WEDDINGS - LYNN STANFIELD Photoshop – Glyn Dewis RECIPE FOR SUCCESS – CLAIRE ELLIOTT THE MAGIC OF THE NORTH COAST- JOHN BAIKIE Issue 28 - Creative Light Magazine :
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Contents 10
Lynn Stanfield Wedding Photography
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Rob Hill Marketing
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John Baikie The Magic of the North Coast
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Gold Awards September & October
56 62 68
Janet Broughton Celebrate the Beauty in the Ordinary
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Take-A-View | Charlie Waite Landscape Photographer of the Year 2018
© Lynn Stanfield
© John Baikie
Claire Elliott Recipes for Success Glyn Dewis Photoshop | Quick Cut Outs
© Julie Oswin
© Lynn Stanfield
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Front Cover Tracey Lund “This image was taken at the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park in Japan. The Japanese Macaques where high on my list to see and they did not disappoint. I sat and watched them for a while just to get an idea on what went on around the thermal pools. With the temperature outside being pretty cold, this caused a mist that floated above the waters surface. I got myself down to eye level with the bathing monkeys and set myself up and waited for a break in the mist so I could capture the face of one of the monkeys. This was definitely a trip of a lifetime for me and I came home with 47,000 images to boot� - Tracey
www.melody.karoo.co.uk
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STEVE & LESLEY THIRSK The Guild of Photographers
As this is the last edition of Creative Light this year we thought it would be good to look back and reflect on 2018! We are very proud of what the Guild has achieved or put in place for members during the last 12 months. Here are just some of the highlights In the early part of the year there was a lot of concern about the GDPR, so, on behalf of members, we did a lot of research and published a simple step by step guide to help everyone understand the new Regulations. This included a template ‘Privacy Policy’ (something required for all businesses). In short, we believe we helped many members become compliant with the minimum of stress! Soon after the GDPR came into being we announced a unique partnership with Pixsy, a world leader in Copyright Protection! All Guild members can now get up to 30,000 images protected against Copyright theft absolutely free of charge – a service worth £350 a year! Their reverse search engine searches the web to see if or where your images are being used without consent, giving you the option to send an automated, legally binding take-down notice or utilise the option to seek compensation through their legal network! Every month we see some amazing images by members. That got us thinking that we could help you generate extra income from the images you have already produced. With that in mind we brokered a deal with ALAMY - one of the world’s finest stock photo agencies! Guild members can earn up to £500 commission free...and much more after that! We all know how important our health is, and we also know how expensive Health Care insurance can be, especially if purchased individually. In September we launched our own scheme through Plutus Health, costing from just £5.36 a month – a saving of up to 40% on the usual prices! As you know, the Guild is already involved with training, bespoke mentoring and offers monthly competitions. This year ‘The Founders Cup’ was launched to encourage members to push themselves. Uniquely, it is a 3 image miniPanel competition purely for Registered and Qualified members (who also haven’t won any regional or national competitions before). We have introduced Regional Groups run by local members so people can get involved with training, photo-shoots and socials within their area. Whilst only recently launched, they are already proving very popular. If you haven’t joined your local one yet – do so! The full details are on the Guild’s website. Also, very recently launched is a partnership with Photo-Sensory, a global company which provides pre-school education via 5 different class types. Guild ‘Pro’ members have the sole opportunity to earn £1000’s by registering with them to be the official photographers at these classes, which take place all over the UK. Unlike many preschool opportunities, this is not leads based, leaving you to source your own customers – you are put directly in front of hundreds of potential customers! It’s literally a ready made business! To find out more please contact the Guild’s office. These things have added even more value and opportunities for members! We believe that no other photographic association offers what we do, and in 2019 we will continue to strive to do more! Whilst we are very proud of all these things, the thing we are most proud of is the unequalled and ongoing sense of community within the Guild, which is down to you .. so ‘thank-you’ for your support during 2018! Also, when we move into 2019 do remember that the more involved you get with the Guild the greater the benefits you will get! We wish you and yours everything you wish yourselves over the Festive Period..
- Steve & Lesley Thirsk
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Editor
Julie Oswin
Walking in the Yorkshire Dales during the summer, I passed by these farm buildings and saw the ‘Road Ahead Closed’ sign (see below). It appealed to my sense of humour; I had to capture it. Can’t stop thinking of the endless captions you could use! For my Editors Choice, I have chosen the image of the Puffin, captured by Guild Member Cheryl Forman. The image has beautiful lighting with an excellent composition. The photograph was awarded Silver in July’s Image of the Month competition and such a great shot. If you would like to see a photographers work featured in next year’s editions, please get in touch. Remember, they do not have to be a member of The Guild of Photographers to be featured. Email me julie@julieoswin.co.uk and in the subject write Creative Light Magazine 2019. The successful panel of work created by Janet Broughton using the ‘Lensbaby’ is such an inspiring body of images that I had to share with you and Janet has kindly given us an insight into her thoughts behind the pictures. Congratulations Janet. The end of 2018 is only a few short weeks away, and as this is the last edition of Creative Light for 2018, I would like to thank you all for what has been an excellent year for the members and photography. I have thoroughly enjoyed showcasing the beautiful images you create for the Image of the Month, the successful qualifications and of course the Craftsman and Master Craftsman panels too. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Healthy, Happy New Year for 2019 - Julie Oswin
https://www.julieoswinphotography.co.uk
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Editors Choice Cheryl Forman
Awarded Silver - July 2018
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Photo: Lynn Stanfield 10
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Lynn Stanfield wedding photographer
www.lynnstanfield.com
Lynn Stanfield is a wedding photographer based in Northern Ireland. A Qualified Member of the Guild of Photographers and was 4th in the UK for the Guild Wedding Photographer of the Year 2017 and a finalist in Northern Ireland Wedding Awards 2018 for Wedding Photography. She is a Licentiate of the Professional Photographers Association of Northern Ireland and a member of their Council. Having previously worked in administrative roles for charities and as a part-time lecturer in further and higher education, Lynn has been able to apply her organisational and people skills to her business, feeling that she has found her niche and business since 2012, she now shoots over 40 weddings a year.
Lynn’s approach to Weddings and her Photography “Relaxed and fun! I have fun when I’m shooting weddings, and hopefully, that comes across to my couples. Some of my wedding day fun has included paddling in the sea with a bride, being shot at by Nerf Guns, hanging off the back of golf carts, dancing the Argentine tango with my hubby as the ‘second dance’, and generally laughing, and sometimes crying, along with my fabulous couples during their amazing days!”
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Guild Member, Lynn Stanfield talks to Creative Light about her Wedding Photography
Q: What equipment do you take to your weddings? I take three Nikon full frame cameras, various lenses, 2-3 flashes, light stands, triggers and modifiers, a reflector, video lights, Icelight. Spare batteries, a groundsheet and a white wedding umbrella! I also usually take my husband as an assistant and driver!
Q: How many weddings do you photograph each year? About 40-45
Q: Favourite camera and why? Nikon D750 - it’s excellent in low light, and the flip out screen is handy when I need to be taller!
Q: If you could choose one lens which one and why? Nikon 58 1.4G - my favourite lens! It’s a great versatile focal length and a lovely lens.
Q: What lighting equipment do you use? Nikon speed lights with Magmod modifiers, video lights and an Icelight
Q: Can you describe how and when you use your flash, video or reflector on a location shoot?
