Posted on January 16, 2019
Yes people, I am making it my mission to drag this little rite of passage, the dreaded school photograph, into the correct century because it is time. It is so time. As both a parent and photographer I feel that I am qualified to do this task!
When working with children it’s a given that snot, eye sleep, food residue etc will all be there at some point. I try where possible to ensure that all clients children have a fresh face prior to snapping away.
Sometimes this isn’t possible however that doesn’t matter because part of my job is ALSO to check in post production. Removing such things from an image is tidying up, it’s ensuring that your focus is on the most important thing, your child. Not the crusty nose.
Could the lack of change be anything to do with the fact that the photography industry is unregulated and unfortunately people have assumed that the professional photographers out there, offering such services, have also changed with the times? Or is it, (can it be?!) that the demand for this dated photograph is actually still there? I do wonder. We don’t live in houses where primary coloured school jumpers and cardigans complement the walls and frames of today. We need our child’s school photograph to show off our child in all their school day glory as well as needing it to be something that we truly want to put on a wall or in a frame. This is good for children too. We can talk about that psychology in another post.
Before I really get going I will ask you a few questions and sign off. 2019 is the year of the school photograph for me so there will be more from me on this, this is simply for starters! I have way more to say and do …. I don’t want to throw it all out there just yet though!
Any feedback would be hugely appreciated. I really would like to work on something that truly represents what people would like.
Enjoy 2019 people, do what works for you and remember to be kind. Kind is always good.
Posted on September 1, 2018
Soppy Saturday alert! So, this time six years ago was my wedding day to this man, Tom. What a day that was!
Aside from the fact that he is the love of my life, capable of making my heart burst with both love and anger (that’s what happens when you love hard!), an epic daddy and my pal … today also marks the anniversary of the day I chose a wedding photographer and I naively put my trust into someone assuming that they would run the show of our photographic memories of that incredibly special day.
Photographic memories, yes we have them. Are they what I wanted and what I was sold, no they are not. Are there basic technical faults in some of them, yes there are (believe me, being photographed getting ready with a lense that should be taking photographs of buildings does NOT a blushing bride make!). Stress on the day when the photographer called to say that he was sending someone else to take the getting ready shots and that he would meet us at the chapel, oh that was huge.
…. I could go on, the list is endless. I won’t bore you though! Suffice to say, it is not ok. In an unregulated industry you must beware of cowboys for there are way too many of them out there. Talk to your photographer – their role is a creative one. Think about the time that you dedicate to choosing the menu or amount of trips to check on the dress you do and then compare it to the time you take researching photographers, getting to know the one that you choose, speaking to people who have used them before.
This person is going to document one of the most crazy days of your life. If you don’t feel like they get you, in any way at all, then something needs to change. A wedding day is such an event. From the logistics and operations of the day to the fact that it marks the beginning of the chapter of your life where you become two people … two people ready to take on the world.
Get some bloody good photos of that day! Happy anniversary my darling husband, thank you as always, for your prodigious support in everything.
(Thank goodness mine screwed up (photographer, not husband! I wouldn’t be doing this today if he hadn’t! There’s always a positive!)