Dawn Westwood Bronze Award - September 2022
Welcome to the 52nd Edition of Creative Light Magazine and the last edition for 2022. In this edition, we have Graphistudio’s Spotlight feature on Paul Wilkinson, who shares his photography journey with Creative Light.
Peter Morgan, Tech for Togs, continues with his techie articles, and for this issue, he has written his article on Adobe Lightroom.
Michelle Szpak discusses the mindset of photographers and asks? Are you
holding your business back? A great article which I am sure we are all familiar with the scenario. We have the lovely Emma Dunham, The Foodies Photographer, with a quick recipe for planning and creating a photoshoot with food! Well worth making notes for your reference. Gillian Devine has written for Creative Light again with an article on Branding Photography with a good insight into this popular area of photography. Finally, this is the last edition of 2022! As we look forward to 2023 and Christmas, I want to share a few words with you.
“ May the closeness of friends, the comfort of home, and the unity of family renew and lift your spirits this Christmas. And, may all that is beautiful and meaningful bring you happiness throughout the New Year.”
- Julie.
I was testing out a Hasselblad X1D II 50C camera when I took this image of Ahna. I had never photographed a model wearing white theatre makeup before, so I had my hair and makeup artist, Theresa, try it out. The makeup proved to be quite challenging to apply evenly, but in the end, it turned out quite lovely. I wanted to create a minimalist image that was different from my usual fine artwork. Photographer: @barbaramacferrin
- Barbara MacFerrin
Awarded Gold October 2022
Photo: Frankie Adamson
“Photography has been in my blood since I was 8 or 9 when my grandfather first let me use his Kodak Brownie. He was an oil painter and product designer and enthusiastically encouraged me to play with his camera. My parents were less excited about it as they had to fund this new-found passion! I still have one or two images I shot back thenthey’re not great, but I was hooked.
Having left university with a degree in Industrial Design and a PhD. in Artificial Intelligence (in Neural Networks for the geeks amongst you), I landed a job with Accenture - one of the biggest IT consultancies on the planet. As a Systems Architect and Project Manager, the job was incredible - and well-paid, which helps when you have an expensive hobby!
But, the job took me around the world, and I hated being away from Sarah and our kids.
At that moment, someone spotted some of our photographs on the wall and asked Sarah who the photographer was. That someone happened to own a marketing company, and the rest, as they say, is history. We engineered our way out of our jobs (Sarah had an incredible career in marketing) and built our photography business.”
- Paul Wilkinson
Any customer-facing business will tell you the same thing: your clients are your energy and the reason you get up in the morning. Every day I cannot wait to get into the studio, whether, for a portrait session, a client reveal or to retouch some images. I don’t need motivation - if anything, Sarah has to stop me from going in on my days off!
Having clients means there are always going to be things out of our control - not everyone we talk to is going to book, and not everyone who books is going to choose the ‘right’ pictures or spend what we hoped. The vast majority of our clients do, but there will inevitably be one or two who need help understanding why we charge what we do or value the experience and quality we provide.
It is all too easy to be distracted by the one or two that don’t go to plan; instead of celebrating the 99.9% of successes. But, of course, it will never be perfect 100% of the time (though we strive for it), so we have made a conscious decision not to dwell on the times we don’t win a job or don’t get the sales we would have liked.
The obvious answer to this question would (obviously) be my Nikon Z9 with the Z-Series 70200mm f2.8 on the front, but that is a given. Beyond the camera, I wouldn’t be without my team: Sarah and Michelle are both meticulous planners and gentle with our clients, whereas I am all about energy and creativity. It takes all of us to provide the images, the products and the experience our clients have come to expect! I am not sure they count as ‘equipment’, but they are the most essential thing in the business, after the camera!
Q: What is your favourite go-to lens, especially for your wedding photography?
The Nikon 70-200 is an incredible lens; I use it for everything from portraits and headshots to family groups and weddings. It is pin-sharp across its entire range, wide open or stopped down. I love the flexibility of it being (more or less) a natural view at 70mm to something more cinematic at 200mm. I couldn’t be without it.
We have used the same suppliers from the start. We picked them carefully, and we are fiercely loyal. It is too easy to be tempted by a show offer or Black Friday deal to jump ship or maybe order one product from here and another from there. But trust and loyalty take time to develop.
Q: What motivates you to get up in the morning?
Q: What have you found most challenging with your photography business?
Q: How important is it for you to build relationships with other businesses?
For every award I have won for canine portraits, I created the image in the studio, so you might think I’d prefer working inside rather than on location. However, I much prefer being out in the woods or on a hilltop - I love the thrill of available light (not just for dogs but for people too!)
Q: When working on weddings, what additional lighting equipment do you take along with you?
My kit bag has quite a lot of lighting in it: a Nikon SB900 Speedlight, two Godox V1n’s and two Godox AD200 Pros. These give me many options, from simple on-camera flash to multi-light setups around the dance floor. More recently, I also carry an Aputure 60x LED light. This is still a work in progress, but I love the control and flexibility of continuous light.