I use flash on camera bounced for indoor shots, e.g. speeches in winter and dancing. I use the flash off camera with a modifier for sunsets or to backlight or for night shots - I’ll also add a video light in front. I use the Icelight when I need a bit of extra daylight balanced light. I have a reflector with me if I need it, but I tend not to use it much, instead of looking for natural reflectors.
Q: What have you found the most challenging about being self-employed?
It’s easy to get too busy and not take enough time off!
Q: What have you found the most challenging about photographing weddings?
Tight timelines - I’ve learned to work fast when I need to!
Q: What tips or advice would you give to someone wanting to become a wedding photographer?
Get plenty of experience of shooting different types of events in a different light, and get to know your equipment inside out. Assist at weddings to learn the flow and pattern of a wedding day and progress on to second shooting. Learn about the business side. Be prepared to work hard.
Q: How important is Photoshop in your final images? I don’t use Photoshop much - I do most of my processing in Lightroom, just dipping into Photoshop for the occasional image where, e.g. I want to remove something. 12
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Q: What new gadget or equipment have you your eye on to buy next?
I’m tempted to try the Sony A7iii - I like the idea of a silent shutter during ceremonies
Q: What lenses do you have in your camera bag? Nikon zooms 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8, Sigma 35 1.4, Nikon 58 1.4 and Nikon 85 1.8
Q: What work background did you come from before becoming a photographer?
I’ve done many things from being an insurance claims handler to teaching undergraduate theology (locally and in West Africa). I’ve worked in the charity sector for conservation and autism charities but most recently before becoming a wedding photographer I taught English as a foreign language.
Q: How long have you been a photographer? I’ve always loved photography but got a DSLR 8 years ago and set up my business six years ago.
Q:
Apart from sheer hard work, what would you say is the main ingredient to your success? I care about what I do, and that comes out in excellent customer service - happy clients tell their friends and a lot of my bookings are from friends and family of past couples.
Q: What do you feel has helped you to succeed in wedding photography where so many others have failed?
I love what I do, and I’ve been very driven, partly because half the time this doesn’t feel like ‘work’!
Q: Website, did you design it yourself and what did you want to acheive?
I designed it myself; I wanted it simple, bright and happy.
Q: When photographing a wedding, how many images do you take?
It varies but 1800- 2000
Q: To relax couple’s on their wedding day what techniques do you use?
I get them chatting to one another, having fun, I want them to have a great day as well as get great images for them.
Q: Favourite part of the world? I love the Canaries as my ‘holiday place’. Love Italy too.!
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Photo: Lynn Stanfield 14
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Q: Who or what started you off on your road to becoming a wedding photographer?
I got into photography and started shooting local dance events linked to the dance classes I attended. Then friends asked me to photograph their wedding and the third time they asked I finally said yes! I loved it and knew this was what I wanted to do.
Q:
Which books or magazines would you recommend members to read? Creative Light of course!
Q: Where are you based? Have you always lived there?
I’m based in Co Antrim which is just outside Belfast. I used to live on the other side of Belfast but since getting married have ended up less than a mile from where I grew up!
Q: Favourite food? Steak and chips!
Q: What do you do to relax and enjoy to do in your spare time?
We got a puppy in June, so she makes me get out every day for a walk! We also spend any weekend days I’m not working going for long walks and dog-friendly cafes and pubs for dinner. My hubby and I met at dance class and when we get time we like to go dancing together.
Q: Have
you had any formal training, college, seminars or are you self-taught? Being a former higher education lecturer, I am a big fan of the importance of education and learning. I aim to attend several training days/workshops/seminars every year from a variety of speakers. I’ve also had mentoring sessions and gained Licentiate of the Professional Photographers Association Northern Ireland and Qualified with the Guild of Wedding Photographers.
Q: What has been the proudest moment in your photographic career so far?
Getting ‘The Photographers Bar’ and coming 4th in the UK for Wedding Photographer of the Year in February.
Q: What would you have done differently in your business if you could start again? Started earlier! I love what I do. Thank you Lynn for sharing your wedding photography and giving an insight into your work with the readers of Creative Light Magazine. - Julie Oswin, Editor
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Photography by Lynn Stanfield
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congratulations Kath Evans
Qualified Newborn & Baby Photographer September 2018
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MARKETING Rob Hill is a life-long photography enthusiast with a product / commercial photography business – MarketingShotz as well as a successful technology marketing business. He qualified as a Master Craftsman with the Guild of Photographers and is also a member of their judging panel. His commercial work can be seen at www.marketingshotz.com and his personal work is found at www.robhillphoto.com
(When) should you ‘work for free’ ? There
are few things that rile a photographer as much as their services being undervalued and being ‘asked to work for free’. But, is the ‘red mist’ that appears clouding our view and are we missing out on some opportunities to grow our businesses more rapidly? In this article, Rob Hill looks at how, while many opportunities should be discarded, through careful thought and investigation, sometimes ‘working for free’ may be a legitimate way to move your business forward. We live in rapidly changing times and, among many other things the world of work is changing. A career is rarely for life and more and more people are starting their own businesses, either for a better work / life balance, as a result of redundancy – or simply because they want a second career, often in an area completely unrelated to their ‘first career’. Coupling this with reducing barriers to entry when ‘photography went digital’, and it is no surprise that many people are choosing photography as their second career or supplemental income stream. The law of supply and demand starts to come into play and, as more photographers enter the market, so prices generally fall for the majority of photographers – while the established few with unique photography styles or services remain able to command premium pricing. It’s true that many photographers work below the market rate and while that may be for good reason (their mortgage is paid off, they have a ‘day job’, they lack confidence or experience) that is not the focus of this article. 24
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There are many areas where photographers may be asked (or offer) to work for free, or just for expenses. Speaking assignments offer photographers the chance to get in front of a large audience, whether at a convention or via an online webcast. In this case, the value of the opportunity depends very much on who is in the audience and how they fit into your target market. If you are a commercial photographer, the opportunity to speak at a local camera club is unlikely to yield much future work. However, for a photographer who provides training or photographic events for other photographers, this could be an ideal opportunity to meet a lot of potential customers – and maybe ‘plug’ some upcoming events or seminars.
Many of the ‘work for exposure’ (work for free) opportunities come from the so-called ‘internet influencers’ and, often, should be avoided. However, with careful research into the demographics of the audience and clear (probably best written down) agreement as to who will do what - and when, there may be the odd opportunity that has merit or value. When looking at these opportunities, don’t be dazzled by huge numbers of followers and, equally don’t dismiss bloggers with small followings. A blog that is read by 100 marketing managers in the local area (maybe a column in a trade magazine) could be far more valuable to a commercial photographer than an Instagram user with 10,000 followers on the other side of the world.
Many photographers are focused on a relatively narrow sector of the market; they are a wedding photographer or a commercial photographer and tend to stick in those areas. It can be hard to find the time to develop more skills in other areas, so an unpaid job may a way of developing a particular skill, or trying a new style of shooting that could open up a new sector of the market for the photographer without the pressure of paid work while inexperienced. Provided there is a clear understanding and expectations are set between all parties, this could be the start of a positive new direction for your business.
