to get all the formal bits correctly plus creative and original visuals within the time frame imposed you are a good wedding photographer, and you know that visual perfection doesn't exist. But your ability to transcend the reality then present with your personal style and instinct is definitely a skill. To then take those materials to the fictional world is something else that reportage has nothing to do it. To get good highly retouched images is not reportage, it is studio, staged, fake, modified, etc...there is nothing genuine and personal. It looks highly valuable and skillful but it is sadly generic and blend.

Beauty is not about perfection, beauty is about imperfection but captured to its best.
Hyper-realism, CGI and the likes have nothing to do with honest reportage photography.
But it seems to be the technology people prefer nowadays...well, let's see in a few years.
This debate is simply about whether you enjoy the real world or not. That is a philosophy of life.

NEWS - DIGITAL ONLY

2010-10-12T11:42:00.002+01:00

Dear all, due to the pressure from the market and to keep 2exposures up on running for the years to come davidB has decided to provided the same standard of high quality wedding reportage photography using Digital technology as a first priority. Customers dedicated to film and its advantages will still be able to order it at request.

MINIMAL AND CREATIVE COUPLES SHOTS part 1

2010-10-06T13:18:00.018+01:00

In this new chapter I am trying to show how couples shots can be done everywhere in fact. Many couples are concerned about how grand or amazing the location must be. In fact to have the privilege of having such a environment requires a certain budget which might now be available to all. Also, in some cases, admirable venues are in the center of town. If they permit to experience a very special setting they are not ideal for creative shots.
I have worked regularly in the very same venue and my policy is always to change my angle and approach. I never reproduce the same. I simply find it too easy, not challenging and I love to explore new fields. And most importantly I am trying to find an style that perfectly suits the couple I am working for.

The first image depicts the couple hugging and sharing some intimacy. The venue was quite exquisite in fact, but the weather conditions didn't allow me to enhance the large grounds of Woodstock Manor. Therefore I opted for something more personal and classic mixed with emotions. It is a tender and strong composition that works most especially with the two glasses displayed as symbols. By simply using the stoned fence I can give a sense of grandeur to the place indirectly. And by having a exposure quite dark I enhance the feelings rather than reality experienced.

In my second shot the couple chose to use the Queen's tennis club grounds in Fulham for their reception. Despite being a sort of landmark, the options for romanticism are quite limited not only because you have tennis courts, but also because the buildings around the club are quite unattractive. But, it such situations you can actually use those problems and turn them into something original if you have in mind the final result. Also, I had to deal which a certain difference of heights between the two characters. That is why I decided to compose in such a way, using some kind of old cartoons humor that fit perfectly with the people. I use the tennis court fence and make it look like a old wall. I use the old council flats in the background but make sure they are blur and focus on the energy and fun produced by the couple. I was also making sure that they had to interact with their guests who were laughing in my back.

In the following 4 images I will be explaining different approaches on the very same area. This couple chose the English Speaking Union in Mayfair. They were full of life and happiness and very open to any sorts of creativity. The two colour photographs have been taken at exactly the same place within 5 minutes. It is actually not taken by the venue but by the hotel side entrance next door. It was December the Xmas lights were already decorating the streets. I noticed that the hotel had something charming that could transmit the Xmas feel. It was just an entrance but the top black cover which formed like a mini tunnel was full of red tiny spotlights. Before the speeches I asked then to follow me for a quick session outside and they had no clue about where we were going. I did show them where I would take a new set of pictures. I explained briefly how I would do it and what I expected from them. They were a bit surprised and didn't know what to expect but they played the game and the result is great.

In the first one I asked the groom to dig into his wife's neck and cover with kisses. As it was cold outside it was a good excuse to keep them busy and close to each other. I used a bit of flash and quite a slow exposure( something like 1/15 I guess) and moved the camera in different directions baring in mind a certain composition due to the two embraced bodies. In the second picture, I asked them to face each other and to kiss tender as long as they wanted. I was using a medium relatively large aperture (4 or5.6) and quite a long exposure but NO FLASH at all. I had to hold but knowing I could keep it very still, and that very weakness would help me to get that sort of gaze, or blur where the couple seems to fly into. So basically in those two shots, there is no landmark, no view, no natural light just a dark corner, and still you can make it look like special.

Here again same couple but much earlier in the day. The sky was grey. I checked the locations few days before and tried to figure out what could be an interesting London shot in that area. There are a lot of beautiful buildings, but the streets are full of cars and emptiness somehow. Well, in the first BW I found a beautiful old fashioned butcher shop window. And as they loved food I thought that quality food in the background would please them. The architecture and the design of the background suits perfectly the BW touch. And with the lack of natural light, well exposed BW is the answer. Second shot is Sepia and is a reflection in the Rolls they hired. Making sure that the white of the dress would be on top of black surfaces in order to make the bride appear. I use the diagonals of the seats in increase the tension expressed by the kiss given to the bride by the groom.

The one below is quite interesting again because the couple got their reception at the very same venue as above. Once again, to keep up with my policy I try to find a different angle. As the weather is more clement I eventually chose to emphasize on the emptiness of Mayfair adding some flair from the sun shining through the roofs. The result is an intimate and tender embrace with a lot of genuine fun. Note that I am using quite a wide aperture to focus on that intimacy and enhance the void behind. That way the environment becomes more like a studio background.

An other couple in central London. They chose the Blake Hotel in South Kensington. Beautiful and exquisite hotel I really like. Many small corners to be used. Each bedroom has its own style and the finish of every single details is sublime. As we were outside trying to make most of the weather we had to eventually go inside to avoid the rain. The sky was quite menacing and dark, but it had some very strong highlights in some ways. I therefore asked the couple to stay close to the glass door and look at the sky. Once settled I had to find my position to grab those highlights from the sky which would balance then very well with the darkness from above. I really like this shot.

We come back to our previous couple and see how we can capture a strong sense of love with a bit of nostalgia in mind using some tricks. I asked them to walk slowly together and kiss occasionally as we where on our way back to the car. It had just rained and the pavements were still wet. I know in the back in my mind that I will not only shoot BW but that I will also turn them in Sepia. As I am walking at the same pace as theirs and using a medium speed (1/60), I can capture quite clearly the scene in keeping a bit of blur. I also know that the light from the sky clearing off with the rain will help me to get that fussy mysterious effect from the wet pavements. Here again , there is nothing much but a feeling ans some old style reportage.

A wedding in the countryside now. I got into the car with the couple after the church as we drive away from the guests who are making their way to the reception. I do not have any clue where we are going but I simply observe the landscape from one eye I observe the couple from the other. Then I see this field of crops bathing in the summer heat. I also know that I need some kind of strong contrast to frame the scene. I therefore use the door frame from the car like if I was outside the scene. That is a simple trick use a lot by artist Alison Jackson. Try to distance yourself by including an other element in between you and the subject.

Finally, a photograph from the south of France at the Rothschild villa. I took quite a few great shots using the amazing gardens and villas in the background, but I most especially like this one as it is more intimate. It expresses that warmth found in that part of France. It also take the couple away from the delicate but imposing beauty of the site. This is an humble shot using some flair like if it was a dreamy reality. The couple, some plants as a pattern and the sun - simple.

To conclude I just want to say what I tell my couples to be. Great couple shots are about you. It's not an landscape or architectural shot. I see too many couple shots nowadays where the couple represents only 5 to 10% of the image, completely lost in this gigantic manor or landscape. That can be done obviously to a certain extent but that does not reveal anything about the couple. It is a landscape shot with two people, as simple as that. I do not find this approach very honest and interesting. Couples shots are about people where the chosen environment or technique used will enhance your message through your composition and ability to direct your characters.

AN ATTITUDE

2010-09-17T07:53:00.004+01:00

MEETING THE CLIENTS

A professional is firstly someone punctual and organised. Meet up your clients in a convenient location for both parts where the access, lightning and atmosphere are good in order to gain full attention. Dress up nicely and accordingly. Be welcoming and make the couple seat next to each other. I personally show first my portfolios and engage the discussion after a couple of minutes as they comment on the photographs. It is important to clarify all the aspects of your work as you keep on looking at the work. DO NOT TRY TO HIDE THINGS YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO KNOW as it will hit you dramatically later. Explain your approach, tell the stories of each wedding displayed, explain what they really get in the end, in their hands and what are the possibilities with the goods delivered. Finally give them your full price list with terms and conditions and go through it with them and make sure they understand everything. Be always open to answer all their questions clearly after the 1st meeting. Tell them about the payments, the procedure, the contract and the delivery deadlines.
It is obviously my job to try to please everybody but I will never promise things I will never do.
Such as doing a type of photography I am not familiar with or producing goods that I do not like for their poor quality. I am very open to any suggestion but I am also a professional who knows well what he is doing and I will never compromise if I feel that what I am asked to do is not right for the client and for myself. I am just being honest and try to explain in the best possible way the gains and inconveniences of each request.

SECOND MEETING

Get more details from your clients. The list of family group shots, the maps, the running order, the service policy, etc...Explain them once more precisely the option they are going for. Always bare in mind that a couple who is about to get married is quite excited by the romance, and most of them tend not listen or read carefully the terms and conditions. Explain some key points such as possible extra costs, a meal for you on the day, the type of prints, etc...
I personally ask for my second installment here which covers 90% of my packages. History taught me to never ask for the second half of the payment at the delivery. If you are having this policy you are in big troubles. You need to make sure you have the full amount as you leave your clients with the goods.

WEDDING DAY

Always leave the house earlier that you predicted. Public transports or traffic are always subject to cancellations or works. Always expect delays! And I would advise to give yourself a good 1/2 hour before you start working to check all the locations( depending on the distance between ceremony and reception). Once more dress up nicely and accordingly. There is nothing more embarrassing than a photographer or video person wearing jeans, very formal shoes and louse shirts. That is simply not right, this is a lack of respect.
Be friendly and welcoming to everybody and especially to the bridal party. Do not start running after the bride or make a foul of yourself. You are here to work on behalf of the couple and the best way in a reportage sense is to be as discreet as possible. People have other things to worry than the photographer. Make the bride relaxed or think of someone else, be helpful with tips when needed, explain in short what is going to happen with the group shots later to the bridesmaids, siblings and/or parents. Try to make this first part a peaceful and quality time. Leave the bride when needed to reach the ceremony location in time before she arrives
Have a chat with the person in charge of the ceremony in order to know exactly what is the policy and deal accordingly. Try to make the best out of it.
The drink reception is usually a rather simple task but you have to make sure you can organise four different types of photography ( portraits, table decorations, couples, groups) within the short break allocated. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY ORGANISED, STRICT AND PROCEED IN ORDER OF RELEVANCE.
Introduce yourself to the toastmaster if there is one.
Do not take portraits on behalf of guest, you are here on behalf of the couple!
Be fluid and and fast with portraits. Take the couple for a first short session. Get the ushers or siblings to help you 10 minutes you start the group shots. Tell them where, when and how you want to proceed. Get them done and make sure the couple doesn't get involved in the chaos and their smile may eventually disappear in that painful moment. Take the couple for a second session. Photograph the tables 10 minutes before they walk in as there are all dressed up.

Walk in of the couple, food, situations, people chatting, etc...make yourself familiar with the room and the congregation. Always remember that everybody is sitting and that you are standing, therefore people can see you from the distance. Your skills as being discreet will be tested at this stage. I personally do rounds of 10 minutes maximum. There is no point in insisting and staying the room constantly as the guests will feel like being observed and therefore impossible to portray correctly.
Speeches: here again make yourself invisible, do not stand between the top table and the guest, that's very bad.
Cake: get yourself a good position
1st dance: Make sure you get sharp pictures as the lights might be quite low.

DELIVERY

Make the couple aware of the quality produced. Arrange a date for the delivery. Let them know beforehand about the final amount to be paid if relevant. Spend a good half hour looking at the pictures together when it is possible. Show them about potential albums at a later stage ( in my case anyway) Get your final payment. And stay in touch with them.

FINAL NOTE

Be open, smart and passionate about your work. Be creative and do a lot of other types of photography. If you only do weddings you will quickly become sterile. I love doing weddings because I see something else in them that most people don't. A wedding is a story about love and if you don't like this idea do something else. There is no point in trying to force yourself as you will end up depressed and bitter. Be honest, genuine and accommodating. But never compromise if your instinct tells you. I personally love to be surrounded by genuine talented suppliers and couples as it takes the quality to the top. I am not tempted to produce a mediocre materials in exchange of success. Never be complacent. And finally, many people keep saying that the "customer is king". I do not agree with this policy which will make your head spin in all directions. Always produce the best effort you can to satisfy your clients instead. Knowledge, dedication and good guidance are the keys to please your couple.

SIGNING AT THE CHURCH

2010-08-18T16:36:00.012+01:00

Every single church and priest have their own policy and in Great Britain most especially. Or let's say that the Church of England has a very versatile and strong position regarding Photography compare to what we can encounter elsewhere. There are some good and bad sides as always.
The first advice I would give the photographer and the couple to be is to ask beforehand what the policy is. Each policy is very peculiar to the Father, or Priest in charge. There is no common rule across the whole institution. Each priest applies his/her own view on the matter. And each person has a personal experience and will let the photographer move and flash according to the space allocated or permitted, according to the couple's personality or according his/her ethics.

The first two pictures are from the same wedding. The first one depicts the father of the groom who happens to be also the groom's witness and he is signing. As usual I did ask the Father to introduce me to his policy and he clearly said that photographs of the signings had to be posed. The trouble here is that most of the time the witnesses cannot be captured because of that policy.
I therefore agreed before the service started and got closer to the table where the parents and couple were gathering as they were signing one after the other. The trick is that you can pretend to photograph the other people has the priest is focused on his duty with the witness. But in fact you can steal quickly one or two shot while he is busy working. After pressing the shutter release I turn my lens in the other direction to pretend that I paying attention to the other scene. That trick is actually quite easy to achieve especially if you are working with digital. With film it becomes a bit more tricky as you really need to have decent light in the church in order to photograph without flash otherwise the priest would be definitely aware of what is going on.

The second photograph is the formal one the priest asked for. But most of my customers don't really like it to be frank. But as long as you know both the score, there is no one to blame and you play the game.

The third photograph is the sort of setting which is perfect for some sort of compromise between reportage and formal style. The space you are in is flexible enough to try different angles and to have some distance. It is a classic shot, but a honest and direct one. A bit of flash with the real actual signing in process.

Sometimes the atmosphere is very friendly and the priest is very open to any sort of pictures as long as it doesn't take too long. So if you place yourself ideally between the couple and the parents you can not only capture the signing properly but you can also catch a wide range of portraits and emotions between the two sides. Here the groom as he sits down.

Then he kisses his bride. Not posed, they really wanted to kiss. Do not forget that most of the time a piece of music is being played while we are signing. If the music has stopped for quite a while and you are still taking pictures, you are in danger zone. And the priest will let you know. Learn to be as efficient as possible is those mini moments and macro spaces, and work in order. Formal and important ones first, more creative and subtle in between or at the end.

The photograph above was a hard one. The couple did ask the priest what was his policy and we knew that pictures were quite restricted but we were not really ready for such a harsh line. He basically said no pictures at all during the whole service. Except a couple of formals with the couple signing. So, no walking in, no walking out, no long lens, nothing...I therefore kept my patience and tried to gather few shots before the bride arrived. I then sat at the back of the church to see how the priest behaved. As we approached the signing I walked towards the registrar and made sure my flash was not on and waited for the priest to be busy doing something else. I shot...and he heard the click of my film camera, and said quite loud " No pictures I told you, behave yourself or I will have you out !" The best is those situations is to play stupid. Do not try to make a point or to be right. This is a religious site for someone's wedding. We do not care if you are right or wrong. I just excused myself and said I misunderstood what he meant before the ceremony started. I then took the formal ones as planned. We got a bit of tension, but I got the picture the couple wanted.

