Creative Light - Issue 48 by Guild of Photographers

Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

Prints as good as it looks The Epson SureColor SC-P700 and SC-P900 photo printers are as pleasing to the eye as the prints they produce. These professional-level, compact A3+ and A2+ printers produce sharper detail and smoother gradations using the deepest blacks and superb blue tones. For more information on how Epson has redefined the design and output of professional photo printers, visit www.epson.co.uk/professional-photography

: March | April 2022 - Issue 48

CONTENTS 19

Simon Newbury Composites, Techniques & Photoshop

Peter Morgan Camera to Client Series - Part II

Claire Elliott Newborn Top Tips A-Z

Lynne Harper New Panel Member

Julie Oswin Likeability & Super Sales

Gold Awards January & February 2022

EDITOR

Julie Oswin

Welcome to the 48th edition of Creative Light. The Spring Equinox is the moment when Winter ends and Spring begins! Really? We’ve just had a spell of gorgeous Spring sunshine followed by a cold snap and snow! Only in the UK... As the saying goes, “if you don’t like the weather - just wait five minutes!” All businesses experience lean periods; no matter how hard you try, the enquiries seem to dry up, especially now after the last couple of years of Covid and the Pandemic. It seems impossible to convert the enquiry into a sale or a booking. When things aren’t going well, and our bookings are down, we immediately overthink everything and look for problems in our business, convincing ourselves it is our photography or our prices. When we talk to prospective clients, we hesitate to wait for the objections to come; we make excuses believing that there will be objections... “I’m too expensive...” “the studio down the road is selling all their digital files for £20 - how am I supposed to compete with that?” One of the first things we must do is believe in our business, our photography, and ourselves. Once we relax and stop trying so hard, business starts to pick up, and the enquiries begin to come in. This edition of Creative Light introduces and welcomes our new Panel Member and Judge, Lynne Harper. Lynne is a Newborn & Portrait Photographer based in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, and she is the only Newborn & Baby Master Craftsman in Scotland. On page 19, we start a new Photoshop Editing Series with Simon Newbury (simonsart.co.uk). Simon has been a Guild member since 2015 and creates fantastic imagery; he has agreed to share and produce a series of articles for Creative Light. And finally, last but not least, Peter Morgan from Tech for Togs continues with his series of articles on “Camera to Client”, which is an excellent insight into backing up your work. Enjoy! - Julie Oswin, Editor & Creator of Creative Light Magazine

FRONT COVER A stunning capture of an Osprey with so much connection with the viewer and so beautifully photographed by Gary Neville. This image was in the ‘Top Ten Bird Category’ and an Image of the Year 2021 Finalist. Celebrating his 50th Birthday in March 2022 Gary was so thrilled to have his image selected for the front cover of this 48th edition! Superb image Gary so glad we made it work in portrait format. x

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EDITORS CHOICE Sharon Bolt Awarded Silver - Feb 2022

“ When viewing a beautiful photograph of a horse in motion, I just think that they hear and dance to music inside their head.” – Julie

Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

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Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

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Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

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Simon Newbury

Composites, Techniques & Photoshop “I’ve been a Guild member since 2015. I started life as a portrait artist, and I have always used my camera for reference. Photography was a career path that ran alongside a myriad of different jobs, including acting professionally, manufacturing power amplifiers and laser-gun equipment, running two hotels and even a (very) short stint on the checkouts at Asda. Then, during the early noughties, I had a dramatic and fundamental shift in my life when I married and had children shortly after. For many years I was the house-husband and carer for our children. Still, they grew, and I returned to art and photography, with photography soon becoming my primary source of income. The evolution of Photoshop let me increasingly combine the art side, too, culminating in my speciality: - the intricate multi-image composites that have brought me a significant degree of professional recognition. In a series of articles in Creative Light Magazine, I will be sharing details and editing techniques I use to create various elements of my photography with Photoshop.” - Simon We are delighted to feature Simon’s amazing creative photography with the readership of Creative Light and Simon will be sharing his ‘top tips’ and ‘technique’ s in Photoshop starting with ‘selections’.

Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

SIMON NEWBURY Professional Photographer

Photoshop is my chosen software to mask an object in an image and there are numerous ways to do it... ... we have the Pen Tool; the Curvature Pen Tool; the Freeform Pen Tool; the Quick Selection Tool; the Magic Wand Tool; the Object Selection Tool; Select Subject; the Lasso Tool; the Polygonal Lasso Tool; the Magnetic Lasso tool, and well, I think that’s about it, but you get the idea! Each of these can be fantastic for outlining an object before refining the selection, and often you’ll find you end up using several for one selection. I’m here to help you make a choice and get the best mask you can.

