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Colour temperature is crucial, says Todd Antony
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Pentax 645Z 51-megapixel model sets its sights on Hasselblad, Phase One and Leica
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WELCOME Legendary names to inspire you and marketing and branding tips to help you succeed – just some of the highlights in this issue
DONAL DOHERTY
Meeting Mary Ellen Mark was, for me at least, a high point of the recent Sony Awards, and the lady herself was gracious and forthcoming – everything you would expect a legend to be. Don’t miss our interview with her in this issue and the chance to find out a little more about two of her best known shots. We’re also taking a look at the benefit that comes from knowing your wedding location inside out and the value of turning your business into a brand with a unique identity to sell to your prospective clients. Fashion photography student Nicole Gomes tells us why she continues to believe that the academic route into the business is worth investigating, while Will Cheung has got his hands on a pre-production sample of the latest Pentax 645Z CMOS camera, which offers ISO speeds previously only available to those using the latest generation of DSLRs. Talking of speed, we’re also looking at the latest Elinchrom monoblocs, and they really do have the potential to change the whole landscape of lighting. A great mix of stories I hope you agree, so read on and enjoy our latest issue!
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CONTENTS ISSUE 95
Regulars
006 INBOX
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020
We bring you news of all the top photographic stories, from the latest Tamron megazoom, through the story behind portraits of footballing World Cup legends, to dates for your diary.
014 PORTFOLIO: PAUL WAKEFIELD
Bucking the digital trend and leaving the studio, this photographer has produced a sumptuous book dedicated to his inspiration: landscape.
020 PROJECT: IDOLS
COVER 100 famous faces, and all from the north, like their photographer Rory Lewis, are on their way to raising £10,000 for UNICEF.
028 INTERVIEW: MARY ELLEN MARK
Pioneering documentary photographer, Mark Ellen Mark reflects on her career and sharing her take on the genre with the next generation, after receiving an Oustanding Contribution award from the World Photo Organisation.
Pro Academy
034 BE PREPARED
COVER It might be the boy scout’s motto, but it should also be the wedding photographer’s too. Scout’s honour – this is the advice you need to win upmarket wedding business.
040 LIGHTING MASTERCLASS
COVER Taking control of colour temperature means you can create the look and feel you want in your images. Award-winning photographer Todd Antony shows us how it’s done with three commercial shots.
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Business Matters
051 BUSINESS MATTERS
Working professionals share their experiences – for you to profit from.
054 MASTER MARKETING
COVER Join Donal Doherty on a fourstage tour de force to building a brand that reflects your principles.
060 STUDENT LIFE
COVER Learning the ropes at university has got one shooter off to a very successful start.
066 GET BUSINESS SAVVY
Be yourself – it’s that simple. Well, not quite, but it’s central to Brett Florens’s advice on developing your business.
073 HDSLR
Music makers have rights too. Don’t overlook copyright in your eagerness to add a soundtrack to your movies.
Gear
078 ELINCHROM PRO HD
Blazingly fast and adaptable, Elinchrom’s newest monoblocs are certainly opening up a whole new world.
086 PENTAX 645Z
COVER It’s the latest CMOS-based medium-format player to join the game, but does it have winning ways?
090 PORTRAIT PROFESSIONAL
Wedding and portrait shooters take note: version 12 has arrived.
092 BUYERS’ GUIDE
There’s bags of potential in this market, so before you sling all your kit into a new carrier, look at our pick of the best.
106 NEXT ISSUE
Light up your business with our expert technique advice and marketing tips.
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Inbox
EDITOR’S COMMENT Why should you get business over your rivals? As a magazine we’re a bit different to the hobbyist titles out there, because we’re as interested in the business of photography as we are in the technicalities. So alongside the images, the techniques and the tests, you’ll also find stories about selling, marketing and pricing. We’re as much a small business magazine as we are a title that’s concerned with cameras. In this issue, for example, you’ll find a feature from Donal Doherty that talks about the importance of being brand aware, another from Brett Florens that discusses marketing for your personality type and a business story from Zoë Richards that describes the need to have an irreplaceable U in your USP: namely yourself. The cold, hard fact of the matter is, there are a lot of photographic businesses out there right now, some of whom don’t have the overheads or the financial needs you might have, who can afford to undercut you – into the ground. If it ever comes down to you only being able to generate business on the back of how little you can charge for your services then you will be in an impossible position and you’ll need to look for another job: that’s how crucial it is to have something to sell that others can’t match and why we’re always beating the drum about the need to be original. This doesn’t, of course, mean that you can’t learn, or even borrow from, the approach of others, and often a style that suits will have elements of lots of different ideas and approaches in the mix. However you still need to have something of yourself in there that makes the look your own, and ensures that the customer can only find what they’re looking for at your particular studio. At times you have to be brave, because the temptation is to try to appeal to everyone. If you’re truly original there will be some who don’t ’get’ what you do, but hopefully there will be many others who will beat a path to your door.
