Photography Tips - Articles

Photographing a Wedding - The Cake Cutting Ceremony
When photographing a wedding one of the most important shots is the cutting of the cake. You must take care with this shot, it will be one of the most popular shots of the day. This should be posed with the groom between and a little to the back of the cake
Wedding Photography Techniques - Checking the Venue
Before photographing a wedding it is a good idea to visit the reception venue. See what settings there are both inside and outside. Based on what you find, you will decide how much photography you need to do at the Church and also whether or it will be necessary to visit a park. If both the church and hotel are not conducive to good wedding photography, then a park may well be the best option.
Wedding Photography Techniques - Bride Groom and Groups
Remember, the Bride and Groom should be most prominently portrayed in every shot. When posing groups you should try to avoid placing anyone directly in front of or behind the Bride and Groom. The only exception to this is when using steps to compose very large groups.
Baby Photography - Lighting Tips
In baby photography one of the biggest challenges is lighting. Lighting babies and children is something that comes with experience. As with lighting any other subject, the most important thing is that you become familiar with a few basic setups, and then adjust the setup to suit the particular situation and subject.
Photographing Babies - The Challenges
Babies can be fidgety and their moods can make or break a photography shoot. All of the technical expertise on earth cannot make a tired child rested or a moody child suddenly happy. For the purposes of this article, I would like to deal with the non-technical challenges.
Group Photography Tips - How to Get More Work
All photography businesses stand or fall based on the quality and quantity of their marketing. Once you get established people will start to come to you, you will however have to earn this. There is no better approach especially in your early days of business than the personal approach.
How to Photograph a Wedding - Tips
When the Bridal car arrives, ask the Bride and her Father to remain seated, you should compliment her at this point, it will help her relax. Take a flash shot from inside the car then ask Father to step outside the car and take his daughter's hand as if helping her out of car.
How to Photograph a Wedding - After the Ceremony
When planning how to photograph a wedding you need to be aware of the procedure after the wedding ceremony. This article will lead you through some critical steps of this procedure.
Photographing a Wedding - The Booking Form
When photographing a wedding should you use a booking form? The final decision is yours, however in all my years of being a wedding photographer I have never once had to refer back to a contract. This has always been down to good communication with my clients.
Wedding Photography Techniques - Selling Your Work
Wedding photography techniques will not on their own sell your work! The idea that good wedding photography technique will sell itself is nonsense. You will starve in the meantime! So whether you do the selling, leave it to others, or handle some of it yourself, you need to be aware of the characteristics that go to make up the expert photography salesperson.
Photographing a Wedding - Using the Church
Photographing a wedding in the church gives lots of opportunities. If you use flash for the portraits at the altar, shoot at a slow shutter speed so that you'll have the natural light and surroundings as part of the scene. Shooting at 1/125th, for example, may light your subjects properly with flash, but it will also close the shutter down too quickly to allow any of the environment, lit by natural or artificial light, to appear on the film.
How to Photograph a Wedding - Groups
You often see wedding photography where the photographer has posed the group in a long straight line. In order to get the group to fit the frame they then have to walk backwards or use a very wide angle lens. The effect of walking backwards to make the group fit the frame is that you end up with lots of sky, lots of ground and an unattractive looking group somewhere across the middle of the frame.
How to Photograph a Wedding - Avoiding Bad Venues
There may be some times and venues that you would rather not accept to photograph a wedding, for example a shabby registry office to an equally shabby bowling club in mid winter! Nothing is more damaging to future business than an album of inferior prints that are partly the result of a badly located wedding.
Photographing Weddings - The Registry Office
You will have to plan a slightly different shooting schedule for a registry office wedding. I have shot a number of weddings at a very busy city centre registry office. There can be as many as five or six weddings taking place at the same time!
Baby Photography - What Equipment Do You Need?
Beginners in baby photography often ask me whether or not they require a portrait lens. The answer in relation to baby photography is an absolute yes. With a standard lens you will need to get in very close to a baby, often too close for comfort.
Wedding Photography Tips - How to Respond to Enquiries
This article will show you a method of increasing wedding photography telephone enquiry conversion rates to actual bookings. When a potential client responds by telephone to your advertisement, where possible avoid giving prices, instead say that you should be able to work something out to suit.
Photographing a Wedding - List of Shots
This article will provide you with a list of over 50 shots to take when photographing a wedding. Use variations of these and add your own to expand the list. The list of potential groups and individual shots is limited only by your imagination, and by how quickly you can work with the wedding party.
Wedding Photography Techniques - Photographing the Bride
In wedding photography the bride is the most important subject of the day. Your images must reflect this. This article will discuss some methods that will help you portray the bride at her best.
Starting a Photography Business - What to Charge
When starting a photography business do not try to get clients by selling your services cheaply. When costing a package there are a number of points to establish. Firstly you should telephone other photographers enquiring of their services and costs. This will give you a baseline on which to build a competitive pricing structure.
How to Photograph a Wedding - The Bride and Groom
Aim to shoot the Bride and Groom on their own, away from any distraction. When you have satisfied the Bridal party and yourself that every permutation required has been taken, take the Bride and Groom aside for some shots alone and allow the rest of the Bridal party to leave and go to the reception. This will allow you to work with the Bride and Groom alone, an important opportunity, it will help them unwind away from the pressure of onlookers and will achieve more natural and relaxed expressions.