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# The Pen Tool This is the go-to for making a decent selection for hard edges and curves, like cars and bikes. There are two other versions nestled in the tool’s dock - the Freeform and Curvature Pen tools. These are more for creating vector illustrations and the like, so you can ignore these for the moment as they don’t allow enough control for an accurate selection. The best thing about the pen tool is its forgiving nature. Sure, it can be a pain to learn, but you ask yourself why you didn’t use it sooner once mastered. The concept is pretty simple: You drop anchor points around an object to create a smooth outline to create a selection. To create a straight line, you click at one end and then click at the other end, and you have a straight line. If the object is curved, you click on the edge of the object and at the next point on the curve, click but don’t release. Instead, drag the point, and you will find a see-saw style line appear (as seen on the top anchor point in the image on the left) where the length and angle of the line control to curve radius and the centre-point of the curve. You can also accurately reposition the anchor point if you simultaneously hold down space whilst dragging the anchor point around. This lets you line it up perfectly on the edge of the object. Curves will always flow nicely into one another using the pen tool. However, there will be the occasion where you go from a gentle curve into a much tighter curve or indeed want to change direction entirely. To do this, complete the curve like the one on the edge of the windscreen pillar in the image on the left. Then, hold down ALT/Option and simply click on the anchor point and Ta-da! The See-Saw (I’m sure there’s a technical term for this) lines disappear, and the next anchor point you place will take you off in a new direction without the line trying to continue the flow of the previous curve. That’s about it for the creation; all you need to do now is click “Selection”, and the dialogue in the left image will appear. Now it does depend on what the subject is, but I tend to feather by one or one and a half pixels, for if it’s set to zero, you get a harsh, unrealistic cut-out. Lastly, use Select+Mask with all sliders at zero and output to New Layer with Layer Mask, and you’re done. Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine : 19

# Select Subject For me this is by far and away the best update to Photoshop in the last few years, and it improves with every release. It’s almost a one click wonder, and in some instances, depending on how clean the background is. It can be, however I often use it in conjunction with the Quick Selection Tool.

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In this image I wanted to drop in a subtle texture onto the plain background. This is an ideal candidate for select subject. A single click accurately outlines the subject, and Select+Mask doesn’t do too bad a job at creating the mask (I still prefer the previous version which can be found by holding shift before clicking S+M). The mask needs only a little honing around the chest and down the zip where the shadows on the background are just too similar in tone to the reflections on the leather jacket. You can see this clearly in the central image above. Now, you can try and correct it at this stage using the brush, but I prefer to create the mask and then tamper with it afterwards as I find it far more accurate that way as I have a tablet, those who still use mice might well prefer to let Photoshop do the work.

# Quick Selection Tool Or the “Slightly-more-accurate-than-the-magic-wand Tool” is one of the most versatile of the selection tools and is often employed alongside other tools for the perfect selection. The time to use it is when you have particularly cluttered backgrounds, foregrounds and when there is too greater a range of tone for the Magic Wand to work. In all honesty, I rarely use the Magic Wand tool as it’s next to useless on anything but pure colours and very distinct tones, such as picking out black text from a white background. In contrast, the Quick Selection tool is perfect for those rougher selections like bridal gowns or separating a sky from a skyline. I often use it for this purpose when I wish to treat the background and foreground separately, as I will now demonstrate with this straight-out-of-camera wedding shot.

The quickest way to work is to use the tool to select the sky, as there is far less tonal variance than in the foreground. Invert the selection using Ctrl/Cmd+i, and it’s into Select+Mask again. With trees, you will find the selection tends to stop on the outer edge of the leaves, so whilst in S+M, use a large 150px-or-more brush to paint all over the trees. Photoshop does an outstanding job of picking out the leaves from the sky, particularly when almost silhouetted, as per this example. There will be areas of the semi-transparent mask now, but it won’t be a problem unless you intend to change the sky to a different time of day (which I seriously can’t imagine why you’d want to). You may need a fine brush to paint back the mask in some areas – faces and sunsets have a habit of confusing PS – but other than that, you can now play with the sky as much as you want.

- Simon Newbury www.simonsart.co.uk Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine

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Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

Peter Morgan Camera to Client Series - Part II

Peter loves photography and gadgets. It would be safe to say he is obsessed with technology. He has worked in the computer and telecommunications industry from the age of 16. Peter is an Apple and Windows Engineer, Backup and Disaster Recovery Specialist and has been supporting individuals and businesses for over thirty years. He started a professional photography business in 2014 after selling his IT company to pursue his love of photography. Peter soon found out that his IT skills meant that great photographers trusted him with their businesses technology. Often he would trade his IT repair skills for photography training to learn as much as he could about every different genre and type of photography to create his own unique and quirky style. Like many other photographers, the global pandemic postponed Peter’s primary job as a professional photographer, so he began looking at the real problems photographers and creatives faced daily. This is when his idea for ‘Tech for Togs’ came into fruition as he was constantly being asked for help on Facebook Group with an average of 20 requests daily. He now runs this with his business partner Ross Grieve. Many photographers don’t have a robust, stress-tested backup solution. As a photographer, Peter finds that having the solution, workflow, and knowledge is invaluable for the creative industry. Peter will be creating a series of articles on “Camera to Client”. Following on from last month’s article on Storage drives, Peter discusses backups and disaster recovery.

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The ULTIMATE Backup Workflow Journey So…. what makes a RELIABLE backup? We start with three copies, two different sources, and at least one stored off-site. Three backups? Why the need for three backups! Surely this is not only time consuming but expensive? Read on, and I’ll explain... Would it surprise you to know that most commercial disaster recovery (DR) plans include three levels of backup security? Let’s look at the steps we need to take to ensure your data is backed up.