There are times when the work is simply for free, such as for a charity. This is more a decision for your conscience and not really a business decision. If you can spare the time and it is a legitimate charity that supports a cause you believe in, then it may be a good thing to say ‘yes’ – you may even gain some new skills or have the opportunity to gain valuable coverage yourself through your own blog or local press coverage. It is important to keep an eye on the ‘big picture’; if you find that 80% of your time is devoted to ‘working for free’ then you are unlikely to be making a success of your business. However, if you are already achieving the goals you set in your annual business plan (you do have one, don’t you?) then that can be a good time to expand your skills or marketing reach in any spare time you have left. There are many, many scenarios – far too many to be covered in a short article, but there are a number of criteria to consider that are common to all – which may seem obvious to some. If the opportunity is about gaining exposure, then you must understand the demographics of the audience and their level of engagement. If the opportunity is about gaining skills / experience then you need to be sure that there is a demand for that skill in your area / customer base. In all cases, there must be a clear (probably written) understanding of each party’s responsibility to the other. Working for free is (and always will be) an emotive topic but by carefully considering each opportunity against your business (or personal) goals, asking a lot of questions, setting expectations and being very selective, you may just be able to add some value to your business. - Rob Hill
Photo: Jesse Orrico Issue 28 - Creative Light Magazine :
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Colour management can be easy As a photographer, you are likely familiar with colour management. However, a recent survey conducted by Datacolor revealed that only 15% of the 400 photographers quizzed felt they had a good knowledge of colour management. To help photographers master the art of colour
management technology, Datacolor have produced an extensive colour management guide. ‘Spyder5 eBook: Color management can be easy’ is a free six-chapter guide providing practical advice to help any photographer or videographer understand colour management, from the basics to the advanced. Here’s a taster from the first chapter.
Why use color management equipment? High-quality color management that is time and cost-efficient is almost impossible to achieve without color management equipment. Anyone who has ever set up their printer for fine art prints and has ended up using an entire ink cartridge on high-quality paper for mere test prints will have plenty to say about this. The concept of color management involves coordinating systems so that once taken, the image on the output side (monitor, printer or other output medium) appears as close to the original as possible. This also includes deliberate changes made to image content. In other words, photographic processing needs to be reproduced on the output side as it was carried out on the monitor. Why? Depending on the make and model, digital cameras have different color characteristics that can be corrected using a color calibration tool. What’s more, lenses can also introduce color traits, while low-quality lenses even create clearly visible color casts and light falloffs. These can be almost impossible to modify. We can, however, influence the appearance of the digital image on the display. Without settings, we also see an interpretation of the image that may not be representative of its true colors. This is determined by the electronic components of the display and its age. It gets trickier when it comes to printing images on paper. When we convert the light colors, which have determined the process so far, into printing inks, it can cause distortions.
The competence of the eye is not enough In short, we are moving between physical worlds of color. We can work with several devices, which each individually interpret the colors for us. If you rely solely on the expertise of the naked eye and make adjustments according to your vision, you will very quickly reach your limits. Every additional device included in a color workflow will heighten the complexity. To add to this, color deviations don’t behave in a linear fashion, but vary according to color saturation level and the nature of the colors themselves. Finally, it is important to keep in mind the color constancy phenomenon. You’ll notice how fast your eye compensates color casts, when you change the color profile on your monitor. Regardless of whether the colors are right or wrong, our brain hides slight color casts within minutes. This phenomenon is called color constancy. This is similar to situations in which we quickly become accustomed to the brightness or darkness of our surroundings. Sign up at www.datacolor.com/ebema-tg to receive your copy of ‘Spyder5 eBook: Color management can be easy’. Chapters will be released in three-week intervals.
© 2018 Datacolor Inc. All rights reserved. Datacolor and Spyder registered trademarks of Datacolor. Issue 28 -are Creative Light Magazine : 27
SEO
Create a Friendly Content Strategy We all know how valuable content can be to boosting the rankings of and traffic to ours
websites. Whether that content is text, imagery, videos or graphics, it all plays an important part in helping Google, and our audience, understand what our website is all about - and what search phrases it should therefore rank for. It’s not always easy, however, to come up with great content. Here’s my guide to creating an SEO friendly content strategy:
1. Service representation The first step to creating great content for your website and blog is to ensure that all of your services are represented with their own pages. This means having a separate page for ‘wedding photographer’, ‘bridal photographer’, ‘events photographer’, ‘portrait photographer’, ‘landscape photographer’ and so on (if, of course, these are all services you offer). To give your service pages the best chance of ranking well, start by writing a list of all the services you offer. You can then use a tool like Google’s Trends to tell you how many people search for each word or phrase each month. Use this to test variations on a term, e.g. ‘wedding photographer’ vs ‘wedding photography’ and choose the one which gets the most searches. The example here shows a screenshot of Google Trends. The top box compares the two terms I’ve entered - ‘photographers’ and ‘photography’’ and shows the searches over the last twelve months. Google your searches to find the best trends that represent your services and to give you a good level of monthly search volume and are low to medium competition where possible. Look at the difference between the searches for ‘photography’ and ‘photographer’
https://trends.google.com/trends
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You can find less competitive keywords by appending location to the terms, e.g. ‘wedding photographer Nottingham’ is less competitive than ‘wedding photographer’. Once you’ve selected the term you’ll use for each service, you can then optimise your page for that term to help improve its search ranking position when people search for it. Google ‘on page optimisation guide’ for more information.
2. Answering customer queries Once your services are all well represented, the next source of great content ideas is your audience. As we all know, when seeking photography services, clients often have a number of questions they want to ask, both before employing you and during the process of getting their photos. Consider the questions you’re most commonly asked, and make a list of them. They might include, for example: • how to choose a wedding photographer • how long does a family photoshoot take • how old does my baby need to be for a photoshoot • what does a wedding photographer do on the day And so on... Once you’ve made your list based on experience, there are other tools to help you find new questions your audience might be asking. One tool is Google itself; type in your search query, e.g. ‘wedding photographer’ and look at what Google suggests to you in the drop down area and at the bottom of each page. These are all related phrases that you might want to write about. Another example is a tool called Answer the Public (www.answerthepublic.com), which generates lists of search terms based on your original term, as shown in the screenshot below:
3. Assessing seasonal trends in search volume When planning what content to write, it is also useful to know what kind of topics people are searching for over the course of the year. Google’s Keyword Planner will show you this for the year when you put your search terms in, letting you see at what points in the year each term is most popular. You can also use Google Trends, which allows you to see much further back in time too to spot any trends that recur year on year. Here’s an example for the phrase ‘wedding photographer’ and ‘wedding photography’’: You can use this tool to review all of the terms you want to rank for, to identify the best time of year to create and promote that content. This can then feed into a content calendar, which is used as a schedule to ensure you keep your site fresh, up to date and full of useful content. - Laura Hampton
Each one of these questions warrants its own page and would make a great addition to a blog or an FAQs section on your site. Each one of these pages should be optimised to give them the best chance to ranking highly, too. The added benefit to answering customer queries on your site is that you reduce the need for the customer to pick up the phone to ask those questions of you, which can be frustrating for them if they just need a quick answer (although also have your phone number available for those who prefer that method). By writing this type of content, you’ll position yourself as an expert in your field, too, and benefit from more search traffic coming to your site through a wider range of search terms. Issue 28 - Creative Light Magazine :
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Photo: Nathalie.Rouquette 30
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Making Sense of Photography Licensing
f you are interested in boosting the earning potential of your photography business and you have a good affinity for baby portrait photography, Photo Sensory Licensing may be the answer for you. Photo Sensory, founded by Guild member Mark Fletcher in 2014, is the exclusive photography service of the multi award winning WOW World Group. WOW offer classes from pre-birth to the age of seven including Maternity days, New Born Babies, Toddlers, Birthday Parties and other family events. Baby Sensory, Toddler Sense, Mini Professors, Reading Fairy and Keepabeat are programmes now falling under the WOW World Group umbrella brand. Many of these programmes have now become a house-
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to opt for a licence with a business like Photo Sensory as a ‘bolt-on’ to their already diverse business of weddings, fashion, new born, maternity and other commercial or corporate work.
hold name over the last eleven years.
