5 February 2010
26 January 2010
HARD DRIVE CRASH
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 !
21 January 2010
PHOTOGRAPHY IN BIG TROUBLES
From Oeil Public's Newsletter
OEIL PUBLIC, END OF A STORY
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.
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.
7 January 2010
CHURCH PHOTOGRAPHY
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.
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.
5 January 2010
Make your own stories / book
This is not wedding photography but that might interest you.
This my first personal book and there are many more to come.
22 December 2009
XMAS & NEW YEAR
Happy Christmas to all of you and fun New Year with a lot of love surrounding you.
We hope you have been nice and will receive presents accordingly. We would like to take this opportunity to inform all our generous couples from 2009 and before, that the best time to work on their coffee table book will be in January. Be in touch with us in order to obtain an estimate. We wish you all the best, and would like to thank you once more for your custom and trust. Many many thanks. You are keeping 2exposures alive despite the recent troubled waters.
16 December 2009
ANSWERS TO A STUDENT part 2
Early student years Rayogram.
copyright David Boulogne
Here continues a discussion I am having with a student from Leeds University (see article 1 December 2009). He said he wanted to become a wedding photographer. So I asked him few more questions, ...
Hi sorry for the late reply hope this is some use to you and I feel as though I might get slaughtered by you. Been busy with my dissertation I completely forgot about the questions at the end. Hope they are of some use to you and I would like to keep contact. As for my answers I can see some things which might not go down with you quite so nicely but then I ask you to remember that I am still looking for the right job and with time that might change. Thank you for your replies it was great help for me and probably saved me from a fail.
Hi Milot, I am glad you took some time to answer my questions. That is really appreciated.
I think you did the right thing by focusing on your dissertation first - that is your priority. I won’t “slaughter” you. There is no reason why I would do it. The aim of this exchange is to produce a dialogue that can be instructive to other people in the same situation. To give advice is not about showing off your superiority to younger generations, but to help you to raise the adequate questions to your concerns. In the end I will not give you any answer, it is up to you to find them. It’s like going to the therapist. But what I would like to say before commenting your replies is that you already did the right thing by asking for help and not being shy about it. That is a great strength that most people will see as a weakness. I personally see your attitude as something genuine and honest that can only be profitable to your knowledge and decisions in life. So, I would suggest you keep on doing it. There is nothing wrong with not knowing and asking for advice.
1) Why do you like Photography? I can’t really explain why, I just feel good when I take the money shot (the one image which makes the whole effort to getting it worthwhile). I also think that I am more of a visual person as I am horrible with names but I never forget a face it’s like I am taking images with my head all the time and when I pass locations I seem to have the story in my mind as a good play for a photograph.
Most people who chose to express themselves with creative medias have dyslexia, like I use to have. Not being able to communicate with words or figures you find your own way, and Photography is your way. It has been proven that almost 2/3 of art students are dyslexic. There is nothing wrong with that. We are just different and are able to transmit or deliver things differently, and societies need artists otherwise we would fall into conformism. Not knowing why you like it is not really an issue, but accepting yourself as different is vital. What bothers me in your comment is the notion of money. You haven’t started yet that you are already thinking money. If you really like Photography or arts in general, money comes secondary at your stage. To be genuinely an artist has nothing to do with money, fame or success. Today most aspiring artists should realise that Art is not a profession. Therefore they shouldn’t expect any financial reward from it. What we experience today is the antithesis of what I just said, unfortunately.
Being a professional photographer is something else than being just a photographer. It means you have to specialise and compromise. You will obviously be chosen for your style, but you will have to produce quality AND quantity combined, including formal needs required by the customers whether you like it or not. A lot of freelances make the mistake to think selfishly as artists do. To be a professional photographer is to deliver a service in an artistic way, nevertheless it is a service being paid by a customer who expects some standards, quality and surprises. Creativity usually comes across in the last part.
If you take fashion photography for example, the real time spent shooting with models represents 10% of the overall time spent on a commission. And if you are lucky you can estimate at 5% the creativity delivered. It is the same in all the industries I am afraid. If you expect to be paid you have to compromise. Any sort of job will teach you that fundamental. We call those medias creative but there are not really on the level you would expect I guess . To do real art works is something personal and solitary you have to cope with.
2) Why do you want to do Wedding Photography? I think that it would be the best job for me because people employ a photographer for the style of photography he or she do. Also not having someone telling you what they want from you through the whole process is nice because to me it’s all about the creativity of the photographer (when a person is doing something he or she likes in their own way they are bound to get the images they want, this probably satisfying the employer two as they will get exactly what they hired them to do).
