Product recommendations…

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Cirencester Camera Club Talk

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Last night I visited Cirencester Camera club for the first time to present a talk to their members.  What a lovely group!

They made me feel very welcome and I had some very appreciative comments from several of the attendees. They’ve already asked if I’d go back and do another talk for them in the future, which I’d be very happy to do so I think we can call that a success :-)

Yesterday’s talk was based on my somewhat ‘maverick’ approach to photography, bucking the trend and deliberately not succumbing to the ‘typical camera club’ mentality. I spoke about the common excuses I hear all the time from students and how to get past them, how I go about shooting on location and dispelling the rumour that no, I really don’t just shoot naked ladies.

They have a raffle on their club nights and I offered a prize in the form of a half-day training session with me which was won by Katrina Ellor. Well done Katrina, I’m looking forward to it!

Here’s a little snap from their Facebook group.  Please excuse the goon at the front, I didn’t realise they were going to post the pic, I just thought the chap was taking a snap!

What makes a ‘Pro’ ?

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Ahh, a different type of client woe for a change this morning..

This one serves as a warning to those budding photographers who think that because they’ve bought an SLR and a ‘JoeBloggsPhotography.com’ domain name they can call themselves a professional..

One of my former students is having some grief from a client who’s asking for images in certain formats etc. and it seems they have crossed wires about what had been expected/agreed upon/delivered.  The client is now demanding a full set of raw files of every image from multiple shoots etc. in return for a fee that wouldn’t hire a pro much past breakfast. Naturally said former student is in quite a tiz about it all!

Putting it bluntly folks, if you don’t know the difference between dpi & resolution, or between a raw file and a jpeg, you’re in no position to be taking on paying clients!

As a professional, your client is paying you for your knowledge and experience. You’re rightly expected to know your craft and to deliver the goods to a high standard, on time and as to do so as seamlessly as possible.  It’s down to you to understand the requirements, and to clarify anything well in advance before you take on the job.

If you subsequently find yourself well out of your depth and having to ask someone else how to do what you’re being paid for, it seems the wrong person is getting paid, eh?

 

The Bounty Hunter

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Another happy customer:

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Creative Inspiration

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The post below isn’t mine, it was posted by a friend on Facebook so I take no credit for the text but I wanted to share it as I felt that what Stephen had to say is spot on..

 

I teach photography and I can help guide a client to produce work suitable for them if they are asking for creative inspiration. Creative inspiration comes from within each and every photographer and when photographers look for inspiration – it can come from the most obscure places. It’s important to develop a style, an attitude and a character all of your own IF you want to be taken seriously as a creative. End of. Copying someone else’s work is like dropping a golf ball down your trousers and pretending you found your ball, or running a marathon and catching a bus for most of the journey and claiming you came 20th out of 20000.

I have a huge respect for those who fight for creativity, who develop their style over time, who get it wrong, who discover who they are through their photography, who learn about themselves by creating FOR themselves. It’s not a crime to be inspired. It’s necessary. I am inspired by other creatives all the time from all kinds of media. A direct copy will always be second rate … it’s not the original. Ever thought you can sing Bohemian Rhapsody? No one can do it like Freddy.

So, for 2016 – if you have a camera, pick it up, walk about, take a picture of something that you like the look of…get the passion for the art. Use a camera, or a phone….but a camera will make you FEEL more creative. Really look around. You will take a picture that is unique to you. No one else will have taken that particular shot you will take. Just don’t forget the most important thing you will ever learn about taking pictures – it’s all about the light. There are many other aspects that make a picture interesting but without light, it’s just noise.

Full credit for the original post to Stephen Perry

 

Merry Christmas!

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