In some cases the priest will try to intervene in your job. As an illustration I just show the hands of this priest while I am photographing the actual signing. But in some cases the priest is standing in front of me in purpose. In fact, the whole trouble comes from one's interpretation. When the couple ask if I can take pictures, the priest will always say yes. When I turn up at the church it is a slight different story. The priest indicates me where I have to stand and not move. Tells me what I should photograph and when. Sometimes the whole situation is a bit strange. Give a big smile, be nice and patient and make most of it.

Flash is always recommended as you do the formal pictures of the couple signing. It is important to use it to get the sharpest image possible but also to show off. Meaning that the parents always expect from the official photographer to have some professional equipment to be displayed and the pro flash is a good tool to make that statement. But also take as many atmospheric ones without it especially if you are working with digital. Try not to forget the witnesses too.
To conclude I would say that most of this sort of picture is very precious to the parents such as the formal group ones. You cannot afford to miss it. They are not really creative but they have to be dead right, perfectly composed and lighten up, and with good expressions. And you HAVE TO DO IT VERY QUICKLY as you have to get ready for the walking out now. No rest for the pro! Maybe 5 minutes in 3 hours time...if you are lucky.

PORTRAITS AT WEDDINGS

2010-07-28T17:10:00.003+01:00

There is no better place than wedding for taking great portraits. Why ?

- The bridal party is mostly focused on making the big day a perfect one and therefore they have little time to allocate to posing (in my style of photography especially). They fully rely on my experience to capture the expressions as the day goes by. Which is great because the best portraits you can get are the non-posed ones.

- My fluid and honest reportage style makes the couple concentrate on enjoying the day as if I wasn't there and that is why they choose my approach. Being a good wedding reportage photographer is like being a third eye. You have to know a little bit about the couple beforehand in order to enter the event like if you were part of the audience. Too many photographers only turn up on the day and make people feel uncomfortable, not only the guests but most importantly the bridal party. You cannot expect having a lot of great portraits if you sort of gate crash a wedding even if you are the official photographer. By meeting the couple beforehand and explaining your work you will diffuse an aura which will be know by quite a few people before you do the job. To know as a couple that you hired someone special will make your task much easier and beneficial.

- I mostly use an 85mm and 105mm for my single portraits. I do not believe that you can take great portraits either if you are too far or too close from the subject. Those two lenses are perfect to enter circles without being intrusive. They also help to isolate the subject from the background if use at 4 or 5.6 aperture. Use the blur effect created from the semi long lens to create some distance in order to isolate the subject. I personally love the 50mm and 35mm but they are more for situations. You can still take some great portraits though with a 50mm depending on the situation.

- But what makes a good portrait after all? Adequate equipment is required of course, but what matters ultimately are you eye, your brain and social understanding of human behaviours. You can obviously guess what sort of reactions will emerge from such and such traditional format but there numerous opportunities that are simply unrehearsed and genuine. You have to understand how people relate to each other first. That step should anticipated from the prior meeting with the couple who will tell you or express a sentiment towards their closest families. Then you have the close friends who will gather automatically haven't seen each other for a while. You can also sense the moods from each table walking around in the first 15 minutes of the seat down dinner. I have a tip for that. I usually walk around and pretend to shoot by pressing the flash independently if I use film, or by just wasting data with digital. After that first procession people will understand that you will be taking photographs while they are eating, they know the score. Later you will see them being aware of the situation and most of them will play the game by being natural and at their best. That way it's already half of the job done. You only have then to scan the diner area and have eyes and ears in you back to know what is going on at any time.

- When I take pictures during diner I always position myself in the way that I can photograph from 2 or 3 different angles to capture different situations and people. While I wait and try to portrait someone form whom nothing seems to appear I can hear a giggle in my back. I know that the second person is in my sight despite facing opposite direction. I a split seond I turn around and capture that person without her noticing. By doing so you usually impress people for being so quick and generate expression from your first subject which you can then portrait by coming back to your first position.

- Taking a portrait can be a game of mouse and cat. Some people hate having their photograph taken and they let you know it in a blink of an eye. Personally if I know that such person is not so involved in the wedding by being a stranger almost I will give up after three attempts. If the person if important to the story if will do my bets to understand her weakness and to capture her when she expects it the least. Beauty is in the vulnerability after all, when ll the barriers disappear and you feel naked. Some people would say it is being intrusive or misplaced, I would call it beauty.

- By tradition people related to a good portrait when it shows an old or young person. I would say it is easy because their appearance expresses nostalgia in the wrinkles of youth with playfulness. I do take those portraits of course but they are quite easy to get as the first group knows well about what it means or inspires, and the second one is always doubtful and shy. In both cases there is an established dialogue we could long discuss about, but what matters to us here is what is in between. Between 15 and 60 you will find it a bit more difficult to get a grip because there is a sort of wall in general, there is misplaced competition. But it is up to the photographer to make people feel at ease. You have to express by your attitude that you can somehow understand each individual and capture a sort of essence. And you can only do that if you love social/reportage photography and if you have compassion. If you treat your subjects like numbers, you will never get anywhere and every wedding will look the same - distant and uninspired.

JEWISH WEDDINGS

2010-06-22T12:07:00.013+01:00

I love working on Jewish weddings. They are rich, emotional, traditional, fun and sweaty! The pictures I am showing are from lovely Rose and Jeremy in London. The preparation doesn't necessarily involve bridesmaids but the very close family. There is usually some kind of tension whether it is silence or chaos. The act of marriage in the Jewish culture is something very serious despite couples looking quite relax about it. While the bride is getting ready, the groom goes to the synagogue and has his own ceremony with his ushers, parents and rabbi.

As the guests starts arriving they are being asked to sit genders apart, one half sitting opposite to the other. Whether before, during or after ( all depending on the synagogue facilities) the bride enters discreetly a separate room with her relatives. The groom has to leave the guests and invites his ushers to join him on his way to his bride to be. This ceremony is called the Bedekken and consists in recognizing and acknowledging that the woman here present is the one he accepts to marry. She usually wears the veil as he walks in, and he has to unveil her face and to agree to the rabbi that she is the one. They then walk into the main hall of the synagogue leading the procession and the whole bridal party in between the male and female sides.

They finally arrive at the chuppah which is the tent displayed on a large alter where the couple and parents of each side will gather to proceed to the core of the ceremony. It starts with the walking in circle 7 times around the groom, exchanges of vows, drinking of wine and breaking of glass by the groom. They then sign the traditional registrar with the Jewish calendar. In some occasion like the wedding presented today the couple will walk to an opposite altar which will be open only to them when they can see their future or the unseen, that's what happen here at Bevis Marks in the City.

Then we proceed to the reception. Group shots have to be performed in a military efficiency. Those are highly important more than in any other type of ceremony. You have to be sharp and bossy. When you are done with the groups and the couple shots, the MC will ask the guests to seat down as the couple is preparing to make a special entrance. And contrary to other cultures we start here with dancing and the chairs. The groom and the bride will be taken apart and be sat on a chair that will be elevated in the air. Each gender group will try to make the sitter sick somehow and will then produce a sort of dance in the air between the bride and groom. Once they had enough, they come down to the floor and dance with their mates. The boys can be quite excited and virulent! that usually last for 15/20 minutes. The you get called for starter.

Depending on the families and traditions but sometimes guests are being asked to dance between each course. Speeches will be performed in a traditional way, and toasts to the Queen are quite a standard. You also have a traditional ceremony where a glass is being praised and passed across key members of the congregation.

After all those traditional bits and the cutting of the cake, you have finally the first dance and the big party. The dancing usually never stops until the band calls the last score. That will be a final dance with all the guests making a circle and crushing the couple in a tremendous final.

As a photographer you have to be utterly prepared and confident. You also have to allocate responsively your time between creativity and formal needs, the formal needs being here a priority. There is no time for rest if you want to do a great job, but all the materials are out there to make it look great. Jewish weddings are the ultimate test as a wedding photographer and I love them!

VALUE AND PRICE

2010-06-06T20:21:00.005+01:00

Photography and especially digital photography is so available nowadays, so democratic. Whether you are an amateur or a professional, an relatively affordable investment is all what you need to take pictures. No need to know about the different films, the papers, the labs. No need to know about the basics of photography such as lightning, exposure, bracketing, frame while you shoot. The technology has improved so much that cameras and softwares make your life easy. No need to ask for a graphic designer to do your website. You can do your own blog for free and many other companies propose templates that you can have control directly from your desktop. Well, as you can imagine it is not something I am fully supportive of. Don't get me wrong, I completely agree that progress makes our life easier and enhance somehow the average quality of what's on the market. I use the term here somehow because this is what we perceive, or I shall say what the technology aims us to feel. But in fact, that technology doesn't really deliver and only pretends.

By leveling the mainstream it does so by the bottom. Everything looks pretty good on surface. It takes someone with knowledge about the medium to understand what lies behind. And obviously the whole idea of presenting portfolios or highlights has never been the best way to truly understand the talent. Folios, websites and others only present the best stuff which is fair enough if you are specialised in food photography, design, landscapes, etc...photography that requires time on one specific subject at the time. But when it comes to reportage you need to approach someone's work in a completely different perspective. It has to be good, creative, personal and consistent, not to mention the photographer's personality on the day. And that is something you cannot see from a website really. Most photographers would show you one truly great shot of one particular wedding and would move on to the next wedding. To my opinion this is not being honest. But this is what our societies have been driven for decades now. As little people have knowledge about the trade they get excited about the flashy bits. And on their wedding day or after this is a very different bitter story. This is what is happening for the last two years especially.

The recession came on, the digital quality increased and ways of promoting become almost free, therefore everybody wants to be a wedding photographer as there is little work left in other industries. Because wedding photography has never been taken seriously from the professional milieu, all sorts of amateurs come in and lower the dedication and quality.
I was an amateur too 10 years ago, but I studied in the best schools and worked in the top environments dedicated to outstanding quality. And when I started on the market I had a certain experience about the trade from its history, lab, computer, studio and street photography. I just had to put all that into practice. And I always reinvent and diversify my projects to keep my wedding practice fresh and creative. All that dedication, whether it is photography or graphic design, architecture, cooking etc... deserves a certain salary. Because your passion is your life, and it keeps on expanding, and you keep on improving.

Today everything looks the same. And amazingly a lot of stuff looks truly great. But if you know how to read an image like I have been taught, you realise that most productions out there are fake. Most photography and wedding reportage included is heavily retouched. Most photographers nowadays rely on the retouching to make their visual look appealing. A good journalist should be someone who doesn't almost touch the photograph. Look at most website and you see some kind of ideal world, clean, pure, isolated like in a bubble. This is not real life. Our lives are messy, contradictory, complex, certainly not perfect. But this is the wedding photographer's duty to capture the essence and beauty of each event within that chaos. We have to try our best always and remain invisible. I see reportage photography like being a juggler. You know the pattern and you know the tricks, everything can collapse at any time and you always want to add this extra ball.

To aim at delivering consistent quality and quantity is a risky game but truly exciting. This a lot of hard work and practice - practice is the secret - nothing new?! To handle your camera to a point that it becomes invisible to even yourself, that it becomes a simple eye extension is the real price that people should be aiming at. To capture an emotion, a tear. Being at the right place...has nothing to do with devices and technology but it has to do with your eye, your brain and your experience. You can show me the most amazing landscapes and venues where the couple is standing straight tiny in the middle, you can show me crazy effects from the flashy to the soft poetic, that doesn't turn me on. Effects are here to disturb to attention and to hide that the material is actually not so interesting. In true reportage there is no trick, no effect. Not true in fact there are some, but they are set beforehand, a split second while dancing with the action in order to immerse you in the best possible way, but never after. To manipulate after shooting is simply not right in a reportage term. This is personally not the way I understand this genre of photography. By doing so you simply prove that you missed the shot, you missed your intention and have not much to say, and you try to cover it up.

As we can see a photography doesn't cost much anymore. Compare to few years ago where a certain investment, raw dedication and time were needed. A decent camera, a zoom lens and a computer is the minimum required nowadays. In fact you could actually say that we are all photographers. But unfortunately we are not. Like any other trade, quality has nothing to do with the tool used but with the brain who is in charge. Because this brain will take you much further than any tool. And scientist are here to remind us that fact.

PHOTOGRAPHY DOESN'T COSTS ANYTHING ANYMORE, BUT GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PRICELESS BECAUSE MONEY CANNOT REPLACE THEIR MAGIC. THEIR TRUE VALUE LIES ON THE EMOTION CAPTURED IN THE EPHEMERAL, SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE REPLACED, LIKE ONCE WE WERE YOUNG.

PATIENCE, EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING

2010-05-06T11:47:00.008+01:00

For many years now magazines have been giving tips away to couples about wedding preparation. The area that concerns us has been widely described and keeps on changing due to the new technologies and therefore clients' expectations of the final product. You would expect magazines and editors to be on top of that subject as it is the primary matter they are working with. But... you would be surprised to realise that most people even within the industry cannot read an image, and/or do not consider it as a art piece and performance. The trouble is that digital photography has enabled the novice to feel like a pro. Whether you are working with film or digital, a good photographer remains a good photographer. Usually people who have the film background find it easy to move on with digital to push it further. And the newcomers who start with digital find it too easy to handle and therefore become lazy. When I mean lazy, is that they actually spend endless hours retouching and making it look amazing, but the truth is that the emotion and content has never been within the frame in the first place.

To take great pictures has nothing to do with your equipment, but it's down to your eye and your brain only. You cannot recreate a tear and the facial expression that comes with it with software manipulation. You have to be there, in the waiting, observe, apprehend and capture it. Old style you might say, but that is the only way with film or digital. That has nothing to do with technology.

I always find it surprising that images have been the original way or communicating (caves) before we started writing, but still most people cannot actually understand what lies behind. To be honest, as an image maker, after years of experience you know how to translate an emotion. It is a training like any other based on human experience. If you want to be a wedding photographer you want to produce as many images with meanings. To photograph a moment means to transform an event into an exhibition or a contemplation, a mirror effect. That takes years of knowledge and empathy with your subject to control. You cannot pretend being a good wedding photographer being totally detached from it. If you do not feel like being involved you should move towards product photography. As a wedding photographer you are being involved in a unique experience where the couple completely relies on you. You become the single privileged observer working on behalf of the couple. And you have to respond in the best possible way every single time. It is a business in which you cannot become complacent. Each wedding is a challenge, this is my way forward anyway. And you can apply it to any kind of practice.

Today unfortunately, the digital may seem like it is a medium that anyone can embrace securely.
Well, more and more people bring they digital camera at weddings. And to be honest it becomes a nightmare for me as one person out of two in my pictures carry or perform with they camera. That doesn't look great really. I think a wedding should be enjoyed first as a guest. A wedding is not a fashion shoot where everyone think he/she can be the photographer. Our lives are being more and more comfortable through the lens of the camera and takes the human experience away. I find it a shame. If you ask most people nowadays how were their vacations, they first show you a hundred of meaningless pictures and don't have much to say about it because they think their pictures can translate it. The truth is that taking photograph is a real job which most people don't learn, and therefore their pictures do not relate much to what it was all about. Or I should say that in fact it completely relates to what they experienced then, meaning they took a lot of pictures...

