I came across another blog post that I found interesting. I always hear the "glamor" side of photojournalism (I am not referring to the wedding photography style, but real newspaper shooters) but never the other less glamorous side. That glamor has always made me think that it would be very rewarding to shoot for a major publication. Dangerous, yes.... but the pay off in the end would be worth it to me. Well, reality check with this story that makes me realize how frustrating it must be to be in that line of work and how much we should all appreciate what our news agencies go through to cover major events around the world.
At least, as a wedding photographer, I know that people will be looking at my images for generations to come. Thats rewarding enough for me....
Read on at The Photographic world of Drew Gardner and his story of "Not making a difference.....?"
Showing posts with label photojournalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photojournalism. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Jeff Ascough - A Master Photographer
Jeff has been recognized as one of the world's best photographer since 2004. He probably has been one of the best for well over a decade, but he really wasnt given that credit until 2004 when the Washington Post said that he had "gorgeous work... among the best we have ever seen - an absolute pleasure to see". Since then we has been ranked as one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world by such magazines and organizations as 'PopPhoto' and the 'BBC'. Jeff was one of the largest influences on the photo journalistic style of wedding photography as he isnt a fan of look at the camera and smile. In fact, he writes that if he sees someone recognize the camera, he puts it down and moves on to something else.
I may never reach his level, but I love some of his quotes that he has given during his seminars around the world. I am not a world class "available light" shooter as I use flash on and off camera, but the whole "dont interject yourself in the scene" is something I adhere to as much as humanly possible.
The following is from his blog...
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"It's no good saying "hold it" to a moment in real life."
It was a quote from Lord Snowdon, an eminent photographer and Emmy award winning documentary film maker in the UK.
When I first saw that quote several years ago, it resonated with me. In such a short sentence, it sums up perfectly my whole approach to photography.
For me, whether I'm photographing a wedding or just out and about in the street, photography is about capturing real life, in real time without interfering with or directing the events that are happening in front of me. I enjoy the unpredictability and the challenges of working in this way. Without direction, I have to rely on my skill, experience, and 'eye' to find interesting pictures - I have to be a photographer. I suppose I'm a purist at heart.
On a wedding day, there are so many moments, so many stories, and so many pictures to be taken that it seems ridiculous to want to interfere with, or direct those opportunities.
The great Elliott Erwitt once said;
"I wasn't imposing my presence on anyone,..which is very important for a would-be journalist. I stayed back. Always let people be themselves."
In my experience people behave quite differently when they know they are having their photograph taken. They put on what I call their 'camera face' which is based on how they perceive themselves in photographs. Often this isn't a true reflection of that person, and the personality that can be captured in an unguarded moment, never comes through in a controlled situation. To counteract this, it's so important not to act like a photographer. I'm always quiet, always calm, and never cause a commotion. I want to go unnoticed.
Another of my favourite Erwitt quotes;
"All the technique in the world doesn’t compensate for the inability to notice."
How true this is. Part of being a photographer is to notice - to see images before they happen, and to record those images. Often, the thing that separates a good photographer from a great photographer is the great photographer will notice those moments that pass the good photographer by. This is especially true of wedding photographers. Hence the desire by some to control and make the moments, instead of seeking them out or 'noticing' them.
Furthermore, many photographers put so much emphasis on technique and equipment, and miss what really is important - the picture. It doesn't matter what camera or lens is used. It's totally irrelevant if the image was made on film or digitally. The only thing that matters is the picture.
Some of the most iconic images of the past 100 years were taken with technology that today wouldn't look out of place in a museum. Many of Robert Frank's early images show poor technique, but he noticed the picture. It's true that the picture may have some camera shake, or be a little unsharp or underexposed, but that matters little. It's the emotional response that the image creates within the viewer that is important, and if the picture is strong enough and evokes that response, then that is all that matters.
A poor picture executed with perfect technique is still a poor picture.
=================================================
Thats it for today... more pictures coming this week!
- Chris
I may never reach his level, but I love some of his quotes that he has given during his seminars around the world. I am not a world class "available light" shooter as I use flash on and off camera, but the whole "dont interject yourself in the scene" is something I adhere to as much as humanly possible.
The following is from his blog...
========================================================
"It's no good saying "hold it" to a moment in real life."
