Friday, November 19, 2010
National Archives Talk
For our final talk we had a lady from the Archives talk briefly about the Archives role in preserving photographs and other important documents through photography and digitisation. To be honest I did not particularly see the point in this presentation and don't feel that it was particularly well thought out. I gained little valuable information from this presentation, and also strongly resented the discussion that followed about the photography industry being in decline and that we all may as well give up.
Snowgum Studios
For this visit, we went out to Snowgum Studios just outside of Canberra to see Leonie Keogh. Leonie showed us the sets she has on her property that she uses for her photography, which include a small wood house, corrugated iron backdrop, a rustic door and a old farm fence, which all add a rustic appeal to her portrait work.
Leonie also showed us how she shows a client the photographs she has taken using a program called ProSelect which she also uses to print out photobooks.
Overall a very interesting studio set up and discussion by Leonie.
Dan O'Day & Haley Richardson
I was unfortunately unable to attend this presentation so I have researched the 2 speakers.
Dan O'Day is a wedding and fine art photographer based in Canberra. He has won numerous APPA and AIPP awards. Dan likes to take a photojournalistic approach to his weddings and likes to tell a story through his images.
Haley Richardson is a fine art photographer who also shoots weddings. Haley has only recently started taking her image making more seriously after being awarded the 2009 Professional Photographer of the Year and Portrait photographer of the Year in the ACT AIPP awards.
Dan O'Day is a wedding and fine art photographer based in Canberra. He has won numerous APPA and AIPP awards. Dan likes to take a photojournalistic approach to his weddings and likes to tell a story through his images.
Haley Richardson is a fine art photographer who also shoots weddings. Haley has only recently started taking her image making more seriously after being awarded the 2009 Professional Photographer of the Year and Portrait photographer of the Year in the ACT AIPP awards.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Assignment 2
Industry Awareness Assignment 2 - Careers in Photography
Andrew Burke, Josie Cosgrove, Rhys Bell, Stephen Corey
We contacted Canberra based landscape photographer Jeremy Turner and researched several other landscape photographers, including Ken Duncan, Nick Rains, Joe Cornish and Ansel Adams.
Overview
Landscape photography is difficult to define in absolute terms, but for the most part can be looked at as the photography of spaces, be they natural or artificial, miniscule or massive. The most prevalent type of landscape photography undertaken is that of the natural environment, where the photographer most often attempts to capture a the feeling of a particular scene using natural light and with little or no human activity. Photographers such as Ken Duncan have made a name for themselves with beautiful landscape photographs that now grace the walls of homes and offices the world over.
Career path
The career path of a landscape photography is not one that follows the typical path of many other genres of photography but still shares many common traits. Photographers get into landscape photography for a variety of reasons, but the most common is a love of the outdoors. More often than not, landscape photography is not the first port of call for a photographer wishing to make a good living off of photography, as it is typically not considered a commercially sustainable field for someone who is only starting out.
Those who take the prospect of becoming a landscape photographer seriously will most likely spend large amounts of time outdoors simply practicing themselves, or perhaps even volunteering to help an established landscape photographer on their shoots to gain some practical experience. When starting out, a landscape photographer would most likely have another primary source of income from another job to support themselves while they establish a name and a presence in the photographic community for themselves.
With enough determination, luck and perserverance a landscape photographer can start generating a significant income through the sale of landscape images and perhaps garner jobs from businesses or organisations who seek landscape images for a particular purpose e.g conservation groups, National Parks etc
Pay ranges
Like most other fields of photography, the monetary value of a photographers images comes down to how well they are known and the obvious quality of their work. Long established highly reputable names like Ken Duncan can charge more for a print than less well known photographers like Canberra based photographer Jeremy Turner.
Most landscape photographers would not be on a salary or wage since they usually work for themselves. most income from this genre of photoraphy is generated through sales of images at markets, fetes etc or online.
Educational requirements
Generally speaking, becoming a successful landscape doesnt neccessarily require any formal education in photography itself. A landscape photographer can become successful by simply being motivated enough to learn the basics of how to use a camera, and going out into the wilderness and experimenting. Knowing the right equipment and how to use it is however quite important, to ensure that you can produce top quality images which will improve your reputation.