Q: What advice would you give members of The Guild of Photographers starting their photographic journey?
My parents gave me a million gifts and taught me countless lessons, the greatest of which was self-belief. They believed I could do whatever I wanted if I put my mind (and effort) to it.
I’ve always dreaded the idea of getting to the end of my time and wondering, “what if..?”
When an opportunity arises, I have always said “yes!” and figured out how later! So the best advice is to believe in what you’re doing and give it everything you’ve got. Listen to only those you trust (and no one else), and do not let anyone talk you down.
Your brand is crucial but needs to be more understood: it is not your logo or website colours (though they are a part of it). Your brand is you. Everything about you: the images you show, the clothes you wear, the language you use, the car you turn up in, your logo and your products. If your clients see it, hear it, interact with it, taste it, smell it or feel it, then it’s your brand. And it takes work!
Some of it is organic - you are who you are - but most of it can be defined and developed over time, just as your creativity is.
People buy what they see, so instead of thinking, “what do I want my brand to be?” believe, “who do I want my prospective clients to be?” Create avatars of your customer and work from there. Create logos, colours, image selections, language and products that appeal to those clients.
My signature is at the heart of our brand: on the top of every box, on the back of every album, and at the bottom of every image. I wouldn’t put it there if I wasn’t 100% proud of what we give to our clients. The signature is not the brand but the mark that signifies the quality we provide.
We keep our supplier list small so that each company receives a significant order volume from us. If we ever have a problem or need something unique, we have a relationship such that we can pick up the phone and sort it out. The service we provide our clients is second to none, and that is because the customer service we receive from our suppliers is second to none too!
Q: Photographing dogs which do you prefer, studio or locations to shoot dogs? And why?
Q: Graphistudio is one of your favourite suppliers. How long have you been using their products?
Can you expand on why and which ones etc.?
Graphistudio has been at the heart of our service for a decade or more, and this year, Sarah and I were thrilled when asked if we’d be Ambassadors for them. This is a tremendous honour for us after so many years of working alongside the best album company in the world!
Graphistudio offers a wealth of products and finishes, from the traditional matted album to gloriously eccentric finishes and ennoblements. However, the incredible quality of the print and the stunning finished product keeps us (and our clients) returning for more.
We can add little touches like my signature and our own branded satin ribbon inside each box, adding so much to the impact.
Every time our clients lift the lid and ease their new album out, we see their reaction; it is always the samesheer and utter joy.
And we know that will be the same reaction for a lifetime.
Q: How do you balance the business side of photography with your creative side?
Firstly, I am lucky that over the years, my clients have let me get creative whenever I want: they trust me and enjoy the process as we try things out. When we’re maxed out in the busiest parts of the year, it is easy to get bogged down and forget that creativity is part of the job. Those ‘experiments’ don’t always sell, of course, but at least I had the opportunity to try things.
Secondly, running a business is creative in its own right. You are piecing everything together, developing your brand, finding ways to sell and talk about your company, and designing logos and websites. All these are incredibly creative things to do. So thinking about your business with this mindset makes everything creative!
Q: What software do you use to design your album?
We use Pixellu Smart Albums. It is incredibly fast and wonderfully creative, especially when designing pages with numerous images, such as those of a wedding speech.
Smart Albums has templates for Graphistudio’s entire catalogue, so we can effortlessly guarantee the correct size, bleed and gutter is set with a single click!
We use it in conjunction with Adobe Indesign for the final production, where I have written a series of scripts to double-check everything is pixel-perfect.
Q: Post-processing of your images. Preference for Photoshop or Lightroom and how important is it to your finished work?
Each of our images starts in Lightroom for exposure/ colouring. If any pixel-level retouching is needed (removing skin blemishes or a beauty retouch), then I use Photoshop. Although Lightroom is getting more sophisticated with each release, it is still not a pixel editor (and probably never will be). But have you tried the new AI selection tools? Genius!
When it comes to portraits, I rarely use a tripod - they slow me down too much, and I have built a reputation for being quick and candid. But I still use one - there is always one in the Land Rover for those evening scenes when the exposure time creeps over the half-second mark.
Q: The lighting of images. What do you look for and your key elements when creating your shots?
Given I am primarily a portrait photographer, you won’t be surprised to hear that it is all about the lighting on the face - everything else will fall in behind it. There must always be a spark of light in the eyes (unless you have a creative reason not to).
If you have those catchlights, you are going in the right direction.
Although I own (at the last count) 17 different strobes, nearly all of my work is lit with just one light, making it simple to set up and create incredible results.
I love that light shapes a subject and gives it dimensionality, so I am constantly looking for both light and shade - it is rare for me to stick the light over the top of the camera unless I am shooting specifically for a beauty image.
Q: Where do you get the inspiration for an image? What attracts you?
I am always excited about things I see - whether it’s a music video, a film, a magazine cover or even the lighting on Strictly Come Dancing (yes, I know, don’t judge me!)
