articles/Training/makinghistorydenton-page3

Making History - John Denton reflects on the very first of the Societies Members Days - part 3 of 1 2 3

Published 01/06/2010

Thankfully I survived this episode and dived into the part I love best on any wedding day. It's the time I get to spend with the bride and groom on their own, walking around the venue and using as many different areas as possible to create beautiful images. I love looking for the lighting and creative possibilities on offer and really stretching my creative muscles. If anyone else shares this spirit of adventure then join me on the Hotel Safari Superclass at Convention 2011 and we'll discover areas of the Novotel nobody has photographed in before!

Anyway, back to the Members Day and we spent and hour exploring a range of techniques to deal with strong sunlight, low light, off camera flash, flash modifiers and video lighting. Kirsty and Tristan were great, interacted superbly, looked gorgeous and were a lot of fun to work with.

Back to the seminar room and there was just time for a debrief of the mornings events, question and answer and a quick sandwich before the start of the afternoon session

The second part of the day proved no less intense than the first. Together we explored the marketing and branding of the contemporary wedding business. How to get clients and how to sell to them. I also took the images from the mornings shoot and showed how I use Photoshop and Lightroom to give that polish to my pictures that helps lift them above the average. After all it's one thing to take the best picture you can in camera but every great photographer in history has always had a great darkroom finisher and we cannot ignore this aspect of our workflow.

The gang were on top form and asking loads of pertinent questions. As a trainer I love this as it focuses me on what's important to you guys and pushes me to consider all aspects of how I work and present my images. It also makes the whole event so much more interactive than me just sat at the front waffling.

By half past five it was all over. Hugs and goodbyes and a promise that I will be back to Scotland for more seminars and Members Days very soon.

Paul and I loaded our gear and set off. He to Dublin and me back to Yorkshire. Fortunately we were both driving and not flying as the Icelandic dust cloud was in full flow and all flights were cancelled. The only advantage that came my way from the dust cloud was that I was driving and looking at the most fantastic sunset I've ever seen. The colours were so rich and intense and made the Scottish landscape look absolutely stunning.

At midnight I staggered through my front door, tired but extremely happy. I'd had a fantastic time with my photographer friends and together we'd created a moment in the Societies history.

Please Note:
There is more than one page for this Article.
You are currently on page 3

1st Published 01/06/2010
last update 09/12/2022 14:56:18

More Training Articles

There are 21 days to get ready for The Society of Photographers Convention and Trade Show at The Novotel London West, Hammersmith ...
which starts on Wednesday 15th January 2025

Photography Articles from the Professional Imagemaker

Making History - John Denton reflects on the very first of the Societies Members Days - part 3 of 1 2 3