Wedding Photography Technique - The Guests Arriving
At a wedding you should always take shots of the guests arriving. In preparation for the guests arriving, check exposure and if you are using fill-in flash (which I recommend you should be), set appropriate values on auto flash setting. Set daylight exposure on camera manually. Choose an appropriate spot to photograph the guests as they arrive.
Baby Photography - Using Props
Last minute simple props can turn an ordinary picture into something special. One of the simplest and best tips I can give you in this respect is to place a baseball cap on the young baby's head. What would otherwise be an ordinary shot can be turned into a memorable and amusing shot that the parents will treasure for years, just by the quick addition of a baseball cap!
Baby Photography - Do I Need a Tripod?
In Baby Photography, the tripod and a cable release will allow you to detach yourself from the camera. This will enable you to sustain the rapport that you have already established with the sitters and continue to chat with them in a relaxed and informal manner. It will also give you more opportunity to watch the baby in anticipation of the right moment to press the shutter.
Photographing Babies - Getting Started
Baby photography, is unlike other forms of photography, yes it is still about capturing light and complementary images, however you don't have the same opportunity to communicate what you are looking for from the subject! This requires a different approach to posing as well as lighting your subject. See the full article for more information.
Flash Photography - Using Color Filters
Using multiple flash heads with different coloured filters on them can add atmosphere to an otherwise uninteresting photograph. One of the most common uses of filters is to change a plain white background to a coloured background when shooting portraits or fashion. This saves money and space because you do not have to purchase and store a variety of backgrounds. Read my full article for more information.
Flash Photography - Zoom Flash
Do you understand zoom flash? I once nearly ruined a wedding shot by shooting with the lens on wide angle and the flash on telephoto zoom setting. Luckily I noticed this just after taking the shot, and was able to set it up again, don't let it happen to you! I'll explain this further in the article.
Flash Photography - Using a Bracket
A flash bracket is simply a bracket that attaches to your camera, usually by the tripod socket, and holds a flash. Brackets are necessary on cameras that do not have a hot shoe, but are also advantageous if you wish to get the flash further away from the camera lens. This article will explain why you may want to do this.
Flash Photography - The Importance of Power
In flash photography one of the most important and useful functions is power. By appraising your needs you can determine exactly what you need to buy. Pay attention not just to the guide number, but to the adjustments and features that are available. A flash that can deliver enough power in any situation is important, but the ability to control that power for the effect you want is just as important.
Flash Photography - Avoiding Red Eye
Red Eye is caused by light bouncing off the back of the eye and reflecting back into the camera lens. There are two conditions, working in conjunction, that lead to this. Low light conditions cause the iris of the subject's eye to open up, and the on-camera flash is close to the lens which allows the light to bounce almost directly back from the eye into the camera. This article will help you take steps to avoid red eye.
Photographing Groups - Playgroups and Dance Groups
Photographing groups is a very lucrative venture. This article will provide you with information to help make a success of group photography. In particular the article covers playgroup and dance group photography.
How to Photograph a Wedding - Getting Started
This article explains the basics for getting started in the lucrative business of wedding photography. Photographing a wedding is not for the faint hearted, but if you apply yourself it is indeed possible to become a successful self taught photographer.
Photographing Groups - Tips for Getting Started
Photographing groups is easy and very profitable work, however don't wait on people coming to you. At an early stage of your approach, probably better to stick with adult groups, unless of course you already have some experience and are ready to move into wedding work. All businesses stand or fall based on the quality and quantity of their marketing. Once you get established people will start to come to you, you will however have to earn this.
Starting a Photography Business - The Importance of Image
When starting a photography business, first impressions are more important than you think. First impressions can open, or close many doors of opportunity for you. My previous occupation involved me in the field of Psychology. This taught me a lot about people and their behaviour. It is well known that the image you project through first impressions will cause people to form a lasting impression of what they think you may be like. This will have a crucial effect on your future sales and marketing.
Wedding Photography Techniques - Marketing and Advertising
Getting customers is your main aim when starting out in wedding photography. It is reckoned that every person who has been highly satisfied with your service will tell approximately ten others and that anyone who you have gravely dissatisfied will tell more than double this amount! This should convince you of the importance of creating a good image and providing a first class service. However, until you reach the status of gaining work through recommendations you must be content with local advertisements. To start with you should consider the following methods of advertising, see article for more detail.
Flash Photography - Buying a Flashgun
Flash photography is a challenging aspect of photography. One of the most fundamental questions I get asked is "which flashgun should I buy"? Most photographers do not need or do not wish to pay for features they will not use, so it is important that you know what your needs are before making a decision. The article will explain further.
Group and Portrait Photography - How to Set Up Groups
You may want to know more about setting up groups for a photo session. This article will explain some of the basics of group photography. Well composed group shots always sell better than those that have lacked the attention to detail that the photographer needs to give. Read the article for more information.
Wedding Photography Technique - Posing and Photographing The Bride
Wedding photography technique is something you must practice to make perfect. This article answers one the questions I am most often asked. That is, how to pose the bride?
How to Photograph a Wedding - Part 3
Photographing a Wedding is not as simple as many people assume. The techniques can however be learned. This article is the third in a series, about the procedures the photographer should follow on the wedding day.
How to Photograph a Wedding - Part 2
Photographing a Wedding is not as simple as people might assume. This is the second part of a three part article. It highlights some of the basic procedures to follow when photographing a wedding.
How to Photograph a Wedding - Part 1
Photographing a wedding is not as simple as many people assume. This article will start with the basic procedures to follow on a wedding day. Wedding photography can be however be learned, and indeed self taught. The purpose of this article is to give you a broad guide to wedding photography.