Sydney Workshop

Well I'm in Sydney this week to attend the workshop facilitated by Martin and Ryan Schmebri, two well known Australian Master Photographers. Hopefully a little of their knowledge and success will rub off on me and help take the business to the next level.

Costing a lot of money to be here for the week, but believe it will be a worthwhile investment in our future. Besides a payout from 20 years hard labour in another job is paying for it!

Hopefully get a bit of time to wander around sydney (with the camera of course), luckily staying within a few hundred meters of luna park and the bridge. Here's the view from the hotel room at dusk.

Hopefully be posting some more this week. There's not much else to do in a hotel room!

Time for new adventures

Well the winter slow down is here and we get a bit of break to be a normal person on weekends, pity about the weather. July and August are very slow for weddings, I'm sure people still get married at that time of the year just not enough to keep everyone busy.
Some exciting news (at least from my point of view!), as from the 1st of August 2009 we will be a full time photography company. Customers probably wont notice much difference, however photos should be available a lot quicker. Looking forward to helping create memories for a lot more people!
As usual if you would like any more information about us check http://www.ctrphotos.com/

So you want to be a Wedding Photographer

We get a lot of enquiries from people wanting to get involved in wedding photography, the majority of which we dont even consider. For us to even consider a request we straight away look at the following,

The first question we will ask is are you prepared to sign a non-disclosure and non-compete agreement. If the answer is no, its thanks but no thanks straight away. Why you ask, well for a couple of reasons.
One, we dont want to spend time and expense giving someone the exposure and training for them just to turn around and directly compete with us at the first opportunity they get. So this is the non-compete part of the agreement, we have built in an out clause and /or time period that someone cant directly compete against us.
Two is the non-disclosure part, as we are training someone its very difficult not to share critical information that they can use to compete against us, obviously we cant and dont want people using information they have gathered being used to compete against us in any manner. This also protects our clients information for unauthorised release/usage.

The second question we will ask is what equipment you are currently using. The reason we ask this is it will give us an indication of how serious the person is about photography and whether they have equipment which will provide a quality level that we would be happy to provide our customers. We might also ask some questions around how the camera is used, depending on which modes people use regularly will tell us whether they have potential to be a wedding photographer.

Bottom line is we shouldnt have to be teaching some how to use their camera, the idea is that we would be teaching someone about weddings not photography, and more importantly we generally look for people who are happy to work for us, not using us to get involved and compete against us.

Around the end of september we will probably be looking for people so if you know anyone who maybe interested let us know through our website http://www.ctrphotos.com/

Fisheye Lens

Well despite posting in various locations about Nikon Australia or any Adelaide Camera Retailers providing some sponsorship in the form of a 10.5mm Fisheye lens, no-one came to the party and after some debate purchased it myself.

What a fun lens to use. In the studio I've been experimenting with some up close portraits which create some really humourous caricture type photos.

I've had three weddings to do since the purchase and have used the lens on all three. Took some amazing photos inside St Laurences Catholic Church and by the Adelaide University footbridge, a couple of nice ones at semaphore near the lighthouse and some excellent photos at Camelot castle. I will post some here as soon as I can.

Don't worry about the distortion on this lens, if used intentionally and appropriately you can get some amazing results. As for correcting the distortion in software so far I would have to say I am unimpressed with the result from Capture NX, you will lose a lot of the image and end up with horrible blurring on the edges of the image. I'm yet to try the well regarded Fisheye Hemi or experiment with distortion controls in Photoshop, but at the end of the day you would probably be better off using a 12-24mm or similar if your looking for wide angle with minimal distortion.

As usual check our website http://www.ctrphotos.com/ for more details about our services

RTFM

I had the opportunity to recently speak with someone studying graphics arts at one of the Adelaide universities. The main thing which stood out in my mind was the comment that most of her peers where using their SLR's in auto mode because they didnt know how to use them.
How disappointing that our further education institutions dont appear to be teaching people what they are going to need to survive in the real world or maybe there is an assumption that students would take some responsiblity, learn how to master the basics of their SLR and the university would teach them more advanced theories/techniques.
Plain and simple if you dont know how to use your camera in manual and in combination with a speedlight then dont bother contacting me for work experience, or as a assistant or anything, basically I cant use you. I simply dont have the time to be teaching someone the basic operation of a SLR.
As per the title take some responsiblity and RTFM (google this, you should be able to find what is means), it will make you a better photographer.

Where have I been????

