KEVIN MULLINS GERRY COE TONY BENNETT JO BLACKWELL
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine www.photoguild.co.uk
1
The Guild of Photographers First of all, it was announced that Guild Panel Member, Kate Hopewell-Smith has been chosen by Nikon to be one of only seven Ambassador’s in the UK. Kate followed her passion for photography after a career in marketing and now specialises in lifestyle photography, reflecting her love of capturing images of people. We are delighted she’s had this recognition - It’s a remarkable acknowledgement for a remarkable (and very likeable) lady, who is regularly ‘paying it forward’, helping others with their photographic journey.
steve & lesley thirsk
W
2
Steve Thirsk
e were also delighted to welcome Karl Bratby on to the Guild’s Panel. Karl is a highly acclaimed professional photographer from Nottingham. Globally renowned as a master of light, his imagery has adorned many titles and publications and he is the winner of many national and international awards. Karl has a Fellowship with the BIPP, is no less than a three-times Photographer of the Year with them, and is an approved Assessor and Mentor. His style is quirky and creative and it is his belief that beautiful pictures can only be achieved by allowing emotion to shine through. He has strong beliefs in maintaining incredibly high artistic standards in the photographic industry and is keen to help people achieve that so feel he will make a valuable contribution to the Guild! On top of the above we are proud to announce that three members of the Guild have obtained the distinction of becoming recognised as a ‘Craftsman’, which is very difficult thing to achieve. Our ‘Craftsman’ status is, as one would imagine, aligned to the exacting standards of a true ‘Craftsman’. Therefore, those that achieve this accolade have demonstrated the finest technical skills and an exceptional creative and artistic ‘eye’. Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
The submission process not only involves prints, digital images and customer products being assessed, but the photographer also has to submit a written brief to accompany their work. Those who achieved it were Charlotte Bellamy - a stunning landscape submission which mainly consisted of atmospheric images of the Netherlands (where she lives). Karl Redshaw - a strong and dramatic architectural submission. It has also achieved an ‘A’ with the Royal Photographic Society so it’s been a remarkable few weeks for him. Claire Elliot - a child related studio based submission which demonstrated fantastic interaction with her subjects as well as great technical skill. The judging for ‘Craftsman’ took place at the famous ‘4-nighter’ at Hamps Hall run by Guild Panel Member Paul Haley. The ‘4-nighter’ is an opportunity for people to spend (as the name suggests), 4 nights away, in a privately booked large residence, where they are absorbed in photography. There are 6 superb quality trainers including Panel Members Kevin Pengelly and Julie Oswin, along with the talented Richie Crossley, Sean McCormick, and Paul himself of course. Twenty photographers, 6 trainers, and 4 models in a private residence with a personal chef and a little wine has to be a magical formula. No wonder it proves so popular year after year! Speaking of magical formula’s Panel Member Andrew Appleton host-
ed another Guild event around the same time. This one was for 2 nights in a very sunny Padua, Italy along with models Zara Watson & Gemma Bortolozzo. Andrew drove there and back with all his kit, and based on the success of it, as well as the previous trip to Paris, he is hoping to schedule a further similar overseas excursion in the Autumn, though has some training scheduled at the Blackthorn Centre in July. We are currently planning next Autumn’s special events, which will of course include the ever-popular ‘Mock Wedding’ (complete with bride, groom, bridesmaid, best man, car and cake in a hotel fully laid out for a civil wedding). During the past few weeks we have also helped (or given advice) to a number of members experiencing issues such as breach of their copyright and difficult customer situations. We even helped a member whose business was being undermined by posts and reviews from who was referred to as Facebook ‘Troll’. Obviously, no-one likes to find themselves in situations like the above, but things like this do happen and when they do we are more than happy to get pro-actively involved to assist you. Let’s face it – It is one of the main reasons we are here. It’s also incredibly satisfying for us when the situations are resolved and we get telephone calls, as we did this morning, saying that “the person who breached my copyright has agreed to pay me, following your advice!” Enjoy the read … and thanks for the support! Steve & Lesley
Lesley Thirsk Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
3
Editor Photographing weddings is my professional life and has been for the last twenty years, a job that I feel privileged to do and have enjoyed. Although I am a classically trained photographer I still love and get excited when capturing the natural and special moments throughout a wedding day. The image of the bride and her father is a typical wedding image I like to capture. The moment the bride’s father guides his daughter up the steps of the church. If I had stopped to pose them, this moment would have been lost.
julie oswin
I
4
t’s been an exciting few weeks since the first edition of Creative Light was launched (and remarkably viewed by around 7,000 people)! In this issue we announce the winner of the competition featured in Issue One of Creative Light. The accompanying story and photographs for the ‘Image from your Childhood or previous Generations” was chosen from many entries. Many congratulations to Lee Jones, who will be receiving his Orbis Ring Flash with a retail value of £179.99 courtesy of Johnson’s Photopia. You will find Lee’s story on page 28. In this issue we are featuring three very different photographers, although non members of the Guild but whose work I am sure you will find inspirational. We feature the work of a very popular documentary wedding photographer amongst Guild members, Kevin Mullins. Kevin shares with us his thought processes behind his beautiful wedding images and his approach to photographing weddings authentically, sympathetically and responsibly. Take a View, the Landscape Photographer of the Year Award is the brainchild of
“
Charlie Waite, a most respected Landscape Photographer. Now in its eighth year there is a total prize fund of £20,000, an annual exhibition held in London at the National Theatre and a full colour book of the best entries. Creative Light talks to the 2013 Landscape Photographer of the Year, Tony Bennett, who shares with us some of his favourite images and of course the winning image of 2013. He also received a cheque for £10,000. Quite a year for Tony. Deadline for this year’s entries is 11th July 2014. We talk to Gerry Coe about his iPhone Art, images created on his iPhone using a variety of apps including Snapseed, Hipstamatic, Grunge, textures, adjustments and filters. The ability to transform an image in the iPhone without the need to upload it onto Photoshop or Lightroom definitely has its advantages. Finally, Digi Steve created an image depicting D-Day, follow the link on the page to his inspiring video showing you how the image was created. If you have a story you would like to share with Creative Light then please email me - julie@photoguild.co.uk
Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” - Don McCullin
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Š Julie Oswin
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
5
Front Cover Derek and his wife Lysa opened Rivendell Studio in July 2012. The studio is situated in a converted barn on a working farm, so footfall and passing trade is definitely on the low side. After a tough winter, Derek took advice from a friend and explained that he needed to attract people to the studio. His suggestion was to find a memorable face that we could call the ‘Face of Rivendell’. Derek quickly put out castings to find a model with the ‘wow’ factor. After many applicants who did not fit the bill, Nicky (or she is more widely known, Miss Deadly Red) applied. At first glance, Derek and his wife knew they had found the right girl.
derek pether
This image received a Silver Award in April’s the Guild’s Image of the Month competition.
6
www.rivendell-studio.com
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Contents features 08
Kevin Mullins
40
Tony Bennett
60
Jo Blackwell
64
Gerry Coe
monthly 20
Susan Hallam, Digital Marketing Expert
34
Steve Thewis Digi Steve Photography
46
Precept Optimum Performance Sales Coach and Training
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
7
Documentary Wedding Photography Kevin is a pure documentary wedding photographer based in Wiltshire. He started shooting weddings professionally in 2008 and since then has photographed weddings right across the UK and Europe. Shooting in a documentary style he strives to tell the story of the wedding through photojournalism, rather than “traditional” contrived wedding photography. It’s a cliché, but Kevin is actually very passionate about photographing weddings authentically, sympathetically and responsibly.