2017 after consulting with photographers and WOW franchisees, the concept of licensing this part of the business began to emerge with licenses becoming available in early 2018. This change in direction could not have come at a better time with the WOW World Group umbrella brand being finalised and WOW’s accreditation with the Children’s Activities Association (CAA).
Being a part of the WOW World Group provides a number of benefits to photographers who sign up. WOW are the leaders in their field and have a truly global presence operating on many continents across the world. This in-turn provides assurance of continued business, the comfort and backing of a solid global brand, sharing of best practice, and the chance to be a part of a stable market leader.
Some photographers... are earning £2,000 per day or more...
Since its inception, Photo Sensory had planned to follow the extremely successful franchising model of the WOW World Group. However, after trials with franchised regions it was becoming clear that franchising was not the best model that suited a photography business dedicated to servicing the WOW programmes. During
In our world of photography, the challenges are forever shifting and most professional photographers have a need to be versatile in today’s market because of the advances in smartphone technology and the increase in numbers of amateur photographers. With this in mind a photographer is more likely
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The coverage of the WOW business across the UK is postcode defined into territories of which there are currently 356. Each Territory is aimed to cover an area of approximately 150,000 to 250,000 population. Every territory is expected to have three locations with each location running three classes every week. These guidelines do vary but for a photographer visiting classes four times per year, the expectation is that this would provide exposure to between 600 and 1,000 customers within their territory each year.
long term aim is for our photographers to be the preferred ‘Family’ photographer for all of the WOW customers. For us to achieve this, it is important that our photographers become true members of the WOW family. As a Photo Sensory photographer, it is important that operating with WOW programmes is seamless, collaborative and professional.
Photo Sensory licensees have the exclusive rights to take photos at WOW programmes within their allocated territory. There are various photography models for classes including candid in-class photo shoots, pop-up themed photo shoots, and pop-up studio type portrait photo shoots. All have their place and vary depending upon the local needs of the WOW customers.
of our practice is to collate performance of licenses and share statistics with all of our photographers to help everyone get the best from their licence with Photo Sensory and to add value to the service provided to the end consumer. Our first release of performance figures for 2018 have revealed some pho-
Photo Sensory is aiming to see photographers licenced across every part of the WOW World Group business that has a need for photography services. With this in place Photo Sensory can then begin to share information and best practice across the UK to ensure everyone benefits from this new and exciting venture.
The licensing costs are minimal with an annual licence fee of £300 per territory for the first WOW programme, plus £80 for ...only licence photogra- any subsequent WOW phers that are Guild programmes added Professional Members. within the same territory. ...licence fee of £300... In addition to the licence cost is a local commistographers, using a For the selling of the sion of 15% of gross print-in-class model, are photos there are two revenue for each shoot. earning £2,000 per day main methods currently or more and, across the being used; selling online Photo Sensory have UK, averaging £680 or selling (and printing) in recently made the decirevenue per class. class. The latter has sion to only licence phoAt Photo Sensory, our proven to be one of our most successful commercial models and would certainly be the one Photo Sensory recommend to any prospective licensee. Although this is not compulsory. To date, more than 70 licences have been sold and are operational in a wide area of the UK. Part
tographers that are Guild Professional Members. This is to ensure there is a robust framework of photographers available across the UK but also to ensure photographers and end customers are protected by what will become a robust standard of service. Having recently attended the Photo Hubs event in Coventry as a trade partner, the response from Guild members has been really positive. We are excited about the future growth of the Photo Sensory family and would welcome your interest. If you think you have all of the requirements to become a Photo Sensory photographer and you are interested in licensing with Photo Sensory, please contact the Guild or Photo Sensory directly at: info@photo-sensory.com
Photo Sensory founder, Mark Fletcher, believes the Photo Sensory business model will provide benefiits to all involved. By providing an excellent quality product to end consumers, by providing a value-add service to WOW World Group class activities, and allowing Photographers to add to their bottom line!
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... AND TIME “Shuttertax have a very straight forward and efficient way of working which requires very little effort from me.” We wanted to tell you what a fantastic online accounting service we provide for photographers but we decided to let Guild members tell you for themselves.
“The process of switching was painless and it has made me more productive, saves time and costs far less.”
INVALUABLE “I’ve found Paul's knowledge of tax issues invaluable, and he responds quickly to any questions I've asked. I've absolutely no regrets signing up with Shuttertax.”
NO ‘ACCOUNTANT JARGON’ “Any questions I had were answered fully without the use of 'accountant jargon'.” “He goes out of his way to explain things to me in a way that I will understand and answers my questions quickly.”
UNDERSTAND MY BUSINESS “They both completely understand my business, having "been there, done that!" themselves.” “Paul and his wife know the business too which he tends to keep quiet! They were excellent togs so know what hurdles we all face with running our business.”
PASSIONATE TO HELP “Paul is a brilliant guy, extremely helpful, understanding, and within minutes you will realise that you've found someone who's passionate to help other photographers.”
SAVED ME MONEY “Shuttertax has definitely saved me money in my first year and with Paul's help, I am sure my business will grow and grow.” “Paul took most of the tedium of accounting off my hands, and in completing two tax assessments for me so far, has certainly saved me more money than I've paid Shuttertax.” 34
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NO QUESTION IS TOO STUPID “No question is too stupid, communication is excellent and my tax returns have been painless now for two years.” “Paul patiently and expertly answered every single 'daft question' I threw at him and due to his expertise and patience my self assessment return has now been filed in record time and with the minimum of stress on my part.”
TOP NOTCH SERVICE “Their customer service and professionalism is top notch too, after only a couple of months of working with Shuttertax I can see it has been a great decision and I can highly recommend them.” “Their professionalism and customer service speaks volumes about how they view you as a client.”
FRIENDLY “It felt like talking to a knowledgeable friend who's keen to help, rather than an accountancy firm who only see me as a commercial opportunity.”
UP TO DATE INFORMATION “Paul assured me that I would have up to date account information at my fingertips but without all the hard work getting there.”
ACCOUNTANT WAS CHARGING ME A FORTUNE “I recently switched from a High Street accountant who was charging me a fortune and had me typing up spreadsheets and labelling invoices every month - time consuming and tedious!”
EXTREMELY REASONABLE FEES “They have simplified how information is recorded through the use of QuickBooks Online, providing access to information and reports I didn't previously have.”
“As if their friendly, professional service wasn't enough, I think their fees are extremely reasonable with no hidden costs which have resulted in reducing my accountancy fees by more than two thirds.”
TRANSFERRING IS SEAMLESS “The process of transferring my accounts to Shuttertax has been seamless. I cannot thank him enough and hope he won't regret all the extra transactions I get in as I have more time to focus on the business!”
