#justanotherdayinWA

@slswa

“Never think of anything as being a mistake, because so many good things happen out of a mistake.  Ultimately everything one does or everything one uses is as a result of one’s own or someone else’s experiment.”

James Merrell

jamesmerrell.co.uk

Nippers is due to start again in a few weeks time #justanotherdayinwa

beach girl What to wear to a family photo shoot?

Coordinate but don’t match and don’t be scared of colour; but don’t all wear all the same colour.  Coordinate colours and looks and avoid matching outfits.  The secret is to have coordinating colours that compliment each other and the location of the shoot.  Examples to avoid where possible are greens in parks and gardens, and blues in a beach side location.

Rock star.  It can help to have one “rock star” in the photos who carries a pattern or bold colour in their outfit that the rest of the group’s clothing or accessories pulls from, while keeping everyone else’s outfits more simple.

Let children have input to what they are going to wear.  Children who help dress themselves will not only be much happier campers during the session, but you’ll let their own beautiful personalities shine through.

For wide open locations it helps to have some movement and flow in clothing and accessories.  Children are fond of jumping, dancing and being wild.  Nothing better than a twirly, whirly dress to accentuate all that beautiful movement and childhood innocence.  Something as simple as a scarf trailing behind or a playful super hero cape can be fun for the boys.

Layers and textures are beautiful and create interest in photos.  Also, having different layers of clothing and accessories can add another dimension to the overall texture of the image.

Don’t worry about bringing too many clothes, as long as you bring a variety.

Accessorise with scarves, hats, flowers in the hair for girls, jewellery, etc.  Complimenting accessories add to the image.

Think about subtle props that blend with the vibe of the session as well, but keep them simple and meaningful.

Things to avoid include any clothes with logos, graphics, characters, labels, etc.  These tend to draw attention from the subject.

Hats as they can cast shadows on your face.

Clothes that show stains or wrinkle easily.

Bright white socks and trainers unless we’re talking about something simple like Converse or Vans.

…and finally, no sunglasses.

one photograph each day sounds easy, but trust me it isn't.  Some days you are so busy that you forget.  For a few weeks Darcey was overseas so my wife Tania took a selection.  Darcey herself took a small number of self portraits.  

This was a great project and I have to thank Alan Moyle for his inspiration.  If I hadn't attended a seminar hosted by Alan in 2014 I would never have attempted this.  Now seeing the final results, I so glad I didn't stop the project when frustration and tiredness got the better of me and I've learnt so much.

When I was putting together this video it was lovey to see all the photos together.  Happy, sad, playing, grumpy, swimming (lots), holidays, the lot...

I hope she likes it

mates at Lake LeschenaultiaLake Leschenaultia

beach girl What to wear to a family photo shoot?

Coordinate but don’t match and don’t be scared of colour; but don’t all wear all the same colour.  Coordinate colours and looks and avoid matching outfits.  The secret is to have coordinating colours that compliment each other and the location of the shoot.  Examples to avoid where possible are greens in parks and gardens, and blues in a beach side location.

Rock star.  It can help to have one “rock star” in the photos who carries a pattern or bold colour in their outfit that the rest of the group’s clothing or accessories pulls from, while keeping everyone else’s outfits more simple.

Let children have input to what they are going to wear.  Children who help dress themselves will not only be much happier campers during the session, but you’ll let their own beautiful personalities shine through.

For wide open locations it helps to have some movement and flow in clothing and accessories.  Children are fond of jumping, dancing and being wild.  Nothing better than a twirly, whirly dress to accentuate all that beautiful movement and childhood innocence.  Something as simple as a scarf trailing behind or a playful super hero cape can be fun for the boys.

Layers and textures are beautiful and create interest in photos.  Also, having different layers of clothing and accessories can add another dimension to the overall texture of the image.

Don’t worry about bringing too many clothes, as long as you bring a variety.

Accessorise with scarves, hats, flowers in the hair for girls, jewellery, etc.  Complimenting accessories add to the image.