It was a quote from Lord Snowdon, an eminent photographer and Emmy award winning documentary film maker in the UK.
When I first saw that quote several years ago, it resonated with me. In such a short sentence, it sums up perfectly my whole approach to photography.
For me, whether I'm photographing a wedding or just out and about in the street, photography is about capturing real life, in real time without interfering with or directing the events that are happening in front of me. I enjoy the unpredictability and the challenges of working in this way. Without direction, I have to rely on my skill, experience, and 'eye' to find interesting pictures - I have to be a photographer. I suppose I'm a purist at heart.
On a wedding day, there are so many moments, so many stories, and so many pictures to be taken that it seems ridiculous to want to interfere with, or direct those opportunities.
The great Elliott Erwitt once said;
"I wasn't imposing my presence on anyone,..which is very important for a would-be journalist. I stayed back. Always let people be themselves."
In my experience people behave quite differently when they know they are having their photograph taken. They put on what I call their 'camera face' which is based on how they perceive themselves in photographs. Often this isn't a true reflection of that person, and the personality that can be captured in an unguarded moment, never comes through in a controlled situation. To counteract this, it's so important not to act like a photographer. I'm always quiet, always calm, and never cause a commotion. I want to go unnoticed.
Another of my favourite Erwitt quotes;
"All the technique in the world doesn’t compensate for the inability to notice."
How true this is. Part of being a photographer is to notice - to see images before they happen, and to record those images. Often, the thing that separates a good photographer from a great photographer is the great photographer will notice those moments that pass the good photographer by. This is especially true of wedding photographers. Hence the desire by some to control and make the moments, instead of seeking them out or 'noticing' them.
Furthermore, many photographers put so much emphasis on technique and equipment, and miss what really is important - the picture. It doesn't matter what camera or lens is used. It's totally irrelevant if the image was made on film or digitally. The only thing that matters is the picture.
Some of the most iconic images of the past 100 years were taken with technology that today wouldn't look out of place in a museum. Many of Robert Frank's early images show poor technique, but he noticed the picture. It's true that the picture may have some camera shake, or be a little unsharp or underexposed, but that matters little. It's the emotional response that the image creates within the viewer that is important, and if the picture is strong enough and evokes that response, then that is all that matters.
A poor picture executed with perfect technique is still a poor picture.
=================================================
Thats it for today... more pictures coming this week!
- Chris
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
WedPix On Line Magazine
If you are a future bride (or even a groom) and you are not subscribing or reading WedPix.com, then you are missing out on some amazing information. This is a magazine written and published by the Wedding Photojournalist Association, so sure, its skewed a bit on telling you how important Wedding Photography is, but the information is spot on, real and every time I read one of their stories I can't help but saying that I completely agree. Your photographer is one of the few (if not the only one) that will be with you almost all day long and its important that you know the role that he/she will play in capturing your day.
The article below is exactly how I would of written it if I would of been so inclined... or a decent writer. So check out the information here and then head over to Wedpix.com and catch up on the rest of the articles....
WEDDINGS CAN BE CHAOS
The article below is exactly how I would of written it if I would of been so inclined... or a decent writer. So check out the information here and then head over to Wedpix.com and catch up on the rest of the articles....
WEDDINGS CAN BE CHAOS
A wedding is not just the culmination of a couple’s commitment. It’s also the final product of much planning and preparation. Yet despite the best-laid plans, your big day won’t necessarily get a free pass from Murphy’s Law. Some chaos is almost inevitable at some point along the way. Luckily, when you hire a wedding photojournalist, you have someone on hand who is an expert in capturing those moments as memorable visual stories that you’ll enjoy for years to come.
Our WPJA wedding photojournalists weigh in on their experiences with the chaos of the wedding day. They discuss how it affects their shots (for better or for worse), and share their techniques and advice for assuring great pictures despite (or maybe because of) it all!
PHOTOGRAPHER, OR ZEN MASTER?
Nobody knows better than a wedding photojournalist that wedding days can almost seem to breed disorder. At the same time, it’s possible that no one could be better prepared to deal with the unexpected.
For one thing, they’ve been behind the scenes at many other weddings prior to yours. Wedding photojournalists aren’t as intimidated by the hustle and bustle, and know how to blend into the surroundings to document the unique moments of the day. In fact, the chaos may improve their chances of taking that great photo in the first place.
