 Continuing this short three part series on my engagement session with Dima and Nataliya from this weekend, this is image two in the series. As we were taking some pictures on the railroad tracks (including one posted yesterday), we suddenly heard an ominous sound. About a half mile away, a train was approaching. We quickly scrambled down, and I told the happy couple to stand still, preparing to snap off a few shots as the train approached. The resulting image worked out well, I think. The lighting is a bit warmer on the right side of the frame, as that is where the sun's rays were less obscured by the trees. However, the terrain there was a bit more uneven. The composition could have been improved here (center framing usually isn't the strongest), but I was scrambling to get a shot, and not necessarily thinking about composition in this particular instance. There are two interesting questions that I've been thinking about recently. The first question is this: if I don't consider myself an engagement/wedding photographer, how can I differentiate myself from 'professionals' out there who only shoot weddings? The answer is a bit complex, but it basically comes down to this: take a look at my portfolio (especially my wedding gallery), decide if my style and post-processing is something that appeals to you, and then let's talk. But perhaps a more important point to potential clients is that I can charge significantly less than professional photographers simply because I don't make a living as a professional photographer (i.e., I don't have to pay the bills from the income I make with photography, though it's nice to be able to afford nicer lenses every once in a while). In the end, I think I offer great service and quality to clients, but perhaps I need a few lessons in marketing (a point I brought up in my 1,000th post on Erudite Expressions, which I invite you to read here). The second question is this: what differentiates my blog posts vs. those of wedding photographers? Most wedding photographers have a blog, and usually they would post anywhere from ten to thirty images from a wedding they photographed on their blog. They might include a small paragraph about the couple and the wedding, but the focus is on the photographs. With a photoblog, however, my approach is a bit different: I only post one picture a day. However, the caption behind the photo would usually tell you something interesting about the photograph, and I occasionally include the details about how a certain photo was captured (since photographers read this photoblog as well). But perhaps the most important differentiation between posting one photo and many photo (as wedding photographers do on their blogs) is the fact that the single image I post for roughly twenty-four hours is exposed: for observation and critique. If one posts many images at once, it's often easier to overlook a certain nuance behind the photo; indeed, an individual photo in a crowd that would otherwise be relegated (when posted on its own, without the accompaniment of other images) may be overlooked when surrounded by more interesting photos. The case is certainly different when posting a single picture - the picture of the day - which is viewed, critiqued, and in whatever qualities, judged. So there's definitely a bit more vulnerability, but, there is greater upside as well (for instance, for the conversation that may arise via comments). And finally, on an unrelated matter: the second print giveaway drawing is going to be held tomorrow. You can find out all the details in the caption of yesterday's entry. |
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