Where did the summer go?

I guess it sums up our summer to say that it never rains but it pours, which as it turns out is a pretty good overview of work during the last couple of months. Something like 14 weddings, numerous commercial jobs and a ton of book design has made the last few weeks zip by. So rather than concentrating on one topic in this post, I thought I’d cherry pick some notable moments…

Pass the parcel… If you’ve organised a wedding you’ll know it’s all about making the day personal, but still fun for all attending. Doesn’t really matter if it’s table names, dress code or location, people always attempt to make their day just a little different from those they’ve attended themselves. So imagine my surprise when I sat down with Eleanor and Richard to chat about the make-up of their day at Cowley Manor, only for them to describe how the wedding breakfast would conclude with a swift game of ‘pass the parcel’? In truth, the plan was genius. Their day was a very personal, compact occasion with under 20 friends and family attending, and so after the speeches the idea was to get cracking with the parcel passing. A gift of relevance had been bought for each guest and had then been packaged up within it’s own layer of wrapping. But the tricky thing now was to stop the music when the right person held the parcel, else the wrong present would be revealed. After a couple of hiccups with the iPod pause button it all progressed well and I remember driving away thinking it set the perfect tone for the rest of their evening : fun, informal and memorable.

Catching the sky… If you ask anybody who’s hired me you’ll (hopefully) be told that I’m easy to work with. I don’t like to try and force things to happen regardless of it being in a studio or on-location. I’m a firm believer that people are at their best when they are relaxed and so I try and make however long I spend with them fun and a bit of a laugh. Don’t get me wrong, between us we need to obtain results, but life’s too serious to not have a giggle. A great example of letting a picture just happen was during the final minutes of daylight at Helen and Gregg’s wedding at Gosfield Hall in Essex. Things had drifted a little out of order during a rain-affected day, and so the traditional confetti throwing took place in near darkness. While shooting this the sky was changing rapidly and as the guests filed back into the library Helen, Gregg and myself took a little wander to chat about how things had gone. As we walked and talked there was a moment when I managed to capture a vivid silhouette against a gorgeous sky. It’s a simple shot, with the added touch of Gregg still being in his top hat. It almost feels like a photographic full stop to a great day with a fantastic couple.

Deja vu… My previous life came back to haunt me in July via the scheduling of a trip to Brands Hatch to cover a round of the World Touring Car Championship. SEAT UK’s Head of Press and PR, Mike Orford, hadn’t really laid out a brief, it was all about capturing something nice for the files and a selection that reflected the atmosphere of the event where SEAT was expected to race well. It’s quite amazing to think that after almost 20 years working in motorsport I hadn’t been to a circuit for almost a year, and upon arrival I came across several old faces and colleagues who hadn’t seemed to move from the place I left them some 10 months earlier… I don’t think they’d left the press room in all that time, just that somebody had come in to dust them off! Getting back into the swing of things took a couple of hours but after a while it all came flooding back. I’m not sure I could go back to doing it all the time, but blowing off the cobwebs and getting out there again was fun. Kind of.

Lights, camera, action… It’s somewhat of a contradiction with studio photography that it takes a ton of gear to make the end result look simple. But that was the nature of a recent commission with the Eastern Development Centre. The organisation exists to support the NHS and also development of health and social care systems in the Eastern region. I’d been asked to shoot portraits of approx 30 staff for on-line bios and future use and so the idea was to produce something simple, making the individuals look friendly, approachable, keeping away from the very stiff, standard corporate portraits people usually associate with business. I’d been given the boardroom for the day which was perfect in which to set up the lights and background paper. Grey had been requested as the background shade because it’s neutral, it wouldn’t clash with whatever clothes were worn, and had a little depth to it which neither black or white offer. Each person had been given a time slot of 10 mins with me and within that period I tried to not only shoot the pictures, but also try and outline exactly what I was trying to achieve. I felt it was also important to let them see the raw shots as we progressed and so when each person left the room they had already deleted what they didn’t like and kept those they did. This made the final selection much easier with nobody dreading the final results. It’s also important to point out that within a group of approx 30 people there are those who like, hate, and are curious about being photographed, so it’s vital to use the my slots of time to try and ease them through the process. All in all an enjoyable day, and with the excellent support of Ruth Kent at the EDC it all went smoothly.

