Welcome to my blog…
Hi, I’m Iain King, a photographer from Midlothian just outside of Edinburgh in Scotland. My aim is to provide amazing quality professional photography for people who want a personal service. Whether you are looking for some family photography, modern fashionable wedding photography or commercial portraiture you can be assured that you will get the very best service possible.
As well as showcasing some of my latest work, on this blog you will find the latest news, details of any new offers and products as well as some of my personal thoughts. Please come back regularly to find out what is going on, even if it is just to look at the pictures!
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Dreams…
It’s been a while since I last updated and I thought I would give you a quick blog to say that I have been busy behind the scenes and am looking forward to a busy time over the next few months.
Hope everyone has been well and has settled into the New Year – it seems like a distant memory that Christmas and New Year were upon us. How are your New Year resolutions? – still in place or long forgotten. If they are long forgotten, then maybe it’s time to create new ones – it’s never to late to set new goals or objectives. Try and make them something that is achievable but will stretch you. Try to do something that scares you, something that if you achieve you will feel on top of the world, something that gives you confidence.
I always remember reading something that dreams are just dreams until you write them down, then they become goals. Don’t worry how you are going to achieve them, that comes later – the first step is to write them down. It doesn’t have to be a goal to “change the world”, it could be something smaller like “Get up a little earlier every morning and do some exercise”. I’ve found (to my own cost) that life is not always about the big things, it’s about the little things. Take time out to figure out what matters and do something small to make a difference. Dreams don’t have to be big, they just have to be personal. Change a life today – your own!
I took the following picture in the last week. I always wanted to take a picture of Buchaille etive mor. It’s been one of my goals, this week I achieved it. No doubt it will be the first of many trips to that amazing part of Scotland.
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Goodbye 2009, hello 2010… Thanks and have a good one!
At the end of another year, for most, it’s a time to take stock. What went well and what didn’t go as well? What can you improve going forward? A lot of people start out the new year with good intentions, setting resolutions and trying to make the new year better than the last. For most, these resolutions have all but gone by March or even February. We get caught up in day to day life. Maybe, for once, this will be the year that you will change, get fitter, get a better job or find your ideal partner. I don’t have the secret to achieving those resolutions, God knows, I’m as guilty as the next guy when it comes to not following through on my goals. If one thing I’ve learned over the past year is that the best way to achieve any change is to make it a simple change and stick to it for at least 30 days. Stick to one change at a time and you have a much better chance of getting it done.
Anyway, enough of my “Improvement” speech. 2009 has been a big year for me and I’ve put a lot of effort in getting my business to where it is today, but I couldn’t have done it without the help of a few people:
First and foremost my thanks must go to my wife, Angela, who has had to put up with a lot this year. I’ve concentrated so much on my business that I’ve not always been there for her and I thank her for sticking by me.
Thanks to my boys, Sean and Euan, for being there and being the “models” for some of Dad’s new photographic ideas.
Thanks to PJ and David for helping me out and listening to my ideas – hope I’ve been able to help you both in some ways as well.
Thanks to the rest of my family and friends for supporting me.
Thanks to Business Gateway for helping out with some of the business aspects.
And…. last, but by no means least,
Thanks to all of my clients this year – There wouldn’t be a business without you.
I want to wish you all a very prosperous 2010 and I hope that 2010 is your best year yet.
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Wishing you a Merry Christmas
Firstly, I’d like to wish all my customers a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope that Santa is good to you all and that 2010 brings a lot of happiness.
Whilst everyone is enjoying Christmas I’d like to ask everyone a small favour. There are many in this world for whom Christmas is a struggle and not a happy time. Have some thoughts for them, and if you are able to help them out in some small way, even better.
Edgar Guest said it best:
At Christmas A man is at his finest towards the finish of the year;
He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season’s here;
Then he’s thinking more of others than he’s thought the months before,
And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for.
He is less a selfish creature than at any other time;
When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime.
