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	<title>Learn Photography Tips Blog &#187; Features</title>
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		<title>How I Got The Shot: Pregnant Glow</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2012/01/15/how-i-got-the-shot-pregnant-glow/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2012/01/15/how-i-got-the-shot-pregnant-glow/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:33:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How I Got The Shot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[7d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[off camera flash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[portrait]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[softbox]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1963</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Camera: Canon 7D Lens: Canon EF-S 17 &#8211; 55mm f/2.8 IS USM Aperture: f/8 Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec ISO: 100 Flash: Off-camera flash, using Lastolite Ezybox 24&#8243; x 24&#8243; Softbox Kit and 580 EX II Flash Focal Length: 35 mm Shooting Mode: Aperture Priority Post processing: Lightroom 3; increased fill light, slight increase in exposure, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Camera:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NEGTTW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B002NEGTTW" target="_blank">Canon 7D</a><br />
<strong>Lens: </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EW8074/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B000EW8074" target="_blank">Canon EF-S 17 &#8211; 55mm f/2.8 IS USM</a><br />
<strong>Aperture:</strong> f/8<br />
<strong>Shutter Speed:</strong> 1/250 sec<br />
<strong>ISO:</strong> 100<br />
<strong>Flash: </strong>Off-camera flash, using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002FL4X46/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B002FL4X46" target="_blank">Lastolite Ezybox 24&#8243; x 24&#8243; Softbox Kit</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NP3DJW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B000NP3DJW" target="_blank">580 EX II Flash</a><br />
<strong>Focal Length:</strong> 35 mm<br />
<strong>Shooting Mode:</strong> Aperture Priority<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Post processing:</strong> Lightroom 3; increased fill light, slight increase in exposure, added vignette.</p>
<div id="attachment_1964" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 610px"><img class="size-full wp-image-1964" title="pregnant-glow" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pregnant-glow.jpg" alt="pregnant glow off camera flash" width="600" height="908" /><p class="wp-caption-text">&#39;Pregnant Glow&#39;</p></div>
<p>This is a shot of my wife; we&#8217;re expecting our first child in just under a week&#8217;s time (eeek!), and we wanted some nice photos of the &#8216;bump&#8217; &#8211; this is our favourite shot from an evening&#8217;s photoshoot we did in our lounge last week. I&#8217;m still learning lots about off-camera flash, but I&#8217;m really happy with how this shot came out.</p>
<p>For anyone who&#8217;s on the fence about whether to try their hand at off-camera flash, I really recommend going out there and doing it. Sure, there&#8217;s a lot to learn, and it can seem daunting at first, but when you get a really nice shot, it&#8217;s all worth it. There&#8217;s also a fantastic book about off-camera flash called &#8216;The Speedliter&#8217;s Handbook&#8217;, <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/06/26/the-speedliters-handbook-review/" target="_blank">which I did a review of</a> &#8211; it really talks to you in a no-nonsense, practical way; cutting through all the jargon and just showing you how to light things &#8211; I heartily recommend it.</p>
<p>For this shot, we got rid of some paintings on the wall in our lounge, and I set up my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002FL4X46/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B002FL4X46" target="_blank">580 EX II Flash</a> in a softbox, camera-right (using the fantastic <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002FL4X46/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=leathelig-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B002FL4X46" target="_blank">Lastolite Ezybox 24&#8243; x 24&#8243; Softbox Kit</a>). The below lighting diagram is my (incredibly bad) way of showing you how the lighting setup looked like (idea taken from the great <a href="http://www.guessthelighting.com" target="_blank">GuessTheLighting.com</a>)</p>
<div id="attachment_1965" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 273px"><img class="size-full wp-image-1965" title="pregnant-glow-lighting" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pregnant-glow-lighting.jpg" alt="" width="263" height="310" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Yep, I&#39;m obviously not an artist...!</p></div>
<p>I couldn&#8217;t really show it in the drawing very well, but the softbox was actually positioned a little way <em>behind</em> my wife, so it was pointing a little bit more towards camera, rather than directly at her. This meant that the light from the flash wrapped around her somewhat, and gives a really nice sense of depth to the image.</p>
<p>I shot at ISO 100 so that the image was as clean as possible, and used a shutter speed of 1/250 sec and aperture of f/8 so that no other light &#8211; apart from the flash &#8211; was part of the exposure. There were some low-level lights in the room (so we could see what we were doing, and could achieve focus!), but because I was shooting at 1/250 sec, with an aperture of f/8 and ISO 100, it meant that this low-level light was not part of the exposure &#8211; exactly what I wanted, as I just wanted the light from the flash to be the only light source.</p>
