Moving Forward

Loads of new challenges ahead for this year. Apart from the constant challenge of wanting to create compelling and exciting images for everyone I work for I feel I have to start operating more effectively as a business. Target new clients, nurture existing ones and focus my thoughts on where I want to be and what I want to shoot.
It's all very well being a jack of all trades - loving shooting different opportunities and taking on each job as it is offered - but I really need to start to think where I am most effective. Fashion/Portraiture, Lifestyle shoots, Weddings or Theatre. Or can I shoot a combination of all of the above and let one compliment the other and create an ever evolving style of photography (oo-er!).
Time will tell but I shall blog more regularly about where I am moving as a photographer and hopefully be able to reflect that in the work I produce. A very serious post this one... more 'war stories' next time.

2010 - THE Year

First blog of the year and a firm wrap over the knuckles for not doing it sooner.
A lot is happening and I'm constantly trying to push the results of my photography to create better and more satisfying shots.
In the studio I've been trying some new set ups to get that slickly lit look that is all over – and I like it! Three light set ups seem to give the results I'm looking for – a beauty-dish or softbox keylight, 180 degree bare flash for highlights and a backdrop light to get that graduated look or add a splash of colour.
In the Theatre I've changed my technique slightly to get that 'defining moment'. Two cameras, one Canon 5D mk2 with a 24-70 f2.8 and a canon 1D mk3 with a 70-200 f2.8. Motor drives enabled on both. Move round the action, find the shot and fire off a few frames. Within those shots I try to get that exact moment of drama and interaction – and it appears to be working. I think working in theatre for 20 years has helped me anticipate the shot where all the drama, tension and story is contained.
Coming up in the next couple of months are some bridal shoots for Make-up Artist Daniella and another studio shoot for Jason Kester and the Believers (including some HD video of performances) and some extreme make-up fashion work. Can't wait!

Merry Christmas One and All !

...and a Happy New Year.

November Catch-up

Incredibly busy over the last few weeks - sorry for not posting before.I'm really enjoying exploring modern portraiture at the moment and playing around in the studio to create different lighting effects (I can't explain how much I love my 'snooted' beauty dish.I'm very sad!) as well as trying to create a fashion look tat I'm happy with.Thanks to Giselle for being a great model, MUA and dressmaker.
I've shot a couple of shows - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe & The Accrington Pals - which are always exciting to do and I'm producing some big prints for Glebe Primary School of the work I did there during their Creativity Week.
Christmas comes on a pace and then it's easing myself gently back into the wedding season, hoorah!

Having been asked for advice...

"Hi Andy
I hope you don’t mind me emailing you like this but I’m after a bit of help!
I’ve got a couple of friends who’re getting married later this year - the end of December in fact – and in the interest of keeping costs low (despite the thirteen bridesmaids and 240 guests!) they’ve decided to ask a couple of people they know to act as ‘official’ photographers for the day. I’m one of the two (un)lucky friends. Although I’m hoping I’ve been asked because they think I can take a decent photo or two (and not just because I’m one of the only people they know with a DSLR!) I must admit that I’ve never been put in this position before." David Thorley


My response (I didn't go for 'If you want to make sure of good photography hire a professional' cause that would have been rude and obvious):


Hi David,

It’s difficult to give someone an A,B,C of that relaxed, candid reportage style but here goes….