I agree with you on that point, but before reaching that level of visibility and trust you need to gain skills. Too many young people want to be photographers and they do not really know why, maybe a sort of fame or fantasy world. It is not like that at all I am afraid. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of freelancers like to play that card, and people fancy that image too. To be a freelance photographer is a long lonely road where there is only you to be trusted. There is a lot of competition, lot of confusion and selfishness. First, if you want to become one I would advice you to take any kind of job on board. You will learn from everything and every commission will nourish the next one. The main problem when you are a student is the lack of experience, so run for it. Do food, interiors, baby, nudes, documentaries, anything and everything. After a while you will be able to decide what you don’t like. And therefore you interest is going to narrow, and then you will be able to specialize as we call it. Here again, do not take my words in a literal way. I do not really agree with the world of specialization we live in. I personally promote myself here as a wedding specialist but I do a very wide range of Photography, either paid or non-paid, because I am interested in a lot of things, and because I love experimenting and learning endlessly. So being specialized is finding a niche where you feel comfortable, good at delivering, and that’s your regular jog somehow. Then you can concentrate on various other photographic interests. Keep yourself alert constantly. My clients like my style because I am not traditional and because I put something else into my wedding photography. But still most of my clients expect me to deliver such and such formal pictures, that is the way it is. In the end you are being paid and commissioned to work for your clients, and it is a huge task especially with weddings. So it is a challenge but it is very exciting at the same time. The notion of “artistic” is very variable to be frank. A lot of people think my work is very artistic whereas I find it classic and stylistic. I am not doing Art with weddings, I try to get the right emotions with the right conditions in a reportage way. That is simply reportage I would say. Anyway to me working on a wedding or a demonstration is the same – it is a story. A lot of photographers are daydreaming and also see wedding photography as an office job where they can make a great deal of money. They have it completely wrong and you can tell when looking at their pictures. I am personally extremely happy to do the job I am doing whether it is doing weddings or something else. As long as I am doing photography the way I like it that’s what matters. But to reach that stage you have to respect your clients, to remain open to all the possibilities and to trust yourself that you can make it. It is a daily battle against the odds. And if you are ready for it you are welcomed on board! I have met and trained so many people who aspire to do photography and who gave up. To succeed is a natural selection like survival instinct. When I decided to enter the CFT Gobelins school I knew it was the right place for me. But the selection was very tight. It is not about paying the fee but about motivation and knowledge. There are only 15 positions allocated for students from around the world. If you manage to get in you obtain the best professional training in 2 years for free –which is very unusual and rewarding. So you expect that the 15 students are fully dedicated to become freelancers or working in the industry. 15 years later I can count on three fingers the people still evolving in the industry including myself. You have to ask yourself the following question: Is Photography a hobby or something you cannot live without?
3) Which works, artists or photographers do you like and why? Jerry Uelsmann is my favourite photographer. I love his work and creativity, his images are so well thought out and stunningly beautiful. His multiple negative images are not only visually challenging at times but the finish is stunning. I do create some of my own multiple negative images, some which are very similar to Uelsmanns work. I find that the dark room process is the way for me I like to feel the print instead of doing it on Photoshop which most of my peers at the college asked me. This brings me to the wedding photography aspect again as it would help me to travel to different locations, which would help improve my personal archive of images.
Thank you for passing the name of this “artist” I didn’t know. My first look at the website tells me that he has the skills, meaning the technical skills whether manual in the darkroom, or computer based with more recent works. Second thing is that the artist is very influenced by various sources from the late 19th Century and 20th Century, which makes sense looking at his date of birth. My third point is that he is more drawn towards illustration than Photography. On reading briefly his biography we learn his first job was being a teacher early stage. That sounds very strange to me. I believe you cannot be a teacher in your early twenties. So you have to learn how it is possible. Nevertheless he presents his Art in one unique way, his vision as a creative photomontage artist going from Surrealism to trendy Gothic / Spleen Baudelairian. I find the work nicely done but it is not my cup of tea, but that’s personal. I could suggest you look at Alexander Rodtchenko you may know, such as Man Ray, painter Rene Magritte of course and more recently multidisciplinary artist illustrator Dave McKean.