Now things start to change because on the wedding side the days get shorter and that presents all sorts of new issues. But at the same time that gives you a new canvas because the trees are evolving in colour, the light is warmer in the late afternoon and all these things can be turned around to photographic advantage. Mix all that up with meetings for future commissions and clients fine-tuning book layouts and it doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon…

First impressions

Whether we acknowledge them or not, first impressions count. Clothes, food, places, people, whatever – it’s that immediate thought which stays with us and is very hard to change. Photography is no different, people know what they like, and a glance at a picture creates an instant yes or no inside the brain. It’s because you only get one crack at forming this opinion that editing is so important towards the presentation of your work. I have always tried to treat a selection of pictures as something many people are going to automatically criticize, my objective being to provide as few reasons to do so as possible. I also try and make things easy. People are commissioning me to provide a service, I’m there to solve problems and not create a couple of new ones. 

A couple who are waiting to view their wedding photography don’t want to see 900 unedited shots from which to choose a set number for prints or a book. It bores them, whether they admit it or not. I can think of countless tales of families who waited months to make their selection because they literally couldn’t face going through a DVD full of images which displayed massive content repetition. Promising hundreds of pictures is a tactic some photographers use during initial meetings to convince a prospective client their high price is justified. But there’s only so much material you can obtain from a wedding day, it’s impossible to obtain several hundred without introducing significant padding to bloat the final tally. Portfolios are all well and good, they give a quick insight into a style, but seeing a few full wedding day selections is really the only way to accurately predict what you’ll receive from a photographer. If the quality of material displayed in a cherry-picked portfolio is frequently evident throughout a full wedding shoot, then people will take notice.

My editing process starts as soon as possible after the wedding itself. It helps me to almost seamlessly flow into working on the selection because the feel and atmosphere of the event is still in my head. The photographs are stored chronologically on our server in the office and immediately backed up onto several DVDs, just in case something happens to a hard drive. For a couple of days I’ll play around with colour balance, skin tones, black and white conversions and sometimes order changes. This is because sometimes you shoot things out of natural order depending on available time. A good example would be arriving at a venue where the ceremony and reception are to take place. If you’re there before anybody else, and you’ve got 10 mins to kill, then shooting dining room detail is another thing off the list which also frees up time later in the day. So while the detail content might have been shot at 11am, you’ll want those pictures to appear in your final selection around the time the guests seat for the wedding breakfast, so they are nudged forward a few hours. All these tweaks take time.

Upon completion of the selection, typically 150-200 different images, the files are uploaded to a dedicated web server. The access address and pass codes can be agreed beforehand so viewing is possible on honeymoon (if applicable). Having the previews on-line isn’t much of a step forward for the couple themselves, because there’s always been the facility of seeing contact sheets or a softback proof book. Where the web really comes into it’s own is the mass availability to family, friends and work colleagues. A lot of the people who can nowadays pour over the thumbnails probably never saw the whole selection before, and from a business perspective it’s great exposure for the photographer, not to mention priceless word of mouth, still the most solid form of publicity.

Hopefully the first and lasting impression given is an easy to navigate, high quality set of shots which captures the atmosphere of the day. It’s the culmination of a lot of thought, a few stressful moments and loads of clever pieces of kit supplied by Canon and Apple!!

An honest subject

I’m a firm believer that people change considerably when they make a big effort to look good in a picture. The most attractive people I know are the ones who relax, stay themselves and just take it as it comes. If you want to see total honesty in a photo, then you’ll get it from just about any kid under the age of 10. Mention photography of children to people and they conjure up babies on rugs, or primary school photos showing reluctant, awkward smiles. Make children pose and they’ll hate it. Let them be themselves and you’re on to something.