Terry Hope, Editor 006 PHOTO PROFESSIONAL ISSUE 95
BUILT FOR SPEED
Nikon has announced a new fast prime lens, the lightweight AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR. Aimed at professional sports and news photographers, this FX-format super-telephoto boasts a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture, a completely new optical design and Nikon’s new SPORT Vibration Reduction (VR) mode. The new optic costs £10,399. Launching alongside the lens is the highperformance AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III. Designed to increase the focal length of select NIKKOR lenses by 40 per cent, this teleconverter is seen as ideal for sports, press and wildlife photographers who want to extend their reach. An advanced optical formula is said to deliver superior, highresolution images even at maximum aperture, while an electromagnetic aperture maximises exposure accuracy with compatible lenses. www.nikon.co.uk
Dell unveils UltraSharp Multimedia Monitors
A new line-up of three new Dell UltraSharp Multimedia Monitors, the 21.5in UZ2215H, the 23in UZ2315H and the 27in UZ2715H, have been designed to deliver a complete multimedia experience and include Full HD screen resolution, customised views and an integrated two-megapixel Full HD webcam. Plus they’re also optimised for Microsoft Lync. With 1920x1080 Full HD resolution and an ultra-wide 178°/178° viewing angle, the monitors allow images and colours to stay consistent, aiding collaboration regardless of the viewing position. With the same precision afforded to the video quality, users of all the Dell UltraSharp UZ monitors can customise their view by tilting the monitors 5° forward or 21° backward for greater comfort without compromising picture clarity. The 23in monitor provides further flexibility and allows the user to swivel, pivot and tilt to arrive at the preferred viewing angle and also to adjust the height. The monitors also offer a wide range of digital ports. Connection to smartphones, PCs, laptops and tablets is made easy with the inclusion of HDMI/MHL, VGA, Displayport and USB 3.0 connectivity ports, enabling users to sync to multiple devices or to view content on a larger screen. Prices for the UZ2215H, UZ2315H and UZ2715H are £179, £219 and £289 respectively. The monitors all come with the Premium Panel Guarantee, offering a free panel exchange should a bright pixel be found during the warranty period. www.dell.co.uk
New USB solution from LockPort LockPort has unveiled its new 800 DUAL HDMI/ USB 3.0 product, priced at €139, which is designed to help Nikon D800/800E owners preserve their camera’s micro HDMI and micro USB 3.0 camera ports. The device features a rock solid universal clamp that locks on to the camera to provide a smart micro to full-size HDMI and a micro to full-size USB 3.0 adaptor. The LockPort 800 plate is designed to fit every currently available head, baseplate, sliding plate and support. Units are also available for Nikon D600/D610, Canon EOS 5D Mark II/III, 6D and Blackmagic Pocket cameras. www.pstechnik.de
Inbox
Nat Geo bags
News in brief...
If you prefer your camera bag to have a less obvious camera bag look, check out the new models in the Africa range from Manfrotto and National Geographic. There are six options, from stylish day trip bags to small and medium backpacks. All the bags are made from washed canvas and leather, and they are designed to offer a high degree of protection while still enabling quick access to the contents. Prices start from £79.95. www.geographicbags.co.uk
New online destination for Calumet Calumet Photographic has a new URL, www.calphoto.co.uk. To celebrate the launch, Calumet branded products are 30 per cent off with free delivery, when you use the code CALPHOTO. The new website continues to offer features such as the facility to purchase a wide range of photographic products and next-day delivery.
CARLOS CLARKE PICTURES ACQUIRED
More than 100 photographs by Bob Carlos Clarke, including iconic images of Keith Richards, Marco Pierre White and Rachel Weisz, have been acquired by the National Media Museum (NMM) for the National Photography Collection. “Bob Carlos Clarke is undoubtedly a significant figure in British photography,” says Greg Hobson, curator of photographs at the NMM, “representing many of the things that were both most interesting, but also most challenging in the rapidly evolving photographic landscape of the 1980s and 1990s. He was a versatile and imaginative photographer, and there is a consistent level of quality in all his work, in particular in the photographs that he meticulously printed himself.” The acquisition includes not just several of Carlos Clarke’s most recognised photographs, but also lesser known examples, including a 1971 shot of Mick Jagger performing and several images from ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ series (1994), as well as advertising shots for Wallis and Smirnoff and prints of his intriguing still-life work.
