Anton Corbijn is a famous photographer known mostly for his work with the rock band U2. His style is described as showing raw emotion. I was influenced many years ago to become a photographer when I first saw Corbijn's famous picture of Peter Rowan -- the boy on the cover of U2's album titled "Boy" (and also the younger brother of U2 frontman Bono's good friend "Guggi"). Rowan, coincidentally, is now a well-known Irish photographer.
Since his initial work as a still photographer, Corbijn has branched out into directing music videos and feature films. You can check out his official web-site by clicking here.
This is an old piece but very relevant -- timeless you might say.
Read this interview with Jay Maisel from Photo Insider. Jay is an amazing photographer known for his mastery of light and gesture in his photographs. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak in St. Louis about 5 years ago -- probably one of the best photographer talks I ever attended.
Click here to watch a short CNN.com video interview (about 6 minutes) with Anne Geddes. Anne tells us what inspires her to photograph the babies in the way she does and speaks about some of the challenges in photographing new babies.
Enjoy!
Here is a Canon "Explorers of Light" interview with Denis Reggie -- check it out...
http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=926&fromTips=1
Dane Sanders' CutFrame TV features a number of awesome videos by Dane and other fantastic photographers. At Pictage Partner Conference in 2006, Jessica Claire made this short video demonstrating how she takes an image from "blah" to "wow" in Photoshop. I may have posted this previously...but it's worth repeating! :)
Louisiana photographer Mark Eric Motichek has hit another home run. Mark is the creative force behind Trash The Dress and has recently started a new web-site -- Don't Box Us In.
DontBoxUsIn.com is a web-site that features today’s best artistic and creative photographers -- photographers who are given complete control of the creative process. Take a few minutes to check out the site and be inspired.
Keep up the great work Mark Eric!
Talented wedding photographer Jessica Claire offers some insight into how she creates amazing images -- check out Jessica's "Photographer FAQ's" page by clicking here.
Keep up the great work Jessica!
USA Today staff sports photography extraordinaire Robert Hanshahiro is featured on this video -- demonstrating the 3 camera, remote-trigged set-up that USA Today used to capture Barry Bonds' 756th home run. The video takes a little while to load (it's 26 MB, don't try this from a dial-up connection!) but it's worth the wait. Enjoy!
In case you have trouble with the link, here is the URL: (copy + paste into your browser's address bar)
http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/30fps/
I listened to an interview recently with the famous celebrity wedding photographer Joe Buissink. Joe spoke about recognizing perfect instances for taking pictures where he'll just snap his fingers if he sees something that looks like it would make a great photograph. That's a cool way to train yourself to recognize opportunities to take amazing pictures -- too often a photographer is at an event and they are waiting and waiting and waiting for the perfect set-up...and they miss those great spontaneous image capturing opportunities. I've been known to be out for walks or hikes with friends or family and I'll point out great light and what kind of great image could be made at that instant.
So if you want to get better at training your eyes (and your shutter finger and quick dial thumb) to capture superb candid images...just start snapping your fingers when you see something or someone that would make a cool shot. Even if you aren't carrying a camera with you at the moment (who would think of such a thing????), you'll get better at quickly reacting during those times when you do have your camera ready to fire away!
Keep it real :)
~Dan
It's a bit of a long load, but definitely worth checking out -- click here for "Midnight Carnival" by Chris Raecker. Very powerful images...enjoy!
BTW (totally unrelated) -- remember, U.S. postal mailing rate increase kicks in today! I was in a long line at the post-office this morning...
For inspiration and awe of some truly amazing photography, check out Robert Seale's web-site -- http://www.robertseale.com/index.html. I love how his talents carry over from portraits to sports action!
Lifestyle Baby Photography- Edition 3: The Session Experience
by Amber Holritz
Once you have established your Philosophy and Strategy and have created your Relationships, it is time to create the Experience of the Lifestyle Session. Your objective during this session is to create the emotional images that your client will treasure for a lifetime, but to do so without causing any additional stress in their lives.