More and more people think they understand photography and can become photographers themselves within a couple of months with a special course. I do not want to sound conservative but what ever you want to achieve in life deserves time, years of practice and passion. Too many photographers only are because of money and think they can make a good life - it is a myth!
As a freelance you battle daily for your survival and you better be passionate about it. 90% of those who claim to be photographers give it up within 2 years. And to call yourself a photographer means to me that you make a living out of it.
In fact most "photographers" are keen amateurs. There is nothing wrong with that, but people who really need a professional get confused and we end up in the mess we are now. People don't trust photographers anymore. First because they think they can do it themselves thanks to digital and also because they have been told that they don't need a professional and that a cousin who is a "photographer" can do it almost for free. That is what has happened in the last couple of years. The result - people keep on contacting me to retouch the horrendous materials, or that their photographer lost the materials or the back-ups, or that it will take months before delivery, etc...the list is endless. But the clients are also to blame for not being interested and not using common sense.

We always say that a picture is better than a 1000 words. But trust me, to take those special pictures requires special talent, not a mobile phone. Today platforms, magazines, blogs and others diffuse millions of pictures and therefore require thousand of multitasking editors who cannot be good at one single thing because they are being asked to do several at once. The more we produce, the less quality we get, and therefore the less we expect, that's as simple as that. Do you want less or more ?

POSTERS TO CELEBRATE

2010-04-09T08:20:00.005+01:00

Two limited edition posters from Format Festival are now available online.
Nadine and Tony could join your walls for a very special price.
Each poster is an A2 size with a very smooth finish.
You can frame them or glue them as they are also designed to be advertised.
One copy is £15. If you want one of each it will be £25 only. Postage fee is on top.
Every single copy has an original sticker/stamp as a proof authenticity and my signature.
You can email me at david@2exposures.com for further details.

FINAL PREGNANCY PICTURES

2010-04-04T17:21:00.007+01:00

This is Easter ! No chocolate this year but a different big egg to celebrate though. The baby was in a hurry and wanted to be amongst us few weeks ago in order to have his/her first ever taste of Easter eggs. Instead the baby will have to stay in a bit longer and wait an other year for the sweets. This festive time is a good excuse for the mother who can eat as much as she deserves.

Lots of sleep now. Not only the mum sleeps a good 9 hours/night but the dad too ! Sleep as much as you can before the storm arrives as most people say. Well, we enjoy long days taking care of ourselves to provide the best arrival to the newborn. The bag(s) are ready, it is just a matter of days now.

This last studio session is in a more relax and convenient room for the mum. No need to stand and hold poses. The session takes place in a big double bed in an empty white room - bare minimal. She woke up minutes ago and the bed is still warm which is an ideal condition.

Here I try to keep the shoot as neutral, sharp and well balanced as possible. Thinking ahead for the slight digital manipulations I have in mind. I want the atmosphere cosy and fresh because this is Spring. I add gentle variations to give a certain pastel warmth to the ambiance. The last picture is to symbolize the next step at the hospital !

CITY PROJECT Official release online

2010-03-29T13:57:00.002+01:00

MAKE IT A GOOD...

By david boulogne

Book Preview

FORMAT FESTIVAL 1 year already

2010-03-22T14:29:00.004Z

Last year in March my Inadequates series were exhibited in the great cinema hall on the top floor of the brand new Quad building in Derby. 24 images ( 12 very large / 12 A2's) of mine were displayed. Next door was Magnum agency showcasing their In Motion concept. You could find under the same roof Cyndy Sherman, Gregory Crewdson, David Lynch, Eric Baudelaire, Hannah Starkey, William Eggleston and many others. Wim Wenders was also part of it in a separate venue.
I wish all the best to the festival which is the best in UK. The layout, location and selection is what you would expect from a top international feast celebrating Photography. Unfortunately the attendance was relatively poor and it really somehow describes the situation in which Photography is nowadays - in serious doubt...

PREGNANCY PICTURES / 8 MONTHS

2010-03-16T19:04:00.008Z

Mummy is now ready, almost. Very tired, long heavy sleeps. The baby has turned and the head is now downwards, ready for delivery.

The pain is in the lower abdominal and in the back occasionally. But she is coping very well. Poses are becoming difficult to hold.

This time I played around with some subtle effects you can either find on your SLR or on your computer software. Nothing fancy, just trying to get the mood.

There might not be a 9 month photo session as the baby already tried to join us. But there will be more to come with a new character to meet...see you soon

SPEECHES AND REACTIONS

2010-03-03T14:11:00.010Z

Today let's talk speeches.
Everybody has had a nice breakfast and a few drinks, and we cannot wait to hear those embarrassing stories. The traditional order of speakers is father of the bride, bride groom and best man. I have been told few years ago that apparently the father' speech is actually quite recent as the tradition would invite a speaker on behalf of the bride's father.

Speeches are the formal part that most people would see as not a very interesting part to photograph. On the contrary I would say ( are you surprise ?) This is a very special moment where all the attention of the audience is towards the speaker. Therefore you have an opportunity to capture some amused, focused, touching moments and faces. Establish a procedure of priorities to make the most of it.

1/ father of the bride: speaker, bride, bride's mum, siblings, groom, grandparents and guests
2/ groom: speaker, bride, his parents, her parents, siblings, grandparents, best man and guests
3/ best man: speaker, groom, bride, bride & groom and guests
4/ bride eventually: speaker, groom, her parents, his parents, siblings, close friends and guests.

It is important to have few shots of the speaker with various expressions and ways of framing but do not spend too much time on him as it is quite limited somehow. It is a character with a mouth opened and a background. If you can get shots including the speaker and the persons he is talking about in order to create a story line within one shot. Mind the table's decorations.
I am not someone very keen on wedding videos in general but I would suggest you to have one during the speeches as the talking is more important than the visual (same applies to the ceremony)

Once you have the formal shots in the box and covered most of the people involved in the wedding party you can allocate some time going around the tables discreetly to capture people's reactions. That's the fun part where you need to have experience to not spend too much time on one person only. After few weddings you start understanding how it works. You know when the catch phrase is about to be delivered. You need to be fast and discreet. Being tall I always have to kneel not to block the view and my knees start hurting a bit...
For the speeches you need to anticipate, be fast, shoot while listening, shoot and get the next shot or person ready in mind, be discreet and fluid, have an extra pair of eyes in your back and be physically fit. Quite a few things to know then...

PREGNANCY PICS / 7 MONTHS

2010-02-16T18:04:00.010Z

The belly looks quite round now and I have to make most of it. In the last month the mum has been playing a lot with the baby who is very receptive to sounds and moves.

I try to orchestrate a friendly warm atmosphere. I want some gold, strawberries and chocolate feel. It is the cosy period of the pregnancy before the big push.

I am focusing mostly on the belly. I use a simple white T-shirt to create some contrast with the silky brown skin. I cannot ask too much from the mum at this stage as long poses become difficult to hold.

GROUP SHOTS

2010-02-11T13:46:00.015Z

This part of the day is somehow crucial. Not the most exciting one from a photographer's point of view. Neither from the couple's I would say, especially if they are really into reportage. But we all have to make compromises and this formality is very important for the parents, the families and for the testimony. I am going to explain the basics of group photography.

A - a list of group shots has to be decided between the photographer and the couple before the wedding day. It is always tricky as most of my clients do not want that many. But I always advise them to speak to their parents first on that particular point. They usually come back to me with quite a few more than first expected. Get those groups on a piece of paper in the most logical and convenient way. Once you agree with the couple on the correct order, ask them to provide copies of the definitive list to the ushers or people who can help on the day.

B - always try to be the most central as possible in your composition. The best lens to use is the 50mm as it doesn't create distortions. Well sometimes depending of the location it is not possible but try the best you can. Be also very central related to the height of your camera. Meaning the best way to maximize neutral effect is by positioning your camera at mid-height which is usually by the belly button of your subject. This is what I am showing in the first two pictures whether it is vertical or horizontal. I only photograph a maximum of four characters vertically. This composition gives too much importance to the space rather than the characters if more people are involved. I would say that the 3/4 of my group shots are landscape.

C - always leave some room on the side when it is possible (pictures 1 & 2). Most wedding photographers use 135mm which fits perfectly standard frames or 6x4 or 6x9 inches prints. But quite often parents want to have that particular photograph in a 7x5 or 6x8 inches frame, and therefore the picture will have to be cropped. If you don't leave some room some characters will partially disappear in the process of printing. It is also best to have the people right in the middle, but sometimes the background is quite eloquent and I therefore compose with my group in the lower part of the image as shown above.

D - always have two locations for your group photographs when possible. One indoor and one outdoor. Most people prefer outside but you never know. There is no real need in visiting the venue beforehand. That choice has to be made within 5 minutes depending on where the drink reception is organized and the weather. There is no point in choosing a beautiful backdrop if it is 100 yards from the drinks reception. That will make everybody very upset and you will have no control over the fast turnover needed at this stage. Find somewhere nice, dry, convenient with neutral background. Group shots are about people not about landscapes or architecture. If you can have the two, well that's your lucky day.

E - in most cases use the flash. Feeling flash is the most useful here like the three pictures shown above . It is a very subtle technique. Get the light as if you were shooting without and set your flashgun low or mid-power. That freezes better the composition and highlight gently the skins. Especially useful when the ladies are wearing hats ( or men top hats). You can use you flash to a higher power when you are facing somehow the sun ( two top ones above). Always try though to find natural elements that can help you to soften the high contrast ( like the walls or under a tree). Then set the power of your flash accordingly ( you need some experience here I am afraid). Make also sure the faces are on a dark or medium background to avoid the flair. I got it right on the second sample as I wanted to create a effect but that's a bit risky for someone who has no real control over the flash experience ( especially in the rush ! )

F - you can also create some very subtle effects without flash while shooting. Sometimes the sky is quite grey and you have this overcast weather condition. This is perfect from a photographer's point of view. It's like a huge studio set with soft boxes. Get your exposure right and then open by half-stop or a full stop. You will keep all the details in the background and outfits, and will gently highlight the skins. Beware: this is a different story when you have to photograph black skins. You have to stick then to feeling flash photography. You can take obviously beautiful photograph of black skins without flash, but at this stage of the day it is too risky to recommend.

G - big group shots have been highly requested in the last few years. I tend to do it 5/10 minutes before the guests are called for diner. You cannot organize it yourself and really require the ushers here. You have to know exactly where the guests have to be taken to. Here again the closest to the main hall is the best. Ladies with high heels are not so keen on walking 100 yards on the grass. So old people might take a good 10 minutes to get there. Once you manage to get everybody's attention shoot quite a few times. Speak to them, make them laugh, make them interact. You will never succeed in having everybody looking at you, so don't be frustrated, that's human nature and logistics. Try to get the most important people in the first two rows and fill as much as possible you frame baring in mind the cropping issue I mentioned earlier. Once you have 2 or 3 good shots you can then announce that the diner is about to be served.

The group shots are not terribly exciting but they are elementary and necessary. They have to be performed technically perfectly and with synchronicity. Make this make easy for the couple who will have to pose for most photographs. That can be even more painful for them than for you. Keep them entertained, give them water and support, give them directions, that's what they need. You are somehow the center of attention and you have to give orders to make this part as swift and enjoyable as possible. Just say "cheese"

NEW BOOK

2010-02-05T07:35:00.001Z

dialogue 2

The size in doubt

By david boulogne

Book Preview

New publication of my critical photography's diaries.

HARD DRIVE CRASH

2010-01-26T16:14:00.011Z

This was meant to happen. I was few weeks away from buying a second external hard drive. I was waiting to reach the 50% of its storage in order to purchase a new 500GB as a back up. I haven't had this LaCie d2 Quadra examined yet. It could be the cable transfer supply only, but from the few reviews I read online I doubt it. The engine doesn't seem to kick in. It is stuck. It doesn't appear on my screen either. I haven't moved this hard drive from its original place on my desk. I haven't done anything damaging to it. It has just been sitting for 2 years by my computer. No radiators nearby, well...I don't get it. As most specialists would say forget about it and get on with life.

So I would like to inform all my clients that fortunately I backed-up every single wedding on a separate medium ( DVD) to avoid this sort of major trouble. If copies are needed they are still available. I did the same with all my personal works. Unfortunately, they are few folders which are destined to books or layouts that might have disappeared. I still have the originals on a digital format, but it is just time consuming. It is unbelievable how digital makes life so complicated !

All this takes me back to what I have been warning people in my book and on this blog.
DIGITAL IS CONVENIENT BUT IT IS NOT RELIABLE AND IT DOESN'T LAST IN TIME,
it is simply not designed for that purpose.

29th January - News

I went to Micro Anvika where I bought this Hard Drive from. Their customer service has been very kind and spotted the problem in seconds. The power supply was faulty. Which makes sense. The technician showed me that once plugged in the power supply emitted a strange sound. He tried with a spare one and it worked. The sound was more stable and the drive worked. Hourrah !!! My hard drive is back to life and all my folders are safe. In the mean time I bought a small portable USB connection Petit LaCie 320 GB to copy all my my folders once back home. The USB port is obviously slower than my previous Firewire but I think it is wiser to diversify the connection mode. And this new one is easy to carry even though it will be full very soon already.
The trouble with my original 500GB is that it comes with a power supply, which is logical, but there is no switch on it. It is therefore always switched on even if the hard drive is not. And it has been this way for 2 years. No surprise then that it collapsed. The best way from now on is to unplug it after every single use to avoid this kind of trouble.
I have been reading different blogs about possible crashes and if I follow the diagnostics described I should have then gone to a specialist who would have charged me a lot of money to retrieve my datas. The wisest procedure is to try as many alternatives with different computers and to check every single lead. Even if the hard drive is stock and doesn't seem to start, it doesn't mean that it is faulty.
But in any case as I had backed up almost everything on DVDs I was not going mental and tried to use my common sense like if I had to deal with a car engine. There are many online shop where you can get very good deals and nowadays with capacities are really affordable. But I wonder what happens if you get this kind of technical problem. Will they take it back ? Who does the warranty apply to ? The supplier or the maker ? How long does it take for being fixed ? etc...
In the end I was quite glad I purchased my 500GB from a shop with a customer service. It saved me a lot of time, money and stress. In total 3 days and I didn't pay anything. Quite good I think !

PHOTOGRAPHY IN BIG TROUBLES

2010-01-21T08:46:00.009Z

From Oeil Public's Newsletter

OEIL PUBLIC, END OF A STORY

Dear friends,

Oeil Public photographers have made a decision to end the 15 years old agency's story. We thank you all for your faithful support.
Oeil Public was a team of independant photographers, united through their involvment. And a tool adapting to its members' practices to fight for their independance, their points of view, their freedom.
From its very first stories, Oeil Public photographers asserted their involvment to understand the world after a strong editorial line. They investigated for the press, giving priority to an in-depth approach over simple illustration.
Its photographers have permanently explored the ways of story-telling in documentary journalism. They such made Oeil Public a research lab and a united undertaking.
The press economic crisis has now made production of photo-stories impossible. Photojournalism practices have to be thought hard today.
Oeil Public is no longer fitted.

Oeil Public closes eyes today, to allow its members to keep theirs wide open.
See you soon...

