A story behind every photo...

This is a photograph from a recent photo shoot I did for a make up artist. I liked this photograph most of all so thought I'd post it to my blog. 

The story behind this shoot, was that the make up artist (Joanna) runs an online retro-vintage clothes store. All of the pieces she sells are unique one-off items, and she had a few which needed photographing for her site. This particular item was a pussy-cat bow blouse. 

We decided to theme the shoot. I like to make little stories about photo shoots, I've always been interested in stories since I was a kid. Before I got into photography, I used to spend a lot of my spare time writing, so I'm driven by plots, narrative, and characters and that's something I try to bring into my photographs. 


The theme of this shoot was to create four different personas for each of the outfits. We decided that we'd go with different card suits for this. The pussycat bow was teamed with a pair of killer heels and a black leather pencil skirt. This was the Queen of Spades look. Our Diamond queen wore leopard print leggings, a shiny quilted clutch bag, and a black bodysuit. Our Jack (or Jill) of Clubs went for a clubber look (of course!), with a MC Hammer pink t-shirt, black leggings, and a wild sequins boyfriend blazer. Finally, the Queen of Hearts was dolled up to look like a 50's pin-up girl.

The thing I enjoy about these sorts of shoots, is that I have this chance to get quite experimental. It's hard work - but half the hard work really comes through the non-camera based work. 


Before I started really getting into photography, studying it, when I was taking photos for pleasure and starting out, I didn't really consider the volume of work involved behind the picture. However, when I started to take photography more seriously, I noticed how things changed. If I'm honest, I probably took less photos the more seriously I took photography. 


A shoot like this involves a lot of ground work before the button is pressed. Researching the idea, buying a background (B&Q, if you're interested), looking at what had been done before, and deciding to model the cards on 1970s style novelty playing cards, agreeing on how the photographs ought to look, what we'd do, what we wanted and didn't want. I even made a mock-up to see what I'd need to consider before I took a photograph. And that's not even the whole story as it only covers my involvement. 


After the shoot, I got to work on editing the photos. 


Although I don't take a machine-gun approach to my photography, I do make sure I take as many as I can. My approach is about getting the set up right first - so there are always test shots for exposure, particularly when the model changes clothes as different fabrics might need different lighting adjustments to make the photo work. Then we get into the actual shoot itself. 


We worked on different poses - what suited the model (Romy) best, what angles showed the clothes off to their best advantage, and what portrayed the character we were trying to create. Romy was great in this shoot - she really embraced the different characters and what we were trying to do, offering poses and suggestions and being pro-active in front of the camera, which was really important for me. 


I'll be honest, I'm a bit of a liar when it comes to a shoot. I usually say "just one or two more", and will fire off more than just the one or two I request. I can't help it: if something's working well, I take full advantage while I can.


Editing always takes time. I'll compare images carefully, and narrow down my selection. I divide my photographs into groups. I've got a pretty good idea of exactly what I'm looking for in a photograph, but I like to give my clients options, selecting the top cuts from each group. I also try to be aware if the client made any special requests as to shots they specifically wanted. In this case, Joanna wanted  a close up photograph of Romy's face to showcase her make up artistry - the photograph shown at the start of this entry. 

I suppose editing might seem like the easy bit, or that things can be automatically fixed by Photoshop. Photoshop has many wonderful features, but it can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. 

The idea through research and planning, is to help make sure that as much goes right before taking the photograph. There's no substitute for getting the photograph right in camera. Editing afterwards should be about enhancing what is there and removing what couldn't be avoided, for example pylons surrounding a location where there's otherwise a beautiful vista.

Sitting in front of a computer for hours, painstakingly editing photographs is hard work. Its a bit like sitting writing a business report, or analysing statistics in a spreadsheet for hours on end. You end up poring over details, cross-checking to see whether you've kept things consistent. I'm doing the same thing as I would in a darkroom. Admittedly, I'm not getting a sore back from standing over an enlarger in a darkroom, my eyesight trying to focus on something that's dimly lit and negative, my clothes stinking of chemicals from fixer and developer agents. However, much like staring at numbers on a spreadsheet, after a while, I do get cramps in my hand and need to get out my chair and stretch (it's usually around then that someone might call and ask "have you finished yet?"). I have to admit however that I enjoy editing photographs - if the hard work involved was demotivating and soul-destroying, I don't think I could continue in this line of work.