Think about subtle props that blend with the vibe of the session as well, but keep them simple and meaningful.

Things to avoid include any clothes with logos, graphics, characters, labels, etc.  These tend to draw attention from the subject.

Hats as they can cast shadows on your face.

Clothes that show stains or wrinkle easily.

Bright white socks and trainers unless we’re talking about something simple like Converse or Vans.

…and finally, no sunglasses.

at the start of 2016 I started a personal project; Darcey366.

Darcey; a photo a day for all of 2016

mates at Lake LeschenaultiaLake Leschenaultia

stormy beachPinaroo Point

July in Perth and a stormy afternoon at Pinnaroo Point.

A friend had asked for a 'different' beach photograph as a centre piece for a large wall in their recently renovated house.  Whilst driving back down the beach road on a Sunday afternoon a storm was coming in from the Indian Ocean.  I decided to use a neutral density photo to extend the exposure, provide some movement to the dark clouds and mist the breaking waves.

​This has been printed on canvas at a size of 1.7m x 2.1m; it's huge!

D800, 17mm, 15 seconds at f16,

ISO 200

July 2016

What to wear to a family photo shoot?

Coordinate but don’t match and don’t be scared of colour; but don’t all wear all the same colour.  Coordinate colours and looks and avoid matching outfits.  The secret is to have coordinating colours that compliment each other and the location of the shoot.  Examples to avoid where possible are greens in parks and gardens, and blues in a beach side location.

Rock star.  It can help to have one “rock star” in the photos who carries a pattern or bold colour in their outfit that the rest of the group’s clothing or accessories pulls from, while keeping everyone else’s outfits more simple.

Let children have input to what they are going to wear.  Children who help dress themselves will not only be much happier campers during the session, but you’ll let their own beautiful personalities shine through.

For wide open locations it helps to have some movement and flow in clothing and accessories.  Children are fond of jumping, dancing and being wild.  Nothing better than a twirly, whirly dress to accentuate all that beautiful movement and childhood innocence.  Something as simple as a scarf trailing behind or a playful super hero cape can be fun for the boys.

Layers and textures are beautiful and create interest in photos.  Also, having different layers of clothing and accessories can add another dimension to the overall texture of the image.

Don’t worry about bringing too many clothes, as long as you bring a variety.

Accessorise with scarves, hats, flowers in the hair for girls, jewellery, etc.  Complimenting accessories add to the image.

Think about subtle props that blend with the vibe of the session as well, but keep them simple and meaningful.

Things to avoid include any clothes with logos, graphics, characters, labels, etc.  These tend to draw attention from the subject.

Hats as they can cast shadows on your face.

Clothes that show stains or wrinkle easily.

Bright white socks and trainers unless we’re talking about something simple like Converse or Vans.

…and finally, no sunglasses.

Inside Australia Antony GormleyLake Ballard scultures

stormy beachPinaroo Point

come over and see the new Redknot Photography website 

one of the photos from the trip to Lake Ballard

“When I received a bike I was so happy. Now I have time to study, travel comfortably to school, and still help with the chores. I also ride my little brother to and from school,” says Jacqueline, whose grades have improved from an average C+ to B+ since she got her wheels.

Excellent article from The Guardian

at the start of 2016 I started a personal project; Darcey366.

Darcey; a photo a day for all of 2016

off on a road trip to Lake Ballard

While shooting a wedding back in December 2014, New Jersey-based wedding photographer Tom Harman strapped a GoPro to his camera to show what the experience is like. The footage and final shots were turned into the 4-minute video

Pete Souza: photographing the real Barrack Obama 

Lovely selection of photographs 

from The Guardian

at the start of 2016 I started a personal project; Darcey366.

Darcey; a photo a day for all of 2016

Jo Lopez is the photographer who has had the job to tour with Bruce Springsteen and take photographs.