1.Fast lenses: It helps to have pretty fast lenses as you are often shooting in low light and I like to avoid flash for the reportage shots. The 50mm 1.8 that you say you have is a fantastic lens and will help you to get the crowd shots and general party/guest groups. I use a 24-70 f2.8 and a 70-200 f2.8 on two bodies so that I can keep a constant aperture and shutter speed (around f3.5 at 1/160) without having to ramp up the ISO too high.
2.Be alert: If you are shooting the wedding you can’t be a guest. Step back and watch everything unfold and try to anticipate those moments when someone is going to share a joke or greet with a hug etc.
3.Get a long lens: For those candid headshots you need something around 200mm. Fill the frame with someone and wait for them react to something that is being said – laughing, grimacing, surprised all work well!
4.Watch the kids: Kids always reinvent the spaces they are in. They will guide you to the interesting, fun stuff – and they are cute.
5.Have a vision: Don’t think ‘What do wedding photographs look like?’ and try to take that. Think ‘What shot do I want to make? What interests me?’ then you’ll get a memorable shot.
6.Photograph the details: Time and energy has gone into every detail of the reception, service, dress etc. Shoot all the texture of the day.
7.Use flash ‘off camera’: If you have to use flash (and it’s inevitable) use it off camera via a sync cord or radio trigger (you can get radio triggers from ebay for £20) it stops the harsh shadows associated with on-camera flash. Also, either bounce or diffuse the flash to further stop harsh shadows.
8.Be nice and enjoy the day: Weddings are fun. Join in with the atmosphere and don’t order people to do stuff – particularly to repeat things. If you miss a shot another will be along in a second.
9.Drink water and eat: I’m generally shooting from about 12 till 8/9 pm. Hydrate and try to eat to keep up your blood sugar. It takes a lot of energy to concentrate for that amount of time and not start to flag. Everything matters, don’t miss a moment.
10.Have fun. If you’re keen on photography then it should be fun and not a task – it will show in the final images.
11.Expect to spend as much time editing the shots as you do shooting them. Nothing looks great straight out of the camera. Time spent on a bit of colour correction, contrast and sharpening will be time well spent.
12.Know you camera inside out so that you can make adjustments on the fly as the lighting conditions change.
13.Have enough memory – make sure you have enough memory cards as you don’t want to run out and try to edit down the shots you’ve taken to make more space. You may delete everything.
14.Know when to stop shooting. Have an end point in mind and know when you’ve achieved what you wanted.
15.Get the images out quickly – weddings are exciting, the images from the wedding are exciting but they lose currency and gloss if they arrive 3 or 4 weeks later. Mine are up on the net to be viewed the next day.
Hope this helps and is not too daunting. It’s just my musings and my approach to shooting the day.
Any questions please get back in touch and I’ll try not to take so long to reply.
All the best,
Andy Billington
www.weddingedge.co.uk
07748 352464

One more Wedding and a Bouncers Shoot.

More weddings (only one more this year 'Boo!' - never thought I'd really getinto them but I LOVE the whole day and the pressure of getting everthing asit happens) and some theatre work this month. Had a great shoot with the cast of 'Bouncers' at the New Vic - end of theweek, 20 minutes to shoot and a tired bunch of actors - but it was great funand everyone got into the swing of it.Followed it with a weding the next day at Keele Hall with a lovely Bride andgroom in Janet & Steve - very up for some relaxed portraits inside (itrained and rained and rained) and happy for me to do my thing on the day andproduce the candid, relaxed story of the day.Coming up - some documentary work in schools, a charity wedding, productionphotos for 'Bouncers' and 'The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe' and a bandshoot at the end of the month!Click on the 'Photo-video' link below to get a quick look into Janet andSteve's Day...

Taking 'WeddingEdge' out for a spin.

I've been concentrating over the last couple of weeks on the weddingphotography side of my business. Trying to sort out the website -www.weddingedge.co.uk - and secure some bookings for next year. This should give me a firm platform to build on for the other types of photography -performance, commercial, documentary, fashion, portraiture - that all seemto feed into the one day when shooting a wedding.

I find that I really like it! It's challenging, pressured, creative,exciting and above all fun... Everyone is there for a good time and tocelebrate and it's a privilege to capture that in an interesting andarresting way (I hope).I've shot a couple of weddings over the last fortnight - examples above -and tried to approach them in the way I like to shoot rather than try toshoot in someone else's style. To tell the stroy of the day in my way andcreate my own voice (blah, blah, blah... always difficult not to soundpretentious when talking about art/style/approach!!).

Anyway I've had somevery positive feedback so I shall keep ploughing this furrow.

Thanks for reading.