Creative Light - Issue 16 by Guild of Photographers

ANA BRANDT SALES DIGITAL MARKETING DOCUMENTARY PORTRAITS AVAILABLE LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Front Cover Saraya’s passion for travel and people has pushed her career into a more adventurous phase, and she has recently lived and worked abroad for various international NGO’s (non-governmental organisation) documenting social issues in countries as far as Tanzania and Nepal. Saraya skillfully manages to draw out her subjects feelings and emotions in a sensitive and empathetic nature. Her portraits are an observation and moment of connection, between two people, rather than the photographer and subject. See more of Saraya’s images on page 36.

saraya corti

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Contents features 10

Ana Brandt Belly Baby Love

32 38 50 54

Laura Hampton Capturing your Audience

76 82 90

Saraya Cortaville Documentary Portraiture Nik Proctor You’ve Lost the Sale Glyn Dewis Tip Sheet Book Reviews

Kenny Martin Available Light Photography - Part Three Rob Hill Qualification Journey

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STEVE & LESLEY THIRSK The Guild of Photographers

It’s hard to believe that the summer is now well behind us and Autumn is well and truly here. As ever a lot has happened within the Guild in the 2 months window since the last edition of Creative Light. One of the big changes in that time has been the introduction of an amazing new Cloud based Unlimited Back-Up and Unlimited Storage facility for members, due to an exciting new partnership with brand leaders Code42 CrashPlan. No uploaded file is ever deleted from the Back-Up Server even if deleted from a PC or Mac, and the Back-Up even protects against Ransomware. Members can have incredible reassurance that they are fully protected by who we see as the worlds leading brand! Full details about this are on pages 8-9 of this magazine. We have also reviewed and renewed our unique business support package which offers so much. Those who run a business can get direct 24/7 access to a legal helpline, and there’s a debt recovery service, contract dispute cover, Tax Investigation protection, Loss of Earnings Protection and much more - all at no extra cost for our Pro members. These things combined with our Copyright protection service through Pixsy and discounted PL and PI insurance from InFocus, mean we have an incredible package in place for those in business as well as those who aren’t of course! During these last 2 months, we have also seen a large up take in our Mentoring programme, which is great news! The opportunity to speak to a very experienced mentor on a 121 business is invaluable and can have a huge impact on photographer’s work and businesses. It’s very satisfying to watch people and businesses develop through this process, hence our delight with this growth in numbers! Speaking of improving photographic skills, we have been on the road with our Chair and Vice-Chair of Judges at PhotoHubs days (plus other special guests), where they have run seminars about ‘Creating Award Winning images suitable for Competitions, Qualifications and Clients’. These have been sell out days and are amazing value! The next PhotoHub training day is planned for 10th November 2016 at Epson’s HQ in Hemel Hempstead where, as well as our Judging presentation by Kevin Pengelly and Julie Oswin, there will be others by Photographer of the Year Chris Chambers and London based fashion and beauty photographer Rosella Vanon! You’ll find out more about the event at the PhotoHubs website – and it’s worth signing up to the Hubs newsletter from there to keep in touch about future events (www.photohubs.co.uk). The plans are in place for our Awards (and social) night at the stunning Crewe Hall in Cheshire on the 4th February 2017, and around half the tickets have already been snapped up, so if you are thinking of coming to what is, without doubt, the highlight of the year please make sure you don’t miss out. You can find out more about that on the events section of the Guild’s website (www.photoguild.co.uk) we are sure you will love the content, pulled together by our Editor Julie Oswin. Each edition just gets better and better, and this 16th edition is a very special edition for us as for within days of its release we are confident that Creative Light will have reached over a million people since its inception. Incidentally, we are delighted to announce that 3 lucky winners of the superb Asuka Curve book competition in the last edition were Dave Wagstaff-Myers, Colin Daniels and Dave Hudson. Congratulations to the three of you. We will be in touch with details. Finally, staying with the Newborn theme, we believe that the SIB’s (Stand In Baby’s) will be arriving in the UK in late November, and the Guild will be distributing them to those that ordered them as quickly as possible after that. Enjoy the read! - Steve & Lesley Thirsk Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Editor There has been a change in the weather over the last few weeks with the sudden arrival of

the cold, damp evenings and early morning fog; the darker nights are drawing in! The garden has suddenly started to look tired, and there is a chill in the air. Winter is just around the corner. But it is not all doom & gloom! On a positive note, this is a good time to go through your products, check your records and find out what has been the most successful for you and which products have bombed. Start checking out the new products that are coming onto the market from the Guild’s Trade Partners and remember to keep up-to-date with growing trends. Be honest with yourself too, don’t keep products just because you like them, not everyone likes the same products as we do! Remember it is important to embrace any negative comments made about your photography and your business. Listen and learn from the criticism. Making mistakes concentrate the mind, you learn very quickly not to do it again, and therefore you will become stronger because of them. It just doesn’t feel like it when it happens, but I promise you will become stronger in time. Remember, things do happen for a reason. The readership of Creative Light has now reached over ONE MILLION people since the magazine was launched in April 2014 and I am extremely proud to be the Editor of Creative Light and thank you for the very kind messages you send me on a regular basis saying how much you enjoy the read. Keep them coming, it means a lot. What I love about being the Editor is that I can bring the stories of photographers and their photography from beyond the camera. We will be introducing Letters to the Editor page in the next edition, so please send in your letters to be selected to me at creativelight@julieoswin.co.uk. Also, I will be selecting an Editors Choice image from the IOM for each edition. This month I hve chosen the delightful image taken by Joanne Mendes. Are you off travelling soon? Check out the competition in this edition of Creative Light to win a fabulous backpack.

julie oswin

Finally, on a very happy note, I was thrilled to capture Claire and Peter Elliott’s special day when they renewed their wedding vows after 20 years in September. A brilliant day was had by all and I thought I would share a couple of Claire’s favourite photographs with you.

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editors choice Joanna Mendes Awarded Silver IOM September 2016

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An Amazing UNLIMITED ‘Back-Up and Storage’ Deal! T

he Guild of Photographers has partnered with Brand Leader Code 42 CRASHPLAN to offer what we think is an amazing comprehensive Back-Up and Storage service, at an unbelievable price!

Code 42 CRASHPLAN look after some of the biggest Tech companies out there (including Adobe and Apple), so you can be assured they will look after YOU through this great package! For just £25 per year + VAT (Yes - just £25), Guild members can now get an unequalled service for Windows, Mac and Linux. Our CRASHPLAN licences offer UNLIMITED Back-Up protection for up to 4 devices plus external devices as well as UNLIMITED Cloud Storage plus more besides. THIS SYSTEM OFFERS THE ULTIMATE BACK-UP PROTECTION - IT DOES NOT DELETE DATA FROM ITS SERVER EVEN IF YOU DELETE IT FROM YOUR COMPUTER. EVEN EXTERNAL DRIVES CAN BE BACKED-UP! As well as being able to Back-Up up to 4 devices rather than just one, you can also Back-Up external devices, which is a great bonus! Also, what is really clever is that you need not worry about external devices remaining connected, as is the case with many service providers. You can Back-Up external drives even if they are not connected 100% of the time! With this service, if a hard drive is backed up and then disconnected from the internet, the files will still be Backed Up as essentially Code42 is storing them in our Cloud, so access to them is possible all the time that you have a licence. IT’S SECURE This service offers ‘End to End’ security so users are protected even when uploading! Your files are always encrypted before being Backed-Up. IT’S SIMPLE The Back-Up process itself is automatic and continuous 24/7 once activated. IT’S FAST It stores data in EMEA which is much faster than US based systems. UNLIMITED VERSIONING IS INCLUDED Versioning allows you to back up to a previous version of a file/photograph you may have been working on from days or weeks ago. Many Back-Up service providers restrict how far back you can go to retrieve a file (eg no older than 30 days). The file version retention on this service is UNLIMITED, so you can restore or retrieve a file from any point in time, once Backed-Up! THERE’S EVEN PROTECTION AGAINST RANSOMWARE Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. It is on the rise, so much so that experts have stated that businesses should “plan for the inevitable ransomware incident”. Planning for the inevitable starts with deploying automatic, continuous endpoint. With our Code42 CrashPlan system in place, you can restore infected devices to where they were minutes before their files were maliciously encrypted. This capability has saved nearly half of Code42 customers more than £30,000! IT’S EASY TO RESTORE If you do need to recover files the process is as painless as can be for you have direct access to an administration dashboard. The system is that good that if you were unlucky enough to lose a laptop whilst abroad you can transfer all the data over to a new device. Plus if you ever get stuck …

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DIRECT 24/7 SUPPORT IS INCLUDED This can be by phone, email or chat, meaning you can get help and support when you need it! For less than 50p per week this unique partnership offers incredible protection! In short, this is THE BEST VALUE UNLIMITED MULTIPLE DEVICE BACK-UP AND STORAGE PACKAGE WE KNOW OF ANYWHERE! To take advantage of this or find out more simply email the Guild’s office – info@photoguild.co.uk

I trust CrashPlan to do a better job safekeeping my data than I can because “ Ultimately, that’s it’s business. I’d rather spend my time taking pictures.” Wall Street Journal

very excited that we are now able to provide the Code42 Crashplan cloud back“ Iupamfacility to the members of the Guild of Photographers. Features such as unlimited storage and versioning will enable the membership to create and maintain their archives indefinitely, something hugely useful to both professional and enthusiast alike.” - Nic Scott Managing Director UK&I

“ The most important, valuable add-on service that you can buy for yourself” “ Simply the best online Back-Up plan out there” -

Slate

About.com

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Ana Brandt

Ana Brandt is a California based award winning photographer, author, teacher and mother of 3 who has been specializing in pregnancy and newborn imagery for over 17 years. Her classic images for an established and growing A List clientele have appeared in numerous publications, books, websites, and physician offices. In the past two years, Ana has been named: – One of the top 5 Photographers in Orange County Fall 2016 – Readers Choice for Parenting Magazine in Orange County Fall 2016 One of the top 50 Family Photographers in the U.S. One of the top 10 Maternity Photographers in the World One of the top 10 Photographers in California One of the 50 Most Inspiring Photographers Ana also runs TAoPaN (The Art of Pregnancy and Newborn) which provides mentoring, workshops and an entire clothing line for photographers choosing to focus on the pregnancy and newborn stage. Ana pioneered the Maternity Dress movement as she was the first to design gowns specifically used for Maternity sessions over 8 yars ago. Her clothing line sells to over 60 countries. She also runs a Magazine under the same name - TAOPAN. As an adopted child, Ana has never seen what she looked like as a newborn. She believes you need to create a visual history of your life because “to know where you’re going, it’s important to know where you came from.” Ana’s latest work can be seen in Alicia Silverstone’s new book, The Kind Mama. Lastly you can also find her on her YouTube channel – www.anabrandtvideos.

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ÂŠ anamaria brandt Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

ÂŠ anamaria brandt

Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your photography and how did it all begin?

As a teenager I fell in love with photography. My adopted family was always taking pictures, and it just became a great hobby of mine. I never intended on being a photographer at all. I spent ten years as Aunt Ana with a camera photographing my nieces and nephews while going to school, then working as a web designer. One day I quit my day web job and never looked back!

Q: How did your Newborn & Baby Photography evolve?

I started specialising in maternity and newborn from the beginning. I had no interest in weddings, and I had already been shooting kids.

Q: Your favourite lens and why?

Canon 24-70 USM II - it is versatile and sharp

Q: Your preferred light source?

Natural light is amazing, but I shoot studio most of the time. So for the studio I love my Einstein and PLM.

Post-processing techniques, do you use your actions in photoshop/lightroom presets? I try to get as much as I can in the camera. I use very little actions for newborn and very few for maternity. I like Lemon Sky Actions the best.

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ÂŠ anamaria brandt

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

How did you develop and build your brand and what you do feel has helped your photography business to succeed? By being consistent in my work. If I change anything I stay that way for a long while. Through the ups and downs of the economy I have never stopped working or trying to perfect my craft.