Springsteen shreds the pre-planned setlist and collects request-bearing signs from the crowd, leading the band in impromptu renditions of covers by everybody from The Ramones to Jackie Wilson.  "I don't look at the setlist very much during the night," he told Rolling Stone's David Fricke. "I'm listening to the song we're playing - it's talking to me about what to play next.  And I'm watching the audience.  Sometimes it's the look in someone's eyes about how bad they want to hear that song they've written on a piece of cardboard or their head."

Rolling Stone 

jolopezphotography.com

A wellspring of musical creativity in Manchester during the late 70s and 80s brought us bands such as Joy Division, the Smiths and the Stone Roses.

When I take on a wedding assignment I plan to meet the couple at least twice prior the wedding day.  The initial meeting takes place prior to signing any agreements or commitments being made.  I discuss with you your thoughts and plans for your wedding day and determine if my style of photography will match the final product that you are looking for.  If there are any doubts I will politely decline the job and refer the couple to another photographers whose style may match their requirements. 

at the start of 2016 I started a personal project; Darcey366.

Darcey; a photo a day for all of 2016

please come and have a look

From The Guardian

Japan commemorates victims of 2011 tsunami disaster 

Reposted from The Guardian

Going back through some old blogs from 2014 that reached the most people.  I still love this photo.

The old lady being given directions caught my attention about five minutes before I captured this image.  She was wondering through London’s West End and was obviously looking for somewhere. 

She stood out among the West End crowds with her huge gold earrings and gold bangles. 

This was shot through a crowd of people and I only managed to get one exposure away before losing the moment.  I love the the clear direction being given by one woman, to the ‘I’m not sure’ of the woman in the striped top, and the look on the husbands face; all the time life in London is going on around them.

D700, 85mm f1.4, 1/500th at f1.4,

ISO 400

October 2011

#darcey366

at the start of 2016 I started a personal project; Darcey366.

Darcey; a photo a day for all of 2016

please come and have a look

I found this free portrait photography cropping guide from Digital Camera World.  A very useful guide to stop you cropping photos in the wrong places.

‘Yes’ areas are marked in green, while ‘bad’ locations are marked in red.

David Bailey

I've been looking for an old interview with David Bailey that I read some years ago where he discussed his approach to a portrait session.  I'll keep searching for that; in the meantime I found this in The Daily Telegraph.

Three camera lessons every new photographer should learn.

A brilliant article from Digital Camera World

An image from a wedding photographed in December 2015.  Andrew and Jenny wanted informal photographs that captured the essence of their wedding day.

This was one of the images they chose as part of their final selection.  The marquee was set up in their back garden in Claremont and the wedding was arranged by my friends at Rosebud Design; Rhonda and Rose.

A very special day for a lovely couple.

Rosebud Design

“Never think of anything as being a mistake, because so many good things happen out of a mistake.  Ultimately everything one does or everything one uses is as a result of one’s own or someone else’s experiment.”

James Merrell

jamesmerrell.co.uk

Japan bound

Leaving the Australian summer and heading to the northern hemisphere and Hakuba, Japan

I visited Vietnam a couple of years ago and the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.  Many of the photographs on this page from The Guardian are on show in the museum.

The Guardian - Vietnam: The Real War – in pictures

The War Remnants Museum

​it's been a good year...

here is my favourite photo from 2015; Anita on her wedding day at Sitella Winery in the Swan Valley.

happy new year from redknot photography and all the best for 2016

a thought for 2016 and one passed onto me many years ago by a former colleague 

With thanks to photo venture 

a string quartet, a hungry dog and champagne...

The Beach of Dungeness

Memories of Dungeness.  Another photograph from the Photographylife.com website 

Bike Force Joondalup riding group on the Pinjar team time trial

a stormy old morning

5th December 2015

Condemned Beach

photographylife.com

#APPAIPP

How very true.  I’ve made nearly every mistake on this page and learnt from them 

In celebration of the upcoming Rugby Union World Cup final in England.  Messy Blurry Rugby in England

Shared from the fantastic Lens blog at the New York Times

An Accredited Professional Photographer is a professional photographer who has met the AIPP accreditation standards, certified by the ACCC and is a current AIPP member.

