23 February 2011

Catching up on Blogging

I'm so behind on blogging images of late - when I've not been shooting weddings I've been busy on some fabulous commercial jobs, some of which are a little under wraps at the moment, but in an attempt to kick start again, here are a couple from Blackburne House in Liverpool with the Heirloom Couture dress from Belles Bridal Boutique.  This shoot was for Bliss Wedding Shows.  Hair and makeup was by Sian Louise Auld.  Absolutely gorgeous!


22 February 2011

Photography Workshops in Liverpool for 2011

Now that we've properly settled into our new home it seems time to make it happen!  Please call me, Zoe, on 0151 708 5838 or 07792 650 742 for more information or to book, or email me zoe@zoephotography.co.uk  I am offering 1:1 sessions in the following topics, as well as group sessions on the dates provided.  Groups will be limited to a maximum of 6 people.  The 1:1 sessions cost £500 for one person for 8 hours in Liverpool or £700 plus travel and accommodation for a studio based session.







DISCOUNT: If you book 2 workshops you benefit from 10% discount on course fees, and book 3 or 4 to benefit from 25% discount.  There is also a 20% discount on all workshops for members of the EPS.

Getting the Foundations Right as a Professional Photographer - LAST FEW PLACES REMAINING!
Date: Thursday 31st March
Price£250 per person, or £200 per person for 2 people from the same studio.
Topics Covered: Making sure you understand how to get the most out of your camera, using your camera in different lighting conditions, understanding light, being prepared for all conditions.  This workshop includes shooting time.


Marketing, branding and promoting your photography business
This workshop is not available to local photographers. 
Date: Friday 1st April
Price: £250 per person, or £200 per person for 2 people from the same studio.
Topics Covered: This workshop starts with looking at what gets a business noticed and what keeps a business being noticed.  How to become the most talked about business in your area (for the RIGHT reasons).  It looks at the mistakes that photographers make setting up in business, and how these become values of the business long term, impacting on the type and amount of business that comes in. Developing a team to market you. There is also some specific time spent on what the participants are actually doing in their business.

The business of photography
This workshop is not available to local photographers.
Date:Monday 11th April


Price: £350 per person, or £300 per person for 2 people from the same studio.



Topics CoveredDeveloping a business - designing a business model that fits you and your business, the pricing structure, the business systems and procedures, and the business paperwork.  Getting business, and touching on marketing - getting the price right and covering your costs so you can earn a living.  This workshop includes what not to do as much as what to do, and you leave with usable documentation on disk for developing your photography business.


Improving your posing skills for groups, couples and individuals
Date: Tuesday 12th April


Price: £250 per person, or £200 per person for 2 people from the same studio.



Topics CoveredThe basics of posing - what works and what doesn't.  How to create poses that work.  Posing groups.  Learning poses, and developing a range of poses that works for you with groups, individuals and couples. Using techniques to improve your group posing skills. Telling stories through posing.  This workshop includes shooting time. STOP PRESS - I've just heard that my makeup artist and hair stylist are running a makeup artists workshop the same day, and they need photographs for their students -as a result we are going to be working with fully styled models during the shoot, so your images have the chance to look amazing!





08 February 2011

The Photographer Tribes

As photographers prepare to take themselves off to the annual trade fair in Birmingham I thought I'd resurrect this old article - a lighthearted look at the different kind of people working in this wonderful industry of ours .....

The Photographer Tribes

Over the years I've noticed that there are a number of different photographer tribes! Recognise yourself in any?

The 'Er-Wazzat-Then?' Tribe
I've got a new camera - I've just got the camera out of the box and the shoot starts in 15 minutes, but's it's ok, I'm sure I can get by, I mean, how much more difficult is a Canon 5D Mark II to use than a point and shoot? What's this button? Bugger, I seem to be taking loads of video. Anyone know how to turn this off? Oh look, there's a whole lot of creative settings here, and I can just set the camera to Auto. Phew, everything's going to be ok!