Everywhere you look, there is inspiration. Sometimes I read a book and an idea crashes into my head, sometimes the lyric from a song will do the same. Often, these concepts go nowhere until a particular client walks into the studio. Then, there may be something about how they look or talk that conjures up an idea I may have had a year or more ago.
Fill your life with as many experiences as you can, watching movies, reading, travelling, and noticing the world around you. Be excited about all of it; some of that excitement will trigger a thought or an idea in the future.
Q: Interesting facts about you?
Hmmm, well, who’s to say what’s interesting?
I have a PhD in Artificial Intelligence; I worked as a professional percussionist and received a university bursary to play with bands and orchestras.
I once knocked Prince Charles’ (now the King of England) cup of tea out of his hand as I crashed through him to take a photograph of one of his aides.
Thankfully he laughed, but I am half expecting a call from the high executioner now that he is King!
Oh, and Raymond Blanc OBE calls me “almost a genius”. Clearly, I have work to do!
Q: Three words that describe you? Excitable, energetic, and talkative.
Q: What is your favourite meal? Sarah’s homemade cottage pie - nothing to beat it!
October/November 2022
“An excellent reason for joining the Guild is to submit your work for assessment and progress through our membership levels. It is a way to measure and evidence your skill level, as well as show your customers that you are committed to providing them with the very best service. Whilst photography-related qualifications have always been a controversial issue, how do you judge an art form?
Our ‘Qualified’ status aligned to the standards of competence that reflect a level where the customer should be ‘pleased with the results’ when employing the services of a skilled tradesman (the photographer). In other words, ‘Qualified’ indicates professional ‘competence’ to a level where the Guild is willing to recognise the photographer as an ambassador of the association, so those who achieve that level should be proud of doing so”.
- Steve & Lesley Thirsk
Photographs are a fantastic way to capture a moment in time and what better way to preserve those cherished memories than immortalising them in print. Our Fuji-Film photo prints start from only 16p each, making these a cost friendly alternative to give a gift from the heart. Perfect for offering clients a selection of their favourite shots, all our standard photo prints ordered before 1pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the very same day. We’re proud to be recommended by photographers from all over the UK, offering fantastic print results at prices you’ll love.
From Fuji photo prints to Hahnemühle fine art prints, we have something to suit every package and every budget. We also offer a range of fantastic photo gifts that are personalised free of charge such as mugs, keyrings, notepads and jigsaws as well as a selection of festive favourites including baubles, snowflake tree decorations and glitter blocks.
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 since 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 discovered that his IT skills meant that great photographers trusted him with their business technology. Often he would trade his IT repair skills for photography training to learn as much as possible 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.
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.
For additional help and technical support, please see Peter’s webpage - Peter Morgan; https://www.techfortogs.co.uk
One of the subjects I get asked about most often is Lightroom. Some most frequently asked questions are, I can’t find my pictures, my catalogues have disappeared, or my folder is missing.
This article will give you some tips for using our favourite editing program which will improve your confidence and allow you to customise it to best suit your workflow.
Firstly, clean up and personalise your Lightroom navigation and work space. Clutter distracts from getting the job done.
1. How to remove the modules you don’t use. Lightroom has a number of extra modules. Map, Book, Web etc. Right click with your mouse on the menu at the top to bring up the drop-down menu. Left click the modules you don’t use to remove them. My essential modules are Library, Develop, Slideshow and Print.
2. How to personalise your branding in the app. Whilst this is not strictly a decluttering option, this looks good if you’re presenting or showing your screen to a client. Choosing personalised allows you to change the content and you can even change the font and size.
3. How to change the background colour when viewing an image in the develop module. I find the white background distracting when editing. Right clicking on the background to change it to a dark grey allows me to concentrate on the image without distraction.
4. How to manually hide the pop-up bottom panel. This creates another distraction as it pops up when the mouse pointer is moved over the bottom of the screen. By setting this to manual it will only appear when the arrow at the bottom is clicked. You can also do the same with the left and right panels.
5. How to turn on expanded cells. To get more information on your pictures in the Library module set the grid view style in the view tab from compact to expanded. This means you’ll see more information on the image on the grid. Changing the option to expanded cells allows you to right click on the photo information and change it to show whatever information you like.
Unless I am gathering photos from different folders together to share in a group, I don’t tend to use collections so this advice will focus on folders. I use a naming system that in folders that allows me to find where everything is quickly. However, if your current method is everything in the pictures folder or imported onto the desktop (please don’t do this!) these tips should help you find photos that may have been misplaced.
1. How to show the parent folder. The parent folder is the upper-level folder that a folder sits in. It’s a bit like making a folder in the pictures folder. The top-level folder on your Macintosh HD drive should be your username. If it doesn’t show in Lightroom right click on a folder and click show parent folder. Eventually you’ll get to your username.
How to synchronise your folders and find things you didn’t know were there. Synchronising drives allows you to get Lightroom to search the folder and subfolders below it (show photos in subfolders needs to be selected in the Library tab). Running the Synchronise command on a folder imports all the images not currently showing in Lightroom and removes all the ones that are showing previews but might have been moved or deleted (hint, they will show an exclamation mark in the corner of the preview if the image has been deleted or moved). Start by right clicking on the folder you want to check then select synchronise from the menu that pops up. It might take a bit of time to count the missing images but have patience. As an example below I have 27,000 images not currently showing in Lightroom and 157 that are showing as there but no longer actually exist on the drive.
