Portraits - Looking for Feeback

[MalmöMakem]

Cheers mate. I actually thought the grip was something different. Did you get an arm for the stand? e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pro-Photo...&ps=63&clkid=29393327133422341#ht_2865wt_1270

grip just fits on top of the stand. looks a bit like a mic stand. then has a hole for the umbrella and grip for the flash. didn't bother with the arm for now as i'll usually have someone with me to hold the reflectors but might look into that at a later date.

next purchase will be same again plus a cheap flash and possibly an umbrella that isnt just a diffuser. possible one with a detachable reflector cover as id like to get a bit more bounce out of the flash.

 

[Steeeeed]

Cheers mate

 

[ajax_andy]

grip just fits on top of the stand. looks a bit like a mic stand. then has a hole for the umbrella and grip for the flash. didn't bother with the arm for now as i'll usually have someone with me to hold the reflectors but might look into that at a later date.

next purchase will be same again plus a cheap flash and possibly an umbrella that isnt just a diffuser. possible one with a detachable reflector cover as id like to get a bit more bounce out of the flash.

Then you'll have to learn what a key light and fill light are, and how to set them up so you get the right kind of lighting... oh and also how to avoid loads of shadows on the backdrop... oh and how to remove the background and replace it with a pure white one in photoshop

That's not forgetting spending an hour before the shoot steaming a 3m x 3m muslin backdrop... so much fun to be had

That's pretty much why my studio set up never gets used unless someone is willing to pay me for it. Too much hassle but it's fun to use once you've gone through the whole setting up process.

Paper backdrops will prevent you needing to iron a massive sheet, or Vinyl is even better but very expensive. Gonna get a Vinyl one at some point but not any time soon

 

[stroga]

Would love it if some of this stuff was smaller and easier to tidy away/store as I think I'm gunna really struggle justifying any of this to the wife

 

[Steeeeed]

Then you'll have to learn what a key light and fill light are, and how to set them up so you get the right kind of lighting... oh and also how to avoid loads of shadows on the backdrop... oh and how to remove the background and replace it with a pure white one in photoshop

That's not forgetting spending an hour before the shoot steaming a 3m x 3m muslin backdrop... so much fun to be had

That's pretty much why my studio set up never gets used unless someone is willing to pay me for it. Too much hassle but it's fun to use once you've gone through the whole setting up process.

Paper backdrops will prevent you needing to iron a massive sheet, or Vinyl is even better but very expensive. Gonna get a Vinyl one at some point but not any time soon

There's a tutorial sticky at the top of the page mate. You know you want to

 

[ajax_andy]

There's a tutorial sticky at the top of the page mate. You know you want to

 

[MalmöMakem]

Then you'll have to learn what a key light and fill light are, and how to set them up so you get the right kind of lighting... oh and also how to avoid loads of shadows on the backdrop... oh and how to remove the background and replace it with a pure white one in photoshop

That's not forgetting spending an hour before the shoot steaming a 3m x 3m muslin backdrop... so much fun to be had

That's pretty much why my studio set up never gets used unless someone is willing to pay me for it. Too much hassle but it's fun to use once you've gone through the whole setting up process.

Paper backdrops will prevent you needing to iron a massive sheet, or Vinyl is even better but very expensive. Gonna get a Vinyl one at some point but not any time soon

All ready have a rough idea with the key and fill lighting. Was messing around last night and trying the flash out in different places and was def missing a good use of fill light. So going to pick up another set of flash and umbrella and stand to sort me out.

might look at picking up some set lighting as well, things like a hair light etc. But this weekend i will try it outside as well. With the flash and without and try and improve on my last ones.

moving slightly off topic. But this is basically my main and only competition for the surrounding area.

http://www.mikeralph.com/home.html

would be interested to see how you lot rate him on here.

I can already make a healthy profit in competing with his prices with regards to printing.

I worked out on average i could charge around 5% less and id still be making healthy profits from sales of prints.

