Behind my photographs...

I thought that today, I'd share something a little bit different with you. I thought I'd share something from inside my camera bag - probably one of my most vital tools, most effective tools, and without a doubt, a real little unsung hero.

This is my notebook and it accompanies me on every engagement and wedding shoot I do.

 It's a tatty looking little thing, still has the original price tag on it, which might look expensive for a notebook, but it's a smashing little thing for the jobs it does. It's very thick, has plenty of pages, and it just fits in my pocket. It doesn't need batteries, it doesn't break or crack if I drop it. I can update it without needing any external power source or memory.

Before I go on engagement or wedding shoots, I do research. I learned to do this at college, and it's something I continue to do now. I love looking at photos which inspire me, and I make notes about what I like, and what I can use. I make notes about composition, lighting, depth of field... anything and everything that I love about really good quality photographs.

It serves to do a few things. Firstly, it means I've always got a reference, so I won't run short on ideas. Secondly, it means I've thought about what I'm going to do before I turn up on the day. I understand the idea behind "spontaneous" photos and how much every bride, groom, and photographer wants them, but the reality is perfect spontaneous photos aren't guaranteed to happen. It's like predicting rainbows. Personally, I don't like leaving that much to chance. So a little nudge of an idea is needed to get the ball rolling again, and that's where my notebook comes in.

Its a discipline I learned at college, and it worked perfectly there. When I had to do shoots, I usually took my (much bigger) college workbook with me. It allowed me to show models and make up artists, what I was trying to achieve. It allowed me to think in advance about the lighting, and get on with it. I take aspects I like, and then put my spin on it. I select images I like for their aesthetic quality that appeals to me. I adapt it to suit the situation I'm in and I make it my own.

I liken the process to music. If you're a musician, you start by learning from other composers. You learn arrangements of music, timings, you learn how it all goes together. When you start composing for yourself, you're taking what you've learned from other composers and adjusting it and adapting it, using parts you like in a way you like, and making it all your own.

 So I thought I'd show you how some of my favourite photos over the last 12 months came together....

 

You might notice that some of the photos seem a bit different to their actual notebook equivalent. It's about having a starting point. You can probably also see why I'm a photographer and not an artist! I like to use these as a visual aid, with notes underneath about composition.

Going through the notebook recently, I realised how many of my favourite photographs I've taken have come from ideas I've scribbled in the notebook.

I think it's interesting though to consider that this isn't just a me thing. It's not even just a photography thing. Bob Monkhouse famously had loads of journals, full of jokes. Personally speaking, this simple system works wonders for me, but it's definitely part of the process of my work as I never turn up to a wedding or engagement shoot without preparation and planning.