When I'm booked by a client, it's not just my ability to hold a camera that they're paying for. There's a lot of work that goes into each of those photographs before I've pressed a button, and after I've put my camera away. You've probably heard of the Pareto principle, and I suppose in this case the physical act of photographing only accounts for 20% of the work involved - the remaining 80% is image research and editing. 

Every photograph has a story to tell, including its own story of how that photograph was created from start to finish.

In the gardens

It's been a while since my last blog post, on the basis I've actually been very busy lately! In the past fortnight, I've had three separate shoots, which means three lots of editing of photographs afterwards. 

This particular post is about a personal project I've recently completed. The reason I'm writing about these photographs is basically because I really like them, and also because I like to keep working on all sorts of photographic projects whenever I can. Sometimes the influences from a shoot like this can end up being used for a bridal or portraiture shoot. I like to keep working at my photography, whether someone else plans the shoot, or its one I create myself. At any rate, personal projects keep me out of mischief. 

This photoshoot has been on the cards for a while now - it's something I've wanted to do, and as with all my most successful shoots, took a fair amount of organising, planning, and researching before I could even click the button and take the first photograph. I must admit, I was hugely nervous about this shoot. Why? Because of all the people involved, the planning, and organising, and even the weather, absolutely everything had gone perfectly right. When everything else goes right it does leave me to get on with the photographic side, and I always reserve a little nervousness for something going wrong during the shoot. I think it's simply because I care about what I do - I want to get it right, I want to exceed my own expectations, and I want to deliver success back to everyone else involved in the shoot.

 Outdoor photoshoots in Scotland can be hit or miss, in terms of the weather. Autumnal photoshoots are never a certain thing, and I spent the best part of ten days leading up to the shoot watching the weather forecast online, much like watching the lottery to see if your numbers appear. As it happened, we were exceptionately lucky. The entire week was blighted by bad weather on and off, but our shoot happened on the one day in weeks when we had unusually good weather. Being in Scotland, I do have to come prepared for a shoot. So I had some lovely colourful brollies in the event of a shower, and some nice fleecy blankets to keep the girls snug between shots.

The dresses and all the clothes used in the photoshoot were provided by Wendy from Flossy and Dossy. I was keen to work with Wendy when I saw her clothes, as I had a particular shot in mind that I wanted to create. I thought that they would be perfect in this setting.

As with any shoot I work on, I usually end up with more props than I end up using - but mostly tools and props that I can and do end up using again.

I was working with Kathryn Hughes the make up artist. I've worked with Kathryn quite a few times previously. I must admit, when I find a great make up artist, I make a point of working with them again. Kathryn and I started by comparing ideas and research as to the look we wanted for the shoot. I'm inclined to leave more of it in her hands, mostly because I know she delivers a good quality service and I trust her. But also perhaps because I occasionally have a tendency to see every idea and think "yeah! lets do that!", and if we actually went with every idea, the girls' faces would end up looking like they'd been dragged through a make-up counter backwards. 

My assistant for the day was Laura Hughes (no relation to Kathryn), who I know from my student days as a fellow photographer. Working with other photographers enables me to have someone to bounce ideas off, and someone who understands how the kit works, and can see the things I'm trying to create. 

The lovely models are Lainey Virginia Brown, and Melanie Long. Although this was my first time working with them, they were both very professional in their work, despite the long day! 

Without a committed team, I don't think the shoot would have gone as well as it did. I felt afterwards that the photographs produced met exactly to the original plan, and if I'm honest, I feel they've exceeded my own expectations. 

These photographs are currently featured (alongside more photographs) on my commercial photography website: 

http://www.kristinmitchell.co.uk in the fashion section.