A little while since my last post, I have just been so busy with with weddings and the post processing that haven't had a lot of time for much else at all.
I have been at some interesting weddings in the past few weeks. The 21st at Sunnybrae, the 28th at the Adelaide Zoo, the 4th of april at the Botanic Gardens and the 5th of April at Belair Country Club.
No funny or unusual stories to tell, all these days went fairly smoothly.
The 21st got some nice photos near the Port Adelaide Information Centre, only pearls of wisdom I can pass on from this day is that 45 minutes isn't really enough for bridal portraits particularly when travel is involved and when hiring a limo ask what drinks are supplied, the limo on this particular day only has champagne which I'm sure most guys don't like!
The 28th I was looking forward to being at the Adelaide Zoo, unfortunately the lighting was terrible. I believe the Zoo only allows wedding ceremonies to start at 5pm or after once they are closed to the public. Being this close to the end of day lights saving by the time the ceremony is finished it is starting to get quite dark. I'm sure it would be much better in the middle of day light saving when its not dark until 8:30-9:00pm. Flash lighting is very harsh and unfortunately had to rely on it to try and light up the scene.
The 4th of April went very well. Only pearl of wisdom here is that yes people you have to pay to have photos in the Botanic Gardens. Even though it is a public place, there is a fee whether you have your ceremony there or not. I presume this is to protect the gardens from masses of wedding parties wandering around the garden every weekend and it is policed.
The 5th of April was very interesting, the bride had some Brazilian heritage I believe and the reception was very much party orientated. The reception started off with a display of Capoeira, if you re not sure what this is, its like a mix of dance and martial arts, very fast and difficult to photograph although I think I managed to get a few good ones. Some of the solos were absolutely amazing! Later there was a display of dancing, not sure how to describe it but again very fast and the girls were dressed up in the full Brazilian carnivale style outfits, drummers and whistles which led into pretty much everyone being on the dance floor (very rare to see!). lots of masks, boas, huge novelty sunglasses and everyone having a good time!( and from what I could tell that was without too much alcohol being involved. Only thing I noticed, although the bride and groom didn't seem too concerned was that the celebrant was late, apparently got lost, no excuse in my book not when a decent GPS will set you back less than $200.

So there you have it!

The pearls of wisdom in summary

• Make sure the limo you hire has something for everyone to drink
• If travelling to locations allow a bit more time
• Yes you have to pay to have photos at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens
• Hire a celebrant who has a GPS or at least knows where your venue is!

Till next time

Getting Organised

This week we have had to turn so many people away that its not funny, which leads to the question, How early should you be looking to book services for your wedding??
There's no easy answer but i would suggest that its never too early. Once you have set your ceremony date you should probably be looking to pretty quickly book the main services you require. Ceremony Venue, Celebrant, Reception Venue, Cars, Photographers and Videographers you should be booking as soon as possible. Other services or products you will probably have the time to organise later, however if you dont secure the abovementioned you could end up missing out on your preferred service.
Peak times for weddings (for me anyway) are October/November and February/March/April. My bookings for the 10th and 17th of October this year were taken about 18 months in advance. The past couple of weeks we have had to turndown 4 people for the 10th, a couple for the 17th and a few more for other months.

So when people tell you that you need to get onto things as soon as your engaged dont brush it off, they are right! That doesnt mean you wont be able to find suitable alternatives you just might miss out on your preferred/ideal providers.

Caught in the act

I didnt witness it but had to laugh. After the ceremony and some photos in Pennnington Gardens, we headed down to the reception venue where the couple where also staying. The Plan was just to do some casual photos of the bridal party as they relaxed with their pre-dinner drinks and nibbles in their room.
Some how the couple where given the key to the wrong room and it actually opened the wrong room as well. I'm sure the reception desk must have made a mistake and told them the wrong room number.
Upon opening the door a couple were already in the room having sex on the bed. After a few awkward seconds, the door was quickly shut and back to the reception to get the right room number and key.
I'm sure that moment was the butt of many jokes for the rest of the night!

TAKE NOTE :

If youre going to have sex in a hotel room make sure the door is chained!

Adelaide Wedding Photography Specials

Prices from $400 with generous inclusions. Check http://www.ctrphotos.com/ for more details. Mention this ad and receive 5% off basic/intermediate package or 10% off any package $1,000 or greater if booking by the 31st of May 2009.

These dates are still available but act quick this can change quickly and we are embarking on some major advertising over the coming weeks and until further notice are going to be reducing our commitments to one ceremony per week.