Q: Kevin, what have you found
kevin mullins
the most challenging about being self-employed and what are the benefits?
8
I think the most challenging thing for me has been making sure I manage my time. I have two small children and I chose this business to achieve a better way of life. It took me some time before that started to happen and I made lots of mistakes. Mostly, I spent way too much time “in the business”. Now, I’ve streamlined a lot of stuff and my business works for me, not the other way around. Working for myself means I walk the kids to school and pick them up at 3pm. We go home, cook, play etc. It’s far away from the old corporate world I used to live in.
Q: Who or what started your jour-
ney as a photographer and how did you become a documentary wedding photographer? A friend said to me “You’ve got a nice camera, can you take photos at our wedding?” - Cliché I know, but it’s the truth. I always knew I wouldn’t want to be taking group shots etc, so it was very quick and natural progression into the style of photography I adopted.
Q: How many weddings do you photograph each year?
The most I have shot in any one year was 69, but my average tends to be 40. I am limiting myself to 25 from this year.
Q: Before you became a full time
photographer, what was your working background? I ran my own online marketing firm for thirteen years. Prior to that I worked at Microsoft briefly.
Q: How important is SEO and Social Media in your business?
Extremely important, especially Social Media. The days of trying to fool Google are over and pretty much it’s all
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
9
10
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
11
about organic, honest content now. “Build it and they shall come” someone once said. Putting good content into the website is imperative, but more important is getting that content seen and that is where social media plays it’s role.
Q: What equipment do you use to photograph your weddings?
I am currently shooting my weddings with: • •
1 x Fuji XT1 body 1 x Fuji X100s body
The XT1 is loaded with the ZF56mm F1.2 lens or the XF23mm F1.4 lens depending on the day etc.
Q: Of the two, which is your favourite camera and why?
Easily the X100s. It’s small. It’s quick. It’s light and it produces amazing images. It’s been quite a revelation to the way that I work and it’s brought an excitement into photography for me that perhaps had been missing for a while.
Q: Favourite lens? XF 56mm F1.2. It is so sharp and gives a lovely depth of field too.
Q: Observation, timing and control is
some of the key elements to your style of photography, can you expand or add to this? The foundation of it all is observation really. I spend most of my time at weddings simply watching. When the something of interest occurs, it’s my job to be there to take the image. I work very close to my subjects, often within a few feet. I really want my clients to look at an image and be taken right back to that moment in time. I want them to feel like they are there again and to achieve that I put myself right in the scene. When shooting. The timing is critical of course, as is understanding the flow of a wedding and anticipation of where people, or moments, are going next.
Q: What’s your favourite editing software and why?
Phase One Capture One Pro 7 (what a name!). I find this produces the most amazing black and white images - much more depth than I could achieve with Lightroom. Unfortunately, however, the work flow for C1 is more laborious than that of Lightroom.
12
Q: Which is your main Wedding Al-
bum supplier and why do you use them? Jorgensen are my main wedding album supplier. I’ve pretty much always used them. They are great quality, brilliant service by South West Photo Mounts who are the UK agents and are reasonably priced too.
Q: What tips and advice would you
give to someone wanting to become a documentary wedding photographer? My biggest advice is to be true to your style. There are lots and lots of ‘wannabe’ wedding photojournalists out there who call me up and ask me how I do it? And by that they mean ‘how do you get the clients?’. When I look at their websites the first thing I see are portraits and detail shots. These may well be gorgeous images but if they want to imply to potential clients that they shoot in a documentary style then they need to remove the stuff from their website that they don’t want to shoot. It’s an all-encompassing style and really if you want to go down that route you have to embrace it fully, not partially.
Q: How did you start building your brand Kevin Mullins Photography?
As mentioned earlier, the brand, really,
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
is built around the style of photography. I wanted to shoot reportage and I wanted to shoot mostly in black and white. It made sense for me to promote those styles on my website but it goes even further than that. The logo, tone of voice and products I supply to my clients all help with the brand identity. Branding is probably the one thing most of us photographers forget about. Branding isn’t marketing or sales – it’s very different to that and really I think we need to spend a substantial amount of time building and nurturing our brands.
Q: How important is post production in your final images?
Actually it’s not that important. These days I pretty much shoot in JPEG. Modern cameras have such good image processing engines in them that it seems a shame to ignore them. When an image is loaded into Capture One I tend to give it a little tone curve adjustment and correct tilts and crop where necessary. That’s it. For me it’s super important that the photograph is an
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
accurate representation of the moment.
Q: Apart from sheer hard work what
do you think is the key to your success? I think partly it’s down to hard work but also down to being honest to my style. It means that I enjoy every wedding. It’s not a chore and I see so many stressed wedding photographers out there. If it was a stress, I wouldn’t do it so I keep my style relevant and enjoy each day.
Q: Do you proof your weddings? No, not really. The clients will see the fully edited collection online.
Q: What would you have done differ-
ently in your business if you could start again? I would probably have introduced hour based charging sooner. I spent a long time shooting “bridal preparations until first dance’ which meant my profit ratios on a per/hour basis being compromised hugely. Switching to hourly based charging
13
“
14
This type of image is what wedding photography is all about for me. A real moment of emotion and connection between the bride and her father. It’s my job to observe and record these precious times.”
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
(usually eight hours) has steadied that ship considerably.
Q: What is your pet hate at Weddings? As a reportage photographer, it’s not uncommon for me to come across a family member who simply doesn’t ‘get it’ and insists on lots of posed / formal shots. I can manage them these days, but it still remains a pet hate when someone says to me “Wouldn’t that make a great photo!”
Q: Can you share a hilarious moment at a wedding?
I remember one wedding when the father of the bride went to hug and kiss his daughter but instead kissed and hugged the groom’s Mum by mistake...Or so he said!
Q: Something memorable that happened at a wedding?
I once had a bride that was so drunk she lasted 20 minutes after the ceremony before going home.
Q: Where is your journey with photography taking you?
It’s been a fun journey so far. Now, I’m doing a lot more street photography and I want to spend more time shooting social projects. I see myself as a “street photographer who shoots weddings” and I really try to use and deal with the light we get in the UK at a wedding in the same way that I would on the street (this means a lot of spot metering, exposure compensation etc.). I have recently been commissioned to document a C-Section birth so I’m excited about that too. Photographing key moments of people’s lives inspires me a lot.
Q: Who inspires you? Currently I’m inspired by many street photographers; Rinzi Ruiz in LA is a primary one at present. I’m also heavily inspired by Anton Corbijin. His images are amazing, but his physiological view of the world around him is mesmerising. In the world of weddings, these days I get inspiration from the great wedding photojournalists in the UK; Neale James, Alistair Freeman, Martin Bedall, Steven Hewson to name a few. I try not to look at their work too much as it depresses me...
Q: Something you are working on to perfect?
Lots and lots, but if I had to choose one it’s getting better positioning in my shots. I’m guilty of cluttered backgrounds quite often. Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
15
When you are shooting quickly in a documentary style you can’t physically affect the background of course, but I’d like to be able to spot the background earlier and position myself accordingly.
Q: Your proudest moment so far in your career?
Giving a presentation of my work to the photographers, press and staff of Fujifilm in Tokyo. In the audience were Zack Arias, David Hobby and Bert Stephani. It was a bit like cooking dinner for Gordon Ramsey.
Q: Your favourite place in the UK? The Isle of Skye. I’d live there in a heartbeat.
Q: Your favourite food? I’m a big fan of Sushi.
Q: Three words that describe you?
“
Keeping a look out for humour, touch and eye contact, they are the core principals of how I shoot.”
Welsh, hairy and smiley!
