The Industry 2011 to 2012
With the industry being so diverse and constantly changing I need to discuss where the industry is and where it is heading.
1. Where are we with traditional processes?
Film is on it's way to being obselete with only a small group of people still specialising and using it.
Most companies that make film have now gone out of business one of the resaon being it is very expensive and time consuming with having to get film developed. There does seem to be a small trend with film at the moment but how long this will last with how hard it is to get hold of film I don't know.
Black and white Film
2. What are the future in camera design technology?
Sigma have introduced a new camera:
- 46 megapixel 24×16mm APS-C sensor
- Lightweight yet solid magnesium alloy body
- Weather-resistant O-ring sealing connections
- Dual ‘TRUE II' image processing engines
- 11 Point Twin Cross AF Sensor
Older camera designs such as large and medium format can be threatened due to the new camera technology.
PC Shift lens new type of lens thats great for landscapes and architecture.
3. What proffession are struggling and why?
Photojournalism is really struggling at the moment, normal people are getting the news with their camera phones before the real photographers are getting their, which is really putting a strain on photojournalists.
4. What photography is booming at the moment?
New born and Maturnity Photography.
Food Photography - Photographing local produce, where the food came from etc.
Dystopia Photography - I.e. photographing deralicts, rough areas etc
Boudior
Fashion
5. How can we make ourselves future proof?
- Being able to talk anouther language so this could help you sell your work out of the UK.
- Being able to make things i.e. newborn photography is all about the props.
- Being competative and creativity.
- Keep up to date with technology.
Realistic Skill and Goals
Action points that are realistic goals for your own work:
Have a wide variety of props, this is not just buying them but creating them. This will give make you unique.
Improve creativity there is a lot of repetition and ideas are constanly being recycled, being unique is a major key factor.
Improve composition in work, don’t rely on post processing, concentrating taking the image the best I can to start with.
Newborn photographing is quite difficult to get into because they have to be younger than 10 days old, maybe photographing maturity to start with can help.
Improve knowledge on lenses and lightening.
Improve post production skills. Improve communication skill and not be too shy.
Be more commercially aware - What is there out there.
Research health and safetyAdvertise more
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Proposal
For my Individual Practice I am doing contemporary social photography. I have written about this in my individual study that I have an interest in this style of photography. I am photographing the other side of children and how they naturaly are through a photoshoot.
I have been researching this industry quite thoroughly over the past few months and I feel there is a niche in the market for this type of photography.
I am going to use both studio and location for this brief (weather permitting). For studio I will be using flash lighting equipment, flash gun for location, a white and wood texture back drop, and a variety of different lenses. To advertise for these shoots I have been posting offers on Facebook’s local buy swap and sell to get clients, this has gathered a lot of interest especially with baby and children portraits. This has proved to be a good way of reaching a wide audience.
I have chosen portraiture because when I leave university this is the type of photography I want to specialise in, so this is a great way of building a portfolio and I feel this is a realistic goal.
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Goals
Analysis of skills, abilities, techniques of examples practitioner mentioned in individual study:
Having a wide variety of props.
High level of creativity
Having a wide variety of locations.
They have a high level of knowledge of post production soft ware.
Good communication and people skills.
They are commercially aware
Knowledgeable about lightening techniques
Action points that are realistic goals for your own work that will be demonstrated by 10 images:
Have a wide variety of props, this is not just buying them but creating them. This will give make you unique.
Improve creativity there is a lot of repetition out their being unique is a major key factor.
Improve composition in work, don’t rely on post processing, concentrating taking the image the best I can to start with.
Newborn photographing is quite difficult to get into because they have to be younger than 10 days old, maybe photographing maturity to start with.
Improve knowledge on lenses and lightening.
Improve post production skills.
Improve communication skill and not be too shy.
Be more commercially aware- What is there out there.
Research health and safety
Advertise more
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Inspirational Images
For my individual practice I would love to be a contemporary social photographer. Contemporary social photography covers a number of photographic based industries; these include wedding photography, portraiture and social event photography, such as christenings and shows.
I have looking into photographer worldwide that deal in this industry and also ones that inspire me.
The first genre I looked into was wedding. This is a highly competitive market and if I wanted to succeed as a wedding photographer I would have to deliver an outstanding quality work and also be unique and creative.
Weddings
Julia Boggio
I love the quirky contemporary wide to this image although it has been staged.
Kenny Kim
Kenny Kim is a wedding photographer and has also wrote a book on the subject. I like the composition of the image and how he draws all attention to the bride and groom.