WOW! “Wow, I wish I’d found Shuttertax years ago!” “I am definitely a customer for life!!”
https://shuttertax.co.uk
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ON TREND, EASY TO SELL AND WOWS CLIENTS We’re talking folio boxes. Folio boxes are fast becoming the hottest product in the photography industry and it’s easy to see why. Below are just the benefits at a glance but there’s all sorts of science and psychology that goes along with it; we don’t just make this stuff up ;)
FIND OUT MORE
Credit: Wendy De Craemer
BENEFITS FOR YOU • • • • • • • • •
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Sell it in print Make your client happy Perfect for IPS Combine tangible & technology Drive referrals More time for you No album design No long lead times Easy to upsell wall art
: Creative Light Magazine - Issue 28
BENEFITS FOR YOUR CLIENT • • • • • • • • • • •
More choice, more value Beautiful, professional prints Luxurious quality Instant Gratification Shareable Easy to display, nothing to hang Digital files included Avoid decision fatigue Satisfy the social share Less chance of buyer’s remorse Legacy / Heirloom
3XM 3xmsolution.com
Photo: Ania Pankiewicz
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The Magic of the North Coast - Landscapes of Scotland John Baikie is a photographer from the Scottish Highlands. Best known for his commercial and wedding photography. Recently he started to enjoy his landscape photography again finding a great way to express himself away from the more structured approach to other photography genres. Landscapes allow John to totally do his own thing, and portray his feelings through the medium of photography. John likes to capture feelings and mood in his imagery, rather than shooting the obvious landscape shots that many photographers take. To John, a landscape is a blank canvas, and a very therapeutic way to work. He likes nothing better than climbing a hill to view the breathtaking scenery of Scotland or being near to the coast, taking in the sounds, smells of the sea and feeling the power of the ocean. People viewing landscape images be able to take in the real emotions and the feelings of a scene, and imagine being there.
john baikie
Creative Light talks to John about his latest book, The Magic of the North Coast.
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Creative Light talks to John Baikie Q:
What have you found most challenging about creating your book?
The entire project has been a challenge, to be honest. It has grown arms and legs as I have gone along. I guess the biggest challenge is trying to capture the real feeling of the area. I’ve tried to avoid the obvious postcard images, and have got myself off the beaten track. I set myself a fairly tight schedule because I had promised myself I would have something published by the end of 2018. In hindsight, it was a bit short of time, but on the other hand, without that, would I ever get it finished? The other big challenge has been choosing what to use, as I haven’t even scratched the surface.
Q: What advice would you give to members of the Guild looking to sell and make a living from Landscape/Architectural or Commercial Photography?
Firstly you have to believe in what you are doing and create a direction for yourself. People will constantly knock you down, but you have to stick to your vision. After that, I think it is important to develop and create your own style. Too many people are copying other people and not having their own approach and direction. If you can offer a different look to your photography, you are more likely to be noticed. Hard work and dedication pays off. I have always loved the quote by golfer Gary Player – “The harder I work, the luckier I get” I think it is true in any situation especially photography.
Q: What camera equipment do you use for your landscapes? I’m a Canon shooter, so it is usually the 5d mk3 I am using, along with an assortment of lenses, although the two most used are the 16-35mm f2.8 and my 24-70mm f2.8. I don’t use any filters, but a polariser, a couple of ND filters, and a grey graduated filter are my go-to accessories. That’s about it unless you include midge repellent and clothes for the four seasons we have during the the Scottish summers!
Q: What advice would you give to photographers about what look for in your landscapes?
lighting you
It seems obvious but early and late in the day are the best for light. Sunrise and sunset just give a different feel. I love being out for sunrise, nobody else around and just taking it all in. Living in the Highlands, you do get a variety of conditions, but generally, there are always options, even on a bad day. It is important to plan your days around the weather forecast, and if it looks like it is going to be dull, have a plan B, which may be focusing on details rather than big, wide landscapes. Capturing the mood of the bad weather, shooting at wider apertures, and just embracing what you are given can be fun. A moody black and white can be much easier to create on a bad day.
Q:
Your preferred season and time of day for your landscape photography and why? Early morning is my favourite time to shoot. The morning light and the tranquility make it a pleasure. My preferred season of the year is Autumn. The colours are amazing on a beautiful day, and the sunrise is much later in the morning.
Q: How did you begin to develop your marketing especially in such a difficult area of photography?
I think it’s vital to embrace social media, much as it can be the bane of my life. There is no doubt that social media is where the vast majority of people spend their time. Not so much on websites and blogs unless they come via social media. I think it’s helped to try to be myself online and not be all about marketing. Personality sells, and being ‘real’ keeps people engaged. When it came to Kickstarter, most of my backers were people I knew already, either personally or via Facebook and Instagram. I started building an audience before I launched it.
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Q: Who inspires you? If I am honest, this changes from day to day. I try not to be a clone of anyone else, but over the years I have been inspired by a number of photographers in different genres. In weddings, it was Martin Schembri and Jerry Ghionis initially. Commercially, I have always been a massive fan of Andy Earl and his music portraits. I loved the way he underexposed skies when he was using flash and started using that style from very early on. Landscape photographers, well Peter Lik is probably the favourite. My all-time favourite photographer, however, is Sebastião Salgado, just for the sheer emotion, he captures in his images, whatever genre he shoots.
Q: Apart from sheer hard work, what would you say is the main ingredient to your successful imagery?
Passion and a love of what I do. I’ve always tried to capture emotion in my images. I think being a deep, emotional person is a big part of that. I’ve found it a great way to express my feelings, good and bad. If I am shooting people or landscapes, I put my heart and soul into everything. It is exhausting but makes it feel worthwhile.
Q: How would you describe your style and approach to your landscape photography?
Emotive, moody, like myself. I always try to avoid cliché views where possible and will go the extra mile, climb a hill, wade through water, whatever it takes, to get the right angles. My primary goal with an image is to try to express the mood and atmosphere I feel there.
Q: Any books
that you would recommend to Creative Light Magazine readers? I read loads, and also listen to a lot of audiobooks. On photography though, I have a big collection of coffee table books, and love leafing through them. I think it is a personal thing like anything else though, so whatever floats your boat. I have some cracking books by some of the legendary photographers, like David Bailey, Helmut Newton and the likes.
Q: Interesting facts about you? • In 2016, I cycled 185 miles in one day for charity. • I can solve a Rubik’s cube in around 2-3 minutes. Misspent youth? • I once danced in front of 800 people in another charity event based on Strictly.
Q: How essential is a tripod for your photography and which tripod would you recommend?
I shoot a lot of long exposures, so a tripod is essential. I have two: one very sturdy (heavy) aluminium Gitzo model which I have had for at least ten years, and one super light Manfrotto 290 Xtra Carbon fibre model, which is my go-to piece of kit. It is lightweight and very flexible, a bit like myself (okay, maybe not) to allow me to shoot in some very awkward spots. If you are walking distances and trekking over hills, you need to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum.