I was recently commissioned to shoot some casual shots of a young girl, the ultimate aim being for the family to have a few photographs for framing. I wanted to try and capture the person in a location, but beyond that I wanted to keep an open mind. The plan was to go out and about, have a good time, and record some stuff without placement or direction. This can be a little risky, because as we all know kid’s moods change in an instant, but nothing ventured nothing gained. The location was to be around Aldeborough on the Suffolk coast, maybe the beach, maybe a park too. The day was freezing cold and we aimed for the beach first. While there were bouts of sunshine, for the most part the day was overcast and this worked well as shadows didn’t come into play. Plus I was shooting black & white for a lot of the time, so a high level of ambient light wasn’t required. 

The first shot here was during a little stone throwing competition, but it gives the feel of a child lost in thought on a windswept day. I’ve cropped the height down to provide a slighty more panoramic feel (to me it feels a little like the end of a movie) and I’m really happy with the result. The picture could be viewed as generic by somebody who doesn’t know the subject, but from the parent’s perspective it’s also unmistakably their daughter, so it works. The technical elements are very simple, no point being elaborate because the feel of the day was very editorial and off the cuff. It’s shot at 400asa on a 24mm lens, slightly underexposed to bring out the clouds, with the lighting on the body tweaked later because the file is RAW. Some people might light this with flash to add a little drama, but unless I can use a studio softbox I don’t like flash, so it was natural light all the way. I could have asked somebody to stand next to me and hold a reflector panel, punching some light into the foreground, but that would have taken away the spontaneity of the picture and disturbed the moment. Next stop, a nearby castle…

Anything with ruins or places to hide are winners with kids. They don’t give a damn about the history, but at the same time they love the environment. The second shot was simply a matter of chatting and walking and when we came to a gap in the wall, she looked right at me. That worked up to a point, but then when something distracted her and she looked away – bingo – it makes the picture because the lack of eye contact lends a much more natural feel. Again, really straightforward set-up : 800asa, 50mm lens, but this time with the aperture opened up to pull some light into the shadows. It’s been cropped square because the walls to the left and right were just wasted frame space.

The last location was a park, where the thinking was to use a setting totally different to the beach or the castle. I also wanted one of the framed prints to include some detail, vary the content a little and move away from just a person. I deliberately used only one lens on this, the 300mm, shot at f2.8. This focal length gives a feel which is very middle ground heavy, that’s to say it throws the back and foreground out of focus and results in the complete opposite of the beach picture, which is almost as much about the clouds as the little girl. After a few detail shots typical of the surroundings, intended to compliment the portrait, I just used the evening backlight to shoot another casual pic. There’s a feeling about the last one, it says “I’m tired” after a long day having fun, so a natural end to the set. Keeping this one colour was important too because then the slightly golden feel of the evening works with the tree detail. Putting them together and cropping quite tightly also makes the print interesting and varied. So, not brain surgery by any means. Just an approach free from photographic trickery, no complicated set-up and a pleasure to shoot. Small slices of somebody’s childhood caught forever…

Keeping it simple

For me, simple is good when shooting people, the only thing that’s important in a portrait is the subject. I look at shots in certain newspapers and books and while they’re very clever and amazingly intricate in their lighting, it all seems a little too much somehow. If you want to see great shots of people flick through Vanity Fair magazine. On one hand you’ve got heavily styled, iconic shots of film stars and personalities, and on the other you’ve got quiet, delicately lit portraits of lesser known people which are gorgeous in their simplicity. Another great place to see people pictures at their best (in my opinion) is any GAP store. Look around at the walls at those effortless shots of men and women just gazing into the lens in a relaxed, less-is-more way… just what portraits should be.

A recent feature on my portraiture style in 'The Player' magazine

Whenever I’m asked to shoot people I try and keep it straightforward and light-hearted. Put your subject at ease and you’ll get more from the pictures, it’s as important to the shoot as any lighting trick or skill. Like a lot of photographers I tend to favour a large softbox as my main source of light, and with this key light positioned high right or left, together with a reflector on the opposing side of the subject, you’re assured of a soft, kind light for the portrait. Try and position the softbox as close as possible to the subject (closer means softer with diffused light) but not so close they look/feel uncomfortable or intimidated. A second light is useful (but not always essential) as positioned correctly this can perk up a background, highlight hair and generally add depth to the image.