Oeil Public

Very sad story for such a great collective agency. This is what has been happening for the last 10 years gradually and more dramatically in the last 5 years. I managed to meet them in Paris a year ago at their headquarters. They liked my work but they were already very concerned. One photographer member I met was very honest and told me that their future was very bleak. More or less 10 years ago the Press stopped commissioning freelancers. The new policy was to bring stories on a silver plate at your own expenses. In the last few years they stopped paying photographers or would pay very little. I had the same experience with Editing agency as they went bankrupt 5 years ago. That what happens to Opale agency too, with whom I am apparently still part of despite not having any order for the last 3 years. Even the most prestigious Magnum is suffering. Most agencies disappear one after the other. Most people don't know about those things.

We have to understand this crisis from different angles. The reasons are multiple but they all converge towards the same goal and the effects are visible in various ways.

Main reason is Digital. In the past photographers would use films. Meaning they had to learn a great deal about all the aspects of Photography. The bulk of knowledge involved meant you had to be really passionate about it and spend not only a lot of time but also a lot of your money. You had therefore a natural selection which would gratify the most persistent and talented. Because of the time, knowledge and assets provided the common people could identify someone's work as valuable. Because of digital it has all disappeared within few years.
People do not regard Photography as a skill because nowadays everybody can take a picture. You don't even need a camera. A mobile phone is enough apparently. People accumulate materials on their desktop but do not really judge or compare, they only consume. I am really astounded when I hear people's comments on their own pictures taken from their mobile. This phenomenon has been experienced every single time I do a wedding in the last couple of years. I even get pushed away by guests as they see themselves more photographers than me. The quality is going down and the expectations follow accordingly.

We have reached that bottom where Photography doesn't really mean anything anymore to the masses. Before, prints, presentation, skills were a sign of experience and people would spend more time reading the images. Consequently they would interact and understand more the value that represents a picture. To be honest a photograph ( print) has never cost much unless you are using traditional methods. But nowadays prints seem not to be needed too.
What really makes a photograph valuable is not the product really but what is behind. The photographer's skills, the emotion captured, the story telling, the honesty and quantity make a photographic assignment valuable. A photograph is to generate emotion and is produced to last for future generations. We all want to understand and see where we are from. Our parents' wedding, the face of an unknown uncle, memories of grand-parents. That is what photography is about. Well today it looks like it is not relevant anymore. We produce, accumulate, consume masses of datas which will disappear quickly. Our generation will be erased from collective memory.

Slow growing expected recession is an other reason for this drama. It works alongside digital. People overspent or spent with no assets. 5 years ago people would find an average price tag of £1500 for a quality photographer. Today I hear people expecting me to cover a wedding for £500. How can you financially do a wedding for so little ? It is simply impossible.
Photography is a very vast field where specialization is often required. I trained a lot of assistants in the last 10 years. I also proposed a lot of others to sponsor them. And most of them would refuse because doing weddings "isn't cool". I said to myself there is not point in trying to convince them that they have to start somewhere. Most networks are almost impossible to get in as the economies slowly shrank. Most of them do something completely different now or are just surviving. The wedding photography network was still professional then.
Because of the recession most areas have been shut down. Therefore one of the few left is wedding photography. So all the young photographers jump on the opportunity without any experience, skills, understanding and they charge very low. What is then the consequence ? Obviously very poor results. Couples get upset and see all wedding photographers as amateurs who do not deserved to be assigned. We have reached this bottom where people follow the Press' policy - we do not need photographers anymore !

I regularly check websites from various sources and lately I came across a directory of American newspapers where each would present a selection of the best pictures of 2009. Bare in mind that this selection is done by the picture editor. I was appalled by most of them. How can you then blame people for not being able to judge quality if papers have lost it !

Photography is the most democratic media and especially today, but to produce quality and understanding requires professional skills. This evidence is found everywhere, in all trades and will remain this way. This one human fundamental.
Do we want quality or do we aspire to vast amounts of nothingness ? This is the delicate dilemna we did put ourselves in. It's up to you, it's up to us to decide which way we are going.

PREGNANCY PICTURES / 2

2010-01-18T10:07:00.008Z

6 months pregnancy pictures. Studio and BW. The belly is showing quite well now. The mum being quite fit you can really read the separation between the body and its growing extension. It is almost possible sometimes to see the baby' shape. The body really becomes an entity you can play with like a sculptor would do. I tried to compose being inspired by classical poses used in the Antiquity. I want to emphasize on the body's beauty, but also on the comfortable stage of the pregnancy in which the mum is now. The bound between the two is now settled and the mum can interact with the baby.

CHURCH PHOTOGRAPHY

2010-01-07T16:35:00.033Z

Church Photography is the most important part of the day for many reasons. This is the core of the day in spite of our modern societies being less religious and less keen on documenting this formality.They are a lot of creative shots available online but the truth is that most of the time you have to stick to a rigorous agenda if you want to capture all the elements that make a church ceremony complete. The diptychs shown are a compilation of old weddings assembled in a sort of chronology. This presentation does not cover fully, but it gives you a certain narrative of the exercise.

1/ BEING ORGANIZED / POLICIES

Most churches of England run a wedding ceremony for 45 minutes. Catholic churches usually run for 1 hour, and Protestant churches somewhere in between the two. There is no national or international rules regarding the wedding photographer. It is up to the vicar in charge.They all have their own policy. You should ask the couple to ask him about the policy. Keep in mind that most vicars will make it sound like very easy and open for the photographer. But in fact what they tell the couple is often different to what actually is permitted. So ask the couple to be informed themselves on that matter and have yourself a word with the vicar before the ceremony. Some of them want you to come to the rehearsal the day before the event. If you are local to the wedding why not, otherwise you have to gain experience and play it by ear very on the day. But that's what reportage once again is about, it's about being reading in all possible circumstances. After years of practice I do not feel like going to the rehearsal as I know exactly what is going to happen. Most churches are the same and I know the procedure. Ask the couple to give you an order of service or pick up one before the bride arrives.
It is very important to follow the rules of the place as some priests are very fussy. Trying to be sneaky in order to get better shots can be very damaging to the general atmosphere of the event. Some priests are very tight and can actually make a loud complaint while directing the ceremony. Most of them have had very unpleasant experiences with non respectful or amateur photographers and they will warn you from the start. You are usually not their friends and it is up to you to make them believe otherwise but being discreet and available.

2/ FIND YOUR MARKS

Depending on the contract that bounds you to the couple you might just turn up with or just before the bride, or you might be asked to go straight to the church where the groom, best man, ushers and guests are arriving. In both case I always try to visit the church quite in advance in order to understand the layout inside and outside. Some churches present a very peculiar design where entrance and exit are not the same. You also have to check the lights (natural and artificial). You have to check if there is a balcony where you can take a general shot from above, trying not to be in the way of the organist if he/she performs up there. Find the table where will be signed the registrar. Understand if there are side aisles to walk up and down easily. In a lot of churches you will be asked to stay at the back behind the last row for most of the service. You need therefore to have a long lens. If you work with film I would recommend strongly a tripod, if not, make sure your digital camera takes quality pictures a high ISO. The general policy with photography is NOT to use the flash during the service especially in UK. It can be used though as the bride walks in, at the signing and when the couple walks out. I personally like this policy which makes me unobtrusive. It is up to you to find the right way to cover all the angles and emotions despite the limited access to your subjects.

3/ GET INTO THE MOOD

The groom, best man and ushers are usually the first ones to turn up. That is their duty to check that all the flowers arrangements are displayed as planned. They have to put some signs to prevent the guests to sit on the front rows accredited to the close families. The ushers have to distribute the orders of service to the guests now arriving and leading them to the right side they should sit on, etc...The groom gets nervous and the best man has to calm him down. This part is quite interesting for me as there is a real sense of happiness and building tension combined. Try to get as many details of the flowers, orders of service, the church as a building to have a sense of environment and weather conditions, guests arriving, outfits, buttonholes, people chatting, ushers performing, groom tensing up (bride being late),...Make sure that you spoke to the vicar. Most importantly you have to be available anytime if the bride is to arrive as you have to capture her getting out of the car with her father, or sibling, and bridesmaids. The before of the ceremony is already a story on its own.

4 / THE CEREMONY STARTS

The brides arrives. If you work alongside a video person make sure you met introduce yourself to this person as you will have to work together without interfering. That bit is especially important as you will have to walk backwards as the bride walks in and if the priest permits you to do so. You have to be aware that you will be either in the field of the video, or will have to share the space while walking backwards. The photograph required then is very formal. Use the flash, make sure you have a couple of good shots of the bride with her father, try not to be too arty. This photograph is mostly important to the bride's parents and must remain quite traditional. Then the father gives away his daughter to the groom and the ceremony starts. No more flash ! Go back to your main base as quickly as possible and get ready. You suddenly realise than taking photographs in a church is not as easy or laid back as it seemed. They are a lot of tiny events happening and you have to find your way to tell a story with very limited access, with a solid crowd and a couple quite afar and tense or formal for most of it. Well I would advise you to read books on classical painter such as David.

5 / FIRST MOVES

First I focus on setting the scene. I stay at the back and get different shots ( horizontal, vertical, different lenses) in order to get the general feeling. Then you can move on the side aisles if permitted to understand what the space is like when filled with guests. Do not forget to remain extra quiet. But you also have to make most of it as the time spent in the church is quite short in fact. So try to get as many materials as possible from as many angles as possible before they start exchanging their vows. As they stand together, the ceremony usually start with a song and therefore it is the best time to photograph without being noticed as the voices will cover your movements. Then, they will have a first reading. If possible get a few shots in large and close ups. Then the vicar might have a word from the Bible applied to the couple. Some vicars are very close to the couple or one side of the family. I have done many weddings where a sibling was directing the service or where the priest was very close to the family especially in rural communities. In many occasions the vicar will be present either at the drink reception or even will stay for the wedding breakfast.

6 / FIRST MIDDLE PART

He/she will then proceed to the vows and the exchange of rings. At this stage you need to be extra focused and must be riveted to your eyepiece as the changes of expression will be tiny. Hopefully you might have the couple facing each other, and you can therefore see their profiles. Sometimes they are not and they keep facing the priest. you have then to find a way to capture that bit without being intrusive. Here again, that is something you should know before being in trouble. Sometimes in such situations an extra corridor alongside the nave in the shade if available for you and the video person. They hold each other hands and pronounce their vows one after the other. Then comes the moment when they exchange rings. The best man or a pageboy brings the rings either on a cushion or simply taking them out from their jacket. That bit can only be focused on the people as the ring will be almost invisible in your shot. They kneel and get protection from God. They might straight after that kiss - be ready ! Or they might not, but be ready it will be quick.

7 / SECOND MIDDLE PART

Now there is less pressure and the couple is more relax. They might be asked to walk more into the church to a further altar. You then need a very long lens depending on the size of the church. They might get their protection from then. Or the vicar might orate the prayers. Some guests might be invited to orate the prayers to, followed by the congregation. Every church is different. The best is to obtain an order of service. At this stage make sure you are ready for the signing and have your flashgun set up. The priest will announce that bit and the close families and sometimes the bridal party is invited to join. If a second hymn is being sang before the signing, use that time to pack your tripod back into a bag while they sing. Here again your movements will be covered by the hymn.

8 / SIGNING

Make sure you know beforehand where you are going. Also think how you have to get there, meaning if the signing takes place in a separate tiny room you might have to be there right after the priest and couple and before the families. It's all about maximizing your space and timing. The first bit of signing is usually quite formal and many priests will ask you not to photograph them signing for legal reasons. Use that time to photograph the other people in the room or space and the general ambiance. Sometimes you are given the opportunity to take pictures as they sign the actual document- every church is different. Get images of the witnesses too. Then the couple will leave the table and get an embrace with their parents - try to get those pictures ! At the end of the signing the priest will have to sign too all the documents and will give either the groom or the bride the legal document. Many priests want you to capture this formal act. Find your own way to make it look interesting.

9 / READY FOR DEPARTURE

While we were busy signing some kind of entertainment has been performed for the congregation. You will be the first one to leave the signing bit to be ready for the exit of the newly weds. Make sure your equipment is packed beforehand and that your flash is adjusted. The ushers should have the duty to open the doors of the church( but they never do). The families rejoin their seats. The vicar announces the couple, and there they stand facing all of us. The organ starts its finale and they walk towards you. Here again you must walk backwards. Try to get 2/3 formal shots with the couple right in the middle, then use your personal flair. It is really important to have them smiling, interacting with guest or with each other. As they exit the church most couple will stand and kiss in a very formal way. Take a couple of snaps. It is very formal. They might not be the most exciting shots but they are vital.

10 / FINAL NOTE

To take photograph in a church, or temple, or other is about capturing correctly the standards.
If you feel that you are doing well you can then use few minutes to be a bit more artistic. But the creative mustn't take over the formal at this stage. In the end being a wedding photographer is about capturing the wedding ceremony, it is not about the getting ready or kids pictures. To take pictures in any kind of religious places is like joggling with fire. You never really know what's around the corner. So get as many of the standards as you can in a perfect way, and then have fun. Also try to see the church bit as a devised performance, it's like theater really.
Important last note: believe me or not but some thieves operate in churches during ceremonies and especially in London. Always keep an eye on your belongings. I had a camera and flash stolen few years ago in Sloane square area and fortunately there were no shots taken on that roll. I noticed a month later a couple of strange individuals ready to act again in Fleet Street. If materials or equipments are lost or stolen, this is your responsibility. To cover those misfortunes you HAVE to have an insurance.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions.

Make your own stories / book

2010-01-05T13:59:00.004Z

dialogue 1

Make your own stories

By david boulogne

Book Preview

This is not wedding photography but that might interest you.
This my first personal book and there are many more to come.

XMAS & NEW YEAR

2009-12-22T10:05:00.005Z

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

2009-12-16T17:02:00.007Z

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

2009-12-14T08:57:00.007Z

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.

PREGNANCY PICTURES / 1

2009-12-09T16:43:00.008Z

I have been trying to figure out for a while how to approach nude photography as an exercise. It is something I have never been really interested in or being commissioned for. But my second half is pregnant now and I am finally starting to understand how it works out having more practice. So far my sole interest lies in the compositions of lines, shapes and lights ( Bill Brandt, Andre Kertesz,...) And doing it with a pregnant woman is something quite exciting. We are trying to keep a monthly record of the belly growing shooting in studio using different techniques. We never spend more than 1 hour.

I realised few days ago that the best way for me to get into the mood is to work it in BW with natural light and just a touch of flashgun to detail the shades. I spend more time this way thinking the forms "dancing" with my model in search of interesting light in harmony. The body then not becomes a landscape but also matter. But most importantly the BW connects more with the soul.

To work in colour and with flash units involves a different attitude. The concentration is drawn towards a perfection of the composition with the help of colourful nuances. I find it very similar to atmospheric natural mood when it is mastered.

I really enjoy it now. And maybe I guess, from my personal point of you and not because I am about to be a father , but because I love children in general, I am more sensitive and responsive to this kind of nude photography. There is someone else in there in the making. A unique experience to observe and take great care of your partner in blossom.

ANSWERS TO A STUDENT

2009-12-01T08:06:00.020Z

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.

HOW TO DESIGN AN ALBUM

2009-11-10T10:25:00.014Z

Louisa & Jono

By 2exposures

Book Preview

The new digital medias enable us to design today products of our own imagination and to make them real. Few years ago, software developments and slow broadband made the online publishing world only available to professionals. The choice for quality was therefore limited and the cost high. Fast broadband is delivered almost everywhere now and offers flourish on the net.
Therefore you can produce your own albums for whatever purpose needed and it is made fast.
In this new chapter I am going to explain how I do it. I would like to point out that I am not a designer by trade, I am a photographer. And I LOVE books. I read a lot and buy a lot of them, especially when I find something beautiful and clever in form and contents. It helps me to find aspirations and inspirations in my photographic approach and the way I want to present it.