Q: Locations for your shoots outdoors? Do you

choose them or are they part of your brief? I choose a new location each year… I have about seven locations I shoot at and am always looking for new.

Q: Your favourite location in the world and why?

The beach.. because I live in Southern California and the beach is always fabulous.

Q: What have you found the most challenging about running your own business?

Having the right staff at all times and making sure everyone stays on task. I can stay on task, but keeping employees focused can be an issue.

Apart from sheer hard work what would you say is the main ingredient to your success? Being self-motivated regardless of the circumstance. Getting back up when you fall.

Q: What would you say has been your career highlight to date?

Being on Creative Live was a big one. Whenever a Celebrity calls, that’s another one. This year it was being chosen as Readers Choice for Parenting Magazine because those who voted are from the community and clients I serve so it meant a great deal.

Advice would you give to newborn baby photographers just starting out? KEEP GOING NO MATTER WHAT. Photography is an art, and it takes time. It takes the time to perfect your skills, and every baby is different. Don’t give up just because you have a rough shoot.

Q: Where next?

I am launching my Professional Photography Event - THE BELLY BABY BEYOND CONFERENCE in May of 2017. I believe it will be the best conference ever!! http://www.bellybabybeyond.net

Q: Favourite food? Red meat

Q: Three individual words that describe you? I decided to ask my 11 year old daughter this questions and she replied creative, talented,

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ÂŠ anamaria brandt

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

loving.... she also says I am funny too! this! But that would be four words.

Ten years ago you revolutionised the maternity gown by being the first photographer to design them. How did that all come about? Thank you for noticing that! I used to go and buy material to wrap pregnant woman because I had nothing for them to wear. I had a friend who was a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothing designer, and I told her I wanted to design a simple maternity skirt instead of wrapping material. She introduced me to pattern makers and I first started with diaper covers. After that I aligned myself with amazing seamstresses to create one gown at a time. For five years no one was designing them but me, and then BOOM - it all exploded and became a huge thingâ&#x20AC;Ś Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so hard to believe it took that long to spread around.

Can you tell the readers about your trip to Brazil this year and the two-day workshop presenting on stage to over 600 photographers. Going to Brazil is amazing. I have been there three times, and the energy, love and support I have received from this Country are unmatched from anywhere in the world. In my workshops I teach transitional posing for pregnancy and for newborn. I like to work in a way that you can move from one pose to the next seamlessly. I love Brazil - it is one of my favorite Countries!

Thank you Ana for talking to Creative Light Magazine. Julie Oswin

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ÂŠ anamaria brandt

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

AsukaBook: flat-out,

page-turning genius

arnaby Aldrick shoots over 50 weddings a year. But he doesn’t just take photographs. He’s a compulsive storyteller. And Yorkshire-based Barnaby (36) confesses he gets a little help at the end of the day. The catalyst for a perfect visual record of the biggest day of a bride and groom’s lives is a book; an AsukaBook NeoClassic album. ‘People can easily see my shooting style online,” he says, “but it’s not until I meet them face-to-face and show them the brilliant NeoClassic that they realise this is the perfect way to tell their wedding day story. They see amazing, genuine photo-quality images jumping right off the pages.” He adds: “These high-tech books lay truly flat across the spine – and this enables me to run a double page spread; for example, a traditional group confetti shot - and not lose any detail at all down the middle.” And now the best-selling NeoClassic book just got even better. This album which boasts designable cushioned cover or hard cover with animal friendly leather or material cover options, now ships with a brand new customisable presentation case. ‘The NeoClassic is now a true ‘heirloom’ product’. Adds Barnaby. “With this brilliant new ‘lift top’ case, rather than the former slide-out standard, this book has become an ultra-modern take on a traditional heavyweight album. I just love it when you pull out the book – it’s really got some substance. It now has a very real ‘WOW’ factor and it’s a true heirloom product. So often in the past brides have spent fortunes on heavy albums that get passed around the lounge once or twice and then get dismissed to the loft for fifty years.” Now with AsukaBook NeoClassic customers can just keep them in the lounge and pull them out whenever they feel like it.

asukabook

But the story doesn’t end with the sale of the photo book for Barnaby. “AsukaBook has become something akin to an extension of my business”, he smiles. “Whenever I need any help or advice I just ring Andrew Moorcroft (01992 631414) and he has all the answers at his fingertips.” Kent-based husband and wife photo-duo Louisa and Duncan Dettmer are also AsukaBook NeoClassic disciples. Says Louisa: “We’ve been shooting weddings together for ten years and we are committed users of AsukaBook products. The NeoClassic really is a classic in its own right. Duncan researched the entire market before we made our decision about our album supplier. This is an upmarket range and the profit margins for us are excellent.” She adds: “It’s an easy sell to customers because their images look so gorgeous on its pages. The book, with its thick board pages, has the satisfactory weight of a traditional album but all the design possibilities of a modern photo book. And now with the brilliant new case it’s no longer a juggling match to get it back in the box.” The brand new Zen Layflat Impact X launches: Now AsukaBook has launched a stunning addition to its Zen Layflat Series; Zen Layflat Impact X. Oozing luxury, this linen fabric-covered book, complete with engraved wood plaque comes in a deluxe presentation box. In common with the Zen Layflat range, Impact X includes magazine-style pages with layflat binding, allowing full image display with no gutter loss.

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AsukaBook UK & Ireland’s Andrew Moorcroft says: “This is a perfect time for professional photographers to engage with us. The NeoClassic is our most popular product for wedding photographers – and this new version, with its exclusive lift top case, is already gaining plaudits.” The thicker, board-style pages are available in laminate matte or glossy finish and printed in exquisite six colour. There is a space to insert a DVD - or this book can be ordered with no disc space.” He adds: “The new Zen Layflat Impact X is a true luxury product with thin magazine pages and a linen fabric cover.” Wiltshire-based photographer Mark Cockerton uses the Zen Layflat Series and has been trialling the new Impact X luxury album: He says: “I run a business creating high quality photo books that portray the spirit of people’s houses; the inner essence of a home. The new Impact X comes in a very cleverly engineered presentation box – and as you lift open the outer cover, the book actually raises up. It’s so ingenious. The interior finish of the book case is really beautiful. For my initial sample I chose matte laminate pages with a natural linen cover, enhanced by the new little wooden plate. It’s absolutely perfect.” Parent album offer: (Ends December 31st 2016) Buy a main album plus a parent album and receive an extra parent album, free. ‘The album offer is available for both the Zen and NeoClassic ranges. For Zen orders, the main album must be equal to 8 x 11 or larger and the NeoClassic, any size except 8 x 8. The Zen Layflat parent albums are in sizes: 5 x 5, 7 x 7, 8 x 5.5H, 7.5H and 5.5x8’.

www.asukabook.co.uk: www.everleaf.co.uk:

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AsukaBook NeoClassic Album Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

The Newborn Photography School newborn baby posing

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he Newborn Photography School in association with The Guild of Photographers is the first school of this kind in the UK. Held at the premises of Newborn Baby Posing the day will include lunch and refreshments. You will also receive a 10% discount code for all products at Newborn Baby Posing. Each workshop is designed to build and progress your confidence, skills and profile as a Newborn Baby Photographer culminating in a Qualification with The Guild of Newborn & Baby Photographers for all candidates. The Newborn Photography School package also includes one yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membership for nonmembers with The Guild of Newborn & Baby Photographers. Guild members will receive 10% discount towards the cost of the School - a saving of ÂŁ120. You will need to bring with you a DSLR and lenses plus memory cards. The School is run by Claire Elliott CrGPP, Panel Member of The Guild of Photographers and an Award Winning Newborn Photographer and Trainer. After each Workshop, there will be a Mentoring Session with Claire, and this will include a ten image critique and insight to Guild Qualifications. Each student will be set a personal goal for their work. If, after the course a student is not ready for Qualification the last sessions will be indepth critique sessions with homework set for continued learning.

WORKSHOP 1 - 21st JANUARY 2017 • • • • • • • • •

Safety First Contact & Parent Preparation Lenses, how to make the right choice Session Styling Shooting Areas Lighting, Metering and Colour Balance Simple Beanbag Posing Making the most of a pose Basics of Newborn Editing

WORKSHOP 2 - 11th MARCH 2017 • • • • • •

Beanbag Work refresher Solving recurring posing problems Composite posing Setting up props for safe posing Styling refresher Dealing with Newborn Session disappointments

WORKSHOP 3 - 13th MAY 2017 • • • • • •

Refresher on beanbag and props Post processing Image presentation and products Business Identity and Marketing Keeping Clients Preparing for Guild qualifications

PRICE £1200. Payment on Booking non-refundable but you can re-sell your space if you are unable to attend for any reason. LOCAL INFORMATION Nearest Airport - Manchester Nearest Train Station - Gatley & Cheadle Hulme LOCAL HOTELS De Vere Village Hotel, Cheadle (1.6 miles) Premier Inn, Cheadle (1.7 miles) Newborn Baby Posing Limited, Photography Beanbag & Props www.newbornbabyposing.com Tel: 0161 428 6174 Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

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hen a business you have known for a while expands and invests in itself, increasing stock levels and acquiring extra space, you know that this is a business that wants to deliver, wants to offer the service you require and become more established within its market place. Newborn Baby Posing have been a Guild Trade Partner EVER SINCE there WERE Guild Trade Partners, and as our official Baby Prop and Accessories supplier (The Guild ONLY works and recommends one) I was itching to see the changes for myself. I headed to see them in Cheadle, South Manchester at their new premises which are housed in the ground floor of a former school, and what a welcome I received. Sandra and Sarah have such a relaxed and welcoming attitude and this reflects in their business. Their premises have a large training area which will be used across the year by many UK and International trainers, and will also host our very own Claire Elliot when she runs the Newborn Photography School, the first of its kind in the UK, with dates now released for the third school. Every mentee works towards a Guild of Photographers qualification after hands on sessions, comprising of three workshops over a six month period plus remote learning via Skype, direct with Claire after every session. An extensive and superb display of Baby Posing products are also available to see, showing the full extent of the products Newborn Baby Posing actually have to offer, either via their website, or direct by pre appointment. The advice regarding colours, products, health and safety is second to none, this business is aware of how â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;practicalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; a product is, simply because they use it during the training sessions, and see how user friendly it is for customers. They are not simply box shifters but have relevant and practical examples of how and why to use specific products. They have even made it easier for you to get into the very lucrative baby image market with starter kits of products, including everything you will need to start your first shoot. If in doubt, just pick up the phone, or email them and I can assure you of high class service and expertise in supplying you the right product for the right use. So, if you need props that deliver the impact in the images you want or if you want training on newborn photography, then look no further than Newborn Baby Posing Limited, as they are fast becoming the only Newborn specialist you will need. - Nik Proctor Guild of Photographers

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What is iStick? iStick is the world’s first USB flash drive with an integrated Apple lightning connector. With a USB connector at one end and Apple lightning connector at the other, iStick allows you to transfer photos, videos, music and documents between iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, PC & Mac – no need for iTunes, iCloud or even an internet connection. iStick is available in 8, 16, 32, 64 & 128GB storage capacities. iStick is Apple MFi approved.

