Chris Chambers Photography – Urban Wedding Portfolio Course

Yesterday I went on a portfolio training day with Chris Chambers of www.ChrisChambersPhotography.com.  I’d chosen the Urban wedding course, because later in the year I have a couple of weddings in Leeds City Centre. The course cost £120 and lasted from 9.30am to 4.30pm, with various stops for coffee/lunch etc (though not included in price obviously).

The day started with a coffee and an introduction from Chris, and then it was straight out into the mean streets of Leeds.  We headed down to the train station for some flash photography in front of one of the newer buildings.  Then Chris had found an amazing graffiti wall, and later we walked up to the main pedestrian area by Harvey Nichols.  And finally after a quick cuppa and a warm up (it was bloody freezing) we made our way up to the Town Hall.

Chris was helpful and happy to share tips throughout the day, he shared his settings, helped out with using flash and generally explained what he would do in the situation.  He also encouraged us to try new techniques and generally have fun with the models.

The models were great; young, slim, pretty and full of fun, perhaps it’s a little unrealistic to expect that all weddings will be like this, but if you get some nice images from it and you learn a few things – it’s all good!

The photographers I spoke to were divided over whether to use the images for their portfolios.  Some didn’t think it was an issue, but a couple thought it would be unfair to suggest that they were taken from a “real” wedding. Personally, I’ll be using them in my portfolio, but I will be saying that they were from a shoot rather than a wedding.  I also think that if you’re just starting out, its really difficult to put a portfolio together if you haven’t done a wedding so you need to do things like this.

So to round up:

Positives:

·         Got to find out how a more experience photographer works

·         Chris shared tips and tricks

·         Chris brought lots of equipment and wasn’t precious about us using his.

·         Met some lovely photographers, shared stories, moaned etc!

·         Found some really great locations for future weddings.

·         It was cheap compared with other portfolio building courses, and local to me!

·         Use the images for your portfolio

Negatives:

·         You need to have a fairly good understanding of flash & off camera flash (though Chris was more than happy to help).

·         There was only one “couple” – if there had been another couple it would have been more beneficial in terms of using it in your portfolio.

·         Although there were only 8 photographers (plus Chris) at times it wasn’t possible to all get the shots.  Some people are naturally pushier than others so it could have been frustrating for some – though to his credit Chris did his best to sort this out.

·         It was freezing and wet at times – I’d probably go for a course in summer in future J - but I suppose not all weddings are perfect!

One thing to remember is that you need to be sure you like the style of photography that the photographer running the course does – personally I wanted to try flash more and I know Chris uses flash in a lot of his images. But if that’s not your thing, then make sure you’re aware of what you’re getting into!

Anyway, my overall thoughts are that it was a really positive experience, I learnt a lot, I met some lovely photographers, got some great images and overall achieved what I wanted to achieve from the course.  I’d definitely recommend it! and here are a few of my favourites:

You can find Chris here:

www.chrischambersphotography.com

Interview with Donna Brookes from Brookes Callow Photography

Will you start by telling us where you work and live and the type of photography you do?

I live and work in Whitehaven on the outskirts of the Lake District. I am just one half of Brookes Callow Photography and we specialize in contemporary Wedding, Lifestyle and fashion photography in and around Cumbria, the UK and internationally.

What inspires you as a photographer?

I’m definitely a ‘people’ person so the people I photograph inspire me – everyone has a life story to tell and if I can be part of their world for just a few hours and put smiles on their faces then I get really excited about that!

Art inspires me – Texture, colour, shape and form. I am constantly experimenting with different ideas to give each image the individuality it deserves.

Emotion inspires me too! – The love between a mother and her baby child, the unspoken feelings between a couple, the attitude of a teenager! I believe an image should evoke an emotional response, whatever that response may be, joy, laughter, tears…. I know then that I have done my job right. 

How long have you been a photographer?

I’ve been a professional photographer for two years but photography has been part of my life in lots of ways all through my life! I remember my first experience of a camera when I was four years old, my Dad hiding under a bed sheet and jumping up snapping a photo of the expression on my face! 

My uncle had a Canon A1 when I was young and I knew then that I wanted to take photographs of the world.

I studied Graphic design at University and using photography to illustrate an idea always inspired me!

When you’re not photographing, where can we find you? 

When I haven’t got a camera in my hand you can find me in a classroom teaching photography! I work part-time for the Workers’ Educational Association, whose whole ethos is to bring learning to adults who would not ordinarily enter into any sort of learning, especially from disadvantaged communities. 

I love the fact that photography can give so many people a purpose, a passion even, or just a different way of looking at the world around them!

You can also find me at home with my husband and two teenage girls just being mum, or down the garden in my greenhouse in the warmer months, nurturing my chili plants! 

Any books that inspired you {or helped you} in your business?

