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How you dress on your family photoshoot can have a massive impact on the the look and feel of the images, but choosing the right outfits doesn't need to be stressful or complicated.
Below are some simple tips for making sure you look awesome in your family photo shoot...
Read MoreWhen I introduce myself as a family photographer, a lot of people tell me that they would love some up-to-date images of their family but are too concerned about what to wear, not knowing how to pose, or getting their children to act like angels for 90 minutes to actually book a session. So, in this blog post I have listed 5 of the most common family photography fears and how I can help you to overcome these. I hope that by the time your have read this post, you will be itching to book a photo shoot and get those long-awaiting new family images up on your wall.
Read MorePart 3 of a series of blog posts exploring what essential pieces of kit I keep in my bag and how each item helps to make you look great in your photos.
We've looked at the camera, we've looked at the lenses and this week we're looking at two small but crucial contents of my camera bag - memory cards and batteries.
Memory Cards
A little worn on the outside but made of high quality components and ultra-reliable.
The memory cards that I use are known as Compact Flash Cards. I use two makes; SanDisk and Lexar. Both makes are high-quality professional memory cards that are known for durability and speed. They are shock and vibration resistant and can cope in both hot and cold temperature extremes. They allow me to shoot lots of fast moving objects in quick successful when needed without freezing-up the camera or missing the shot.
Memory cards come in a range of storage sizes – during a shoot I use several 8GB or 16GB cards instead of a single card with larger storage capabilities so that in the unlikely event of the card becoming damaged, not all of the images are lost.
What this means for you
Having a range of high quality memory cards with me on all shoots means that we can take time for you to relax in front of the camera and try lots of different poses without worrying about running out of memory. They also enable me to capture even the most fleeting of moments as they are quick to store each image and be ready for the next shot.
My memory cards are so speedy every precious moment is captured for you to enjoy time and time again.
Batteries
Just a couple of my long-lasting and rechargeable batteries.
My camera batteries are long-lasting but also fully rechargeable. Rarely – if ever - have I needed to change a dead battery mid-way through a shoot. Should this be necessary I always carry at least 3 other spare batteries on me at all times. I also carry one of my battery chargers with me just in case.
Like the memory cards, the batteries perform just as well in extreme temperatures and are reliable in all conditions and environments – including when shooting in continuous mode for action shots.
What this means for you
Whether your wedding is a summer scorcher or set in a winter wonderland, my camera's batteries will perform perfectly and won't restrict the length of our shoot or my coverage of your big day. Indoors, outdoors, summer or winter - it will be us who are worn out long before my camera's batteries!
My camera's batteries will last until the very last moments of a wedding...will you?
Hopefully you now understand a little bit more about what my memory cards and batteries do and how they provide peace of mind during a shoot. You can be assured that we have every eventuality covered on a shoot - be that a family portrait session or a wedding. For even more reassurance, look out for my next post in the series - all about my back-up camera.
If you now feel that your memories are in safe hands with me and would like to contact me to book a family shoot or wedding coverage please do get in touch. I really would love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading - have a great week.
Ross
info@rosswillsherphotography.co.uk
www.rosswillsherphotography.co.uk
07590 520539
Part 1 of a series of blog posts exploring what essential pieces of kit I keep in my bag and how each item helps to make you look great in your photos.
Over the next few weeks I'm going to be blogging about the essential items I carry in my photography kit bag and how they help me to get great shots of you and your loved ones. For part one I thought it best to start with the most obvious piece of kit - my main camera body - the Canon 5D Mark ii.
My Canon Eos 5D Mark ii - a little worn on the surface but always works a treat!
Here are 5 features of the 5D Mark ii that help you look awesome in photos.
1. The Full-frame Sensor
A camera's sensor size ultimately determines how much light is captured within each image. The larger the sensor, the more light that is captured in each shot. The 5D Mark ii is fantastic for shooting in low light situations due to it's full-frame sensor. The large sensor also helps to capture the tiniest details in highlights and shadows as well as a broad spectrum of colours and tones.
A quick shot of where the camera's sensor is located. This is always safely covered up when not in use to protect from dust and damage.
What this means for you.