Accreditation is designed to give you, the consumer, confidence that your professional photographer is a proven, experienced, technically capable, professional practitioner who complies with all legal business requirements, has appropriate insurance and who is willing to agree to the mandatory "Code of Professional Practice" and to the requirement to continually improve their photographic skills by committing to continue their professional development.

To become accredited, a professional photographer has to... 

1. Demonstrate that they have been practicing for a minimum of 2 years
2. Demonstrate that they have satisfied clients and suppliers by providing written references
3. Demonstrate that they comply with all legal, ethical and moral business requirements to practice as a professional in Australia
4. Demonstrate that their photographic skills are of a "Professional Standard"
5. Agree to have a portfolio of their work, assessed by experienced AIPP image assessors
6. Achieve the required portfolio assessment standard.
7. Agree to continue their professional development through the AIPP CPD program, maintaining up to date skills and business practices each year.

The AIPP continually monitors its accreditation requirements to ensure that the standard for accredited membership is appropriate for the profession of photography in 2015 and beyond.

On September 18th 2015 the ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission) formally recognised the status of an “Accredited Professional” through the award of a “Certification Trade Mark”

An Australian first, this certification enables the AIPP’s 2,000 accredited members to offer clients and customers further reassurance of their competence and reliability as a working photographer or video producer through a certified ‘symbol of trust’ from the ACCC. 

As the photographic industry is not held accountable to the same legal status and regulatory requirements as other Government and state-regulated professions, the ACCC certification of the AIPP accreditation process brings a new level of authority to practicing professionals, in addition to the set of voluntary requirements that AIPP accredited professionals already adhere to.

The AIPP accreditation process has three components

1. Business and experience pre requisite which must be met before applying for accreditation.

2. An assessment of a photographers image making standards and capability. 

3. A continuing professional development obligation. Maintaining up to date skills and business practices each year.

 The AIPP continually monitors its accreditation requirements to ensure that the standard for accredited membership is appropriate for the profession of photography and the profession of video production, now and in the future.

10 rules of photo composition (and why they work)

The French photographer David de Rueda travels the world in search of unusual places. He is captivated by the aesthetic beauty of derelict buildings and teamed up with Nikon to create a striking photo project based on abandoned places in Europe.

For some clients the cost of purchasing framed prints is an expensive luxury.  I’m regularly asked how to get the look without the price?  Here is one suggestion that I use myself.

Look at old framed photographs in your house and consider re-using the frames; placing the existing photographs into an album or storage.

Then purchase individual prints from redknot and mount them in the frame you already own.

If you don't feel comfortable mounting the new photo, then ask redknot to mount and re-frame the photograph.  Simply provide us with your existing frame and we will do the rest.

They look no different than anyone else in the rat-race blur of New York’s streets. They hold the same jobs — maids, nannies, janitors — as thousands of others who get paid for their work, sometimes well, usually enough to get by.

Photographing Human Trafficking in New York reposted from Lens - The New York Times

a couple of years ago I went to seminar presented by Alan Moyle.  Apart from inspiring a blog last year ‘a week in the life of a FIFO worker’ he mentioned Humans of New York; I’ve been following it ever since.

Reposted from The Guardian

Recently a photograph was posted on the Humans of New York website and on social media. It was a portrait of a troubled-looking young boy sitting on some steps, accompanied, as is the format with Humans of New York, by a quotation from the unidentified subject: “I’m homosexual and I’m afraid about what my future will be and that people won’t like me.”

They’re not always quite so heartbreaking, but Humans of New York photographs regularly generate thousands of retweets, hundreds of thousands of Facebook likes and lots of appreciative comments. This one prompted a response from none other than Hillary Clinton. “Prediction from a grown-up: Your future is going to be amazing,” she wrote on Facebook. “You will surprise yourself with what you’re capable of and the incredible things you go on to do. Find the people who love and believe in you – there will be lots of them. —H.”

