Wednesday 9 March 2011

Wedding Photography for Beginners

There is plenty to consider when embarking on the world of wedding photography - from the images that you capture, right through to the way in which you are going to present these images to the client. Never and I mean never, underestimate how much is involved in photographing a wedding from start to finish and the responsibility that you have to the bride and groom to get it right. You only get one chance to capture those precious moments, the moments that the happy couple and their family and friends will treasure for a lifetime, so it is crucial to be prepared and organised.



The key to achieving this is to gain experience, as much as you can and wherever possible and from those who you admire. Start buying bridal magazines, create a scrap book of inspiring images as this will form the backbone of how your own style as a photographer starts to develop. An additional suggestion, one which can have a considerable impact on your creativity and give you a detailed feel for what is happening within the industry, is to attend the designer wedding show in Leeds "It's amazing!".


Go to the designer wedding show this May, soak up the atmosphere, and study all that is there and how the consumers are reacting to what they see. Watch to see which stands are busy and why, what is this year's must have for brides and grooms? Take a short while to people watch - study all that you are seeing and take notes as these will be a great reference for later.


Who is attending the show, who have they gone with and why? This information will help your approach when you really start to build the business. Visit all of the stands and introduce yourself - go early though as this is when those exhibiting will have more time to share their knowledge and expertise with you. Be open and let them know you are a photographer - honesty is the best approach and you will be more natural and relaxed. Let them know you are new to the industry and are there to gain knowledge and learn.
And my last tip while at the show, take time out to watch a catwalk show as you need to gain an insight into what your brides might be wearing, what styles are about to appear as this will really strengthen your conversation when talking to potential brides and grooms.

Thanks for reading - Tess x

Camera Review: Sony A55

Hi guys, thought it was about time I reviewed a camera. I've been playing with the idea of buying a Sony A55 camera so thought I would try it out before buying. Luckily I know a fantastic independant camera shop in West Yorkshire who offer a 'try before you buy' purchase option. How cool? Anyways, read on to see what I think of it.


Introduction

The Sony A55 is an interchangeable lens camera that uses Translucent Mirror Technology to offer high-speed shooting and a smaller body size. Compared to a conventional DSLR camera, Translucent Mirror Technology utilises a fixed, translucent mirror that splits the optical pathway between the main image sensor and a separate phase-detection autofocus sensor, and offers a simplified mechanical design that enables the camera to be smaller. The 16.2 megapixel A55 features up to 10fps burst shooting, built-in GPS tracking, 1080i HD Movies with continuous autofocus during shooting, 15-point phase-detection autofocus system, Quick AF Live View, a 3-inch free-angle LCD, a Tru-Finder (Electronic Viewfinder) with 100% coverage, 3D Sweep Panoramas, Auto HDR and Multi-frame Noise Reduction. The Sony A55 costs $749.99 in the US and £599.99 in the UK for the body only, and about $849.99 / £699.99 for the body and 18-55mm zoom lens.

Specification

Lens Mount
Sony α mount YES
Compatibility with A-Mount bayonet lenses from Minolta and Konica Minolta YES
Lens Compatibility
All types of Sony α lenses YES
Minolta & Konica Minolta α/MAXXUM/DYNAX lenses YES
Image Sensory
Image sensor type CMOS Sensor
Image sensor colour filter R, G, B, Primary color
Size (mm) 23.5 x 15.6 (APS-C size)
Camera
Total sensor Pixels (megapixels) Approx. 16.7
Effective Pixels (megapixels) Approx. 16.2
Automatic White Balance YES
White balance: preset selection Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash
White balance: custom setting YES
White balance: types of color temperature 2500 - 9900 k with 19-step Magenta / Green compensation
White balance bracketing 3 frames, Selectable 2 steps
ISO Sensitivity Setting ISO100 - 12800 equivalent
SteadyShot INSIDE
System: Sensor-shift mechanism YES
SteadyShot INSIDE scale (in viewfinder) YES
Camera-Shake warning (in viewfinder) NO
SteadyShot INSIDE capability Approx. 2.5 EV - 4 EV decrease in shutter speed (varies according to shooting conditions and lens used)
SteadyShot INSIDE compatibility All Sony DSLR lenses and A-Mount bayonet lenses from Minolta and Konica Minolta
*SteadyShot INSIDE was previously known as Super SteadyShot

Summary 

The company has rejected the traditional DSLR design and instead created a hybrid that, like a compact camera, is from the ground up built around live view, but one that is also capable of offering full-time DSLR-style phase-detection autofocus. The combination means they can offer features such as phase-detection AF during movie recording and extremely fast continuous shooting rates (10 frames per second on the A55), previously unthinkable at this price.

Rating

Looks: 4/5
Performance: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5