Typically photographers will announce what they are doing, and we are no exception. However, I thought it would be a good idea to say what we won’t be doing this year as well – just for clarity.
Fusion. We won’t be doing Fusion. I know most of you are staring at the screen with a confused look – but Fusion is the name given to the latest wedding photography craze of combining video and stills photography. So what you say – if I want video (and most of our clients don’t – at least don’t want a professional video) I’ll get someone to do that – I want you to concentrate on doing what you know, are skilled at and what you are being paid for – capturing moments, telling the story in a series of compelling images, organising the formals quickly and getting relaxed happy groups of family and friends and then presenting that to us in a beautiful album we can show people on their laps and take the time to reflect at our own pace, that will last for our lifetimes and become an heirloom for our kids. We couldn’t agree more.
A couple of the camera manufacturers have enabled video capture in their cameras, and so theoretically you can do both in the same kit. But not quite. You have to stop and start to switch between the two, and the video mode really requires you to be on a tripod which restricts you photographing the stills, and if you don’t then it’ll be shakier than Uncle Bobs home video after more than a couple of beers.
Add that to the fact that taking good photographs and taking good video are two completely separate skills, require you to typically be in different places, and move around in different ways and you can see that offering both, particularly while the technology is new and most wedding photographers have no experience in shooting video, could well result in you getting poor video and compromised stills photography coverage. We have no wish to offer you anything other than the best stills photography we are capable of, and concentrating on your day – not a new piece of kit – for the sake of 20 seconds of video in your DVD slideshow of images.
Boudoir. Yes you guessed it – we won’t be doing boudoir our of our Hampshire studio either. I personally have nothing against well photographed, subtle boudoir photography. Actually as a gift to your man I think it can be an excellent idea and it certainly is returning as a fashionable portrait style. However, we do photograph a lot of children, and babies and a lot of families and they are an important component of our business. Like Fusion I believe it is important to focus on your strengths and not try to adopt every new idea that comes out (usually from US photographer forums) and our strengths lie in young families – particularly as we have small children ourselves.
In 2009 we will be improving the quality of the work we already do, and concentrating on delivering wonderful images to our clients and the people they refer to us.
I’ll never say never – but in 2010 I suspect we will be doing the same.
by Mike French
no comments