[richardbradley]

October 24, 2011 at 8:26 pm

Ther’re great and you create good light – is it just an off camera speedlite in the 3rd pic of your 1st post?

Which software are u using to soften the skin – is it just photoshop or a portriat program?

Always trying to improve the indoor technique with winter approaching!

[richardbradley]

May 15, 2011 at 7:18 pm

Weddings online can be good for referrals to your site but remember thats all it gets you.

ie your site needs to be good enough after that to get you a meeting with clients.

There are cheaper ways to start – e.g. facebook targetted advertising, and then get all over your website stats – how long do people stay on it, how many meetings do you get per 100 people clicking your site etc.

When you are happy that when people look at your site they may book you then part with your 1k.

[richardbradley]

March 18, 2011 at 8:52 pm

Two moments captured well.

Am sure, like i would, the photographer is big enough to accept that two photographers should always get a better result than one and include your pics willingly to get a better result for the customer (he may feel different if more than half the album is your images!) hope he put you 50quid in the post as a thank you!

[richardbradley]

August 31, 2010 at 11:51 am

As suggested you could probably improve your chances of selling this by stating all of the following:
Do you have reciept etc for purchase 3 months ago?
Shuttercount
Why you selling?
Why pics on request – put them up now.
Realistic asking price – currently 2000new at warehouse express so 1700 more realistic.

stick all that on your ad and you’ll have more interest.

Richard

[richardbradley]

August 24, 2010 at 3:51 pm

Reading that again i just presumed it was the 2.8 IS lens for the price you are asking but realise it doesn’t say anywhere whether its F2.8 of F4 or IS or not. please specify exact lens.

rgds

[richardbradley]

August 24, 2010 at 8:38 am

is this the 1st or the II lens?

If its the 1st one then asking price a bit steep.

Offer 1400.

Can meet in Dub with cash etc.

Rgds

Richard

[richardbradley]

August 11, 2010 at 10:07 am

Everybody different so just a personal view – I wouldn’t normally bother with flash – getting the technique right without prepares you for when the priest won’t let you! Stick the 24-70 on, F2.8, Iso up depending on light but 3200 on 5d2 fine. Then take 4 shots:
1) Straight down the aisle (then move yourself to side of groom)
2) picture of groom as he looks at her
3) picture as they both arrive in frame but her still walking
4) picture as they arrive together

[richardbradley]

July 15, 2010 at 12:45 pm

70-200 everytime for me but depends on what you shoot mostly.

[richardbradley]

July 12, 2010 at 12:02 pm

Had a quick flick through the lot – like 307 – great to capture the emotion and fun of a wedding. 233 and 234 also good.

would be good to see more of brides eyes – she loves to close them and hard on a sunny day due to squinting etc – this is where a longer lens may have helped you.

[richardbradley]

February 16, 2010 at 5:23 pm

The below is for elements but i would imagine terminology is similar in photoshop:

1.Put all the photos to be processed into a single folder.
2. Create two folders to save your processed for upload – one for brochure files and one for web
3. Start Photoshop Elements in Full Edit mode by clicking Edit in the Welcome Screen. Or, if the Organizer is
already open, click the Editor button located near the top right corner of the Organizer window, and then
choose Full Edit from the menu.
4. If the Editor is already open from an earlier exercise, switch to Full Edit mode if necessary, by clicking the Full tab in the Edit pane of the Task panel.
5. Choose File > Process Multiple Files.
6. In the Process Multiple Files dialog box, do the following:
• Choose Folder from the Process Files From menu.
• Under Source, click Browse. Find your folder of pictures. Click OK to close the Browse for Folder dialog
box.
• Under Destination, browse for your destination folder.
7. If you wish, you can adjust the filename, but again it is better to do this to the original file.
8. Under Quick Fix on the right side of the dialog box, select “Sharpen”. You can select the other options if
you wish but it would better to have previously fixed any colour problems with the original files.
9. Under Image Size, tick “Resize Images”. Change the resolution to XXdpi. Enter XXX as the maximum width etc
10. Under “File Types” select the quality you require
11. Click “OK” to process the files.

[richardbradley]

January 26, 2010 at 4:05 pm

going back to the root cause – how did he get the work in the 1st place – hard to offer any thoughts without knowing this. I know absolutely nothing about your business so can’t help much but the following spring to mind:
Where is this kind of work generated – is it agent referral or direct customer referral?
If agent – how proactive has your networking been lately?
If customer why when i type in “photograph my property” into google.ie do i not see your site – google adwords cost very little. Another idea may be to try different URLs – firstpointproperty tells me nothing about what you actually do and i am less likely to click this even if i can find it on google. By using different What have viewit.ie done to get top of google?

If you’re thinking about your charging maybe look at it from a customers point of view. 175 sounds a bit for a few photographs. However if you said the photography was free and then 25eur for each picture the customer wanted i reckon you’d prob sell at least 175 euro worth if the pics are as good as the ones on your site.

Fly by nights won’t last long in the business if they don’t produce good results but you have to ensure every part of your business is spot on to stay ahead. He may be a fly by night or he may be reading this, buying himself video lights and portable flash as we speak whilst getting himself to the top of google and schmoozing the agents!

[richardbradley]

January 26, 2010 at 12:16 pm

Im sure everyone will have different view on this but to offer my two penneth:

There is a real mix of views on this site relating to people starting out – some supportive and some of the “you can’t just get a dslr and be a wedding photographer” Actually you can. Have great people skills, Buy a new camera, get to know it inside out, get the right development plan (combination of books, courses, practice assistance etc) and in a year of serious hard work you can be good. 3 years you can be brilliant. Person A may think their a great photographer but if they can’t work out beforehand which photographs a bride a groom will like Person B will take pics that the bride and groom prefer. We can get self righteous about what makes a good picture – cropping, DOF etc – but you have to really listen to a customer to hear what they think is a great picture – phrases like “I don’t like that picture becasue the backgrounds blurred” – too late when you’ve shot the whole wedding virtually at f2 loving the artistic creations you think you’ve made.

Do you drop your prices – only if you don’t keep developing yourself to keep yourself ahead of the chasing pack. You have to offer better value in a recession – achieving this by dropping your prices should be the last option. Maybe consider dropping prices for times at which work is lowest – midweek weddings, november weddings etc – some work better than no work? Also focus religiously on bottom line – any unused equipment you can sell, anyway of speeding up your editing processes right down to if you want a weekend away have it in the wedding hotel after a wedding – tax deductable then!

If starting out free is better than cut price – people get the fact that the first few are free and then fee will be as advertised. Its a lot harder if you’ve done this first few “cheap” as most referrals through friends etc will know how much they paid – “hey you did my friends wedding, thats the best photography ive seen for 300 quid will you do mine?”

not saying im right – just sharing my thoughts!

[richardbradley]

January 15, 2010 at 11:38 am

PM Sent