Photographer needed

**Big Dave** · 15th May 2009, 17:43

Originally Posted by Beemer

Too true - I started life as a newspaper photographer then got into motorsport and was really good at it. Can do the odd wedding too, but to take good portraits, etc you need studio lighting and good gear. You also have to understand how lighting works - I can take some good people photos but it's certainly not what I do best.

Photoshop is our friend.

**Jeaves** · 15th May 2009, 17:43

http://www.christraillphotos.co.nz/

**The Stranger:Me** · 15th May 2009, 19:17

Originally Posted by prettybillie

Hi all

A friend of mine is looking for a photographer to do a portfolio for her daughter. I know there are heaps of great photographers out there who take fab bike piccies. Can anyone recommend someone?

Zapf, he's a really good photographer.

**Owl** · 15th May 2009, 20:07

Originally Posted by Madness

I hear Zapf is pretty good.

I wondered who would be first to post that!

**Lias** · 16th May 2009, 08:17

Originally Posted by Owl

I wondered who would be first to post that!

Originally Posted by The Stranger

Zapf, he's a really good photographer.

Originally Posted by Madness

I hear Zapf is pretty good.

Ignore These posts.. There are multiple people on these forums who havnt received photos from him after paying for them (I recall one persons been waiting 3 years, and another 8 months or so)

If you pick a KB'er, Big Dave is the man.

**thecharmed01** · 16th May 2009, 10:21

Originally Posted by Beemer

Too true - I started life as a newspaper photographer then got into motorsport and was really good at it. Can do the odd wedding too, but to take good portraits, etc you need studio lighting and good gear. You also have to understand how lighting works - I can take some good people photos but it's certainly not what I do best.

I beg to differ, Lighting is necessary but not good studio lighting.
We do a LOT of glamour type shoots and use a combination of natural and clever flash lighting techniques then add excellent post-prod editing and no one would know we dont use several thousand dollars worth of lighting.
A lot of my images have been used in magazines, I have photographed for hairdressing competitions, magazines, photographic competitions and fashion events.

I believe there is a lot more to be said for good ole' kiwi ingenuity and a little knowhow as to how light and photography go together.
Composition is half the battle too......

At the end of the day though, you either can or cant - but 99% of can't is a photographer who isnt passionate enough about the subject.......

**Beemer** · 16th May 2009, 11:13

Originally Posted by thecharmed01

I beg to differ, Lighting is necessary but not good studio lighting.
We do a LOT of glamour type shoots and use a combination of natural and clever flash lighting techniques then add excellent post-prod editing and no one would know we dont use several thousand dollars worth of lighting.
A lot of my images have been used in magazines, I have photographed for hairdressing competitions, magazines, photographic competitions and fashion events.

I believe there is a lot more to be said for good ole' kiwi ingenuity and a little knowhow as to how light and photography go together.
Composition is half the battle too......

At the end of the day though, you either can or cant - but 99% of can't is a photographer who isnt passionate enough about the subject.......

By lighting I was including flash as well, but if you have to do heaps of post-prod editing then that's cheating a bit in my view!

And you're right - I love taking photos of cars and bikes and cats and landscapes. I don't enjoy taking group shots of people nor so-called 'glamour' shots. And weddings are a pain in the arse!

**boman** · 16th May 2009, 17:42

The woman who did our wedding photos was superb. Very accomodating , and we got our photos back quickly too. http://www.katrinajohns.com

katrina@katrinajohns.com
Katrina Johns 021 298 2344

**thecharmed01** · 16th May 2009, 21:22

Originally Posted by Beemer

By lighting I was including flash as well, but if you have to do heaps of post-prod editing then that's cheating a bit in my view!

And you're right - I love taking photos of cars and bikes and cats and landscapes. I don't enjoy taking group shots of people nor so-called 'glamour' shots. And weddings are a pain in the arse!

Hehehehehe

You are right though, too much post-prod is bad, but I will always concede to a couple of basic edit presets in Lightroom that you really cant beat when you are doing glamour/portrait work.
I also will go through and remove things like really obvious/bad acne, acne scarring that the subject doesnt like and a few other bits and pieces (after hearing what the model does and doesnt like about herself) like that, the things that dont affect the personality of the shot, but make the subject more flattered..... Glamour work is all about making the subject them, but the them they see in their minds......
I love taking photographs of people and babies/families because I love capturing the relationships...and them!

But then I also take pretty good (well from the feedback I have had) pictures of bmx riding, again there is a certain passion there because my partner rides, so anything he is passionate about has an aspect of attraction for me.

I am looking forward to being able to get some MX shots and testing the theory, that because I like bikes, I will, maybe, get a few decent shots of riding/riders LOL

**Big Dave** · 17th May 2009, 12:26

Originally Posted by Beemer

to do heaps of post-prod editing then that's cheating a bit in my view!

Yeah yeah - but If you are doing it purely to make money and the result is exactly the same as lugging 20kg of gear to the gig - who cares?

I read all this 'passion' stuff. I don't see it that way.

If high art is the aim. Different story true.

I'm doing a job for a fashion house now and I hired Geoff Osborne to take the catalogue shots because of his lights and studio (and D1). The field work I did myself and photoshopped the crapola out of it.

Horses-courses.

That's why we asked what the gig was for too, miss billie.

**thecharmed01** · 17th May 2009, 12:42

Originally Posted by Big Dave

I read all this 'passion' stuff. I don't see it that way.

Heh, you have to have an amount of passion to do photography...that and creativity. Without those two vital ingredients, you are merely a button presser who gets lucky occasionally.
You have to be passionate to invest the time in learning the craft. No passion? Then why would you bother learning how to do it right?

Originally Posted by Big Dave

If high art is the aim.

And that my friend is the passion I speak of right there in a nutshell

**Big Dave** · 17th May 2009, 13:35

I think what you call passion I call logic.
The parameters are easy and it's either right or it's not (usually indexed against a production budget.)
Enhanced by efficient operating of the machine

**thecharmed01** · 18th May 2009, 10:38

Perhaps..... but logic alone will only get you so far.
Logic an achieve good photos, but passion is that little driving force that makes you want to use logic to make a good picture, that is memorable and catches people's eyes. I guess it's the artistic side that is why photographers are generally quite creative people.
Whether it's creative in the sense that they look at things differently and get those stunning once-inn-a-lifetime shots, or creative in that they can use anything around them (not necessarily with expensive equipment) to make sure that the photo they take, is a fantastic one.

**Big Dave** · 18th May 2009, 11:04

Originally Posted by thecharmed01

Perhaps..... but logic alone will only get you so far.

Far enough. :-P

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10477984

Or there is a Doyen's view:

'My idea of a great photograph is one that is in focus and has a famous person in it.' - A Warhol.