1. The Walk Through
The first thing I do when I arrive at my client's home for the first time (after giving the Mom a baby present of course!) is to do a quick walk through. Mom and I have already discussed which rooms Baby spends most of her time, and now I want to use that knowledge to help me create a "game plan" of sorts. I look for pockets of indoor light, beautiful pieces of furniture, and sentimental touches within the home. As I walk through the main areas, I mentally map out a quick sketch of the session ahead.
2. Interactive Portraiture
When I schedule the session with Mom, we plan for Baby to be awake for the beginning portion of the session. (Of course, babies and schedules don't always sync, so I plan to be as flexible as possible!) This allows us to do the interactive portraiture with Mom, Dad, and siblings at the beginning of the session, freeing the family up to go about their day as Mom and I finish up. I begin this portion of the session by reiterating what we have determined previously. "When you hang out as a family, it's usually in the den, right?" We then head for that area, I have them grab a seat and sit closely (I usually tell them to go cuddle on the couch together...), and then I tell them to talk to the baby and one another, kiss, hug, and just love each other for a few minutes. I shoot this from every angle possible. I focus on the baby, and let the family go out in the background. I use the fisheye to show their environment. I get down low and shoot through a the coffee table. I frame the image wide and center the piece of art hanging above the couch. I do this portion as quickly as possible. Then I grab Dad, and take him to a "pocket of light". This could be a hallway, a window, anywhere that I like the quality of light. I ask him to hold the baby like he usually does and nuzzle her a bit. I shoot this from every angle possible. Wide, tight, low, high. Focus on Dad, focus on Baby. Dad can then leave if he needs to. If he sticks around, I try to get him in the background of images of Mom and Baby. The image of Dad watching over his family is a very powerful one! I do the same with Mom, often using the same space as I used with Dad. But I will continue to photograph Baby with Mom throughout the session as we move from place to place, and as Mom soothes, feeds, and changes Baby.
3. Environmental Portraiture
From this point on my focus is on the child. With newborns, I am focused on capturing the size of the child. I do this by using familiar pieces of furniture in the child's home. I most often use a couch, an interesting chair, and the master bed. I try to use existing art pieces to add additional legitimacy to the images. Using the home in this way adds to the historical value of the image! These images are easiest when Baby is asleep! It is then an easy transition to the crib, to get some beautiful images of the nursery that Mom and Dad have spent so much time on.
With older babies, I am focused on capturing what they are "doing" at this age. I am able to place her in her most comfortable environment (swing, play gym, nursery with toys, ect), lay down on the floor with her, and shoot to my hearts content. Often, she will be completely enthralled with the camera at first, and I will be able to easily snag my "portraits" (with eyes to the camera), and from there will be able to focus on capturing moments.
4. The Fun Stuff
After I have created the important portraits, I can move on to the fun stuff. I look primarily for expression, relationship, and environment when creating these images. I am consistently looking to see where Mom (and the rest of the family, if they are still around) is, and will frame her in the background if appropriate. We do bath time, playtime, pet time, snack time... Anything that Baby normally does, we will try to do! The important thing at this point is to compose creatively. If you are not careful, these images could look like snapshots. Use these ground rulesto create images that look professional regardless of how casual the situation is.
Amber Holritz, and her husband Nathan, run Holritz Photography based in Chattanooga, TN. when they aren't busy shooting amazing pictures of weddings, babies or their own beautiful children, they find time to speak to and consult photographers throughout the United States. You can read more about Nathan and Amber Holritz on their photographer resource blog -- PhotographersOffice.net.
Lifestyle Baby Photography- Edition 2: Creating the Relationship
by Amber Holritz
Creating the Relationship
The key to creating beautiful and intimate Lifestyle images is Relationship. I place a high priority on my relationships with my Moms, and will go out of my way to extend these relationships in any way possible.