 

[Jonny]

All ready have a rough idea with the key and fill lighting. Was messing around last night and trying the flash out in different places and was def missing a good use of fill light. So going to pick up another set of flash and umbrella and stand to sort me out.

might look at picking up some set lighting as well, things like a hair light etc. But this weekend i will try it outside as well. With the flash and without and try and improve on my last ones.

moving slightly off topic. But this is basically my main and only competition for the surrounding area.

http://www.mikeralph.com/home.html

would be interested to see how you lot rate him on here.

I can already make a healthy profit in competing with his prices with regards to printing.

I worked out on average i could charge around 5% less and id still be making healthy profits from sales of prints.

I don't want to get into a debate about who is better, but he is not your only competition!
He and yourself are only about an hour away from Birmingham and Manchester, who have hundreds of photographers.

 

[MalmöMakem]

I don't want to get into a debate about who is better, but he is not your only competition!
He and yourself are only about an hour away from Birmingham and Manchester, who have hundreds of photographers.

no of course. but he's my direct competition for this small area, which is where i'll be starting.

Once I get going it'll be then a case of branching out to places further afield. We are closer to the welsh and cheshire border than brum so will be looking more to north wales and north west. but thats getting a while down the line.

def a hole in the market with the immediate area. Even Shrewsbury has a lack of photographers, which i found surprising.

 

[ajax_andy]

Difficult to say because the only pictures I've really seen of yours are light tests, but your portfolio will determine if you can compete with x photographer.

Do I rate that guy? Not particularly tbh.

However before you start thinking too much about competeing with other people you will need to consider if you own equipment to a high enough standard to start marketing yourself as a professional. For instance do you have 2 professional camera's you can take with you to a wedding just in case one breaks? What would you do if say your camera packs in half way through? Could you continue?

For a wedding I would take as standard (and I still need more stuff really):

Canon 7D
Canon 40D
2 x Nissin di866 mark ii flash guns
Canon 50mm prime
Tamron 17-50mm zoom
5 x camera batteries (that there alone is £250 for all 5)
A dual strap so I can wear both camera's at the same time with different lenses

Plus a variety of ohter bits n bobs.

You can look at is making money over this other guy by charging less... but do you have 5k to throw at it to start up?

Plus your photos will need to be of a very high standard.

Lots to consider before going in and marketing yourself as a pro.

Not saying you can't do this... just letting you know the things I've learnt (the hard way lol) in the last year

 

[sketchy]

Buy cheap batteries off ebay, I have them as extra and they are no worse than official Canon ones

 

[ajax_andy]

Buy cheap batteries off ebay, I have them as extra and they are no worse than official Canon ones

Offering a professional service requires you having professional equipment and not some cheap version that may or may not hold its charge.

I'd much rather have a battery I know I can get 1000 shots out of no problem (and a couple of bakcups the same just in case), then take a chance of the bride being halfway down the aisle and the battery die without warning.

If people are willing to pay me hundreds of pounds to shoot the most important day of their lives then I'm not going to be looking at saving £40 on a battery just because it's cheaper to buy a non official one.

Also then there's the stories about these dodgy batteries breaking cameras that cost £1000+ but yeah apart from all those reasons cheap batteries are just fine :roll:

 

[sketchy]

Offering a professional service requires you having professional equipment and not some cheap version that may or may not hold its charge.

I'd much rather have a battery I know I can get 1000 shots out of no problem (and a couple of bakcups the same just in case), then take a chance of the bride being halfway down the aisle and the battery die without warning.

If people are willing to pay me hundreds of pounds to shoot the most important day of their lives then I'm not going to be looking at saving £40 on a battery just because it's cheaper to buy a non official one.

Also then there's the stories about these dodgy batteries breaking cameras that cost £1000+ but yeah apart from all those reasons cheap batteries are just fine :roll:

That is why I test them before I go to a paid job. I have been running them since November, have had no problems and they have the same battery life as the Canon ones. The day they stop holding their charge then yeah it is time to move on.