Prior experience in photographing weddings means the wedding photojournalist knows how to keep calm, says Washington, USA-based WPJA member Michele M. Waite. “Wedding days already can be such a tense time that I want to be the person that’s a calming, supportive presence.” If the wedding party is running late, for example, it works better for everyone to work within a new timeframe than to add to the stress.
Jeff Thompson, a WPJA member based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA, agrees on being a calming presence. "One of my goals is to make it so people don't have to think about photography at all on their wedding day. When I talk to potential clients, I tell them that my approach is to ‘just hang out.’ I'll join in conversations when I feel it is appropriate and I'll drift back and use a longer lens when I sense a more private moment.”
Chicago, IL, USA WPJA photographer Anne Ryan tries to ensure she doesn’t add to the frantic nature of the wedding by maintaining a low profile. “I try to capture everything as well as I can without drawing attention to myself,” Ryan says. “I want to get the best pictures I can without disrupting the ceremony. During the reception, I shoot a lot. I use both wide and long lenses. I don't have to worry about being inconspicuous at the reception so I can work my way through the crowd.”
UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES
Wedding photojournalists want to tell the story of your wedding day in a way that you’ll enjoy for years to come. Sometimes, the images they capture will even fill you in on what you missed—you know, while you were busy getting married.
“The bride and groom are often so busy on the wedding day that they miss out on a lot of what's happening around them,” says Thompson. “When couples receive their photos, I often hear, ‘I don't even remember you taking that photo’ or ‘I never knew that happened until I saw the photo.’”
Ryan agrees. She recently took a WPJA-contest winning photo of a bathroom sink, the surface of which seems covered with a mind-boggling array of make-up and beauty products. “I walked into the bathroom, into this aftermath of the bridal party getting ready and putting on all of their make-up, and I thought, I have to get a picture of this! They’re going to want to remember this.”
What seems like a potential disaster on the day, will often turn into the story you tell over and over, and an experienced wedding photojournalist will know how to capture the tell-tale chaotic mood of your day, should it surface. Waite won a WPJA contest for her photo of the groom’s party dressing on a church lawn.
“I was supposed to meet all the guys at the church after photographing the bride. Well, we all arrived and no one is there yet, the church is completely locked. The guys are standing around wondering how they’re going to get ready.”
Suddenly, they realized they had to get ready; this wedding was happening, Waite recalls. “So they decided, ‘Let’s just get ready on the lawn.’ And of course I thought, thank goodness this happened--this is an awesome photo! It went from a boring stock photo of guys adjusting each other’s ties to stripping down on the lawn!”
Again, the unique and varied experiences of wedding photojournalists are often an asset in taking advantage of a sudden, and brief, opportunity to turn chaos into substance.
“Since I am an experienced photojournalist, I’m used to covering both news and sports,” says Ryan. “Covering a wedding is actually more orderly and predictable that what I'm used to covering! My skills as a sports photographer are particularly helpful, because I can capture everything quickly as it happens.”
IT ALL COMES TOGETHER
Sometimes, the chaos of the wedding day comes together in ways that no one can fully anticipate, which is, after all, part of the excitement. Says Thompson of his WPJA contest-winner showing bit of flurry over a necklace in the dwindling seconds before a ceremony, “I knew it was a good scene with all the people working on the necklace. I'd love to say I waited and saw the perfect composition of hands coming together and got it in one frame, but I can't. But I wouldn't call it pure luck either. It was just a case of anticipating what might happen and putting myself in position to capture whatever did happen.”
In the chaos department, that scene might pale when compared to another scenario Thompson documented. “I was at a Friday wedding where the ceremony was being held at one church, and was to be presided over by a pastor from a different church. As the ceremony time neared, the pastor had not yet arrived. There were many phone calls made to his cell phone and his office to no avail.”
Thompson says that he tried to document all that was going on because of this situation, and shortly after the scheduled time of the ceremony, someone was finally able to reach the pastor of the church where the wedding was being held. “He arrived in short order, met the bride and groom and improvised a ceremony,” Thompson remembers. “Though it started more than a half-hour late, the improvised ceremony went off without a hitch. It all made for great photos that will be a unique reminder of their unique wedding.”
—by Heather Bowlan for the Wedding Photojournalist Association
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