Helping Not for Profit Support Groups with Photography

Yesterday I once again had the privilege of meeting with the Parkinsons  SA Photography interest group.

I always enjoy this and share my experiences as a photographer and discuss techniques,cameras and where to find help on the net.

If there are similar support groups operating in South Australia I am happy to come along and do something similar if my schedule permits.

I am a firm believer in photography being great therapy.

I am also open to doing some photographic work for not for profits.

Please feel free to contact me on 0417867476 or email at geoff.g.thompson@gmail.com

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/photography-for-sufferers-of-parkinsons.html

What Pics do you release for your Wedding Photography Clients?

When you photograph a wedding do you only give your clients your best shots?

Most Professional Photographers will say yes to that but I have always had a slightly different approach.

I have a view that any picture taken is better than one that is not taken.

Mostly that is.

Sometimes I believe we should not pull the trigger.

Seem my link to a previous post on this.

 http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/when-not-to-take-photograph.html

There are however pictures that mean a lot to people even though the shot may have virtually no artistic or photographic merit.

I always had the view that there may be a pic that had some emotional significance.

In that thought I always showed my customers the rejects in case there was something important.

My grandmother was virtually staying alive to come to our wedding.

She died a few months later.

A couple of snaps taken by others that show she was there were very important to me.

I have known people to lose a parent even before they came back from their honeymoon,

Some guests at a wedding we were videoing lost their little baby who was at the wedding a few days after the wedding.

Sometimes just the expressions on the faces or the significance of what was happening in the moment are priceless regardless of the merits of the pic as a wedding image.

Of course so many people are taking images as guests these days that some of the special moments  are likely to be captured.

This Granny  had just had a pacemaker fitted for her heart condition. She died a few short weeks after this wedding of her eldest grandaughter.

These pics show how much she enjoyed being there and are priceless.

A wedding Photography Timetable

Matthew and Sung. copyright Geoff Thompson 2011

Without a doubt a most valuable tool in photographing a wedding is a photography time table.
Below is a sample of the type I developed.
I learnt this from working for a studio many years ago.

Your Business name here.                                                      Phone:

Wedding of_______________________________________Date:……………

* Address where Boys are for pre wedding shots………….Phone:……..
*
* Photographer arrives…………………………………………Time:
*
* Photographer leaves for brides address………………………Time:
* Photographer arrives at Bride’s address……………………   Time:
*
* Brides address:
*
* Photographer leaves for Wedding Ceremony……………........Time:
*
* Ceremony starts at……………………………………………  Time:
*
* Address for ceremony………………………………………………………
* ……………………………………………………………………………………………
*
* Ceremony Finishes……………………………………………Time:
*
* Leave for photo location number 1……………………………Time:
* Address for location  number 1………………………………………………
* Arrive at Photo location  number 1……………………………Time:
* Leave for location number 2 if required…………………….....Time:
* Arrive at this address…………………………………………   Time:
* Address……………………………………………………………………………
* Leave for reception/wedding breakfast………………………   Time:
* At
* Arrive at venue…………………………………………………Time:
* 
* Do mock cake cutting photos…………………………………   Time:
* If this is part of plan.
* Stay no more than hour at beginnings of reception doing some candids and bridal party entrance an some table shots if agreed to.I usually do shots of table settings, cake, detail photography.
*
* Leave for home and rest and then editing:

* Boys in Bridal Party first names:
* Girls in Bridal Party first names:
* Ages of little people if any involved in party:
* First names of parents:
* Mobile Phone numbers for significant people:
* Special requests:
* Address and contact details after marriage:……………………………

I make sure that the Bridal Party, Parents and their Wedding Car Drivers all have a copy of this timetable. Also I like to liaise with whoever is doing video so we are all on the same page.

Work out your travel times as this is critical.

I usually start with a blank proforma with names and date already there and then work backward from the possible or actual time of the wedding and then forward from the time  the ceremony finishes.

At wedding consult I sit down  with customer after I have shown my samples and then discuss this timetable.

I usually allow up to an hour with boys pre wedding,

One hour with girls if a "standard" size wedding party eg. 3 girl attendants.

If more than this I would add on a 15 mins.

 How much light you have at the end of the day is critical although High ISO performing digital slrs are now a big help in this. In the days of film my rule of thumb was to finish outdoor photography no later than 30 mins before sunset.