The above graph is an example of a backup solution. It looks complicated. But, we can easily break it down into seven straightforward steps.

STEP 1: THE SHOOT - MEDIA CAPTURE (SD CARDS) Starting with the photoshoot. Look at using a camera with two card slots. Use good quality, high-capacity cards and ideally, shoot using RAW to both cards simultaneously. Having images copying to both cards reduces your chances of losing files to card failure. Brands like Lexar or SanDisk are brilliant and have an extremely low failure rate.

Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

STEP 2: ONSITE BACKUP (USING A LACIE BOSS) OR SOMETHING SIMILAR A rugged drive is ideal if it’s being used outdoors or if you’re accident prone! These types of drives can be used for backing up whilst you’re out on a job - weddings are a great example where you might want to back up partway through a day.

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Devices like the LACIE BOSS can back up your content without being attached to a computer as they have an SD card reader built into the housing. They can also double as a charger for your phone, and using the downloadable app for Android or iPhone; you can view the contents of the drive once it’s backed up. However, the SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD does need to be connected to a computer or an iPad to view the drive’s contents using the USB-C lead included. The SSD drive inside makes it an incredibly fast, light and versatile backup option. STEP 3: IMPORT TO WORKING DRIVE What is a working drive? Before backing your completed content up on your NAS or onsite storage drive, you’ll probably want to perform some level of editing on your images. Storing the images on a fast, working drive attached to your computer solves two issues. Firstly, it doesn’t clog up your computer’s internal hard drive with lots of photos. Secondly, having a fast hard drive for editing means that programs like Adobe Lightroom can render the previews faster, helping you complete work quicker.

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To use your working drive, import your files to your computer from your camera cards or on-site backup. Then you can either drag your files from your memory card to a folder you’ve created on your attached working drive or import them and COPY directly using Adobe Lightroom. The latter step is slightly riskier as it uses a third-party application to transfer the files rather than doing it directly. However, doing it this way does save you the additional step of having to import and ADD into Adobe Lightroom.

STEP 4: EDIT YOUR CONTENT Complete your editing in your chosen application. STEP 5: EXPORT TO ZENFOLIO OR ANOTHER ONLINE CLIENT PLATFORM (OPTIONAL) You can include this optional step if you’re delivering images to paying clients or selling them via an online store. Zenfolio is a website build and data storage company that allows storage of Jpegs for free and RAW files at an additional small cost. Exporting from Adobe Lightroom to Zenfolio means clients get to see the images on a website, but they are also securely stored online in a separate location away from your home or working space. This would be considered an offsite backup. STEP 6: ONSITE BACKUP (SYNOLOGY NAS OR OTHER SIMILAR RAID REDUNDANCY SYSTEM) Literally, wherever you store your photos in a permanent setting, this is your onsite backup. You can use a Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive that plugs into your broadband router or an external drive attached to your computer. Network drives will be in an enclosure box with a RAID (Redundant array of inexpensive disks) configuration. Which essentially uses two or more disks in a single box to create a more resilient backup. With different types of RAID available, you’ll need to choose the appropriate one suitable for you and your way of working. Lastly, copy the completed images across to your onsite storage drive. Do this either within Adobe Lightroom (which preserves the storage location in your catalogue file) or by moving the files and then using the synchronise feature in Adobe Lightroom to show all your images in the new location. We recommend the Synology DS1821+ because of its simplicity in use and the key features such as expandability and reliability.

Synology DiskStation DS1821+ 8 bay NAS STEP 7: CLOUD BACKUP (BACKBLAZE B2) Carbonite, CrashPlan and Backblaze are examples of a cloud backup service. Accessible from pretty much any internet-capable device, they require one large backup and additional incremental smaller backups as you work, meaning you can access the latest version of a file or a previously edited version. We recommend Backblaze B2 cloud storage because the costs are reasonable, set and transparent. It also integrates with Synology making online cloud backup a seamless and hands-off experience. SUMMARY: This article should have given you an idea of what is needed to create a robust Camera to Client Backup System. For additional help and technical support, please see our webpage or check our Patreon page www.patreon.com/techfortogs for more content. - Peter Morgan; https://www.techfortogs.co.uk/ Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

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ECNARUSNI Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

: March | April 2022 - Issue 48

Claire Elliott MCrGNBP | Panel Member & Judge

NEWBORN TOP TIPS A-Z A – ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Getting the finer details right in the pose can make a huge difference. Flat fingers and tidy, smoothed out blankets are two great ones to look out for.

B – BABIES Our smallest clients are THE cutest, but we need to remember that they are people and should be treated with respect and love.

C – COMPOSITION & COMPOSITES Babies should not be left to support their own heads, either on their wrists or hands. Their little limbs are fragile, and remember, their head represents roughly a quarter of their overall body weight.

D – DIGNITY There can be so many things to think about at once during the session that sometimes it’s easy to forget about keeping the baby’s dignity. Try to be mindful of this.

E – EDITING Finding an editing workflow that works for you can reduce your editing time. Try to do most of the basic stuff in camera raw or Lightroom and then open to finish in Photoshop.