<p>So, I dialed in those settings, and took a test shot (before turning on the flash). The shot looked totally black, which is what I wanted. I then turned on the flash, using the 7D&#8217;s built-in wireless trigger capabilities to fire the 580 EX II through the softbox. After some trial and error with changing the power of the flash (I shot in manual flash mode, changing the power of the flash down if I thought it was too bright, or up if it was too dark) I got the shot above!</p>
<p>As I mentioned above, I really recommend reading &#8216;<a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/06/26/the-speedliters-handbook-review/" target="_blank">The Speedliter&#8217;s Handbook</a>&#8216; if you want to get into off-camera flash; I tried to find out information on the internet about doing it, but didn&#8217;t find information half as good (or half as easy to understand) as in The Speedliter&#8217;s Handbook.</p>
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		<title>Guest Post: Visualization In Photoshop</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2012/01/02/guest-post-visualization-in-photoshop/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2012/01/02/guest-post-visualization-in-photoshop/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:15:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guest Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How To...]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo Editing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to...]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photoshop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[portrait]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1953</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The following in a guest post by Villian, from Villian Conception. You can also follow Villian on Twitter and Facebook &#8211; thanks for your guest article, Villian! Visualizing in Photoshop is a skill that very few learn, it is something that pros do daily.  You must see before you can reveal to your audience.  Visualization [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1954" title="mindbodysoul_FINAL" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mindbodysoul_FINAL.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="750" /></p>
<p><em>The following in a guest post by Villian, from <a href="http://www.villianconception.com/" target="_blank">Villian Conception</a>. You can also follow Villian on <a href="http://twitter.com/avillian" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/villianspage" target="_blank">Facebook</a> &#8211; thanks for your guest article, Villian!</em></p>
<p>Visualizing in Photoshop is a skill that very few learn, it is something that pros do daily.  You must see before you can reveal to your audience.  Visualization in Photoshop is the process of planning your shot with overlay drawings and grids to get the most out of your project.  It is a pivotal step in making your project pop and in giving it a real jolt from your imagination into reality.</p>
<p>I wanted to introduce visualization to those who are not familiar with it’s process so, I will take you step by step so that you can understand what the purpose is and how to use it.  There are many ways to visualize in Photoshop but I will show you my method it is neither wrong or right it is just one way.  I will hope to find your own way as your journey into the visualization process.</p>
<p><strong>Plan Your Shot</strong></p>
<p>Before anything goes onto paper you must plan your idea even in it’s vague form a general idea is extremely important because this will reveal how you will actually shoot the piece.  For this shot I knew far in advance that I wanted him to be a warrior &#8211; somewhat like the Aztec warriors aggressive but really valiant in their traits.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1956" title="mindbodysoul_RAW" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mindbodysoul_RAW.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="750" /></p>
<p><strong>The Outline</strong></p>
<p>When starting to visualize it always starts in your head, the first step is getting it down on paper.  I generally jot down things that hit my mind like so.  Using action words and presence words that really give me a good image are the best way to go.</p>
<ol start="1">
<li>warrior</li>
<li>rough</li>
<li>tribal</li>
<li>conquering</li>
<li>defiant</li>
<li>honour</li>
</ol>
<p>Writing down the outline is usually the most important part of visualization.   Ironically it’s words that will help you see your image more clearly.  I commonly go back and look at them to see if my picture symbolizes the words that I originally wrote down.  I have never been disappointed in my work that matches it’s original intent, without the outline my thoughts sometimes slip away from it’s true purpose.</p>
<p><strong>The Skeleton</strong></p>
<p>After writing down my outline for the picture, I do what I call a skeleton.  The skeleton is the basic building blocks of the actual visual things I plan on being in the picture.   In the Skeleton I plan out things such as light source, atmosphere, colours, particles, and digital makeup.  The skeleton literally is my road map to my final destination.  The purpose of the skeleton is not to confine but to refine your detail in a thought out way.   I find myself going outside of it from time to time, but usually not much.  Look below at the skeleton.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1957" title="mindbodysoul_SKELETON" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mindbodysoul_SKELETON.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="750" /></p>
<p><strong>How to make a Skeleton in Photoshop- </strong><br />
-Make a new layer on top of your photo<br />
-Always save a second copy of your psd.<br />
-On the new layer use your favourite paint brush or pencil<br />
-You can write with a tablet or use type words like me<br />
-Using colours to represent your skeleton features is a good idea<br />
-Repeat and Rinse add layers as necessary.</p>