Edgar Guest
Wishing you all the very best in the coming festive period!
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Why people are the most important thing in portrait photography
In my last blog post I mentioned 15 tips to help improve your portrait photography. A few people have asked me if any of the tips help more than others. My first reaction was to say that each tip is helpful and it depends on who you are trying to photograph.
Now, although that is correct and by applying each and every one of these tips, you will definitely get better results (unless you already apply them all), I feel that it is worth stressing again that your interaction with your subject is the most important thing in getting great portrait shots.
The way I always look at it is this – if you are wanting to get the best from your subject, what things can you do to make sure that this happens. Here are 5 things that you can do to make sure that you get the best out of your relationship with your subject:
1. Respect your subject. Not all people like getting their picture taken. Just because you are able to take a good picture, does not mean that people obviously will feel comfortable when you are taking the picture. Talk to your subject about how they feel about getting their picture taken and judge how best to approach taking their picture based on their answer. If you find that they absolutely “hate” getting their picture taken, then it’s up to you to take things slowly, make them feel relaxed and natural in front of the camera. Don’t try to pose them too much. It’s much better to say to them: “OK, we are now going to get you to sit down and we will take some seated shots – feel free to sit any way you want”. Here you are not forcing them to sit in a specific way, but just to casually sit down like they would normally do. It’s all about making them feel at ease.
2. Get to know your subject. If you don’t already know them, find out something about them – what they do, do they have any hobbies, do any sports, music tastes and film and television tastes. General chit chat helps make them feel comfortable. One thing to remember and do is to relate the conversation to you as well – it show’s that you are genuinely interested in what they are saying. Please do not make this some script that you always say to people – if you become really interested in people then you will this very easy.
3. Don’t be afraid to show people that you can make mistakes. Some photographers will not show the clients any of the photographs on the back of the camera for fear of their subject not liking the picture or seeing that the photographer has made a mistake. I sincerely believe that honesty is always the best policy. Photographers are human, we do make mistakes. If you make a mistake, don’t make a big thing about it, but do say something if you need to take the shot again.
4. Listen to what your subject is saying. This has to be one of the biggest faults in any relationship, not just the photographer/subject one. If you fail to listen, you are more likely to come across as someone who does not care and you are possibly going to miss the actual type of picture that the client is looking for. As a photographer, it’s up to you to produce pictures that your subject will love. The best way to find out what they want is simply to ask them. Yes, they may say, “I’m not sure” or something like that. Then it’s up to you to give them some ideas and listen to their reaction to find out if this is the direction that you should be heading.
5. Remember without the subject, you don’t have a portrait. When you “click” (no pun intended) with someone, the art of getting the best portrait becomes very easy. When you don’t it’s often very hard to get something other than a very mediocre shot. Spend time with your subject, don’t rush. Sometimes, it takes a lot of time to get that one perfect shot. You could be chatting away with your subject and suddenly that perfect shot appears, be ready, make sure you have everything set up as you may only get one chance. You have to really look at the subject and truly see the person. Take your time to really get to know your subject and you will find that your are far more likely to get that perfect moment.
In summary, taking a persons portrait is a very personal thing. By truly being there for your subject, you will not only capture the real person, you will both learn something about each other and remember the experience.
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15 tips for better portrait photographs
How many times have you thought, “It would be great if I could get better pictures of my family, children and friends. I have a great camera, but my pictures are still not any better”. Well, the answer does not lie in your equipment. I’ve seen amazing pictures taken with a point and shoot and I’ve seen really bad pictures taken with top of the range cameras and lenses. The thing is you won’t get great pictures all of the time, even professionals make mistakes and don’t always get the picture they were trying to get. OK, maybe they have a lower failure rate, but that is just through experience and practice, certainly not through great equipment.
So I’ve decided to help out and put together a list of tips for better portraits. The one thing that it is worth noting is that these are not rules – sometimes the best shots might go against what you read here.