One session which springs to mind for it’s simplicity was a private job where 4 people were all to be included in a picture for an inter-family present. The eventual print was to be about A2 in size and have pride of place on a wall. I much prefer to shoot people individually as group pics can often look awkward and too posed, so in this case I suggested a kind of montage of 16 shots, 4 of each relevant person. The idea was to shoot a series of casual portraits of Claire, Siobhan, Oli and Dan, then select the 4 they liked best of themselves.

The final print. Varied, relaxed and with humour

The job was on-location in a private house, so I had space to adapt into a mini studio for a few hours. I shot against a black background which I already had packed and I have to say it proved great fun. After the first few frames each of the subjects relaxed and I’ve since been told that people that know them well can see their respective personalities in the shots chosen. A nice touch post-shoot was to pick out the girls in a slight sepia. It provides a degree of separation from the boys and works well with the other 8 mono shots. All in all a simple, effective and very pleasing result using one key light top right and a subtle degree of reflected light back into the opposing side of the each subject.

Continuing that basic feel, albeit now in a commercial sense, I’ve included a couple of examples of how I feel this non-fussy approach really works. The portrait below is Le Mans winner and BTCC star Darren Turner. I’ve worked with Darren for years on numerous things for SEAT UK and he’s always relaxed and easy to photograph. This shot is a good example of why things need to be simple. The point of the picture is that it, together with others in the set, is released to the media as an official portrait displaying team sponsors and the latest driver racesuits.

They are published time and time again over several months so need to be clear and precise. The lighting set-up was very similar to the family montage in that the source of light was a softbox positioned high camera right. The only difference here is that there’s another light behind Darren, positioned about thigh height, shooting a very soft throw upwards. This slightly illuminates the dark grey paper background and lends a little depth, bringing the person forward in a subtle way. One other good tip to nice people pics is try not to make somebody do something they’re not happy with. Whether it’s a particular body position or angle of the head, it’s really important the subject is happy with what you’re doing, otherwise you’re basically battling with your main asset. I never ask people to smile if they don’t want to, I’d rather have a relaxed look coming straight into the lens, it’s much more pleasing and doesn’t distort the face. Another simple but vital aspect to getting a relaxed look.

Author David Hewson

Finally I’ve included a last couple of shots of leading thriller writer David Hewson. I had travelled down to his lovely home in Kent to shoot a selection of material for his own PR. The portraits were for book jackets, on-line use and publicity inclusion by his publisher Pan Macmillan. David’s a charming and serious guy and the kind of chap who wants stuff done asap so he can get on with his day. So, this being clear, I rigged up two lights in his study for a series of relaxed shots. With those done we moved to doing a final few portraits using simple window light in his lounge. These proved the nicest from the morning’s work and I’ve seen them published in newspapers and reviews in many places since. He simply sat down in a chair, leaned forward, and I asked him to look into the ambient light, with the result of a man lost in thought. The unlit side of the picture fades nicely into shadow and is very effective for something that took only a couple of minutes to complete.

David's official site, displaying some of the portraits

…”so, you shoot digital?”

It’s the question which pops up time and time again, and what’s interesting is that there are still people in the photographic industry who consider it a pale shadow of film in terms of quality. Shooting film has, ironically, almost now become a marketing thing. There are big names in the commercial world of advertising photography who make it a point to poo-poo digital and suggest it’s inferior, but it’s such a broad claim it renders the observation slightly irrelevant. For what they might be shooting on that particular job, film may well be the way to go, but in a general sense digital makes far more sense. Here are the main reasons why…

Live feedback : The ability to view an image instantly can transform your approach. In marginal situations for light you would often play it safe with film, go with what you know works. But with a digital recall of the image just taken, you can adjust right there and then towards your goal. While you learn to take the screen representation of the shot with a pinch of salt, it’s an accurate rendition of composition and at the very least a basic idea if things are working. Subsequently you leave a job with confidence, knowing pretty much what you have as a basis for your post production. This facility existed with polaroids, but by comparison it was cumbersome having to change backs, etc.. In the studio it’s common place now for the camera to be ‘tethered’ to a computer which in turn uses a screen to display the frames as they are shot. The net result is the client quite literally breathing down your neck as you work, examining each picture in real time.