F – FOCUS Always focus on the baby’s eyes to make sure your images are as sharp as possible if you aren’t already; find out how to toggle your focus points so you can better compose your image in-camera.

G – GUIDANCE The parents will always be your best source of information for the individual baby. Take the parent’s guidance as some babies are born with conditions that will limit or cut out certain poses you can achieve. The parents will always know best.

H – HELP The parents love to get involved in the posing and styling, and the baby’s siblings are great for fetching hats and props. - Continued on page 34 Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine : 31

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Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

I – INFORMATION Gather as much information as you can of the parent’s needs and wants before the session day; this will help build a relationship and trust with them. Ringing or emailing for likes and dislikes, even if it’s very basic info you’re after, will make the parents feel you care about their opinion and can sometimes put nervous mums and dads at ease.

J – JOT, DOWN INFO FOR YOUR BLOG When mum’s feeding or sorting baby, it is an excellent time to chat about and write down all those special little things that happened during the session, ready for writing a great blog that the parents will love to recall back on.

K – KISS! I know all babies are squishy and adorable but try not to kiss the babies. It is not professional, and not all mums will approve.

L – LIGHT SOURCE My best advice is to learn your light and use it well, whether it is available light or flash. This is just as important, if not more, than learning to pose your babies in nice and safe poses.

M – METER Guessing and checking the back of the camera is not a good way to get the perfect exposure for your sessions. Always meter your light before setting the camera, then take your white balance reading.

N – NOISE

Babies love noise. White or constant low, dull noise can be very soothing to a newborn baby. Newborns find quietness uncomfortable. It’s noisier than you would think inside the womb.

O - OVERSHOOTING Taking too many images per pose can be a problem. The baby will become unsettled before you finish your flow of poses. Knowing precisely what you want to achieve will stop you from taking too many images and then having the problem of culling photos that look basically the same.

P – PATIENCE Learning to be patient with your smallest clients will really pay off in the long run. It’s easy to give up on a pose quickly; try giving yourself a few more minutes to settle the baby.

Q – QUESTIONS If the baby isn’t settling during the session, I ask the parents questions about the pregnancy and birth. Usually, they are eager to share their story. The droning voices will usually soothe the baby into submission and sleep.

R – RELAX If the baby isn’t relaxed when you start the session, you won’t get off to a good start. Ensuring the baby is well-fed, burped and feeling secure is essential. Waiting a little while longer to start posing will pay off when you see the gallery of finished images. 34

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S – SAFETY • Keep studio warm -- around 25-28 degrees; • Support the baby’s head -- use composites; • Weigh down heavy posing props with sandbags; • Don’t put babies into items that could break or force them into small props; • Don’t use glass props; • Watch for restricted circulation on the babies limbs; • Never leave the baby unattended – use a spotter at ALL times; • Don’t let the baby overheat – babies can’t regulate their temperature; • Never force baby into a pose; • Always wear your camera strap, especially when shooting above the baby.

T – TRAINING One of the best investments you will make in your business is training: lighting, safety/posing and editing. Investing at the beginning and having the skills to move forward will help you massively in the long run.

U – UMBILICAL CORD Between 5 and 15 days, after a baby is born, their cord stump will drop off. Be mindful when posing baby that it doesn’t scratch the tummy or lay onto the baby’s feet in the tummy poses. Some parents don’t want it visible in the photographs. Personally, I don’t clone it out, so ask the parent’s preference, so you have the chance to hide it with wraps etc., at the time of the session. Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

V – VALUE FOR MONEY Clients like to feel they have received value for their money. This doesn’t mean you should offer low prices, but the customer needs to feel they are getting what they have paid for. There are many amazing products out there to add a lot of value to a package for not much cost to you. Try to source products that aren’t readily available from the high street.

W – WORK/LIFE BALANCE This is an issue seen right through the industry. Work hard, YES, but you need to have downtime to have a balanced life. Hobby time, even if that’s watching tv (without the editing laptop in front of you), can be relaxing and will give your brain a break. If you are TOO busy, try outsourcing your editing OR put your prices up so you will make a higher wage for fewer work hours. Don’t be a busy fool.

X – XYLOPHONE? Whoever made the alphabet clearly didn’t think about those writing an A-Z of newborn photography; take this time slot to make yourself an XTRA nice drink as all this newborn photography work needs XTRA breaks.

Y – YUMMY MUMMY

At the time of the newborn shoot, babies mummy will be tired and maybe even exhausted. Try to take a little time to make her feel great. She has just been through a major time in her life and would appreciate some nice words. Kindness doesn’t cost anything.

Z – ZZZZZZZZZS Soooo tiring, on the brown and the body. You will need lots of these after a newborn session. Newborn photography is very tiring, and a session can last up to 3 or 4 hours depending on how you shoot and how settled the baby is. But saying that, I can’t think of a more rewarding job, creating such beautiful memories for parents and families.

- Claire Elliott MCrGNBP

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Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

Peter Li is an award-winning photographer based in London. His architectural artwork received 1st place in the Architecture Category at the Epson International Pano Awards 2018 and was Commended at the Sony World Photography Awards 2018. His work has been featured in The Times, Time Out London and in various photography and art publications.