Typical equipment
The equipment of a landscape photographer is very similar to that of any other type of photographer. The basics would include a camera of some variety, be it an SLR, medium or large format, and either film or digital
A sturdy tripod is an absolute must for any serious work, and a nodal point head is exceptionally useful for removing parallax error from images taken to be stitched into a panorama. The use of filters can be handy for this type of work can be handy, from neutral density filters to allow for longer exposures example to make water appear smooth, to graduated filters to selectively darken part of an image, example make the sky darker to balance it with the ground for a more even exposure.
Methods for finding/selling work
Most often, the work presented by landscape photographers falls into one of 2 categories, work done for the personal love of landscape photography and self marketed, and work opportunities that the photographer has found by association of another job they may hold. Photographers may set up stalls at local markets, school fetes, a local cafe, create a website or even set up a gallery space somewhere to try to find work with someone, or sell work already produced. These factors are a big part of the reason why full time landscape photographers are relatively rare when compared to other fields of photography
Perhaps the most famous example of work found through association is legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams. The images of Yosemite National Park, arguably Adams most famous set of photographs, were made possible by the fact that Adams was the warden of the Sierra Club’s LeConte Memorial Lodge for many years and through this position, had the freedom to explore the area whenever he pleased. Work in this field can come from the most unexpected of places and people, so the key is to keep your ear to the ground, and never pass up an opportunity when it presents itself.
Summary of Presentation as shown in Powerpoint Presentation
Overview
Photography of spaces.
Natural or artificial.
Miniscule or massive.
Little or no human activity.
Natural environment photography the most common.
Career path
Biggest reason - love of the outdoors
Getting outdoors practicing and experimenting
Establishing a name for yourself
Assisting an established photographer
Usually have another primary income source
Eventually can become primary source
Work for organisations, conservation groups, National Parks etc
Pay Ranges
Most money earned through self promoted sales.
Prices often depend on reputation.
Range of products - from greeting cards to limited edition framed prints.
Example price ranges for prints.
Ken Duncan - $15 - $22850
Jeremy Turner - $17-$300
Nick Rains - $395 - $800
Joe Cornish - $3.50 - $1960
Typical Equipment
Camera – SLR - medium/large format – digital/film.
Filters – Graduated and neutral density.
Lenses, typically wide angle.
Tripod.
Nodal point head.
Educational Requirements
No requirement for formal photographic education.
Knowledge of equipment is a must.
Self education is very common
Keen interest, motivation and dedication are key.
Methods for finding/selling work
Most work/sales found by self promotion and marketing.
Stalls at markets, exhibitions in cafes, websites etc
Full time landscape photographers are relatively rare.
Work is often found by association.
Jeremy Turner
Canberra based landscape photographer
How long have you been into photography?
I have been doing landscape photography for 10 to 15 years.
What sparked your interest in landscape photography?
After working for quite a few years, itchy feet got the better of me and I decided to travel for a while. In Europe I rediscovered long-distance cycle touring, and this is probably the time my love affair with the outdoors and with landscape photography began.
Are there any photographers whose work you particularly admire?
I've been inspired by numerous landscape photographers, from great names such as Ansel Adams and the Westons, to Australian and New Zealand photographers such as Peter Dumbrovskis, Peter Lik, Nic Bishop, Craig Potton, Peter Jarver and Pete Dobre.
Why did you decide to live in Canberra?
I have recently moved to Canberra, in the ACT, as it lies within a short drive of some of the best coastal and inland National Parks in eastern Australia. These include Kosciuszko, Morton, Namadgi, Nadgee and Croajingolong National Parks, plus many more.
Do you have a formal education in photography or are you completely self taught?
Self taught.
Do you think that a formal education is necessary to be a successful photographer of any kind today?
No. If you have a love and a passion for what you are doing, you will increase your skills through practice and dedication.
Would you have any advice for someone trying to sell or market their own landscape photography?
Go to as many markets, fetes and festivals as you can to get your work out there.
How do you price your work?
I figure out cost of materials and factor in the time spent on shooting and production to get an average for each print. I also base costs on other landscape photographers work.
When you were still emerging as a landscape photographer, how did you find work?
I went to markets and school fetes and also set up an online gallery.
How do you find work now?
Galleries and work with other organisations such as National parks and charities. I still go to markets to sell work, and online sales.
How do you process and print your work?
My post production is very minimal, as I want to keep everything looking natural; I may just fiddle with the saturation a bit, but seeing how it prints is the best way to judge what needs to be done to an image.
I print and mount everything from home. I use a Canon IPS 6100 printer, and print on a variety of archival matte and gloss papers chosen to suit each image. I mount all of my work from home as it is more cost effective and better quality.
