5 event photography tips to take Candids at your next event

Nowadays candid style of photography is being popular. Besides, taking the candid shots in an event can be tricky and are quite different ballgame than other types of photography because bringing a camera into a scene automatically changes people’s behaviours. So it becomes hard to get good, honest, candid moments. The challenges that come with the event photography whether that means capturing a night party, a wedding, a musical party or a conference can be challenging. Below are the 5 event photography tips to help a photographer improve their candid photography.

Look for the moment

Event photography is all about capturing the moment. This is the time you will find people are laughing, enjoying and engaging each other. Capturing these moments is what makes for the great photos that everyone loves to see it. For special moments in events, you will need to be prepared well in advance and have everything set up so you don’t miss the shot. Also, try to look for the individual moment in a sea of faces. Find the people who look animated and zoom in for close-ups. And don’t forget to shot the wide variety of people and setups. 

A moment to be captured

Be quick

While taking any kind of shots timing is everything and it’s very important to be quick. The candid shots of people will only work if they don’t notice you pointing the lens at them. This is especially true in environments where people are aware that there’s someone taking photos. So, you need to be quick while taking candid shots. And try not to worry if you miss the shot, just move on and try to capture it later. Another good tip is to use live view on your camera if possible which lifts the shutter up before the photo is taken, reducing the sound of the exposure.

Use a long lens

The best way to take candid shots without making people feel self-conscious is by using long or zoom lens. It helps to keep a good distance from your subject, making it so that they don’t even realise you are taking a photo. You will capture shots as if you are right next to them. The next benefit of using a long lens is it throws the background out of focus making your subject target.

Long Lens

Avoid flash

Don’t kill the relaxed mood and joyful moment with the bright and startling flash. Using a flash can unflattering shadows and emphasise paler skin tones giving visitors a washed out, pale appearance. Besides, if everyone is watching for flash then they are not giving you many opportunities for the candid image. If you are aiming for candid shots try to photograph without the flash. You can also increase your ISO setting or widen aperture. By doing this you will be able to take well exposed photos in low light conditions. You can achieve a shallow depth of field and focus more precisely on your subject rather than on its surroundings.

Keep moving and use burst mode

A scene or facial expressions can change in the blink of the eye. The most effective way to get the finest photo is by shooting in a continuous high mode known as burst mode. By using continuous mode or shooting in bursts increase your chance of getting the perfect shots as well as some amasing shots along the way. If you think something great or worthy is about to happen, use burst mode to ensure you capture the best moment. You are the one who has to move to get the angle you want. So, do whatever you need to do, try different angles and prospective, zoom in or take a wide for your best candid shots.

For more ideas and tips to take candid shots for your next event, Louise Bagger Photography will help you decide what makes powerful candid. 

How to take better Christmas Card photos

Do you send photo Christmas cards out each year and want to take better ones this year. Well, Christmas is a popular time of the year for sending and receiving greeting cards some with photos of your friends and family. For holiday cards everybody wants a current photo to be used.
Here are some tips on how to take better Christmas card photos.

Plan ahead :

Plan your shots long before you gather the family together. List the details about the kind of pictures you want to shoot. Put some thought into what you will wear, whether you want to use props or not, where the shots will be taken and what poses you will use. Make a list of poses you would like to take.

Coordinate but don't match :

Coordinate outfits but don't match it. Focus on coordinating a color palette or picking a specific clothing style. Take into consideration  the  background colour that you want to use. For example, don't wear blue if you are taking the shots outdoors with a blue sky as your background.

Christmas Family Photoshoot

Take plenty of shots :

Take as many shots as possible to get the ideal Christmas card photo. Zoom in and take close-ups and zoom out for panoramic shots. Try shooting from different angles for different looks and use different lenses if you have them. The more pictures you take, the more choices you will have when picking the perfect picture. That means shoot till you drop!