Not Just accessories…
Just Ltd has announced a new rain cover from Matin. A black version is already available at £40, but the latest one is a camouflage variant, priced at £50. The cover has two sleeves for easy access and a transparent window to allow viewing of the monitor. The cover can accommodate lenses up to 48cm in length so it will suit wildlife photographers, but the extension can be tucked away when using shorter lenses. There is also a new ‘pap’ strap called the Fast-Access 5. This strap lets you carry the camera across the body and bring it up to your eye really quickly. It’s suitable for CSCs and normal DSLRs but not professional, deep-bodied DSLRs. www.cameraclean.co.uk
Have a heart The British Heart Foundation (BHF) would love to have any old camera kit that you no longer need. Photographic gear is being sold to raise funds for the BHF’s fight against heart disease. So ransack your cupboards and pop into your local store with your donations or call them to arrange free collection. For your nearest store go to bhf.org.uk/ shops or call 0800 915 3000. Firmware updates Firmware upgrades are available for the Nikon D800/D800E, Olympus OM-D E-P5 and Stylus 1. www.nikon.co.uk www.olympus.co.uk Elgato Thunderbolt Dock This accessory is perfect for MacBook photographers on the move. With two integral Thunderbolt ports, one HDMI, one Ethernet and three USB 3.0 ports plus microphone input and audio output in one unit, it means you can plug in all your devices without lots of extra accessories. This Dock is available exclusively from Apple’s online or retail stores and costs £180. www.elgato.com Sensor cleaning Dirty sensors are part and parcel of digital capture, but if you are wary of cleaning it yourself, take your camera to one of Jessops’s 28 stores for a professional clean. Prices start from £30 for a two-day turnaround. If you want to buy your own cleaning kit, Jessops can help. Its range includes Lenspen lens, sensor and tablet cleaning accessories. www.jessops.com/sensorclean Pentax price reductions Pentax has announced a number of price reductions. Of chief interest to the professional is the 645D mediumformat camera for an RRP of just £4249.99 (body only), while the K-3 DSLR, which offers 24-megapixel high-resolution image reproduction, a 27-point AF system and high-speed continuous shooting at approximately 8.3 frames-per-second, now costs £949.99 (body only). www.ricoh-imaging.eu
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PORTFOLIO | PAUL WAKEFIELD
A SUMPTUOUS NEW HARDBACK BOOK FROM LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER PAUL WAKEFIELD CELEBRATES HIS LOVE FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND HIM, AND IT PROVES THE POINT THAT EVEN IN THIS DIGITAL AGE THERE’S STILL VERY MUCH A PLACE FOR FILM CAMERAS AND THE PRINTED PAGE
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erusing the latest large-format book from Paul Wakefield, simply titled The Landscape, is akin to handling an original piece of artwork. The quality of reproduction is out of this world and the level of detail contained in each of the 77 plates is phenomenal. It’s a testament to the rising standard of traditional offset litho printing that this level of finish is possible. The copy price of £48.50 for this initial print run of just 850 books is also mildly eyebrow-raising, since art books this well produced were once renowned for carrying a hefty premium. What is particularly interesting is the fact that the images to be found inside were produced using a traditional largeformat camera and sheet film, so satisfyingly this particular package relies in fairly equal measure on ancient and modern technologies. It’s a sign of how astute operators can mix and blend what they need from whatever quarter they choose to create a hybrid product that perfectly reflects their philosophy and their message. The book is clearly a labour of love for Paul and it’s a reflection of his obsession with the natural world around him, and a testament to his affinity for the extraordinary vistas and details that can be found in every corner of this beautiful planet. The relationship dates back to Paul’s earliest days when he was growing up in Hong Kong and spending most weekends with his family either walking in the New Territories or visiting various beaches. “It was idyllic,” he says. “So I was very interested in nature from an early age, and had a couple of spectacular failures using the cameras that my father always had around him, not getting on film what I was sure I saw through the lens. But I became fascinated with looking at photographs, particularly in National Geographic and Life magazines, and after realising that a life in scientific research was not for me, I made an about-turn and enrolled in art college to study photography.”
Getting sidetracked
Rather than move smoothly into landscape photography straight out of college Paul instead found himself being diverted into a studio-based surreal form of photography that was delivered to publishers, design groups and record companies. A few years later, however, the landscape bug did start to seriously bite, and much of his spare time in the 1980s was spent out and about shooting pictures for a series of four books that were published by Aurum Press, while the commercial work carried on alongside. Eventually Paul decided that he no longer wanted to take on the studio shoots, and he decided to pay a call on influential art director Alan Waldie to seek advice on how to change direction. “I took along my portfolio, which was mostly published studio work, to show him,” he recalls, “but I also took with me a selection of 5x4in landscapes. He went rapidly through the published work with barely any interest, but stopped and looked very closely at the landscapes. His advice was to throw out all the proofs, get an agent and only show the landscapes, and to back up his argument he showed me proofs of ads I could be doing. “I did quite a lot of work with Alan, and learned a huge amount from him. The approach he recommended ultimately led me to work for international ad agencies on accounts such as Audi, BMW, VW, Peugeot, Lexus, Absolut Vodka, Glenfiddich and Aigle. I learn something new on almost every advertising job, and I’ve been very 016 PHOTO PROFESSIONAL ISSUE 95
TOP LEFT Mountains of Mourne, County Down, Ireland, September 1999. LEFT Isle of Rhum from Isle of Eigg, Scotland, October 2009.