But what I would like to point out is that Jerry Uelsmann surely didn’t make a living out of his artworks until late. He must have had regular jobs, more concrete jobs such as teacher to have the freedom and the assets to produce his works. He may have been recognized not so long ago as his vision matched the illustrative art world we experience today and which really appeared in the 70’s with the rise of the sci-fi phenomenon. The work you like is more about photomontage which used to be done in a darkroom and which is produced more efficiently nowadays everywhere on a computer. It is a creation of fantasies which is completely different from real life photography. There is no problem with that but you might reconsider your aspirations for making a living. I personally would invest myself in learning all sorts of technical skills applied to the effects you intend to produce with your pictures by working as a graphic designer, and do alternatively photography for personal projects. I personally started by learning the darkroom and gained a lot of experience from it for then becoming freelance.
To be a graphic designer, a darkroom technician, a wedding photographer is to be an artisan. That means using your technical skills within the Art domain and to transfer them into a private or public commission for use or interest.
To be an artist is to be free from those contingencies(in theory)
I hope I answered your questions.
I wish you a Happy Xmas and am looking forward to hearing from you in 2010, with resolutions maybe?!
14 December 2009
HIRE A PRO FOR YOUR WEDDING
I received this email few days ago which made me upset and sad for the couple who got married.
I want to take this opportunity to share it with you to let you aware of the latest trend which has been going on for the last two years. In ten years of doing wedding I have heard the craziest stories from bad experiences with bad photographers. Nowadays people tend to ask more often for amateurs to capture their weddings because they have a digital camera. The truth is that we all have a digital camera nowadays, and that doesn't make you a better photographer.
Subject: Photo Help!
Hi David,
I am hoping that you can give me some expert help! My sister got married in May but her wedding photos are not as good as they should have been... I was looking for a photographer or design person who would work with the photos and select the best sections and enlarge/make B+W/sepia etc...
What we would like is for a wedding book to be created by selecting bits and being creative. There is in fact not even 1 photo where they both look lovely. Do you do this or do you know anyone that would do it for Xmas?
You come very highly recommended from all of my friends!
Suni
Few years ago couples to be were looking for the best pro who could photograph the essence of their big day including the usual formal shots. On few occasions I would lose the job because they felt an other freelance was more appropriate to their style, and/or budget. This is a fair competition. People are then trying to find the best compromise and they compare the possibilities. In the end they would receive not only a product they really were expecting, but also a professional experience that makes the day runs smoothly ( I mean this is the way it should be as it is not always the case). Today two major factors are changing the way we are thinking Photography.
1 / The digital era
The photographic market has completely changed. Not only for the professional but mostly for the amateur. Back in the film days you had to have knowledge about your camera to take decent pictures and it did cost money. But it was dedication for a passion, and by spending time and money you would consider it as something valuable. Nowadays big file size cameras are affordable for most of us, and that is what companies want to achieve. It is becoming difficult to purchase films and others. The digital has killed the choice in fact. Therefore the job of photographer is disappearing as the email is showing us. And this is not only in the wedding industry.
2/ Recession
Somehow the digital came at the right moment. Decent cameras are appearing on the market in the last 2 years, just before the start of the recession. This season I experienced at last 10 potential customers turning me down not for an other pro but for their friend, brother or cousin who had a digital camera ! People think they will save money by skipping the photographic duty. I can affirm that they are completely wrong. But doing so they will have 1) bad pictures 2) lose their friendship 3) no recollection 4) waste money in trying to recover the damage
If there is one supplier you need to spend money into is definitely Photography. You can have a very little wedding in a pub and still photography will be essential to testify from your special day. To do such a job requires experience and impeccable performance - it requires a pro !
Don't waste your money and your energy, invest in a wedding photographer. That is my advice and my experience, as a pro but also as a potential customer.
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.
1 December 2009
ANSWERS TO A STUDENT
Self-portrait 1996
ID photograph studio exercise at CFT Gobelins
Recently a student from Leeds University contacted me regarding wedding photography.
He obtained my details from an online wedding listing. He left me a message and sounds young.
He emailed me his questions. I hope putting them online will help to understand people's vision or approach to wedding photography. I wish it could lead to many other questions.
1) What do you think is the best format to show your work to clients or employers ?
I do not believe in one standard way of showing your work across the trade. What I am looking for, as a photographer or as a client, is "personality" and "dedication". My work is about telling stories. Therefore I will try to find the best way to show with style this particular approach. People who use my service contact me because I am different, and most of the time the people I work for have similar taste to mines.