What would an average day for shooting a landscape involve for you?
Most of my work isn’t done on day shoots but on 3 or 4 day hikes.
What do you include in your kit?
As far as camera equipment goes, I take my Nikon D90 with 2 or 3 lenses, Cokin ND filters, and a sturdy tripod.
As I go on 3 or 4 day hikes for my shoots, I also need to bring equipment such as a tent, sleeping bag, PLB, GPS and food.
My pack normally weighs about 37kg, and my wife’s is about 20kg.
What is your favourite lens?
I mostly use my 18-35mm lens, as I find the look to be more pleasing than super wide.
Image by Jeremy Turner
Andrew Burke, Josie Cosgrove, Rhys Bell, Stephen Corey
We contacted Canberra based landscape photographer Jeremy Turner and researched several other landscape photographers, including Ken Duncan, Nick Rains, Joe Cornish and Ansel Adams.
Overview
Landscape photography is difficult to define in absolute terms, but for the most part can be looked at as the photography of spaces, be they natural or artificial, miniscule or massive. The most prevalent type of landscape photography undertaken is that of the natural environment, where the photographer most often attempts to capture a the feeling of a particular scene using natural light and with little or no human activity. Photographers such as Ken Duncan have made a name for themselves with beautiful landscape photographs that now grace the walls of homes and offices the world over.
Career path
The career path of a landscape photography is not one that follows the typical path of many other genres of photography but still shares many common traits. Photographers get into landscape photography for a variety of reasons, but the most common is a love of the outdoors. More often than not, landscape photography is not the first port of call for a photographer wishing to make a good living off of photography, as it is typically not considered a commercially sustainable field for someone who is only starting out.
Those who take the prospect of becoming a landscape photographer seriously will most likely spend large amounts of time outdoors simply practicing themselves, or perhaps even volunteering to help an established landscape photographer on their shoots to gain some practical experience. When starting out, a landscape photographer would most likely have another primary source of income from another job to support themselves while they establish a name and a presence in the photographic community for themselves.
With enough determination, luck and perserverance a landscape photographer can start generating a significant income through the sale of landscape images and perhaps garner jobs from businesses or organisations who seek landscape images for a particular purpose e.g conservation groups, National Parks etc
Pay ranges
Like most other fields of photography, the monetary value of a photographers images comes down to how well they are known and the obvious quality of their work. Long established highly reputable names like Ken Duncan can charge more for a print than less well known photographers like Canberra based photographer Jeremy Turner.
Most landscape photographers would not be on a salary or wage since they usually work for themselves. most income from this genre of photoraphy is generated through sales of images at markets, fetes etc or online.
Educational requirements
Generally speaking, becoming a successful landscape doesnt neccessarily require any formal education in photography itself. A landscape photographer can become successful by simply being motivated enough to learn the basics of how to use a camera, and going out into the wilderness and experimenting. Knowing the right equipment and how to use it is however quite important, to ensure that you can produce top quality images which will improve your reputation.
Typical equipment
The equipment of a landscape photographer is very similar to that of any other type of photographer. The basics would include a camera of some variety, be it an SLR, medium or large format, and either film or digital
A sturdy tripod is an absolute must for any serious work, and a nodal point head is exceptionally useful for removing parallax error from images taken to be stitched into a panorama. The use of filters can be handy for this type of work can be handy, from neutral density filters to allow for longer exposures example to make water appear smooth, to graduated filters to selectively darken part of an image, example make the sky darker to balance it with the ground for a more even exposure.
Methods for finding/selling work
Most often, the work presented by landscape photographers falls into one of 2 categories, work done for the personal love of landscape photography and self marketed, and work opportunities that the photographer has found by association of another job they may hold. Photographers may set up stalls at local markets, school fetes, a local cafe, create a website or even set up a gallery space somewhere to try to find work with someone, or sell work already produced. These factors are a big part of the reason why full time landscape photographers are relatively rare when compared to other fields of photography
Perhaps the most famous example of work found through association is legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams. The images of Yosemite National Park, arguably Adams most famous set of photographs, were made possible by the fact that Adams was the warden of the Sierra Club’s LeConte Memorial Lodge for many years and through this position, had the freedom to explore the area whenever he pleased. Work in this field can come from the most unexpected of places and people, so the key is to keep your ear to the ground, and never pass up an opportunity when it presents itself.