Q: How important is post-processing in your finished images? It is essential. Much as I hate post processing, this is the one time I shoot RAW files and process carefully. I do always have a final image in mind when I am shooting, so it is all about knowing how to get the image on camera in the best way to minimise editing time and to get the best out of the files. I use Adobe Camera Raw for most of the work, then Photoshop to finish them off. 42
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Q: Favourite place in the world and why? Scotland. I’ve been lucky enough to travel a bit with my camera for work, and have been to some lovely places. Thailand was a highlight, and I loved my trips to Italy, but home is where the heart is as they say. I think we often forget just how beautiful our scenery is. The West Coast of Scotland, in particular, is just breathtaking in almost any weather.
Q: Where next? I have a plan for another book. I have a few ideas, so once I get this one out and marketing all done, I will make a start on it. I want to travel more, shooting landscapes. It has got a grip of me now. I want to get to the stage of making at least a decent part of my income through this type of work. I want to offer more workshops in this area as well, and let other photographers get to know this part of the world and see what Scotland has to offer.
Q: Three words that describe you? Passionate. Determined. Driven.
Q: Favourite food? Ah, tricky one this. I love Indian and Mexican food but have a severe intolerance to spicy food, so, unfortunately, have had to change my eating habits a fair bit in recent years. You can’t beat a good steak though. Ideally accompanied by an excellent single malt Scotch whisky! - John Baike
The Magic of the North Coast 500 is a book of images from the iconic NC500 area, showcasing the beauty of the locations, in my photographic style. Capturing mood, feelings, and the true beauty of the North of Scotland. Some obvious, iconic locations, and some hidden gems. www.northcoastscotland.co.uk Issue 28 - Creative Light Magazine :
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PHOTOGRAPHERS TRUST WILKINSON CAMERAS.
The Old Man of Storr at sunrise Andreas Ettl Digital Splash Awards Landscape 2017 Finalist For more information on our Digital Splash Awards visit: www.digitalsplash.tv
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Photo: Kendra Eastwood Issue 28 - Creative Light Magazine :
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Make money from your photography with Alamy Whether it’s your full-time job or a weekend hobby; join our community who are already seling their imagery to over 100,000 customers worldwide
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* up to a value of ÂŁ500 - offer exclusive to members of The Guild of Photographers 46 : Creative Light Magazine - Issue 28
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SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
© Phil Green
© Rog
© Ed Burrows
© Mark Lynham
© Sarah Wilkes 48
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© Jason Alison
© Henry Ransby
© Mark Lynham
© Mark Lynham
ger Jepson
© Claire Osborne
Ian Knaggs
© Tracey Lund
© Mark Lynham
© Sian Lewis Issue 28 - Creative Light Magazine :
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SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER © Benard.Pretorius
© Steve Collins
© Scott Johnson 50
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© Kayra Cinar
© Natasha Ince
© Ian K
© Simon N
© Jason Alison
© Debbie Longmore © Judith Lawley
© Sarah Wilkes
Knaggs
Newbury
© Simon Newbury Issue 28 - Creative Light Magazine :
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SureColor SC-P5000
Enduring quality Combining excellent reliability with outstanding colour accuracy1, the easy-to-use SureColor SC-P5000 delivers exceptional print quality for proofing, fine art and photographic printing. Why choose anything else. www.epson.co.uk
Up to 99% of Pantone Solid Coated Colours achievable using violet model, or 98% using Light Light Black (LLK) model. Tested by Epson technicians using Epson white semi-matte proofing paper, September 2016.
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congratulations Sian Lewis
Qualified Professional Photographer September 2018
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Celebrate the Beauty in the Ordinary
Janet Broughton “I have been a fan of Lensbaby lenses for a long time. Initially,
they were something that I would use for a bit of fun but as the Lensbaby range evolved and I started to search for ways to express myself through my photography. I started to take them more seriously. After a few years in business, I found myself only shooting portraits for clients and feeling creatively frustrated. I began to search for something in my photography that I would find more fulfilling and for two years I shot personal projects. The first, “52 Weeks of Quiet”, helped me discover a love of still life photography that I can’t imagine I’ll ever lose. Next came my “Year of Unconventional Lenses” where I experimented with vintage lenses and started to use my Lensbaby a lot more. There’s nothing like manual lenses for making your slowdown and connect with your subject! By the end of that year, I was shooting mostly with Lensbaby lenses and was in the very fortunate position of Lensbaby gifting me those lenses. I also experimented a lot in that year with editing and found by the end of that year I’d developed quite a strong personal style. I would advise anyone who is shooting mostly for clients to pursue some personal projects in a different genre or style; you never know where they might take you and they are sure to benefit your work. I seek to celebrate the beauty in ordinary everyday objects through my photography, that is often ignored. My aim is not to create a tack sharp photographic record but to bring my style and creative interpretation of the scenes and objects I see. I create gentle images with a feeling of calm. Shooting with Lensbaby lenses and often adding textures helps me achieve my aim. For a long time, I was reluctant to pursue my Guild qualifications, and I hadn’t seen anything remotely similar to my photography being submitted. While I was keen to develop my skills, I didn’t want to compromise my style. I even thought about seeking qualification through other organisations, but there’s nowhere quite like the Guild for friendliness and support. After conversations with a couple of judges and my mentor, I came to realise that there is room in the Guild for all sorts of photography, so I pulled together a panel from some of my recent work and submitted. I would strongly encourage anyone who feels that their work isn’t quite conventional enough (I’m sure I can’t be alone in that feeling!) to book mentoring session, you’ll probably be very pleasantly surprised, just as I was”
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“Through my photography I seek to celebrate the beauty in ordinary everyday objects that are often ignored�
congratulations Janet Broughton
Qualified Professional Photographer November 2018
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28 - Creative Light-Magazine : 59 Š 2018 - All images areIssue copyright protected Janet Broughton
Creativity Backgrounds has just launched it’s new Translucient Backdrop, a beautiful flexiglass option used to
transform light. Use it to diffuse light in commercial and portrait photography, or as a backlit background. It can also be used as a tabletop backdrop, it offers a fine 75% light transmittance. https://www.photography-backgrounds.co.uk/Diffusion-and-Reflector/150012-Flexiglass.html
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© Sian Lewis Photography
NEW!
“I knew right away that I wanted to use it for backlit parent shots during newborn sessions. I’ve tried this two different ways in the past; lighting a pale grey backdrop which required a bit of faffing with light placement right and quite a bit of editing, and then standing the parents in front of my big octoabox. This works well but requires a close crop due to the size of the octa so it can be rather limiting. By putting the luminescence in front of the octa, it gave me a much larger working space and made the light that bit softer, perfect! I’ve also been wanting to replicate window light in the studio for ages and have tried various ways to achieve it, none of which worked. I'd previously tried putting layers of net curtains in front of the light but the light stand was still visible and it looked messy. The Luminescence was ideal and it was so quick and easy to set up and though it lets lots of light through, you can't see the light stand through it. I added some net curtains in front of it to make it more window like and the final result was pretty much exactly what I wanted to achieve. I think with a little more tweaking to the set up, it will be perfect. There are so many more things I want to try with it, including making a scrim for outdoor sessions on bright days and one for the studio so I can be moved around easily without needing to move light stands. I would definitely recommend this to other photographers, if you like backlit shots, it makes shooting them an absolute breeze.”