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Guild Awards 2017 Highlight of the Year

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ollowing on from the success of the last awards night at the magnificent Crewe Hall, a grade 1 listed Jacobean mansion in the heart of the Cheshire countryside, we have decided to return there for the Awards, February 2017. Not only is it stunning but it’s equally accessible from the North or South (eg it’s about 90 minutes from London to Crewe by train, and about 3 hours by car from either Kent or Glasgow). A tree lined drive takes you to the majestic building where you will find stunning marble fireplaces, intricate carvings and stained glass windows and a contemporary wing boasting a high quality spa. We will have a fabulous 3-course meal in the Continental Suite, complete with wine, after which the 2016 Photographer of the Year results will be announced and awards presented to the Top 10 in each genre, as well as to those who win our new Image of the Year awards. After that will be music and a party, which will no doubt carry on into the early hours for some. This is an utterly stunning venue befitting a unique event to celebrate success and friendship - Do not miss it! We are expecting a sell-out event so do contact lesley@ photoguild.co.uk as soon as possible to reserve your place! Please note tickets are limited in number, available on a first come first served basis. Partners and guests are, of course, welcome. Rooms will be available and can be booked direct with Crewe Hall and we will be arranging a Special Guild Members rate including a two night break so you can take advantage of the Spa facilities. There will be a two-day PhotoHubs Event on the Friday and Saturday too. See the Guild’s website for details: [www. photoguild.co.uk/events/the-guild-awards-night-2017 Please get in touch with Lesley Thirsk for more details. lesley@photoguild.co.uk

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

At less than half the weight of a conventional digital medium format camera, the mirrorless X1D is a game changer in the world of photography. Inspired by our iconic design heritage, the camera is ergonomic and compact, offering a handling experience unlike any other. Handmade in Sweden, the X1D combines Scandinavian sensibility with beautiful performance. Small enough to take anywhere, powerful enough to capture anything.

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The X1Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high-resolution rear LCD offers touch control for all aspects of the cameraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s features. The elegant icon-based user interface speeds access to customisation options along with intuitive playback functions such as swipe and pinch to zoom. The camera also boasts a 2.4 MP electronic viewfinder for bright, crisp viewing even under difficult lighting conditions.

This is X1D

This is a wider view By opting for a mirrorless design, we were able to take our 50MP CMOS sensor and pack it into a footprint smaller than most full frame 35mm cameras.

New lens range

For the very first time, photographers have a camera that is no larger than a small format rangefinder, but offers the quality that only Hasselblad medium format can give.

To enhance the entirely new camera design we have produced a new range of autofocus lenses specifically engineered to match the high resolution capability of the X1D. The superb new XCD lenses deliver edge-to-edge sharpness in a compact form to elegantly match the slim build of the body. Existing H System users also have the flexibility to use their existing lenses with the X1D by the way of an optional adapter.

Get your hands on a Hasselblad at Wilkinson Cameras Southport store...

10 stores across the Northwest

www.wilkinson.co.uk/stores

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

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congratulations Jo Bradley Qualified Guild of Newborn & Baby Photographers October 2016 Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Make the most of

Black Friday

Digital Marketing Manager for Impression and will be writing articles on Google for us. Impression based in Nottingham has a team of 15 digital marketers, website designers and web developers and serves clients across the UK and beyond. Their services include SEO, PPC, content marketing, digital PR and website design and development.

How to Make the Most of Black Friday as a Service Based Business Black Friday is a holiday well known for the opportunities it provides e-commerce businesses. When you sell something online, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a straightforward concept that you reduce those prices to encourage more sales over that weekend. But Black Friday has evolved and savvy marketers recognise the opportunities for lead generation style businesses to push more enquiries.

laura hampton

With Black Friday coming up at the end of November, photographers have as much of an opportunity as others businesses to boost sales. Here are 5 tips to help you make the most of Black Friday as a service based business that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell products online.

1) Segment your audience The first step to generating new business. This means working out which services appeal to which types of audience members. For example, as a photography business, you may have more costeffective options that better suit a certain customer or occasion. Equally, you may have more premium options that suit bigger events such as weddings or corporate awards. To do this, review your data. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using a tool like Google Analytics (a free tool for website owners), you can use the reports therein to see demographical information about the people who make enquiries through your website.

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You can also see how they came to find your website in the first place; the channel they used can give you further insight into which marketing methods best appeal to them too.

2) Identify your Black Friday target Once you’ve segmented your audience, it’s time to consider which part of that audience is best suited to a Black Friday campaign. To give you an idea, let’s use Impression as an example. We’re a digital marketing agency that sells a range of marketing and web services. For the majority of our customers, that means a long term investment on a retainer basis - which doesn’t necessarily suit the discount model. Another part of our audience is businesses looking for one off services like an audit or preparation for a new website. Because this audience isn’t looking for a long term investment in this scenario, they may be more suited to a discount based on a commodotised service package. You should also consider what’s best for your business when deciding on your Black Friday target. Though you don’t sell products online, you still have products or services to sell and should choose which to discount based on sales figures and profit margins.

3) Build service packages and discount codes Discounting your service offering can be easier to achieve when you commodotise them into a package. This means, if you have a service which ‘by time’ basis, you pull that into a package where you will deliver one thing within a set time frame - such as an SEO audit delivered within a day. This can then be offered at a discounted price. This also sets the expectation that those services aren’t always available at a discounted rate and that it’s a one off package deal for Black Friday. For example, you might offer a 1 hour portrait photo session at a reduced rate and with a set number of prints, meaning you keep the time and the cost of the package to you to a minimum, and can sell in bulk to raise awareness of your services. These packages can then be offered using discount codes, which can be entered into the enquiry form or quoted over the phone. This will allow you to track Black Friday sales and gives you something tangible to give to potential customers.

4) Promote your discount codes The next step is to promote your discount codes. As a service based business, it’s a relatively new concept that you would offer Black Friday deals so your customers may not be looking for them.

can contact those people who are interested in your services and who have visited your website before. PR can also be a hugely valuable channel in helping you to promote your Black Friday deals. Look for opportunities to promote your upcoming sale via local press. You can also seek features in industry press publications, particularly if your type of sale hasn’t been done before or yours is an industry where Black Friday isn’t usually recognised.

5) Use CTAs across your website As a non-e-commerce business, it’s important to ensure you capture new leads and are able to track them back to their source. This is important in your Black Friday campaign. By tracking the number of leads which come specifically from your campaign, you can monitor conversion rates and compare sales figures to non-discount periods to ascertain how much of an impact your sale has. This means ensuring you have lots of clear calls to action (CTA’s) across your website. Enquiry forms, newsletter sign up forms and downloadable resources can all make for valuable lead capture assets. Include ‘thank you’ pages or event tracking to track the people who give you their details. - Laura Hampton

Impression is a digital marketing agency based in Nottingham and serving clients across the UK and beyond. We specialise in data-driven, return-focused marketing and we do so through innovative and creative use of digital channels and well-crafted strategies. This guide is one of a series provided to help businesses like yours profit from Black Friday. Find more resources are www.impression.co.uk/blackfriday.

Laura Hampton Digital Marketing Manager, Impression, Nottingham www.impression.com

This is your opportunity to contact any email lists you have built up, to make them aware of the discounts to come. Social media is also a great place to promote the discount codes; using targeted advertising and by uploading your email lists, you Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

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1. Develop Your Brand

site navigation is key and should always include an About and Contact page for visitors to learn more and get in touch.

Most successful photographers have an easily recognisable style and approach that helps them to stand out from the competition. Your brand is an extension of your personality and unique approach to photography, and it is what entices customers to hire you over another photographer.

When you’re done setting up your homepage and galleries, consider adding a blog, client portal and any other custom pages you may need. If you’re looking to turn your passion into a career, you’ll also need to set up your storefront and make it clear to visitors that they can purchase your work. The moment a visitor has an impulse to own an image, a Buy button should be just a click away.

If you have yet to determine your area of specialty, it’s best to narrow it down to one or two genres you’re passionate about. From here, you can decide on the style to build your brand around. Having a clear idea of your genre and brand will help establish your business and attract the type of client you’re wanting.

3. Market Your Work A stunning portfolio, beautiful website and stateof-the-art storefront are important cornerstones in building your online photography business, but they won’t get you very far if nobody can find you.

Good design is crucial to attracting clients and standing out in the marketplace, so don’t hesitate to hire a professional designer to help you with key design elements like branding, layout, and colours. It could be one of the best investments you make in your business.

2. Get Online Once you’ve defined your brand it’s time to get online. An online presence lets you reach a far wider audience than traditional marketing methods alone, and building your website is the perfect place to start. Begin by focusing on your homepage, since this will be the most visited page on your website. Capturing your visitors’ attention in the first few seconds is crucial, so showcase only your very best images and include an enticing welcome message. Intuitive

Ensure your site is search-engine friendly by adding keyword-rich titles and content to your pages. Search engines love text, so blog regularly (and share the posts on social media) to increase the chances of being found organically. In addition to providing SEO benefits, blogging also gives visitors a great source of content for social media re-shares and a reason to check back regularly. Write great content and make sharing easy, and you won’t be the only one marketing your site. Zenfolio’s integrated suite of tools makes marketing easy, including Visitor Sign-In to capture email addresses, Triggered Emails to automate marketing, Coupons to drive sales and a whole lot more. Take time to create your perfect marketing mix, and watch visitors turn into happy, loyal customers.

Save 30% today at zenfolio.co.uk/guild Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

KOHIKO take only what you need everywhere you want

Over recent years my equipment list has grown & grown. I’m quite eclectic in my photography and had such have more lenses and bodies than your average camera shop and yes you guessed it, more bags than Antler or Samsonite items combined. The issue I face is what to take out with me that’s easy to cart around yet has flexibility. Until now I’ve not even come close to resolving the problem. The nearest I’ve managed us my Vanguard backpack which fully loaded weighs some 12kgs, far from ideal and not exactly manoeuvrable. Kohiko solves this for me in a single sweep, I know it’s another bag but really it’s invaluable. I road tested this at my local National Trust home Belton Hall where I used it for street, wildlife & macro. I took my 80-400mm and 105mm along with my Nikon D4. The bag held 2 lenses plus the body, it held cleaning gear, spare memory cards. It has room for your tripod, an umbrella, a tablet and more. The compartments are extremely well padded and there is an inbuilt raincover which came in handy in today’s rain showers. It’s extraordinarily comfortable and well balanced, the main strap being a huge bonus and makes it so easy to slide rapidly round to get access to your gear or to use it to rest or lean on. The material is very, very robust and the zips on inspection appear strong. I have no doubt this will take a good beating. My next trip is to Australia during November where it will be field tested to the extreme. Yes I will still take all of my gear in the Vanguard and the pelicase but finally I can leave the bulk in the car and take only the essentials I need for that particular outing. The Kohiko is available for pre-ordered now on Kickstarter and is truly a fantastic find. Ian Hage, UK

WANT TO WIN A FREE KOHIKO BACKPACK? 36 : Creative Light Magazine - Issue 16

COMPETITION To Win a Free Kohiko BackPack “ALL ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND ON THE KICKSTARTER PAGE and the Kiwidition FB page” Send your answers to - nik@photoguild.co.uk

ow often do you take all of your equipment with you? Why do you have to carry 20 kilograms up the steep pathway to picture a stunning sunrise in the mountains? Why do you need to carry with you 5 lenses, if you are planning to do your family shoot on the beach walk? Even if you are going on an extensive photo expedition, you very rarely need to carry all your equipment from your camp. You are taking equipment needed for this particular shoot. It’s obvious, that it would be quite tiring to walk the whole day with a huge backpack through the sultry streets of Calcutta, climb on Machu Piсchu mount or on the top of sand dunes in Namibia or force your way through a tangle of Mangrove trees in North Australia and even a simple walk on the streets of Rome would be a burden by the end of the day. For all the above, all you need is your trustful DSLR, a couple of lenses to change, maybe some filters and of course light and a reliable backpack. Not big, in order not to hinder your movements, but roomy to fit your equipment. Allowing you to get ready in a seconds to picture that elusive moment. Securely protecting your expensive and fragile equipment from weather conditions, accidental falls and knocks, from burning sun and thorn bushes in jungles, so while climbing up a steep slope, or riding the bike, you would not have to adjust it every minute and of course lasting you for a year’s. New Zealand company Kiwidition® set a target to create such a backpack and they have been very successful. KOHIKO backpack is very light, just 950 grams and it easily fits a DSLR camera and two or three lenses. Outside pockets allowing to fit extra accessories as well as equipment needed on your

journey. If needed, you may also attach a small tripod and extra pouches to increase its volume. The design of the backpack allows you to reach your camera in seconds, change the lens or the memory cards and you don’t have to take it off and place it down on wet ground or sand. All you need is a quick gesture and you have your equipment in front of you! It’s also very convenient for protection of your equipment in the crowd. Usability of KOHIKO allows you to feel comfortable all day long, if you are in the city for a walk or far away from touristic paths. An additional diagonal strip securely holds the backpack, allowing you without any problems to climb to the mountain paths, squeeze through the bushes or ride bike. Thick foam sides protect your expensive and fragile photo equipment from accidental falls and knocks. Hard-wearing ballistic material backpack with a polyurethane layer for water resistance and Teflon coating for splash resistance. Built-in case will protect your equipment from heavy rain and hot sun, does not matter if you are walking on the streets of New York, discovering volcanos in Iceland, making your way through rain forests of Brazil or crossing glaciers in New Zealand — your equipment will always be under trustful protection. If you are one who likes to take photos, but not lifting weights, if you travel a lot and do not like to leave your camera even for one minute, if you are a professional travel photographer, then photo backpack KOHIKO is the best option without a doubt.