Summary of Presentation as shown in Powerpoint Presentation
Overview
Photography of spaces.
Natural or artificial.
Miniscule or massive.
Little or no human activity.
Natural environment photography the most common.
Career path
Biggest reason - love of the outdoors
Getting outdoors practicing and experimenting
Establishing a name for yourself
Assisting an established photographer
Usually have another primary income source
Eventually can become primary source
Work for organisations, conservation groups, National Parks etc
Pay Ranges
Most money earned through self promoted sales.
Prices often depend on reputation.
Range of products - from greeting cards to limited edition framed prints.
Example price ranges for prints.
Ken Duncan - $15 - $22850
Jeremy Turner - $17-$300
Nick Rains - $395 - $800
Joe Cornish - $3.50 - $1960
Typical Equipment
Camera – SLR - medium/large format – digital/film.
Filters – Graduated and neutral density.
Lenses, typically wide angle.
Tripod.
Nodal point head.
Educational Requirements
No requirement for formal photographic education.
Knowledge of equipment is a must.
Self education is very common
Keen interest, motivation and dedication are key.
Methods for finding/selling work
Most work/sales found by self promotion and marketing.
Stalls at markets, exhibitions in cafes, websites etc
Full time landscape photographers are relatively rare.
Work is often found by association.
Jeremy Turner
Canberra based landscape photographer
How long have you been into photography?
I have been doing landscape photography for 10 to 15 years.
What sparked your interest in landscape photography?
After working for quite a few years, itchy feet got the better of me and I decided to travel for a while. In Europe I rediscovered long-distance cycle touring, and this is probably the time my love affair with the outdoors and with landscape photography began.
Are there any photographers whose work you particularly admire?
I've been inspired by numerous landscape photographers, from great names such as Ansel Adams and the Westons, to Australian and New Zealand photographers such as Peter Dumbrovskis, Peter Lik, Nic Bishop, Craig Potton, Peter Jarver and Pete Dobre.
Why did you decide to live in Canberra?
I have recently moved to Canberra, in the ACT, as it lies within a short drive of some of the best coastal and inland National Parks in eastern Australia. These include Kosciuszko, Morton, Namadgi, Nadgee and Croajingolong National Parks, plus many more.
Do you have a formal education in photography or are you completely self taught?
Self taught.
Do you think that a formal education is necessary to be a successful photographer of any kind today?
No. If you have a love and a passion for what you are doing, you will increase your skills through practice and dedication.
Would you have any advice for someone trying to sell or market their own landscape photography?
Go to as many markets, fetes and festivals as you can to get your work out there.
How do you price your work?
I figure out cost of materials and factor in the time spent on shooting and production to get an average for each print. I also base costs on other landscape photographers work.
When you were still emerging as a landscape photographer, how did you find work?
I went to markets and school fetes and also set up an online gallery.
How do you find work now?
Galleries and work with other organisations such as National parks and charities. I still go to markets to sell work, and online sales.
How do you process and print your work?
My post production is very minimal, as I want to keep everything looking natural; I may just fiddle with the saturation a bit, but seeing how it prints is the best way to judge what needs to be done to an image.
I print and mount everything from home. I use a Canon IPS 6100 printer, and print on a variety of archival matte and gloss papers chosen to suit each image. I mount all of my work from home as it is more cost effective and better quality.
What would an average day for shooting a landscape involve for you?
Most of my work isn’t done on day shoots but on 3 or 4 day hikes.
What do you include in your kit?
As far as camera equipment goes, I take my Nikon D90 with 2 or 3 lenses, Cokin ND filters, and a sturdy tripod.
As I go on 3 or 4 day hikes for my shoots, I also need to bring equipment such as a tent, sleeping bag, PLB, GPS and food.
My pack normally weighs about 37kg, and my wife’s is about 20kg.
What is your favourite lens?
I mostly use my 18-35mm lens, as I find the look to be more pleasing than super wide.
- Do you have any other hints / tips for prospective landscape photographers?
- Go even if the weather is shit. If it looks cloudy in the morning go and shoot anyway, as often the weather clears up in time, or you can get great moody shots from dreary weather.
- If planning a long hike, train before you go. I take a pack and walk around Black mountain for a day.
- If doing early morning shoots, scout out the location in evening to know how to get there and get an idea for the area.
- Don’t plan your shoots to every detail, this can take out the fun of shooting as it then becomes too technical.
- If going on a hike, always take another person and a PLB (Personal Locating Beacon).
