The Decisive Moment

I’ve been a semi-professional photographer for some time now and without blowing my own trumpet too much, I think I could be described as a decent photographer who occasionally achieves exceptional results. Without being too self deprecating, I believe the occasionally exceptional results have come about more through luck than judgement. This is something I would like to change.
Generally speaking I would have to say that the development of my photographic skills has been pretty steady. I have seen improvement from one shoot to the next and every now and again I have had a Eureka moment where my skills seem to take a massive leap upwards. Recently however this development seems to have stopped. My photography skills seem to have reached a plateau. I’ve reached a certain level of attainment that I just can’t seem to improve upon. This isn’t to say I’ve mastered the art, far from it. It’s just that I’ve reached a level that I don’t think I can improve upon without some help.

I think this has come about because I’m self taught. I’ve learnt through experimentation, reading books and magazines, researching on the internet and seeking advice from other photographers. At no point have I had any structured tuition. It’s true that many photographers have learnt this way and they’re doing just fine but I think that somehow I’ve just managed to miss out some of the essentials. I feel I’m lacking a solid foundation in the basic principals of photography and it’s this that has caused a stunting of my development.

I’ve decided to do something about it. I’ve signed up to do an AS level in photography at the local college. With a bit of luck I hope this will fill in the gaps and get me back on track again.

I’m going to attempt to chronicle each of my lessons / lectures (I wonder what they call them nowadays?) here on The Decisive Moment. Hopefully they’ll be good reading.

Have any of you experienced reaching a plateau? If so how did you get yourself going again?

If you don’t already know, there is an excellent comic strip just for us photographers. It’s called “What the Duck” by Aaron Johnson and I read it every day. Occasionally some of the humour requires a little bit more knowledge of the USA than I have, but generally it raises a smile at the start of each working day.

Go visit the WTD site and subscribe to the RSS feed and brighten your day a little.

…that doesn’t look like me at all!

Most people (in my world, at least) don’t seem to like having their picture taken. There is often a real sense of embarrassment when you show them the photos for the first time and many sitters will remark that the pictures do not look like them, even though you are really pleased with the result.

The reason for this is very simple. We are used to seeing our own face everyday, but in reverse. What we think we look like is largely based on the image we see in the mirror.

In the “olden days”, when I sensed my subject was having this issue when I showed the prints, or even the Polaroid proof during the shoot, I would simply get a mirror and make them look at the picture reflected. This always solved the problem.

If there was a picture from the final set that I particularly liked and wanted to get a good reaction from, I would print an additional copy after reversing the negative in the enlarger. This mirrored image is the one I would show the sitter first and it never failed.

Of course, now we have digital photography, reversing the image couldn’t be simpler, so give it a try.

Last week Gaz wrote a smashing article about wedding photography. This got me thinking about when I first started photographing weddings and the difficulties I had (and sometimes still have). It turns out that the things that make Gaz hesitant are the very same things that have made me into a decent wedding photographer.

At this point I probably aught to admit that the title of this post is a little misleading. I don’t really think you can remove the stress from wedding photography completely. For that matter I don’t think you can for any paid for photography. At the end of the day your fee and (more importantly) your reputation depend on the quality of the photos you produce. I do believe however that you can significantly reduce the stress involved and that any competent photographer can successfully photograph a wedding providing they are prepared and stay relaxed.

So without further ado here are my top 5 tips for almost stress-free wedding photography:

Tip 1: Remove the worry of kit failure before the wedding

This is every photographer’s worst nightmare. You go to take a shot and your kit fails. Even a dead battery can seem like the end of the world when you’re depending on it. A few days before the wedding check that all your kit is working properly. Make sure that you leave enough time to get to a photography shop just in case. The night before give it all one more check making sure you don’t have any weird creative settings active and that any batteries you need are fully charged. Pack spare batteries in your camera case and if you’re using memory cards make sure they are formatted and ready to go.

Tip 2: Make a list of the “must have” shots

Make sure you sit down with the bride and groom well before the wedding and make a list of the shots they want. If you can, write them down in the order you plan to take them. This will save you a lot of umming and ahhing on the day. It’s easy to forget / not think about doing this if it’s your first time and you’re doing a friend a favour but trust me this preparation massively reduces the stress on the day. If you can commit the list to memory do but make sure you have a copy with you on the day.

Tip 3: Remember you’re in charge

At the end of the day you are there to do a job and it is down to you to make sure that each of the photos on your list gets taken. You’ll be surprised how willing the guests are to follow your direction just so long as you’re firm and direct. If there is a lot of chatter don’t be afraid to raise your voice to be heard. As long as you’re polite you’ll find the guests will be very responsive.

Tip 4: Don’t take too many shots

The pressure can become a little overwhelming sometimes and it is very easy to fall into the old trap of clicking away to make sure you get the shot. Trust in your ability and, if you’re using digital, review as you go. As soon as you have the shot move on. The last thing you need when you get home is 10 slightly different versions of the every photo.

Tip 5: Take a deep breath

This sounds silly but you wouldn’t believe how helpful it is. I don’t think it matters how many weddings you photograph there is always that flutter inside when you step up to take the first few photos of the day. Take a deep breath, let it out slowly and you’ll be amazed at how much more steady you’ll feel.

Final Thought

A wedding is a happy occasion and the happy couple have put their trust in you to take their photos. They wouldn’t have if they didn’t believe you were up to the job so remember to believe in yourself. You are a good photographer and all you’re doing is taking pictures of people enjoying themselves. For that matter you should enjoy yourself too. You’re doing something you love for people who are probably paying you to do it. Does it get any better than that? If you relax and have fun you’ll see it in the pictures afterwards. The best photos are usually the ones where the photographer is smiling.

If you have any tips and tricks that you’d like to share let us know.

One of my work colleagues asked me about my photography recently - what I do, how long I’ve been doing it, what subjects I like (or don’t like) and so on. The answers run something like this: mostly I photograph people, I’ve been doing it for almost 30 years and I love it all. Except wedding photography.

Actually, that’s a lie. I am fascinated, intrigued and almost obsessed by the subject. So, why in 30 years have I photographed precisely zero weddings? Because even the mere thought of it terrifies me, that’s why. I have been asked to do it a number of times and have always run a mile. Originally the issue was a mixture of my lack of confidence with ordering groups of strangers about, combined with the fear of processing the film to find I didn’t have the shots.

But these days I am older and have had to take control of many people in front of my camera and surely digital has completely removed the question of not getting the shot? I know I can take good portraits of people on a one-to-one basis - I’m paid to do it on a regular basis. What makes the wedding scenario different? Well, for one thing, with the obvious exception of the bride, the photographer may just be the most closely watched person attending. For another, the wedding day is unrepeatable; screw up and there is no second chance.

Mainly, I think my issue is with expectation. When I’m shooting portraits I’m trying to capture the subject the way they (or the person paying the bill) sees themselves. With a wedding the expectation is much higher. The bride doesn’t want photos where she looks the way her friends and family sees her, she wants to look like she has never looked before. You are capturing the fairy tale and failure is inconceivable.

Does this mean I have doubts about my abilities? Maybe I do.

Perhaps it is time to face the demons and take up this final challenge. Or maybe I need therapy to deal with my issues!