Kevin Mullins www.kevinmullinsphotography.co.uk
16
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
17
WEDDINGS ALBUMS ... I DO Whilst killing some time on a long train journey home to visit my mother this month, I came across an interesting blog about wedding albums. The blog suggested that wedding albums are a thing of the past and that brides do not see the value or have a need for an album. It also talked about the amount of competition amongst digitally printed album manufacturers and how it's become a full time job just trying to keep up with the mass of similar products and confusing options that prove so impossible to sell. It went on to mention ‘the good old days’. When lovely albums were filled with beautiful properly printed photographs on real photographic paper. Albums that were lovingly made and treasured by clients and their families. I reached the end of the blog and concluded that rather than being terribly negative, it was in my opinion celebrating all the reasons why you would want an album. Not any old album though, but one that made you feel like you had something special, unique, an album that was beautifully made and long lasting.
18
There were a few things I agreed with and some I didn't. But isn't that the point of articles and blogs like the one I read. They get you thinking and in turn shape your response, helping form your reasons for doing the things you do. I actually think that brides do want an album or would certainly have an album if they had the facts and reasons for having one. It's up to photographers to inform and advise their clients. Yes the album world is a very saturated place. It is harder to differentiate between one product and another. However, by picking your way through and looking for the products that make you stand out from the crowd, you give yourself the chance to develop a successful business. The other thing I disagreed with was the assumption that the albums so fondly spoken about don't exist any more and that they have just become a faded memory of how it used to be. In truth Jørgensen has been making albums in this way since we started in 1980 and we continue to make Matted Albums to these exacting standards in the same way, today.
SOUTH WEST PHOTO MOUNTS ARE JØRGENSENS UK PARTNER - www.swpm.net - 01803 668380
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Jørgensen Matted Albums have always been different from the digital masses. It is the perfect example of ‘the good old days’ as described in the blog. We call them classical and timeless, fitting perfectly with the resurgence of the vintage wedding theme you may have seen. Our albums are book bound using the most beautiful cover materials and are filled with images that are properly printed on real photographic paper. Our matted pages are hand cut to your specific design and assembled in this country. So how do you convince your bride to have an album? I think that you shouldn’t need to convince them, but in fact compel them in such a way that they simply can't do with out one. To continue my story, I arrived at my mothers and whilst catching up with her, I told her about the blog I had read. Funnily enough she had been through her cupboards to find something she wanted me to have. She handed me an old album. It was in fact her wedding album. A fifty five year old reminder of the day my parents were married. A day of memories captured and a piece of my family history.
My Parents Wedding Album from 1958
I had seen this album many times as a young boy, but it was only now as an adult that I could physically see the value of what I was holding. To marvel at the fashions, to see the smiles and the faces of family who are no longer with us. But, to be honest what I really appreciated most of all was the simple fact that I was able to actually do all of that. In my mind, an Album is the only thing that makes this possible. I don't have to power anything up or find a cable or worry about adapters or compatibility of outdated technology. The image quality and feel of the paper as I turn the pages is as intrinsic, tactile and beautiful as the day it was given to my parents. So find your parents wedding album, find your grandparents album and have them to hand when you next show brides you sample albums. Explain to them that they should have an album, not just for them, but for their children and their children's children. After-all what better way to capture the moment and make it last forever.
Jorgensen Pro Bound Album with printed Vellum fly
Jorgensen Twin Matted Pro Bound Album
To find out more about Jørgensens complete range of Albums & Presentation Products, visit www.swpm.net or call us on 01803 668380. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
KEVIN MULLINS AND WHY HE USES JØRGENSEN ALBUMS have the digital images, I encourage them to invest in a beautiful book to hold their wedding memories. I’ve been using Jørgensen albums for the whole of my career and I know that when I pull my studio samples out that my potential clients are setting their eyes on quality books that they invariably will want. Usually the bride will run her hands over the matted inlays and pick the book up to feel the substantial weight, in essence, they admire the album. Then, of course, they want an album.
When I speak to my clients after their wedding, they will often tell me that they were not initially interested in an album. They were just going to print online, or create a Facebook gallery for people to look at, that was until they saw my sample albums. The combination of exquisite quality, hand cut mats coupled with beautiful imagery, make an album truly irresistible.
‘‘
‘‘ Whilst my clients invariably
www.kevinmullinsphotography.co.uk
SOUTH WEST PHOTO MOUNTS ARE JØRGENSENS UK PARTNER - www.swpm.net - 01803 668380
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
19
Facebook:
Is it Right for your
Business?
Laura Hampton, Digital Marketing Manager at Hallam Internet, explains Facebook for businesses. Facebook is the leading social media network. With 1.28 million monthly active users, Facebook has a huge, global reach. Over 15 million businesses across the world use Facebook as part of their marketing strategy. But recently, businesses have become concerned about the viability of Facebook as a marketing tool due to a decrease in organic (non-paid) reach. Basically, Facebook appears to be encouraging businesses to pay to reach people on the platform.
ďżź
laura hampton
Hallam Internet | Digital Marketing Agency
20
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
told by Facebook itself, will always be free. But there is an increasing reliance on the paid features of Facebook too, and its important to understand these as part of your potential marketing mix. Advertising on Facebook comes in two main forms: 1) Boosted Posts FACEBOOK BUSINESS TOOLS Facebook provides a range of business tools for businesses that want to use the platform. Take a look at www.facebook.com/business for more information from Facebook itself. Some key tools to be aware of are: FACEBOOK INSIGHTS An understanding of your audience is the key to successful marketing. Facebook provides all Page owners, for free, data on how well your Facebook content is being received. This includes information about how many people have ‘liked’ and ‘commented’ on your posts and how many people you’ve reached. You can then use this data to better understand what kind of content your audience enjoys and therefore what you should be continuing to share. FACEBOOK APPS Facebook Apps are available to any business to add to their Facebook Page to add new or enhanced functionality to the Page. They appear beneath the large cover photo under the tab ‘More’. Some examples of Facebook Apps include email marketing apps which allow users to sign up to your newsletter via your Page, recruitment apps where users can apply for jobs with you via your Page and events apps which allow users to find out more about your events via your Page. Facebook provides a large number of native apps, which are free of charge and which exist for you to simply choose from and add to your Page. Take a look at the Apps available by clicking the ‘More’ tab under your cover image and choosing ‘Find More Apps’. ADVERTISING ON FACEBOOK Any business owner can create a Page on Facebook. These are free of charge and businesses can use their Page to showcase their brand and details such as what they do, where they are and how to get in touch. The free features of Facebook, we’re Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
Boosting a post means sending a Facebook post (or status update) to a larger audience. When one of your posts is doing well (i.e. lots of people are commenting and sharing), you can ‘boost’ that post for as a little as £3, sending it to more people are therefore widening its reach. You can target your Boosted Posts by a range of demographics. Age, location, interests and behaviour are all criteria you can use in order to ensure your content gets to the right people. To boost a post, simply click ‘boost’ at the bottom of the live post. 2) Promoted Page Whilst Boosted Posts are about pushing specific piece of content to more people, promoting your Page means advertising your Page as a whole to a wider audience. Again, you can target your promotion using a range of demographics. Designing your advert is really simple and is done on Facebook itself. To promote your Page, click ‘promote page’ on the left hand side of your Page. Do I have to pay to advertise on Facebook? You don’t have to pay to advertise on Facebook. That said, there is a lot of talk at the moment about Facebook Zero, a term for the restriction of Facebook organic reach. According to a study by advertising giant Ogilvy (http://social.ogilvy.com/facebook-zero-considering-life-after-the-demise-of-organic-reach/), the number of posts which reach Facebook users without being promoted or boosted has dropped significantly in the last 2 years. To give your content the best chance of being seen by users on Facebook, you need to ensure you are sharing high quality content that people engage with – that they comment on and share. Facebook will prioritise high engagement content above all other content. And do bear in mind that Facebook advertising starts at just £3 and you can potentially reach thousands of highly targeted people on the platform with that investment. It could be that paid advertising on the site can give your business the push it needs. IS FACEBOOK FOR ME? One of the biggest mistakes we see businesses making on social media is that they
21
jump in without asking why. As with all digital marketing, you need to ask yourself why you want to use Facebook (and ‘because everyone else does) doesn’t count as an answer here!). The first question we always ask our clients is:
Is your audience already active on Facebook? If your audience isn’t already on Facebook, there’s really no point in you trying to get them there. Think of it like hosting a dinner party – if you want people from London to attend, you’re not going to hold the party in Newcastle because no one’s going to drive that far. If you find your audience is mostly active on Twitter, then that’s where you need to focus your efforts, not Facebook. You can find out where your audience is already active by: Checking your Google Analytics or other website analysis tool. How many of your customers currently come to you via Facebook? Looking at your customers’ websites if they have them – do they have Facebook listed amongst their social media? You can also look to your competitors. Are they active on Facebook? If they’re targeting the same audience as you and they have deemed Facebook an appropriate place to do that, you should consider it too. Once you’ve decided whether your audience is active on Facebook or not, you’ll need to consider a few more things.