This will take time and will show everything that it can find that can be recognised by lightroom (it’s only going to pull in photos and video files and doesn’t move them, it just catalogues where they are on the drive). You can then delete the images you no longer need in Lightroom, and it’ll also remove them from the hard drive.
Storing your catalogues on your computer’s internal hard drive can be problematic. If the computer crashes then you might be left with a corrupted or unusable catalogue. A better alternative would be to sort the pictures into years in your catalogue. If you shoot more than one genre have a folder for each genre, then a sub-folder for each year. Having only one catalogue to back up using Time Machine (or the equivalent PC application) makes it easier to find older images. I would recommend a Sandisk rugged SSD of at least double the size of your internal hard drive to store your catalogue on. Ideally your Lightroom backups should be stored on a different drive to your catalogue. Time machine will back these external drives up if they are attached at the time it is running. When Lightroom exits it will ask you where you want to back up – select the external drive. These tips will allow you to navigate and understand lightroom better and help you get the look, feel and useability that you want to maximise the efficiency of your workflow process.
- Peter Morgan, Tech for Togs
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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.
‘Chessboard’
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
As photographers, we delve into lighting, marketing, and photography training. But sometimes, we need to remember to pause and look at what our mindset is doing. If things aren’t working, we immediately think we aren’t good enough or that we just haven’t landed on the right marketing tool. We will often sit there blaming ourselves and our lack of knowledge. Or we grab the next idea that a photographer launches and hope this is the thing that will cause all our success.
The problem with all of this is that we don’t look at where the problem comes from—our mindset. Whether unconsciously or consciously, what we think or believe affects everything in our life. Be it in our business or our personal lives. OUR BELIEFS BECOME OUR REALITY.
Our brains are wired to make sure we are shown what we believe. I am sure you have all done this… you have 100s of amazing reviews from your clients. But one day, you have this
one review, someone who isn’t happy. Do you remember the amazing reviews? Nope, you end up focusing only on the bad review—the one confirming all your beliefs that you are not good enough.
Or you could have five good sales, but one client doesn’t buy anything. Again, you focus on the one not spending. I could go on and list so many more examples.
If you are nodding away at this, it is time to work on yourself. Because that is where success starts, it starts within. It starts with you believing in yourself and your business. Let go of the negative chatter in your mind and replace it with the positive. Sounds easy, right? I wish it were (although maybe that is a belief in itself).
It isn’t so much that it isn’t easy more like we have to re-condition ourselves and our brains from the years we have spent becoming who we are today. If you imagine you say to yourself, you are useless and have done so for the last
ten years every day at least five times a day. Your brain has heard and processed that you are useless 18’250 times! No wonder you are left believing it.
If you imagine a woodland completely overgrown, no person has been there in years. And you decide you are going to walk there daily. Walking the same route. You start cutting back the path, and each day you make the path easier to walk. After so many years, there will be a clear path through, and it will be an easy walk. In the beginning, it was hard going. Well, this is like the neural pathways in your brain that create habits and beliefs. To change them, you must start walking the new path daily to replace the old path until it becomes a habit and an easy place to go. Now, you are walking paths you have created without even realising it. These are your daily beliefs and habits. A bit like when you make a journey you do every day, and one day you think, how did I get here? You automatically followed the route with your subconscious.
So, look around you; look at where your life is now. This is where your thoughts and beliefs have given to you. Are you abundant? Are you stressed? Are you loving life or worrying about how you will get everything done? Are you busy being busy but now being busy on what is important? Today take a moment to take stock of where you are; if you can, journal on it to see where you are today.
The first step to change is awareness. Awareness is key. If you want to understand and see what beliefs are holding you back, then start to notice what you are saying. I personally carry a notebook with me to make a note of what you notice. What are you thinking about when you wake up? Are you excited for the day ahead, or is your first thought lack – I need more sleep, or I will never get everything done today?
When you get to work, do you jump straight in and get your most important tasks completed? Or do you sit there being distracted and playing on social media? Do you put off your editing or contacting clients? Ask yourself why I am doing this. What is my trigger or belief? Some examples are – I am not enough. My photography isn’t good enough. Or I am not worth the money I am charging.
This is the place to start truly understanding you and what you are doing to hold you back. Once you begin with awareness and understanding, you can then bring change.
You can build new thought processes and create better habits. You deserve to be happy and successful in the way you want, and often that key is in our mindset. Don’t be someone that ignores the foundations.
- Michelle SzpakFor more on Mindset follow me on social media @Photographersmindset Visit my Website www.photographersmindset.com - Why not come and subscribe to my Podcast: Photographers Mindset – Michelle Szpak
Christmas is on its way…this year, spread more joy with a deeply personal gift you’ve designed yourself.