You should think about priorities first. If you want to do wedding photography, you have to see what is on the market. You have to meet professional wedding photographers, and position yourself either as one or as a customer. Think. If you were getting married, what sort of photographic service would you like to be delivered. I am not only talking obviously about the presentation, but mostly about the contents. How do you want the photographer to capture your wedding ?
If you are a freelance who only does weddings and cares about making money, you will provide cheap photography and cheap presentations. You can be a genius at retouching but still you style will remain poor and disengaged. On the contrary, if you care and and work hard, you will invest yourself in providing something unique people will recognize as your signature.
So "format" doesn't really mean anything. You have online format presentation, or website, which I do not trust personally, but you have to be out there. Until few years ago the main portfolios were in hardback and you had to commute a lot to show your work. Nowadays the main portfolio is your website, so do one with style at low cost. A lot of people visit websites but it doesn't mean they will contact you, very few in fact. But what matters is to have your visuals out there and to generate interest. Second phase is to motivate people to meet you and see your work in real. That's where you show your portfolios. Big, medium, small doesn't matter. What is important is to present something which will look like the final result first, then you can show different formats highlighting some details of your style.
2) What skills do you think would be expected of me as a graduating student; technically and socially and what level of experience would be expected ?
Basic skills of photography indeed and most especially without having trained with digital, which seems to be almost impossible nowadays. Why ? If you train with analogue cameras you have to understand the whole philosophy behind photography from the lab to shooting. It is endless to be honest but it is terribly exciting. You will later find this very same logic with the way engineers designed computers, softwares, digital cameras and online publishing. One major mistake nowadays is that most people think they are good photographers. To be honest to be one has nothing to do with a camera or device, it is about your eye and what you have to say. If you rely on technology to save you, you will be an average freelance; if you think outside the box and look with your eyes first there are more chances to succeed.
But what matters first at your stage, is to get the experience in as many areas as possible to make yourself an idea of what and how you want to do it.
When I was 16 I knew I would become a photographer in a split second. The grand plan was already laid down instantly. I went to Art University to make sure I loved photography. Once confirmed I passed the CFT Gobelins exam and got in to be a lab technician. I wanted to know as much as possible what was going behind the scene before being on stage. I knew already that too many photographers have actually no idea of what they are doing and even more after they have done it, they just rely on others, and I am talking about top professionals. After the school I worked in the best labs in Paris for the best photographers in the world working at all the possible positions. Once I knew I had knew enough for the time being, I moved to London to become freelance without any help, money and contacts, and I made it. You just need to be patient, impatient and dedicated.
But I would say that the most important is the motivation. If you don't have it young, you will never have it. If you feel like photography is your passion, you shouldn't sleep. You should photograph everything and learn as much as possible. If you are not really "sure", like it happens very often with young assistants, you should forget about it and come back in 10 years time when you feel like it !
I would say that you have to be generous with people, thirsty of photography and learn as much as possible from everyone and make your own opinion. School, studies, grades, that's important, it really shows your determination. But later, this is simply the school of Life, we adapt.
I personally never envisaged younger to do wedding photography, but it was the first real job I got as a freelance in London, and I realized that I was good at it. I was able to make a living out of photography and taking photos the way I wanted, and people would pay for that.
3) What sorts of equipment would be expected if I was to photograph weddings on my own ?
What do think ?
Would you use a 120 Rolleiflex with Metz torch ?
Would you use a 35mm reflex camera ?
Would you use a digital SLR ?
Would you use a disposable camera ?
It is up to you and to your customers.
What do you think your parents would want for example ?
What is the most convenient for you and for them ?
What is the most affordable for you ?
First at you stage, you have to compromise, and that will help you a lot later.
As I keep on saying, there is no perfect ideal camera, there is a perfect one for each of us.
Do not forget that you have to invest in flashgun and learn how to use it properly.
Now I would like to conclude with 3 of my questions, hoping that will engage a productive dialogue between two generations.
1) Why do you like Photography ?
2) Why do you want to do Wedding Photography ?
3) Which works, artists or photographers do you like and why ?
I am looking forward to continuing this question/answer possibility format.
10 November 2009
HOW TO DESIGN AN ALBUM
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 !
22 October 2009
THE DIGITAL QUESTION
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.
7 October 2009
SCULPTING WITH LIGHT part 2 / The Dress
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
22 September 2009
DAVID IS AWAY FOR A WEEK
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.
11 September 2009
SCULPTING WITH LIGHT part 1
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 leftClassic 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 leftI 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 leftMix 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 !
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