At the start of a new year it always seems a good time to look back. I thought I’d post a few of my favourite images from last year as a reminder of what I’ve been up to. Firstly, here is an image from a great wedding that took place in Surrey and gave some excellent opportunities for the photography.
Sean and Kay Wedding Photography in Surrey
The digital photography age has brought with it many
improvements to the way we take and share images. Figures from the
Camera and Imaging Products Association have shown a continued
increase in DSLR sales in the last couple of years which is no
doubt a result of lower prices and the removal of the majority of
the costs involved with learning and refining photographic skills.
Arguably the single biggest benefit of digital photography is that
we no longer have to wait to get rolls of film printed before
seeing the results of our efforts. I came to photography using a
film SLR and still remember the frustrations of paying to get a 36
exposure roll of film developed so that I could see the results of
lighting experiments. This ability to instantly view your photos on
the cameras LCD has brought with it new photographic jargon –
chimping. Chimping: the act of checking a camera’s LCD after taking
a shot. Firstly, let’s admit it: we are all chimpers and some more
than others. Ever taken a picture of some friends and then looked
at it straightaway or gone around a room showing everyone the back
of your camera? You’re a chimper! The term is often used in a
derogatory sense to imply that the person taking the photo is an
amateur or lacks skill and judgement in creating an image. Some
would argue that a professional should be able to expose and
compose correctly and have the skills to know how to control the
camera, lighting and other external factors to get the desired
shot. However, in reality, chimping is a practise used by
professional photographers as well as hobbyists. As I mentioned,
one of the biggest benefits of shooting digitally is the ability to
instantly view your image. It allows us to check the photo and make
any adjustments if it’s not right. We no longer have to wait a week
for the prints to be developed before finding out that the flash
didn’t go off in an important photo. Be a proud chimper but bear
the following in mind. How many great shots have been lost because
you are busy looking at the back of the camera instead of through
the lens. Digital media is great in that our photos are saved to
memory cards which can stores many hundreds of images. It doesn’t
matter whether we take 1 photo or 1,000 we can select and print
only the ones we want. Therefore, instead of chimping just take
more photos and select the keepers afterwards. It is also worth
noting that an image which appears nice and sharp on the back of a
camera may actually be out of focus when viewed at it’s proper size
so don’t just rely on the LCD to tell you that you’ve got the shot.
Do I chimp? Of course, but usually for specific reasons: – If I am
photographing a wedding then I would be mad not to take advantage
of the instant review. For example, I will take test shots inside a
church and use the LCD to check the exposure or flash so that I
know the settings to use during the ceremony. I also use the LCD
before taking a series of photos such as any groups. Again this is
just to make sure that the exposure is looking good. If I am happy
then I will run through the sequence without checking again until
the next sequence or change of location. – With portraits I will
check the LCD for the first few shots after setting up and metering
the lights. This is mainly to ensure that there is no light coming
back into the lens and that highlights haven’t been blown. After
this most of the session will take place without chimping although
it can be useful to show clients some of the shots at convenient
breaks. – I’m bored and there’s nothing to photograph. The bottom
line: chimp less and photograph more. www.summitphotography.co.uk
providing portrait and wedding photography in Surrey and
Sussex
After three happy years I have decided that it is time for a change. The old website has served me well but was pretty static and didn’t offer much other than somewhere to display my work and prices.
So, here’s the new improved site: www.summitphotography.co.uk
The biggest changes are that I can now offer my customers:
Over the next few weeks I will be adding some more galleries but until then here is a link to my wedding portfolio page: wedding portfolio.
