Just had the link through from Graphistudio: I’m going to be on their stand doing to 40-minute seminars at the UK’s largest photographic trade show – Focus on Imaging – that runs from 7th-10th March at the NEC in Birmingham.
Graphistudio are the world’s largest album supplier (and they make the most beautiful books you can imagine!) so it’s a real honour to be asked along!
Given the number of wedding photographers presenting at the show, I thought I’d talk about something that’s close to my (and any other parent’s) heart: the art of photographing kids. We’ve titled it:
“Teens, toddlers, tykes and triptychs”: The business of photographing children.
This is the best job in the world which always makes it a joy to talk about so, as you might imagine, I’m really excited about it. We’ll be there on Tuesday 9th March so if you’re around pop in and say hello!
Hmmm, I now have the challenge of sitting down and writing something. Where’s that pen….?!
#1 by mandi welton - March 10th, 2010 at 01:53
I so enjoyed your seminar today, it was very informative and inspiring. I had seen quite a few bits of other seminars during the day, but nothing caught my interest like yours. I was lucky just to stumble across you at the end of the day, it was just the right subject of my interest.
I had a lovely chat with your wife at the end, who was really helpful and gave me some pointers.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and expertise and hopefully one day in the not too distant future I will have a successful photography business like yours.
Just a couple of questions, what mode do you shoot in? and what lenses do you use?
#2 by Paul - March 10th, 2010 at 14:41
Hi Mandi
A pleasure! Glad you enjoyed the presentation – we had a lot of fun doing it and the guys at Graphistudio are brilliant to work with so all in all a great couple of days! Sarah said she had been chatting to you – I think she may have enjoyed herself as much as I did!
In terms of mode and lenses, I always shoot in manual mode (I assume you’re asking about exposure rather than focus modes) and I use the camera metering to get a rough idea of where to set it. I then take a quick shot and check using the histogram on the back to see if I’ve got it about right. I then fine-tune it and take my shots. It’s really quick and once you’ve got the hang of it – particularly reading the meter and the histogram – i can get my exposures pretty much spot on for most things.
I have a bag of Nikon lenses: 2x 70-200 AF-S VR f2.8; 1x 50mm AF-D f1.8; 1x 105mm AF-DC f2; 1x 17-35mm AF-S f2.8; 1x 10mm DX Fisheye; 1x 35-70mm AF-D f2.8; 1x 28mm AF-D f2.8
I don’t use most of them though – almost everything we shoot is on the 70-200 or the 50mm (yup, it’s a cheap £95 lens that’s just brilliant – pin sharp and has a certain ‘feel’ to it.) My favourite lens is the 105mm AF-DC but it’s really only for portraits, though the competition-winner I showed was shot on it as I’d been doing portraits and only had that lens with me! I tend to only carry the 70-200 and 17-35 when I’m doing weddings. For lifestyle work I like to just take one camera and one lens – usally the 70-200 – (leaving spares in the car) so that I can move around freely and not have to worry about bags/lenses etc.
I know I sound flippant about the kit but we’ve bought very carefully (even my £95 50mm!) These are all pro-spec lenses that are sharp and fast. The camera-life is about 2-years before we renew but the lenses last a lifetime. It’s one reason we use Nikon – they’ve never really changed their lens fitting and so even old design second-hand lenses fit our cameras which is brilliant!
Hopefully that answers your question but if you need to know anything else, just drop us a line.
Take care
Cheers
P.
#3 by mandi welton - March 11th, 2010 at 00:12
Hi Paul,
Thanx for your reply!
Yes, I was meaning exposure mode, I am practising my manual shooting techniques, it’s quite new to me, I have always been an apt or shutter priority shooter.
I have a pretty basic Nikon D60 (which I love for being light and compact and ease of fewer buttons, it’s more girly than the big full frame brutes! shame you can’t get it in pink! LOL) along with the 15-55 which I don’t use, and glued to my camera is my lovely 18-200 VR.
Oh, I do have an older 80-200 2.8 but its too heavy for me and with no VR and manual focus with the D60 it’s not really practical, it’s for my hubby’s F4s!
After reading tonnes of advice online I decided I would like a 50mm 1.8, I intended to get one yesterday at the show, but there were no good deals around, so I am getting one online as a gift from hubby and my girls for ‘mummy’s day’.
So with my kit, is there anything else you would recommend in getting started in the Lifestyle Photography business (I just want to stick to available light to start with).
Thanx, Mandi
#4 by Paul - March 11th, 2010 at 10:09
Hi Mandi
You very quickly get used to manual – and you get addicted to having total control! Not that I’m a control freak or anything…
The D60 (like all Nikons of course!) is a great camera but it’s always always always the glass in front that makes the difference. Cameras come and go but the lenses stay with you. The 50mm 1.8 is an old design but lovely lens. I compared it the new 1.4 and (while the extra speed would have been nice) I couldn’t justify the extra £200. I will probably get one in the future but for now I love the older, simpler lens (I’m about to use yet again it for a studio session – it’s earned its money!!)
I know they’re heavy, but in terms of kit I would still consider getting a good 70-200 f2.8. Annabel Williams’ view was that she needed the lens so she went to the gym to get strong enough to use it. Seems drastic to me but her point was that the quality of the images you get was worth it. With the faster lenses (f2.8) focusing becomes easier even if you never shoot wider than f4 – and this is useful when kids are on the move.
Other than that I rarely use reflectors (unless doing fashion work) and I never use a tripod. I have a ThinkTank waist belt so I can switch lenses quickly (I carry one camera and change the glass as I go) and that’s about it. I do have loads of kit but much of it is so I can have an item repaired without worrying I’m out of action for a period of time. All you really need is a decent camera, a great lens and a good pair of trainers! Perfect.
I look forward to seeing the results from the 50mm – I think you’ll have a ball with it!
Take care
Cheers
P.
#5 by mandi welton - April 29th, 2010 at 22:10
@ Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks again for your advice.
Well I did not get the 50mm as it does not AF on my D60, but I went for the 35mm f/1.8 as it does AF, also as the D60 has the small frame sensor it works out to 50mm on a full frame.
I have some nice pics I would like to share with you and maybe you can give me some feedback.
I will email them to you.
Best wishes
Mandi
#6 by mandi welton - April 29th, 2010 at 22:13
@mandi welton
Can I have your email address please?