I am delighted to offer you a preview of our first official public Blurb coffee table book. Like many people recently Louisa and Jono were excited about what Blurb offers, and to share it with us all. I have programmed the book presentation in a way that the first 15 pages can be watched or read by all. If you want to see more, you unfortunately have to buy it - sorry ! But I could have actually allowed the system to show it all through. But I do not personally feel like it is appropriate to show and share it fully with a whole world out there. For some sort of privacy reason and ethics I will carry on doing it this way unless I am being asked to.

I am always encouraging my clients to do their own online wedding album if they are actually excited, capable and available. Needless to say that the new programs available sound like easy to handle, and obviously it is not. I mean it can be easy if you have an eye or an idea, and skills.
Too many people rush into the project using templates, without working the images and without any narrative structure. They produce therefore an object which effectively looks like a book, but the content remains dull, inert. That is the reason why I do not wish to include any album with my options as everybody is different and has a different taste. To make one of those online album takes time and dedication if you wish to tell a beautiful story.

- First, you need to have good materials, good pictures. Not only few striking creative shots but many good ones and eventually some amazing ones. If only few pictures are good you will feel like the whole project is uneven. That takes us back to previous chapters where I explain the way I photograph a wedding. Consistency, story telling aptitudes, creative mind and invisible proximity are some key factors to produce quality. You have to know your subject, you have to be able to read body language, you have to know about the couple and their families, etc...All those elements will make you feel more secure, rounder while photographing and it will show in the result. You can apply this philosophy to cooking, same idea. You can only create something really great if your ingredients are good. You can still cook something decent with lower quality but you will have to fake it with spices. Same principle here. I love food, I love great food, my clients too and that's why we get on well together. Beware of effects and tricks while working on your book. The more effects you will find in a publication the weaker it is. If your pictures are good they do not need effects either from Photoshop or the layout tricks. Effects = bad materials trying to hide.

- I always make my albums personal, tailor made. I never use templates. We are all different, my clients are unique. I get to know their private life for a brief moment and they pay good money to trust an experienced professional freelance like me. I have to respect them. I have to get involved with them and perform and produce the best I can. I use different fonts, different chronologies. I always advise them what would be the right amount of pages needed. I have no interest in forcing them to have more in order to make more profit. If I have to fill up endless amount of pages and have to compromise quality for quantity, that would affect my reputation and reduce their pleasure.

- I usually make my own selection (2/3) and ask the couple to provide me theirs (1/3) and we compromise. The reality is that if you let people do their own whole selection, you might have to wait for a year before having the order, if they do. Proposing the album as a separate order from the wedding duty is for me the best way to produced an album with my clients as it is a completely different job than shooting. To make it work requires the two parts to be involved at the same time, at the same pace. Together we are stronger as we say, and it is definitely true. I really enjoy this togetherness with my clients. I offer them my time and experience, and they always come with new ideas and interests I have to respond creatively.

- Once we have agreed on a final selection, I gather all the materials and work all the pictures one by one. Whether you are dealing with scans from film or digital materials, you HAVE TO work on your pictures to create an harmony. Unfortunately today too many people think it only requires to drag the materials straight from your hard drive onto the template. I say good luck to those people who will waste their time and money in producing very poor albums. Basically, you need to have a certain "lab"(for me) or designer's experience to understand the computer interface at its best. One simple problem occurs with the screen of your computer. With all computers the light comes from within towards us, it is a diffused light. When you make a print or produce a book the light is direct (natural) on hard surface. That's the opposite. Therefore you have to calibrate your images thinking the other way around.
You have to calibrate the lightning, the contrast, the colour balance and simply retouch your pictures. Retouching didn't come with Photoshop, it has long existed...Even 10 years ago when still bromide prints would be still available, profesionnal labs would retouch or "spot" the prints with inks and very thin brushes. To make it brief, to correct all the images takes quite some time. And for better quality it is recommended to work with high resolution files.

- I always try to keep the text as minimal as possible. Remember that it is a photo album you are working on, not a novel. Too much text kills the image. Also, if you are the photographer, you choose to express yourself with pictures, that is your job, your passion, your talent. With good images no words are needed, just the emotion perspires. I personally only mention the first names, the locations and the date in the introduction page. Then, pictures speak for themselves.

- While working on my images I am also thinking mentally the narrative, that is something organic. Then let it rest for few days... I am about to start the layout now and I pay special attention to my clients' selection in connection with mine and try to put all of theirs. I can also advise them on few ones which I think are better to express their wish. It will take me a good day to finalize the layout. And I let it rest once more. Before coming back to it I will question myself a lot and think better possible narrative ways. The last review of my layout will be focused on correcting the text, proportions, front and back cover and the general narrative with possible changes on the size of few pictures. After having checked it all at least 3 times I send the order.

- To use Blurb requires to be a member and it is free. Their program is very clever and easy to use. The quality of the product is perfect. Their technology is ingenious. The delivery and production turnover more than satisfactory. The online ordering is friendly. Profile pages are very instructive and helpful. Well, it all sounds great, you should all sign in then. But remember all I said before.

Time spent on Louisa and Jono's album (considering my knowledge and experience)
. my selection / 1h
. awaiting for your clients' selection / variable
. retouching, calibrating of the final selection / 8h to 10h( 150 pictures high resolution)
. working the layout online / 8h to 10h
. Profiles, downloading order, delivery / 3h

Total labour / 20h to 24h
From client's order to delivery / 3 weeks

I am as excited as them to see the result !

THE DIGITAL QUESTION

2009-10-22T12:44:00.004+01:00

In addition to the book I published this year I would like to present my view towards the digital medium we all committed to in the recent years. I am going to explain the technical side of it rather than the ideology.

Digital like Analogue is a signal.
As we all know it is composed of 0 and 1 mixed and organized endlessly to generate forms of information. An image is composed of pixels which are generated by this 0 and 1 coding system.
There is therefore a complex structure which enables the the coding system to create pixels, which then combined together make an image. So, in order to generate a digital image the information has to pass through different mediums which use a common language. But this flow can only exist if we transform the original transmission into something else.

When we take pictures, we are facing a real situation. What I mean by "real" is the three dimensional aspect of matters. We as human, live in a 3D world. What we experience usually remains 3D. Obviously, we can mention many other ways of experiencing which would involve other type of dimensions, but let's make it simple. If you want to really experience a car for instance, you will buy a car to obtain the real sensation because it relates to your 3D experience of being. The car and yourself stand in the same dimension and you can enjoy what the car is designed fully for. This product exists and you can touch it, it is material.

When you take pictures with film, you capture a scene from the 3D real world and transpose it onto a bi-dimensional surface we call a film. The information is transformed into a 2D surface but the film itself exists as a 3D reality. You have then condensed the 3D into a 2D because you need to print it, that is what still photographs are for. Therefore the transformation is direct.
And this 2D data will remain intact to print - it is fixed in time and matter (we could say frozen) The information remains 2D but exists as a 3D reality. In fact, the transformation is very limited even though we are changing dimension, but the aim of the film is to find a concrete way to produce a solution to display a 3D reality into an other form of 3D reality by using the 2D.
A becomes B which becomes A.

When you work with digital the logic is totally different. The 3D real is transformed into an other language which we call digital or virtual. The 3D is alien somehow to the result. The 3D becomes a data which we import into a virtual dimension, which is somehow not a dimension. It is a concept, a method, a processor in fact. Obviously, you can print from your digital files and create a 3D finish to the data by printing in multiple ways. Nevertheless, the original form of information, your picture is alien and doesn't exist. The digital is not a reality, it's a transformer of data for fast delivery. In fact, it has been designed to cut the costs ( film, developing, printing, etc..) and it is very satisfactory for the amateur who can see immediately if the picture is correct.
Digital is in fact brilliant to send information, to diffuse. That is why we are all turning towards this new medium in most industries as it costs almost nothing. Because in fact we managed to create something which is almost nothing but from which we became very dependent rapidly.
A becomes 0011001000010001111110 which becomes A

One of my main concern with digital photography is that most people are very excited about it but do not really understand its concept and limits. But here let's just concentrate on wedding photography as I guess we all want to share images of our special day with future generations.
The reality with digital is simple. First, as a object/support as a disc or DVD doesn't last more or less, more than 5 years. Softwares keep on changing and it is sometimes impossible to read the materials after few years. Computers are not meant to last more than five years and crash(we have to keep on feeding the economy and progress). The most sensible and secure way to protect your images is to purchase a separate hard drive. But still after all those protections and concerns, the original informations as a real form doesn't exist - it is virtual, it is digital.

Whereas a film exists and last for more than a century. And you can always back-up your images on a digital format by scanning your films. By using that method you obtain film quality straight from the camera without having to interfere with the digital world which actually make life more difficult than helping. The film quality has a better contrast and harmony than most digital cameras. It's a lens, a hole and a film - simple! The lens for the subject, the hole to pass the information, the film to receive the information. There is no purer way to do. And if you are a real professional you should be able to work this way with ease.

Digital generate problems at all stages and you actually spend more time trying to find the right way it looked as you saw it. What you see on the back of your camera or on your computer screen is a projection, and interpretation - this is not real. Think about it !

Digital is in fact great for the amateur, and we all have to use it as professional, but this medium has nothing to do with quality, but it is very helpful and fun. Digital exists because it is convenient and cheap. It is therefore less elitist and generate a stronger economy in that area. And consequently, like for anything else, quality goes down dramatically. It doesn't mean that there are no more good photographers, but bad quality usually overshadows the bests because of its scale and non caring.

In the end here are the two questions you have to ask yourself before searching for a wedding photographer. Do I want a cheap photographer who delivers average materials which will not last more than few years, or do I want a professional dedicated photographer who can provide me with the best at a reasonable price ?

Memories are priceless and deal with our profound dimension, but there is nothing like a beautiful image on paper to generate laughs and tears. Especially when you look at them 20 years later.

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT part 2 / The Dress

2009-10-07T16:35:00.009+01:00

Welcome back.
Today is dedicated to the dress. One of the most important and expensive item. A bride without a special dress simply doesn't exist and it wouldn't make sense. It is one of the most important thing or maybe the most important one for the bride to be.
You can buy a dress from second hand wedding shops, you can also create one somehow with added details, you can rent one (or buy one you will sell after the wedding day to the same shop), you can keep it, dye it and wear it again for special occasions, you can keep it in your wardrobe for other generations, and finally you can simply go to a wedding dress designer. What ever you do, we know that you dress is something special, highly valuable in price or/and feelings.
Because a wedding dress HAS TO BE THE ONE. It reflects your personality and your other side we do not particularly know. Your wedding day is the right moment to express this other part of you. The style has to suit your world or its limits. There is always the fairytale factor and there is no reason to deny it. The shape has to embrace your physic. You have to feel right wearing it. It is like a very special second skin. It has to look simply special, like you at your best.
That is why taking good photographs of it is essential as it tells an other story on its own. You did put your love, time and inspiration in your dress and the details you are wearing. Obviously if you want great pictures it involves the photographer being with you before the ceremony while you are getting ready, but not always...And there are so many things to capture then...but let's focus on today's topic which the dress. How to take good pictures then ?
In this latest edition I tried to marry two visuals of different weddings to show how versatile it can be. From a technical point of view it is not as easy as it seems. First, you are dealing with an object which has generally a bright colour (white, creme, etc...) and therefore reflects the light. Your built-in light meter will always give you the wrong aperture whether you work with traditional film or new digital. It is normal, the dress is usually the only bright element within your environment, it reflects. You have the same phenomenon when you are watching a fire in the dark. By focusing on the bright part your retina retracts to focus only on that very particular subject. With a camera, the more light your have the more your close your aperture. If you follow you light meter you will always be 1 or 2 stops overexposed. That is why I always bring a separate light meter when working with film, or close automatically my aperture when shooting digital.
Also quite often try to focus manually except if the dress reveal quite a few ornaments you can grip your focusing system on. If the dress is mostly plain bright your camera will not understand where to focus. That is the same problem experienced in dark situations
So, how to shape the light then. Well, I personally think that it is very related to fashion and ways we are looking at objects we love in general. An object fully lit on a white background without nuances doesn't inspire much whereas working with shadows generates mystery and therefore desire.
Nowadays brides tend to choose more simple, nicely shaped designer dress, and it usually looks great on them. To take a photograph of the dress on it own can be a real deception. Those dresses are made to be looked at when they are worn ( Figure 1 on top). The main work of the designer is based on the shape of the bride. Don't they look great !
Figure 2 shows that by adding details in the frame you can translate more than what the dress looks like. You can create layers of interpretations and really get into the bride's conception of the dress. It shows why they knew it would work on them.

Figure 3 is a classic back of the dress shot many enjoy. Classic but you have to get it a the right moment, neither too late or early. It has to be when the dress starts making body with the bride. A gentle tension which renders harmony can be sensed then.

Figure 4 is transparency. Usually linked to the veil but not always. Some dresses have embroidery at the back or front. Some dress use it to create the sleeves. It is always amazing to get closer to those fine patterns and to capture a detail which take you to an other dimension, hours of work and art.
Figure 5 shows a medium shot of the front and back of each dress. Those shots are not easy as they are medium range and can feel bulky. They involve various techniques of lightning and composition with the milieu that make them interesting. You really have to work the whole frame as if you were working with clay. They are almost standard but not really with a lot of details and mini stories.

Figure 6 is focusing on details only and ambiance. On the left most of the dress was plain and what made it so special was this middle part ruban. Very rich item and full of history I decided to play with a very short depth of field and very little light to create some kind of hidden treasure.
The one on the right is light comparatively and I am playing with the flower which could be glowing outside in the field through the widow.

Figure 7 is an overall look at the milieu where the bride is getting ready. Sometimes as the dress is not so easy to photograph because of its simple design. Use that difficulty by using a dark and rich room that will make the dress stand out.

That's all for today. Many thanks

DAVID IS AWAY FOR A WEEK

2009-09-22T12:44:00.004+01:00

Dear all,
I will be off duty from Wednesday 23rd until 29th September 2009.
The office will be therefore closed and I will answer your enquiry as soon as I get back from Corfu.
I shall come back tanned and fresh - hopefully.
Have a nice week.

SCULPTING WITH LIGHT part 1

2009-09-11T12:11:00.021+01:00

Today I am talking about the Light, natural light. The light which makes life possible. The light which shapes our vision and world. Photography literally means writing with light ! To take good pictures doesn't involve any camera, it's about your eye. It is about how you look at things. And I use the word sculpting in its literal meaning, like an artist is carving a stone in a endless dance until he finds the perfect harmony. Light is a spectrum of waves and therefore colours constantly changing. We will not mention the flash today, except with top 3 sample and I will explain why.

The first eight following pictures, except the one below in black and white of the dress are from Louise and Andrew's wedding at Chateau Ouvrard in France in 2005.

Top left
Detail of shoes. Most teachers will tell you not to shoot black and dark subjects with a BW film. Obviously, that was the first I did then! Those shoes are beautiful, shiny and have a strong shape. I decided to use a bright background to really reinforce the shape so that they stand out. But also I used a reflector to give a gentle touch of light on the front. When I say reflector it can be any sort of reflective surface. Most of the time I use a white pillow cover I find in the bedroom. It gives a harmonious balance that the shoes inspired me.
Top right
Straight forward back-light couple' shot composition. Meaning you make your exposure on the background, not the subject. You have all the details from the background and your subject become a silhouette. But it is important to integrate some details or a scenery. This type of shot without any details or mood could be quite poor in the end. It is important to work well the subject with its environment. I slightly opened my lens to gain a bit of details in the couple.