I have recently returned from a workshop I was running in Scotland. This workshop gave me the perfect opportunity to give the Kohiko a good testing. When you don't want to carry your big rucksack with all of your gear up a mountain it is perfect. It was very comfortable and allowed me to carry all the equipment I needed without having to carry a heavy rucksack up a mountain. My camera felt well protected at all times. I own other sling rucksacks but none are as comfortable or as easy to access. With the Kohiko there was no need for me to put it on the floor because I could easily access everything by just unclipping one simple click. I am often in situations where I don't want to put my bag on the floor and the Kohiko solves this. It is also a great bag for walking around a city due to it's comfort, ease of access and the fact it doesn't shout camera bag. I have many more workshops booked and will be recommending the Kohiko to all my clients. Mark Andreas Jones, UK

Kiwidition® launched its own project The Best Handy Dandy Sling Camera Backpack KOHIKO on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Minimal pledge is $179 NZD (approximately £98) with free delivery to first backers in Dec ‘16. At the end of Dec ‘16 one backpack KOHIKO will be handed to the winner in contest between members of the Guild, who answered the following questions: 1. Date of founding Kiwidition®? 2. Where the names of Kiwidition® production coming from? 3. Why backpack KOHIKO are called Handy Dandy? Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Saraya Cortaville

Saraya Cortaville is an award winning portrait and social documentary photographer. Awarded two Fellowships, Saraya is the second woman in the UK to have achieved this. One of her Fellowships is for Studio Portraiture, and her most recent Fellowship is for Social Documentary which was based on a project she completed in 2015 while Saraya was living in Africa. Saraya was presented with the Peter Grugeon Award for the best Fellowship Portfolio of 2015. Received a Gold Award in Visual Arts in the Professional Photography Awards 2016. Sarayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion for travel and people has pushed her career into a more adventurous phase, and she has recently lived and worked abroad for various international NGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (nongovernmental organisation) documenting social issues in countries as far as Tanzania and Nepal. Saraya skillfully manages to draw out her subjects feelings and emotions in a sensitive and empathetic nature. Her portraits are an observation and moment of connection, between two people, rather than the photographer and subject. When not abroad Saraya shoots primarily location portraiture specialising in children and also photographs documentary weddings. 38 : Creative Light Magazine - Issue 16

Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your photography and how did it all begin?

I trained as a typographer at university, but knew that was really not what I was really passionate about. I then retrained when my daughter started school, and then assisted in a commercial studio for 2 years in North London. I started my own studio in North London in 2009, and went from strength to strength.

Q: How did your photography evolve?

I was a Studio Photographer for over twelve years. But, I felt I was stuck in a rut! A little bit bored with my work. It was after some thought that I decided to push myself, and I applied for a job working abroad for four months. I Moved to Tanzania in January 2015 to become a Comms Officer/Photographer for an NGO (non-governmental organisation). The trip to Tanzania pushed my photography work so much that on my return to the UK I moved all of my photography work out of the studio and into the environment. It was long before I was travelling overseas again as I was invited back to work with the NGO but this time in Nepal when they launched their new programme.

Q: Your favourite lens and why?

Currently, my favourite lens is the 90 mm Fuji lens on my Fuji Xt2, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an amazing quality and versatile lens, I use it for a lot of my work, as I love the bokeh.

Q: Your preferred light source? I now only use natural light.

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“The sun sets pretty much everyday at the same time, 6 o’clock, and most evenings I

would love to walk around the town where `I was based just to soak up the atmosphere, Nepali’s rise at 5am every day so this time of night is very calming and relaxing, everybody is just getting their last bit of sunlight. The way the light hits the farmland in the foreground, the colours and smoking lady, to me just sums up the end of the day in Nepal”. - Saraya Cortaville

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Q: Post-processing techniques, do you

use your actions in Photoshop/Lightroom presets? I try to get as much as I possibly can in camera, so I spend as little time processing images. I generally will do a little work in camera raw and then apply an action if I think its required. (I often use Nik Silver Effects for my black and white photography).

Q: How did you develop and build your

brand and what you do feel has helped your photography business to succeed? I built up a good client base when I had the studio, and now the client base has followed me into my new ventures.

Q: Locations for your portraits. Do you

choose them or are they part of your brief from your clients? The clients will choose where they would like the shoot, I ask them to choose somewhere important to them, and near to their home if possible.

Q: Your favourite location in the world and why?

I love all places; I am always excited to visit new locations, and even if I have been to that particular location before I will try to see things differently.

Q: What have you found the most challenging about running your own business? Finding the time to fit everything in!

Q: Apart from sheer hard work what

would you say is the main ingredient to your success? Determination, a good relationship with my clients, and moving with the times.

Q: What would you say has been your career highlight to date?

Speaking for Fujifilm on the Photokina stage 2016. Meeting and working with so many inspiring photographers in their field of photography.

Q: Advice would you give to

photographers just starting out? Learn the craft of photography first and then develop your particular style of imagery.

Q: Where next?

Off to Nepal in November this Year! Then who knows?

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Q: Favourite food? A Sunday Roast.

Q: Three individual words that describe you?

Caring, energetic, passionate.

Q: Your work in Nepal and the

photographs you have created, please share your thoughts behind the images with the readers of Creative Light? I was asked over to Kathmandu, for two months in early 2016 to cover the stories in the various villages about how they were coping in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake of 2015. My work was to cover the work of a British NGO working in remote villages in Kathmandu Valley, which entailed choosing suitable subjects, interviewing them and taking their portraits and piecing together the articles. It was an amazing experience. - Saraya

“This lady sticks in my mind as she was initially very resistant to having her images taken, we normally have a translator with us when we interview, however this lady didn’t even speak Nepali, She only spoke, Tamang, and was very suspicious of us when we arrived at her village, the beautiful Kitini, high in the hills near Hetauda. It took a few days for her to warm to us, but with a lot of non verbal communication and lots of smiles she soon was posing away for the lens!”

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Image shot in Kathmandu, I would walk past this wall pretty much everyday walking to the market, and just saw this guy on one day whilst walking past, I loved the contrast of his lovely warm face against the cool wall. I only took two shots here and this was my favouriteâ&#x20AC;?. - Saraya Cortaville

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Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

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Would you BUY from You? NIK PROCTOR has been working with photographers for the last twenty one years. Visiting photographers in their high street and home based businesses advising on and selling presentation products, sales techniques and personal presentation. He isn’t afraid to tell you want you need to hear, but will do it with his good natured and personal approach.

y last article in Issue 15 seemed to go down rather well given the number of complaints the editor has received. So here I am again with an insight into what everyone will see about your business, but maybe won’t have the confidence to tell you. We have touched on how you present yourself in Issue 15, so on the basis that you have followed all those genuine insights, I am now going to move onto part 2 of sales, which like any good movie has a sequel, and maybe even extends to a trilogy. In this instalment let’s scratch the surface of ‘Running your photography business from home’, and the all-important “Client visit”. One thing to get right in your mind straight away is that it’s not your ‘home’ anymore, but your showroom, your first impression, the spotlight on your business, your visitor centre and boy oh boy it IS a minefield of potential things that can STOP you making the sale. Having visited many hundreds of photographers who work from home as part of my job and I can only comment about some of the things I have seen. This is NOT meant to offend, but to highlight some of the basic things that have surprised me over the years that I have worked in the photographic industry. REMEMBER...

nik proctor

Who do you need to attract and who you are ‘probably’ selling to: 1. 2. 3. 4.

The Bride The Bride’s Mother The Groom I was only kidding about No: 3

Let’s take hold of your (and your clients) senses! LOOK … Drive up and down your road, see if your house does you proud. I am not talking about your £400k extension with ‘live’ trout pond, or its size, or the 1970’s cladding… I am talking about the general repair of the outside. Do you need to paint the front door, be honest you have been putting it off for ages? Maybe not wait for global warming to kill those weeds … and you know that pile of things you have been taking to the tidy tip for a while?… Well, folks, this is the FIRST impression your potential customer sees, and you may have just blown it. Straight away, a client see’s your (lack of) attention to detail, your lack of presentation skills, your failure to ‘see’.

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So, clean it, paint it, weed it and shift it! OK, assuming the outside of your home doesn’t look like England fans have had a drink on your front lawn before an international match, and you do get clients knocking on the door, here’s your chance to shine…! Well, it could be unless your house has an odour of cooking smells, it is cold, dark, dusty, in a bad state of repair; you have chipped cups and worse still an unclean toilet. Here is a list of a few of the experiences that have ‘put me off’ when visiting photographers across the UK. ODOUR Me (and the lovely Mrs P) love to cook, especially curries and using lots of spices & garlic. It’s what Friday nights are all about in our home. However, the morning after, to be honest with you, it stinks! I mean it smells of last night’s cooking, and although I have all the windows open during and after creation, it takes a few hours for it to dissipate. Imagine a non-curry lover walking into that ‘wall-of-pong’ as a first impression. Personally, I think it’s wonderful, but that’s only my opinion. Trust me; it isn’t nice, and hey folks, people can be that shallow, and you’ve blown your first impression, again! SMOKERS I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but any amount of mints, aftershave, mouthwash and air freshener DOESN’T mask the smell and again puts you at a disadvantage straight away. Are your clients thinking ‘Are you going to be focussing on nailing my images when your body is screaming out for nicotine? It will put people off, and it might just be the one reason you don’t get the booking, so either quit or smoke in the back garden. Just quit! I speak as a former smoker, and it’s easier than you think. Dog owners/cat litter tray/piles of shoes by the front door/ gym kit, all of the things that whiff as soon as the door is opened, and while you love your Labrador and your jogging shoes, trust me others won’t Give all the above some consideration as to what aroma first greets your clients. If it’s a bit nippy, flick the heating on about 20 mins before they arrive. Nothing says unwelcoming more than a cold house, so please (even if you don’t feel the cold) make your home warm and welcoming.

had the misfortune to encounter a toilet bowl resembling a skid pan at Silverstone. It’s gross! So invest in a toilet brush, some bleach and use them just before your prospective client arrives. DUST Use Mr Sheen and a cloth around the surfaces and shelves and tables, not only will this make things look the part, but it will also smell nice too. CROCKERY Have a set just for clients. No, not a mug with your favourite football team or rock band on, but clean, stain-free and chip-free cup and saucers. You are then very nearly ready to welcome potential customers into your home, sorry, into your BUSINESS. Following the above observations will give you the chance to make YOU and your PHOTOGRAPHY the client remembers when leaving you. If you do this already, then I thank you for representing the industry we work in with the highest of standards. If you don’t, then you REALLY SHOULD. So, be honest, is your client’s first impression of your business losing you the sale? Ask yourself honestly would YOU buy off YOU? - Nik Proctor nik@photoguild.co.uk

Nik Proctor is available to visit your business and assess with compassion, honesty and able to give you advice on how to create the perfect first impression and highlight things your friends simply wouldn’t. Please contact him via The Guild of Photographers for further details.

