Wednesday 23 January 2008

Family photographs


One of the most inspirational speakers at the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers conference in Hammersmith last weekend was the hugely talented Australian photographer David A Williams.

He took us through an emotional tour of his own family photographs, going back to the 60's. The most important question he asked was, 'Do you have enough family photographs?' He then showed us his own personal archive, featuring those where there was a clear emotional connection between parent and child.
There weren't nearly enough, and of course, the parent taking the photographs was rarely on record. What a disappointment for a child revisiting his/her childhood in later years, desirous of that loving evidence of human attachment.

The message was that we should all take more family photographs. Record the daily quotidien, however mundane it may seem at the time. That picture of a well loved toy will be a treasure to your child in 20/30 years. As will that loving arm around a shoulder, or a parent cuddling a toddler.

We should all take more family photographs and we photographers should offer this service to our couples. And why don't we? Pressure of time, maybe. Or it needs to be a grand occasion. And perhaps it seems expensive to pay a professional photographer to capture the moment.

Thank you, David A. Williams http://swpp.co.uk/members/goto/rd.cgi?redir=http://www.davidwilliams-heartworks.com

Saturday 19 January 2008

January is a busy time for us

Our weddings start again with a bang next Friday and we've been able to make the most of the post New Year break to prepare for the season ahead.

Firstly, we've invested over £6k in new camera bodies. It's important to keep up with the latest technology and Nikon have great products. It's also reassuring to have top quality back up bodies in our bags.

And then there's the very important Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers convention at Hammersmith. Spread over a long weekend, it's a fantastic opportunity to be inspired by photographers who've flown in from all over the world . There's a tempting trade show where the leading suppliers display the latest prints, gizmos and albums. We'll have lots of up to date ideas as we start shooting weddings again next week.