Sian Lewis
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Recipe for Success Claire Elliott
Claire is a newborn and children specialist Photographer, with 18 year’s experience within the genre. Having initially formally studied graphic design, fine art and of course photography has gone on to gain her Master Craftsman status with the Guild of Photographers having achieved one of the highest scores to date in the International Image of the Month Competition. This bode well for her promotion to Panel Member and Judge within the Guild of photographers and building the success of the Newborn and Children categories. As a successful Mentor, Claire has built her Newborn training business up to one of the best within the United Kingdom and travel extensively to train others in the art. Claire is also a UK ambassador for the revolutionary international training aid for newborns called the Stand-in-Baby. Developed in Australia, the business owners have carefully selected the world’s Top Newborn Photography Trainers to become their Ambassadors – quite an accolade. To those that know Claire, she is humbled by her achievements and is known as the Fairy Tog Mother, adorned with her trademark slippers. Claire’s down to earth approach and warmth brings out the best in others immediately putting them at ease. It is evident that this skill in itself is the root of Claire’s continuing success with her models, trainees and the photographers she mentors.
“I cannot think of a more rewarding job to be able to create such beautiful memories for the parents and families of their newborn baby.” - Claire Elliott
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Recipes FUN WITH PROPS Ingredients: One coloured backdrop; One unusual chair Wooden toy to suit your subject Clothing to fit the scene Soft lighting source - feathered softbox or filtered daylight Large silver reflector White balance card Flash/light meter
Instructions: Roll out your chosen colour background with enough space for the chair; Light from the left side with light feathered away slightly; Position reflector to soften the harsh shadows on the right-hand side; Place child on the chair but still keeping parent close by for safety; To keep the child on the chair, engage with a themed toy; For best results, shoot the images from the child’s eye level; Offer different toys and props to create different shots in a few seconds; If done correctly these shots will need a simple edit. Top tip: Blowing raspberries for the toddler is very amusing for them and will keep them entertained for at least two minutes. Change the chair quickly to keep the flow of the session moving;
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SNUGGLES WITH BEAR Ingredients: Three blanket textures; One cuddly toy and matching hat; Soft lighting source - feathered softbox or filtered daylight; White balance card; Flash/light meter; Small silver reflector; One newborn baby;
Instructions:
Position your textured blankets/fluffs symmetrically; Light the shot from the top right corner with a 45-degree angle, have a small reflector at hand; Make sure the baby is fast asleep to keep the blankets in the photograph tidy; Make a very slight well in the beanbag to lay the baby into keeping him/her content and snug as a bug; Fit the baby’s hat and slide in the teddy bear; Straighten the top cover for a tidy finish; Shoot the shot from above the baby but make sure that you use camera strap or hand strap for safety, being careful not to shoot up the babies nose; Refine hands for a relaxed feel to the shot; Top tip: Reposition the bear and play with the ties on the hat to suit your style. Keep extra hats and bears close to change, ideally in a basket for quick access and change the props in seconds.
- Claire Elliott, Master Craftsman, Panel Member & Judge Issue 28 - Creative Light Magazine :
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Infocus Photography insurance present…
It shouldn’t happen to a…
newborn photographer Not many professional photographers come home from a day’s shoot covered in body waste, but for newborn photographers, a smattering of wee and poo is all part of the day job. It’s a hazard that comes with the territory; and for Sarah Wilkes of Sarah Wilkes Photography, it’s something you simply have to get used to. She said: “You take a nappy off a baby, and it’s going to poo on you. You just have to crack on with it, and make sure you have spare clothes.” Claire Elliot, a panel member of The Guild of Photographers and newborn photographer, agrees:
“The thing is once you get the nappy off and air gets to the baby’s bits. Well let’s say 95 per cent of the time you get a little gift from baby. Boys are worse than girls because they pee up in the air and over their own heads. They can be a nightmare. “I remember once I was wrapping a baby for a shot and the mother told me the baby was constipated. Well as soon as I lifted the legs up, it was a poo-nami! I was covered. The parents are usually mortified. But if you’re going to be a newborn photographer you can’t be squeamish about it.” Newborn is one of the fastest growing sectors in the photography industry. The shoots capture babies at just a few days old – usually between 4 and 14 – and it is a sector not for the faint-hearted. Bodily functions aside, newborn photography brings with it a unique set of challenges, from finding suitable props to manoeuvring babies into the perfect pose. And66 for the best results, you need -a Issue sleeping, : Creative Light Magazine 28 milk-drunk baby.
Claire Elliot
“I remember once I was wrapping a baby for a shot and the mother told me the baby was constipated. Well as soon as I lifted the legs up, it was a poo-nami! Sarah said: “Getting the baby to go to sleep can be the biggest challenge. I give parents a packed information sheet ahead of their shoot, but the most important thing is to try to keep the baby awake in the hours before a shoot and feed them as soon as they arrive. “I also make sure the studio is lovely and warm and play white noise – usually the sound of the womb – to encourage sleep.” Babies are easier to pose when asleep. And for anyone considering a move into the newborn photography, both Claire and Sarah agree the baby’s safety is paramount. Claire said: “There’s the safety element of putting babies into poses, and positions that are not completely natural. You must learn how babies can be manipulated safely without damaging their body parts. “When I began 18 years ago, there was no newborn baby training available. So I spoke to local medical people I knew – paediatricians, nurses – and learned from them the right way to move a baby’s limbs around, as well as what to look out for.” Like Claire, Sarah was one of the first newborn photographers in the UK. She discovered the industry when pregnant with her first child and was blown away by the images she was seeing from the US. She combined her experience in childcare – she was previously a nursery nurse – as well as her passion for photography to carve out her new career.
Both Claire and Sarah run training sessions for budding newborn photographers. Claire also works with the Newborn Baby Posing Company Ltd, in association with the Guild of Photographers. While Sarah coowns the The Newborn and Portrait Show. Claire said: “Watching parents as they see the images I’ve captured of their baby, who is so tiny and so young. The look on their faces is what makes it all worthwhile. Especially if they have special pose in mind and you achieve that for them, that’s the best. What we do as newborn photographers is produce memories.” Sarah agrees: “Seeing the parents’ faces when they look at the images of their child who, even two weeks later, has already changed. It is so rewarding, especially if they cry. More so when the dad’s cry.” Claire added: “Like everyone else, we need money for rent and for living, but it’s not a job you do for the money. It’s for that look, the satisfaction you get from seeing the parents. Otherwise, it would be too hard to put up with all the poo.”