Gillian Devine explains why this Genre is her Number One for Profit, Success, Joy and Ease, and why she feels it’s the photographer’s answer to success in the next year.
"I am massively passionate about the genre of Brand Photography, if not a little bit biased. I honestly believe this genre is THE best in so many ways, for me and for the photographers I mentor and indeed for all photographers! You name it, Brand Photography delivers it… perfect work life balance with short mid week shoots, a plethora of clients that need our services, creative work from clients who invest with ease, and a super profitable genre that is not yet as saturated as the others.
So what I am going to cover with you in this article is exactly what Brand Photography is, why it has been the answer to all my photography business prayers, and why I truly believe that this is THE genre to help photographers in the current climate make 2023 their best year yet.
Let me first introduce myself briefly. My name is Gillian Devine, a professional photographer of 15 years and now a business coach and mentor to thousands of other photographers helping them create the business of their dreams. I’ve worked as a professional photographer for 15 years across the different genres from weddings, babies, children and families, etc. I have also been through all the ups and downs of running a photography business, working weekends, missing out on family time, editing late into the night, finding it hard to price myself for profit and finding an empty business account at the end of the month despite feeling like I have worked all the hours god sends. But Brand Photography has definitely seen an end to all that. It’s given me perfect work life balance, creative and varied work with amazing business clients that invest easily in a service that is a necessity, not a luxury. It’s also delivered to me and the photographers I mentor high levels of profit and a joy that comes with getting paid up front before the shoot takes place.
So, if as a photographer you would like any of these then brand photography is for you…
• Higher levels of profit;
• Better life work balance;
• Varied creative work;
• Lots of clients available, who invest with ease;
• Get paid up front in full before the shoot; For example a 3 hour, mid week shoot, 2 hours edit, £1695.
In this genre, myself and the photographers I mentor have found business clients that invest with the knowledge that our photography services are necessary for business visibility and growth. It’s not an emotional purchase as in some other genres, and it’s not a luxury, but a necessary business decision and expense.
Stock images, badly taken selfies and inconsistent unprofessional visuals just don’t cut it anymore. Consumers and humans are visual creatures and so need something to feast their eyes on when shopping and investing. This is where brand photographers capitalising on this need for regular fresh professional “on brand” photography.
For photographers, the midweek shoots and light editing gives us back our evenings and weekend time. No more editing late into the night, as my brand shoots tend to be a 3 hour mid week shoot, and a light 2 hour edit.
For profit, in this genre, most of the deliverables are digital in nature and together with the fact that I don’t need a studio so have less overheads, the profit in this genre is immense. And isn’t that what all of us photographers want right now, more profit?
I have also found that this area of photography to be less saturated than the other genres such as families, babies, children, weddings, etc. There is a real chance for us photographers to build and establish ourselves as the go to brand photographer in our geographical area or industry niche.
So Brand Photography, what is it?
Well, essentially, brand photography is providing visual content for brands and businesses who need to market themselves, attract new clients and sell more of their stuff! These images are used across social media, websites, email communications and throughout all their marketing literature, to tell their story, showcase their products or services, and giving a consistent look feel and tone to the brand’s presence.
Business owners need to showcase their brand, their values, their personality as well as their products and services. Entrepreneurs and business owners today are building brands, not just selling products and services. Consumers are essentially visual beings, making decisions based on what they see, so the images that a brand or business uses are of crucial importance. With only 24% of text being read on marketing materials, and with a humans 8 second attention span, photographs have the power to stop the scroll and turn browsers into paying clients, much more than text or copy alone.
Using on-brand, personality packed professional photographs will enable the consumer to judge whether this business or brand is their ‘cup of tea’ and worthy of spending their hard earned cash with! We can’t be liked by everyone, and that’s ok. This is the same for people, businesses and brands. Deflecting your non ideal clients is as important and attracting your ideal clients when you are trying to build a brand and business presence.
You may ask, is this not similar to commercial photography? There is definitely an overlap, but in my opinion brand photography goes deeper on the business or brand’s back story, personality, values and mission. In my brand photography work I am usually working with smaller businesses and teams, even solopreneurs, and telling the full story of their brand and business in imagery, not just showing products and services.
To help potential customers make a buying decision, growing a relationship and connecting with that brand is crucial. Know like and trust is what consumers need to have before parting with money. It’s the know like trust journey that brand photography helps with.
So who are the clients for this genre ?
Everyone who owns a business, is trying to sell their ‘stuff’ or is trying to grow a personal or business brand.
Think of it this way, there were over 835,000 new businesses registered in the UK in 2021. And all of those business’s are going to need visual content to market themselves. That’s where us photographers come in. There are 5.5 million businesses in the UK and 99.9% of them are small to medium businesses who state their main challenges in business include the acquisition of more customers and to stand out from competition. For these challenges, marketing is the answer, and marketing needs visual content! When I was based in the UK I worked with many different business owners and in many different industries, from florists, to accountants, from yoga instructors to nutritionists. Now, with a base in Spain, I am working with online coaches who want to portray with brand and showcase travel, being location independant and living their best life. Our photography services are needed by so many businesses to capture a bank of story telling images, for them to market themselves, taking their audience on a journey to understand the business, the brand, their mission, their values, their personality, and the people behind it all. The photographs we create for our clients help them build relationships with potential clients through imagery, and connect and resonate with their audience. Our photographs are used for social media, websites, email marketing, PR, and even in store marketing such as brochures, menu’s, and other literature. I would love this article to inspire and motivate you to explore brand photography as an option for you in your photography business. It’s honestly been a game changer for me, and I would love it to be for you too.
