July is a fabulous month! The days are longer, the BBQs are plentiful and who doesn’t love fireworks! This month’s newsletter has a ton of great stuff.

Neil continues his discussion about the Sunny 16 exposure method. Now that you understand the concept, he takes it a step further by explaining how to use it in different lighting conditions.

Seeing as this is the season of weddings, Bob McGowan, our programs specialist, has a guest article about becoming a wedding photographer. Is this the right career move for you?

The June Newsletter Assignment Gallery is up! This assignment required a little more from the participants. They had to go out and really think about their surroundings.

The July Newsletter assignment is all about the details take a look!  

RMSP Gallery will be exhibiting work from National Geographic photographer and instructor, William Albert Allard, August 7 – September 27. Read more about his exhibition.

Could You Photograph Weddings? - Bob McGowan

Have you ever attended a wedding and found yourself observing the official photographer at the event and saying, “Hey, I can do that”?  Are you truly prepared and do you think you have what it takes?  If you are thinking about becoming a wedding photographer consider asking yourself the following questions and get a sense of just how ready you are.

Even though I own a digital SLR camera, do I understand its full capability? Why is that important?
Any brand or model of SLR camera is an excellent tool that can produce professional results. It is imperative that you understand your camera’s capabilities and its limitations. When do you use spot-metering vs. matrix, continuous mode shooting, custom white balance, custom focus point selection, depth-of-field choices and a myriad of other technical options available?  Your “bag of tricks” should include a full understanding of your camera and all of its functions. Even if you think you will never actually use a camera setting, be familiar with it because you never know when that one obscure setting will be the perfect solution in a given situation. The best way to understand your camera is to practice, practice, practice. An event of any kind, whether it is a kid’s soccer match or an adult’s birthday party, can be a great opportunity to “experiment” with various camera functions. The beauty of digital technology is that it allows you to shoot infinitely without additional processing costs.

How well do you understand your flash?
During a wedding you work with what you get as far as light goes. If it is low light or harsh, high contrast light you will have to use a flash. The ability to fill in shadows, direct light from a flash by using a “bouncing” technique or a diffuser with an external flash is an essential additional tool in wedding photography. If you don’t own an external flash then distracting shadows produced by harsh, sun light will be an issue in your photographs. If you plan on using the pop-up flash from the camera body the all-too-obvious “red-eye” phenomenon will also be a problem.  Make sure you are familiar with not only your camera but your flash before photographing a wedding.

How do I generally handle pressure situations?
If you are one to perform flawlessly under stress, then you may have the right temperament for the job, especially if you are being paid for your efforts. Just the notion that the documentation of this important day is solely in your hands, should give you pause to look at yourself and ask if you are up to the challenge. If you are generally not comfortable in a moderate to high stress environment and would rather be elsewhere, then this type of work is not for you. However, if your answer is the opposite and you truly have a passion for photographing people and events, then you are well suited to begin learning the intricacies of wedding photography and perhaps excel at it!

Do I truly enjoy interacting with people?
This should be a “no-brainer” of sorts. If you are social, can make people feel comfortable around you, and can easily direct a small to medium-sized group of people, then these qualities will serve you well in a wedding situation.  If you would rather not be in anybody’s way or are not comfortable with being the center of attention, then you may be better suited to photograph the church gardens then the action inside. Your work is only as good as the passion you hold behind the camera. Be fair to yourself and to your clients by knowing your strengths and weaknesses before taking on a job that may not be suited to your temperament.

I realize I haven’t developed the skill and confidence to competently shoot weddings. How do I gain experience in this area before taking on the direct responsibility of being a professional (paid) wedding photographer?
Learning how to use your tools and developing your own style is step one when considering this type of potentially lucrative endeavor. Many great instructional classes, articles, blogs and tutorials exist on various topics of photography, from the basics of camera operation to advanced professional work. Learn before you leap is always a good rule of thumb when it comes to considering the next big step in your photography. When your basic skills are in place, a next good step is to assist a professional wedding photographer. This position is commonly known as the “second” photographer and works with an experienced photographer that is formally hired by a client and responsible for the product delivered. In this instance you are the back-up, much of the pressure is off of you to “get the shot”…or many of the critical shots that occur during the ceremony and reception. However, you are getting invaluable experience needed to become proficient, productive and confident while not being in the glaring spotlight as the “professional photographer.”

Also consider your level of comfort when processing your images and output. If you are confidently prepared to manage your own files and deliver them in a timely and agreed upon fashion to the client, then this important stage in satisfying the customer will go smoothly. If not, then you won’t be in business for long. The ability to deliver as promised builds both your reputation and your client base through word-of-mouth advertising.

As you hopefully can see, there are many things to consider before making the initial “I can do that” thought into a reality.

RMSP offers many workshops and courses appropriate for the budding amateur to advanced professional looking to hone their skills. Based on your current skill level, Foundation Workshops may be the entry point to achieving your goals. For those more enterprising individuals, Career Training, including our Professional Studies- Wedding Photography course may be the boost in education you need to shoot professionally.
 

June Newsletter Assignment—Travel Photography in Your Own Backyard
Its seems that every month I gush about the submissions to the newsletter gallery but in all fairness the Travel Photography in Your Own Backyard gallery was exciting to create. It is so fascinating to see people’s images, their interpretation of their surroundings and read about their process. Visit the gallery.

July Newsletter Assignment—Interesting Details.
Photography has the ability to stop time and present the audience with an uninterrupted view of a chosen subject. This has always been one of the allures of photography to me. The potential to direct a viewer’s gaze to one particular thing, a relationship, or a detail is powerful. This assignment is about directing your audience to focus on an interesting detail. Remember you will only be able to submit three photographs so make them count. View the assignment details.

Aside from an extensive array of photographic and literary contributions, William Albert Allard has contributed to National Geographic magazine since 1964, publishing over 40 articles in the magazine with photographs from over 30 countries. Additionally, he has published five books and is nearing completion on his sixth, William Albert Allard: Five Decades, A Retrospective. (In this new book, there is a whole chapter titled and dedicated to work in this exhibition – Her Picture in a Frame.) His photographs are legendary and iconic; one of the few photographers of his generation whose entire professional body of work is in color. Allard currently divides his time living in Charlottesville, Virginia and Missoula, Montana.