Top left
Classic dress shot at 4 or 2.8 aperture, but what matters here is the colour balance. The pink worked very well with the pale harmony of the room. Working with this blurry background helps to enhance the delicacy of the dress and the soft atmosphere. Here I wanted to capture the genuinely calm and adorable bride from a dress photograph. You can simply open 1/2 stop your aperture in order to give the bright colour a little extra kick.
Top right
An other back-light situation but this time my subject is a shadow. I therefore take the light on the highlight as previously described but I also need to include a geometrical shape that balance the curvy line of the back of the dress. That is why I decided to opt for this radical sharp angle which is also a shadow. People love the result but are always a bit worried when they see me taking a photograph of a wall basically !

Top
Group shot and the sun up behind the group, facing me. There is no way you can take a decent photograph of people with all the details from the scenery if you only concentrate on the people. The only way is to use some Feeling Flash as we call it. There are two ways to explain it.
1/ You make your exposure on your subject first. You check your mid tones, which is usually found in a medium colour such as green (or grass). Sometimes people think I am about to photograph their feet or the local flower, which is a great trick to make them laugh ! Finally you check the background light ! And you make a quick estimate of the extremes and what should be the medium light. You then adjust the flash according to the aperture you which to work with and close 1 stop from the chosen aperture. That is the way I am doing in order to get the right balance of all part of the composition. With experience it doesn't take more than 10 sec. but it can be mentally difficult to put all those figures together for the amateur.
2/ A quick way to do it is to set your flash as you intend to shoot your subject, but according to how strong is the main light source and your positioning to it, you bracket 1 or 2 stops down. The flash will be felt a bit stronger than in the first case, but it works too.

Bottom
In this shot I try to get as many details and depth of field as possible. But I also compose with the shadow produced by the roof of the castle in order to make my composition more exciting. As I am shooting at 16 or 22 I will not find any detail in the shade and that is exactly what I am looking for. Somehow this colorful shot becomes strangely a bit black and white.

Top left
I invited my couple to enjoy the Magic Hour. Most couple shots are being done during the drinks reception, but if you are well organized and they agree to spend an extra 10 min later, use that opportunity to compose with a different setting and natural light during or after the meal.
Top right
Picture taken in the morning before I start my day as the day is slightly warming up. You can feel and see a certain essence or gaze coming from the land. Those shots are also important.

Pictures from Sally and David's wedding at the Blakes Hotel, London in 2005.

Top left
I ask my couple to stand behind a glass door. At that time the weather was quite grey and the back garden where I stood was quite dark. I therefore decided to use that darkness to create a sort of abstract frame, and point out my camera on the highlights of the sky reflected on the glass. That is also where I ask my couple to stand by indoors. I used here a gentle and powerful natural light even thought it all felt like grey, and I work at 2.8 or 4 to enhance to focusing point mixed with two great smiles.
Top right
I am indoors and am using the artificial light. As I shoot with BW film colour balance is not an issue. I set up a shot in the restaurant area with 3 glasses under a light spot, like in a studio but an improvised one. I am using the glasses circular edges reflected as shadows on the table to mix perfectly with the circularity of the harp designed wedding rings. Here again as the light conditions are poor I work at maximim aperture but it is also a good thing as I want the setting to be quite abstract. The rings do stand out as the silver reflects perfectly with any lighting and especially in dark locations.

Top left
Mix of cold and warm colours are always interesting to capture.
Top right
Sally and Dave are standing in the corridors on the first floor to avoid traffic, but also it helps to make them feel relax and intimate. This part interested me as the two main colours were coordinated nicely and with originality - yellow and black. But let's not forget also that the incandescent bulbs are usually understood as quite polluting. BUT the white tuxedo, the colonial etiquette of the place, the lack of sun on that day and in this corridor I was inspired and the moment took photographically in south-east Asia. That is why I decided to use a natural light film indoor with then will turn quite yellow. The saturation was exactly the mood looked after. Note also that I placed my subjects next to an hidden mural lamp that helps to draw beautifully their profiles. I know that tungsten films exist but I never really found a way to use them as I like to transpose the light experienced then while shooting. Our life is not made of neutral colours, our life is much more fun than that !

THE CHIGWELL WEDDING SHOW 18/10/2009

2009-09-09T17:23:00.007+01:00

2exposures will be exhibiting their portfolios at the Woolston Manor the 18th October 2009. The event is organized by the Wedding Event Co. This charming new venue is the perfect location to discuss in a more relaxed way with the suppliers than most fairs. davidB and his assistant will be there to receive you and answer all your questions.
The show will be officially open from 11am until 4pm.
Woolston Manor
Abridge Road Chigwell Essex IG7 6BX
0208 500 2549
Nearest tube station is Debden/Central line

Spread the word !

SHOOTING ON THE DANCE FLOOR

2009-08-25T15:15:00.016+01:00

I had many opportunities to captures some great parties, and most especially at weddings. As the trend goes and technologies get better I had more occasions to use my digital camera recently. I am still analyzing the highs and lows of both mediums bearing in mind that the quality between the two exposes two separate realities and ways of conserving your materials. Nevertheless, the story telling approach remains the same with both. In this new chapter I want to explain how my way of photographing differs on the dance floor.
First, let's say that if I want to capture the real essence of the moment, I personally need to be part of the situation, meaning I need to translate my interaction of participation with the crowd. And that is something you cannot do by staying outside the pack of dancers. Obviously that doesn't mean dancing with the mother of the bride too! But your presence must be felt. In order to communicate properly the uniqueness of the dancing your senses must be on 200% alert. There is no rest for the photographer. That is the finale of the day, people are a bit tipsy, it is less formal, there is less reserve, they can fully enjoy and be themselves. Use it!

WITH FILM
You need to be spot on, always. You obviously need to know how to use a flashgun properly. You can bounce the flash in many different ways. You can also use subtle semi-direct flash. Eventually use direct flash if needed. But in the end you have to find the right mix between the speed people are dancing and the speed your flash will deliver the best the effect you are looking for. And most importantly you need to consider yourself as being in motion too. And you have 10 things happening at the same time. Therefore, you must be disciplined and take fast decisions. You must have a general observation and overall decision of useful moves. Finally, and that is where it can be quite exhausting, you must be fully focused on looking carefully into your viewfinder constantly. Allocate some breaks when the ambiance has cooled down.

WITH DIGITAL
Same as with film except that you don't really care about wasting film. But there is a great, fun and relaxing way to use your camera if your lens is fast enough, which is to extend your harm and guess your pictures. That mean that your whole body doesn't need to be so close to the action. You can just extend your arm very quickly into a situation and make it disappear as quick. If you have a wide angle enough and some intuition your arm should become somehow an extension of your eye. I find it very helpful and refreshing. But that can only be achieved if the environment offers a minimal general lighting necessary for your auto-focus lens to function properly. If the lens cannot grasps details and focus quickly you are then back to working in a manual lens way.

GENERAL PROBLEMS
When shooting with film I am always using fixed lenses. Some people might find it old fashioned or odd, but it is a great discipline and bonus in fact. When working with only one angle you are more focused on the composition and don't need to zoom in or out and eventually miss the emotion or get something average. Having less is sometimes better. But related to the dancing photography is it a real bonus as the subjects keep on moving constantly. Remember that in most cases it is getting dark at this time of the day, and most auto-focus systems will simply not work properly, and that is a real nightmare. With a fixed lens you can concentrate on your subject and do your best knowing also that the way you are flashing will reduce the blur. But you can also play with the controlled blur, but that requires quite a few experiments and a full knowledge of your equipment.

CONCLUSION
When doing reportage you must be scanning situations constantly and act as quickly as possible without disrupting the scene offered to you. In order to do it well you must have a good knowledge of your equipment and forget about it. Shoot fast in a glimpse of an eye. That is what I call the "snake bite" technique. Within a second you must capture what you just anticipated.
But what matters in the end is to capture the emotion. The dancing part is less formal and fun. Consequently get more involved than few hours before in order to get real expressions.
I can't remember who from Magnum agency said that if you didn't get the picture right, it is because you are not close enough. Great pictures aren't part of the past, a great picture remains alive and expresses joy and mystery each time you look at it.

WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST ASSOCIATION

2009-08-18T20:30:00.003+01:00

I was wandering lately looking at other photographers websites. I discovered some interesting works a couple of time. I realized that both photographers were associated with of a worldwide network promoting wedding reportage. As you know me by now I am quite dubious with what people call themselves. Most people go with the latest trend whenever it is convenient. So, I decided to visit this body called WPJA in order to know a bit more about their policies and portfolios. I was genuinely surprised and happy to find out that they were promoting ethics I have been believing in for years. I was not alone eventually...I applied and within a day they accepted me. It is terribly exciting to join this commission which promotes excellence and dedication to the reportage approach. Their guidelines are tight and professional, and that's what we need. It is also a positive way to compete creatively with the other members as they held quaterly contests. Well, have a look on their website to discover great wedding photographers, visit previous contests galleries and find some inspiration from around the globe. Visit www.wpja.com

JAY & CHARLOTTE NATIONAL PUBLICATION

2009-08-13T14:43:00.008+01:00

Latest publication of wedding reportage from davidB with
You & Your Wedding September/October issue.
Three full pages mixing colour and black and white
pictures from Jay and Charlotte's big day in June 2008.

TO CAPTURE THE EMOTION AND THE GLASS OF WATER

2009-07-31T15:00:00.024+01:00

Q: How do we get the best photos of people ?
A: When the are simply themselves.
Q: How do you achieve that simplicity and honesty ?
A: It is mostly about observation, details and compassion.

I did gather very quickly few shots of few different weddings by chronology and organized them as diptychs. There is a very large range of human emotions and I didn't feel like showing hundreds of them to be honest. I just want to show that we are all the same and that we diffuse a myriad of waves and more especially during a wedding day, as it is our subject of interest. But it could be of any other day like a Monday morning on the platform waiting for you train, having lunch with friends, doing some exercises, brushing your teeth, watching TV, etc...As a photographer the human nature as always been my favorite subject. We are the most complex living form physically and intellectually and the topics of discussions are endless. To photograph with sensitivity involves careful observation first. Forget the camera at this stage. A camera is just a device which will help you to share and prove your instinct and research to the world. A camera is simply an extension, and it has obviously to be used with intelligence and respect to the moment. The most difficult to master comes from your ability to make yourself invisible and to transmit the moment and its emotion in the most respectful form. Without a lack or emphasis, to make it just right (like cooking), and little personal touch. The art of doing the reportage form lies in your aptitude to transcend this time while you are shooting to an other future dimension where the viewer will be fully able to immerse himself in the past event described. To photograph well is to stop the time, or to freeze it as we say. And when it is not properly frozen it turns smelly ! That is why so many people call themselves simply photographers but have nothing to say, or don't have the skills or policy of respectability, and they only produce emptiness. To photograph an event and people really requires 200% of your physical and mental concentration. To take a picture is one thing, to photograph is an other. It literally means " to write with light". I will take you through it soon in a new chapter.

You can learn many tricks from books. I read a lot of memoirs,biographies and essais from photographers or artists. What interests me is the space, or state of mind they enter in order to reach the creative process. It is always a complex, hazardous and marginal journey that takes the the character to a certain edge. An artist is the one who dares confronting the unknown.
Doing reportage photography is the same, you don't really know where you are going, but you are going there, you have to be there. Henri Cartier-Bresson said " there is only luck. I don't believe in chance. You just need to be available" I completely agree with that comment. And the more time you spend, the more you start seeing. And then you reach a point when you take mental pictures at every breath.
To capture an emotion is TO FEEL that emotion at the same time as your subject.
And your most profound aim is to share that emotion with the audience throughout the image.
That is a skill that requires years of practice in order to feel at ease and propose a large panel of
variations in your personal technique. It is a visual language with its own punctuation.
You can express an emotion in a glimpse of an eye, in a pencil for make-up, when two lips are about to touch, when two hands are holding, when two friends are having fun, when a couple get surprised, when a bride is content and when guests are a bit tipsy, etc.................

An emotion can be found in a glass of water as I explained and proved some friends few years ago. It is all about you as a photographer ( for once ! ) if you dare joining the unknown, you may then find some success. You eye and your brain are the most important assets. Use them fully !
You cannot aim to do reportage just for a niche, to do reportage involves spreading, sharing and discussion. It is a mirror of who we are. If you want to capture an emotion you need to understand what your subject is going through. By harmony you will try to communicate the best you can from a situation. A photo reporter is the medium between the real and the audience, and he/she only uses his/her personal talent to express what happened. It is almost nothing, but it is everything !

NEW ONLINE MAGAZINE 2EXPOSURES

2009-07-17T11:37:00.002+01:00

Dear all,
you can find more now about 2exposures agency following www.2exposures.blogspot.com
This new blog is dedicated to recent customers and I will display 10 images of each wedding
starting from 2009 season. I will focus mainly on the couple, trying to avoid as much as possible guests and families for security or right reasons. I will mention at the bottom the different venues used. I will also indicate if it has been shot with film or digital. I hope you will enjoy this new magazine which is more about images than words.

WHY MEETING THE PHOTOGRAPHER IS SO IMPORTANT

2009-07-15T15:08:00.016+01:00

I haven't been writing for a couple of weeks, but it has been a very busy time, and it was important to focus on the three weddings in a row I just done rather than doing other things like what I am doing now. The live part is more important to me than the seating in front of the computer. I also used this opportunity to chat with suppliers to understand how the new technologies do affect, improve, change their relationship to the customer and also how they are approached. I first met a Dj on Saturday, a videographer on Sunday, an other one and a wedding planner on Monday. It obviously seems that the digital medium is taking over all across the spectrum whether you advertise or show your work. But there is one thing I have problem with is the new way people choose their photographer. By the way, for once I accepted to show my face up in action. I thought it was the right time to do it related to today's article.

So, as I am being told from wedding planner Siobhan Craven-Robins, that she always recommends her clients to meet up with the photographer prior to the wedding day, but never really does it with the video. Why is that ? To me, it does make a lot of sense, but not necessarily to you. I think the photographer has a lot to capture and transcend with one shot at the time. It is important to get into the mood of the day by liaising beforehand with your subject. This approach is true is most photographic assignments across its widest spectrum. Ask photojournalists how they approach their subject and they will always insist it is vital to spend some time knowing your subject before even thinking of taking your camera out of your bag. That is the same with weddings, people are still very camera aware whereas video is seems as something less judgmental. The moving image blurs the information with the flow of images whereas photography freezes the moment and leaves the viewer free to dissect the composition. It is therefore more critical.
The latest trend is to look for a photographer on the internet - it all makes sense so far. You look at the materials, the style, the versatility, the creativity, the reliability. You also look at details, meaning how the freelance or agency present themselves. A website is something personal, and you can already discern who you are dealing with. You fill up the enquiry form or email directly to obtain a price list or estimate. So far, this approach is the most common one I would say or suggest.
If I get I referral I would understand why people do not need to meet up as they got comments from former clients or friends, and they may also have seen the final product like presentation, prints, albums and simply materials. Still, personally, I would always suggest my clients to meet up beforehand in order to symphatise and feel like I know who I am dealing with. We are humans after all and need to feel comfortable for such occasions. Do people meeting on the internet go out together straight after few nice chats on the web ? That would be odd I guess.