Regardless of what you may think of H Clinton, this blog is about Humans of New York bog.  Is it worth following?  Check it out and decide for yourself.

I'm heading back to the Pilbara next week.  As I will be driving past this site, I thought I would repost this photograph from 2013.

Story behind the photo

The image was taken during pre-start meetings at a construction project in The Pilbara, Western Australia.

This particular morning there was cloud cover, except on the horizon to the east.

At sunrise, the suns rays illuminated the iron ore spoil to the west of the construction site turning it a beautiful shade of orange.  A few seconds later; the sun disappeared behind the clouds for the rest of the day.

D700, 17-35mm f2.8, 1/200th at f4, ISO 800

June 2013

This fascinating photographic exhibition will illustrate the life of actress and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993). From her early years as a chorus girl in London’s West End through to her philanthropic work in later life, Portraits of an Icon will celebrate one of the world’s most photographed and recognisable stars.

A selection of more than seventy images will define Hepburn’s iconography, including classic and rarely seen prints from leading twentieth-century photographers such as Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Terry O’Neill, Norman Parkinson and Irving Penn. Alongside these, an array of vintage magazine covers, film stills, and extraordinary archival material will complete her captivating story.

Before the photo was taken I had a quick chat with couple, removed the bottle and they thanked me for picking this up.​

I've been meaning to post this from The Guardian all week.  

Glastonbury through the years – in pictures

Benevolent hippies, ravers throwing tomatoes, Liam Gallagher snogging Robbie Williams … here are the shots that define the Glastonbury festival.

beach girl What to wear to a family photo shoot?

Coordinate but don’t match and don’t be scared of colour; but don’t all wear all the same colour.  Coordinate colours and looks and avoid matching outfits.  The secret is to have coordinating colours that compliment each other and the location of the shoot.  Examples to avoid where possible are greens in parks and gardens, and blues in a beach side location.

Rock star.  It can help to have one “rock star” in the photos who carries a pattern or bold colour in their outfit that the rest of the group’s clothing or accessories pulls from, while keeping everyone else’s outfits more simple.

Let children have input to what they are going to wear.  Children who help dress themselves will not only be much happier campers during the session, but you’ll let their own beautiful personalities shine through.

For wide open locations it helps to have some movement and flow in clothing and accessories.  Children are fond of jumping, dancing and being wild.  Nothing better than a twirly, whirly dress to accentuate all that beautiful movement and childhood innocence.  Something as simple as a scarf trailing behind or a playful super hero cape can be fun for the boys.

Layers and textures are beautiful and create interest in photos.  Also, having different layers of clothing and accessories can add another dimension to the overall texture of the image.

Don’t worry about bringing too many clothes, as long as you bring a variety.

Accessorise with scarves, hats, flowers in the hair for girls, jewellery, etc.  Complimenting accessories add to the image.

Think about subtle props that blend with the vibe of the session as well, but keep them simple and meaningful.

Things to avoid include any clothes with logos, graphics, characters, labels, etc.  These tend to draw attention from the subject.

Hats as they can cast shadows on your face.

Clothes that show stains or wrinkle easily.

Bright white socks and trainers unless we’re talking about something simple like Converse or Vans.

…and finally, no sunglasses.

essential wedding photography shot list

Emma had been given job to 'help the photographer out'.  It wasn't job she wanted, but after a bit of cajoling she warmed to the idea.

Business manCorporate headshot of man

Redknot offers a corporate headset package starting at $250 for 4 images; 2 colour and 2 black and white images.  All images are provided in soft copy at 300 and 72 dpi for print and digital media respectively.

Contact us now to discuss your requirements and book a session at a time to suit you.

the women of my house taken in April 2015.  It's always a pleasure to have the family in the studio.

​Two proud grandparents, four kids, one husband, one wife and two bubs...a great fun afternoon

It's always great when the kids come prepared for some fun at a shoot; Yelena certainly did on this sunny Sunday afternoon.