The Brand-Junky Tribe
Apple have brought out a new product, it's called the iNeedit - it's not clear what it is yet, but I'm ready to go out and buy it now, can't wait for it to be released in the UK - I mean, it's from Apple, for goodness sake! It must be good and it HAS to be something I need - look, Steve Job told me I can't live without it, so it's got to be true! Apparently there are two models, the entry level iNeedit, and the pro model, the iNeeditreally - I'm thinking it's the iNeeditreally for me.

Oh, wait, what's that? Ooooh, Nikon are bringing out a new camera ... what do you mean I don't need it? Of course I do, Nikon have brought this camera out for people just like me with all sorts of upgrades from my last camera, I MUST need it! Look, it can shoot a black cat in a coal cellar! Thank goodness I still have the day job to pay for all of this!

The Gotta-Have-It Tribe
I've heard that Some BigName Photographer has one of those new video lights from America and he's using it at weddings. Crikey, I've gotta have it, I mean, if he thinks this is the right tool for the job, it must be the one for me. I haven't the foggiest what I'm doing with it, but who cares, this is going to make my photographs amazing because I've got the same video light as Some BigName Photographer. Goodness me, it's expensive, but hey, it's worth it. What do you mean, he's sponsored by the company to say all these good things about the light? No, I'm sure he loves it and uses it at every wedding. Surely?

The It's-OK-I'll-Put-It-Right-In-Photoshop Tribe
Damn, I messed up on the shoot, but it's ok, I've got Photoshop, I can put it right when I open up the images in Lightroom, and I'll get rid of all those dirt spots in Photoshop - I mean, that's what it's for, isn't it? Now what does this thing do in Lightroom? Crikey, I've got a lot of images from that shoot, but hey, it looks like I've got a good 25 or 30 photographs from all those 2,000 photographs I took. Goodness, look at the time, 1am, and I'm still working on all these images! But it's ok, I'm putting it all right.

The Bravado Tribe
I'm not too sure f-stop what I'm doing, but if I shutter speed talk a lot of technical garbage then ISO everyone will think I TTL know what's going on!

The Who-Cares Tribe
I've got this early 5D, bit scratched, but it does the job for me, now, next assignment, bring it on!

The How-Dare-You Tribe
I can't believe it! I mean, how can you! How dare you pull to pieces my choice of kit! Everyone knows that Canon is better than Nikon is better than Canon is better than Nikon is better than any other brand on the planet. Damn, my auto focus has gone down again - is that some back focusing going on? Shhh, don't tell anyone I bought this pile of junk! Best not tell the other half how much it cost.

There may well be other tribes, but I reckon most of us fit into one or more of these - so as you think of buying new kit, just spend a moment thinking about which Tribe you belong to, and whether you need, no, really really need, that equipment you're planning on buying this year!

Full of the Joys of Life!

I love kids playing and having fun - for me it's much better than putting them into a clinical white background with lights and equipment surrounding them, making parents feel nervous about what they might do.  So it was great getting the chance to photograph these two gorgeous boys playing in the woods on Beacon Fell.  Everytime I look at the pictures I can hear them laughing!








05 February 2011

Newly Wed Photo Shoot

Can't afford a wedding photographer?  Or disappointed with what your official photographer captured for you at your wedding?  Maybe there just wasn't enough time on the day to create the kind of beautiful photographs you imagined having?  How about giving yourselves a big treat of a Newly Wed Photo Shoot.

For just £300 you can have hair and makeup done before the shoot (er, groom not included!), then get dressed up in your glad rags (from your wedding day, or one of your favourite outfits) and off we go for a 1 hour shoot.  Then you go and have coffee and cake at Hope Street Hotel, our treat, before returning to view your photographs, walking away with a disk of around 40 images that are print ready.

All that for just £300 for your very own Newly Wed Photo Shoot.  So now you don't need to be disappointed with your wedding photographs, or sad that you didn't have a professional photographer on the wedding day.