Following 2009 dates are available right now!
02-May, 03-May, 10-May, 16-May, 17-May, 30-May, 31-May, 04-Jul, 05-Jul, 11-Jul, 12-Jul, 19-Jul, 25-Jul, 26-Jul, 01-Aug, 02-Aug, 08-Aug, 09-Aug, 15-Aug, 16-Aug, 23-Aug, 29-Aug, 30-Aug, 05-Sep, 06-Sep, 13-Sep, 19-Sep, 26-Sep, 03-Oct, 04-Oct, 11-Oct, 18-Oct, 25-Oct, 31-Oct, 01-Nov, 08-Nov, 15-Nov, 22-Nov, 28-Nov, 29-Nov, 06-Dec, 12-Dec, 13-Dec, 19-Dec, 20-Dec, 26-Dec, 27-Dec

These dates are Saturdays and Sundays, please check with us if your wedding is a weekday. Sorry if your Saturday or Sunday isnt listed then we are already booked.

What equipment would a professional be using

I have been pondering this question for some time, particularly since I look at photographs in a totally different way to what the average person would. In an instant I can usually pick flaws in a photograph but I've noticed that people who don't have any photographic training wont pick up the flaws, they will generally just look at the composition and the colour within the image.

Smaller print sizes can hide significant flaws with photos that will not become apparent until you attempt to print that image at a larger size. Out of focus, lack of sharpness, backfocussing can easily be hidden at small sizes, blow it up and suddenly that nice photo you wanted on canvas in your living room has to be thrown out because it looks like crap.

I cant advise regarding other brand equipment but with Nikon I suggest you look for people who are using pro level equipment as their main camera. Its ok to have a lower level camera as a backup but probably shouldnt be relying on that as their main.

With Nikon its fairly easy to identify which cameras are pro level and which are consumer. To date all consumer slr's have a model which starts with a D and then two digits, ie D50, D80, D90.
All pro level cameras have model numbers with D and three digits or D with one digit (and possibly an X) ie, D200, D300, D3, D2X.
Another way to tell the difference is that pro level cameras have no program or auto modes, the photographer has to think for themselves. Consumer cameras will have a number of program modes such as sports, landscape and portrait.

Lenses are also very important. Generally most lenses under $1,000 are not very sharp, there are some exceptions though. Most professionals would be using lenses which have an apeture of F2.8 or less. These lenses are worth a lot of money however the results are significantly superior to the cheaper lens both in colour and sharpness.
Lenses are probably more important than the camera model, a good photographer will still get fantastic results on the consumer cameras using professional lenses.

So when interviewing photographers look for people using pro level camera bodies as well as pro level lenses, that enlargement you wanted just may depend on it.

Port Willunga and Adelaide

This weeks wedding was at Port Willunga and then back to the city for a casual reception. The whole day was a low key relaxed atmosphere which was a quite refreshing as I didnt feel under the same pressure that I normally would.
Even got the chance to get the 120-400mm lens out of the kit and sit off at a distance and take some really nice candid shots.
How lucky where we to get some rain during the week to almost fill up the Torrens lake again. Still not quite there but at least we (and all the visitors to the miriad of events on at the moment) dont have to look at the smelly mud anymore! Worked out well for the couple as well as we were able to take some photos with water in the background.

Big Weekend

This Saturday was a big one, up at 5:30 am to get to Glenelg by 7:00am and then backed up with another ceremony at One Tree Hill at 4:30pm. Naturally feeling very tired by the time I got home at around 7:30pm.
Felt sorry for the couple in the morning, the groom just managed to make it through the ceremony before taking ill. I know the Bride really wanted to have some nice photos of them after the ceremony but unfortunately we didnt get the chance.
The afternoon went pretty well, no hiccups, no dramas. We got some nice photos outside the Blacksmith Inn and the Institute at One Tree Hill.
Sunday after a big of a sleep in it was obviously hard to get going, but had photo printing to organise and then off to Nairne to meet a couple looking to book a photographer for their wedding next year. Really nice couple who hopefully will book us.
There's a lot more to being a wedding photographer than just showing up the day!!!

Historic Photos (Possibly)

This weeks wedding was at Adelaide Oval which as people would know is considered to be one of the most picturesque sporting grounds in the world.
I should have a couple of pictures to post soon. These particular pictures will be of note as this wedding was possibly the last ceremony held there prior to the demolition of the western side stands. So the couple potentially have some historic photos to remember their big day!

Wedding Provider Reviews

Over the coming months I will posting some reviews/views of wedding providers I have worked with over the past few years. Generally I will only be reviewing providers I have worked with on a number of occasions, this doesnt mean there arent many other good providers, I just dont believe its fair to comment on someone who I have met only once.

These will be only be my views and is provided for information/editorial purposes only. I can not be held liable for how the information is used.

