So as you may know we have been very busy producing the 28 images for the BOWENS display at FOCUS.  We also had our lighting workshop here at Claremont yesterday which was a great success and many thanks to Chloe and Ashley for being so patient during the day. Jilly, our PA, came across this posting on a blog site yesterday. Looks like somebody really was paying attention during our master class at the SWPP convention. Take a look  http://www.photocreative365.com

No time today as we have been in the office since the crack of dawn but this is one of the images for Focus taken back in 02 on the Blad and printed from the scan onto Fotospeed Platinum Gloss WT paper. Looks lovely….. more images tomorrow. Should perhaps mention that the subject as well as being a talented violinist is also a surgeon at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Just an update on the BOWENS Gallery at Focus as I did not realise until I took a call today that we are in fact the only photographers to be featured in the BOWENS gallery so that’s a bit of a feather in our respective caps however the problem is how to get the images selected and ready for next week. We have gone down the route of printing our own work which I do think we will be doing more of in the following months especially having just installed our new Epson Pro3880 and now looking at a larger Canon for the bigger images. FOTOSPEED have very kindly sponsored the A2 paper, I just love their Platinum Gloss WT, and FOTOSPEED are very kindly printing 6 large canvas images for one side of the display so looking forward to receiving that tomorrow. I must admit that FOTOSPEED are a delightfully friendly and helpful company to deal with and would highly recommend them to everybody. Speak to Toby or one of his staff they are all very helpful

While we were post processing images from yesterday’s mentoring session we came across some images from last year here is the first taken from one of our beach sessions which we host every summer.

We spent last Friday with one of our one to one Studio Mentor delegates and it made me realise that while many photographers spend large amounts of time and money on practical training, in general, they spend little time on looking at and addressing the business and financial side. This is not a side swipe at anybody simply an observation that many of our delegates seem to place such great importance on the ‘how to’ of photography and ‘what kit’ can I buy next rather than looking at how to set up and run a successful marketing or promotional campaign. Faye and I believe that any photographer needs a thorough grounding in both the technical and creative aspects of social photography as well as how to implement that into running a promotion that will produced clients for their studios where they can then put into use what they have learnt in all the creative workshops they have attended. I know many, many excellent photographers who have superb talent and yet struggle to survive while I also know several mediocre photographers who have made a great success in their business through carefully targeted marketing and promotional activities. So the question I ask is what camp do you fall into, creatively talented but always looking to where the next penny is coming from or the not so talented photographer who places as much importance on what the next business promotion as they do on the creative side of their photography?

We will soon be offering a limited number of places on our 6-month Studio Mentor course, which places as much emphasis on the marketing and promotion of the business as we do on developing the creativity and studio skills of our students. Only 4 places available on each series.

Today, not images just words I am afraid, but to many aspiring photographers I hope words of wisdom. It concerns many, many photographers who are far too concerned and spend too much time looking at and lusting for new equipment.  Now I have one, yes just one, camera. A Nikon D700 with a 85mm lens, that’s it one camera and one lens. That’s it I am afraid no other digital camera.  Yes I also have a 10×8 Gandolfi and a Hasselblad but both are film cameras and anyway thay also just have a single lens each.

When we host workshops I am always amazed at the amount of kit some photographers have, in some cases enough to start a small retail outlet!  But is it all necessary I ask or is it just a vanity kick, the ‘I have so much kit I must be a good photographer’? Well lets face simple facts, its not the camera that takes the image its you the photographer, rather its your heart telling your brain to tell your finger that this is a good/great moment to press that shutter release. Its within you, the photographer, its your emotional interaction with the image that tells you that the moment has arrived, the camera is simply a mechanical object that captures what you tell it to capture. It’s a tool, it’s not magic and it does not have a mind of its own. No camera has ever won an award nor will one ever win an award the author of any image is the heart, mind and soul behind the viewfinder so rather than spend even more money on the latest camera body or lens, pause, take a deep breath and remind yourself that it’s all within you to create the image all you need to do is to see the image and then capture it on whatever medium. In truth you should be able to create an excellent image on any camera, film or digital, so instead of always wishing for new kit make use of the kit you already have to create some new and exciting image. The secret is to set youself a project and just get out there and take images.

Yes, another busy day, Faye has been trying to work on some images though difficult with her ongoing eye problem but she is managing to do some superb work despite the constraints. I have spent most of the day revamping the studio, tidying up in preparation for…… well that’s for later in February!

We spoke about our CITIZENS exhibition at the Convention, in fact we should consider doing a Masterclass on that project for next year,(note to self).  This image is from that exhibition, Sister Margaret a wonderful human being full of love and kindness.  Taken in the chapel with natural daylight on the Hasselblad with 150mm lens. T Max 100 developed in Selectol Soft and printed onto Ektalure.

Well I say busy, Sunday was for a few hours. We were shooting some new and fresh images for the website of one of Edinburgh’s leading hairdressing salons. Had to lug all the kit with us but thanks to Bowens we had one of their big travel kits which made life a bit easier. However it was the Bowens ringflash that made most of the images, hard crisp and fashionable but we did double up on each by using the big softbox and the Fresnel spot. Afterwards we went for a delightful Chinese meal then back home for a well earned glass of Bordeaux.

More importantly I have been reflecting on our Masterclass at the Convention last week and some of the areas that we covered, one of which, blog sites still need to be brought to the attention of many photographers. I mean why on earth advertise on your website ‘ go visit our blog’ only to find the last post was in October, or in some cases even earlier. WHY! Either do a blog or don’t do a blog. Clients will not be impressed if they visit your blog and see that your last post was several months ago, I mean what does that say about that studio?  Yes, LAZY! So if you have a blog I implore you for the sake of your pride and your business please make at least weekly posts but preferably more frequently if you can manage. This can/should be an important part of your marketing programme and ignoring it is a fatal error in your business strategy.

As I promised yesterday here are the first few images from our Shoot in the City Super class last Sunday. Faye has worked her magic, despite the problems with her eye, and hopefully we will have more from this and our Portrait workshop tomorrow after Faye’s hospital appointment.

Now I have started something by digging into the archives but though this was an interesting feature from 1992. For 4 years we did all the fashion spreads for Scotlands national newspaper The Scotsman. A wonderful experience working with top hairdressers, MUA’s stylists and journalists not forgetting the models of course. I think that despite being nearly 20 years old they still look pretty good. Hasselblad, 150mm lens hand held.

While I was putting some material together for the Convention I delved into several of Faye’s Press Books to select some interesting stories that have appeared in the media over the years about us. I thought this one was very interesting, from the Daily Mail in 1995 where the story led around the fact that I would not do smiles, cakes, kilts, signing the register and they only got one album – black!  Oh yes and the wonderful headline – £5000 and remember this was 15 years ago! If you want to know the effect of this on our wedding business then come along to our Master Class this Saturday between 12 and 2 at the Novotel – Hammersmith. You may be surprised!

So as promised the most recent addition to our ‘Images of Life’ series taken last week. Kelly, mum to be, was in fact a member of our staff back in the 90’s and this is her 2nd child. There are several wonderful images of Kelly that you may excuse me if we post more than the one over the coming week.