 I usually suggest about 15 mins be allowed for bridal group shots on or near the front of the Church after the ceremony.

Then I get people to start moving to the location for after ceremony shoot.

You really need a minimum of an hour for after ceremony and pre reception shooting.

That is actual shooting time not including travel.

I find that customers are very receptive to this timetable at quote times as they usually don't have too many clues about how all this part happens and are very happy for your advice and assistance.

Often if the time of the ceremony is not locked in they will be happy to change timing a little so they don't miss out on good light and they allow proper time for travelling.

I find with my years of experience I can hit these in/out times within a minute on most occasions.

Of course if things start to come unstuck that's when you need to consult and think on your feet.

See also the link below to my take on how to make your own app so  you can have this on your phone on the day.

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/make-your-own-app-for-time-table-for.html

The Walk Up method of Bird Photography

Over the years I have done lots of bird photography.
Never with real expensive cameras or real expensive lenses.
I have also never sat in a bird hide all day to capture images.

My approach has been mainly to shoot as opportunity arises.

This means having a camera ready to shoot.

I have adopted an approach as under.

1. Spot your bird(s)

2. Look for cover to approach from un-noticed.

3. Preset your camera so you can re act quickly.

4. Walk slowly towards your subject taking pictures from furtherest distance and progressively
    as you get closer.

5. Watch for changes in direction of birds head and pleasing poses.

6. Aim to try to fill the frame with the bird.

7. If you sense the bird is about to take flight get ready to capture a sequence of flight shots.

8. If your bird is fairly passive and quite tame take time to quickly make any necessary camera adjustments.

9. You could try using a tripod or monopod but this will be difficult.

10. With Australian Emus you can actually attract them in close to you and get many great shots.
 They are very curious and will come form a long way off to investigate if you are sitting in a 
 stationary car and slowly waving say a red jersey out of the window.

The camera, a Nikon D60 was not up to getting this shot but nailed the next one.

These emus came from the horizon you can see in the background right up to our staitonary car.

Egret captured at Dix's Park Paringa,South Australia, Emus at Calperum Station near Renmark.

What Cameras, flash etc. to use for Wedding Photography by Geoff Thompson

One of my favourite capture the moment type shots.

As a mainly retired wedding photographer I used to think that cameras and other accessories did not necessarily have to be high end to do wedding photography.
I think that was more so true in film photography days than in the digital now.
In film days camera performance was mainly based around lenses and the type of film you were using and how good your film lab was.
A medium format camera such as a 6x4.5 set up was always a step up in quality if not in operating speed.

Using a tripod was important at times in a shoot but not always.

It was a good discipline to use it particularly when shooting medium format.

Even though I rarely photograph weddings now I follow the industry closely via the internet.
Youtube and web sites such as F stoppers, DP Review and online teachers such as Jason Lanier. and others.
They give much insight in what can be captured and done with well specified equipment.

A great on camera or off camera flash set up is I believe still an important part of a wedding photographer's armoury but the use of high ISO ratings with reduced "noise" and also continuous lighting like LED lights are very useful.

So if I were seriously starting out now as a photographer I would certainly start off with good quality APSC Digital Slr's but having mastered that technology as quickly as I could  I would look to Full Frame Digital SLR's as soon as I can afford it.

To start a Wedding  Photography business is still relatively cheap to set yourself up with the right tools for the job.

Canon and Nikon were usually and mostly still are the choice of professionals for weddings, although other brands such as Sony are now very good.

The new Pentax K1 full frame digital slr may be a great camera for weddings.

If I were doing weddings today for a living my ideal set up is something like below.

Having started off with Pentax but using Canon and Nikon digital cameras as well, I would if I could afford it have a Pentax 645z medium format camera and the Pentax K1 as my wedding  kit.
That is presuming the K1 meets the expectations.

You should always have 2 top of the line cameras,one as a back up on the wedding day.

Also you should have back up lighting equipment and plenty of cards and charged up batteries.

In short you really need back up for everything.

I have never had a lot of joy with pentax brand flash equipment.

Nikon and Canon have produced in my opinion much better products in that regard.

I would certainly be investigating the type of portable lighting that Jason Lainier demonstrates on his youtube videos.

Cameras used in weddings must be quick to operate and work well in low light and have a high dynamic range.