Choose a location :

Choose and set up your location. If your option is to have your family pictures taken by the fireplace, make  look festive. If taking macro shots of your festive decorations prepare the area. Take a series of candid shots of your children doing activities, such as decorating the tree, building a snowman or baking cookies. Pay attention to the background especially if it is a Christmas theme.

Kid christmas holiday

Pay attention to lighting :

When technical aspects come into play, use natural light if you are taking pictures outdoors. Pay close attention to odd shadows and streaks of light that can filter through trees or buildings. The best time for outdoor photos with minimal shade is one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset. For indoor home lighting plan to use your flash or bounce the flash for a more diffused lighting affect. Avoid direct sunlight coming  through the window. Make adjustments using your shutter speed so you can capture that ideal and dramatic Christmas photo.

Use a Christmas ornament :

Christmas tree ornaments can be an unexpected way to illustrate the magic of the season. Take several shots of the family grouped together in front of a reflective bulb. Before you take the photo, pay attention to any distractions behind your subjects. 

Christmas Ornament

Play around :

Once you are ready to take photos, don't be restricted with a single frame in mind. Whether you are using your phone's camera or a DSLR camera, its essential to become familiar with your camera's settings. Use as much natural light as possible. Experiment with shutter speeds, aperture settings and ISO levels. When taking photos of a large group of people adjust your focus so everyone comes out clear.

Choosing your Christmas cards :

The choice of Christmas cards will depend on your budget and how many people you intend to send a card to. As a general rule when sending cards, start with your immediate family, then close friends and nearer relatives, then not so close friends, business associates and clients, then acquaintances or anyone else you know.  Its advisable to use a good quality photo for your Christmas card.

Christmas Cards

For more ideas and information, please call  Louise Bagger Photography on 0412 055 668 or by mailing at louise@louisebagger.com.au.

Top 10 Things a photographer considers to be a mistake in their profession

Many photographers at some point of their journeys have considered or decided to make their passion a career. They have decided to become a professional photographer. And it seems that many photographers go through a certain cycle of mistakes and errors during their photography journeys. Even so, it's important to realise that most accomplished professional photographers make mistakes. Some of them are so common and widespread that they don't even realise they are making them.

Here are 10 things a photographer considers to be a mistake in their profession.

1. Afraid to experiment

Professionals worry and are afraid that, they will waste a golden opportunity to photograph something they have always wanted to shoot by taking a risk. Listen to your heart, especially when it's telling you to give something exciting a try.

2. Copying others

Develop your own style and perfect it. And your style and skills are what potential clients will hire you for. Why don't you offer a unique and fresh style and set yourself apart from the rest of the pack?

3. Overestimate skills

Be confident in your skills and feel that you are ready to work with any clients. Take time to prepare and be ready of how to pose, direct and manage paying customers in the type of photography you choose to specialise. Go at your own pace and don't jump right into the professional photography without being ready.

4. Not learning business aspect of photography

Take your time to learn and practice how to budget, how to track and calculate your expenses and profit. Only knowing how to take amazing photographs doesn't mean you will be profitable, you also need to learn how to sustain your business. 

5. Improper pricing structure

Set up sound pricing from the very beginning instead of lowering the price and later hoping to raise the price. When many new entrants enter into the professional photography, they try to undercut everyone to get more clients and then hope to raise their prices later. It sounds logical but you will get the clients who are bottom fishing for the cheapest photographer and not for the image quality or style you offer. And later when you decide to raise the price, all of these clients and their referrals would swing to the next photographer who currently offers the lowest prices. As well you will not appeal to the clients who perceive price as quality and they will not consider you.

6. Weak Portfolio

It is important to build a strong portfolio with quality and well crafted images. Photography portfolio is the best sales force you would ever have. Your photography portfolio is the first thing your client will ask to see and it is the showcase of your past work, skills, and style. So, consider time for photos assignments, discounted services for building your portfolio etc. 