How did you get your start in photography? I started shooting with a DSLR camera back in 2013 when my first child was born. Like many dads out there, I wanted to document my growing family. Having a wife who studied art, she has a very artistic eye and I am very lucky to have someone who would give me an honest critique. In the early days, I was independently studying/self-teaching photography every day and practising on a daily basis.

What type of photography are you shooting and what motivated you to focus on that genre? In 2015, I met two aspiring photographers who shared their passion for architecture photography with me. Through their inspiration, I have learnt to be attentive in achieving symmetry and am mindful in my composition and line work. Living in London, we have all sorts of architecture; we often find a classic gem nestled amongst modern skyscrapers. I owe London for fuelling my passion for this genre.

What has been your biggest achievement or obstacle along the way? One of the biggest challenges is to photograph a space completely empty, and often it’s the hardest thing to do, so to prep for the best conditions I try to plan my visits on the days that are least busy, and getting up early to be the first person there. In London, interiors can be tricky because often they would not allow the use of tripods. But on the positive side, photographing around London I had trained myself to have a steady hand for a slow shutter exposure. 38

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‘Megamind’ Royal Albert Hall, London. The auditorium of London’s Royal Albert Hall during lighting preparation for an upcoming show. It is fascinating to see the hall from floor to ceiling in such flying colours. The stage spotlight cast such dramatic shadows across the seating area and transforms the space into something quite otherworldly. It is a difficult scene to photograph, but challenging conditions often make great photos.

Who and/or what inspires you most? I often look for inspiration from paintings, movies and games. I started gaming from a very young age, and I think it has impacted my photography more so than any other art form.

What is your approach? Is there anything in particular you try to achieve during a shoot (for example triggering certain feelings, etc.) or are there any specific techniques you use? My work sits between realism and fantasy. Historical buildings such as Cathedrals or music theatres are often reminiscent of our history - they are intrinsically timeless and, in many ways, otherworldly.

‘Chessboard’ St Paul’s Cathedral, London. St Paul’s Cathedral is one of London’s finest Classic architecture gem, a masterpiece from Christopher Wren’s creations. My St Paul’s series has 3 parts, each section of the Cathedral has its very own style but marries seamlessly together. The chandeliers brighten the space evenly across the Nave, while the lack of deep shadows creates a minimalistic elegant scene.

With vertical panoramic photography (Vertorama), we are able to observe a three-dimensional space in its entirety, giving us a view/perspective beyond what the eye can see. It breaks us from reality, plays with our perception of shape and form and creates a sense of another world. Through my photography, I hope to impart fragments of fantasy to the viewer and encourage them to take a momentary step out of their reality

Why is accurate color important within your workflow? I print my work regularly, colour accuracy is very important, having a screen that could accurately render the colours will make the process much easier to manage. The subtle tonal difference of an image can convey a very different mood and message. https://amzn.to/2wDin8e Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine : 39

Alasdair Bunyan Qualified Guild Photographer

February 2022

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Lynne Harper NEW PANEL MEMBER

“Lynne is proud to be Scotland’s only Master Craftsman in newborn photography. Her main passion and specialism are styled newborn art and classic portraiture. Her notable achievements include being awarded the Guild’s ‘Newborn Photographer of the Year’ and ‘All Round Photographer of the Year’ in 2019 and gaining several international awards for her portrait and commercial photography. Lynne’s journey into photography started after the birth of her two daughters, and they continue to be her inspiration and feature in a number of her award-winning images. Having had success in the Image of the Year competition for six years, Lynne was delighted to join the Guild’s panel of judges this year, allowing her to share her competition experience and her technical and editing skills with others through training and mentoring.”

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Q: How did you first get interested in photography? I’ve always been interested in photography and appreciated other photographer’s work, but my passion for newborn photography grew after the birth of my daughter almost 13 years ago. I got my first DSLR and truly appreciated how important it was to capture memories as your children grow.

Q: What do you specifically look for first when creating your images? The first thing I look to do is come up with something unique. We all try to create something different to make our work stand out, and I’m always looking for inspiration. Next, I look for colour harmony. I like to either build a palette of complimentary tones of a single colour or go for a bold contrast such as blue and yellow or orange and teal.

Q: One piece of equipment that you cannot do without?

My camera! Last year I upgraded to the Canon R5, and I absolutely love it. I would struggle to go back from mirrorless now. Having a live view on a swivel screen is just brilliant!

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Q: Best buy for under £50? My Baby Shusher. I feel it not only relaxes the baby but gives the studio a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

Q: Favourite lens in your camera bag? It has to be my Canon 85mm f1.8. It’s my favourite lens for portraits.

Q: Apart from your camera, what is a piece of equipment you cannot do without and why? I think it would be my Sekonic L-308S light meter. It’s now automatic for me to measure the light every time I alter my set-up and saves me so much time in post-production as it ensures that the exposure is always correct on camera.

Q: How do you proof your work?

I always use a grey card; I make sure that my screen is colour calibrated before I start editing, and I go over my images at least 100% in Photoshop before delivering them to the client.