So lets get on with this, here are the tips:
1. Have fun. People are always more natural when having fun. Make them laugh and tell jokes. It’s so much better for those getting their picture taken.
2. Focus on the eyes. Yes, the eyes have it. In any portrait the eyes are generally the most important part of the picture. Make sure that the eyes are in focus, or at least the one closest to the camera if you are shooting with a wide aperture. It’s also important to make sure the eye’s are lit well – look out for the catch lights too.
3. Shoot wide open. If you have a lense with an f2.8 aperture – use it! Shoot at f2.8 (focus on the eyes). Look at what it does to your background – it makes it go all blurry and out of focus and puts the attention on the important part – your subject. However, if the portrait is all abut the person in their environment, you may want to close your aperture a little to get the background in focus. (Remember what I said about rules!)
4. People don’t have to smile. A lot of false smiles can lead to your subject looking uncomfortable. Some of my best shots are those when the person is not smiling. A mean and moody expression often conveys much much more about a person. Please don’t ask them to say “cheese” – find something funnier, like “Smelly socks” – it always gets a laugh, and that is when you press the shutter button.
5. Make your subject laugh. Like I’ve said before, if you can make your subject laugh then do so – people are so much more comfortable when they are laughing. It also shows they are having fun – they will look back on the photo and remember the good time they had. I often say to people that getting your picture taken should be fun and not a chore.
6. Get in close. Some of the most intimate and telling portrait photos are taken close up. If you really want to get someone’s personality try getting in close. Don’t be afraid to cut of the tops of their heads, or anything – it’s about the moment and the feeling of your subject.
7. Go wide. In complete opposite fashion to the last point, by going wide you show your subject in the environment. A portrait photograph is not just about the face, it can be about the person in their natural environment. It’s here that you can see the person at work, enjoying themselves, or capturing a complete moment.
8. Try different angles and viewpoints. Don’t always go for the normal, try thinking a bit different and take pictures from different angles. If photographing children, get down to their level. Photograph whilst lying on the ground, stand on a chair for a higher angle, look for opportunities to shoot from other angles.
9. Shoot when your subject is not ready. It’s often in moments before the subject is “ready” that you capture the real essence of their personality. Ask your subject if they are ready and shoot no matter what their answer. In the digital age you don’t have to worry about how many pictures you take (as long as you have enough memory cards).
10. Check your background. When trying to take a picture, always look at what is in the background of the picture. If the background is too “busy” with lots going on, it can often detract from your subject. If you can’t move your subject, try taking the shot from a different angle or remember to use a wide open aperture such as f2.8 to make the background blurry.
11. Don’t be afraid to shoot into the sun. Sometimes you need to break the rules (funny I’m sure I’ve already said that). If you can shoot into the sun but hide the direct line of site of the sun behind an object or your subject you often get a wonderful backlit effect to your image. That said, it often helps to shoot with high quality lenses in this case to minimise flare. (But sometimes flare can add to the effect)
12. Let children be children. One of the worst things you can do with children when trying to capture their personality is ask them to stand still and smile for the camera. Children love moving about and acting silly. Let them run about and make funny faces, you will be amazed at the difference this makes to your final images.
13. Look for colour. When trying to take something a little bit different, look for colour in your environment. Sometimes a hint of colour in the background can make your image “pop”. Look for contrasting colours and colours that add to the colour your subject is wearing. (However, sometimes, lack of colour can make your image – try shooting a subject in white against a pure white backdrop)
14. Interact with your subject. Ask questions, tell jokes, make them laugh. This is often when the real person appears and the best images are captured. Yes, you may heard me saying this before, but it really is key to getting a good picture.
15. Use props. Many of the best portraits are taken when the subject is using or is beside a prop. It may be a musician with their instrument of choice, a sportsman wearing their team kit or a child with their favourite toy. This makes the picture personal and unique to them.