can make the decision as to whether Facebook is right for you. MONITOR, ANALYSE, REFINE The social media landscape is evolving. Social networks are developing, new ones are starting and businesses are finding that what worked once for them doesn’t necessarily still work now. The real secret to social media success is in your ability to monitor, analyse and refine what you do. Make sure you have clear goals in place and that you have a strategy for monitoring those goals. Analyse what works and what doesn’t, and refine what you do based on those findings. Laura Hampton
Consider these questions: 1) What do I hope to achieve through having a Facebook Business Page? a. Are you trying to increase sales? b. Trying to improve conversion rates? c. Looking to boost brand awareness?
2) How will you know when you’ve reached your goals? a. More sales? b. Increased conversion rate? c. More Fans and traffic to your website?
3) Have you got the time to manage a Facebook Page? a. If so, how will you plan your time? b. If not, what options do you have? By asking yourself these questions, you
visit www.hallaminternet.com
Google E
ver wondered how Google decides which websites rank higher than others in the search results? Google, and other search engines, use a set of rules to determine rankings, called algorithms. Google is continually tweaking their various algorithms in an attempt to filter out good quality sites from those trying to spam their way to the top. With this in mind, there are now even fewer ‘quick wins’ for sites trying to increase their visibility in the search results, which is why investing in a long term SEO strategy is so important for every business. Perhaps the most important algorithm change of recent times was named Google Hummingbird. This algorithm update significantly increased the importance of semantic search and the Knowledge Graph, whereby Google is improving its understanding of the language of search and serving up answers to specific questions rather than simply results somewhat related to a given topic. Algorithms and the like aside, Google’s primary mission has always been to serve the best quality search results for any given search term. If you want your website to be seen by Google as the most relevant, best quality result for search terms relevant to your business, you’ll need to invest in your search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy. Investing in SEO should be part of a holistic approach to digital marketing. Search engines are becoming smarter at identifying linkages between your website, social media profiles, white papers, e-books and the graphics you’ve produced and shared across the web. It is these linkages that Google and other search engines will prioritise when ranking your content in the search results, which is why your future SEO strategy shouldn’t simply focus on optimising your website. It is now more important than ever for businesses to invest in a long term digital marketing strategy in order to build gradually improve their brand authority and online presence over time.
Home Insurance for Photographers ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Working from home cover Low Excess No Claims Discount up to 25% Home Emergency & Homecare Interest Free Instalments
Free Legal Expenses Cover
Contact us today for a quotation – 0844 811 8056 or 0161 925 5051
24
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
‘In Focus Photography Insurance’ is the trading style of The Alan Stevenson Partnership Ltd for General Insurance. The Alan Stevenson Partnership Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority no
Infocus Photography & Videographers Insurance ✓ Worldwide Equipment Cover ✓ Crisis Containment ✓ Interest Free Instalments
Get a quote online today and save an additional 10% off your Photographic & Technical Equipment cover
Get Covered Today
“Infocus saved my shoot yesterday. They were prompt, efficient and sorted it in super quick time. Can’t love them enough. Thank you.”
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
o 305785. Registered Office: 34 Victoria Street, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 1ET. Registered in England No 4320605
25
Competition Winner Guild Member Lee Jones Congratulations to Lee who wins the Photo Orbis Ringflash competition featured in Issue One of the Creative Light magazine.. Johnsons Photopia, one of the main Trade Partners for The Guild of Photographers has kindly provided this prize for the winning entry. The standard of entries was very high and we would like to thank all the members who entered. Johnson’s Photopia have offer the Guild a special discount of £20 to it’s members if you would like to purchase the Orbis Ringflash. Please see the next page for details.
T
lee jones
The Orbis® Flash
26
his is my story of the images from my childhood and why they are so important to me. In 2010/2011 I started to research my family tree. I wasn’t expecting to find very much, but as my wife and I had just had a baby daughter, I wanted to be able to impart some knowledge about her family history when she was old enough to understand. Now, having a surname like Jones research is bound to be difficult enough, but with ancestors called MacDonald it was clearly going to be a little challenging to say the least. Searching for Scottish ancestors called Donald MacDonald (Donald, Son of Donald) gets a little tricky to say the least - there’s a wee few of them. Nevertheless, I did manage to pursue my search and was really pleased with myself. I even tracked down some old family members and I was able to put family members back in touch. One particular story really touched me, it was about my Great Grandmother, Lizzie Young MacDonald. She was affectionately known as Bett and was doted on by my father. Sadly we never met but I heard so much about her. I traced her Father, George MacDonald
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
back to Dundee. He went off to the war and fought with the Black Watch, and I heard from my grandfather that he died in the war. Lizzie was actually born 13 Apr 1915 so I felt awful thinking that he would never have met his youngest daughter. I then found out he actually died on 14th October 1915, so he did know Lizzie, even for a few short months. I was sent a story of how he went away to fight in the war (to get away from the mines), and came back home for some unknown reason, where he sadly died of Pneumonia. Jean, his wife, with 4 children and no army pension to support her, sent her children to live with an Aunt in the country. The Aunt charged Jane so much money she struggled to pay for the care of her children. Working all hours Jean collapsed with exhaustion and had a nervous breakdown. With no means to pay the Aunt, the Aunt placed the children into an orphanage, and the children looked after each other as best as they could. Jean was actually placed in a ‘mental home’, but fought to get herself back on track, earn money and get a house for her and the children. When she got out, they lived with her parents and various local relatives - but she had them back. Unfortunately, I found out that in 1956 (only 18 months before my dad was born - her great grandson), Jean died of gas poisoning, in her home in Dundee. Apparently she had put the oven on to keep warm - but it had a tendency to blow out and sadly the gas overcame her and she was found dead the next day. Through the research I’d been doing I felt that I had got to know them as family. So, a few months later, when another relative of mine found some old PRINTED photographs, taken in 1915, when George was alive I sobbed! I’m not a crying man, but I welled up. I’d learnt so much about these people, but to actually see an image, of them at that time. I couldn’t contain my emotion. These photos date back a HUNDRED years.(In the above image George is on the image top right along with Jean and the 4 children Lizzie is the baby. And that is why now, every two years, I print a full album of images of us and our children, and one of each holiday we spend together as a family. I want these albums to last not only for my daughter’s future but for future generations.