With any wedding service you should speak to as many providers as you can before making a decision to hire.

Celebrant Review

When time permits we will be posting details and thoughts of other wedding providers I have had the pleasure of working with over a period of time.



First off the rank is Civil Marriage Celebrant Merrilyn Williams. I have worked with Merrilyn Williams a number of times over the past few years. She has been very professional in every way.



The two things that stand out for me with Merrilyn are



1) Her ceremonies involve a lot of personal touches for the couple such as talking about how they met, their first date and their plans for the future.



2) One of the few celebrants who generally conduct the ceremony from a photo friendly location rather than directly behind the couple.



As always I recognise that not every couple is going to click with every wedding professional, however Merrilyn is worth adding to your list of people to speak with, particularly if you would like to personalise your ceremony. Click on the posting title to go to Merrilyn's website.

One Of My Favourite Photos

There's been a lot of great wedding images over the past few years, however this one really stands out in my mind.

This image is totally unposed and probably something I couldnt 100% replicate if I tried! The couple were having their reception near the beach and really wanted to have some sunset shots. Rather than giving them any direction I decided to hang back at a distance and just let them do what they wanted to do.
I had two cameras with me, one with a wide angle lens and one with a telephoto. We managed to get a great series of images as they enjoyed some private time away from everyone else, watching the sun go down.
This particular image was taken with the wide angle lens, the reason it stands out to me is the beautiful colour cast created by the sunset, the light rays coming from the sun and that extra little touch of the seagull gliding nearby.
Other than a slight exposure adjustment and a slight increase in colour saturation there has been no further modification in photoshop etc.
What do you think??

Guest Photography and etiquette at weddings

So you've been invited to a wedding and cant wait to have a go at taking some photos for the couple. There are some things you should consider these are just a few

1. Check with the couple first whether you will be permitted to take photos. Some ceremony locations do not permit flash photography at certain times during a ceremony or at all. Some photographers will not permit photography at certain times.

2. Co-operate with the professional photographer at all times. It will be fairly obvious who they are. Try not to get in their way, the couple had probably paid good money for that person to be there and you may have ruined a fantastic shot by paying no attention and walking in front of the photographer.

3. Never ask the professional photographer to get out of the way! Obvious you say, believe me it does happen. I personally think this is disrespectful to the couple, they have paid money for the photographer to be there and usually the photographer is working quite hard and with a limited time frame to get the photos the couple would like.

4. Dont try and duplicate the photo the professional is trying to do. These days the couple is likely to be receiving the photos on disc, do the couple a favour and take different photos from the pro, this will give them a much more complete coverage of their day.

5. Be prompt to arrive when requested for a photo and prompt to leave when finished. Any time wasted is eating into the couples private time with the photographer. Even a few minutes can make a big difference if the couple are working to a tight schedule.

6. Pay attention to the photographer. This mainly applies to when family photos are being taken. Always listen to the photographers instructions and not "uncle joe" yelling out off to the side. If your not paying attention this increases the amount of times photographs have to be retaken and again eats into the couples private time.

7. Give the photographer room to work. This mainly happens again with family photos. Ideally it would nice for a photographer to at least have a couple of metres clearance on all sides, because they may need to change their position at anytime . It could be quite expensive for you if you happen to trip the photographer over with several thousand dollars worth of equipment in their hands, I'm sure the photographers insurance company would be quite quick to contact you for reimbursement. Also again it just slows the process down if the photographer is continually having to ask people to move.

Just a few thoughts to help the couples day run a lot smoother!Let me know your thoughts!

Dont get friends or family to photograph your wedding

Unfortunately camera companies with their marketing efforts have led many people to believe that purchasing one of their products will enable you to take photos just as well as a professional.Sorry people this is just not the case.No matter how sophisticated their camera might be you simply will not be able to match the efforts of an experienced person with professional SLR equipment.

The main reasons you should hire an independent person are
1) Your guest or family member should be able to enjoy the day with you not have to worry about taking photos.
2) If something goes wrong your relationship with that friend or family could become seriously strained.

There are a whole lot more things I could mention but most would be fairly technical and it would hard to appreciate without seeing a photo I've taken with my equipment next to the same photo taken by a guest.Photography doesnt have to break the bank, start your wedding plans as early as possible and look around. There are a number of very good and very affordable photographers around, you just need to look a little harder to find them.

Choosing A Wedding Photographer

Your wedding is a special day that you will remember for the rest of your life and you don’t want to leave it to just anyone to capture it for you.Here are a few items you should consider when selecting a photographer for your day.