Viewpark Gardens was a fantastic venue for this shoot - although now closed to the public for the winter, it's still available for bridal parties throughout the year. I think it makes a wonderful wedding photography backdrop particularly where the budget might not match the cost of a country mansion with beautiful grounds to wander round in.

Beautiful locations: Viewpark Gardens

Recently I took a brief trip to Viewpark Gardens as part of a recce for a photo shoot. As photographs go, these were snapshots. I took a point and shoot approach to these photographs, simply to act as a memory jog and to help inspire me with my research.

The gardens are run by North Lanarkshire Council, and open to the public. They're also available for brides and grooms to hire for photoshoots; which is perfect if your venues aren't quite as picturesque as you'd like.

When I went on my recce, there were four sets of bridal parties arriving. Fortunately, while covering a fairly compact area, the gardens are diverse enough to accommodate more than one bride without any risk of accidentally appearing in one another's photographs. The gardens are divided into several smaller sections, all joined through corridors, but each is secluded enough to allow a group to enjoy a photoshoot without being distracted (or even aware) of anyone else around.

 I think as a location, it is perfect for creative photography, and with such a range of space, it can work well with almost any wedding theme. Whether you've been inspired by the grandeur of the Georgian period; you want the vintage style of Versailles;  you want strike a pose like a Vogue fashion shoot; or whether you're a queen of hearts with a bouquet of red roses; then Viewpark is a fantastic location to work with your wedding photographer.

My personal favourite section was the checkered floor. It's not a huge area, but through the clematis-clad trellis, it leads to a beautiful winding little path, taking you deeper into the garden. 

It's perfect for brides who might be trying to keep to a tighter budget, and can't quite afford a location with the soft rolling vistas across Lanarkshire but would still like somewhere beautiful for their bridal photographs. North Lanarkshire Council do request a payment of £37.90 (which includes VAT), plus you must book 21 days in advance, in writing, to use the gardens for wedding photography. 

Strike a pose....

So today I thought I'd write a post offering six tips about being in front of the camera.

Everyone reacts differently when there's a camera in front of them, regardless of whether its a friend or a professional they have hired. A lot of people don't like having their photo taken, and will wince at the sight of themselves not looking quite as Angelina Jolie as they would like.

However, there are things you can do, to make what you have look great. I suggest you actually try doing them as you're reading them.

Make the most of who you are, play up to the camera with your own special virtues, and you'll end up with a photo that Angelina Jolie might wish for.


1. Hold your head
A lot of the time, when someone takes a photo, the person in the photo will often pull their head back. It's an instant reflex, where we somehow manage to think the room is only 1 metre wide, and we need to pull our face back as far as possible so we fit in through the lens. To paraphrase Jamelia: Stop!

If the photographer is too close, then either step back, or get them to step back. But don't push your head back. I call this the turtle look, where we look like turtles retreating into our shells, and our chin remarkably evolves into folds of neck. The other danger is tilting your head up, so everyone gets a lovely shot of nostrils. Great, if that's the look you're going for, but normally people aren't aiming for that appearance.

So here's the tip: stand tall - you know all those tips about posture and invisible lines pulling you up? This will lengthen the neckline. Now, you don't want to do the whole ladies finishing school thing of pretending to balance books on your head, because usually that means your chin is tilted upward.  Gently tilt your head forward, and downward at the chin. Keep your neck lengthened, and your chin tilted down slightly, as if you're resting it on the edge of a table. Voila - goodbye multi-chins and volcanic looking nostrils, hello graceful, defined jawline!


2. Stand at an angle
A camera effectively flattens a three dimensional scene into two dimensions when it takes a photograph. It makes everything into height and width, and it can miss the more subtle nuances of a person. I rarely stand straight on in a photo, because I end up looking like a podgy cut out. This is because the camera creates the image from what is in front of it, which if I'm straight on, is from left to right, my widest part across my hips and tum. 

 The two dimensions however can be used to your advantage. By standing at an angle to the camera, anyone can look instantly slimmer in a photograph. You will need to practice this in the mirror first of all though, but it's fairly easy to do when you've worked it out. Protractor is optional.