Initial Contact/Scheduling Calls
The first opportunity for relationship building comes at the initial contact. When your client, generally Mom, calls in to discuss setting up a portrait session, begin the conversation by creating a relationship. Be sure to find out the baby's name, and use it regularly throughout the conversation. Take the time to ask pertinent questions about the baby. There is nothing that will endear a mother to you faster than empowering her to talk about her baby! That is a mom's favorite pastime, and too often, she feels that people are not interested in hearing what she has to say! If you do not have children of your own, purchase a book, such as "What to Expect the First Year," and familiarize yourself with the developmental stages. When you are talking to Mom, you can better frame your questions to relate to what she is dealing with at this stage in her baby's life. Another huge point is in scheduling. When my moms call in to schedule sessions, I list off a few days in which I am wholly available. I then say, "I have these dates free, let's talk about what the best time of day for your baby is." This allows Mom the freedom to explain her child's schedule, or lack thereof, and allows us to come up with the time that will create the least amount of stress for both Mom and Baby. I also take the time to explain that I have kept the rest of my day free, and that we can explore the session with as much or as little time as is best for the two of them, and for her to feel free to take any breaks that her child needs. This helps her to see that I do not plan to follow my own agenda, but will be flexible for her so that she can meet her child's needs.
At the conclusion of the initial conversation, I have an arsenal of facts that will assist me in creating emotional and legitimate images! I can step inside the door and know that Mom and Baby spend their time in the nursery, eating and napping, in the playroom, playing in the toy gym, and in the kitchen, taking baths. I already know that when Dad and Baby bond in the den and in front of the TV. I know that Dad is a great help to Mom by always bringing her water when she is nursing, and I know that the family Dog always sits at Mom's feet and plays guard dog when she is in the rocker. Knowing these things prior to my arrival helps me see their importance, and allows me, the insider, the knowledge needed to effectively capture this part of their life!
First Session
I arrive at every newborn session with a gift in hand. This is a huge step for me, and generally creates an immediate bond. From that point forward, I am very "familiar" throughout the session. I volunteer to hold the baby, help with any needs the baby has (cleanup, diapers, ect), grab things for Mom when she needs them (water when nursing, baby wipes, blankets, ect), and constantly affirm Mom about her physical appearance as well as the baby's. I make sure to make mention of the things we discussed ("Oh look, she really does love her feet, doesn't she!?"), and this helps Mom see that I was truly interested in the information that she was giving me over the phone. I make a concerted effort to capture the nuances of the baby and the baby's relationships described to me during our conversation. At the end of the session, I never leave without thanking Dad for his time (if he is at the session) and giving Mom a hug.
Slideshow
The slideshow can be the high point of the relationship. After this first slideshow, you will officially have a friend for life, and this can be the basis of a huge future client base. I try to have the slideshow up the evening following the session. When choosing the images for the slideshow, I try to think of what Mom would most want to see, and I am sure to include those images with my own personal favorites. I pay very close attention to Mom's appearance in the images, and do not include any images in which she is not looking her very best! New Mom's are in a very insecure stage, and we need to do whatever we can to flatter them with our imagery! This will also make them love you!
Follow Up
I do my best to make contact with my client regularly after their session. I let them know when the images are up on Pictage, and then I contact them again when their hard proofs arrive. I try to make a quick "housecall" when their products arrive, and I do a little handholding throughout the ordering process. I let them know that I know just how busy they are, and that I want to do whatever I can to make this process easier for them.
The reason that relationships are so vital to this process is threefold.
1. Insider knowledge
2. Repeat Customer
3. Referrals.
If you have the inside knowledge to your clients life, their child, their relationship, ect, you will be able to effectively transfer that knowledge to your images. This will then create a bond with the client that will cause them to call you every time that they want images of their child. Every stage that the newborn goes through will become an important moment, and they will want it preserved by you.And they will tell everyone! Moms trust other Moms. Create a relationship with one key Mom, and then prepare for her friends. They will call!
Today I'm excited to announce the first of a three part series from an amazing photographer and guest-contributor to Daily Photo Tips!
Amber Holritz, of Holritz Photography based in Chattanooga, TN, is fast becoming one of the best lifestyle baby photographers in the United States. Her warm personality, gentle demeanor, and patient devotion to capturing great natural images of babies and toddlers put her in great demand -- both with moms as clients and, along with her super-talented photographer-husband Nathan, on the photographer speaking circuit.
So, without further ado, I'm proud to present the first edition of Lifestyle Baby Photography by Amber Holritz!