For expert advice on all kinds of photography insurance, speak to one of Issue 28 - Creative Light Magazine : 67 Infocus’s friendly staff: 0161 925 5051 or visit www.infocusinsurance. co.uk
TIP SHEET #10 Quick Cut Outs with Photoshop Brushes
Compositing or rather, the process of selecting and cutting out assets from one picture and realistically adding them into another is an extremely common practice in the world of Digital Photography / Digital Art. Compositing is everywhere in areas such as the Movie Industry to create elaborate and fantastic posters advertising the latest blockbuster to Photographers being asked to simple move a person from one picture to another. No matter how elaborate or not the final picture, there are essential skills that need to be mastered and none more so than making accurate selections and cut outs. Over the years Photoshop has made life considerable easier for those of us creating composites with the introduction of such tools as the Quick Selection Tool and Refine edge and more recently Select and Mask however despite these additions the skill of the retoucher is knowing how other tools can be used when others fail. In this tutorial I want to take you through a selection and cut out, but we’ll make it one that could potentially be quite challenging. I’ll show you how we can use a brush within Photoshop and how to make a few changes to it’s behavior so that we can in fact ‘fake’ the cut out and speed up the process considerably. So, let’s go through the process but first of all show you ‘why’ you would want to do this…
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Step 1: Quick Selection Tool Start with the Quick Selection Tool to make as accurate a selection of the mouse as you can, but don’t worry too much about making it perfect. You’ll likely notice that the selection process starts off well but then, when we work around areas such as the tail the selection goes off track somewhat. To bring the selection back close to the mouse and remove unwanted areas from the selection hold down the ALT/Option key whilst dragging. Step 2: Select and Mask / Refine Edge Now that we have a fairly accurate selection of our mouse, click to enter Select and Mask. Using Select and Mask though (despite being the all new singing and dancing selection method) because of the closeness in tone and contrast of the mouse to the background doesn’t produce as good a result as we’d like. Smart Radius and then the use of the Refine Edge Brush to pick up some of the fine hairs produces a cloudy, smudged effect going around the mouse. It’s times like this we can turn to other tools within Photoshop to speed up the process and actually ‘fake’ the cut out. Step 3: Layer Mask Click Cancel to exit the Refine Edge dialog box and return to the original picture of the mouse with the selection we made with the Quick Selection Tool still active. Click to add a Layer Mask and then so that we can see clearly what we are doing as we cut the mouse out, let’s add a blank layer below the mouse by holding down the Command/CTRL Key and clicking on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the layers panel. Then go to EDIT > FILL and choose White from the contents drop down menu and click OK.
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Step 4: Brush to Erase Click on the layer mask attached to the mouse layer and then choose a round, hard edged brush from the tool bar. Click on the brush options to ensure there are no settings applied to affect how the brush behaves. Then with this hard edged brush and a black foreground colour paint around the perimeter of the mouse so as to paint away part of the mouse’s body/fur. (Decrease the size of the brush as you go along areas such as the tail.)
Step 5: Fur Brush At the moment the cut out of the mouse doesn’t look realistic however we can now use a brush that is pre installed in Photoshop to create the look of fur. Go to the Brush Preset Picker and scroll down until you see a brush that looks like a single blade of grass (number 112). Click on this brush preset and then click to open the Brush Panel. Here at the bottom of the brush panel that appears we can see a preview of what the brush will look like if used with the presets it currently has applied. We can now make changes to these settings so that the brush behaves differently.
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Step 6: Brush Settings Brush Tip Shape we can use to change the angle that the brush is applied (this comes in very useful when painting along the contour of the mouse). Adjust Spacing so that the brush gathers tighter together as we are going to apply settings to fake fur. In the Shape Dynamics tab increase the Size Jitter to around 10% to slightly vary the size of each brush stroke that is applied. Leave Scattering at it’s default and turn off Colour Dynamics and Transfer.
Step 7: Paint back the Mouse With the brush settings in place, change the foreground colour to white and then with the fur brush we have just created, paint along the perimeter of the mouse to reveal what was previously hidden. However now that we are using this new brush, the parts of the mouse we painted away are now revealed as fur. As you paint around the mouse dive back into the Brush Panel to alter the Angle and also the size of the brush that is appropriate for the area you are brushing over. Once finished you can then use the Move Tool to drag the mouse off the original picture but bring with it the layer mask should you need to make any adjustments / refinements later.
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Step 8: Save the Brush Having taken the time to create this fake Fur Brush, you’ll most definitely want to save it as a preset so that you can quickly easily use it in the future without going through the previous steps each time. To do this click to open the Brush Panel and then click on the Create New Brush icon in the bottom right hand side. In the dialog box that appears give your brush an appropriate name an then click OK. From now on you’ll then be able to choose this brush from the Brush Preset Picker.
Note: Compositing in Grass Brushes are undoubtedly one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal in Photoshop; especially when it comes to creating composites. Again using a brush that comes pre-installed (134) we can apply our own settings to create the look of grass. In this composite of a Lioness, having made a selection and cut out using the exact same method in this tutorial, I’ve then used brush 134 to hide parts of the Lioness in shape of grass so that she appears to be within the grass.
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Photo: Henry Ransby
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S MADE SIMPLE
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Cameracraft Magazine As a member of The Guild of Photographers you will receive a bi-monthly CameraCraft Magazine as part of your membership!
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Š Sarah Wilkes
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WHY YOU NEED TO OPTIMISE YOUR IMAGES FOR YOUR WEBSITE AND SEO & WIN A 1:1 WITH LEMONADE DESIGN ON HOW TO OPTIMISE YOUR IMAGES
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ne of the biggest mistakes I see photographers make is ‘not optimising their images for use on their websites’, there are many reason why you should but here are just a few: -
• Your website will load faster • User experience • Google with love you!! And your images will be found when someone searches for them SO WHAT IS IMAGE OPTIMISATION? Image optimisation is where you reduce the size of an image without losing the quality so that your web page loads faster, in addition if you name and add keywords to your images so that they rank on Google.
Have you ever wondered why some photographers images come up in a search for a particular venue and your don’t? The chances are you have not renamed your images to be specific to the venue, or you and not added keywords to78help Google find you. : Creative Light Magazine - Issue 28
creating beautiful BRANDS & WEBSITES
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Landscape Photographer of the Year 2018 Pete Rowbottom - Ice Spikes, Glencoe, Scotland 80
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Landscape Photographer of the Year 2018 WINNERS ANNOUNCED Sharp shards of ice on a bitterly cold February morning added a winning dimension to Pete Rowbottom’s image of Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands, making him the twelfth winner of the overall title: Landscape Photographer of the Year and the £10,000 top prize. The judges chose Pete’s dramatic composition from thousands of entries celebrating the richly diverse landscape of the UK. Pete received a call from Charlie Waite, one of Britain’s leading landscape photographers and founder of the Awards, telling him of his success: “And then he told me I had won the entire competition; I just could not believe it - I’ve won a category? - No, the full thing. I was absolutely ecstatic, in fact far beyond that, I can’t even put it into words. The call ended with Charlie congratulating me again and I don’t mind admitting I did a good few laps of the kitchen shouting for joy and some serious fist pumping. It didn’t seem real; dreamlike even. It is so hard to take in, and it really was one of the best moments of my life. Utterly overwhelming, and simply amazing.” Speaking of Pete’s winning image, Charlie Waite said: “The numerous strong diagonal lines of the ice fractures in Pete’s image echo the shape of Buachaille Etive Mòr in the background and have peaks of their own. You can’t take your eyes away from the relationship between the mountain and the ice; it is visually very strong and has a mathematical precision. The cold of the mountain and ice together contrast well with the amber of their surroundings. This is an image where you can hear and feel the landscape, as well as see it, so it is emotionally strong and involves the viewer on multiple levels.” From dramatic storms and raging seas to the quieter joys of misty woodlands and close-ups of nature’s fascinating details, the winning photographs in the ‘Take a view - Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards’ not only display the talent of their creators but also inspire visitors to explore and discover the wonders of Britain’s countryside.
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LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR EXHIBITION HOSTED BY NETWORK RAIL Dates: 19th November 2018 – 3rd February 2019 Venue: The Balcony at London Waterloo Station. Times: Opening times as for the station. Admission
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THE GUILD OF PHOTOGRAPHERS “No other photographic body offers what the Guild does... get an incredible package of business support, training and mentoring by some of the most respected names in the industry, insurance, legal protection and the rights to use our respected membership logos”
Photo: Cliff Spooner
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