<p>After you have your road map developed you can begin to actually build layers onto your photo and actually put in the puzzle pieces that will make your image complete.  Just remember to always visualize, it will make you more observant of the possibilities.  Keep in mind you may find your own method of visualization &#8211; there are plenty and don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t, you can and you will.  Good Day.</p>
<p>Villian</p>
<p>Thanks again to Villian, from <em><a href="http://www.villianconception.com/" target="_blank">Villian Conception</a>, for this article. You can also follow Villian on <a href="http://twitter.com/avillian" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/villianspage" target="_blank">Facebook.</a></em></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1958" title="mindbodysoul_FINAL_short" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mindbodysoul_FINAL_short.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="322" /></p>
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		<title>Learn From The Experts: An Interview With Jordan Weeks</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/12/07/learn-from-the-experts-an-interview-with-jordan-weeks/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/12/07/learn-from-the-experts-an-interview-with-jordan-weeks/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:58:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learn From The Experts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[action photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to...]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jordan weeks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[learn from the experts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[off camera flash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sports photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surf photography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1918</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve been really lucky this week, and have managed to bag an interview with Jordan Weeks, an incredibly talented sports photographer from the UK. Jordan has been commissioned for photography gigs all across Europe, and he caught my eye last week when I stumbled upon some of his brilliant surf photography &#8211; some examples of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_1919" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 260px"><img class="size-full wp-image-1919" title="jordan-weeks" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jordan-weeks.jpg" alt="Jordan Weeks" width="250" height="159" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Jordan Weeks</p></div>
<p>I&#8217;ve been really lucky this week, and have managed to bag an interview with Jordan Weeks, an incredibly talented <a href="http://www.jordanweeks.com/" target="_blank">sports photographer</a> from the UK.</p>
<p>Jordan has been commissioned for photography gigs all across Europe, and he caught my eye last week when I stumbled upon some of his brilliant surf photography &#8211; some examples of which are further in this post.</p>
<p>Anyway, enough of my rambling; on to the interview (after one of Jordan&#8217;s great action portraits)!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1922" title="surfer-run-portrait" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/surfer-run-portrait.jpg" alt="surfer running portrait by Jordan Weeks" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<p><strong>Hi Jordan, and thanks a lot for taking the time to do an interview for us. I love your photography, so it’s really exciting to be able to talk to you and share your work with the readers of Learning The Light. Anyways, I suppose I should get to my first question! And that questions is this: What drew you to action/sports photography?</strong></p>
<p>I first got into action sports photography when I was at college studying photography. I was also a keen surfer at the time. One day, the surf was set to be huge, the weather conditions were perfect, and I decided to head down to my local beach for a surf. However, I had forgotten my surfboard, and only had my camera with me. So I started to shoot some pictures from the cliffs as these massive waves smashed onto the shore. Within a few weeks, these images were published in a local surf magazine, and I haven&#8217;t stopped shooting since.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1924" title="running-woman" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/running-woman.jpg" alt="running woman - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="600" height="399" /></p>
<p><strong>One of my favourite shots of yours is the one of a female running through a field (above). I love the low angle and inherent drama. Can you tell me a little bit more about how you got the shot?</strong></p>
<p>Yeah, this was one of those photo shoots which worked out really well. I was out with my girlfriend, and had planned to take some &#8216;self assignment&#8217; portfolio photos of her running. The plan was to get a series of action and scenic photos, using as little camera kit as possible (I usually  end up taking too much kit with me on photo shoots). They were all shot using the available natural light, no reflectors or flash units. I felt that this technique would help to give a sense of natural freedom to the sport of running &#8211; and I think it worked out well. But I still continue to carry too much camera kit around!</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1925" title="cyclist-looking-down" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cyclist-looking-down.jpg" alt="cyclist - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="599" height="900" /></p>
<p><strong>You have some fantastic cycling photography on your website. For anyone trying to capture what must be such a difficult subject – a fast moving cyclist – can you give them any tips?</strong></p>