Lifestyle Baby Photography- Edition 1: Philosophy and Strategy
by Amber Holritz
Lifestyle Photography is (and should be!) taking over the portraiture world. Slowly but surely, we are losing the market for those stiff, "smile at the camera" portraits, as a relaxed, journalistic style of imagery moves onto the scene. I have recently fallen in love with the world of Lifestyle Baby Photography, and wanted to share some of my newfound passion with you!
Philosophy:
Webster's defines lifestyle as "a typical way of life." The images that I want to produce during an infant session are, by definition, of a "typical" nature. Can "typical" be artistically fulfilling? Definately!! So my philosphy for portraiture is to produce artistically fulfilling images depicting a "typical way of life". It's just that simple!
Strategy:
An image of a child can and should serve the following purposes:
1. Appropriate likeness of the child
2. Artistic rendering
3. Historical documentation for future generations
An image of a child would ideally show:
1. Emotional connection
2. Scale
3. Reality
The first set of expectations are easily met. Add in the second set, make them the criteria for your images, and you will see that true Lifestyle Photography is going to be the easiest way to provide a perfect portrait! You will be creating an artistic likeness of the child with legitimate historical meaning. You will be making an effort to seek out emotional connections between parent and child, compositions that provide scale, and do it all within the reality of the subject's environment! The final product will be an image that will portray "typical" life in a creative, editorial fashion. And once your consumers see how emotionally provoking these images can be, they will have no hesitation about the style!
As a parent, I could go on and on about just how fleeting a child's life is. I can barely remember what my oldest child looked like sleeping in his crib, playing with his first toys, or eating in his high chair. Nathan created some beautiful portraits of him at various stages, we took a few "candids", but we have nothing that artistically expresses the reality of his life at that stage! I want to remember what he looked like at home at 3 days, 3 months, 3 years. I want to remember not only his big loving smile, but also his moods! I want to show my future adult child pictures of his life as a baby, and in doing so, give him history! This is what Lifestyle Portraiture gave us with our second child. We have all those moments captured! We have history! I present this to my potential moms, and they all get it!
I love going to photo workshops -- if I had unlimited resources, I'd make a career out of attending photo workshops all over the world! Unfortunately, I do have limited resources...so I typically attend only a handful of workshops each year. One of the best workshops, in my opinion -- in terms of bang for the buck, is Atlanta photographer Zach Arias' "One Light" workshop.
Zach teaches about a dozen or so "One Light" workshops each year -- all over the U.S. His philosphy is basically do more with less. He states on his web-site "We have one light in the sky, the sun. Good enough for the earth, good enough for photography." For 2007 his "One Light" workshop rate is just $325. I have yet to attend one of these amazing seminars...but I do plan to sometime in the next year. For more information about attending a "One Light" seminar, go to www.onelightworkshop.com. You can also find out more about hosting a workshop in your city.
Keep up the amazing work, Zach! And thanks for sharing your knowledge with fellow photographers.
Here's another great site for information to boost your supplemental lighting skills. Neil van Niekirk is a New Jersey based full-time photographer whose work is just simply amazing.
I love his dedication to shooting only in manual mode as well as his advice for making flash not look like flash. You're truly an inspiration Neil!
Craig Tanner is an amazing photographer based out of Atlanta, Georgia. I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Craig when I volunteered at a Rocky Mountain School of Photography workshop several years ago.
Craig recently wrote an amazing article called "The Myth of Talent." I highly recommend reading this to all photographers who ever found themselves inspired by the work of others, and / or frustrated confused at their own work. In "The Myth of Talent," Craig shares his "big break" experience that set him on the path to becoming the great photographer and lecturer that he is today. Click here to download (pdf file) "The Myth of Talent." In the article Craig shares "Seven Ways to Create Your Own Artistic Growth"... (more detail on each is in the article)
If you are a wedding photographer -- or an aspiring one -- be sure to check out Admired By Beckstead. David Beckstead is a fantastic wedding photographer and former WPJA photographer of the year award winner. He created the site (click here to see it) as place for people to submit their favorite wedding images and for him to pick the best of what he reviews for display on the site.
David even takes time to publish comments on some of the images -- be sure to look for the comments as a means to learn more from David on what works well for various images. You can use the site for inspiration too -- just peruse the galleries right before your next wedding shoot!