Q: What is your turnaround from your photoshoot to supplying your images to your client for proofing? I tell my clients that their proof images will be ready within 2-4 weeks, but I always aim to deliver within 2-3 weeks. I think it’s better to slightly under promise and over deliver in order to exceed the client’s expectations and never disappoint.

Q: What is the most challenging area of your photography? Newborn photography is a challenging genre, but it’s my favourite as I love its challenge. Working with babies, settling them, posing them safely and comfortably, lighting them correctly and editing skin tones are all skills that take time to learn. I’ve trained and worked hard to get to where I am and get so much satisfaction from looking at my images, knowing that I could only have dreamt of achieving anything like them ten years ago.

Q: What motivates you to get up in the morning? Sunshine and coffee!

Q: How has your style of photography developed or grown since you first started? My newborn photography style has developed and changed from using light pastel palettes when I started to dark tones and becoming more contrasty in the past few years. Tartan features heavily in my work now as I like to incorporate the heritage of the Scottish babies that I photograph. Tartans are usually darker tones, and therefore I have moved to darker backdrops to compliment my new style.

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Q: Do you use a tripod? If so, how important is it for your photography?

Q: How do you relax?

Very rarely do I use a tripod. I might use one if I’m doing headshots, but I tend to move around and find that hand-holding my camera works better for me.

With two children, a business and a house to run, I probably don’t relax as much as I should. However, my ideal chill out would be a chilled glass of wine with friends and family.

Q: What advice can you share for people interested in taking up photography?

Q: Three individual words that describe you?

Get training and work hard! There are so many resources online that you can access to start with, but in-person training is also very worthwhile. The Guild of Photographers’ Webinars is a great place to start. Particularly in relation to newborn photography, it’s essential to study safe practices and learn how to handle a pose a baby safely.

Q: How important is Photoshop/Lightroom and Post-Production to your photography? I only use Lightroom to set my white balance from my grey card, but I edit all my images in Photoshop. I correct skin tones with newborn photography and remove any distracting flakes of skin, etc. However, I like to keep every baby’s skin tone accurate to them and therefore hand edit every baby differently.

Q: What is your favourite place or subject that you have photographed, and why? My favourite subjects to photograph are my two daughters. They model for me whenever I ask, and I have won a number of awards for them. I’m very lucky!

Q: Developing your marketplace, how important was it to create your brand in your area? I’m based in Scotland, and my brand is heavily focussed on our Scottish heritage, darker colour palettes and using tartan. Many newborn photographers around me use light and airy, pastel palettes, so I think my brand helps to give me something unique in my area.

Patient, Determined, Creative;

Q: Favourite place in the world and why? It has to be New York. I love the laid back vibe, drinking wine in a sky bar at sunset, eating in the best restaurants and watching a Broadway show. I’m not a fan of shopping, but I could walk the streets of New York, taking in the sights all day.

Q: Favourite food? I like all food (except for goat’s cheese)! If I had to choose a cuisine, it would be Mexican - with extra jalapeños!

Q: Where next? This is my first year on the Guild of Photographer’s panel, and I’m enjoying the new challenge that it’s given me. I also train other photographers, and I’m looking forward to travelling further afield to teach this year now that restrictions are easing.

Q: Favourite suppliers? I get my prints and wall art from Digitalab and most of my newborn wooden props and posing aids from The Original Photoblocks Props. I’m in the process of setting up my new home studio, so I’m on the lookout for new products and backdrops! - Lynne Harper MCrGPP Website: www.lynneharper.com

Q: Who inspires you? The photography industry is full of insanely talented individuals. I’m inspired by those who work hard to drive their business forward whilst balancing personal and family life.

Q: If you were to be on a desert island and only take one item, what would it be? My phone.

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CEWE is proud to be a trade partner of The Guild of Photographers We’re Europe’s leading photo printing company, known for our passion for photography and commitment to delivering outstanding print quality. Combining your creativity with our craftsmanship is the best way to share the photographs you’re most proud of.

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Likeability and Successful Sales Julie Oswin Being

liked is one of the essential characteristics of a successful salesperson. Many super sellers do little more than get people to like them. But first, it is necessary to understand why likeability is so important. THE MIND IS POWERFUL Scientists have now calculated that, on average, we, in the developed world, make an average of 35,000 decisions a day. That’s right, 35,000 every day, and we make it look easy. How do we do that? The answer is that we employ two powerful tools in our brains. The first is our unconscious brain which is the most powerful part of our brain, processing 20,000,000 bits of information every second. On the other hand, our conscious brain can only handle 250 bits of information per second. Daily our brains make 35,000 decisions that are necessary for successful functioning. The second is how our unconscious brain works. Our unconscious can make many decisions because it repeatedly runs a complex series of simple rules like a powerful computer. Those rules have been learned by making decisions in the past, and the brain constantly reviewing the results. With the results, the unconscious brain recognises good rules and stores them to be used again when a similar situation occurs. THE FALLIBLE BRAIN Now, here is the vital bit for us. Those rules will work well for us – most of the time. But there are certain circumstances in which those rules will not work in our best interests. Circumstances where the situation is similar to a previous one but not the same. BUYING DECISIONS There are several rules that our brains use when making buying decisions when it comes to buying. By understanding those rules, we can, as salespeople, adapt our offers, and how we describe them will make it more likely that customers will buy from us! More importantly, at the prices we want them to. The techniques below are not foolproof; some people will be immune to them, just as there are strong enough beings to resist the ‘force’ (Star Wars). Still, they will improve our outcome most of the time. LIKEABILITY Have you heard of Joe Girard? Not many people have, yet he is famous in some circles as he was listed in the Guinness Book of World records as the seller of the most cars in one year (1,425 in 1973). In a 15 year career that spanned between 1963 and 1978, he sold more than 13,000 cars. When asked about his secret, he said, “I just do two things – get people to like me, and I give them a good deal.” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Girard] 52