PAUL WAKEFIELD | PORTFOLIO
ABOVE Lyn Ogwen, Gwynedd, Wales, January 1989. PREVIOUS PAGE Loch Scavaig, Isle of Skye, Highlands, May 2006.
I started using a 5x4in camera in college, and my Ebony is still my primary choice, especially for landscape fortunate to work on some great campaigns for some very creative agencies.” While commercial landscape-orientated work became the new thrust of Paul’s business, the personal work took a bit of a back seat since the demands of the book series had taken away some of the motivation. Instead Paul started shooting documentary images in India, and soon fell in love with the country, returning annually for 14 years. After a two-year gap from personal landscapes it was inevitable he’d return to his first love, and ultimately he started shooting again, working with his favoured large-format kit.
“I started using a 5x4in camera in college, and my Ebony is still my primary choice, especially for landscape,” he says. “I also use a 6x17cm panoramic camera, but only when the landscape I’m looking at demands that format, so very sparingly. I also use a Fuji 6x9cm and a Leica M6 for documentary work, particularly for a long-term project that I was working on in India. A lot of the film stock I’ve used over the years has been colour negative: I used Fuji Velvia for a while until I found that it was too saturated for my liking, and with the 5x4in I now exclusively use Fuji PRO 160NS. It’s a more delicate, subtle emulsion ISSUE 95 PHOTO PROFESSIONAL 017
PROJECT
N
PRIDE
Rory Lewis is hard at work on a set of one hundred portraits that will celebrate the achievements of a selection of actors, sports personalities and politicians all immensely proud of their strong northern connections WORDS TERRY HOPE IMAGES RORY LEWIS
he essence of a great project is that it gathers a life and direction of its own, with a structure that dictates the content and gives the photographer a framework around which to build a set of pictures that sit together to tell a complete story. For Rory Lewis the spark that set everything in motion was the need for a strong project that would help him to further his career, which prompted a desire to celebrate the vast body of talented individuals from all walks of life who have strong connections with the north of England. Everything else just followed and fell into place, and the momentum ultimately became unstoppable until the target list of those to be featured had climbed to the extraordinary level of a round hundred.
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So many photographers over time have discovered that the key to working in the area where their true interest lies is to present work of that kind in their portfolio, to demonstrate their skill and to attract clients with requirements in that area. Rory’s goal as a photographer was to produce thought-provoking portraiture of famous actors, successful models and prominent celebrities, while the reality was, as so many hard-working photographers offering a general service tend to discover, that the work coming through the door could cover everything from shooting cans of tuna, through to industrial fridge-freezers and aspiring models and actors. “As I turned 31 I felt that the clock was ticking, and I experienced the urge to push
harder and harder to get to where I wanted to be,” he says. “If I was to achieve my goal I needed to produce a body of work that was unequivocally what I wanted to do, and this would help me to attract the attention of magazine editors and photography agents. “I decided that the best way to proceed with this would be to set myself a project, and being someone who was born and bred in the north of the country, the idea of celebrating others who had their roots in this part of the world came to me. It wasn’t something I had seen done before and there are so many prominent people who fall into this category that I knew I wouldn’t struggle to identify subjects I could approach. It would be a chance for me to make my mark and to put my style of portraiture on the map.”
PROJECT
A DV E RT I S E M E N T F E AT U R E
TALK OF THE TOWN
Hasselblad has announced that its acclaimed ShootLDN event will be back in October, and one of those taking part again will be Karl Taylor, who is promising a rather special live photo shoot f you were one of the many who attended the first ever Hasselblad ShootLDN event last year, or you missed out and subsequently read about all the many exciting and inspiring things that happened over these heady two days, then the chances are that you already have 22 and 23 October firmly circled in your diary. And with even more space to fill this time around, still within the Old Truman Brewery complex just off London’s Brick Lane area, there’s going to be masses to see, experience and learn from. Best of all, just like last year it’s all completely free and open to everyone. All you need to do is to register in advance to book your ticket. One of those who was a huge hit last year was photographer and trainer Karl Taylor. Ever the showman he’s made a habit of putting his neck on the line and taking on seemingly impossible shoots in front of a live audience. Visitors to the Focus on Imaging show last year were treated to him setting up a high-speed shoot where liquid-filled glasses were captured at the precise instant they were shattered: exactly the kind of shot that most photographers would prefer to work on behind closed doors
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IMAGES For live demonstrations, like Karl Taylor’s high-speed photography shoots, the chance to talk to and learn from aficionados, register for ShootLDN 2014.
