I had the unique opportunity this month to speak to a group of photography students about to graduate from the New England School of Photography. It was a small group of students all specializing in portraiture. The topic was assisting professional photographers as an opportunity to learn about the industry and get your foot in the door. This is a topic that is close to my heart as I got my first professional photography opportunities while assisting other photographers. In my early days in the Boston photography scene, I took every opportunity I could to shoot with other professional photographers in Boston. Watching them taught me more about technique, proper etiquette on a job and helped me define my own personal style. It also taught me what I don’t want to do with my own business. I sat in the classroom at NESOP and told some success stories and horror stories about assisting my fellow photographers. I also gave some tips and advice on being a great assistant… Confirm the job with the lead photographer so they do not have to worry about getting in touch with you. Confirm the appropriate dress for the day. Always be on […]
Today, I hope to introduce you to a new, fancy photographer’s term. The famous (or infamous) grip-and-grin photo. When planning to photograph a corporate event, I’ll always ask my event planner whether they want candid photos, grip-and-grins or a mixture of both. If this is the first time we’ve worked together, they’ll often not know the difference between the two. So let’s start there. Candid event photography helps to tell the story of your event. When taking candid photos, I normally stand further away from my subject and photograph them interacting naturally. The subject should not know they are being photographed. In order to be great at candid photography, you’ve got to be patient and observant. You’ve got to study your subject and know when something interesting is just about to happen. Then you’ve got to capture the moment at just the right time. I’ve always thought my background in event planning has made me better at candid photography. I’ve been studying guests at special events for decades! Grip-and-grin photos (or more formally called posed photos) are the exact opposite of candid images. Posed photos require the photographer to approach the guests and ask if they would like […]