In film days your negative films had a great "dynamic range" or exposure latitude.

Some specialist films were also a lot finer grained, (sharper and less noisy), than some.

Even if you did not have your exposure spot on the negatives were still able to give you a good print.

A high dynamic range and shooting RAW can now take the place of film characteristics.

You need a camera that will give you detail in highlights and shadows.

As far as lenses the faster (very large maximum apertures) and better quality the better.

Below are some names of wedding photographers whose work I think is really good and a quality to aspire to and  not only are they great photographers but their knowledge of how to " work" a wedding and relate to their customers is brilliant.

Cliff Mautner

 http://www.cmphotography.com/

http://www.cmphotography.com/

Jason Lanier

http://www.jasonlanier.com/weddingsinfo

http://www.jasonlanier.com/weddingsinfo



Joe Buissink

http://www.joebuissink.com/

http://www.joebuissink.com/

If you are just staring in wedding photography or photography in general there are lots of wedding photography training posts on this blog. There may also be other photography posts that are not on here on my other blogs.

To access my other blogs click on view my complete profile below about me on the right hand margin.

The New Pentax Full Frame Digital SLR is here!

Well for the long list of Pentax camera fans the long awaited full frame Pentax Digital SLR has arrived.
See a  link below to DP Review.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/7158808396/worth-the-wait-a-look-inside-the-pentax-k-1

It's a wonderfully "specced" camera with some of the features I like the most.

1. Full frame and can use all my old pentax lenses.

2. High megapixel count and 204,000 ISO.(When I started photography we were mainly shooting Kodachrome at ASA 25. (same as ISO).

3. External flash connection socket.

4.Built in WIFI and GPS

5. Dual card slot.

And lots of other features.

The one I anticipate I will find frustrating is the strange articulated screen.

The one on the Canon DSLR's works a treat.

Great for taking shots from any angle and for lining up video self capture.

It almost looks good enough to tempt me out of retirement as a wedding photographer.

Wedding Photography inside a Church by Geoff Thompson

One of the things new wedding photographers have to work out is where do you position yourself for shots during the ceremony.
The first thing about this is you do need to see if your customers want you to take photos in the Church.
Then you also need to make sure the Minister allows photos to be taken in the Church.
Below are some pics which show the basic positions I try for in the Church to cover the indoor part of the Church proceedings.
They were taken from a Church balcony by Dave, my assistant for the day, who had recently completed my wedding photography course.
He was using a Canon 20D. These images have not been edited.
The wedding was in January 2006.
I was still shooting film and starting to integrate digital coverage as well.
There is also a link here on my blog where I talk about a shot list for a wedding.
Some of what I do in the church is in that post.

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/search?q=shot+list

Please note I am available for one on one or small groups who want to learn wedding photography or how to use their digital camera.
You would need to be able to come to Adelaide for this although I do frequent South Australia's Riverland from time to time and am open to conducting classes in Renmark.

email:   geoff.g.thompson@gmail.com

 In this shot I am positioned at the front near the bridesmaids awaiting the entrance of the bride.
I would have already photographed each of the bridesmaids as they walked down the aisle.I am looking at the groom to get a shot of his expression as his bride comes down the aisle.

A little flower girl bravely walks in a head of the bride.

Everyone in state of anticipation

 Here comes the Bride. I am crouching down to get the shot as she walks toward the front.

Turning to get a shot of the groom.

 Getting the shot. I am waiting to get them in the same frame.Landscape orientation.

Where am I now?

 Possibly getting a shot from back of church looking straight down the aisle.

Now I am back in a position to get a couple of shots of the speakers.

Here I am possibly changing film or making some adjustment.

Now in position in back right corner so I can get close ups of the couple.

I think I accessed this doorway from a backdoor of the Church so I would not continually be moving around too much and be a distraction.

I am in the right corner as from that angle the bride's face is towards the camera angle.

This is a great shot to get from a balcony if there is one in the Church

They have been exchanging vows and now I am getting ready for the kiss.

Dave got the kiss from the balcony but unfortunately the shot was over exposed.

 Thankfully I got the shot from my position.

The signing of the register.

 I am waiting to get the shots that I will usually set up after the signing.

I will take some candids while this is happening

I would be doing a quick sequence of posed shots here.

Then three quick picks of the Minister handing over the certificate of marriage