Delta Lloyd, skippered by Roberto Bermudez (ESP) at the start of leg 6, Volvo Ocean Race 2009. photo Rick Tomlinson

Continuing the mini blog series about photographers that inspire me.  

There are a number of sailing photographers, but for me none stand out like Rick Tomlinson.

His website used to include a ‘what’s in the bag’ page.  For a beginner in the profession at the time, this was a great guide.

Check out his website rick-tomlinson.com

Jamie and Sophie Lancaster loved their south London street – and their neighbours. They wanted to photograph as many as they could and have created a wonderful series of portraits of the very different households living next door to each other.

Their new website is launched soon, in the meantime here is a teaser.

"we want a silhouette photo of us jumping...can you do that?"

Workers in the informal economy around the world - in pictures

Courtesy of Digital Camera World 

Scrawled on the staircase outside the National Gallery in London’s West End are the words ‘Chamber of Secrets’. 

I stood in the rain in Trafalgar Square, for what seemed an eternity, hoping to capture an image of a tourist looking at a map with the ‘Chamber of Secrets’ wall behind them.  No one came, and then this man appeared to my left and I thought he would be perfect.

D700, 85mm f1.4, 1/2500th at f1.8,

ISO 400

October 2011

The old lady being given directions caught my attention about five minutes before I captured this image.  She was wondering through London’s West End and was obviously looking for somewhere. 

She stood out among the West End crowds with her huge gold earrings and gold bangles. 

This was shot through a crowd of people and I only managed to get one exposure away before losing the moment.  I love the the clear direction being given by one woman, to the ‘I’m not sure’ of the woman in the striped top, and the look on the husbands face; all the time life in London is going on around them.

D700, 85mm f1.4, 1/500th at f1.4,

ISO 400

October 2011

This post is for my brother and I have to admit is probably a bit of pure indulgence on my part also.

I have been looking at photographs taken by Ross Halfin for more years than I care to admit.

My personal favourite among the thousands of photographs on his website is his image of the late Del Leppard guitarist, Steve Clark.  rosshalfin.com/def-leppard/def-leppard08.php

In 2013 three Perth bars were among twelve across Australia that exhibited Ross Halfin’s photographs.

http://www.rosshalfin.com

Ross Halfin exhibition - The West Australian 2013

drummerRock drummer

Photograph not taken by Ross Halfin, but my brother probably wishes it was...

Hoi An thunderstormRice paddy fields during the rainy season From the moment that a holiday to Vietnam had been planned, I had this photograph in my mind. 

The image was taken on the outskirts of Hoi An in July 2013.  Hoi An is a wonderful place to visit, with so many opportunities for a photographer.

The photograph was taken late afternoon, as the wet season storms that prevail at the time of year were rolling in. 

Armed with my lightweight tripod, trusty D700 and wide angle lens I rode off on my scooter to find a suitable spot amongst the rice paddies. 

I printed the resulting image on “Alumalux” to capture the vivid colour of the race paddy and the crisp detail of the thunder storm.

D700, 17-35mm f2.8, 1/640th at f8, ISO 200

July 2013

I thought I'd let you know about the photographers who inspire me?  First and foremost is James Merrell.

I chose one of his photographs for an assignment a few years ago where I had to shoot an image in the style of a photographer you admire.

jamesmerrell.co.uk 

professional photographer magazine - James-Merrell

On a summers evening in 2013 my daughter asked if we could go for a walk at Hillarys Boat Harbour and jump from rock to rock along the harbour wall. 

When we parked the car at the Boat Harbour a storm was forming on the horizon.  We took a camera and waited to see what would happen.  

The storm formed; it didn’t spread too wide and when the sun started to set, the image began to form.  The small 'tinny' arrived at the harbour entrance and provided the perfect finish.

…then we did rock jumping.