Not all equipment has to be by the main manufacturer to offer a professional service, I use a cheap intervololmeter which I got for 20 quid works exactly the same as the Canon equivalent which is over 100,

 

[ayesane]

Offering a professional service requires you having professional equipment and not some cheap version that may or may not hold its charge.

I'd much rather have a battery I know I can get 1000 shots out of no problem (and a couple of bakcups the same just in case), then take a chance of the bride being halfway down the aisle and the battery die without warning.

If people are willing to pay me hundreds of pounds to shoot the most important day of their lives then I'm not going to be looking at saving £40 on a battery just because it's cheaper to buy a non official one.

Also then there's the stories about these dodgy batteries breaking cameras that cost £1000+ but yeah apart from all those reasons cheap batteries are just fine :roll:

Ok to use cheap flashes though but

 

[ajax_andy]

Ok to use cheap flashes though but

Not really... Both my flashes cost £175 each

 

[ayesane]

Not really... Both my flashes cost £175 each

So it's just the camera battery which you cannot use the cheap version, for fear of not being professional enough.. BTW I have 2 canon original batteries and 2 fake £15 ones.. I know which are the Canon originals mind but the fake ones have never let me down.

Incidentally, why didn't you just pay the extra £35 per-flash and get the proper Canon kit?

 

[MalmöMakem]

Difficult to say because the only pictures I've really seen of yours are light tests, but your portfolio will determine if you can compete with x photographer.

Do I rate that guy? Not particularly tbh.

However before you start thinking too much about competeing with other people you will need to consider if you own equipment to a high enough standard to start marketing yourself as a professional. For instance do you have 2 professional camera's you can take with you to a wedding just in case one breaks? What would you do if say your camera packs in half way through? Could you continue?

For a wedding I would take as standard (and I still need more stuff really):

Canon 7D
Canon 40D
2 x Nissin di866 mark ii flash guns
Canon 50mm prime
Tamron 17-50mm zoom
5 x camera batteries (that there alone is £250 for all 5)
A dual strap so I can wear both camera's at the same time with different lenses

Plus a variety of ohter bits n bobs.

You can look at is making money over this other guy by charging less... but do you have 5k to throw at it to start up?

Plus your photos will need to be of a very high standard.

Lots to consider before going in and marketing yourself as a pro.

Not saying you can't do this... just letting you know the things I've learnt (the hard way lol) in the last year

Some good advice there. I know I'm right at the start and it's going to be until end of this year before I have all the equipment to do major jobs, or even start to think.

Good thing about this though is it gives me plenty of time to get the practice in
and iron out any issues and get extra advice where needed.

With regards to the posting of that other photographer, it was so much a case of "am i better?" was merely just to see what people thought as in my opinion the work that gets posted on here by others is much much better and for what he charges I don't think he's value for money.

But then thats how he's making his money in this catchment area. Lack of photographers to choose from and he can charge that little bit more. Im really looking forward to working hard and just taking it from a serious hobby into a bit of money making to start with then hopefully go it alone.

Oh, also. I have another press pass to another TNS game that's against Leeds United next month plus the home champions league game against whoever that ma be.

Annnnnd three trips to Edinburgh, London and Berlin pencilled in for first two weeks of July.

 

[ajax_andy]

So it's just the camera battery which you cannot use the cheap version, for fear of not being professional enough.. BTW I have 2 canon original batteries and 2 fake £15 ones.. I know which are the Canon originals mind but the fake ones have never let me down.

Incidentally, why didn't you just pay the extra £35 per-flash and get the proper Canon kit?

I just don't see the point in taking the risk tbh... plenty of stories of cheaper batteries failing or even frying cameras. If I'm paying £1000+ for a camera then I'm not going to quibble over £30 - £40 on the price of a battery.

