david_thomas___banned_from

Thanks for all the ideas and help. In the end, I decided to go with a very simple layout. It's not going to win any awards, but it might just get me the odd booking...

Three local hotels, here in Wales, have agreed to put up a framed print

advertising my wedding photography business. This is my first attempt. I

wanted it black, modern looking and cool. Do the images selected make you want

to ring me (if you were a prospective bride!) or walk the other way quick!

Also, general comments about the composition of the images would be

apprecated. Does the 'car' pic in the top corner look a bit squashed? Also

comments about the general impression this image would make after it is

professionally printed and framed in the hotel. Many thanks.<div></div>

I have shot 20 weddings thie year with my D100/D70 combination and I now think

of these cameras as an extension of myself (I know them so well). Everyone

seems to be going the way of the D200 with it's impressive resolution. But

realistically, what can you do with a D200 that you can't do with a D100 even

though its obviously 'inferior and outdated' technology. For example, I did a

16" x 20" enlargement from a D100 file for a canvas and it looked utterly

stunning as a canvas. Those extra 4mp don't really mean anything do they, in

practical terms? Do you think that technology reached a point in 2002 with

digital SLRs that for most purposes, photo-realism was achieved even to the

point of huge enlargements. If you manually control focus and exposure based

on the cameras spot metering is it worth paying $2000 to start the learning

curve again? In my opinion, you're better off improving your photoshop skills

than wasting cash on the latest and greatest. The line has been crossed.

Thank you Kevin for your thoughtful and obviously pleasing response! I think we're not quite as beaurocratic as our US cousins.

I am a UK based wedding photographer and have sometimes wondered about who

actually owns the image. For example, two hotels have contacted me lately to

use some of my photographs for their brochures. They promised me a nice credit

and it's a great free advert. Do I need to contact the people in the

photographs and get their permission (they might say no)? I'm of the opinion I

took the photo so I own it. What do you think? I'd be particularly interested

to hear from a UK based photographer, but all opionions welcome! PS I havent

sold their images, I let the hotels use it for free because of the free

advertising.

David, I have sold other canvases before this wedding to honest customers. It's got nothing to do with counting chickens but plain and simple trust and honesty. I'll go along with you from now on though...50% up front it is!

Hi there. Today I've encountered a significant problem. My wedding clients were

delighted with their photographs on the contact sheets. The bride's parents

ordered a large framed print. When I rang them to say it was ready, they told

me they'd just paid our for the wedding and that 'he'd ring me in the week'.

The B&G have also requested they pay for their goods (2 canvases) in

installments. They also cancelled a DVD they ordered which I ordered an

expensive leather case for. Their total order was over $4000 (2400 pounds) and

I am having a nightmare collecting the money. I've spent money on all the

frames and canvases etc, the time to edit the images on photoshop, the time to

put these things together. So I'm really mad, BUT IT HAS TAUGHT ME A VALUABLE

LESSON. Next time, I want 50% up front on all expensive items such as framed

enlargements and canvases. Am I being paranoid or have you had experience of

couples and their families who order stuff and don't have the readies to pay.

I'd like to know your take on it.

It's not a good picture. I'm afraid you'll have to bin it.

On very bright sunny days, where there is no respite from the shade, a certain

degree of 'fill' flash is essential. However, when many of the guests insist on

wearing glasses (some 'cause they've got poor eye sight, others to look cool) I

almost invariably end up with horrible white reflections in their glasses from

the flash, and sometimes on the rim of the glasses. I can do a little bit of

fixing and sometimes total reconstruction of the eye in photoshop. However, it

really does get on my nerves as it's such a long, drawn out process. I have

considered doing nothing and saying, well, thats what happens when you wear

glasses...

I've just had a 15" x 20" canvas on 12mm mdf back from the printers. My frame

is 1/4 inch bigger all around to accomodate the wrapped canvas. Do U just tape

the canvas in using gum strip or would I need to secure the canvas first. PS

the canvas on 12mm mdf is heavy. Any suggestions...