George MacDonald (right)
Lee Jones Jean with her four children, Lizzie is the baby on her Mother’s knee
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
27
Creative Light Special Offer £20 discount off an Orbis Conceived by full-time professional photographer, James Madelin. Inspired by the Strobist philosophy. Developed by top optical designers. The orbis® is made from durable ABS plastic, weighs around 1lb (600g), is totally portable and works with your camera system’s TTL metering. The ‘one-size-fits-most’ dock means that the orbis® Ringflash fits a huge range of flashes with no need for add-ons. The orbis® works with all your camera system’s functionality and doesn’t stress the fragile hotshoe connection.
johnsons photopia
The orbis® Ringflash is great fun to use and gives passionate photographers, like you, an edge. If you’re inspired to take your photography to the next level, the orbis® is ideal. Follow this link http://enlightphotopro.com/orbis-flash for more details.
28
Want to purchase an Orbis Ring Flash for just £129.99? The Guild have negotiated a £20 discount to Guild members at point of sale. No need for a code - Johnsons Photopia will give you 28 days to place an order. To claim your £20 discount please email either Creative Light Magazine - julie@photoguild.co.uk or The Guild info@photoguild.co.uk
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Residential Workshops
Š Andrew Appleton
O
ur next issue of Creative Light we will be featuring three residential training courses, ranging from three nights to one week. We will be looking at the benefits of these courses as an alternative to a one day workshop.
Creative Light will be talking to our very own Guild Panel Member Andrew Appleton about his recent workshop in Northern Italy and to our Panel Member Paul Haley about his recent workshop at Hamps Hall, Derbyshire We will also be talking to George and Glenys Dawber of Photo Training Overseas who host a very successful photographic training course which has been running for 27 years. Tenerife will be the destination in January 2015 and will be PTO’s 28th year.
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
29
G . F Smith Photographic: A brand new look. A brand new catalogue. Making memories matter.
30
Phone 01482 588 037 Email info@gfsmithphotographic.com gfsmithphotographic.com
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Folders and Mounts As the UK’s leading purveyor of coloured and textured papers, Photographic from G . F Smith’s mounts and folders are made from the finest materials available. Well-crafted answers to well-crafted photographs.
The Expressions Family The Expressions family consists of four versions of the same type of album: Expressions, Expressions One, Expressions Fine Art and Expressions Duo. All four share the same super high quality of printing and binding, choice of covers and can be designed either using our own software or with one of your own choice.
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
31
32
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Video to show making of artwork Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
33
34
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
35
Learning to let go... Guild Panel Member Kate Hopewell-Smith is a lifestyle photographer with a passion for photographing people. She is one of only seven Nikon Ambassadors in the UK. Kate regularly writes for several magazines, including Photography Monthly, N-Photo, Practical Photograph and Professional Photographer. Kate outsources all of her post processing work to ProImageEditors and shares with us how it has changed her wedding workflow.
F
kate hopewell-smith
or the first three years as a pro I was loathe to let anything out of my control until it got to a point where I was restricting the potential growth of my business with this attitude. Accepting this and then beginning to outsource certain things resulted in a significant increase in turnover.
36
One of those areas has been post production – and I can openly admit that I was wary at the prospect of sending my images out of the studio. The change came after meeting Pro Image Editors and discussing my fears – they totally understood having heard it many times before and suggested we had a trial with a couple of my weddings. To say it has changed my wedding work flow is an understatement – I only wish I had found them and embraced them sooner. It’s important to state that I believe ‘finish’ is very important and still maintain complete control of the final toning or feel of my images. Following a wedding I cull the images and send a Lightroom Catalog and smart previews to PIE and I ask them to tweak
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
exposure, correct white balance and lens distortion, straighten horizons and take dust spots out of the sky. Let’s be honest now – this is the worst part of any wedding edit… I then apply specially created pre-sets to the images to ensure the finished imagery remains on brand. More recently I have tried their Studio Retouch service for my boudoir work – and again I am delighted with the results, as well as how it frees me up to focus on my business. One last thing –I believe that charging an hourly rate for post production is also vital – it involves a level of service that my clients need to be prepared to pay for. It just so happens that I share that income with PIE and in return they give me peace of mind and a little more work/life balance. Kate Hopewell-Smith
GET SMART AND USE SMART PREVIEWS Be sure to check the “Create Smart Previews” check box in the upper right corner of Adobe Lightroom 5 when importing images. Then all you have to do is send ProImageEditors your smart previews and catalog, you now have reduced your uploading requirement by 60%. Its so easy to do especially when you have bandwidth limitations. ProImageEditors will send you your Lightroom Catalog file so that you always have control, it is quick and easy to do and you keep your unique style by running your presets and presenting your images to your customers. Outsourcing can expand and contract as your business does. There are no employees, or infrastructure and so no training, overhead management time, employee headaches, larger offices, more computers, software licences etc. As a photographer you should be doing two things, taking photographs and growing your business, everything else is a distraction. In business it is best to remove distractions. Get in touch with ProImageEditors and see what a difference it will make to your business.
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
ProImageEditors www.proimageeditors.co.uk contact@proimageeditors.co.uk
37
38
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
39
Landscape Photographer of the Year The Landscape Photographer of the Year Award ‘Take A View’ is the brainchild of Charlie Waite, one of today’s most respected landscape photographers. With a total prize fund worth £20,000, a full colour book of best entries and a popular annual exhibition in Central London (held at the National Theatre for seven years), the Landscape Photographer of the Year Award continues to showcase the work of many talented photographers and inspires visitors to experience the joys of British landscapes at first hand. Britain’s heritage is celebrated by people around the world and entries are welcome from everyone, whether a resident in Britain or simply visiting.
T
tony bennett
Loch Etive
40
he winner of the Take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year 2013, Tony Bennett talks to Creative Light. A keen supporter of his local camera club, Tony uses all Nikon equipment and his landscape work is influenced by Ansel Adams, Joe Cornish and David Noton. Tony finds that his main challenges in his creative process is the vagaries of light. “There is really no way to overcome them, except by working with the light natures provides” During his photographic career, Tony has found the most demanding time was wedding photography in the days of film. With a medium format camera, he usually had to capture ‘the day’ with three rolls of 12 exposure film. It was an adrenaline rush; every shot had to be perfect; exposure, composition, expression and lighting. There was no ‘chimping’ to check the back of the camera. He had to wait for the professional developing and printing lab to do their magic before he could declare (to himself) that the day was a success. It is all so different today. Tony’s style today is traditional landscape that conveys emotion, not just a ‘pretty picture’. Studying City & Guilds Photography gave Tony the basic photographic knowledge to buildup on his skills and understanding of photography and since digital, Tony has been largely self-taught. Tony bought his first camera Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Pulpit Rock
in 1963 and was instantly hooked the moment he received his first prints from the local chemist shop. Tony plans his photography ahead, arriving at the location in plenty of time so he can become absorbed in the environment before waiting for the light. His favourite place in the world is The Isle of Skye because of the variety of stunning scenery, the quality of light and the tranquillity. Tony’s proudest moment as a photographer was when he received a phone call from Charlie Waite to tell him the news of his achievement. Tony was in his car driving to a friends house when Charlie Waite called him on his hands-free. He was so shocked to hear Charlie Waite on the telephone that he pulled over, expecting Charlie to tell him that one of his images had been short-listed for the book. He was then even more stunned to hear that he had actually won ‘Landscape Photographer of the Year 2013’ and £10,000. We spoke to Tony to gain an insight into his personal experience as a successful Landscape Photographer..