You CAN create the business of your dreams. You have all you need right now. You have your kit, you have your skill and talent. Dedicate a little time and energy and you too could change your business for the better, and move into creating profit and success, whatever that looks like for you.
If you fancy having a closer look at a full gallery of one of my shoots, knowing exactly how I structure my prices and how I market to get clients, then I have a perfect free five day online training course for you… get registered right here www.gilliandevine.com/challenge
Gillian Devine is a Brand Photography Expert and Photographers Business Coach and Mentor. When she isn’t gadding about all over Europe for her photography clients, you will find her hosting training events and mentoring her photographer students on how to build profitable and successful businesses. She has recently been voted Photographers Trainer of the Year by The Societies Photography Association and is a number 1 best selling author in three business categories. If you register for one of her free events www.gilliandevine.com/challenge you will get access to her email to ask her any questions you would like.
With its signature round corners and a range of opulent details, the Bellissimo Fine Art is a premium album, popular amongst high-end clients. The Cotton Smooth offer a beautiful blank canvas with exceptional definition, while its lay-flat design allows you to feature edge-to-edge images across the entire spread. Pick from over 90 material types and a range of personalisations and finishing touches to make a luxury album as unique as your client.
NEW
For over 30 years, Loxley Colour has provided professional photographers with highquality, handcrafted prints and photo products. Discover the most popular products from our award-winning collection and learn why professional photographers trust Loxley Colour.
We’ve combined the traditional framed print with the popularity of canvas for this new wall display.
Wow your clients with your image printed directly onto aluminium. Customise with four print finishes and custom sizing!
NEW
Perfect for galleries and exhibitions, The Gallery Block features two options of print finishes and optional sparkle.
This stylish box can fit up to 15 Matted Prints and can feature an optional USB stick for even more image storage!
Add timeless elegance to any image with this wooden frame available in eight popular colours.
Our most versatile album and a client favourite, the Bellissimo Perfetto is a layflat storybook album.
Photo: Katie Brockman
Cameracraft is received exclusively by subscribers and members of The Guild of Photographers. It’s easy to get single copies or subscriptions and in addition to the printed magazine digital delivery is an eco-friendly low cost alternative which fully supports our unique magazine.
- David Kilpatrick
© Emily Endean
Photo: Michael Peat
Emma is an award-winning photographer with over 16 years of experience as a Professional Photographer, specialising in food and drink products and all things people related. She loves bringing your food to life by delving into the psychology of what makes customers want your food!
She creates beautiful custom imagery that ties the emotion of your food and your team into gorgeous storytelling visuals that tie your entire business brand together.
Emma helps business owners and entrepreneurs increase their visibility through a beautiful bank of bespoke images to attract their ideal clients.
Website: www.emmadunham.co.uk
According to UK-based company 75 Media, the average consumer is exposed to over 5000 advert or sponsored messages daily. So, how do we stand out from the crowd and get our humble food images to jump off the page?
Firstly, you need to take a beautiful photo – not just think beautiful food will carry the image. Every food ingredient, dish or product should have the opportunity to shine like a person on a photoshoot. Let the food dazzle in all it’s decadent saucy glory.
The best way to get a fantastic food shot is to think about …
1. The love you have for food when you are really hungry;
2. How your favourite food makes you go all Homer Simpson drooling with sound effects “uhhhHHhhrghhhuuuHHgruhhHh.”
That’s what you want to capture in the image of your food.
Food is fuel; it’s a basic necessity for us all; it can be carefully measured out for an athlete or scoffed down quickly for busy people on the go, but to photograph food, that’s not where we are going with our images. We need to entice and motivate our viewers as to why there is so much scrumptious food today.
Photographing food has to inspire people and get them to yearn, crave and hanker after what you are showing them. The food alone can’t do that, even if it’s the most aesthetically pleasing cake with a cherry on the top.
So we need to add dialogue to the food.
We want the food to be the experience – think afternoon tea, tasting menus, beertasting tours and cocktail mixing sessions. The experience is the food and drink.
It’s not a snatched moment in time to be endured.
To propel our viewer into the experience, we must create a Mary Poppins jumping into the chalk drawings (am I showing my age?) moment. So let’s break this down. Can we stick with cake? I do love a good cake chat!
Let’s start with the dialogue.
WHAT IS THE STORY OF YOUR CAKE?
Afternoon tea with mum.
• Decadent birthday celebration with friends;
• Anniversary cake at a milestone celebration;
• Christmas cake with all the traditional extras.