The recent concern I have comes with the latest trend to booking someone that you have never met. How can you trust the person will turn up on the day ? What insurance do you get he/she will do a good job ? What is fake and what is reality on the net ? What is a decent price to pay to feel you are dealing with a real professional ? Does the website really represent what the freelance is able to deliver ?......I could write down so many questions and I could tell so many stories.
I am quite concerned. The person in charge of capturing your special should be special, as simple as that. Photographs will be the only real memories left. If there is someone to choose with special attention it has to be the photographer. And I am going to explain the best way I can why.

First, let me tell you that what you see on the internet is to be taken with precaution. Nowadays most "photographers" are graphic designers and they know very well their weakness and learn fast from the digital technologies in order to polish or exagerate their presentation. That also mean that you can fully fake it all thanks to Photoshop. Well, I am not so sure that the software is really helping in improving the quality in general. It helps in fact to correct poor or mediocre materials to take them to a better standard, but still usually the pictures don't have any life, no interest ( people from a film background will be the best to use the digital medium as they don't rely or overuse it) Besides you can do a wedding photographic website without owning or knowing anything about photography. You can buy materials from picture libraries, or you can also steal them directly from your deskstop. Who knows, who can really control ? No one, except by chance if you come across your own pictures. You can also ask someone else who has little knowledge to sell you materials. You can also pretend being a freelance and borrowing materials from people who will be working on your behalf, etc... There are so many ways that you wouldn't believe it !
Well, from a website point of view, if you pay attention to the ensemble of the work and from the philosophy you can make yourself an idea if you are dealing with someone respectful and professional. You email that person, ask details, price list, etc... it is a dialogue to engage, and it is your responsibility as a customer. So many people nowadays go for cheap digital photography and don't expect to spend more than £500. Let me tell you than you can't make a living for such a low fee unless you (excuse my french) rip off people.
Important detail: if it looks cheap at first, it will cost you much more later, and you will cry your eyes out. You will definitely pay the price for cheap ! Whether with the extras afterward or with the poor quality of the materials. DO NOT TRUST OFFERS AND WEBSITES. TO BE A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IS A REAL JOB THAT FEW ONLY CAN HANDLE WITH STYLE, RIGOUR AND CONSISTENCY. DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY, MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER.

So, why should you meet your wedding photographer before hiring one ?

As I said previously, it is first a human instinct and contact. You may like the work but you do not get on with the freelance. You have the feeling that he/she will be very bossy on the day. You do not like the behaviour. Throughout the discussion you may also find out that the person in front off you is not the one who is going to perform on the day. Sometimes representatives turn up on behalf of someone else and the clients will only meet the real photographer on the wedding day. Ask as many questions about his/her background, what do they know about photography, old and new technologies. Talk about the wedding proposal, the organization, the running order, ask how the freelance usually coordinates or devises the formal requests and also the creative ones, well...you have to trust and sense that the freelance is fully on top of his game, and that he/she is also a good listener, ready to improvise on the day. Because this is what wedding reportage is about, going with the flow and get the best of it. It is exhausting to be honest, and that is why I love it ! In the end, you as a couple are the stars of the day, not the photographer.

Ask for albums and as many materials as possible in big format. No dvds only, prints are the real thing. See how good they look A4 format. Ask about the price list and all the extra expenses which are never mentioned at first. Ask the freelance what exactly you get for which price - that is crucial !
You have to feel that the person you are about to choose is the right one. You are fully confident that you are choosing him/her for the good reasons, which should be in the end reliability and quality. If you do not really care about photography I would suggests not even to bother with an official photographer as most wedding nowadays are covered by 50% of guests with their mobile phones or digital compacts. Do not be surprised if most materials are lost by your one year anniversary !

So, please DO MEET YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER BEFOREHAND. NOT DOING IT ENCOURAGES BAD PEOPLE DOING BAD PHOTOGRAPHY AND THEREFORE KILLS THE PROFESSION. Because in the end it's you as a couple who will pay the price.

Any comment or support from any public are welcomed.

WEDDING GUIDE

2009-06-25T09:20:00.005+01:00

The Art in Wed...

Introduction by da...

By davidB/2exposures

Book Preview

If you are looking around for a wedding photographer, this publication is crucial to understand the basics of the industry. It is aimed to help couples and amateur photographers in their aspirations and needs. This book is not a directory. You will find all you need to know about wedding photography from a Reportage point of view. You might also learn quite a few things about digital ! To buy wedding magazines is important in order to get inspiration for your layout, but maybe not the best way to find a professional photographer. Classifieds, websites, promotions, etc...it all looks the same nowadays. And what you are being shown isn't what you really get I am afraid. After reading this book you will approach your suppliers differently. I hope you will enjoy the not to exhaustive reading and photographs. To read it first before searching for suppliers is vital and will save you a fair bit of money.
The Art in wedding reportage is about people, real reportage photography and honesty.

Just click on the badge on top to be redirected to Blurb's website where it is on sale.

CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE ?

2009-06-17T17:35:00.058+01:00

DIGITAL and FILM

Today I am not going to write much, but I am going to show you pictures from two weddings. They have been shot at different times of the year, one in Summer and the other in Winter. I will display similar visuals by sequence of two shots. The first picture is always digital and refers to Kate and Tom's wedding. The second one is shot with film and presents Daniel and Segalit.

I have tried to keep the retouching as minimal as possible, meaning, I personally never, never change the mood and aim of the picture. I never add new elements or hide existing ones. My approach whether it's digital or film is to enhance the quality of the raw materials. This is retouching with a computer, like it was done manually before. You will never see me manipulating the picture in trying to make something decent from bad materials. Good materials have to be shot while on duty otherwise you are not a professional photographer. That being said, the aim of this new chapter is to make you "feel' the difference between digital and film. One is not better than the other, they are different in the result and are good mix in the process. I will not talk about the approach you take as a photographer, that is an other debate. So, look closely and try to put words and feeling on what each picture expresses.

I hope you can tell the difference between the two. Technologies do not interfere with the act of doing Reportage. That is the photographer's responsibility to make sure he/she will keep his/her integrity in the act of capturing the actions correctly while they happen and not at a later stage with post-production and manipulations, transformation of the original information. If you wish to capture the emotion with a real dedication to the "moment" and manage to capture it properly, you are then definitely in the right direction. The camera or technology chosen has nothing to do with that. That is the author who decides the appropriate medium, not the other way around.
Now, I would personally describe the digital has being too perfect unfortunately. Why ? Because it does show an accuracy and surface which we don't actually understand as human beings. It's more than real and the technology goes further than our perceptions. It's a technological performance which aims to achieve a perfection that doesn't exist. I am not personally interested in that. Film remains the medium I feel like communicating more closely, more truly.

ENGAGEMENT PICTURES OR TRIAL ?

2009-06-10T17:57:00.013+01:00

I am trying to understand the various ways photographers and customers respond to the economy and new offers. Sometimes couples decide to meet up with their wedding photographer prior to the wedding to produce some engagement pictures. It is fun, relaxed and a good way to know each other. The aim is to capture some staged, creative or very laid back shots that represent the two individuals the way they really are without the dress or suit. There is no pressure of formalities, backdrop and running order. It is a separate job from the wedding duty. Same applies to baby pictures, portraits, etc... It takes the photographer half a day to travel, chat with couple, shoot, process, edit, deliver. The couple may eventually use one picture for their invitations, order of service, cards, blog, website, etc...It is also a way to present the photographer' style to the guests and families. And somehow you become more part of it as if you were a guest.

Recently more and more people are asking me for trial session before the wedding day. "What do you mean ?" I ask them. They answer that it is a way for them to feel more confident with the photographer. It doesn't really make sense to me but I can understand where it comes from...

1/ with the recession all sorts of offers arise such as trial shots, last dress fitting shots, visiting the venue beforehand, etc...Those offers do not make things better or worse, it is simply psychological for the customer and a way for the freelance to get the job - fair enough. In fact, if you decide that such photographer will be the one based on the fact that he/she does trial shots, it simply shows that you don't trust him/her to do the job properly on the wedding day. That is a bad start. If you are looking for someone who does Reportage, you will hardly notice him/her on the day to be frank, except for the group and couple' shots. To do Reportage is the art of becoming invisible. If you are looking for traditional wedding posed photography, that's something else...

2/ from a photographer's point of view or I would say amateur one. To do trial shots is a way to promote yourself working for cheaper. It is also a way of producing pictures in a very reassuring atmosphere compare to the actual wedding day. Therefore, amateur photographers, using digital, build a collection of materials to be used on the websites to promote themselves. The trouble is that those pictures are not pictures from the wedding day as we talk. Those pictures are staged materials like fashion shoots. It is simply called a set-up. I have seen in the last two years so many websites with the couple only in the fields, on the beach, veil in the wind, wide angle, etc...what does it have to do with wedding reportage? - Simply nothing. You should actually ask them about the materials they usually deliver. Photography and photographers can sell you everything and anything with visuals, so does advertising.

3/ I also wonder why people want me to visit the venue months before the wedding day? I will spend a good 8 hours in the venue on the day, I will have plenty of time to visit the place before and during. If you visit the venue on a different day than the wedding day it will look completely different, that doesn't really help. People are concerned about the light. If you are a professional photographer you should have the required equipment to any kind of light conditions.

4/ Wedding photography is still a very grey area for people. It is regarded as the low point of Photography from as much outsiders than insiders. In the first case it is about trusting someone else, in the second it is about trusting yourself. To do wedding photography is a lot of pressure on your shoulders, and you have to be good at so many techniques and human flair.
I truly believe that a talented wedding photographer is worth spending money. Pictures will be the only physical things left years later.

5/ To be a good reportage style photographer is about adapting to all circumstances, be creative and discreet. A good photojournalist is firstly a good observer and then a story teller. All the offers promoted in the last couple of years just show how people and photographers are sceptical. Digital engendered by amateurism just lowered the standards, but hightened the dream of the clientele thanks to fake imagery. In Reportage there is no beauty coming from manipulation. In Reportage the beauty is just there, everywhere, around you, within you,...

DIGITAL LIFE EXPECTANCY

2009-06-05T10:12:00.018+01:00

So, where do we start ? I am dealing with something taboo here - Digital ! Everybody wants it, everybody uses it, everybody praises by it. We live digital ! Do actually people know what digital is and what it means? Today, I will focus only on the life expectancy of a digital file.

First, a digital file is VIRTUAL - it does not exist. I don't really think it comes as a shock to most of us, but somehow we tend to avoid this fact. Each digital file is an encoding of 0 and 1. Because of its structure it can be processed by computer devices. What is a computer ? It is a tool composed of hardware pieces (real) which activates sofwares manipulations (virtual), which than can be transposed into various acts (real), such as prints, coffee table books, robots, transactions, etc...Therefore, a digital file is a transitional information. Thanks to its ultimate compression it can be processed by a computer device and produce goods. We can say that a computer is a transformer of virtually into reality. So digital aims and succeeds in making our lives easier. It converts, transforms, reshapes, open dimensions, etc... But for how long does a digital image live ?

One of the main concern for a photographer is the life expectancy of the materials produced. They are like babies to us. Without their reality we cannot simply exist as a photographer. The worse nightmare is to be exposed to a fire or leak. All the proofs and years of dedication can vanish in minutes whether you deal with films or digital. That is a huge concern. Nevertheless, let's see how we can reduce the risks of loss.

Digital is a very fragile thing...

LIGHT STORAGE

CD/DVD: 5 years maximum. They are formatted or burnt only once and cannot be reused for something else.
USB KEY: same thing it is a transitional device, very vulnerable.
MEMORY CARD or STICK: they receive digital datas and cannot be used for long. You need to format them constantly after backing-up safely, separately, on various formats. If used regularly they become slow, obsolete and unreliable after one or two years, that's normal.
For safety reasons, do not buy new cards with huge storage (except very particular need), if you managed to collect thousands of pictures and realized there is something wrong with the card , you are in big trouble. Use alternative smaller cards to reduce the risks.

HEAVY STORAGE

SEPARATE HARD DRIVE: vividly recommended to purchase one, or two. They are compact ones that you can take in your bag, they are bigger ones that you should always keep safe at home. It is as precious as a computer.

That's the basics, but most people do not really know what is what ? what is it for ? etc...Most people just use laptops for typing texts, internet, news and social networks - and they store their images without any external back-up. That's when you are looking for trouble...so many stories of computer crashes and thousands of wedding pictures lost - nightmare ! Well obviously, that's a pain but that is also your fault. Why?

Digital is very flexible, convenient but ephemeral too ! What do you want really ? As a wedding photographer I keep on having discussions with competitors and photographers in general about the digital medium. At weddings, guests ask me every week " Did you switch to digital, what do you prefer ?" In both cases, I am very surprised by the lack of reflection dedicated to such a technology that drives our modern lives. People are obsessed by what it can do, but are not interested about what it is by definition.

So, here is the story:

- Digital is a great medium to work with as it is very flexible, compact and transformable.
But digital doesn't exist. Digital captures from reality and TRANSFORMS the information into something else. Our world is in 3D. Digital transforms it into a non defined dimension, or called digital, or I would say VIRTUAL. And something virtual cannot last by definition. Virtual or digital involves a high ability to store and process informations. The trouble is that the genuine materials will vanish fast. Some people say they shoot RAW as it is a better quality and will be better on the long run. I do agree, you have more informations, details and originality in a RAW file, nevertheless that doesn't change its state as a non-existing document. You can also find the best devices to store and save your datas but somehow that will disappear too as we change and will keep on changing formats, devices and collect virus, corrupted files, etc...It's like having a bowl of wool in your hands, very seductive at first but you know it will finish as a single thread.

NOTE: Everything single time you work on you pictures, transform then, send them, etc...you loose pixels and therefore damages its quality. So, it is a non-existing data which degrades rapidly. What is the point then ? ........That is its strength, think about it as a commercial value - fast turnover, no storage problem (real space wise) No responsibility after a couple of years for the photographer - it's great, it's digital !!!

FILM & DIGITAL

I am not shooting only with digital or only with films, I use both. Because each technology is better in a certain area than the other. There is no ultimate in life, only alternatives. I use digital when the budget is small, when I cannot afford to have processing and printing. Or when the customer only needs quick materials especially with corporate jobs. Most shoots are used for urgent releases, internet updates or cheap editorial purposes. They are just there to illustrate safely interviews, tabloids or adverts. For quite a few years now magazines stopped working with freelancers and employed graphic designers who take themselves photographs and to play with them. So Digital is convenient only when it comes to work datas on computer, but also for providing materials with sharp deadlines, and it cuts the costs down all along the chain. In the real world we actually apply the system described at first.

MY USE OF DIGITAL FOR WEDDINGS

I always propose the alternative of shooting with films at weddings. Negatives will last for ever, at least a century, for future generations. And they can always be scanned for digital needs.
Digital is great as it concentrate a huge amount of informations of soft storage. From them you can produce coffee table books online, order reprints, make copies to hand over to friends and families (that last case saves you a lot of time and money). You can save the original negatives in a safe place and use the digital files instead for your first orders after the wedding day. And because the originals are films, your digital files will have the film feel ( see sample above). The best digital cameras on the market will never replace analogue camera. Their concept is just completely different. I personally think that film is the most appropriate to translate the reality and preciousness of a wedding day in a REPORTAGE sense.