PUT THE LIGHTS ON You may have wondered why Estate Agents are usually in the house waiting for you when you arrive to view a property. It’s so they can make it look bright and cheerful. You are ‘merchants of light’, so get a few lamps around the place and make it look even more welcoming, light and airy. Hoover the carpet before anyone arrives. It’s the right thing to do. I don’t care how OLD the carpet is, but I do care how free of crumbs/mud/bits it is, and again it’s a statement that says “I pay attention to detail”. “I’m sorry about the toilet, I have a 4-year-old” is something I have heard way too often (and often too late for me to reconsider using it and instead to drive the 10 miles to use a town centre public convenience). So, unfortunately, I have Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Â© Andreas Lundberg

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Always up to speed Profoto D2 A photographer faces many different challenges every day. It’s with that in mind we created the Profoto D2. It’s a breakthrough, because it’s the world’s fastest monolight with TTL. So for the first time, no matter what the assignment, speed is always on your side. You can freeze action with absolute sharpness, shoot in super quick bursts, sync with the fastest camera shutter speeds available, and shoot fast and easy with HSS and TTL. So whether you’re shooting sports, food or fashion: with the D2 you’re always up to speed. Get up to speed at profoto.com/d2 Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

lyn Dewis is a professional photographer, retoucher, and trainer based in England. Glyn’s photography and retouching sees him working for national and international clients ranging from the BBC, SKY and Air New Zealand to athletes, musicians, and other industry professionals. A Photoshop World Dream Team Instructor, KelbyOne Instructor and Best Selling Author of “The Photoshop Workbook”, Glyn has featured in the New York Times for his Photography technique, teaches his own series of courses, provides one-on-one coaching and presents at events around the World covering all aspects of Adobe Photoshop from basic to advanced techniques. See his work at glyndewis. com and find his wildly popular videos on his YouTube channel at youtube.com/GlynDewis

Want to get more of these tip sheets from Glyn? Please visit Glyn’s website and sign-up for his email/newsletter!

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TIP SHEET How to Remove Unwanted Shadows

Frequency Separation In this tutorial I want to take you through a simplified version of what I believe is possibly the very best retouching technique you’ll ever learn and use; Frequency Separation. As you’d expect with Photoshop and post production there are many ways to achieve similar results and that’s no different when it comes to Frequency Separation; but what is it? Well, in its simplest terms, Frequency Separation allows us to separate the colour in an image from the content and by doing so we can then work on either without affecting the other. The technique is used a lot in beauty retouching but has uses in almost all images, and in this tutorial I show you how you can use it to remove a shadow from a face but what’s more, do so quickly, easily and realistically. Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Step 1: Duplicate the Original To start off we need to create two new layers containing; one for the colour and one for the content / detail. To do this whilst pressing and holding down the CMD/Control key pres the letter ‘J’ twice. Rename the first copy ‘colour’ and the second copy, which will be the upper most layer in the layer stack, rename ‘content’

Step 2: Colour Layer Next turn off the content layer by clicking on the eye icon to the left of the layer and then click on the colour layer. Go to FILTER > BLUR > GAUSSIAN BLUR and add in an amount that doesn’t completely blur out your picture so that it becomes unidentifiable, but rather to the point it loses all sharpness and detail. For this image a Radius of 15 pixels Gaussian Blur is just about right so that we are jut left with what is in effect colour in the shape of a face/portrait. Click OK

Step 3: Content Layer (Part 1) Click on the content layer and turn on the eye icon so that the layer is active. Then go to IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST and in the small dialog that appears click in the Use Legacy checkbox to turn it on. Next adjust the contrast to -50 and click OK NOTE: For the technique to work it’s vital that Use Legacy is checked BEFORE the contrast amount is added.

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Step 4: Content Layer (Part 2) Now go to FILTER > OTHER > HIGH PASS and in the Radius amount add in the exact same as you did previously in the Gaussian Blur. In this case we add in 15 pixels and Click OK. In the layers panel change the Blend Mode of the content layer to Linear Light.

Step 5: Clone Stamp Tool Click on the colour layer in the layers panel and then add a new blank layer so that it is placed underneath the content layer. Rename this layer ‘remove shadow’ and then choose the Clone Stamp Tool from the Tool Bar. In the options at the top of the screen set the exposure to 10% and from the Sample drop down menu choose ‘Current and Below’

Step 6: Remove the shadow Zoom in to the face area where the shadow is and then whilst using the Clone Stamp Tool, ALT/ OPTION + CLICK to sample skin colour either side of the shadow. Then paint over the shadow with a few strokes in each area to build up the colour so that the shadow becomes lightened and takes on the colour of the skin. The trick here is to continually sample the skin either side of the shadow as you do so, so that the blend is much more realistic and to do so with a low opacity setting on the Clone Stamp Tool. Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Step 7: Merged Layer Once the shadow has been removed/reduced you may find the contrast/structure in the cloned area appears flat compared to the rest of the skin. To fix this we can go use the Camera RAW filter however to do so we need to create a merged/stamp layer. To do this first of all click on the content layer in the layers panel then go to SELECT > ALL then EDIT > COPY MERGED followed by EDIT > PASTE. We now have a layer at the top of the layer stack that is a combination of all below which we can now use in the Camera RAW filter. Rename the layer ‘merged’ Step 8 Go to FILTER > Camera RAW and choose the Adjustment Brush. Turn on the Mask and then paint over the area of the face where the shadow was originally so that it now is covered in the red overlay. Use the Erase option to remove it off areas where you may have gone over on to unnecessarily. Turn off the Mask (Red Overlay) and use Adjustment Brush settings to add structure/contrast into the removed shadow area. In this example I made the following adjustments: Temperature +2, Contrast +34, Shadows +44, Clarity +45, Dehaze -28 and Saturation +25. Click OK and you’re done.

Best Results in 16Bit This simplified Frequency Separation technique is incredibly powerful and has seemingly endless retouching uses however I have certainly found that best results are achieved when working on images in 16bit as opposed to 8bit. There should be no difference in the look of the image when initially creating the colour and contente layers however in 8bit, especially with a plain background you may well experience changes such as banding beginning to appear. Anytime Anywhere Portraits Without doubt one of the best ways to keep on top of your game and in the learning zone is to be taking pictures as often as you can; and I don’t just mean with our mobile phones. One thing I have been doing for the past few months is what I call ‘Anytime Anywhere’ portraits by having a small kit list with me all the time be it in the car or in person. My own kit consists of one camera, one flash and a modifier such as a Rogue Flashbender from ExpoImaging and has meant capturing portraits such as the one in this article that ordinarily I wouldn’t have. You can find out more over on my website at www.glyndewis.com

www.glyndewis.com Social Media /glyndewis 58 : Creative Light Magazine - Issue 16

ANAMARIA BRANDT

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

of our As photographers, we are all passionate about what we do – and part of that is having the best equipment available, to enable us to do our jobs to the best of our abilities. Today we have more technology at our fingertips than ever before – decades of engineering, committed to the pursuit of perfection. Precision and quality that we now come to expect from the iconic brands within the photographic industry – a commitment to quality which helps to make our daily mission easier and enables us to unleash our creative talents, in order tell the stories we strive to achieve. Recently, two brands celebrated big anniversaries – two brands we may not automatically think of on the day-to-day, but established and respected the world over. Perhaps just a bit too modest! We decided to open the doors on Carl Zeiss, one of the leaders in optical innovation, and also Bowens, which is celebrating over 50 years of ‘brilliant light’ this year.

Carl Zeiss Carl Zeiss was a pioneer within the optical and optoelectronic industry throughout the 19th Century. Carl Zeiss and his business partner Ernst Abbe, originally focused on the production of microscopes, however, following the invention of the camera, they later utilised their expertise and expanded their product portfolio to include the manufacturing of high-quality photography and cinematography lenses. For over 160 years, ZEISS has consistently remained at the forefront of optical innovation and has pushed the boundaries on what one might expect a lens to be capable of.

Jonathan Edwards (www.naivestudio.co.uk)

Entrance to The Valley of Fire State Park The 25mm Batis was really not removed from the camera once entering The Valley of Fire national park, when shooting such vast epic landscapes a wide is a must and the 25mm was beautiful in hand, with edge to edge sharpness. Shot on the Sony A7II with Zeiss Batis 25mm and a Hoya Pro ND4 Filter. f/13, 1/100 sec, ISO 80

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ZEISS has always had a historic emphasis on manual focus, however the classic ZE and ZF.2 lenses have since been optimised for today’s market, featuring anti-reflective coatings, extremely accurate manual focusing, improved build quality and weatherproofing against dust and water spray. In partnership with Sony the Loxia and Batis family of lenses for E-mount cameras has also been developed - providing photographers with the exceptional optical quality of ZEISS lenses with the ease-of-use of an autofocus system. This has also enabled the use of Zeiss lenses with the award winning new Sony mirrorless cameras – including the latest Sony Alpha A7RII.

The image of Marianela Núñez was taken during the photo call of the farewell performance of Carlos Acosta in the Royal Albert Hall on 3rd October 2016. I normally use a 300mm for performing art photos though on this occasion with the Zeiss Milvus 135mm I came much closer. Instead of the compressed character which is typical for the 300mm, the 135mm gives a more dynamic feel to the image. Shot with Nikon D810, manual exposure settings with auto ISO: f/5.6 - 1/320 & Zeiss Milvus 135mm f/2.0 lens

“For over 160 years, ZEISS has consistently remained at the forefront of optical innovation and has pushed the boundaries on what one might expect a lens to be capable of.”

Bowens

Bart Lenoir (http://lenoir.photo)

Steve Brown (www.stevebrowncreative.com)

The origins of Bowens go back more than 90 years to 1923. The company was originally founded in London as a camera repair company, which by the 1950s, had grown to be one of the largest in Europe. It was at this time that Bowens first started manufacturing lighting equipment for photographers. Bowens’ first flash bulb units were produced in 1947 and by 1950 the company started to produce the first electronic studio flash systems. In 1963 the company produced the first electronic studio flash unit with capacitors, control and flash in a single unit – the monobloc was born. In 1966 Bowens made its first appearance at Photokina showcasing its products and taking the first steps towards global distribution. The Monolite 400 was introduced in 1968 and this product confirmed Bowens place as a world-leader in studio lighting design and manufacture. Since that day products such as Quad, Prolite and Esprit and more recently Gemini and Travelpak and Creo have helped to maintain Bowens position as a favourite amongst photographic professionals. Shot using the Bowens XMS Studio Unit, with Bowens Lumiair 60-80 and Bowens Lumiair Octobank 90 softboxes

Bowens XMS Studio Unit David Hollingsworth, marketing manager at Bowens added, ‘We believe these are simply the best lights in their class available on the market today. New-look Bowens is creating beautifully designed and engineered products bespoke-tailored to our customers’ needs.’ David Parkinson, Managing Director of Wilkinson Cameras added: ‘Our customers constantly pursue perfection and these two new brands within the Wilkinson Cameras product range continue to push the boundaries further and meet the needs of today’s photographers.’ 50 years on and the revolutionary new ‘Generation X’ range is lighting the way for professional photographers the world over – with new systems for both studio and location photography. With the highest specification available from a single flash head, Generation X features faster recycling times and shorter flash durations than any previous models. Fully digital, the Generation range ensures total accuracy of flash power and colour temperatures – all meaning maximum creative freedom to capture the perfect image in camera – and less editing time!