The book that has inspired me from the first time I read it as a child, is Alice in Wonderland, that colourful, weird and funny world! I am not sure how this has helped or inspired me in my life or my business, but I am sure it has!

Best marketing idea?  

Being me and letting people get to know the ‘real’ me! I don’t feel that I should ever pretend to be someone or something I am not and I think people appreciate and like me for that.

Worst marketing idea? 

This would probably be… making the mistake of paying money for advertising, without really doing enough research into whether this would result in a positive benefit for our business.

Do you have a studio and if not do you feel having a studio would help your business grow?

We don’t have a studio at the moment but now you have asked, I do think having a ‘high street’ presence raises your profile. Would people take us more seriously as a business if we had a studio, as it gives the business a more tangible identity? The jury is out on that one in my mind at the moment!

Photographically speaking, I know I wouldn’t enjoy the restrictions I would come to feel in a studio environment. What I love is using the world around us to compliment or represent our clients’ lifestyle, and I do believe I can bring out the best in a person during a shoot when the environment is ‘real’ and not ‘set up’ if you like.

What do you think makes a photographer successful?

The words that came to mind when I read this question were passion, commitment, dedication and a love of life, in no particular order and in equal measures!

What’s your weakness in this business?

My total lack of organization at times! People always try to make me feel better about this, by telling me they’d heard that “all creative people are like that”

I think that will be my excuse and I’m sticking to it!

Are you a Nikon or Canon? And which model?

I shoot with a Canon 5D. Not, I have to admit necessarily through initial choice. I bought my first DSLR second hand and kind of fell in love with it. I can be quite analytical and that side of me would probably have bought a Nikon!

And Lens? 

I absolutely love my Canon 70-200! I use this whenever I can, it’s like its part of me and everything is just instinctive when him and me are together! I also have a 50mm prime lens, which I use if my big baby just won’t do the job, and recently I bought a set of Lensbaby creative lenses. These have so much creative possibility, an opportunity to do something a bit different!

If you weren’t a photographer, what would you be?

Hmm… I’d probably stick to teaching. (Although my husband always says I should have been a social worker!) The joy of seeing a person walk away with a confidence to do something they never thought they could do is such a truly special feeling.

Can you give the readers your best piece of advice for starting or running a photography business?

Don’t be scared! Don’t be put off! Talk to lots of people already doing it, expect to make mistakes, reflect on why they were just that, and then move on, but above all love every minute of it!

Tell us your proudest moment of your career?

I could say the first time a client cried with emotion when they saw their images, and yes that was a proud moment, but probably my proudest moment, if I am to be totally honest, was seeing the faces of my students from a disabled Centre, the day an exhibition of their photography was opened in the community, by our local Mayor! 

A moment I shall never forget and a reminder to me that anyone can achieve great things no matter what the odds! 

Here is where you can find Donna

http://twitter.com/donna56455

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donna.brookes3

Website: www.brookes-callow-photography.co.uk

Blog: www.brookes-callow-photography.co.uk/blog

Free Ways To Get Great Publicity

1. Social media  - More and more, media outlets are using Twitter and Facebook to find great sources for the stories they’re working on. Is there a magazine or TV news show you’d like to be featured in? Chances are, they’re on Twitter and Facebook – and once you “follow” them, you’ll see when they're looking for people like you. 
2. Guest posts  - Want to reach a whole new audience with your message? Guest posting on other people’s blogs is a great way to do just that. In fact why not write for us?  Get in touch if you're interested.
3. Press Releases - Writing and distributing a press release can announce news, launch products, tweak your SEO and help you reach the media. 
4. Editorial Calendars - An editorial calendar shows the major editorial features planned for forthcoming issues of a newspaper or a magazine. Editorial calendars were traditionally used by the advertising department but YOU can use them to increase your chances of being featured in a publication.Where can you find editorial calendars? Go to the publication’s website and look for a link or tab that says “Advertising” – it’s usually waaaaay down at the bottom of the website. Click on that and you’ll probably find rate information, closing dates and a “download editorial calendar” link. Download the editorial calendar and start hunting for publicity opportunities in the features they have planned!
5. Wedding Blog Submissions - have a look on blogs like Love my Dress or Rock my Wedding or Boho Wedding Blog  - just a few to get you started.
6.  Charities - offer your services to a charity, maybe offer your services as an auction prize or just do something nice that people will remember.
7. Offer a selection of printed images to your local doctors surgery or hospital.  If you specialise in kids, get your photos somewhere lots of people with kids will see.

What's worked for you?