First of all, imagine the camera is right in front of you. From where you're standing now, turn your body 45 degrees from the camera. Don't go the full 90 - you will end up looking like a police mug shot.
 
Rest your body weight more towards the leg farthest from the camera. Point your closest leg (and foot) towards the camera, about 10 degrees.

Now twist your head and shoulders back round towards the camera, without moving your hips or feet. Don't turn your head straight on to the camera though - keep it at a slight angle (10 degrees or so). It's the left-right thing again - keep it at a slight angle if you want to slim the shape of your face a bit or show off your cheekbones.

This is the lovely Alison from Plans and Presents, posing for me.  She gets the pose spot on. Flick through any magazine or newspaper and look at the stars on the red carpet. 80% of them will be striking exactly the same pose (the other 20% tend to turn round and show off their backs, but that's another story).

3. Smile!
Sounds daft, but it's something people seem to forget to do! Don't go for the full-on cheesy grin though, but a relaxed, and content smile. I've seen people pouting quite a lot in photos. Pouting can be hit or miss really - you only really know when you finally see the photo and either feel content with it, or it makes you cringe. Safest bet is to smile. And smile with your eyes too! Take a deep breath, and exhale slowly and calmly, and let a smile creep gently on your face. I find this usually makes people's eyes smile a little bit more.

4. What to do with the hands?
If you're following my advice so far, then you might be wondering what to do with your hands. Well, in the photo above, Alison has elongated her figure by placing her hand on her thigh. As I said before, the camera turns everything into two dimensions, seeing everything as left to right. If you've achieved the 45 degree turn, then you're showing your figure at its slimmest angle. Let your arm relax (without slouching the shoulder), and it'll accentuate length of the body.

Place your hand over your hip, or thigh, and your hand will automatically look bigger than your body (without being a giant, out of proportion hand).

Try to avoid folding your arms - unless you're doing a slightly comical angry pose. Folding the arms tends to cut the body in two and can be a little less flattering.

5. Turn to the light.
Maybe, like me, you're a bit of a fan of America's Next Top Model, in which case you'll have heard Tyra instructing models to "find the light", shortly before they get ousted. Unless you're going for a particularly artistic photograph and your photographer is going for slightly dramatic, then my suggestion is to face the light source. The reason for this, is that you'll reduce any harsh shadows across your face. I don't mind my nose, but if the light is at the wrong angle, it does turn my face into a sundial. Light can catch anything - including wrinkles, and cast shadows. Turn your face towards the light and you reduce those shadows, and keep your skin looking much smoother.



6. Avoid the light!
Yeah, I'm going to contradict myself here. But this isn't about any light. This is the sun! If you've ever had someone take a photo of you outside only to look at it and hate it because your face is scrunched up, then here's my top tip - turn away from the sun. Ask your photographer to turn on their flash, and take the photo. You'll be able to relax your face a little more, and your photographer will get a much better photo.


Hopefully these tips will help you get the most out of being in front of the camera, and you'll end up with more beautiful photographs than before.

If you've got any questions or want any advice and you'd like me to write about in my blog regarding photography, feel free to email me!

Plans and Presents - the photoshoot

So I thought I'd write a blog post today about my photoshoot last week with Alison from Plans and Presents.

I really like working in the West End of Glasgow because it does offer such a wide variety of locations in a small area. I like places where locations are within short walking distances. Partly because I don't really want my clients to feel tired from being marched around, but also because I usually have a considerable amount of equipment to haul. While the weight isn't always an issue, it's usually the awkwardness of bag shapes that can be the problem. If you've ever tried dragging large cumbersome suitcases around, you probably have a fair idea how you always end up a magnet for people to walk directly towards. Same thing happens when I've got a long tripod bag over my shoulder.

Following my reccie I knew I wanted to use the cloisters at Glasgow university for this shoot. I also had a pretty good idea of something I wanted to do with the lighting. I prefer keeping my lighting as simple as possible, something I've gradually learned over time that too many lights can spoil a photo.