10 stores across the Northwest

www.wilkinson.co.uk/stores

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O%% %%%%%%% %% %%%%%% %%%%%%% %%'%% %%%% %% %%%% %%%%%. W% %%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%% %%% %5 %%%%% %%%%%% %%%%%%%%% S%%tt%%%%%. W% %%%% %%%% %%%%%%%%. W% %%%%%%%%%% %% %%%% %% %%% %%%% %%%%%%%%%%% %%% %% %%% %%%%%%%%%. W%%%%%% %%'% %%%%%% %%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%% %%%%%%% %% %%% %% %%%% %%%%%%% %%% %%%%% %%%%%%% %%%%%% %%%%%% %% %%%%%% %% %%% %%%% %%% ﬁ%%% %%%% %% %%%%%%% %%%%% %% %%%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%% %%%%%%%% %%% %%%%%%% %%% %%%% %%%%%%%%%% %% %% %%%% %%%% %% %%% %% %%%% %%%%%. W%%%% %% %%% %%%% %%%% %%%% %%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%-%%%%. B% %%%%% %%tti%%-%%%% %%%%% %%ft%%%% %%%'%% %% %%%%%% %%%% %% %%%%%%% %%%% %% E%%%% %%%%%%%%%%% %% %%% %% ﬁ%%%% %%% %%% %% %%%% %%% %%%%%%% %%ft%%%% %%%'%% %%%% %%%%%% %%% %% %%% %%% % %%% %%%. Y%%'%% %%%% %%%%%%%%%%% %%%% %%%%%% %%% %%%% %%%%%%% %%% %%% %%%% %%%%%%% %%'%% %%%% %%%%% %%%%%%%%%. W%'%% %%%% %% %%%%%%% %%% %%'%% %ft%% %%%%% %% %%%%%% %%%%%%% %% %%%%%%%% %%%%%. 62 : Creative Light Magazine - Issue 16

B% %%%8% %%%% %%%%% %%%%%%%%%% %%%% %%%% %% %%%%%% %%%%%%%%% %% HMRC %%% %%%%%% %%ft%%%% %%%%% “%%%%%. %% %%%%% %%%%%%. T%%% %%%% %% %%%%%%%%%. W%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%% Q%%%%B%%%% O%%%%%% %%% %%%%%%% %%% %%%%%'% #% %%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%%% %% %%% %% %%% %%%%%%% %%%%%%% %%%%%%%% %%%%%% %% %%%%% %% %%% %%%%. Y%%'%% %% %%%% %% %%%%%% %%%% %%%%%%%% %% %%%% %%% %%%%%%%% %%% %%%% %%%%%% %%% %%%% %%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%% %%%%%%%% %% %%%%%%%% %%% %%%%%% %%%% %% %%% %%%%%% %% % %%%%%% %% %%%%%%% %%%%%%% %%%% %%%% %%%%%%%% %% %%%% %%%%%%%%%%% %%% %%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%% %%% %%%% %%%%%% %%%%%%% %%%% %%%% %% %%%%%%%%%% %%%%%% %%. W% %ff%% % %%%%%%%% %%%%%%% %%%% %%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%% %%%%% %%%%%%% %% %%%%%%%%%% %% %%%%-%%% %%%%%%%% %%% fi%%%% %% %%%% %%% %%%%%%% %%%%%% %%% %%%% TIME %%% MONEY. W%%%% %% %% %%%% %% %ff%% %%%%%% %%%%%%%%%% %%% %%%% %%%. W%%%%%% %%%%%% %%%% %%%%%%% %%%% %%%% % %%%%-%%% %%% %% %%%%%% %% %%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%% %%% %%%% %% %%%%%% %%%% %% %%%%% %% %%%% %%%. I% %% %%%%%% %%%%% %%%%%% %%%!

W%%% % %%%%%%%%% 20%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%% %30%% %%% %%%% %%%%% %%% %%%%%%% %%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%% %%%%%%%% %%%%% % %%%%% %% %%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%% %%%%%% %%% %%%% %%% %%%% %%% %%%%%%%% %%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%%% %%% %%%%% %%%% %%%%%%%% %%%%%% %%% %%%% %%%%% %%% %%%%% %% %%%%% %%%% %%%%%%%%%%% “We'll take a genuine interest in your business because we are genuinely interested..

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Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

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congratulations Hannah Merrett Qualified Guild of Newborn & Baby Photographers October 2016

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Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

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Gold Awards

august 2016

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ÂŠ Maryna Halton

lie Moult

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

infocus photography Insurance

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Infocus Insurance has for decades been a committed supplier of high quality insurance products and services to photographers and videographer’s. We aim to do it with a smile on our faces and to bring a smile to the faces of our customers, especially when things go wrong. As a thank you to all the wonderful members of The Guild for your continued support we are offering 12 months cover for the price of 11. Every year! What you get when you insure with us: • Interest free instalments • Worldwide cover for your photographic & technical equipment • Include Professional Indemnity cover and you’ll automatically get PR help with our ‘Crisis Containment cover’. We’re the only specialist Photography insurer to offer this cover! • Policies underwritten by Hiscox Insurance • Your own personal handler • Also Available: • Home Insurance, designed with you in mind: • Business & home contents • Client home appointments allowed • No Claims Discount up to 25% • Interest free instalments • Low excess • Home Emergency & Home-care included as standard • Pensions • Critical Illness cover • Cyber and Media

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Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

by Ri chard

West

www.datacolor.com/s5cpuk

Got the Camera... Got the Lens... What Else? Top Tips and Accessories for Perfect Capture (Part1) So we all like to have the latest and greatest camera and the best lenses but we can’t all replace our camera every time there’s a new, slightly improved model released. Likewise once you have a few lenses relevant to your style of photography, having more can just mean backache due to a bulging, heavier camera bag and also another trip to your sensor cleaner due to too frequent, dust attracting, lens changing, just so that you feel you’re using what you’ve bought. In this article we’ll look at 4 ways in which you can improve your photos and your image capture that don’t involve upgrading your camera and more to the point should still work for multiple camera or lens upgrades to come. In particular we’ll be looking at one accessory to addess each issue from Swiss manufacturer Datacolor as they’ve just released their new SpyderCAPTURE PRO Bundle which includes all four. So if you feel you need all the areas covered then you can now get them all sorted in one place.

Tip 1 - Get Focussed Many of us rely on the Autofocus button to make sure a key element of a good photograph, focussing on your subject, is spot on. Sadly with the bumps and knocks of daily life, and even straight off the production line, this is not necessarilly the case. In a survey of 1000+ photographers conducted at Fotokina around 60% of camera and lens combinations measured were found to be autofocussing incorrectly. Datacolor’s SpyderLENSCAL gives you a quick and easy means of checking and correcting autofocus. Simply pop the guide up, shoot it and check the focus point on the image of the LENSCAL. If it isn’t spot on to the ‘0’ of the angled scale then you can use the SpyderLENSCAL’s to correct the Autofocus point using your camera’s MicroAutofocus is spot on adjustment. Hey presto, no matter the age or condition of your when the ‘0’ is in focus camera or lens, you’re now in focus.

➞

Datacolor SpyderLENSCAL for Focus checking

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Tip 2 - Get Balanced Shooting in strong or biased lighting conditions like strip or halogen lighting will effect your images’ colour temperature no matter how good your camera sensor. If you want to remove any colour cast effects to correct for the lighting you are in, having a neutral grey target to shoot is essential. Compared to using ‘old-style’ grey cards that are prone to easy marking, creasing and even blowing away, Datacolor’s SpyderCUBE provides a robust, portable and pocketable target that you can easily drop into a test shot allowing you to use your image-processing software’s white balance tools to correct your photo’s colour temperature. By copying these adjustments you can then ‘batch’ correct any other photos taken in the same conditions. Unlike conventional cards the SpyderCUBE also has a metallic ball and black trap to help you also set the get exposure and contrast (black point) accurately set to avoid Datacolor SpyderCUBE losing either highlight or shadow detail across your shoot. for White balance

Tip 3 - Getting the Colours Right

Datacolor SpyderCHECKR for Accurate Colour Capture

If it’s important for you to correct more than just colour temparature, exposure and contrast but additionally actually get the colours of what you are shooting spot on (particularly for wildlife, sport, fashion and weddings) then you will need more than even the most advanced grey target. For this Datacolor’s colour chart, the SpyderCHECKR, is the ideal solution. This double colour card device (one for general colours and one for skin tones) sits in a protective, tripod mountable case that folds flat for easy storage. The target’s cards are printed hence replacable should the built-in fade checker ever let you know that you need to change them, but it’s also very light, making adding it to your kit bag a no brainer. Initially allowing the same setting of white balance, exposure and contrast as the SpyderCUBE, the SpyderCHECKR’s additional plugin software (for the likes Adobe Lightroom) creates a colour correction for the entire colour curve of your shots with the touch of a button. This enables you to get all the colours in your photo spot on to the original subjects’, be that the dark blues of mens’ outfits, the creams of dresses, the reds of flowers or the subtleties of skin tones - not just one element of a shot correct at the sake of the other complimentary colours.

Tip 4 - What you see is what you get Getting your colour temperature and balance correct at capture is paramount for avoiding the old adage ‘Garbage in, Garbage out’. However, even if you’ve correctly captured your image colours and hues you can defeat the point and undo all your effort if you then start retouching your image’ colours on uncalibrated screens and hence adjust for imperfections of your display rather than your subject. Datacolor Hence the fourth tip, and also appropriately the fourth element of Datacolor’s Capture Pro bundle, Spyder5 for is screen calibration. The New Spyder5 has not only been redesigned to handle calibration of all the Screen Calibration modern ranges of screens from 4K through to curved OLEDs but now also comes with an improved physical redesign making it more robust and portable to carry with you and hence recalibrate your screens wherever you may be showing or editing images. Every time you change the lighting conditions that you are in you’ll see colours differently hence the Spyder5’s ruggedised design with encapsulated optics, lens cap and sensor grill make it ideal for making sure that you are viewing the true colours of your images wherever you may be. So there we go, four top tips for capturing better pictures without the expense of having to change your cameras or lenses. You can get any of the elements individually but with Datacolor’s new SpyderCAPTURE PRO bundle you get the a solution for all four parts in one even more affordable bundle.

And one more thing... Tip 4.1... One common feature of all the SpyderCAPTURE PRO tools is their tripod mountability. Whether you are correcting your Autofocus or your white balance, or capturing your subject’s colours accurately, being able to tripod mount your target saves the need for having someone else assisting you in your shoot. Similarly the addition of the tripod Datacolor mount to the Spyder5 screen calibrator helps when calibrating your larger wall mounted SpyderCAPTURE PRO bundle screens or projectors. As a result we’ve also been looking for a versatile range of tripods and stands and are very impressed by 3 Legged Thing’s range. So if you’re also looking for a stable and afordable mount to add to your kit bag these may well be worth a look as well For more detailed information on how to go about any of the elements discussed in this article you can sign up for one of Datacolor’s Free, live, 1 hour Webinars (Web based seminars) at www.datacolor.com/s5cpuk-webinar or check out some of the pre-recorded review videos on this and many other photographic areas at the Nexttek Channel on Youtube. Datacolor Products are available from most major camera retailers and online at the Datacolor Webstore (http://spyder.datacolor.com/orders/).

save 100 Euro

Spyder5CAPTURE PRO retails for 389 € and is now available for only 289 € if purchased online from the Datacolor Webstore or from your local participating retailer by September 30, 2016. Purchases via the Datacolor Webstore from the UK are required in Euros. Click here for the details http://www.datacolor.com/s5cpuk Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine : 75

