Photography News

The Lessons About Photography

If there is one thing that years and years of practicing photography helps us understand, it is ourselves and the wider industry we work in. Of course, along the way there are a multitude of technical facets that we learn to craft, but the holistic observations are far more pertinent to the success of our business and our career. These are some of the important lessons about photography. Real World Experience Makes All the Difference Although there is some merit in taking a course and studying photography, nothing quite compares with the reality of the job. There are endless variances in what you learn in a class room compared with being out amongst the elements, not to mention, schools don’t quite prepare you for the business side of things and dealing with clients. Love What You Do It might sound cliché but if your heart isn’t in it, then you… | Read the full article


Identify a Nightmare Client Before it’s too Late

During the early stages of one’s photography career, we often take what we can in terms of available work. Even if perhaps the nature of said work, or the client aren’t exactly aligned with our vision, we feel as though the experience will serve us well and help round out our versatility and complement our portfolio. As time progresses however, and we start to receive more interest from prospective clients, we realise that it’s actually beneficial to be selective regarding the work we perform. That is, choosing work where we share a vision with the client, and declining work where we are not on the same page or believe things might be more complicated than they need to be. Therefore, it helps to spot a nightmare client before it’s too late, so keep an eye out for these behaviours. They Speak About and Compare You Against Past Work It’s one… | Read the full article


How to Emphasise Texture in Your Photos

For many photographers, textures are one of the most endearing aspects of photography. The visual formed by the contrast of colours, shapes, light and depth is something that creates a unique appearance every time. It’s also a representation of how a photographer sees the subject of their work. That is, a look through their lens as to how they interpret their surroundings. Textures are all around us, meaning there is always an opportunity to get creative. Here are some tips so that you can emphasise the texture in your photos. Familiarise Yourself Beforehand Although a large element of photography may be spontaneous, there are just as many instances where we set out to photograph a specific sight, environment or client. With this in mind, and where possible, consider visiting the setting in which you will take your photos. You’ll want to have the foresight to understand how shadows, lighting and… | Read the full article


Considerations Before Buying a New Camera

Shopping for a new camera can be an exciting moment for everyone, yet alone a photographer who comes to depend on their camera to make a living. However, with the overwhelming number of options available on the marketplace, it’s wise to take into account several influential factors when you are considering an upgrade or new purchase.   Manual Controls and Modes Although just about all cameras offer some element of manual control, the ease with which one can access and leverage these settings varies considerably from camera to camera. With some cameras it is far easier to make the adjustments on the go, meaning you are saving time that could be utilised to capture a split second moment. In photography, seconds can make all the difference. At the other end of the spectrum, when times don’t call for manual input, it’s worth considering the variety among the pre-set modes available… | Read the full article


Why is My Photography Business Failing?

Despite what we think are our best efforts, at times things go against us and we fail to make headway in our pursuits. This may be in a personal context, or alternatively, in a professional setting concerning career aspirations. Photography businesses are one of those very career aspirations that may ultimately struggle to succeed. However, contrary to what you might think, the reasons behind a failing photography business are not merely related to bad luck. Often, failure stems from underlying problems that are not recognised by the business owner.   Not Putting Learnings into Practice It is one thing to conduct extensive research – to the point it may even be exhaustive – but if you’re not actually applying these learnings and putting them into practice, you’re not developing your business. In fact, all you are doing is extending your knowledge, which is great, albeit won’t necessarily get you clients… | Read the full article


Prime vs Zoom Lenses

When it comes to having the right gear for the job, photographers still remain somewhat divided over which type of lens they should keep on hand. For the beginners out there, prime lenses are those with a fixed focal point, whereas zoom lenses allow zoom capability as their name would suggest. So while on the face of things it might seem more versatile to carry a zoom lens, the reality is that prime lenses have notable upsides. In effect, it would be remiss to think that the two don’t both have a place in your bag. Let’s look a little closer at each option. Prime Lenses Since prime lenses do not have any zoom capabilities, photographers are restricted in terms of framing photos how they would like. Because of this shortfall however, quality is generally considered to be superior between the two options – at least on a like for… | Read the full article


Golden Hour Photography

When it comes to photography, timing can make all the difference. Trying to nail that shot with a perfect balance of warmth, colour, intensity and depth is no easy feat. The golden hour, which covers the hours ‘immediately after sunrise and before sunset, is considered the most accommodating time of the day. The reason being, these are the moments where the soft glow of the sun provides a delicate warmth contrasted with striking shadows. Something that just can’t be matched or recreated artificially. Let’s look closer at this special source of light.   Soft Warmth and Dimension Because the sun’s light is diffused through more of the atmosphere when emerging or descending, the light offers a warm, golden appearance. There are hues of yellow, orange and red which strike over subjects leaving a gratifying sight. This is particularly the case when it lights up a person’s skin, offering a soft… | Read the full article


Ranking on Photographers.com.au

Whilst it’s not quite a complicated as Google’s famous ranking algorithm, we have gone to some effort over time to try to push the best results to the top for potential customers who are searching for a professional photographer. Behind each profile on the site is a score. This score, combined with three other things (location, subscription status & responsiveness… we’ll talk about those later) dictates how high up the search results you’ll be on any given search. This is obviously really important – if you’re a wedding photographer in Adelaide, for example, you want to make sure that your name is in the top few results, or at least on the first page. The biggest factor in this score is your profile completeness. Searchers (potential customers), don’t want to see profiles devoid of images, information and a just a few lines in the description. They want to see a… | Read the full article


Responding to Negative Reviews

One of the inevitable parts of business is that you’ll eventually work with clients who leave negative feedback. Whether it’s a mismatch in expectations, or just different styles, beliefs and personalities, you shouldn’t be too despondent as long as things stay professional. After all, as much as we might try, it’s unrealistic to expect that you’ll be able to please everyone. However, with the internet now a common place for anonymously communicating one’s opinion to the masses, while also functioning as a make or break marketing tool for photography businesses, how much attention should you pay to negative reviews left by clients? When you consider the internet is a virtual CV and portfolio for photographers, it’s easy to worry about the implications of such publicity. In most cases however, the reality is that one bad review shouldn’t tarnish your reputation. Consider these responses to negative reviews. Maintain Composure Some professionals,… | Read the full article


Inserting Colour into Your Photography

When it comes to expressing colour in photos, many photographers opt to maximise this through post processing in the editing room. The reason being, it’s not uncommon to experience moments where you have sunny conditions but the colours appear looking washed out. What’s the trick to extracting colours from your surroundings and inserting them into your photos? As we detailed previously, the best time of the day for shooting is during the golden hour. Sunlight is soft and warm, whereas that during the middle of the day is a lot more harsh and desaturated. That’s also assuming the sun is on your side. If instead you’re faced with overcast conditions, the results may be even duller. With this in mind, you really should strive to capture your shots during the golden hour when light from the sun is diffused more due to the longer distance it must travel through the… | Read the full article


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