Why didn't I spend the extra £35 per flash? Because that wouldn't have got me a comparable Canon flash... the Nissin Di866 mark ii is a top end flash gun, much better than canon flash 430ex ii and on par with the power of the 580ex ii

You should do some research on the Nissin as it's a fantastic piece of kit.

I think the comparison you are trying to make between a cheap knock off battery from eBay to a Canon one, and me buying a Nissin instead of Canon flash quite dubious tbh. Nissin are a very reputable brand... same with my zoom lens which is Tamron not Canon. I can have faith that they wont let me down, and wont damage my camera... it's not a similar situation to buying cheap batteries from eBay.

Each to their own but personally I think anyone shooting weddings with cheap eBay batteries is asking for trouble

Some good advice there. I know I'm right at the start and it's going to be until end of this year before I have all the equipment to do major jobs, or even start to think.

Good thing about this though is it gives me plenty of time to get the practice in
and iron out any issues and get extra advice where needed.

With regards to the posting of that other photographer, it was so much a case of "am i better?" was merely just to see what people thought as in my opinion the work that gets posted on here by others is much much better and for what he charges I don't think he's value for money.

But then thats how he's making his money in this catchment area. Lack of photographers to choose from and he can charge that little bit more. Im really looking forward to working hard and just taking it from a serious hobby into a bit of money making to start with then hopefully go it alone.

Oh, also. I have another press pass to another TNS game that's against Leeds United next month plus the home champions league game against whoever that ma be.

Annnnnd three trips to Edinburgh, London and Berlin pencilled in for first two weeks of July.

Good luck mate... it's a fast and hard learning curve and soon ends up becoming just as much about business (probably more) than it does about taking photos.

Last couple of weeks I've spent hours teaching myself SEO to try and get my site to show up in google... nothing to do with photography but has to be done. Then there's the client meetings, the hours and hours editing pics, then writing you blog, updating the pics on your site etc etc.

I love it mind, but not everyone would.

First things first though - get yourself a website, as no-one will hire a photographer without one.

 

[ayesane]

I just don't see the point in taking the risk tbh... plenty of stories of cheaper batteries failing or even frying cameras. If I'm paying £1000+ for a camera then I'm not going to quibble over £30 - £40 on the price of a battery.

Why didn't I spend the extra £35 per flash? Because that wouldn't have got me a comparable Canon flash... the Nissin Di866 mark ii is a top end flash gun, much better than canon flash 430ex ii and on par with the power of the 580ex ii

You should do some research on the Nissin as it's a fantastic piece of kit.

I think the comparison you are trying to make between a cheap knock off battery from eBay to a Canon one, and me buying a Nissin instead of Canon flash quite dubious tbh. Nissin are a very reputable brand... same with my zoom lens which is Tamron not Canon. I can have faith that they wont let me down, and wont damage my camera... it's not a similar situation to buying cheap batteries from eBay.

Each to their own but personally I think anyone shooting weddings with cheap eBay batteries is asking for trouble

calm down marra, it was you who made the sweeping statement about professionalism.. if it's just about batteries then fair enough. As you say Tamron zooms are class, I have one my self: nothing unprofessional about using them, in fact I would recommend it to anyone looking for a zoom.

I opted for the 430 EX II for the E-TTL, low failure rate and because it's Canon quality build, tis silent aswell iirc. I've got a 7d also so don't really need the super-duper master flash units.

I'm new at this though marra, and appreciate what you're doing here with your advice and what not.

 

[ajax_andy]

calm down marra, it was you who made the sweeping statement about professionalism.. if it's just about batteries then fair enough. As you say Tamron zooms are class, I have one my self: nothing unprofessional about using them, in fact I would recommend it to anyone looking for a zoom.

I opted for the 430 EX II for the E-TTL, low failure rate and because it's Canon quality build, tis silent aswell iirc. I've got a 7d also so don't really need the super-duper master flash units.

I'm new at this though marra, and appreciate what you're doing here with your advice and what not.

Aye no worries man... I'll get off me high horse