• At a posh hotel;
• In a comforting home;
• At a party venue;
• Outside in the sunshine;
• Inside wrapped up warm.
• A wooden table top, piece of wood, slate;
A tablecloth or table runner;
A piece of card, paper or textured surface;
A photography backdrop.
A cake stand;
A plate;
A baking tray;
Greaseproof paper.
Chopping board.
What’s the experience – decadent breakfast;
Where is it taking place – hotel on holiday;
What would they be doing – relaxing and listening to the sound of the waves;
Now you have a dialogue to your food, you have brought it to life.
Will there be tea, coffee, or champagne?
Does there need to be cream, crème fraiche, or clotted cream?
Do you need knives, forks or spoons?
Plates – how many? What size? What colour?
Napkins, table mats, what enhances the set-up?
xtra scene setters, holly, baubles, birthday presents, love hearts, and two rings?
This is essential for your camera; it will determine the angle you shoot from.
If the cake is prettiest when cut open, that determines that you need to slice it open. Main detail on the top of the cake? Then shoot higher/ 45 degrees or flat-lay.
When you have messed about with your food, there is no going back, so plan out what shots you want before you realise you have missed something.
For example (still with cake)
• Whole cake
• Whole cake with extra accompaniments and story
• Cake with a slice taken out
• Cake with a slice taken out with extra accompaniments and story
• Just the slice of cake
• Just the slice of cake with extra accompaniments and story
If you want to repurpose your cake with multiple set-ups, you need to think through the order of each set-up before cutting into the cake.
Your last shot may also be a drizzling of cream or a sprinkling of icing sugar – there is no going back from that, so work out your order of shoot images beforehand.
Once you have nailed the photography, you need to ensure you are showing this to the right audience.
A rugby-mad 18-year-old is not going to stop on their social media feed and be interested in a sweet 16-pretty pink cake. I know that’s an exaggeration, but we do this in smaller degrees.
We get a beautiful image and post it everywhere without actually thinking about who would be interested in a particular image.
Wouldn’t we better target a teenage magazine, TikTok, Snapchat or Dance & Drama Schools for a sweet 16th cake?
However, if we had created a giant rugby ball on a green buttercream pitch, wouldn’t a sportsmad individual at the local rugby club or reader/ follower of all things rugby and avid sports magazine reader want to get their hands on that?
Savvy placement of your images draws attention to you and what you do, and it comes back to not over-complicating what you are doing and remembering.
‘It’s not what you have; it’s how you use it.”
To get noticed with your food photography, you need to…
1. Decide what the story or celebration of your food is.
2. Set the scene by choosing the best backdrops and backgrounds for your story.
3. Compliment the scene by building the set to match the story.
4. Create a dialogue of what happens whilst eating your food.
5. Add in additional accompaniments that give a clear message to the dialogue.
6. Map out what shots you need before cutting, drizzling or sprinkling the cake.
7. Take a beautiful storytelling image that speaks to your intended viewer’s tummy.
8. Link the story to who you want to see this image.
9. Show it to the correct clients that will leap at the chance to buy it, read it, consume it and come back for more!!
Happy photographers – Happy clients. And there should be some cake left over to eat at the end; it’s good not to waste food!
- Emma Dunham
“ Thank you Emma for giving us your advice and an insight into the world of photographing food! “
Julie Oswin - Editor, Creative Light Magazine
r o f e s s i o n a l I n d e m n i t y
u b l i c L i a b i l i t y
o m m e r c i a l L e g a l E x p e n s e s
Photo: Barbara MacFerrin
US-based Copyright Lawyer Lauren Brown answers all your questions about copyright infringement on behalf of Pixsy.com.
To have your copyright-related questions answered, please send your questions to support@pixsy.com and we will try to publish them here. Each month, we will randomly select one question to win a Pixsy photographer package. Every winning package will consist of 6 months of free use of Pixsy’s professional award-winning reverse-image search tool, with access to their global team of professionals.
Q: I have a claim pending with the U.S. Copyright Office. I’ve heard it can take over a month for my claim to be processed. Why does it take so long? - Jonas, Los Angeles
I am glad you asked this question Jonas, because processing times for claims registered with United States federal agencies are notoriously slow, and the U.S. Copyright Office is no exception. The current average processing time for a copyright claim is 2.7 months. There are a number of reasons the processing time for a claim may be delayed, and anticipating some of those reasons can help shorten that time by t proactive measures.
The most common reasons a claim gets delayed longer than necessary are simple, administrative mistakes. Before submitting a claim, it is always a good idea to take a look at the section of the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices that is relevant to the type of claim you are filing and make sure you are adhering to their best practices. But in general, there are a few steps you can take that will help ensure your claim, no matter the type, is processed in as timely a manner as possible:
• File your claim and upload a copy of your work electronically, rather than through the mail.
• Make sure you have paid the filing fee.
• Monitor your email closely. The office may contact you with questions about your claim, and answering these as quickly as possible will help speed up the process.