Q
: What advice would you give someone who is just starting out on their journey with photography? Join your local camera club or association, learn all you can from mentoring, fellow members and visiting print competitions/critiques and enrol on a local trainIssue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
Dunstanburgh at Dawn
41
ing course like City & Guilds Photography. I teach photography and the main question I often get asked either “What aperture should I use?” “I want to move off the P setting”. In the early days of film, there was a cost for every time the shutter was pressed. It is still true today that to become a competent photographer you must study the subject that is photography and understand the basis of lighting and exposure. If you want to learn to produce and control your image you need to learn the basics, and then learn how to apply that knowledge.
Q: What software do you use to edit your photographs?
I use Lightroom, Topaz Suite and OnONe Plug-ins to Lightroom. I very seldom use Photoshop these days.
Q: What are your photography goals/ plans for the future?
In addition to my landscape work, I photograph houses for local Estate Agents. I would like to enhance this side of my photography by being commissioned by a handful of the top Estate Agents to photograph high-value estates, where my love of the countryside could be put to profitable use photographing landscaped gardens.
Q: How do you relax? Walking in the Derbyshire Dales, a little TV, window shopping in local antique shops and socialising with friends.
Q: If you started out again what
mistakes that you have made would you avoid? I would get up early more frequently! I would also travel to Nepal and other distant locations whilst I was younger and fitter.
Q: Finally, three words that describe you as a photographer?
Persistent, seeking perfection!
Silver Birches, Oxhay Wood
Tony Bennet Derbyshire www.insprirational-images.com
42
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
The 2014 Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards are being held in association with VisitBritain & Countryside is GREAT and we’d like to say a very big thank you to them for making the Awards happen. VisitBritain has supported us since the beginning and we are delighted to be working with them more closely this year. The Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards are now featured in newspapers and magazines all over the world, from Australia to the United States and we hope they help to inspire visitors to come to the UK and experience our wonderful landscapes at first hand - as well as spreading the word about landscape photography and the talented photographers that enter the competition. If you would like further information on how to enter the Take a View 2014 Landscape Photographer of the Year competition and a chance to win £10,000 visit the website. www.take-a-view.co.uk The closing date for this year’s competition is midnight on 11th July 2014
The Cuillins from Elgol
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
43
Tony’s winning image - Mist and Reflections - Crummock Water, Lake District
44
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
“Whether the eye notices it. Whether the subconscious notices it, or it is the eye and the brain working together to establish the right composition, it is all the elements that are part of the enriching experience of landscape photography” There is definitely a series of elements in Tony’s winning image which interlock successfully and to me is the key to his successful landscape photograph. What is particularly fascinating to me is the band of cold bluish mist that runs along the bottom of the trees, and one very small element, a tree, with its accompanying reflection which seems to work with the little puff ball of mist along the tree line on the right.” Charlie Waite Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
45
precept optimum performance
How to attract the right customers
46
Precept Mentoring Group specialise in helping ambitious business owners maximise their sales through the use of simple and easily learned techniques. The business was founded by Phil and Ginny Atherton in September 2005 and has coached over 150 businesses since then. The Precept training is based on the latest thinking in the world of sales and sales process, but also adds in key elements of psychology into the way we make our buying decisions.
T
he World is full of people who want to buy a Rolls Royce for the price of a mini. And yet you have spent years training, practicing and crafting your skills so that you provide the best service possible to your customers. How then are you to obtain the price that your skill and practice deserve?
Understand Pareto You may not have heard of the Pareto principle, but you have very probably heard of the 80/20 rule. Pareto was an Italian engineer and economist, born in the 19th century who identified that income follows a distinct distribution curve. In essence, 80% of the income is earned by only 20% of the population. Business scholars have proved that this distribution is true for many aspects of business measurement, including this one
80% of profits earned come from only 20% of the customers. Now, that in itself is an important discovery, as it clearly shows us where our focus should be – on the 20% of customers that Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
are responsible for most of our earnings. However, it also tells us something about the smaller customers that we have; the Pareto principle applies not only to the total income of the business, but it also applies to the 20% that is earned from 80% of the customers. So, if you take that calculation a little further, how much do you think your smallest customers are earning you? In fact, studies have shown that the bottom 20% of our customers actually lose us money, once we factor in all the time they take up, the problems they cause, the complaints they make, and the time they take to pay. If we simply stopped dealing with these people we would immediately make more money.
How to find the good customers So, now we know that only a small proportion of the customers out there will be truly profitable for us, we can afford to become a bit choosy. But how do we decide who to choose? If you have been established in business for a while you will have examples fo great customers and of customers from Hell. Here is you start point.
List all your great customers and also list your worst customers. Write down everything you know about both groups. Then look for common factors. For example, do your great customers come from just a few industries? Are they a particular size of business? If you are dealing with consumers, are they from any particular background? Do they tend to live in a particular area? The list of your worst customers is also important because that will help you to recognise the customers that you should avoid.
Why do they buy from you? As part of your analysis of your great customers, list the reasons they bought from you. You may like to read again my article in the last edition which talked about understanding what exactly it is that customers buy. This part of the analysis is vitally important. You need to think about the conversations you had with your best customers •
What words did they use?
•
At what points did they get excited about working with you? What were you saying at the time?
•
What was the point that you think they decided to use you? What were you saying at the time?
•
What did they value when you were working with them?
•
What did they value most about the work when you presented it to them?
•
Your great customers are great because they value what you do.
•
So you need to understand what that is, in their terms, so that you can ensure you continue to do more of it.
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
47
Now model it. Now you understand why past customers were great customers, and have some idea of what made them great customers, the challenge is to look for more customers like them. This is easiest when you have the relevant features of your great customers listed in an easy to follow format. This is where the model comes in. Your analysis will have brought out a number of factors that influence whether a customer is a great customer or a poor one. Each of those factors will have a different level of influence, and so you need to understand which are the most important, and what they are. This is probably best explained by an example. Let’s say you are a wedding photographer. There are a number of factors that might determine the likely value of the customer. Let’s look at a hypothetical model
Factor Venue Who pays Their job Overall Budget Location Request
Best Exotic location Parents Professionals £50,000+ Overseas Lots of processing
Good 4* Hotel Selves Senior Management £30,000 - £50,000 Within 30 miles Sophisticated album
Acceptable Church Management £15,000 - £30,000 UK Photographs only
Some of the factors will be specific to you. For example, you may be keen to travel anywhere in the World to work with a client, or you may want to stay close to home. Perhaps some of the factors will have only 2 options, rather than 3. Some might have more. Essentially, you build the model to suit your requirements. When you are considering the factors to include in your model it is important to remember that its purpose is to help you identify at an early stage the customers that are most likely to be the best ones for you, so that you can focus your effort on only them. So, as much as possible, use factors that you can identify in a new customer as early in the sale process as possible.
Repeat the success. Of course, identifying the ideal customer is only a part of the process. Now you need to ensure that they become a customer. This is where it is so important to understand what it is that made your previous customers so happy about using you. In a future article we will look at how you get your ideal customer to buy from you.
Phil Atherton Precept Optimum Performance Precept Optimum Performance is a trading name of Precept Mentoring Group Ltd, Precept House, 82 Leicester Road, Quorn, LE12 8BB
48
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
spotlight Congratulations Jennifer Sinclair Achieving Qualified status May 2014
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
49
THE
3XM
SOLUTION Capture
Share
Promote
Profit
Presentation
THE 3XM SOLUTION EXPLAINED The 3XM Solution was designed to help professional photographers make more money from their ‘disc’ only or digital image packages.Whether you always offer digital image packages or if your preferred approach is to sell albums or other products, the 3XM Solution can fit into your own business model. From weddings, portrait shoots, baby shoots to event photography, we’ve got it all covered!