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in fact. So many things could go wrong, but Karl trusted in his skill and the quality of his preparation and he pulled it off, being willed on by the lively crowd behind him. At ShootLDN last year Karl was one of the stars of the show, taking on live shoots in front of a packed crowd and delivering a sell-out presentation that told the story of his epic fashion shoot in the beautiful and primitive landscapes of Iceland. Karl enjoyed himself so much that he promised to return this year and, true to his word, he will indeed be back and this time there will be even more of the wow factor on display. “I enjoy pushing myself to the limit and doing things that no one else would attempt in front of a live audience,” he says. “It was great fun at Focus and I had done plenty of tests with the triggers I was using and was as sure as I could be on that occasion that everything would work out. However, even if you are fully prepared and you’ve done your homework, with a complicated shot there is always that element of the unknown and the chance that something just might not work out exactly as you anticipated, and it could be that you don’t get the shot you were after. I was prepared to take that risk, however,
because I knew the crowd would be behind me and willing me on, and the cheers that went up when we achieved a high-speed shot that was spot on were doubly gratifying.” A treat for ShootLDN With his reputation for doing something outrageous and special now firmly established Karl has put the word out that he’s going to attempt perhaps his most ambitious live shoot to date at ShootLDN. Details are still under wraps right now since there is still a lot of preparation to go through and clearly audience safety is of prime importance, but if Karl can pull together everything and carry it off in the style he’s envisaging, then it’s going to be very special indeed. “People come to events such as ShootLDN to handle the latest gear, to talk to experts and to learn a little more about the world of professional photography,” says Karl. “Many people, particularly those just starting out, might not have had the chance to be in a live studio before, and there’s a special thrill and tension in the air when you’re working on an ambitious shot that is going to be difficult to pull off. You see it all coming together and you’re aware that there are a
INAN AKSOY
ABOVE Photographer and trainer Karl Taylor demonstrates high-speed shooting live.
lot of things that have to go right for it all to work as planned, and finally the big moment arrives, the shutter is pressed and a second later you see the shot on the screen. It’s pure theatre and I love working in this way.” The shoot will involve high-speed photography again, with broncolor’s cuttingedge Scoro packs providing the powerful burst of flash, and Karl will naturally be shooting with his trusty Hasselblad. At the Focus show the wine glass action shoot was confined within an aquarium to avoid flying glass and coloured water, but for ShootLDN Karl is thinking big, and if it all comes off as planned, the audience will be closer to the action than has ever been possible before.
“I’ll test out the ideas I have in mind over the summer,” says Karl, “and will be making sure that my triggers are capable of doing the job I want them to do. If the preparation is good enough then things will all work as they should do in a live situation. All being well I’ll be doing my demonstrations twice a day on the main stage at ShootLDN, so there will be a lot more to see than there was last year. Like last time I’ll also be running a mini portfolio studio and shooting some beauty pictures when I’m not on stage and I’m really looking forward to being fully involved in the whole event.” New partners and names are being confirmed for ShootLDN all the time, and with a larger floor space this year there will be even more going on. Photo Professional is a media partner for the event and we’ll be looking forward to welcoming you to our stand, and the likes of broncolor, EIZO, Epson, Adobe, Wacom, Metro Imaging, Linhof and Datacolor are also scheduled to be attending. Each day there will be a full programme of talks, all free of charge, of course, and there will be plenty to see and do for anyone at any level of the business. We’ll be running regular updates between now and October to keep you fully up to speed as more details are confirmed, so make sure to keep those dates free!
People come to ShootLDN to handle the latest gear, to talk to experts and to learn
MORE INFORMATION www.handsonahasselblad.com/shootldn
2014 Hasselblad’s hugely successful ShootLDN event returns this October, and such was the popularity of the inaugural 2013 event that it has moved to larger premises, although it’s still within the Old Truman Brewery complex next to the media hotbed of Brick Lane in east London. The dates have been confirmed as Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October, and the event will consist of the usual mix of seminars, displays and hands-on opportunities. Photo Professional is the event’s official media partner once again, and as more partners are confirmed over the coming months we’ll be providing full updates.