Alison started her business over a year ago, and in that short space of time she's become an influential figure in Scotland for weddings and event organisation, clear proof of her hard work,  determination and passion for providing a good service to her clients. She's also incredibly friendly, something I daresay has helped her to succeed with working with people towards their weddings.

Alison was keen to have some professional photographs taken which were more current. I was more than happy to do this, and I felt that she would suit a classic contemporary image.

To me, portraiture is a bit like clothes shopping. One size doesn't fit all, one style doesn't always suit all people either. You need to get a feel, an idea for what would and can work. Poses, lighting, and post production are all important factors to consider with the end result.

Alison came wearing a lovely cerise top with smart black trousers and shoes, looking very professional and smart. Combined with her raven black hair and dark eyes, I knew I wanted this to be very much about colour and keeping everything about the photographs striking and bold.

We started the shoot at the Cloisters, and moved round the campus to a large wooden door which had gorgeous warm tones and texture and I felt this would work in a photograph.

After leaving the university, we walked over to Cranworth Lane - which I consider perhaps the equally attractive but lesser visited cousin of Ashton Lane. I felt this gave a lovely cosmopolitan setting for the next set of photographs, and the black and white exteriors really worked well as a simple monochromatic backdrop to Alison's bright top.

Finally, we headed to the Botanics. I decided to give Alison a more relaxing pose to assume, and asked her to lie down for me. While the weather is good, I wanted to take the chance to do something a little more summery.

Those fluffy white clouds, blue sky and green grass won't be around much longer, so here was a chance to take full advantage of them as a backdrop.

While studios are great places to work with portraits (especially if its raining or you want a change of clothes, or space to be more experimental), I do enjoy shooting on location much more. I think this is because I find it so much more versatile. Also, working outside means I get to use one of the most powerful lights I can - the sun. No batteries or wires and so powerful to use and easy to manipulate to work with a portrait.

Working with Alison was an absolute pleasure for this shoot. A good shoot to me is as much about chemistry and people enjoying it, as it is about the photographs at the end. The best photographs usually show a good rapport between the subject and the photographer, something you get when both parties enjoy the shoot. Alison is naturally friendly and easy to talk to and I think she bonded well with the camera. Relaxing and enjoying yourself are integral to a successful shoot, feeling tense or frustrated tend to come out in facial expressions or body language very quickly and any subconscious behaviour can be impossible to control, so it all gets picked up by the camera.

That's why I think it's so important to meet with wedding photographers before you hire them. If you don't click off camera, the images might not click on your big day.

Previewing locations

So this week, I had a portrait photoshoot with the wonderful wedding and event planner, Alison from Plans and Presents.


Alison was one of the first wedding suppliers to make contact with me and that's something I hold in high regard - friendliness is what you practice.

The downside with any shoot in Scotland is our weather climate. Arranging a photoshoot in advance by more than a few days is a bit like a photographic roulette. A week prior to the shoot, I was constantly checking the BBC online weather, which predicted heavy showers throughout the day. This meant that I needed a plan B, with potential indoor locations sourced.

I managed to find a couple of fall-back locations, who were willing to help out.

Normally when I'm organising a shoot, I have an idea of where I want to go, and start sourcing potential venues and locations almost immediately. Reccie's are an important part of my photography - making sure that a location is usable. I usually try to go a few days before, but no more than a week in advance. In the space of a week, anything can happen, including building works, scaffolding, repairs, which can transform a gorgeous location into a less photogenic building site.

Indoor locations are occasionally harder than outdoor ones - simply for seeking permission to use premises, and trying to fit around any busy periods. Some locations might request something in exchange, money, photos, services. Others might allow a photographer to work there, but forbid flash photography, or the use of tripods. Depending on the location, I might forgo flash, but in those circumstances it's near impossible to work without a tripod. 

In the end, I didn't use them, as it turned out the BBC weather forecast, even on the day of the shoot, had been hopelessly wrong about the weather. No rain, those high winds were little less than a gentle breeze, and a blue sky just glowing with sunshine and small fluffy candyfloss clouds.