3XM DIGI PRO Designed specifically for wedding photographers who want to offer digital image wedding packages.
3XM PRO Designed for photographers who offer digital images to their wedding, portrait, baby shoot or event clients but who still want to focus on selling their own albums and photo products. 3XM DIGI PRO
3XM PRO
Online gallery with social media sharing
Social Media Slideshow Video
Designer packaged USB
Revenue share on all products sold to your client or their family and friends
Find a Photographer listing on The Wedding Album Boutiuque consumer promoted website
WHAT’S INCLUDED
50
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
CAPTURE As a skilled photographer, you capture and create professional images of your client’s special moments. When you use the 3XM Solution, you can send these images to your client via a beautiful online image gallery which your client can share with family and friends or on social media.
SHARE In today’s digital world, it’s all about sharing. When you use the 3XM Solution, your clients can easily share your images across multiple social media sites. This gives your business a unique promotional opportunity to get in front of your clients’ friends, family and social connections. Not only can they share images, they can also share a video slideshow which you can create using the 3XM Solution. The power of social media is limitless!
PROMOTE
The 3XM Solution puts your work out there for the world to see. Our solution offers numerous tools for promoting your business to existing clients as well as their family and friends. One example of this is our Find a Photographer Listing on The Wedding Album Boutique available to users of 3XM DIGI PRO.
PROFIT The 3XM Solution will help you generate additional sales leads and increases referral marketing opportunities to help you Make More Money and in turn increase your profit. An added bonus with the 3XM DIGI PRO solution includes a revenue share on any products sold.
PRESENTATION Our designer jewelled USBs and packaging are loved by clients and allow you to present your work in a beautiful, professional manner. To find out how The 3XM Solution can benefit your business, LoCall 0800 0845 700 or email sales@photovalue.com
www.3XMsolution.com
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
51
spotlight Congratulations Karl Redshaw Achieving Craftsman status May 2014
52
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
53
spotlight Congratulations Claire Elliott Achieving Craftsman status May 2014
54
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
55
Damian McGillicuddy, the multi award-winning Professional Photographer and Olympus UK’s Principal Photographer and Educator talks you through how this shot was done.
One of my “must have” lenses is the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm 1:1.8. Its a lens to have in your bag for several reasons. This lens gives a field of view very similar to the human eye, this is always a great place to start when shooting an image as it gives a very natural look to the image and perspective is not overly effected in any direction, it is neither compressed or extended. This “gem” of a lens is compact, lightweight, fast at f1.8 and optically beautiful.
Model: Anita De Bauch
This image below was shot using the 25mm lens during a little down time on a resent fashion shoot in Finland.
56
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
ANITA IN HELSINKI The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm 1:1.8 is a beautiful, quality optic, and for this environmental study the focal length worked beautifully. The aperture of f1.8 allowed me to separate the subject from the surroundings and the light it can gather allowed me to shoot hand held in a darkish location, of course the in built in body five way image stabilisation the EM-1 is blessed with gives another huge helping hand. This is a BIG advantage in my eyes of the m4/3 system. I can gather f1.8’s worth of light and have the aperture throw the equivalent of approximately f3.5’s worth of depth of field in 35mm terms, now thats a big bonus in many cases, dark church interiors should no longer hold a feeling of deed for the savvy m4/3 photographer!
Window covered in Voile acting as a diffused fill
Key light is a “bare” window
Subject
Olympus OM-D EM-1 with M.Zuiko Digital 25mm 1:1.8
People sometimes pigeon hole me as a strobe photographer and although I use artificial light a lot that simply isn’t accurate. I like to think of myself as a photographer who uses and manipulates light, whatever the source, in this case the image is lit primarily with natural light. However that doesn’t mean you leave things to chance, even natural light can be manipulated and controlled. As you can see in essence this is really simple and very simply lit. The “Key” light is a window to the left of the camera, the window voile pulled back to allow maximum light in to the room to increase its strength and direction. The window immediately to the left of and behind the subject has a double layer of voile to cut down the intensity of the light so it acts just as a little wrapping fill. Finally a lamp was placed just out of frame to camera right, This adds a little warmth and accents our subject perfectly, adding further depth and dimension to the shot, helping tell that three dimensional lie.
Table Lamp acting as a little coloured “accent”
Placed foreground clutter
Visit www.damianmcgillicuddy.com to find out about our forthcoming photography events. Me with my OM-D EM-1 fitted with the Olympus 25mm
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Coming soon, exclusive Olympus “get to know your camera” and technique sessions. Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
57
spotlight Congratulations Charlotte Bellamy Achieving Craftsman status May 2014
58
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
59
The 50 Facing 50 Project A couple of years ago, Guild member Jo Blackwell was approaching her fiftieth birthday and started a blog to try to make sense of it all. She wrote... “how could this have happened? I was 30 only a few years ago, with four small children, supple knees, even a waistline! How could my hair be turning grey, my eyesight be blurring, my memory not be what it was? How could I be sleeping with a granddad, for goodness sake?”
jo blackwell
T
60
he project50 blog led to me picking up a camera and making an unexpected career-swerve as I became a professional photographer, a learning curve that helped distract me from my empty nest. I found myself connecting with others for whom this life change had come as a shock and, gradually, I began to seek out those who saw it as an opportunity rather than a disaster, for inspiration and advice. Putting out a call for volunteers on local radio and across social media, I travelled the length and breadth of the country interviewing and photographing my new role models. The participants fed me, put me up in their homes, shared confidences, hopes and laughter. It was a life-transforming experience for me, causing me to open up my heart and step into my own sixth decade with new found confidence and anticipation. Life can be good in your fifties and beyond! Why do I think there is a need to spread this message? Well, think about the representation of this age group in the media. Many of us have the greatest disposable income of any age group, yet the ads aimed at us are primarily for incontinence pads, funeral plans and cruises. I for one don’t relate to that, and nor do those I talk to. I’m not ready to “slow down” - I could be around for another 40 years and I have no intention of spending that time watching Countdown! My subjects are vibrant, active, adventurous, humorous, confident, comfortable in their own skin. 50 does not look the same as it did in our parents’ day. I’ve been struck by the variety of experience I’ve encountered. There’s Sandra, who has changed her job so that she can help Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
is gone for good. In the future, I’d like to take the portrait project on a road trip across the USA and, ultimately, further afield, to explore how other cultures embrace this time of life. All I need to do now is find the funds - and the courage - to do it!