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INTERVIEW
THE FULL PICTURE MARY ELLEN MARK WAS HONOURED FOR HER OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE RECENT SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, AND IT WAS A CHANCE FOR HER TO REFLECT ON HER PIONEERING DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY WORDS TERRY HOPE PICTURES MARY ELLEN MARK
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he word ‘iconic’ tends to be banded around all too freely these days, but when you pull out the landmark pictures from the career of Mary Ellen Mark – and there are many of them – somehow it’s the only description that seems to fit. Even if you’re not familiar with the name of the photographer, you’ll certainly know the images, and these will be ones that have seared themselves into your memory and made a deep and lasting impression. The photographer has the rare gift of being able to truly capture the essence of a person and their situation, and it’s her unerring eye for the moment and sheer dedication to putting in the hours that enables her to really get under the skin of her subjects. Small wonder then that this great American photojournalist has just been honoured by the Sony World Photography Awards for her outstanding contribution to her craft. Emerging from the University of Pennsylvania in 1962 with a degree in painting and art history, Mary Ellen then went on to achieve a Master’s degree in photojournalism two years later. Right from the start, she found herself drawn to photographing people. “The first time 028 PHOTO PROFESSIONAL ISSUE 95
I took a camera with me out on to the street was the day that I knew I wanted to become a photographer,” she says. As her career developed throughout the 1960s she found herself irresistibly drawn towards the disadvantaged and those on the troubled fringes of society, and her empathy with her subjects and her non-judgemental approach helped her to explore stories that were too challenging for many of her peers. “The fact that I was a woman was also to my advantage I think,” she says. “I think it’s tough generally for women in the world of photography, which is why I’ve always been keen to mentor others in this business, but when you’re tackling documentary projects a woman tends to come across as less threatening. I can knock on doors and have more chance of getting in.” What differentiates Mark from so many other documentary photographers is her determination to tell the full story of her subjects and, if necessary, return to people’s lives over and over again in order to catch up with their progress. One particular subject, a 13-year old drugaddicted child prostitute nicknamed Tiny, was first encountered by Mary Ellen while she was on
INTERVIEW
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PRO ACADEMY
CONTROL YOUR COLOUR
If, like Todd Antony, you have a good understanding of colour temperature and how to bend it to your will, then the scope is there to finely control the look of your pictures and to create the feel you want
LIGHTING MASTERCLASS
WORDS CHRISTIAN HOUGH IMAGES TODD ANTONY
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BUSINESS MATTERS
MASTER MARKETING
BUILDING A BRAND
FOR YOUR
BUSINESS This issue’s Marketing masterclass focuses on brand building, and in the first of a four-part series Donal shares his experiences and helps you make sure your brand reflects your principles and philosophy WORDS & PICTURES DONAL DOHERTY
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BUSINESS MATTERS
PLAY TO YOUR G E T B U S I N E S S S AV V Y
STRENGTHS Brett Florens continues his business series with a look at identifying and categorising your own character type, so that you can use your individuality to your advantage and attract the right type of client for your business WORDS & PICTURES BRETT FLORENS
o many of us spend hours online investigating, researching or possibly even stalking our opposition. This practice often results in deflated egos and inevitably negative sentiment. We either look at images that are of such high standard that we believe we will never achieve such greatness ourselves, or we see photographers who seem to be very busy and successful, producing images that we wouldn’t even post because they look so inferior or amateurish. ‘How are these photographers charging what they charge and getting away with it?’ we may ask ourselves, or ‘I’ve met that guy before and he’s so arrogant, I can’t believe that he gets the clients he does!’ To understand what attracts clients to particular photographers or brands I’ve been drawn to studying the decision-making process. More than that, however, I’ve delved into which brands are fascinating or attractive to certain types of consumers, and this research moves more into the realm of the human psyche. Hopefully I’ll be able to shed some light on this side of things, as well as encourage you to
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become a little more introspective regarding where you’re positioning your brand. When we started off working as professional photographers we generally all looked to successful leaders in the industry, and tried to emulate their formula for success. This may work to a certain degree, but the fact is that what works for one person does not necessarily work for others. I believe one of the strongest keys to success is an understanding of the seven triggers of fascination, namely Power, Prestige, Passion, Trust, Mystique, Rebellion and Alert. Created by world-leading brand expert Sally Hogshead, the ‘fascinate system’ measures how people perceive your communication and helps you to understand what makes you valuable to others. Ultimately you can use this system to ensure the world sees you at your best. Triggers of fascination Power: Generally those who have Power triggers tend to be natural leaders who are determined to go for certain goals. These selfassured individuals earn the respect of either
their co-workers, customers, peers or their competition. They’re confident and don’t have much time for self-doubt. They will generally become influential people over time, figures that others will look to follow and imitate. Their strong beliefs make them opinionated, ensuring they can decide on a quick course of action when necessary. While Mystique would be carefully examining data, Rebellion creating newfangled methods and Passion deeply concentrating on relating to others, Power would probably have paved the path that he’s skipping down merrily, with a band of followers hot on his heels. Prestige: These individuals intuitively search for continual self-improvement, bigger and better goals and concrete evidence of their success. They are highly ambitious, investing boundless energy into reaching greater heights, and they expect others to be doing the same. They have a clear, focused vision and their dogged determination makes them very good leaders. Super-perfectionists, not only in the work they produce but in how they present themselves to the world, they notice