Book Review 50 PORTRAITS by Gregory Heisler The stunning black and white image of Luís Sarría that graces the cover of 50 Portraits was the first thing that drew me to this beautiful collection of Gregory Heisler’s work. This fairly substantial, coffee-table compendium showcases some of the master photographer’s iconic portraits of celebrities, athletes and world leaders, and features a diverse and impressive list that includes Muhammad Ali, George W. Bush and Al Pacino. As a fairly weighty tome, the size may not be the easiest for bedtime reading, or to take on the train, however this is a hardback to savour and enjoy. Unlike many publications on portrait photography this is not merely a picture book. Heisler is a storyteller in every sense, undoubtedly with his captivating and powerful images, but also with the beautifully written essays that accompany each portrait. This is not a ‘how-to’ manual made up of detailed lists of f-stops and shutter speeds, but rather an anecdotal narrative about the experience of each shoot, followed by some of his thoughts on the techniques he employed, with camera settings only being mentioned sparingly and where relevant. Nor is this a pretentious attempt to promote specific kit or brands. Heisler candidly talks of the cheap speedlights gaffer-taped into modifiers intended for studio heads, as easily as his large format cameras. Appearing to be an incredibly intuitive person as well as photographer, Heisler shows instinctive understanding of how to best engage with his subject. When to coax, and when to shut up and work fast. He is a true artist and it was fascinating to have a taste of how he approached each shoot creatively. The portraits were a mix of location and studio work and varied greatly in complexity with props and setting, sometimes with large amounts of planning and props specifically made for the job. In other instances the shoot took place in the subject’s home and Heisler had to take inspiration as he found it. I also loved having an insight into his creative vision. His photography is not only beautifully composed and congruently lit,

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but his images are filled with messages to the viewer. Sometimes the connotations are subtle, in other instances much stronger, such as the seemingly simple portrait of O J Simpson, where Heisler successfully and artistically conveys the question over Simpson’s guilt. Heisler’s easy style of writing is very engaging. The first person narrative has a charm and intimacy, and reading his thoughts about each shoot I almost had a sense of sitting with him hearing his stories over a late night drink, rather than them being in a book read by thousands. The writing is far from formulaic. His thoughts about each shoot follow no template, but instead set the scene for his motivation for the shots he took, when it worked and also when he was winging it, what inspired him, the problems he encountered and how he approached photographing his subjects. In some chapters how he experienced working with the sitter dominated, in others he explains why he preferred the large format cameras that he used, or the infrared black and white film. The shoots are separated into 50 mini chapters, and whilst it would be easy to choose a person that you wanted to read about and go straight to that portrait, I found that I was absorbed in the book and read from the start, finishing each chapter keen to read the next. This book is filled with beautiful and thought provoking portraits and as such it would be an easy addition to your coffee table. But for me the modest charm, subtle humour, and insightful candid anecdotes make this a must have book. Thoroughly recommended - Vicki Head

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Book Review BLUE ICE by Alex Bernasconi I am a keen enthusiast photographer who has been mucking about with cameras for the past 37 years or so. For 23+ years of that time I was a serving Royal Air Force Officer, fast jet pilot and flying instructor, so my time with a camera was necessarily limited. Unfortunately I became increasingly ill after the second Gulf War in 2003 and was eventually discharged just a few years ago. I now have much more time to devote to my photography, even if I have difficulties with health to contend with that introduce other limitations. I have always read photography books and magazines but have noticed that my latest choices have moved away from being mostly technique based and favour portfolio collections instead. This may be due in part to the ready availability of resources on the internet covering every conceivable aspect of our hobby/profession, perhaps a consequence of my own work maturing a little (I think I’m being ever so wishful there!), or a realisation that the less well definable aspects (what do we like and why do we like it, what is our motivation, what evokes an emotional response and why?) are the real areas to focus attention on to improve our art (and arguably the more difficult to articulate) and that this is best developed by studying (and enjoying and being motivated by) bodies of work by inspirational artists. Which leads me nicely onto the book I am meant to be reviewing, “Blue Ice” by Alex Bernasconi. I choose this book for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I feel an affinity for the region. I was fortunate enough to make a number of visits to the Falkland Islands in my RAF career and they will always have a place in my heart. I spent many happy hours patrolling them in a Tornado F3, and then a yearlong tour with my family when I worked in the military Headquarters there. This year allowed me some time to travel around the archipelago, to sit with the wildlife and to enjoy the remote beauty of the Islands. I also had a responsibility for planning and coordinating military search and rescue for British interests across the region, which extended to the Antarctic Peninsula (especially with the increasing tourist trade in the summers), so I became acutely aware of the challenges of working in the area. Secondly, this book provides an account of an ever-changing part of the globe, where

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global warming is having an impact, as is tourism to the area. What was once a major expedition is now a holiday bookable through the Internet with specialist companies. As the cover starkly spells out, this book “provides a remarkable record of an eco-system at risk, revealing the extraordinary, unexpected beauty of the Antarctic, the most remote and endangered place on Earth.” The book is published by Alexandra Papadakis in the form of a large ‘coffee table book’. Pages measure 30cm by 25cm (or 12in by 10in in old money), beautifully bound with a full colour hard cover and cover sheet. A matt finish on the paper works wonderfully with the images, especially those in black and white. The majority of the 200 or so pages are used for images but the book begins with maps of the area and a number of introductory essays to provide context. The Foreword is by Professor Julian Dowdeswell, Director of the Scott Polar research Institute, and lays out the importance of the area and it’s potential to impact wider global environments. The Introduction is by Dr Peter Clarkson, also of the Scott Polar Research Institute, who explains the discovery of the Falkland Islands and the exploration south into Antarctica, from the earliest days through to Scott’s and Amundsen’s Race to the South Pole. He explains the development of the modern day territorial agreements and the Antarctic Treaty System that today regulates the international science activity across the continent, and the increasing tourist activity. This is Alex Bernasconi’s second book (the first being Wild Africa, published 4 years previously). He precedes the main body of images with a short record of his experience in Antarctica and some of the challenges experienced (mainly with the extreme and unpredictable weather). He doesn’t talk about the equipment or the

photographic techniques used, but instead the experience of navigating Drake’s Passage in the middle of two giant storms, or the need to wait for days to make a landing on an exposed shore. The task that he set for himself was to capture “through images…. the strong emotions that we feel in such magical places” and for me he was completely successful. His images cover the range of the fantastic wildlife including the variety of penguin; Adelie, Rockhopper, Chinstrap, Gentoo and King. We also see albatross, cormorant and other sea birds, fur and elephant seals. Locations include the Falkland Islands (which was an unexpected but pleasant surprise for me), South Georgia and the South Shetland Islands but concentrate rightly on the Antarctic Peninsula. There is a mix of both colour images and wonderfully evocative black and white images that really give you a sense and scale of the place, of the power of the weather and the variety of wildlife on offer. This is a wildlife book, but not a typical one. The wildlife is depicted within the environment, which itself begs for attention. Yet the images feel wonderfully balanced and draw you in to linger and wander around the frame. Colour palettes are often limited, bar the bright yellow on the King penguins in the image. He makes extensive use of the panoramic format, with many double page spreads and even a few triple page spreads (and one spanning 4 pages!) on fold out pages. These really showcase the isolation of the place, with miles upon miles of penguins

visible in front of mountain ranges and glaciers with no sense or sign of man anywhere. These images of broad vistas are interspersed with close up intimate portraits of individual animals. The scarcity of human contact means that the wildlife does not fear man in the same way that you might experience elsewhere, so these wideangle portraits have a wonderful connection that would be difficult to gain with the increased separation that a telephoto lens would provide. The final set of images are captured from the bridge of the ship as Alex sailed through Drake’s Passage and give a real sense of the storm endured. Each images is accompanied with a short note of the subject and location, but lack any kind of EXIF information or other information on how the image was produced. This book is all about the subject, the wildlife and the environment. I feel that one test of a book is whether you would search out another by the same author; I have already ordered a copy of Alex’s first book after seeing this one. This book provides a wonderful record of an area that few will have the privilege of visiting (though it will leave you with a real sense of wanderlust), and a beautiful collection of images that draw you in and let you explore and imagine. Thoroughly recommended - Ed Burrows

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

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Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

The Guide to Photographic Light

kenny martin

Since starting my first studio in 1985 I have had a love affair with light, I love light in all its forms. I have been developing styles and techniques in the studio for many years and have written extensively on shooting with electronic flash, I have a strong grasp of and a deep understanding of creating striking images with both electronic flash and continuous light sources, but somehow I keep returning to my first love - available light.

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Let me make myself clear what I mean by the 'term' available light, because at its literal meaning I just might happen to have, available, a flash kit! What I do mean with the term available light is any light source that is available at the location I am shooting, which could be daylight, window light, street light, table lamp, disco lights, candle and a multitude of other types of light. The aim of this module is simple; I want to show you how to shoot almost any type of assignment by using whatever light is available to you, creating stunning pictures, consistently, with the minimum of fuss and equipment. When I travel to an assignment, whether editorial portrait, fashion shoot, family portrait or wedding I travel with a kit full of lighting gear because as a professional photographer I need to fulfil the clients needs, however, I can honestly tell you the kit stays in the car almost 90% of the time. The saying that my good friend and fellow trainer and lighting guru Mark Cleghorn developed is so true for my particular way of shootingâ&#x20AC;?.

part three Kenny Martin The Guide to Photographic Light

ÂŠ Kenny Martin Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

AVAILABLE LIGHT COMMERCIAL AND EDITORIAL PORTRAITURE:

This genre of portraiture is without doubt my favourite. I thrive on pressure and there is no more pressure in the world of photography than having a mere 3 minutes to capture a stunning portrait of someone. This has happened to me on several occasions, sometimes travelling many hundreds of miles for a commission. I was allowed a whole 5 minutes with Kenny Dalgliesh when he was manager at Blackburn Rovers and Lord McFarlane of Bearsden was even briefer as he walked into the room, took his place at the pre selected and tested spot and walked back out after 5 or 6 shots. However to be fair it’s not all like that, I had a full 45 minutes with Jackie Stewart, which was wholly unexpected but really awesome and several of my sitters who started of very cold, warmed to the task and extended the session, adding their thoughts to the creative process themselves. The reason for explaining the difficulties with this style of portraiture is simple, because if you can become adept at available light photography, can instantly see creative possibilities and little pockets of light you can easily finish the session quickly and efficiently without the sitter getting annoyed with you.

If possible I will do a walk round of the location and find the light I want to use, looking all the time for creative compositional elements which I can incorporate into the image. I would endeavour to produce a series of images from a simple head and shoulders to some more environmental portraits incorporating parts of the architecture or location and adding elements of storytelling to the image. One of the most infuriating parts of being a commercial / editorial photographer is the choice of the final images is out of your hands, how often have you taken what you consider to be a stunning portrait and another less impressive image is used instead. This is simply something you need to learn to deal with, at the end of the day, no matter what you are shooting, the customer is right and you must shoot for the customer. Many photographers forget this important aspect, we want to be as creative as possible but often this is not what is required. I would always shoot to brief, get the shots and then, but only then, shoot some more off script images, sometimes they even like them! This is not a new phenomenon by the way, was back in the 1940’s when the genius portrait photographer Arnold Newman was developing his ‘environmental portraits’ style he shot an image of Igor Stravinsky who many, including myself, regard as the greatest portrait ever taken. Yes you guessed it this was rejected for use in TIME magazine for a much simpler head and shoulder image. The technique for shooting this style of portraiture using available light is no different to shooting families or a wedding. You need to know your camera inside out but the simplicity of using a hand held meter and manual settings exposing for the highlights makes the session so simple in terms of technical expertise it becomes a very easy shoot. The less technical stuff to go wrong the better, camera, prime lens, meter and away you go.