Latitude : Depending on your area of photography you’ll find digital cameras will go on producing good results when the ambient light is poor enough to have previously given up with film. The quality of a full frame digital SLR file at something like 800 asa still blows me away. For subjects like weddings and editorial reportage you simply wouldn’t get the shots with film which you get with tonal tolerance of digital. There are also simple things like the intrusive sound of a roll of film rewinding, compared to continuos shooting on a single card. Or sudden changes of light which means a simple twist of the ISO setting on a digital body, as opposed to changing a roll (which you may just have loaded!) in the old days. All these advantages mean your mind is far more on the actual job in hand. 

Editing/filing : This is the area where digital has the slimmest advantage. I used to love spreading out transparencies onto a large lightbox to make a selection, the photographs were actual things you could pick up and feel. By comparison digital feels a little more remote at this stage of a job. Lately, software like Apple’s Aperture, and Adobe’s Lightroom have gone some way to bridging the gap, but I miss the lightbox. That said, a large display screen enables you to make picks and examine your files quickly in detail, so digital is making up ground. 

Filing is one of the great drags of photography, something you leave to others if you’re lucky enough. Digital and film are neck and neck here in my opinion. Be it cliping off dodgy frames from the film strips, or dragging unwanted files to the ‘trash’, both are dull as hell. Pulling a contact sheet out of a cabinet is also the same as calling up a bunch of thumbnails on a hard drive – so let’s call that a draw.

Presentation/turnaround : No comparison, digital makes film look prehistoric. It’s now possible for initial shots and selection ideas to be sent mid-job via ftp or email, final high res files can be viewed via password protected sections of a website, it just goes on. With film it was a case awaiting the courier, or sometimes driving them to the client – even then they still had to be scanned. 

Preservation : As with the previous sub section on presentation, the long term safety of your work is better served by the digital medium. There are few things more frustrating than a scratched (or God forbid, lost!) original. There’s almost no way back from that problem. With digital you make copies, all the exact equivalent of the file(s) in question. Personally, I keep three copies of everything spread across external hard drives and DVDs as this allows margin for error with data corruption or loss. After all, these are your assets as a professional, the foundation of everything you do, so why wouldn’t you be a little paranoid and keep several copies?

Running costs : This is explained in a simple, specific example. You shoot 10 rolls of 35mm slide film – the per roll cost was probably about £5-6, then you pay another £3-4 to process it. Shooting those 10 rolls have then probably cost you almost £100. Do this many times and you’re spending a lot of money. Alternatively, you can now purchase a 4GB compact flash card for about £30, and if you look after it it will last ages. Over a longer period this will transform how you shoot, because there’s nothing worse than trying to be sparing with frames when you’re learning, or just enjoying yourself. 

In both 35mm and medium format terms the high end digital cameras are more expensive than film versions, but in the mid-range the modern digital body is comparable with the professional film cameras of a few years ago. However, this will solve itself long-term because in the not too distant future companies like Canon and Nikon will stop production of film cameras, and they will then only be found in the realm of collectors.

Lastly on cost, it’s often put to me that as a professional I’m somehow willing to fork out huge amounts on equipment because it’s my living. I can see why people think that because you need the right tools for the job. But really the reverse is true. I’m more concerned with what I spend because it’s my living. My experience is that new cameras, lenses, computer hardware and software need to be justified far more than by a serious amateur who has income from another source to support a hobby. I know people who have spent thousands on lenses because of an article they read, and they are devastated when results don’t look professional. If I picked up Tiger Woods’ clubs, I wouldn’t score any better than I can now… it’s what you do with the gear, not the gear itself. 

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This is all really just scratching the surface. Purists detest digital, they feel it cheapens photography. Magazines have come around to it slowly, and of course newspapers couldn’t operate with anything else. So it really is down to what works for you and how much you want to spend short/long term. But one thing’s for sure, film or digital, a client will always wait until about 5.45pm on a Friday to tell you something is needed quickly!