<p>Yeah sure&#8230; it can be tough tracking cycling with your camera, especially road cyclists as they can be traveling at speeds in excess of 40mph on the flat. I think one of the best tips which I can give, is that if you plan to photograph the subject from the side, from a static position, as the subject moves past, make sure you pan with the subject as you take the shot. Learning how to pan your camera correctly can be tough, but once you get the hang of it, and successfully move the camera in time with subject, the results can be fantastic. If however, you are shooting a cyclist from an angle or head on as they come toward you, i&#8217;d recommend opening the aperture right up to f2.8 if possible, in order to blur out the background, which in turn will bring the viewers eye to the main subject.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/wave.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1927" title="wave" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/wave.jpg" alt="wave - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="600" height="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Let’s cut to some gear talk. What’s your favourite lens for sports photography, and why?</strong></p>
<p>Funnily enough I get asked this question quite often, and the answer is not what most would expect. I typically use my 300mm f2.8 lens for surfing shots, but my favourite lens of all is my Canon 17-40mm lens. Yes, I know it&#8217;s a wide angle lens, but when I shoot sports, I like to get up close and personal where possible. Sometimes this has brought me close to danger, and I&#8217;ve nearly lost my camera as a result, so I wouldn&#8217;t recommend getting close with anything too fast or dangerous. But for set-up running and cycling shots, when you can speak with your subject and tell them what you plan to do, the resulting images from getting a wide angle perspective can be awesome.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1940" title="wave-surfer-black-white" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/wave-surfer-black-white.jpg" alt="black white surfer - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="600" height="400" /><br />
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1928" title="wave-surfer-black-white-close" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/wave-surfer-black-white-close.jpg" alt="black and white surfer - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<p><strong>I love your surfing photography; you have so many stunning shots on your online portfolio. Are you a bit of a surfer yourself? How do you manage to get such close-up action shots without risking drowning your equipment?</strong></p>
<p>Some of my surf shots were captured from the water using a custom built water housing which was made for my camera. You have to get seriously close with this set up as it uses a 15mm fisheye lens. So working with surfers who you know are good at their sport is an important factor. When shooting from the beach or shore, I use a Canon 300mm f2.8 lens with a 2x convertor (if required). This telephoto lens setup brings me right in on the action, and is super fast at auto focusing fast moving subjects too, which is a must for any good sports photo.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1930" title="runner-2" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/runner-2.jpg" alt="runner - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="600" height="399" /></p>
<p><strong>What’s been your most challenging photography assignment?</strong></p>
<p>I remember photographing at the IronMan triathlon event in nice, france, back in 2005. It was during a heat wave, and I had been commissioned to photograph all day. There was no shade on the Promenade Des Anglaise, which is where I had to shoot from. I stood there all day, heavily loaded with all of my camera kit, in the scorching sun. I was sun burnt, dehydrated and tired. But I still got the shots which I needed, and the end client was still pleased with the results.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1931" title="beach-landscapre" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/beach-landscapre.jpg" alt="beach landscape - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="599" height="900" /></p>
<p><strong>What tips would you give to someone who would like to break in to the professional photography world?</strong></p>
<p>I think any type of photography requires you to have an interest in what you are shooting. I photograph what I love. If i&#8217;m not photographing the sports which I work with, it&#8217;s usually because i&#8217;m taking part in them myself. I love my subject matter, and I honestly believe that it is this passion and understanding of my subject, that enables me to produce a better quality of work.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1932" title="silhouete" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/silhouete.jpg" alt="silhouette - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="600" height="399" /></p>
<p><strong>Do you have a favourite type of sports photography that you really love to shoot?</strong></p>
<p>Anything that makes me feel alive really. I try to capture the adrenalin and excitement in every sports photograph which I take. If I don&#8217;t feel excited about the subject, I probably wouldn&#8217;t shoot it. I have worked with runners, cyclists, surfers, triathletes, swimmers and much more. My subjects are usually all involved in outdoor sports, and their sports typically have an element of adventure. This is why I use the tagline &#8216;ADVENTURE. Captured and Delivered&#8217; for my photography business.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1929" title="off-cam-flash" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/off-cam-flash.jpg" alt="off camera flash - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="599" height="900" /></p>
<p><strong>I love your off-camera flash work. What equipment do you use?</strong></p>