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Psychologists have identified that likeability is an incredibly powerful motivator in social situations, but it has five main components. You may feel that there is nothing you can do about the first component, but that is far from the truth. We all have the body and looks we were born with, but some make more of those characteristics. You can do so much to improve the customer’s perception of your physical attractiveness. Here are a few things you can do; • Good grooming and a tidy appearance - present a much more professional look, whether casually or formally dressed. • Look interested; • Presenting a calm exterior; • Smiling- a natural smile is one of the most attractive properties that we possess. But don’t overdo it! You can soon turn into the “Joker” if you constantly smile! • Maintain eye contact with the person you are speaking to; How often do we hide away one of our most powerful tools of persuasion? We don’t smile enough; we don’t feel good today; we find the customer difficult; we are nervous or even because we think it isn’t appropriate to smile during client meetings. Have you ever been on holiday and met someone from the same town? But, if you had met them in your home town, you would have thought nothing of it. And yet, here you are, two people miles from home, and you come from the same town! Suddenly, you had a special connection because you come from the same town? This is the similarity in action. We see it in every part of our lives; supporters of the same football team, enjoying sports, drinking in the same bar. Finding something that you and your customers have in common will increase your likeability factor. We have all seen rich celebrities who are followed by hordes of lackies, all telling them they are wonderful – and we ask ourselves, “how can they be so shallow?” There has been a lot of research into this, and it has come to a very interesting conclusion - it turns out that we all like to be praised. And we, in turn, like people more if they praise us. If they give us praise that we recognise as true, the effect is really powerful, and can turn us from sworn enemies to best friends in the blink of an eye. But what about if the compliment is a false one? Interesting fact, it turns out we still like the person, though not quite as much. So for all those toadies employing a sound strategy to gain a position of security for themselves in the protection of their rich and famous guardian, do it to gain some kind of advantage. Why do we buy well-known products from brands like Coca Cola, Marks and Spencer, MacDonalds? Of course, these companies spend a lot of time and money creating a brand identity that we will engage with. But they do another thing too; they employ the principle of familiarity. Because we see their brand repeatedly, we become familiar with it. We attribute to it positive values, regardless of the message they are providing. So, when our trusted brand brings out a new product, we will buy it. You, too, can employ this principle in your business simply by keeping in touch with your customers on a regular basis. Remember Joe Girard? He used to send a postcard to each of his customers every year to tell them that he was thinking of them and that he “liked them”. Finally, when you cooperate with other people, you create an incredibly strong bond with them that is very difficult to break. So many of the psychological principles we discuss have their origins in the time when we first learned how to cooperate and live with each other in small communities. In those days, we relied on our neighbours for our survival, which is why some of these principles live so strongly in us now. Numerous studies have been documented where the researchers managed to completely change the attitudes of people who were aggressively opposed to each other and turn them into best friends. So, think about how you can cooperate on projects with your best customers; it will pay you enormous dividends. There is nothing rational about likeability. We find it in the oddest places, and we can rarely explain why we instantly like or dislike a person. But we do. So if you put some of this into practice, you will have an advantage because you will know what makes people like you and how to use that knowledge to make them like you more!

Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

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Eye-catching pens are more fruitful than using a business card! At UK Printed Pens we provide a complimentary design consultation, speedy free delivery of your pens and we ensure you will receive pens of the highest quality supplied by our team of friendly experienced staff.

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Lisa Mitchell

Qualified Guild Professional Photographer

February 2022

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JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2022

Sharon Bolt

Lorraine Lucas

Emily Endean

Edward Allistone

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Chris Chambers

Ian Knaggs

Sarah Wilkes

Simon Newbury Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

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Jaye Adams

Qualified Guild Wedding Photographers

February 2022

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THE GUILD OF PHOTOGRAPHERS “No other photographic body offers what the Guild does... get an incredible package of business support, training and mentoring by some of the most respected names in the industry, insurance, legal protection and the rights to use our respected membership logos”

Professional Membership costs £129 and Regular Membership costs £99

www.photoguild.co.uk

Let the Guild help you with your photographic journey like it has done for many others! The Guild is suitable for those in business, contemplating a career in photography, undertaking photography related courses, or even those who simply love using their camera. EMAIL info@photoguild.co.uk CALL 01782 970323 / 07982 613985 68