The above photograph is taken from the reccie in the cloisters at Glasgow University. This location is very popular with wedding photographers, the combination of those lovely arches and pillars and vaulted ceiling with a bride in a white dress and floaty veil usually works beautifully, creating a gorgeous classic combination, worthy of canvases on lounge walls.

This was one of the locations we used during Alison's portrait shoot - it works well in any weather and any season. The sunshine poured between the arches, creating large pools of light across the floor, adding to the drama of the location.

Within a small area, the west end of Glasgow is a rich oasis of photographic locations, which is mostly why I chose it for this particular shoot. Want a wild countryside look? Head to the river Kelvin and walk along the banks under trees. Want something a little more tame? Botanic Gardens is a perfect location with its manicured lawns. For an urban setting, wandering around Byres Road and Great Western Road offers a wealth of options; for cobbled streets and artisan craft shops, Cranworth Lane is an outstanding location.

I'll post some of the photos from Alison's shoot later in the week when she's had a chance to view them (and hopefully she'll like them).

Summers end

Kerry and Stew's wedding, originally uploaded by Kristin Mitchell photography.

So here we are, start of September, and I'd say it's the start of Autumn. Almost.

I really love Autumn. It's my favourite season in the year. I love the colours associated with Autumn; I love the clothes and colours and fabrics that come with autumnal fashions; I love the smells (aside from when the fields are being sprayed - do not like). I love waking up and seeing a proper dawn, and feeling like I've actually woken up at the start of a new day. I love the light mists across the countryside; I love the smell of burning wood and bonfires. I'm possibly also slightly biased, as Autumn is my birthday season, and I'll be honest, I really like the cake, presents, and excitement about having a birthday.

When I was a child, I was quite happy to go back to school at the end of summer. Back in those days, there was of course a bit of me wishing for a slightly longer summer holiday, with flexible bedtimes and a distinct lack of homework. However, I did enjoy going into a new classroom, a new teacher with no idea about me, new jotters and books needing covered, new everything, including school bag and school uniform. All that newness appealed to me. Within a week however, the novelty would have worn off, but I still enjoyed the Autumn term, with two mid-term holidays (September weekend and October break which occasionally fell right after my birthday), and drawing and making things for Halloween and Guy Fawkes Day.

Last week felt very much like summer's last stand. I like summer (aside from when its too hot or when I've got hayfever), but Autumn feels special. It feels like a celebration, or a fireworks display of colour before the night of winter arrives.

So with my thinking cap on, I'm in the middle of trying to come up with some more autumnal flavoured photoshoots. I really want to take advantage of the season of colours. More than that, it's about taking advantage of the change of light. Autumn feels so fleeting, but it's a really beautiful month, so a perfect time to go out and be a photographer.

Hello!

Well, I thought I'd start off with a little hello from me, Kristin. I am a full time, professional photographer and Struve Photography is my wedding and family portrait photography business.

I'm based in Livingston but very flexible with traveling around Scotland.


I've got a website - http://www.struvephotography.co.uk where I keep my portfolio, but the purpose of this blog is to show some of my sources of inspiration, which in turn might inspire other people too.


I don't just get my inspiration from looking at photographs, but from a whole raft of sources, often the things I'm into in my spare time end up giving me ideas for my professional work. For example, I love knitting, and I'm fascinated by the whole world of D.I.Y. crafting and craftiness. In turn, that inspires the things I look at when I'm taking photographs, what I spot through the view finder, all the little details like buttons and bows. It also influences the way I treat photographs and present them, thinking about lovely vintage pastel washes, or bright and vibrant contemporary colours. 

So this blog is about all of that. It's about watching old movies or modern day classics, its about D.I.Y., its the wishlist of things I would love to have or do, a place for thoughts and idle dreams. And in among that, there are the things that I want to bring to the mix, to add as my contribution through my photography.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog. Before I sign off though, a request in advance - if you ever think about getting in touch, leaving a message, dropping a line, or simply saying hello across the internet, please do! It's always good to hear from people, even if you're not necessarily looking for a photographer (or maybe you are one yourself).


Regards,

K x