A few years ago I would have definitely been suggesting a good solid tripod was an essential piece of kit on every

© Kenny Martin shoot but these days the modern day DSLR’s or Mirrorless cameras have such incredible high ISO performance that the use of the tripod is less relevant. I would have no hesitation at shooting up to 1600 ISO and perhaps even higher. I often use a wider angle lens for my commercial portraiture as it can be important to include vital story telling aspects in the image, however the normal rules apply: for flattering portraiture use a longer lens, my favourites being the 85mm f1.2 on the Canon and the 110mm Schnider for the Phase One. I also use a 70 - 200 f2.8 Canon. When using the wide angle lenses my subject is always in proportion and not distorted as they are normally part of a scene and smaller in the frame. When using a wide angle view it can often lead to very dramatically lit images, if your light source is small you can really create some great areas of shadow and highlights in the picture. AVAILABLE LIGHT FINE ART NUDE AND FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY:

One of the most challenging aspects of portraiture is shooting the nude. Lighting is critical in showing good body shape and flattering the subject, whether your subject is a male or female sitter, the position, distance and placement of the light will have a huge bearing on how the subject is rendered and how you wish to portray them to your viewers. For instance a large full size window with diffusion material and the subject positioned close to the light source will create beautiful soft and gentle lighting, soft transition from highlight to shadows and soft almost translucent shadows. However if you use a small window and position the subject some distance away you will make the light much harder, with sharper transition and deeper blacks. There is no right and wrong way, as the photographer you need to make the decision what suits the subject best, as a general rule of thumb, with a male sitter I would be looking for a higher lighting ratio and with a female I would probably look for a softer light. The nude is perfectly suited to dramatic profile and side lighting so position of subject and camera is vital. To create this type of drama and shape in the image the light should always be coming from the 90 degree to 180 degree position from the subject and the body and face turned slightly into the light source. Once again my preferred lens choice would be a longer prime, only in extreme creativity or shock value would I be using a wide Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

“

If possible walk round the location and find the light you want to use, looking all the time for creative compositional elements which you can incorporate into the image”. - Kenny Martin

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angle lens for this type of portraiture. You may think that fashion is mostly shot with flash but, if you look through the high end magazines, available light is employed a lot. The great thing about fashion is the rules can go out the window, the creativity of the photographer and the most crazy images can win the day. Think of the maddest thing you can think of then do it, in a fashion spread you might just get away with it. Out of focus, mixed light sources, wrong WB, extreme ISO, dramatic over exposure, multi exposures...go for it! When working with a nude model, care and attention to detail is vital, top art nude models are a dream to shoot because they all know how to pose and move, every part of the body is used from the little finger to the toes. Stretching and pushing the body gracefully enabling you to concentrate on getting the lighting perfect, remember there is a protocol when shooting models, there is a ‘protection’ zone around the model which must be adhered to, no touching, no innuendo, treat your models in a ‘proper and professional’ manner and you will get the most from them. Flare works well with nude and fashion images It it something that we have not really touched on in this series yet, in many ways back-light and the resulting flare is subject to many different factors that consistent results are very difficult to achieve, each situation is different, the position of the sun, the intensity of the light, your angle, the camera position, the quality of glass you are using and of course your exposure. It can however achieve some stunning results, sometimes unexpected. A few rules to get you started, I usually take a reflected spot reading off the subjects face, of course this will be in shadow as the subject is being back lit at this stage, Position your camera so the light source is directly behind the subject and take a test shot, the result should be a flatly lit but well exposed face. Now move position so the sun or whatever light source you are using is coming into shot and contaminating the image. Now try it with a reflector popping some light back into the face. Keep moving about and shooting until you achieve your desired amount of flare. Great fun and you never know what you might achieve. My editorial fashion is normally shot with the 85mm f1.2 and often it is shot at it’s widest aperture. Not easy to get into focus but there is not a lens that looks like this at full aperture and the results are spectacular, education of the client however is vital in gaining trust and acceptance of this style of image, the fact that only a tiny bit of the model / clothing is in focus could present a problem if not tackled beforehand. - Kenny Martin www.kennymartinphoto.com

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

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Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

“

Awards and qualifications are an important part of people’s photographic development. Whether you are a full-time professional or an enthusiast the Guild’s qualifications will help you develop. In this article, recent Master Craftsman, Rob Hill, talks about his journey. Whilst it is challenging, the process is not as daunting as some people think!”

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Read about Rob Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey to Qualification on the next page!

Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

My journey to Qualificaton A

t the very start of the process, I brainstormed some ideas for a project that would allow me the ability to use different techniques, yet have a consistency and ‘common thread’ that would satisfy the requirements for a cohesive panel. I have a small collection of vintage cameras and thought that photographing these with models would be a good project. The first step was to create a ‘mood board’ - a collection of images that would allow me to explain to others (models and my mentor) what I was trying to achieve - I always find that this visual approach to briefing works well. Having created a coffee-table book as a personal project a few years previously, I knew that planning for the finished product is important. The panel would be shot over weeks and months so using consistent lighting set-ups and shooting ‘loose’ to allow for cropping would give consistency and options - but not forgetting that the eventual images would need to be printed at a decent size later on. At this stage, I had not decided on the cropping - I really wanted to get shooting and see if I could get close to Craftsman standard. The first discussion with my mentor, Andrew Appleton, was to discuss the idea for the project. We talked about the cameras and the personal stories behind them, I also shared the mood-board to give an impression of what I was trying to achieve - although knowing that the end result would be quite different as I interpreted the ideas. After I had a couple of shoots under my belt, I asked Andrew for another session to check I was hitting the standard. Although Andrew critiqued a few of the images he also said that there were a couple that he ‘wouldn’t mind on his wall at home’ which encouraged me greatly. Feeling happier that I could meet the requirement I continued shooting. Once I had a reasonable number of images that I thought were up to standard I began to loosely arrange them in a panel, to see how they hung together and see where the gaps were. Having recently gone through my Qualified panel, Andrew had taught me the difference between a random collection of images and a cohesive panel. By the end of the summer, I had a panel that was 75% complete but some challenging personal circumstances meant that I lost focus and didn’t do any further work for a while. At the Guild Annual Awards Dinner in Crewe I was really kicking myself, I felt I had let myself (and Andrew) down by not being there to be judged. I came home and edited images solidly for two days after that - my motivation had kicked back in. With a few more shoots I was ready for another session with Andrew, expecting to discuss how far away I was and what else I needed to do. I was very surprised when he said that he thought I was ready. A couple of months elapsed and Andrew confirmed that I was definitely ready and should complete the submission for July 6th - just 4 weeks later - but I had a holiday planned and was in the middle of a house move. I completed the editing of the twelve images to be printed, deciding on a square crop to be congruent with the vintage cameras and also to make panel layout consistent and easier. Here, I made my first big mistake - cropping the images before editing and not allowing for the overlap of the mounts - this caused me a problem as I had some critical crops in my images - so I re-edited while kicking myself. Andrew had advised me to ‘lift the blacks’ a little so that they didn’t ‘block’ in the prints. This was the first time I had created a print for judging, so I really didn’t know what to expect or look for. I talked to a couple of labs and Guild partner, One Vision Imaging, were the most responsive and helpful so I sent off for a trial set a couple full size (12” x 12”) and a full set of twelve 6” x 6” prints to check print densities. The prints arrived next day - I opened them and was disappointed - the blacks were a ‘muddy grey’ and really nothing like my vision. I tried again, this time I did not allow the lab to correct the images and the next day I got a set that looked just like the images on my monitor - I was much happier. I sent these to Andrew and he called and said that they looked fine, but I should consider printing on art paper as the lustre paper I had chosen could pick up stray light during judging depending on the light in the room. I spoke with One Vision for some recommended papers and they rushed me some trial prints (same day - normal turn around is four days). Again, disappointment - the blacks had lost their depth - my wife said they looked like ‘poor photocopies’. I thought that lustre would suit the panel best, but didn’t want to go against the advice of my mentor. I

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called Andrew and talked with him, he suggested that I speak with Kevin Pengelly - which I did. Kevin spent time on the phone with me talking through the paper and also giving me some good advice about what the ‘personal statement’ should contain. Kevin also pointed out that if I needed to reprint an image, then I would have to reprint the whole panel to ensure the densities were consistent across the panel. I went back and checked my edits again! The decision was lustre - I would order the prints after my holiday. In parallel with this, I had designed the mount - it was to be a 20” x 16” mount in portrait orientation with an aperture 3mm smaller on each side than the 12” x 12” prints, that were offset towards the top of the mount. It is quite easy to buy mounts online, until you need an offset aperture - with a bit of searching I found Brampton Picture Framing and having spoken to them emailed detailed measurements and ordered a trial mount and backboard. The mount arrived the next day and it had been cut wrong. I double checked my email and then called - a correct mount arrived the next day and I trial-fitted a print - this was the first time that I actually thought ‘you know what, it actually looks quite good’ - up until then I did not really believe I was ready - despite Andrew’s assurances. I ordered a full set of mounts and a couple of spares - just in case and also ordered the final 12” x 12” prints and asked for delivery just after my holiday. We had a long flight so I used the time to write my personal statement based on Kevin’s guidance - ‘tell us about how you got into photography, why you chose your panel, why you made the decisions you did and some plans for the future’. With this, I typed up 900 words on my iPad during the flight to Cuba. Back from holiday, with just over a week to the judging (and trying to exchange on a difficult house move at the same time), the prints arrived and were fine. However, the mounts had not be packaged well enough and got damaged in transit - a quick phone call and an emailed photo of the damage and a new set were cut and shipped the same day. In an earlier conversation, Steve Thirsk had told me that poor mounting was a reason for failure and some of the judges were ‘quite particular’ about this. I got some hinge tape and double-sided tape from the local art store and used a spare mount and print to try mounting, based on some guidelines I found online. It looked quite good. As I was worried about the prints crinkling over time I decided not to finalise the mounting until the day before judging, so I did a first pass just hinging the prints to the mounts, checking that the critical crops were in the right place and hinging the mounts to the backboards. At the same time I created a folder on my Mac and exported the 24 supporting images exactly as required in the Guild handbook (1800px longest edge, sRGB jpgs, numbered 01-24). I also added another folder with my statement, layout plan, scan of my application form and anything else that might be relevant. The day before the judging I put the double sided tape in place and finalised the prints. All was going fine until half way through I noticed a red mark on one of the mounts - I had a paper cut on my hand and the mount was ruined really glad I had ordered a spare. So I tore the mount apart and re-mounted the print in the spare mount. I numbered all the prints on the back and carefully stacked them in order. This was the first point in the whole project that I actually thought my panel might be worthy of passing the Craftsman assessment. I’d only ever done one print for competition before and seeing all 12 prints mounted certainly gave them something ‘extra’ over the digital images we see every day. The next day was ‘judgment day’ so, armed with my carefully packaged mounted prints and a folder with hanging plan, multiple copies of my ‘personal statement’, two USB sticks with supporting images (one PC, one Mac) I set off for Coalville, Leicestershire. When I arrived, I was asked to wait outside the judging room as another judging was taking place. I sat and chatted with Julie Moult - her panel was being judged at the time. Julie was called in and got her results and then I was asked to come in and set out my prints. Setting the prints out in two rows of six paying attention to them being evenly spaced and lined up - presentation and attention to detail is not everything, but it is a big part of showing that you take pride in your work. Kevin Pengelly asked me if I would like to read out my statement to the judges, so I took the opportunity, making sure that I spoke clearly and looked up from my notes to make eye contact. At the end I got a round of applause (was that good or does everyone get that?) and was then asked to leave - taking a coffee as I went - so the judging could take place. About 15 minutes later, Kevin and Julie came and found me and asked me to come back in - no hint of anything at this time. As I went back into the room, Kevin formally introduced the judges, some of whom I had met at Crewe Hall or the Photography Show. Kevin then spoke briefly about the assessment and finished by saying “We’re not going to give you a Craftsman” - my heart sank - feeling I’d let down all the people who supported me. Quickly Kevin followed up with “How would a Master Craftsman sound?” - I was truly shocked, and I really don’t remember what I said at that time. Each of the judges congratulated me, Gavin Prest asked if he could point out a few things - 3, in fact - which he did and, of course, he was right. After a while chatting with the judges it was time to leave - it was all over - I had been awarded Master Craftsman! - Rob Hill MCrGP Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

Gold Awards

september 2016

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Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

congratulations Sarah Osborne Qualified Guild of Newborn & Baby Photographers October 2016

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Issue 16 - Creative Light Magazine :

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congratulations Qualified Professional Zoe Rae October 2016

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the boys Mark Lynham www.marklynham.com

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