Are you getting married in a beautiful yet dark old church? Have the moody and drab clouds arrived just in time for your family photo shoot? There's absolutely no need to panic; my trusty 5D Mark ii enables me to capture beautifully sharp and high quality images in a range of far-from-ideal lighting situations without huge amounts of grain and "noise" ruining the shot.
Taken on a cloudy afternoon in a dark wood but the 5D ii still gets high quality images.
2. Long Battery Life
Whilst I use fully rechargeable batteries (more on these in a future blog) and always carry spares on my shoots, I have rarely - if ever - needed to replace the battery midway through a shoot. The 5D Mark ii will take 1000 to 1500 shots before the battery needs replacing so I can shoot without fear of having to stop just when we're getting into our photographic groove!
The canon 5D mark ii is extremely good for battery life and helps me to never miss a shot.
What this means for you.
Remember that cute expression your children just pulled when looking at each other? Want every moment of your wedding captured from bridal prep through to the first dance? Knowing my camera has a long battery life means that I can catch fleeting moments without fear of missing a single second to stop and change the battery. It also means that we only have to stop our photography shoot when we decide it's time to go home and not when the camera says "Enough!"
A long battery life means I never have to pause and miss a single moment of your special occasion.
3. Total control over every setting.
This camera lets me take full control of every aspect of each photograph - from exposure (brightness) to how much is in focus, the image's colour balance and whether to freeze or to blur motion.
Sooo many settings to manipulate to take creative shots of you and your family.
What this means for you.
Have you tried to take dreamy back-lit images of your loved ones only for them to turn into silhouettes? Are your children so full of beans that every photo you take of them is blurry? I can quickly adjust my settings for creative effect to ensure you look your best in all lighting situations and enable you to have pin sharp images of even the most energetic child.
The ability to control every setting means that my camera can't be fooled when shooting beautiful backlit portraits.
4. Interchangeable lenses
The Canon 5D - like most DSLRs - allows me to fit and use a range of lenses according to the photograph I am taking. I will talk in a future post about what each individual lens does for me (and you). Having a camera body that fits so many top-range lenses means that I can creatively shoot from a range of distances and angles - from close-up shots of the exchanging of rings to wide angle-shots of your favourite woodland walk.
Here are two of the three lenses I carry in my kit bag - the third one being used to take this image!
What this means for you.
Camera-shy children can be pretty intimidated by a stranger with a huge lens looking at them which could naturally lead to anxiety. I often start a shoot with a small 50mm lens which looks far less scary before working up to the bigger lenses. However, these larger lenses also enable me to stand further back from the action and let children play and interact naturally so as to capture some gorgeous candid moments. During your wedding ceremony I have the option of showing both detailed close-ups of the exchanging of rings and wider shots of the wedding venue. Having the option to switch lenses and the ability to know when best to do so helps to produce a large variety of shots during your special occasion or family shoot.
A wide-angle shot of the wedding ceremony helps to set the scene before moving in for close-up shots.
5. Custom Functions
The Canon 5D Mark ii enables me to personalise which button controls each function. For example I use a button on the back of the camera to control focussing instead of pressing down the shutter. This means that I can work in a way that suits me best and quickly make adjustments without having to stop and look at the camera body itself.
Assigning specific camera functions to specific controls on the camera body helps me to work quickly and react to changing circumstances.
What this means for you.
Knowing these controls so well means I can focus my attention on you. I can check that you and your loved ones are feeling relaxed and happy with how the day or shoot is going. I can help to guide your posing and answer any concerns that you may have. It also means that we have more time to try lots of different shots and you won't be stood around feeling like a gooseberry as I mess around with my camera!
Using "Custom Functions" gives me more time to direct you and make sure I capture the story of your relationship.
So there you go - five ways in which my camera body helps you to look good and relax during a photoshoot with me. To see some of the work created with this camera please take a little look at my website or get in touch if you would like my camera and I to create some magical images of you and your loved ones. I shoot both weddings and family portraits and love meeting new people so please don't be shy.
In my next post I'll be talking more specifically about my lenses and how each one makes you look your best. In the meantime, I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions for future posts.
Have a great week.
Ross
info@rosswillsherphotography.co.uk
www.rosswillsherphotography.co.uk
07590 520539