7. Fear to make mistakes and upgrade skills

You will not be the perfect photographer from first day but if you continue to do what you decided to do, you will surely be. You will grow overtime and your skills and images will improve, so accept it. Make your learning step go forward and improve everyday by learning from mistakes. Your photography skills will improve as you learn from your mistakes while exploring the world around you.

8. Trying to focus on everything

Try to specialise in the type of photography you would like to do in a long-term. You will have limited time to establish yourself and build the skills required to excel into your niche. In addition, you will network with people who share the same interest and will be able to learn from them if you start with the right style from the very beginning. Trying to do everything for everyone will make you an average photographer in many areas, not one of the best photographers in one area. 

9. Poor workflow

Consider all the administrative tasks from booking to arranging a session, to shooting and post-processing your images. You will not have enough time to learn and offer services at the same time, or will not have adequate time. Take your time to learn these before starting to work with clients. You may find it easy but it's not. You will be spending no more than 20% of your time shooting and the rest of the time would be looking for clients, messaging and arranging sessions. So consider all the administrative tasks to perfect your workflow.

10. Not treating business seriously

Just because you have a website, great portfolio and professional gear, it doesn't mean the clients will die to hire you. You need to be committed to your clients, willing to go an extra mile to find, to excite and book them. You need to prove yourself to every client and try to win their business.

Once you consider these mistakes, you will fall in love with your profession and start upgrading your skills. For more information contact Louise Bagger Photography via email at louise@louisebagger.com.au and via phone at 0412 055 668.

Best father's day gifts for the photographer dad

Father's day is almost here and it's time to celebrate. If you are not sure as to what to gift your photographer dad, or one who just loves photography, then we have the list for perfect gifts to give him. Let's check it out.

1. Camera

For a dad who loves Camera Lens,  you might consider gifting him a camera which he can take on his adventures and photograph the journey. DSLR is the top choice for professional as well as amateur photographers. Its high-quality image sensors, unrivaled range of additional lenses and other accessories make it the best option for seriously getting into photography. These days every model from Canon and Nikon are pretty affordable.

DSLR Camera

 2. Camera bag

Gift your dad a new bag to carry his camera and photography equipment. You can find a number of different bags in the market. However, leather messenger bag is always a stylish choice and durable. This bag will allow him to keep his camera with him all the time, and feels very comfortable to carry on long trips.

leather messenger bag

3. Custom camera strap

You can also get him a custom camera strap. It’s a camera harness that can hold a camera. A neck strap is a great and practical option.

custom camera strap

4. Tripod

Tripod can be a lifesaver when he has to get that long exposure night time shot.It is an awesome tool to make sure he gets the perfect shot, no matter the condition or location. Travel tripod weighs less and camera can be attached to the base of the handle in several ways allowing for more flexibility.

Travel tripod

5. External hard drive

An external hard drive to back up all his photographs is a great gift. Since there is nothing worse than to lose his photos. That’s why backing up photos is really important and external drive is a great way to transfer pictures, videos and other media files safely for future use. External hard drives are now available at quite reasonable prices these days.

External hard drive

6. Lens

A high quality camera lens will make a significant improvement to the image’s quality. Find lens that suits his style of photograph. Prime lenses work well for the portrait and street photographer, wide-angle lenses are best for landscape and architecture photography while telephoto lenses are ideal for live action sports and wildlife shots.

Camera lens

7. Photo book 

Create a printed photo book with 'World's Greatest Dad' on the front to showcase his works. Fill it up with photos of you, him and family members as well as some of his finest images taken. Inspire him with the stunning photos.

Printed photo book 

It's easy to make Father's Day special by simply showing you care. And Father's Day is always a good time to update your dad's photography kit. Whether you choose to celebrate Father's Day by sending your dad a gift or greeting card, the important thing is to let him know just how much he means to you and how much you love him.

Lastly, a great gift idea may be is to take his photographs instead of him taking one. So if you need help in this area, contact Louise Bagger Photography via email at louise@louisebagger.com.au or via phone at 0412 055 668.

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