Jo Blackwell June 2014 http://joblackwellphotography.co.uk/blog
look after her grandchildren, and Elaine , the same age, who has a seven year old daughter. Kim is looking forward to early retirement while Deborah has set up a new business. There are mountain bikers and runners, gardeners and designers. Musicians and travellers, artists and photographers. Neil took up skiing at 50. Brian shipped his motorbike to Alaska and spent 8 months riding South to Argentina at 56. And the best of it is that these opportunities and choices are available to us now in in the twenty-first century. There is no cookie cutter template for being 50 any more. Anything goes. One thing that we all have in common though is the tendency to pause around the time of our fiftieth birthday and reflect. Where have I been? Where am I now? Where am I going? Am I happy? If not, what am I going to do about it? For me, turning 50 saw the blossoming of a determination to start living life on my own terms, part of which involves trying to work and live both with integrity and enjoyment. Unfortunately, for some, this can also be a time to overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable, sometimes to fight ill health, and deal with emotional upheaval as life changes. We all need to be inspired sometimes. That is what I hope this project will achieve. project50 is not just about me any more. It never really was. I want to show that we over fifties are a force to be reckoned with and to inspire those who are struggling to adapt to the life changes this period can bring. The portraits show people being who they are and doing what they love. They show there is beauty in maturity. And that there is a whole world of experience beyond the cult of Youth that currently dominates in our society. I published a Blurb book for the participants in the 50 Facing 50 project to buy, then put the project aside as I got on with living and building my business. The blog too is now dormant - I’ve said all I want to say about my own leap into my fifties. However, I’ve tried all kinds of photography, but I still find myself drawn to creating portraits of interesting older people, so I don’t feel that project50 Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
61
spotlight Congratulations Jeff Boston Achieving Qualified status March 2014
62
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
63
First iPhone Art Exhibition in Ireland Northern Ireland based Gerry Coe’s Phone-Art exhibition opened in Bangor Carnegie Library during April of this year. The first ever exhibition of Phone Art in Ireland. Creative Light talks to Gerry about his work and this article aims to bring you a small insight into the life and work of one of the industry’s great photographers.
gerry coe
D
64
espite his ‘Norn Iron’ accent, Gerry was actually born in England and apart from living there for 6 months, he has spent the rest of his life in Ireland. Belfast was his hometown and the location of his studio, up until he got married and moved to Bangor, Co. Down, where he currently resides and works, after shutting down his studio in Belfast two and a half years ago. Gerry and his wife also have a home in Spain, which they spend a lot of their spare time relaxing as well as traveling to surrounding parts. Valencia, Grenada, Italy, Rome and Tuscany are some of Gerry’s favorite cities and places as he believes they are great photographic locations and are visually stimulating and exciting, come rain or shine. In his youth, Gerry left school and went to work for Lionel Salem (Linda Salem’s Father), before attending the very first City & Guilds Photography course held in Northern Ireland. Since then, Gerry has never stopped learning, whether is about mobile or iPhone apps or computer software and advises anyone who wants to become a photographer to ‘Watch, Listen and Learn’. Many portrait photographers take their inspiration from Gerry’s work, just as he has been inspired by many others. From classic photographers of all styles, up to the new generation of mobile photography artists. Gerry also took a lot inspiration for his much acclaimed work ‘Pencil Portraits’ from the book ‘Some Women’ by Robert Mapplethorpe, as well as many others including work on John Claridge, Phil Borges, John Sexton, Rolf Horn and John Blakemore. He also credits the style of photographer he is today upon his early employers in Belfast - Lionel Salem and Robert Anderson. Gerry’s greatest Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
“
Really try to be different and produce a product that is appealing to the client. If you just do what everyone else does, then all the client can compare you on is price.�
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
65
inspiration however, came from his good friend Jim Moreland who sadly died recently. Their two styles were very different, yet both highly appreciated by each other. Gerry states that Jim was very much in the classical style of photography, and one of the greatest environmental portrait photographers he has ever seen, whereas Gerry believes he veered more towards the ‘Art’ side, by taking some of his inspiration from the Impressionist Artists, particularly with his most recently ventured approach of ‘Mobile Photography’. Now semi-retired, Gerry has been a Professional Photographer producing his light, high-key and natural portraiture style for over 50 years but now works a little more exclusively by just doing occasional jobs for long-standing clients and spending more time exploring his passion for bold, abstract and painterly, ‘Mobile Photography’. Gerry excelled in his field at time when a good portrait was appreciated, when people were prepared to pay and therefore make a good living from portrait photography. The technology of today has taken over, and one his pet-hates (as is the same for so many others) is that too many people claim that they are a photographer. By flashing a big shiny camera and watching a few ‘How To’ YouTube videos, or attending one seminar, they then go on to believe that they are an expert and advertise as a professional wedding or portrait photographer. Gerry, like so many others believe that this is the ruin of good photography as well as the ruin of special moments of which they are attempting to capture. “Really try to be different and produce a product that is appealing to the client. If you just do what everyone else does, then all the client can compare you on is price.” Apart from the in-depth knowledge of our field as photographers, we also need to be properly equipped with the tools that suit our professional style as well as what works efficiently and reliably. The tools for Gerry’s portraiture work has run through different era’s with Mamiya C330, Bronica SQ, Hassleblad and more recently Nikon. For example, his Nikon D7000 which he has not long sold for a Fuji X-T1 like so many others within the digital world. Despite this, Gerry is not an ‘equipment freak’ and has no real desires for anything in particular as he simply uses what best works for him and just plays around with different lenses such as the 56mm f1.2 and a wide angle for the Fuji X-T1. With regard to lighting, Gerry was using Bowens lighting with soft boxes but now, if he does a sitting, he works with the use of Nikon Speedlights which will work with the Fuji camera and takes a large Lastolite background when going to a client’s house. Gerry’s added advice to upcoming photographers or those seeking a career within in the industry is too join a professional organization and get properly accredited. Nowadays, clients
66
seek the letters after a name and a substantial portrayal of experience before they part with, to them, a large sum of money. Competitions and photographic accolades are what assures the general public that we are good are what we do and sets us apart from ‘Uncle Bob’. Gerry started his journey to becoming a photographer through a photographic competition. At 13 years of age, he used his family’s Ilford Sportmatic with 7 shots left over on the roll from the last holiday and entered the Blue Peter competition to ‘Photograph Your Pet’. Gerry, however, didn’t have a pet and so borrowed the neighbour’s dog. As he says, ‘“The photo’s were rubbish”! and he didn’t win, but after using the Ilford camera for a while, he persuaded his Father to buy him a Halina 35X and thus, his photographic journey began. Since that very first competition, Gerry went on to enter countless others. His next venture was at the age of 17 where he achieved his first ever win for a photograph. He won the Practical Photography Portrait Competition and his prize was 5 Guineas (£5 and 5 shillings) which was almost double his weekly wage of that time, £3.10. Until this day, Gerry is one of a very small amount of people to have achieved such photographic greats and have the highest accolades to account for it. He is simply a great photographer and artist, who is humble throughout his vast achievements. Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
The “Lone Tree”
Gerry Coe’s recent and most used tool for his mobile photography creations is the iPhone. Creative Light asked Gerry to talk us through one of his panel submissions. The “Lone Tree” was taken in Italy when I was first experimenting with my iPhone. I loved the look of the tree on the hill and the white dirt road leading up to it so I took a series of images, close-up and further away. I had been using my Nikon for the first day and then the iPhone, next day it was the iPhone and then the Nikon and on the third day it was just the iPhone. This picture was taken on the third day. It was on the plane, on the way back from Italy when a friend said “What are you going to do with these pictures? You can’t get a decent image out of a crappy wee iPhone camera!” Well I decided to show him what could be achieved and started to work on the black and white version of the tree. When I had finished he was still very sceptical but I thought ‘this looks good’ and so I saved it. The “Lone Tree” has done very well for me and a slight variation won me the BIPP/Towergate Fine Art photographer of the year and it has also been sold as a book cover as well as selling prints of it.”
Gerry Coe www.iphone-art.co.uk www.gerrycoe.co.uk Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
67
“
68
I am still always nervous when I enter competitions because I never ever feel they are good enough to win anything and sometimes that is correct.�
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
“
Realising that there are so many, much more talented people out there and seeing their work can be an inspiration, which can set one off on a new voyage of discovery.�
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
69
naughty boys Š 2014 Mark Lynham http://www.marklynham.com
70
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2
Issue 2 - Creative Light Magazine
71
“Syd” © Penny Hardie www.pennyhardie.com 72
Creative Light Magazine - Issue 2