Outside of typical administrative delays, processing times also lag when an electronic application is submitted but the applicant fails to upload the deposit within the allotted time, or when the applicant uploads an electronic deposit for a claim in which a physical deposit is required. The office will then need to communicate that requirement to you and you will need to send in the physical deposit, all of which takes time.
Additionally, claims will take longer than normal to process if the office has follow-up questions for you. This may happen because your claim is uniquely complex, or because the office has questions about your application or the work itself.
It is difficult to predict which types of claims the office is more likely to need further communication on, but by informing yourself about the requirements for your type of claim in advance, ensuring you follow all instructions carefully, and allotting ample time for both the processing of the claim and any additional communication that may be needed, you should be able to move through the process smoothly.
Q: I want to register my work with the Copyright Office so it is protected, but it’s been more than three months since I published it. What is the benefit of registration even if my images are not “timely registered”? - Jennifer, London
Jennifer, this is something I get asked frequently by photographers. In order to be considered “timely registered,” a work must be registered with the US Copyright Office within three months of its publication date, or before any infringement occurs. The primary benefits of having your work timely registered are realized during the litigation process, but there are numerous benefits to registering your work even if you do not meet the requirements for timely registration.
For certain works that have a “history of prerelease infringement,” the Copyright Office has introduced a process by which authors can “preregister” their work. If your work has been preregistered, you have evidence of infringement, and if you complete the full registration process within one month of becoming aware of the infringement, your work may also be considered “timely registered.” But, it is important to mindful that all works are not eligible for preregistration.
Three conditions must be met in order for your work to qualify for pre-registration:
1. The work is unpublished;
2. The work must be in the process of being prepared for commercial distribution; and
3. The work must be one of the following types:
a. Motion Pictures
b. Sound Recordings
c. Musical Compositions
d. Literary Works
e. Computer Programs
f. Advertising or Marketing Photographs
To start, the US Supreme Court has held that a copyright owner must possess a certificate of registration before they can initiate any copyright infringement litigation—whether the work was timely registered or not.
Even if you do not now anticipate bringing a lawsuit to protect your work, circumstances may change and it is wise to ensure that you at least have the option. At a current price of $65 for a standard application, the cost of registration is relatively low in light of the potential benefits.
Next, registering your work with the Copyright Office will likely increase your chances of being able to successfully stop infringement of your work without the need for litigation. A copy of a certificate of registration attached to a cease-and-desist letter adds authority to the demand and generally increases the likelihood that the infringer will stop their conduct before a lawsuit becomes necessary. Registration may also help copyright owners guard against importations of infringing copies of their work by allowing them to establish a record with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
Although still outside the requirements for timely registration, registration of a work before or within five years from the publication date will also serve as prima facie evidence of the copyright’s validity in court. What you, as a copyright owner, forfeit in the event your work is not timely registered is the ability to pursue statutory damages or recover attorneys’ fees should you choose to pursue litigation. The ability to pursue statutory damages and attorneys’ fees is a significant bonus of timely registration because it removes the burden on the copyright owner to show that they lost money as a result of the infringement, or “actual damages.” Per Section 504 of the Copyright Act, the amounts for statutory damages range from US$750-$30,000, but can be up to US$150,000 if it is shown that the infringement was “willful.”
If you can demonstrate that your actual damages exceed the allowed statutory damages, then it may be in your best interest to go through the extra steps of demonstrating you have suffered actual damages, but the benefit of timely registration is that there are remedies you can fall back on even if you can’t prove actual damages.
Q: I have proof that someone infringed on one of my registered photographs, but I don’t want to file a lawsuit. What will a law firm do to help me negotiate a settlement instead?
It is perfectly understandable that copyright owners want to avoid bringing litigation to protect their work(s). Litigation is costly and time-consuming, and you may not end up recovering much at the end of the day. That is why many copyright owners choose to engage in settlement negotiations with alleged infringers and resolve the dispute that way.
If you choose to go the settlement route, there are a few things you can expect that a law firm will do to help get you a favorable outcome. Anticipating some of the measures firms take in settling copyright infringement claims can help you help your legal team, and hopefully increase the efficiency of the process.
While every case is different and the strategy(s) used by a law firm will vary greatly depending on the facts of a particular case, you can generally expect that a law firm would, as part of a settlement negotiation:
• Provide evidence of as many instances of infringement as possible
• Emphasize any facts that may show the infringement was willful, not innocent
• Anticipate and be prepared to counter any claims of “fair use”
• Show that you, as the copyright owner, were financially harmed by the infringement
• Show that the infringer was somehow financially enriched by the infringement
This list is by no means exhaustive but should give copyright owners a general idea of what type of evidence and documentation is important to maintain in the event they need to pursue infringers of their copyright(s), and how they can help a law firm make the best possible case on their behalf.
Alternatively, I would recommend you try a service like Pixsy, which can take all the hard work out of the litigation process. They operate on a no-win/no-fee schedule and provide each photographer with a dedicated team to assist them with their claim.
For more information, go to Pixsy.com to learn more about how they might be able to help you.
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( Trade discounts/offers are subject to change )
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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.