Every week I have a new wedding in the summer to photograph. I have 2 EN-EL3

batteries in my D100 and 1 in my D70. Is it harming them to recharge too often?

After about 12 months, my laptop batteries just died.

PS I never shoot RAW, just JPEG fine.

Over on the Wedding forum, I have been a number of times of using antiquated

equipment? Two issues are mainly sited: 6MP is not good enough for serious

enlargements and crucially, the D100 is not capable of handling RAW images in

realtime and is therefore unusable in a wedding context, especially photo-

journalist type weddings. Some even claim these cameras are totally unsuitable

for professional use. Do I bite the bullet and get a D200? The thing is I love

my current combination and am very confortable in their use. I know the results

I'm going to get. How long can I continue to use these brilliant cameras before

they really do get outdated? And lets be realistic here, sentimentalty aside.

Lots of professional wedding photographers think colour & B/W combination

photographs are tacky, but are they? Done right, they can be a real winner. Of

course, done wrong they can be totally hideous. Do you think, the dislike of

such images is a throwback to an ideology such as 'Leica purism', where the

only images that are acceptable are unmanipulated ones...PS my spelling of

colour is correct here in England.<div></div>

Hi there. I've been lucky enough for a hotel owener (with 8 hotels) to let me

put up a good sized framed print in one of her hotels. She wants to use more of

my photographs on her website to advertise the hotel with a credited link to my

website.

 

I mean for a $100 (price of framed print) I'm excited about all those

prospective B&G's out venue hunting seeing my pic! How do you people rate this

form of advertising.

 

I've considered contacting other venues I've done weddings in, and ask them to

display a framed canvas for me, with my contact details subtly at the bottom.

 

Do you think targetting wedding hotels like this is a good ideas?

 

PS I'm suggesting I give 10% of the initial package price to each hotel for

ever wedding booked.

Well, it's quite simple actually. Do it on two levels, forget trying to arrange them on one level. Look for a high vantage point and ask them to say sausages!<div></div>

Dear All,

 

In the first year of wedding photography, I did 5 weddings advertising in

Yellow Pages. In my second 10 and third 20. If this continues next year I

should be upto 40 and doing this full time and dropping my part-time teaching

job. However, I'd like to know your opinions of how best to expand the

business. Do I advertise again in Yellow Pages, rely on word of mouth and my

much improved portfolio. Or attack the situation aggressively...get off my arse

and take flyers round, advertise in every newsagent within 20 miles. Indeed my

last booking was from someone who saw my card in a chinese take away! I'd love

to know your tips for expanding my business!

I would be very interested to hear your sequential steps (in PS) of how to

enlarge a 6MP D100 file to end up as a QUALITY 16" x 20" enlargement for

professional printing and framing. Many thanks in anticipation.

Thank you William, your efforts have impressed me a lot! A great final image too! It still doesn't answer my question though, that is, knowing when to stop? I'd thought about the kerb and the bloke on a cycle, but do they really matter? How long is a piece of string?

Gary, I'm not sure how to take that LOL!

And here is my completed one...<div></div>

And here is the original file if anyone wants to play with it for me!<div></div>

Thank you for all your tips. I think I was just too close to it the other day when I spent hours doing it. I started again with the original file this morning and it took me twenty minutes. I had sent the CD to a fine art printing firm in London, but I've rung them and said this new file is on its way. By the way I used the spot healing brush instead of the clone tool. There is some moisture on the ground which accounts for the subtle variations in colour.<div></div>

Jammey, I did get this shot 'right' at inital capture thats why I've had a $1500 dollar order for 2 canvases. However, there are some things which are beyond your control such as dog poo on the tyres! And old rotton confetti!

I do find I am becoming an obsessive perfectionist in photoshop. I undoubtedly

am having problems knowing when an image is complete or not. It's all art

anyway. For example, the image below which is going on canvas took me hours.

Cloning bits of the tarmac to put over old confettit. Removing what looked like

a bit of dog poo from the tyre track (even though it was minute), sharpening

with noise ninja plugins on zillions of settings etc etc etc. If only someone

would tell me when to stop...<div></div>