- Like the area you are selling in. I once had a stall at the Blues festival, and although I made a profit it was one of the worst stalls I had as I had no interest in the people or the music.
Image by Jeremy Turner
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Hilary Wardhaugh Photography
This week, it was Hilary's turn to talk to us about her wedding photography business.
I think of all the photographers we have talked to, Hilary is the one who has struck the best balance of workload and living. Hilary discussed basically all the elements surrounding her business, from her style of photography (using only natural light + maybe a reflector wherever possible) to appropriate workload (went from shooting every wedding she could to only about 25 or so a year), the amount of time spent on one wedding (usually a 40 hour weeks worth of work, including shooting, editing and producing albums etc) and finally costing for all these elements.
Overall a good talk and I took away some good points.
I think of all the photographers we have talked to, Hilary is the one who has struck the best balance of workload and living. Hilary discussed basically all the elements surrounding her business, from her style of photography (using only natural light + maybe a reflector wherever possible) to appropriate workload (went from shooting every wedding she could to only about 25 or so a year), the amount of time spent on one wedding (usually a 40 hour weeks worth of work, including shooting, editing and producing albums etc) and finally costing for all these elements.
Overall a good talk and I took away some good points.
Sydney Trip
Our first port of call on our Sydney trip was GM Photography. Graham Munro gave us a frank talk about the ins and outs of wedding photography. Graham has established himself as a high end wedding photographer, charging up to $20,000 for a wedding. The business also handles alot of celebrity weddings, including Guy Sebastian (Jules Egan) and Ada Nicodemou (Chris Xipolitas)
Next up was Studio Commercial in the city. We didnt get to spend too much time here, but in the time we had we got a small talk from one of the owners about the type of work they do (alot of portraiture, including corporate) and about their post production.
Our last stop was the amazing Sun Studios, the most well equipped and outfitted studio i have ever seen. We were given a tour by one of the owners and shown the post production area, the shop front (Sun Studios is one of Australias biggest Canon distributers), several of the studios that werent in use at the time, and were given a quick demo of the new Broncolor Scoro power pack, in conjunction with a para-umbrella (which must have been at least 3 metres in diameter)
After Sun, the bus left back to Canberra, but a few of us stayed behind for the night :)
Next up was Studio Commercial in the city. We didnt get to spend too much time here, but in the time we had we got a small talk from one of the owners about the type of work they do (alot of portraiture, including corporate) and about their post production.
Our last stop was the amazing Sun Studios, the most well equipped and outfitted studio i have ever seen. We were given a tour by one of the owners and shown the post production area, the shop front (Sun Studios is one of Australias biggest Canon distributers), several of the studios that werent in use at the time, and were given a quick demo of the new Broncolor Scoro power pack, in conjunction with a para-umbrella (which must have been at least 3 metres in diameter)
After Sun, the bus left back to Canberra, but a few of us stayed behind for the night :)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Geoff Comfort
Ok this talk was really not very interesting or well presented. I do not respond well to this type of attitude and felt that Geoff was treating the class like children from the start. The talk itself was another waste of time talk about pricing, move along people. I will say no more about this presentation as I damn near walked out on it.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Ben Kopilow
Our guest this week was canberra based wedding photographer Ben Kopilow. Ben also does portraits and stock photography but he is primarily a wedding photographer.
Ben discussed with us some of the reasons why he loves his job as a wedding photographer, which included
Ben discussed with us some of the reasons why he loves his job as a wedding photographer, which included
- Gets to go to parties all the time and get paid for it
- Weddings are a happy time so you are always around people having a good time
- Wedding photography encompasses a number of genres, including portraiture, architecture, fashion, landscape, food and urban
- "He's joking"
- "He'll take it back"
- "I don't deserve it"
- "Someone else will take it"
Lindi Holly Photography
The talk for this week came from one of the teachers, Lindi Holly. The talk primarily revovled around how to start your own photography business, as well as a description of her business
Points brought up include;
When it comes to costing there were a few points brought up
Points brought up include;
- Keep the business name you pick simple, more often just your name with photography on the end works best.
- Have a simple website that minimises clutter. Also use blogs, good way to get your name out there.
- Dont show/give the client everything you shoot, obviously cull it down.
When it comes to costing there were a few points brought up
- Always charge a small retainer up front to get them to commit.
- Albums are where the real money is, avoid just giving prints or negs
- Try to get them into the studio as they will be more likely to buy extras in a face to face situation
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