More Examples of wedding photography
Portraits
I found this image by Dandelion Wishes Photography, they has a wide portfolio of creative children's portraits. Babies portraits like these are becoming more popular and I believe their is a real knish in the market for me. I like how the photographer has used a variety of colour and textures in this image it makes the image appear more interesting.
Capturing natural images of babies is a lovely way of capturing a time that very quickly passes and is something that people are keen to have and are looked back on fondly. I believe the use of black and white in this image works well but I would of also like to have seen it in colour.
Ive been looking into how to produce images like these and its just simply having a wide range of props and back drop. I have found to have image done like these the baby must be under ten days old due to the baby being more flexible to move into the different positions and they sleep for much longer within these few days. The baby must be also well fed so they are settled for the shoot and the room must be more warmer than normal due to babies not having the same body tempture as an adult and they will get cold very easy.
This type of photography is quite difficult to get in because new mothers are very protective and trusting a new person with their baby is difficult especially for a new mother. Maybe being a parent and knowing a lot about babies could help the matter. Also in the first few days the families prefer to stay at home with their baby trying to get to know their young one. Maybe being photographing in their home is a solution.
More Baby and childern photography Examples
Jill Greenberg
Jill Greenberg did a series of children showing their raw emotion in 2006, these set of images were very controversial at the time. There is a huge concept behind these images. She used a blue background and the images are quite closed cropped.
Pregnancy
Caroline Tran
I would like to branch into maternity photography because its good way to get into new born photography meeting the expected mother first. I like the simplicity of this image after researching other maternity image I found that images look to gimmicky and to over the top.
More Examples of Maternity Photography
I have been reading professional children’s portrait photography book, this book gives an insight to famous photographers on how the photograph children. This includes lighting set ups, cameras and lenses they use and just general information about how they run their businesses.
Stacey Kane
Lighting: Natural lighting depending on the time of day or studio lighting.
Location: Majority of her sessions are take place at the beach, a park, or at a client’s home using natural light. Some photo shoots take place in her studio.
Camera and Lenses: Nikon F100 and digital Nikon D2X; favourite lens is the Nikon 105mm f/2.8.
She believes in keeping equipment simple when photographing children.
Promoting business: Word of mouth is the best form of marketing.
Pricing: Session fee applies and print prices.
Editing and processes: Online viewing for customers and converts some images into black and white or sepia for clients.
Quotes: “Photography is very personal and I believe that relationships with my clients are as important as the final prints I deliver.”
Rita Steenssens
Lighting: Rita uses 6x4-foot soft boxes with two additional strobes in soft boxes on the back-ground for high-key children’s portraits and a variety of reflectors. Also uses a lot natural lighting on location because she feels this gives amore of a life style feel to her imagery.
Camera: Nikon D2X
Lenses: 85mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.4, 28–70mm f/2.8, 70–200mm f/2.8VR.
Promoting business: Word of mouth and her web site has also been a valuable asset for promoting her business.
Editing and processes: Provides clients with a CD of non-printable proofs showing images in both colour and black & white.
Audrey Woulard
Photographs only on location so schedules outdoor photo shoot for around mid day. She uses beaches, brick walls, alley ways and trees for locations.
Camera and Lenses: Fuji S3 Pro camera that takes Nikon lenses.
Promoting Business: Web site
Prices: Session fee and print prices separately. Prices are raised yearly due to sales volume.
Editing and processes: Edits all her own images and sends to labs for prints. Gives clients paper proofs to decide images before sending off to labs.
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Props
For the individual study I am really in to portraiture. I realised that I had a strong interest in this when undertaking the individual study. I am trying to build my a huge collection of props and equipment, working with espically childern and babies I have learn't you can never have to many props.
Boxes
Nests
Suitcases
These look so effect and usually the baby in placed in them or led on them.
Blankets
You need to have a variety of soft textures and colours because working with babies and children these can get soiled easily.
Hats
These are usually crochet into different animals or didn't style.
Headbands
Hammocks
Flooring
Shabby Chic style flooring is very popular at the moment. It gives the image great textures in your images.
Cocoons
These come in a variety of of colour and shapes. A pea pod is very popular cocoon at the moment in newborn photography.
When photographing children the photographer should have wide range of props, costumes, accessories, and backgrounds. The backgrounds should be pastels or neutral tones to complement brighter shades used in the children’s costumes and props.
Sometimes the background details are blurred so they do not overwrite too much attention from the image.
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Contemporary social photography is considered to be a unique approach to traditional portraiture; with the importance of emotion and storytelling. This genre is all about photographing a child’s personality; their smiles, tantrums and daydreams.