D700, 17-35mm f2.8, 1/100th at f5.6,

ISO 200

February 2013

The full brochure can be found here Engineers Australia - Chartered Status

PS Might have been nice if they had asked for permission first.

On a recent trip back to Perth I decided to take one photograph each day of Darcey, just being…well Darcey.

Here is the first photograph taken on day one; Wednesday.   Six more will follow over the coming week.  

Darcey hopes you enjoy them.  Darcey xxxx

Inspired by the work of Alan Moyle (Saffron365) who challenged me during a seminar to always have a personal project on the go.

Image taken by British photographer Pennie Smith of Paul Simonon smashing his guitar to The Palladium stage during a show in New York City in 1979.

The image featured on the front cover of The Clash London Calling album.

Read more here

The mentor for the year long program was Des Birt.  Des is a well known professional photographer in Perth, specialising in wedding photography, also finding time to lecture photography at the local polytechnic college.  The mentoring group I joined consisted of seven photographers.

Two years after the completion of the mentoring program, six of group (and Des) still meet on a regular monthly basis.  The meetings are now an opportunity to share tips, have a general chat about photography, or sometimes simply to have a meal and a good chat.

One of the strengths of the group is that no one of feels the slightest bit intimidated of threatened by the presence of fellow professional photographers.  Ideas are freely exchanged and critiqued; information is provided to help and support each of our businesses.  The meetings are a great place to sound out fellow professionals about a new marketing idea, or a new idea for a photo session.  

My hope is that other AIPP mentoring groups have progressed through the program, both in WA and across Australia, and have maintained the same level of ongoing contact.  To me, that would be good for the Australian Institute of Professional Photography.

Beth Stevens 

Daniel White 

Sue Warrington 

Trevor Althorpe

Melanie Adams

Kelly McEwan 

Des Birt 

AIPP Mentoring page

Story behind the photo

The image was taken during pre-start meetings at a construction project in The Pilbara, Western Australia.

This particular morning there was cloud cover, except on the horizon to the east.

At sunrise, the suns rays illuminated the iron ore spoil to the west of the construction site turning it a beautiful shade of orange.  A few seconds later; the sun disappeared behind the clouds for the rest of the day.

D700, 17-35mm f2.8, 1/200th at f4, ISO 800

June 2013

beach girl What to wear to a family photo shoot?

Coordinate but don’t match and don’t be scared of colour; but don’t all wear all the same colour.  Coordinate colours and looks and avoid matching outfits.  The secret is to have coordinating colours that compliment each other and the location of the shoot.  Examples to avoid where possible are greens in parks and gardens, and blues in a beach side location.

Rock star.  It can help to have one “rock star” in the photos who carries a pattern or bold colour in their outfit that the rest of the group’s clothing or accessories pulls from, while keeping everyone else’s outfits more simple.

Let children have input to what they are going to wear.  Children who help dress themselves will not only be much happier campers during the session, but you’ll let their own beautiful personalities shine through.

For wide open locations it helps to have some movement and flow in clothing and accessories.  Children are fond of jumping, dancing and being wild.  Nothing better than a twirly, whirly dress to accentuate all that beautiful movement and childhood innocence.  Something as simple as a scarf trailing behind or a playful super hero cape can be fun for the boys.

Layers and textures are beautiful and create interest in photos.  Also, having different layers of clothing and accessories can add another dimension to the overall texture of the image.

Don’t worry about bringing too many clothes, as long as you bring a variety.

Accessorise with scarves, hats, flowers in the hair for girls, jewellery, etc.  Complimenting accessories add to the image.

Think about subtle props that blend with the vibe of the session as well, but keep them simple and meaningful.

Things to avoid include any clothes with logos, graphics, characters, labels, etc.  These tend to draw attention from the subject.

Hats as they can cast shadows on your face.

Clothes that show stains or wrinkle easily.

Bright white socks and trainers unless we’re talking about something simple like Converse or Vans.

…and finally, no sunglasses.

http://www.photographers.com.au/redknotphotography