ISSUE 95 PHOTO PROFESSIONAL 067
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MUSIC COPYRIGHT
Face the music Many video productions will benefit from the addition of music, but you must be sure where you stand on copyright otherwise you could be risking a lawsuit and an embarrassing conversation with your client WORDS TERRY HOPE
s professional photographers most of us are aware, or at least should be aware, of the full implications of copyright and the protection it gives to our images. Although copyright can be flouted, either deliberately or through ignorance, there is protection in place and some chance of redress in many cases, and few would suggest that the intellectual property of the person who created the work, ie. you as the photographer, should not be safeguarded in this way. However, many photographers who then decide to make the move into video production appear to be unsure of the rules of copyright as they apply to composers and performers. Not surprisingly these are very similar to the ones that apply to images, in that the creator of the piece has the right not to have their work stolen. This applies as much to the amateur musician as to the fully fledged rock star, and it means that no one has the right to use their material in a commercial way without consent being granted and, in all probability, a fee being negotiated and paid. A new landscape has appeared and it requires a fresh mindset in order to be able to negotiate it. Once it might have been possible to produce a film for a couple getting married, for example, that you knew for a fact would only ever be viewed in the privacy of their own home or shown to friends and family. Nowadays, however, it’s almost certain that this will be shared online in some form. Once that happens you’re broadcasting material, and if there happens to be some copyrighted track attached then you could be liable to a bill for its use or, at the very least, a stern request to take the film down. Not the best way to endear yourself to the couple you’ve been working for! Of course you could add a clause into your contract with the client that states that the material is not to be broadcast in any form, and that if it is then you, as the author of the work, are not liable. Whether this would
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stand up in court is a matter of debate, but at the very least you would need to explain very carefully to your client what constitutes a broadcast, and many people would be unhappy should they not have the right to share their memories with others online. Is it possible to purchase a copyright use for a well-known piece of music? In theory it should be, but it’s a very complex procedure, is likely to be expensive and is somewhat over the top for a small video production. By law, in order to use a song in a film or video you need two types of licence: a master use licence (controlled by the record label) and a synchronisation licence (controlled by the publisher). The former is for the rights to the song from the originator. The latter is for the rights of the specific version of the song you want to use. In some cases, the label and the publisher may be the same entity. But in many cases they are not. For example, if you wanted to make use of the 2010 Helping Haiti charity remake of R.E.M.’s classic ‘Everybody Hurts’ you would need to get a master use licence from Warner Bros’ music label and then a synchronisation licence from Simon Cowell’s company, which produced the remake. It’s the same even if you want to use a piece of music that is older
You should be respecting the intellectual property of fellow creatives; if you’re prepared to steal, you can hardly complain should someone else decide to abscond with your precious images 074 PHOTO PROFESSIONAL ISSUE 95
HDSLR The videographer licenses the right to use those tracks as often as they like so if they buy a collection of CDs they are effectively building a library of music they can use in the future else come along at some point and decide to abscond with your precious images.
than 70 years and so out of copyright. A hymn such as ‘Amazing Grace’, for example, is in the public domain, but you would still need to obtain a synchronisation licence from whoever had produced the version you wanted to use. The only way round this would be to record the hymn yourself, which is an option if you know a performer and a recording studio willing to play ball and to sign away their rights to the recording too. While the fact is that, up to now, many of the major music publishers have been quite lax about chasing up copyright abuse cases, meaning that there are many examples of pirated tracks accompanying videos to be found on the Internet, you can’t rely on that situation continuing and, of course, as a professional, you should never be taking chances and just hoping that things will work out. There’s also the point that you should be respecting the intellectual property of fellow creatives: if you’re prepared to steal something that belongs to someone else then you can hardly complain should someone
Avoiding problems The simple way to sidestep all the problems you might encounter on the copyright front is to purchase a CD of royalty free music, an option that can be surprisingly cost-effective. A company such as AKM Music, one of the largest providers of this service in the country, has a library of soundtracks that can be previewed online, and a piece of music can be purchased for a modest price. “Some of our main customers are videographers,” explains AKM director Anthony Kimber, “and those who have been in this business for some time are very up to speed on the implications of copyright and know what to do to stay inside the law. However many photographers who are moving into the area of video for the first time misunderstand what they are allowed to do and inadvertently open themselves up for trouble, and it’s important to make sure that you are on top of everything. “We attended the BVE Show at the Excel Centre earlier this year and it was interesting to see how many still photographers who were looking at opportunities in video were coming up to talk to us. It’s clear this is a growing trend and music is a key part of the package.”