{Maryanne Scott, owner and Photographer for Maryanne Scott Photography, wedding photographer in Yorkshire.  Portrait & kids photography covering the Yorkshire region.  Published cookbook author, married to Andrew, loves chocolate, mayonnaise and red wine (but not all at the same time). }

Ways to use Pinterest

• A cheap way of collecting inspiration Instead of paying for expensive inspiration guides, set up a board for each of your types of photography and then getting pinning.  Also get the “Pinterest” App on iphone etc That way, when you’re out and about you can view it.
• Show your style Start a collection showing your own images. More and more people are using pinterest so it makes sense that they might find you.
• Weddings Why not create a board for each of your brides, so that they can pin their favourite images to it and then you get a great idea on what they like.
• Word of mouth Pinning your own images over and over is frowned upon on Pinterest. But offering a really easy way for visitors to your site to share your images on their boards, is a fantastically smart marketing move. Pinterest makes it really easy to create a “pin it” button for your retail site. They even have a button creator that will automatically fill out a description for the person pinning. This means users can share your marketing message with just a click of a button.
• Community building Because Pinterest supports open, collaboration boards, it’s a great place to share like-minded finds. Create a board for your friends, fans and followers to collaborate. Title it, add a description and moderate it from time to time. Creating and moderating a pin board is a fun way to further your “expert” factor.

Interview with Kerry McNair Photography

Will you start by telling us where you work and live and the type of photography you do?

I’m a professional photographer based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. I specialise in photographing Women and Weddings – these are my passions. I offer boudoir, beauty makeover and business photography for women covering London and the South East mostly but I have travelled further afield. I love photographing weddings and shoot nationally and internationally.

2. What inspires you as a photographer?

I’m passionate about photographing women and my style is about creating timeless, classic and beautiful images. So I find I am inspired by images of film stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor but I’m also a self-confessed fashion magazine addict. 

3. How long have been a photographer?

I’ve been working as a photographer for 2 years now having been in marketing for the last 13 years. So for many years I booked photoshoots and worked with photographers, critiquing and choosing images. This has helped me understand and appreciate what makes a great image which I use when working with my clients.

4. When you’re not photographing, where can we find you? 

If I’m not photographing I’m probably with my husband or girlfriends. I might be reading a magazine or doing something business related such as networking.

5. Any books that inspired you {or helped you} in your business?

I have to say that the Annabel Williams book on Wedding and Portrait photography is brilliant. Her approach to photography is fantastic and inspired me to become the photographer I am today. 

6. Best marketing idea?  

Last year networking was brilliant for me to raise my profile locally. This year google adwords is really working for me to extend my reach over a wider area. 

7. Worst marketing idea? 

Didn’t someone once say that all PR is good PR? But seriously if I was talking to someone who had no marketing experience and was just starting out I would advise them against press advertising as it’s very difficult to make it work without investing quite a lot of money.

8. Do you have a studio and if not do you feel having a studio would help your business grow?

I’m a location photographer so I don’t have a studio. I prefer the freedom and spontaneity that working on location brings, whether it’s outdoors, at a clients house or at a reputable hotel/venue. 

9. What do you think makes a photographer successful?

I think politeness and patience go a long way plus determination to succeed. I also think you have to constantly promote yourself as no-one else is going to do it for you. It doesn’t have to mean you sell to every person you met but just work it into a conversation.  After all you can be the best photographer in the world but if no-one knows about you then you’ll be the best kept secret in the world.

10. What’s your weakness in this business?

I love photographing women and just want to give every woman I meet a fantastic photograph of themselves that they love. So I have to try hard when I meet women not to offer my services for free just to stop them from ever saying this again: “I hate having my photograph taken. I don’t have any good photos of myself.” I like to think I can change that. 

11. Are you a Nikon or Canon? 

Canon.

12. and Lens?

I have a fabulous wide angle (16-35mm), a flattering portrait lens (24-70mm) and my favourite telephoto lens (70-200mm). This pretty much covers me for every situation I need across weddings, boudoir and business portraits.

13. If you weren’t a photographer, what would you be?

If this is an imaginary world and I could have been anything then I’d have become a singer and performed a duet with Marilyn Monroe. How amazing would that have been?

14. Can you give the readers your best piece of advice for starting or running a photography business.

Get out there and network – a lot! I have met some amazing people in the last couple of years and it’s all thanks to networking.  Invest in a strong brand and website/blog. Stick to your prices or people won’t value what you do. A polite way of responding to people who as for a discount is to let them know this wouldn’t be fair to previous and existing customers so your prices are fixed.

15. Tell us your proudest moment of your career?

Much as it sounds clichéd, when my first bride cried with joy upon seeing the photographs of her wedding and then cried again when she looked through the beautiful album. A seminal moment in my life and I found myself welling up too.

Here is where you can find Kerry McNair Photography
http://twitter.com/kerrymcnair 

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/kerrymcnairphotography  

Website.  HYPERLINK "http://www.kerrymcnairphotography.co.uk" www.kerrymcnairphotography.co.uk 

Blog  HYPERLINK "http://www.kerrymcnairphotography.co.uk/blog/" www.kerrymcnairphotography.co.uk/blog/