WHAT DO YOU RISK BY SHOOTING FROM A DIGITAL CAMERA ?

1/ from you personal amateur camera you are always risking to have first electronic problems. Most small devices are made with cheap materials and ships. Few years ago, Sony produced a bad ship that many brands used. More that 100 different range of cameras were affected.
Brands do not sell films anymore, therefore they have to sell a lot of cheap cameras, which are obviously not meant to last more that a couple of years.
2/ risks with memory cards
3/ when in your computer it exposed to introduction of new formats, computer crash, bad storage, etc..
4/ even if backed-up, datas will vanish in few years.

WHAT DO WE RISK BY SHOOTING DIGITAL ONLY ?

To simply create a void in our visual memory of our generation. That has already started...
Think twice about you interest in Photography. Do you want it to be consumed quickly and disappear, or do you want to save those special moments for other generations ?

FINAL WORD

Digital is a real need in today's way of working and communicating like I am doing now. It is very flexible technology and a great tool to produce goods of high standards. The main trouble is that it is not durable by nature as it doesn't exist.
Today, digital is used for its trend and for its ability to produce few goods that look fake, or too good to be true, especially in the wedding industry. This kind of wedding photography as nothing to do with Reportage. You can still approach the Reportage style, as we call it, with a digital slr, but you will not be able to communicate your work to other generations as digital disappears by definition. To do reportage is to report. If you wish to report on the short run you are doing it for money and fame and therefore are more interested in using digital when asked to do weddings. If you care and think long run, you better use films. But obviously that requires more knowledge, experience and guts.
Digital is a medium and a mode of binary informations to communicate and transform datas
on a virtual place. Digital has nothing to do with quality, it is simply convenient and cheap.

FEW LINKS

www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/stillimages/do-images-exist-in-the-real-world/

http://demo.co.uk/blog/MakingDigitalDurable

Themanualofphotography:photographicanddigitalimaging-googlebooksresults

wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_preservation

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=190423

TO CROP OR NOT TO CROP ?

2009-06-02T12:06:00.027+01:00

original full frame 35mm / Jonathan and Natalia's wedding 16th May 2009

This new paragraph is dedicated to the Cropping Manipulation. To crop an image isn't new, and has in fact been used for a long time. You can find a famous example through the art of Rodchenko mixing various stills of events cropped and assembled for political propaganda means. Cropping has been continuously used by the advertising industry to enhanced its delivery - one image, one message. It is about the clarity of reading. Same with paparazzi photography. How many horrible quality pictures have we seen in newspapers of a tiny part of the image blown up 10 times and where sometimes we cannot even read the image! Watch again Antonioni's Blown Up. A lot of photographers will always crop the image for various reasons. The shoot didn't allow them to get the perfect angle, or the equipment wasn't appropriate, or an undesired element interfered with the right shot. That can happen as we all know and we try to make most of the original we had previously in mind.

cropped vertically.

Nevertheless, there is a branch of Photography which never really followed that path, and that is precisely Reportage photography. Their policy is to show the public exactly the whole picture as a statement. They would use the key line way of printing ( Search for american photographer James Nachtwey) The printer would file carefully the negative holder in order to print a little bit more that the picture. That tiny extra space would diffuse straight light and create a black line which then proved the authenticity of the full picture. 100% straight from the neg to the paper - no artificials ! I am pretty sure most people remember those prints. It was a question of honour and pride to be able to capture all the elements within a single frame, a single click. Nowadays softwares propose this framing option as an artifice, and you can pretend to present the original full image and knowing it is not true. This policy is not so used anymore and the pressure from the medias is too strong. That is why nowadays you won't see that many pictures from auteurs as their images would be given an other meaning because of this cropping business. Medias rely more on pictures librairies nowadays where everything look perfect. It is cheaper to buy and easier to organize their agenda and layout. There is no room for improvisation and genuine raw beauty anymore I am afraid.

cropped landscape.

Doing Reportage in its true sense is to deliver the original image the way you composed it at that time, as simple as that. But to achieve such a result requires knowledge and experience. Amateur photographers will eventually sometimes succeed either by luck or hard work. Nevertheless, doing it with consistency and regularity requires professional skilIs. I guess and hope that couples to be still expect to work with a good professional wedding photographer.
I welcome you to visit different wedding photographers' websites and search for the authenticity of the shots displayed. Most of them are cropped, meaning that they didn't get the right shot and try to make most of it. I personally feel it is a shame as you may want to get the full original quality of the materials for your families. Of course, you still can frame a cropped image but you can feel that something is missing, that there is something fake about it. The intention and quality matters here especially when you are dealing with weddings.

cropped square

Few ways of cropping always work and enhance a poor image such as landscape and square format. They invite you in an other dimension in space and time. They deal with nostalgia and wider space. Landscape or long strip photography has been used for many years and deals with our child imaginary vision of tales. Cinema format is going back to that wide concept, like the classics of the 60's or book illustrations of the the early XXth Century. Square is a bit more recent when most photographers would use Rolleiflex in the 50's and 60's. This format is perfect for portraiture for its lens beauty and distance with subject. It has been used obviously in various ways but it has something strong, direct, a one to one mental approach.

Conclusion: Reportage aims to deliver the real original picture. Bad Photography generally engenders the act of cropping. New online digital book layouts encourage it as it aims to be public friendly and show people that they also can be as good as professionals. Should we go with the easy way, or should we learn the hard way ? Do we need to rely on professional photographers anymore ? Is the quality going up or down thanks to digital ? That will be discussed in an other chapter...

REPORTAGE AGENCIES

2009-05-29T12:50:00.020+01:00

I am using here few pictures shot by chance in San Sebastian in 2007 during the film festival. I was there to follow the festival with friend film maker Tom Nerling. Lovely scenery, beautiful architecture, exquisite pinchos (local tapas), films obviously and walks around the bay. It happened that week-end that few weddings were taking place too. Well, being a photographer and doing weddings on a regular basis, you cannot actually be insensitive to the difference of approach in other countries. Weddings are and will be eternally a source of inspiration and knowledge about different societies, religions, stories and human nature in general. There are just few shots, but they actually express more closely what reportage is. Meaning being an observer and collector of clues.
In this new post I just would like to focus on few links that could be very helpful. Firstly, I would encourage you to go to Wikipedia and type key words such as reportage or origin of wedding photography, etc... I would just transcript here some definitions found. REPORTAGE Collection of written, recorded or photographic materials from an event (basic) RELATED TO PHOTOGRAPHY Term of an eye-witness genre of journalism. This style is often characterized by travel and careful observation PHOTOJOURNALISM A particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a story. It is distinguished from other branches of Photography by the qualities of Timeliness the images have meaning in the context of a recently published records of events Objectivity the situation implied by the images is as fair and accurate representation of the events they depict in both content and tone Narrative the images combine with other news elements to make facts relatable to the viewer or reader on a cultural event.
First major agency that really created this genre on a global sense is Magnum www.magnumphotos.com - All the photographers are top class and have collected tons of images for the last half Century. We all know pictures from them, they are all part of our contemporary visual memory. Magnum is the reference in reportage photography. They are quite a few other agencies to mention but I would only refer to few ones. Panos pictures www.panos.co.uk - We could also mention Agence Vu www.agencevu.com - And two collectives, new form of agency due to the last 10 years of economical struggle in the industry. Oeil Public www.oeilpublic.com and Tendance Floue www.tendancefloue.net

Visit the websites, images, videos, etc...it is very interesting and endless.
I hope you will enjoy and see Photography in a new way.

A TRICKY PORTRAIT SESSION

2009-05-26T18:15:00.031+01:00

Mr and Mme Meze / 1995

A couple of months after my first non-official wedding my step-mum introduced me to a woman who wanted portraits of her parents: they were quite old. Like any amateur photographer I would use my closest relatives for subject. And many times I would ask my grand-parents to pose for me. They were patient, kind and beautiful. My step-mum knew of my passion for people and also knew that I had to practice as soon as possible with strangers. This task was an other real opportunity to shape my approach and apply my few skills. Nevertheless this project was not easy to handle. I was not very sure if I had the courage to face strangers at the end of their lives. This experience taught me how to walk on the rope.
Today I can say that taking couple' shots is easy compare to such situation. People are younger, about to get married, a whole life ahead of them. It is a light weight scenario compare to that first portrait session. So, I arrange to meet them at their house one afternoon. It was Summer. They knew of me I guess, and were ready for the session. I choose a TMX 400 Kodak after realizing I used a difficult 100 for the previous wedding. Iford delta had a fine grain but short tolerance of greys, and used with a flash details were lost. I decided to work with a safer flexible 400 film and natural light. I also bought recently a 24mm Nikon 2.8 and wanted to try it. Young photographers always want a wide angle lens, it's kind of fun or cool !
Anyway, I introduce myself and understand instinctively that I have to follow their slow pace in order to gain their confidence. They are not very talkative and cannot move easily around. I start with very simple poses in trying to frame their presence with the interior and symbols (clock). I quickly realize how important it is to take time with people. To work fast and giving too many directions would have disturbed them. I had to adapt to be accepted, to engage a dialogue. I can also see they are not at ease to pose together. Nowadays people are not so afraid to hold hands and kiss. For older generations it was something not to be shown publicly. And therefore the proximity of two of their fingers was something quite remarkable and emotional at the same time. I suddenly realize how shy they were. I decided to talk about everything and nothing to make them forget about the photo session.
To create a zone of comfort is the photographer's duty if he/she wishes to capture truly his/her subject. The technical side is one thing, the other half is about communication. If there is no interaction, there is no results. I keep on working indoors with different props that remind them of their professions. My first poses always put my subjects on different level, one standing while the other is seated. I vary this combination and finally ask them to seat next to each other. I am always using the natural light. It suits more their generation, their life style, their charm. They have a genuine beauty to be pealed delicately. Then I decide to take them outside. The sky is overcast, it's warm. That's perfect for them. They will be able to open their eyes normally and they won't get a cold. Those details might sound odd for many but that is very important. Your subject has to feel relax. Weather conditions can affect dramatically the experience. Always pay attention to your model, like of your child. If they are happy and feel confident you increase your chances. It's natural and simple; it's simply human.
As we were outside we had a bit of fun with old fashioned tools. I had been taking photographs for almost 2 hours and felt that we had to finish now. They were probably tired, I didn't want to bother them anymore. I had to go. It had been an emotional experience for both parts. But before leaving I asked them to seat next to each other in the garden and talk, just talk...under the tree. I was fading away from their vision. I would take pictures from the back like the end of a chapter. Like a backward traveling from a Fellini movie. I thanked them for their time and generosity. I was relieved and happy. I hoped I captured the right tone, their personality and bound.

To photograph in a reportage way is about creating a dialogue between two bodies in creating a common third way. It is impossible to do reportage without compassion.

FIRST ASSIGNMENT

2009-05-25T14:01:00.020+01:00

I studied in Paris at l'Ecole des Gobelins, Paris, after passing my BA of Theory and Practice of Art at la Sorbonne Paris1. I was a bit fed up with teenagers aiming to be artists, they would put more effort in trying hard to look arty than actually work hard, and the teachers would encourage us in being nice proper applicants to the Art world with the whole kit of answers and tricks. I was quite disillusioned and wanted to do something a bit more practical. It was too much talking and not enough action. I had two options: pass the exam in Arles school in south of France or stay in Paris at the Gobelins. I thought going away would have been a good experience but unfortunately Arles was once again very conceptual and art base, I wanted to learn some crafts. I would have plenty of time later for concepts. I therefore passed the exam in Paris.

Les Gobelins was a good platform as it is founded partly by private investors and it is part of the Chamber of Commerce of Paris. I knew a lot of people from all around the World would pass the exam. I also knew that my chances were thin as maths and physics were my very very weak points, but I had passion and some knowledge for Photography. And somehow when it came to optical problems I could actually understand quite naturally what it was all about. Anyway, still, the school would only take 15 students in the studio department, and 15 students in the darkroom. Well, I had nothing to loose, I went there with my friend Eric from the University, tried my best, and straight after went to the Dynamo Festival in Holland to chill out. 2 or 3 weeks later, we received the results and we were both accepted. Hourrah !

That was in 1995 the first year or the two years program was dedicated to black and white. We had every month one particular subject to photograph, and many others to develop and process in the darkroom at the same time. Eventually near summer we were asked to do a wedding. You would have seen most faces - boring! I didn't really care. For me it was instinctively Reportage and meeting people. The only trouble was that I didn't know anyone who was getting married. Never mind, I took my FM2, a 50mm, a 35mm, a 285 Vivitar flash, some rolls Ilford 100 delta and headed to the town hall in search of a wedding. My first attempt was a lucky one. People were gathering and waiting for the bride. I was very excited but also very anxious. I thought I couldn't really make it just like that. I was an outsider, unknown from the audience. I spotted the official photographer and asked him if he would let me join him in his commission. He was unsurprisingly quite suspicious. But behind his grumbling attitude he accepted and asked me to remain discreet. He would tell them I was his assistant if they were to ask. I therefore photographed as an official and would gather amongst families with fear and joy at the same time. I shot pictures with my flash next to the registrar facing them, while signing, same at the church. I actually still don't know how people did let me to do it without complaining or asking.

At one point during the religious ceremony the bride looks at me and you can tell that she is wondering who on earth is this guy at my wedding ?! I felt strongly that gaze but kept on shooting throughout the service. I had to do it to build strength and confidence. After the church, I felt I had to leave. Right then the official photographer grabbed me and asked me to swear that I would not sell them any of my pictures. That was quite funny and touching from this old man. I didn't know if I actually managed to get some decent shots. Also, I had to use my mum's flash which I barely knew how to use. Just those two hours experience drained me out. My adrenalin was fading away, I felt like empty. I really though at that time I just lived something intense as an observer, challenger and recorder, but I didn't really envisage I would do that years later for a living. It was too much to cope with. What I really remember is the generosity from that photographer who helped me with my school's assignment without even knowing my name. I would also always remember and thank immensely this couple for letting a stranger photographing their wedding. If you are by any chance reading those lines, do not hesitate to contact me to get some prints. I would be a tremendous pleasure to give you what belongs to you. Without you my life may have been quite different. My deepest gratitude.

WELCOME FINALLY

2009-05-25T09:02:00.012+01:00

Here I am using the credit crunch spare time to seat down more often than usual to write down my thoughts about my passion that is reportage photography, and applied to the wedding industry. I have been working in that field for 10 years now and have done quite a few ones...It is quite funny how genres, trends and economical moves can shift interests. I am particularly enjoying the present time being able to use the new technologies to expose my doubts and propose my expertise to a large audience. So, it is with a great pleasure that I am welcoming you to read, comment and dialogue. I have just finished working on my first book applied to the same topic and welcome you all to have a look on it. It is called " the Art in Wedding Reportage" written by davidB/2exposures. I have used Blurb.com and I must say it has been quite a exciting project to work on. I took me more than two months to gather visuals, retouch them, select them, write the texts, think layout, and finally working it online. I am very happy with it and I hope it will help people to learn quite a few things about the profession, wedding photography and reportage. I also know that most people will not obviously buy it, and it is the reason why I finally decided to create this blog in a more relaxed way where I can treat one idea after the other without rushing. I will try to highlight each time a particular point and demonstrate it with images. This blog is friendly and do wish to promote suppliers as an alternative to online wedding directories. It is a forum and sharing experience which I hope you will join and enjoy.

The Art in Wed...

II exposures

By davidB/2exposures

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