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THE GUILD’S PARTNERS + MEMBERS BENEFITS ALAMY The leading online photographic library for stock images. Guild members earn the first £500 commission free. www.alamy.com APPLESTORE Save up to 10% in store or online, as well as on refurbs and offers. www.apple.com/uk CEWE The largest European producer of photobooks is now available in the UK pro market. Guild members get an exclusive 20% off any CEWE photobook and wall art. www.cewe-photoworld.com DATACOLOR SPYDER Computer display colour calibration solutions. Guild members receive 20% savings. www.spyder.datacolor.com DIGITALAB Digitalab delivers high-quality printing, frames, and presentation products. Guild members - 50% OFF any sample products. www.digitalab.co.uk EPSON One of the largest manufacturers of printers, projectors, and much more. www.epson.co.uk GURUSHOTS Join the daily photo challenges, improve your photography and get rewarded. www.gurushots.com HANDPAINTED BACKDROPS Suppliers of stunning bespoke made backdrops, discounted for members. https://handpaintedbackdrops.co.uk/ HAHNEMUHLE FINE ART One of the oldest paper companies in Europe that live and breathes paper. 10% discount for Guild members. www.hahnemuehle.com HANDEPAY Guaranteed savings for Guild members on card processing fees. Discounted quotes for Guild members. www.handepay.co.uk INFOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY INSURANCE Unique savings for Guild members with this highly respected insurance company. www.infocusinsurance.co.uk

LOUPEDECK 10% discount on The Photo & Video Editing Console for photographers and videographers, for faster and more creative editing. www.loupedeck.com LOXLEY COLOUR Scottish professional imaging lab with a worldwide reputation. www.loxleycolour.com nPHOTO Special deal exclusively for Guild members of up to 60% discount. www.nphoto.co.uk ONE VISION IMAGING 30% OFF your first order. Special offers for Guild members. www.onevisionimaging.com PIXSY - ACT AGAINST COPYRIGHT Special Guild member offer worth £350 per year. www.pixsy.com PHANTOM FLIGHT DRONE SCHOOL Brilliant Guild discounts of up to 20% OFF Drone courses, lessons, and holidays. www.phantomflightdroneschool.co.uk PHOTO-SENSORY Pre-School Education Service offers five different class types. Guild members can be official photographers to Photo-Sensory. Contact Guild HQ SIM IMAGING Guild members only discount 10% www.simlab.co.uk SHUTTERTAX The online accounting option for photographers with a 20% discount for The Guild. www.shuttertax.co.uk UK PRINTED PENS Special discount for Guild members of 20% www.ukprintedpens.co.uk VISION MEDIA DESIGN UK Creative Design Agency. Guild Members - SAVE £95 off your new website or revamped design. www.visionmediadesign.co.uk WILKINSON CAMERAS Large range of photographic equipment and Guild members exclusive retail offers. www.wilkinson.co.uk 3XM Guild Members receive double points on every product order. www.3XMsolutions.com ( Trade discounts/offers are subject to change ) Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

DEMYSTIFYING COPYRIGHT The value of registering with the US Copyright Office - regardless of where you live When a photographer clicks the shutter button on their camera, they instantly become the copyright owner of the image created. Plainly put, owning the copyright means that the photographer has the exclusive right to reproduce, publish, or sell his or her original work (the image). An image used on or offline is, therefore, a copy of the original and requires the explicit approval of the photographer prior to use, typically through a licensing agreement or contract. To non-photographers, this concept is typically quite foreign. 70

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Many, including businesses, wrongly assume they are able to simply reuse an image they find on Google or Instagram, or the internet. As a result, image theft today is rampant across the internet, threatening the sustainability of the professional photography industry. Pixsy believes that every photographer should decide when and how their images are used, empowering photographers to protect their intellectual property rights through an AIpowered image monitoring and copyright infringement resolution service.

Pixsy currently monitors over 100 million images and has partnered with a network of over 25 law firms worldwide to handle over 100,000 copyright infringement cases for their photographer clients. As part of the protection and resolution process, Pixsy assists its photographers to register copyright ownership with the US Copyright Office (USCO) including bulk registrations of up to 750 images per registration. It is often believed that USCO registrations are limited to US-based photographers, however, registration is open to anyone and serves to protect photographers internationally against US-based infringements. With over 70% of the matches and infringements handled by Pixsy taking place in the United States, USCO Registrations are an integral part of any photographer’s toolkit. Not only does registration protect your work, it also increases the legal recourse available and increases the eventual settlement value in the event of an infringement. In order to file a lawsuit in the US for example, a USCO Registration is a requirement.

In order to file a lawsuit in the US for example, a USCO Registration is a requirement. If the registration was completed in a timely fashion, that is within the first three months of an image’s publication or before the date of infringement, then a photographer may be entitled to statutory damages of up to $150,000.

During the month of March, Pixsy will be offering a free consultation to Guild members with a Copyright Specialist. All GOP members have access to a special free partner plan, and access to all the protection tools and services Pixsy has to offer.

WIN A FREE COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION Issue 48 - Creative Light Magazine :

BACK PAGE BRONZE - Clara Allansson -

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Creative Light - Issue 48

Articles inside

Lynne Harper New Panel Member