AKM Music commissions new and original material from a team of 30 composers who are spread all over the world, and then records the tracks and sells them as compilation CDs or downloads under the heading of generic titles such as Cinematic Romance or Extreme Sport. A compilation costs £36 and each production is around 50 minutes long, containing an average of 25 tracks. Being particularly designed to accompany film footage, different versions of each track are included, along with an underscore (the theme without the main melody line) and a five second ‘sting’ that reflects the track and can be used almost like an audio bullet point. Single tracks without the underscore and the sting can also be purchased for £10.96 each. “The videographer licenses the right to use those tracks as often as they like,” says Anthony, “so if they buy a collection of CDs they are effectively building a library of music that they can use way into the future. However, the licence is only granted to that individual and so the CD can’t be sold on, loaned or given away. The licence is for the individual, and for them alone.” Obviously you’re not buying the exclusive use of the track and so there is a small chance that someone else could buy the same piece of music and use it on a rival production, but for most videographers this isn’t a major problem and the licensing route is the way to go. “You could also commission original music from us,” says Anthony, “and this would guarantee exclusivity, but clearly this would cost more and then there is also the additional cost of recording this. It all adds up to a lot of money and for most people it’s simply not necessary.” Another company to offer royalty free music is Shutterstock, which has just added music clips to its photo, illustration and video footage repertoire. “As technology makes it easier to stream rich media, our video footage licensing business has been growing rapidly,” said Shutterstock’s founder and CEO Jon Oringer. “With that comes a growing need for sound, and we felt we could offer high-quality music with simpler pricing than what is currently available.” Shutterstock partnered with Rumblefish, which has a track record of expertise in music micro licensing, to offer more than 60,000 tracks for licence at launch. The company will expand the collection to include songs and sound effects from independent artists, music labels and music publishers. Take a listen to some of the royalty free music from AKM Music, Shutterstock and many of the other companies that are out there and you might be pleasantly surprised at how good it is. Most of the time you can listen before you buy and it avoids all kinds of pitfalls to help you provide an entirely professional service. Make sure that you stay on the right side of the law and be as careful with other people’s copyright as you would be with your own. MORE INFORMATION www.akmmusic.co.uk www.shutterstock.com
ISSUE 95 PHOTO PROFESSIONAL 075
What sets the new Elinchroms apart from their rivals is their blazingly fast flash duration 078 PHOTO PROFESSIONAL ISSUE 95
ON TEST:
Elinchrom Pro HD 500 & 1000 flash heads The latest generation of monobloc heads from Elinchrom promise much in the way of exciting new features, but do they justify the buzz they’ve created? We asked Adam Duckworth to take a closer look WORDS & PICTURES ADAM DUCKWORTH
ELC PRO HD 500, 1000 SPECIFICATIONS CONTACT www.elinchrom.com PRICE £714, £924 FLASH FUNCTIONS Normal, delayed, sequence and stroboscopic TRIGGERING Built-in Skyport, optical slave, 3.5mm sync socket UMBRELLA ATTACHMENTS 7mm and 8mm ACCESSORY FITMENT Elinchrom MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT 500W/s, 1000W/s RECYCLING TIME 2-0.6secs, 4-1.2secs FLASH DURATION TO.5 Full power 1/2330secs, 1/1430 seconds; fastest 1/5000secs, 1/5260secs COLOUR TEMPERATURE 5500K MODELLING LIGHT 300W halogen POWER CONTROL 7 stops in 1/10 stop increments, 8 stops in 1/10 stop increments POWER RANGE 7-500W/s, 7-1000W/s WEIGHT 2.35kg, 2.9kg
t’s not very often that a product comes along to shake up the world of studio photography – especially where monobloc flash heads are concerned. In fact, there’s hardly been a revolution since the idea of putting the power unit and the flash tube in one unit was first thought of. Just turn them on, set the power output and that’s been about it. But now Elinchrom has launched its new range of Pro HD monobloc heads, in 500 and 1000W/s versions, that not only have a faster flash duration than any rivals but recycle quicker, and can be used for multi-flash strobe effects or sequence shots at the push of a button too. Simply put, Elinchrom has taken some of the features only usually found on some of the most expensive pack-based systems and has squeezed them into a more compact and affordable monobloc head. And for certain
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photographers they can open up a whole world of images that you couldn’t get before. The Pro HD heads sit slightly above Elinchrom’s range of RX heads, which are available in 300, 500 and 1200W/s. The 500 Pro HD head is £714 while the RX 600 is currently around £550. But if you factor in the fact that new HD heads have built-in Skyport receivers, when it would cost an additional £75 for the plug-in Skyport remote for the RX unit, then the price difference is just £89. The PRO HDs also come with a protective glass dome over the flash tube, which is an optional £63 extra on the RX units. So it’s actually just £26 more in total. And for that, you get a whole lot more functionality despite the 100W/s reduction that, in reality, is only a fifth of a stop. For the largest head, the RX 1200 is currently £846 including the plug-in Skyport and protective dome while the 1000 Pro HD is £924. Again it’s a fifth of a stop less power but it is significantly smaller and 0.55kg lighter than the mammoth 1200 head. Compared to the RX units, the new Pro HD heads are more sturdy with a less flimsy outer case so should prove to be reliable studio kit. And if you really do need more than 1000W/s, then the more expensive and bulky pack-based systems are really what you need. For most photographers most of the time, 500W/s is ideal and 1000W/s is ample. The heads in action What sets the new Elinchroms apart from their rivals is their blazingly fast flash duration. Many photographers think flash is virtually instantaneous – incredibly short in duration and ideal for stopping action. That may be true of certain expensive studio pack-style lights, or even hotshoe-style flashes at very low power settings. But often, budget-level studio monobloc flashes have surprisingly slow flash durations. So on a fashion shoot with a moving model, where there could be splashing liquids or even hair being blown by a wind machine, it’s very difficult, if not downright impossible, to keep everything as sharp as you would like. In fact, some very cheap Far Eastern import flashes have a flash duration of around 1/180sec. At those speeds, even shots of a LEFT The new Elinchrom Pro HDs really come into their own if you’re setting up a studio-based fashion shoot. The units are the fastest monoblocs in town, and are the perfect tool to use if you’re planning to freeze movement.
ISSUE 95 PHOTO PROFESSIONAL 079