For the indiviual practice, I have been photographing childern, using a variety of props.
My composition, techniques, post production skills and confidence have improved dramaticallysince the first year on the course and I feel this brief has helped me.
I have used a soft box and a shoot through umbrella for all these shoot, the lighting isn't too creative because it will appear to harsh especially on a childs portrait.
Before every photo shoot I think up my own creative ideas and approaches but I feel there has to be a fine balance between what the client wants and what the photographer wants. On these photoshoots I have tried t o be a bit more adventurous with post production for example not just using colour or black and white imagery but testing different tones, temptures and making images square. At this stage of the course I feel expermenting with new ideas is essential. Overal some ideas have worked, and some haven't.
This was my first photoshoot for indiviual practice. I photographed an 11 day old baby boy in an one hundred year old vintage tin bath. Since this shoot I have learnt so much about photographing babies and children. There are so many different things I would changed it I did this shoot again for example the background isn't completely white and I would of taken more detail shots.
Posing a newborn to about five months is difficult because they cannot be instructed on how to pose ( although I don't believe in properly posing a child) and also they cannot sit up unattended. You have to place the baby in the best postion that appears natural. When I photograph babies at this particular age I play womb sounds as this relaxes them and they usually fall asleep.
Contact Sheets
I photographed a three month old baby, at this age it is quite hard to get the attention so it is inportant with young children to have least one parent present at the shoot and this also makes the child more at ease. To give a sense of calmness to the shoot I usually play soft music such as pan pipes and this calms them down.
This was portrait session of two children.
When photographing children I usually ask to take their shoes off because the soles of the shoes usually dominate a portrait and give an unattractive appearance.
My favorite images from photoshoots are usually close cropped head shots.
In this industry you should have a large prop collection but this takes time; also making them it is quite a good asset to have. The head band in this image above I crochet.
Lifestyle photography isn't just about the child smiling and looking them looking straight at the camera its capturing them how they are naturally.
Contact Sheet
This was a photoshoot of a six month old baby girl. With each shoot I have added a more of a creative dimension, with this shoot I thought be nice to use a close up of the image and add the childs name.
At around six months old a baby is able to sit up unattended and this makes positioning a baby much easier.
When post processing images I have tried different colour tones to see how they've worked out.
Ive added a vintage suitcase to the shoot because vinatge photography is very current and fashionable.
Close ups of babies hands and feet are essential to take because babies grow so quickly and this is a time that is quickly forgotten. It makes a great keepsakes for the parents. I have used a 50mm lense to take the images of hands and feet because it gives a nice shallow depth of field. A technique I used when photographing small detailed shoots is used a small prop for the child to hand and this usually helps when photographing.
Black and white preset I made.
Capturing a baby laughing.
Package Images - Soft pink preset I made in lightroom.
Package Image in a black and white.
Contact Sheet.
Tutu's and headband props are very current and fashioable in children portraits.
With all images the eyes should be the main focus, so I when photographing a close up the eyes should be crystal clear else the client will really notice and this will be bad for your business.
From feedback from clients and research close cropped images are a current trend in portraiture and I also prefer quite close cropped images which gives them a more personal feel.
Placing a hat on a child’s head will usually result in them smiling and trying to remove it which makes quite a nice image.
This photoshoot was of a two year girl and a one month old baby girl. Photographing children and these ages are difficult because they dont always want to sit still. This was quite natural shoot.
This was taken with a 50mm lense and the overall image has a warm tone.
Pregnancy Shoot
I photographed quite a heavily pregnant women as she was 30 weeks pregnant. This shoot was one of my first pregnancy shoots and I learnt alot about postioning for example photographing the bump straight on isn't a very flattering postionand standing on an angle really shows the baby bump off.
Pregnancy is a very special time that goes quite quickly so having these kind of images mean alot to the client.
I have added poems and texts to some images.
I feel that being a portrait photographer is a realistic goal, this is why I have continued to photograph portraits. The work I am producing for this module is a prodject I wish to continue on.
I have photographed a three month old baby boy. Instead of using a plain white background I changed for wood effect backdrop. When working with babies and childern when post processing you should make the image look quite subtle and not use quite harsh colouring.
I have changed the preset into black and white.
I have used a variety of textured blankets.
Contact Sheet
This shoot was with a two year old girl and a four week old baby girl.
When working with toddlers they dont always want to have there photograph taken so I when photographing them I usually have some toys to hand and I take some natural images of them playing.
I photographed this baby in a large basket.