•Registered business name with an ABN – Photographers with a registered business name and ABN are subject to associated business and taxation laws, which will offer you much more protection. If there does happen to be a dispute a registered business name will enable you to seek assistance from the Department of Consumer Affairs etc.

•The photographer will be with you most of the day, so one of the most important considerations is how well you think you can work with the person. If dealing with a studio, ask to meet the photographer who will be assigned to your wedding and ask to see a portfolio of that individuals work before signing any contracts.

•Look at as many photos as possible – Most photographers will show you the best of the best, so ask to see a whole wedding or a larger number of photos

•Ask about equipment – Questions about equipment may start to confuse you, however the most important items to note are that the person is using SLR equipment (brand is not relevant) and has backups of all items.

•How do they shoot – If the photographer is using digital there is no substitute for shooting in the RAW format. There is a lot happening on the day and no photographer will get the camera settings 100% right 100% of the time. Shooting in RAW format gives much more flexibility in repairing images which otherwise may have been lost to under or over exposure. While repairing of other formats is possible the corrections or enhancements may be too obvious.

•Make sure there is a clear contract which outlines rights, responsibilities (of all parties) and inclusions. Make sure it is very clear what is included in the quoted price and what’s not. Ask for a clear price list on the items which aren’t included.

•Find out where the photos are printed – Photos printed at professional labs are still far superior to any home based system. Also ask whether you will have the choice of what photos are printed, whether they are printed in Matte or Gloss, with or without borders etc. (Again make sure this is documented)

•If the photographer is attending the reception ask about their expectations. Weddings are expensive and photographers should consider it a privilege to be a part of your day. If you choose to provide a meal and drinks, I’m sure it will be appreciated, however you should not feel under any obligation to provide anything. Avoid people who insist they must be supplied.

•Discuss the style of photos you like with the photographer and whether they can provide them. Its quite common for wedding photos to have soft focus or similar effects applied to them, if you don’t like this ask that the photographer supply the images in the style you prefer. If they wont or cant, go somewhere else!

•Be wary of Photographers/Studios who are openly critical of their opposition. This is a negative approach to business and may be an indicator of how they will interact with you on the day.

•Ask how the photographer will deal with bad weather•Ask about copyright, reprint rights etc.

•Ask if they have current insurance

Safe Working Environment

The events from this past weekends wedding got me thinking about my own and my camera equipments safety. I'm sure that most couples dont actually realise that when they have booked me to photograph their wedding that we are effectively entering into a employer/employee arrangment.

Which effectively means the couple are my employer for the day, which leads me to the question does the couple have the obligation to provide me with a safe working environment as any mainstream employer have??

Many of the houses I visit abound with obstacles, tripping hazards. The environment is generally chaotic as people are preparing for the occasion.

On occasion I also experience instances where guests have got in the way and almost sent me flying with camera gear in hand, the occasional drunk person getting a bit overenthusiastic with the friendly slap on the back or hug and the occasional person who thinks it ok to start looking through and playing with your camera equipment while I'm busy doing something else.

This particular instance which got me thinking was a rather drunk and overfriendly bridesmaid. Firstly it started with some suggestions for photos, which is ok in itself but it just got out of hand from there. I think allowing her to make suggestions must have flicked a switch, it just went into take over mode from there.
For me however the most difficult thing was that her behaviour detoriated from there to exhibitionism and inappropriate. The behaviour worsened from there to this girl thinking it was ok to touch and attempt to use my camera equipment, the occasional slap on my backside and drunken hugs.
I'm sure some people are thinking what are you complaining about, but for one I'm happily married, this girl wasnt as attractive as she obviously thought and I'm sorry bad behaviour is a big turnoff for me.
Now I'm also sure some people are thinking I should have taken a bit more control and said something. I was in two minds here and unfortunately the thought that I didnt want to spoil the bride and groom big day won out. Although I think it must have been obvious I wasnt impressed as the rest of the bridal party started to step in and attempt to quell the behaviour.

On reflection of the days events it led me to the thought, did this couple have a legal obligation to ensure a safe environment for me?

I'm sure this couple and people in general dont realise that I could sue them for sexual harrasment or if I trip on something left on the floor when photographing the bride at her house the I or my insurance company would be looking to them to foot the bill.

From now on when first discussing the Wedding and contract with a couple I will be using what I learned here to enforce that behaviour of this nature wont be tolerated and can and will lead to termination of services. As far as I am concerned it is an absolute no-no to touch me or my equipment.

I would be very interested to hear from any other photographers who have experienced bad behaviour and how you handled it.