Basically, when it comes down to it, no matter how technically advanced you are with the camera, capturing a good portrait comes down to your interaction with your subject. Get involved with your subject and be patient (especially with children!)
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Back from a short break
What a very busy time it’s been over the past couple of months. Lot’s of baby and family sessions along with a few weddings thrown in for good measure. I’m just back from a few days down in Dumfries and Galloway staying in a caravan at Auchenlarie with Angela and the boys. I did have to come back up to Edinburgh on Thursday however to photograph a wedding. Got to keep my customers happy!
Anyway, with so much going on, I’ve not put anything up on the blog for a wee while. So just to prove that I am still alive I’m posting a couple of pics I took whilst in sunny Auchenlarie (or not so sunny at times). I will be posting over the next 2 weeks with images from the recent shoots I’ve been doing as well.
The photos were all taken overlooking Wigtown bay.
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Christmas is coming – chance to win a canvas print!
It’s not long before the annual rush for Christmas presents start and people start to get all stressed out about what to buy for their family and friends.
Professional portrait photography is an ideal gift (well I would say that). So this year, why not get something a little bit different. Maybe a portrait of your family or your children. In the Christmas spirit (and no, not the mulled wine), I’ve added an extra to my mini and maxi sessions. From now and until Christmas you now get an extra couple of free prints and a 10% off voucher. But the big news is that I am offering the chance to win a 20″ x 16″ fine art canvas worth £175. In order to have the chance to win this canvas, all you have to do is book and have your portrait session before the 1st of December. I will announce the winner on the 1st of December and providing you choose your choice of picture quickly, you’ll get your fantastic canvas in time for Christmas, so you can show it in pride of place on your wall on Christmas day to your visiting family members!
Now I only have a limited amount of time between now an the end of November to carry out these sessions, so if you are interested please get in touch soon to book your session.
Here is an example of a picture I took recently at one of my portrait sessions:
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Babies and more babies
It’s been a very busy week. I have had a shoot on every day this week and am looking forward to a weekend of photography free days! That’s just before I start back again next week.
A lot of my shoots are now the baby photography sessions that I am running. Babies are amazing subjects to photograph. You never quite know what you are going to get, but I have to say almost all of the time you get fantastic responses. From the time they see you, they are fascinated by the whole experience, their young minds must wonder what is going on when the lights flash and the parents respond with delight as they see the results from the photo session. Most of the baby photography sessions I do are taken place in the parents own home making it a much more natural location for the baby.
Thanks to all the parents who have recently allowed me to bring my portable studio in to their homes and take some amazing pictures of their fantastic children.
Here is a just a small flavour of some of the recent pictures I have taken.
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Whassup?
Well it’s been some time since I last posted an entry on my blog. I am still alive and well and have been busy taking care of business and also fitting in a holiday in the middle as well! I do have some exciting posts in the pipeline around photoshop techniques and my quest to “Get things done” but you’ll have to wait on them. It’s important to me to update my blog and it is something that I feel is a good way of communicating to my clients and other photographers. The blog is a personal thing to me and I want to help others by giving something back. So if anyone is interested in learning about photography or photoshop, please drop me an email or leave a comment with ideas that you feel you want answered. As a working photographer I’ve had to deal with a variety of different situations and problems in photoshop – if I can help just a few by passing on my knowledge then it makes it all worth it.
I don’t like to post an entry without putting some picture up, so today I thought I would put up a picture that I took whilst on holiday with my family. Whilst away we did the whole touristy bit in London. I’ve posted a quick snapshot of Big Ben which my oldest son was very taken with.
Look forward to hearing from some of you with your questions.
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A Fun Day
I recently had the opportunity to shoot an up and coming Hip Hop band from Edinburgh called NorthernXposure. We got together and used some of the back streets down the High Street as a backdrop. It was a great day which ended up in Princes Street Gardens with a little bit of a crowd wondering what was going on! Thanks to NorthernXposure for the opportunity – just remember me when you are big and famous!
Here are some of the picks from the day:
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