Final Images
The images that I am presenting for this brief are going to be children raw emotions through out a photoshoot. When photographing children they don't always want to have their photo taken and be postioned and posed. So I have done a set of images that shows how they are really in front of the camera for example them crying, getting board, shyness, getting angry. I have taken inspiration from Jill Greenberg serise on crying children. Commercially having the child looking happy and content is usally what is expected for the client so I have included these on my blog. I wanted to do something I haven't I have done before and also something quite contemporary in todays market so I added different textures to each of the images using photoshop. The face of each images has had all the texture been taken out using the brush tool.
Whilst photographing this series of images it has showed me that working with children is diffcult but very rewarding, they do get board easily at these ages so it is inportant to enterain them with toys and keep confident around them.
I have used a black and white texture, the subject was getting board and angry.
I have used a black and white texture, the subject was upset and didnt want to be infront of the camera.
I have used a black and white texture, the subject was trying to push the camera away.
This is a sepia texture overlayed lightly and the subject was very upset.
Sepia texture overlayed darker and the subject was getting board.
Pale texture and the subject not wanting to sit still.
Light black and white texture.
Black and white texture and the subject trying to get out of the box.
Black and white texture and the subject getting board.
Slight coloured texture and the subject getting agitated.
Textures in photoshop
This is a print screen of adding textures in photoshop.
I have been playing around with the texture to see which effect look best, I found that not all the images look right with the same textures so every image I have changed/ altered the texture to suit each image. The example shows I have been two different textures one a black and white and a pale texture. I believe the pale texture works best for this particular image.
Individual Practice Conclusion
For my Individual Practice I have photographed children and families in a creative way using different props and textures. The reason I have chosen to photograph these is because when I leave university this is the type of photography I want to specialise in and I feel this is a huge aspiration of mine. I have written about this in my individual study that I have a keen interest in this style of photography and I that I want to pursue a career in this market. I have been researching this industry quite thoroughly and I feel there is a niche in the market for this type of photography but you have to have original to stand out from the crowd. I am consistently finding new inspiration and ideas from new photographers in this market, this important to do so because it keeps you on trend.
Initially I was going to use both studio and location for this brief but working on location is very weather permitting and parents haven't wanted to have location photo shoots as it's been so wet and cold. In my home studio I have used flash lighting equipment; the same lighting has been consistent because other lighting techniques could be too harsh when working with children. A white or wood texture back drop have been used, I felt using a black back drop would be a bit too dark for a child’s portrait. A variety of different sized props have been used, these have included a hundred year old vintage tin bath, a few chests, wooden baskets, tutu’s, homemade heads bands, vintage suitcase, beads and mini toys.
I have used an 18-55mm lens for normal shooting and a 50mm for small detail shots such as hands and feet. The 50mm lens gives a shallow depth of field when using an a small F number, using this lens is quite difficult to begin with as you have to be very precise with the focus when using a very small focus plane, I have improved my technique and now I feel more confident when using it.
I have done more than fifteen shoots split between my work based learning and this brief and I have tried to make each shoot different from the last.
This brief has taught me so much about photography; I feel there has been a huge improvement in the way I take an image. Although I knew that I should do as much as can through the camera and stop relaying on post production I have stuck to this technique, I have really stuck to this with this brief. Post production skills have developed, I am more confident in the way I edit an image especially in Photoshop. When I look back on the first few shoots of this brief the backgrounds where not perfectly white, I have learnt to make the background completely white using graduated filter and the histogram.
Working with children of such a young age you need a lot of patience because they don’t always want to participate, this can be quite stressful for the photographer and also for the parent and child/children. When I started this brief I set out to make a series of images that would show the work that I am usually commissioned to do, after looking back through my images I was not happy with it and felt that I had not had enough chance to put my creativity across. I then decided to show my work from the opposite side and show how children can behave in the environment where I am supposed to be capturing them happy and smiling. I have chosen these final ten images because children do not always want to sit and have their photo taken. When this happens I play panpipes to relax them and have toys to hand and I take some natural images of them playing. On a few occasions I have tried this technique and I have always ended up with acceptable images because the child was happy. On my final images I have added different Photoshop textures which has made my final images more creative and textures are currently on trend.
To advertise for these shoots I have been posting offers on Facebook’s local buy swap and sell to get clients, this has gleaned a lot of interest and has shown to be a good way of reaching a wide audience and making a name for myself and business.
From research I have found that children portrait photography has become highly competitive and repetition is an issue. This brief is an ongoing project because I want to create a huge body of work, which will build my clientele and make me more knowledgeable for when I go out into industry.