<p>I actually use standard flash units for these images. I don&#8217;t have any fancy strobes and generators. I use just one Canon Speedlite. It&#8217;s a technique which I use very little, but when I do, I have always been happy with the results, as have my clients. I tend to use the flash unit bare (no soft boxes of umbrellas) and point it directly at my subject, I then under expose the background of the photo by maybe 2-3 stops, and expose the subject (which is flash illuminated) at the correct exposure. This makes the background seem dark a dramatic and leaves the foreground or subject exposed as normal. The technique involves a little trial and error, but once you get the hang of it, the photographs produced can look great!</p>
<p><strong><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1933" title="field" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/field.jpg" alt="field - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="600" height="900" /><br />
If you could work alongside any photographer in the world – past or present – who would it be and why?</strong></p>
<p>I would have to choose Chase Jarvis. Chase is a commercial photographer from Seattle. I think his work is fantastic and I often find myself turning his way for inspiration.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1939" title="wide-angle-road" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/wide-angle-road1.jpg" alt="fish eye road - Jordan Weeks Photography" width="600" height="900" /></p>
<p>Thanks again to Jordan for doing this interview for us! You can check out more of Jordan&#8217;s work at <a href="http://www.jordanweeks.com" target="_blank">www.jordanweeks.com</a>, and you can also keep up to date with him via <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jordan-Weeks-Photography/247225148625009" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jordanweeks_com" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordanweeks" target="_blank">Flickr</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/110214096088801092869" target="_blank">Google+</a>. He also has a <a href="http://www.jordanweeks.com/subscribe.html" target="_blank">great newsletter</a>, where he shares lots of photography tips; I thoroughly recommend <a href="http://www.jordanweeks.com/subscribe.html" target="_blank">subscribing to it</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Winners Of Our &#8216;Proudest Photo&#8217; Competition Are&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/11/15/the-winners-of-our-proudest-photo-competition-are/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/11/15/the-winners-of-our-proudest-photo-competition-are/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:16:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Competitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landscape]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photo competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[portrait]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1912</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last month we ran our very first photo competition, asking you to show us your &#8216;proudest photo&#8217;, with your story of how you got the shot. We had lots of entries, and were really impressed with both the quality of the shots, and your accompanying tales &#8211; thanks so much to everyone who entered, or [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last month we ran our very first photo competition, asking you to show us your &#8216;proudest photo&#8217;, with your story of how you got the shot. We had lots of entries, and were really impressed with both the quality of the shots, and your accompanying tales &#8211; thanks so much to everyone who entered, or who &#8216;liked&#8217; other people&#8217;s entries on our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LearningTheLight">Facebook page</a>!</p>
<p>We had two photo canvases up for grabs, supplied by the fantastic folk at <a href="http://www.easycanvasprints.com/" target="_blank">Easy Canvas Prints</a>. So, without further ado, I decided to award the main prize to Tom Czerwinski, for his beautiful early morning light capture &#8211; and for his advice about always having a camera on you! Here&#8217;s Tom&#8217;s shot:</p>
<div id="attachment_1913" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 610px"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2536151440918&amp;set=o.160454280636400&amp;type=1&amp;theater"><img class="size-full wp-image-1913" title="canvas-main-winner" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/canvas-main-winner.jpg" alt="Tom Czerwinski First Prize Winner" width="600" height="450" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Copyright Tom Czerwinski</p></div>
<p>The second prize winner was awarded by members of our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LearningTheLight" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> (come and join us if you haven&#8217;t already!), with Ed Larom&#8217;s photo of his wife the clear winner. Here&#8217;s his shot:</p>
<div id="attachment_1914" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 543px"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1596083678031&amp;set=o.160454280636400&amp;type=1&amp;theater"><img class="size-full wp-image-1914" title="canvas-like-winner" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/canvas-like-winner.jpg" alt="Ed Larom's photo of his wife" width="533" height="800" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Copyright Ed Larom</p></div>
<p>You can follow Ed on <a href="http://www.edlaromphotography.com/">his website</a> (currently being updated at the time I&#8217;m writing this post), <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ed-Larom-Photography/268794766478296" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/Ed_Larom" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, too.</p>
<p>Thanks again for everyone who entered (it was really hard for me to pick a winner with so many great shots and stories) and <a href="http://www.easycanvasprints.com/" target="_blank">Easy Canvas Prints</a> for supplying the great prizes.</p>
<p>Stay tuned for more photo competitions coming soon&#8230;!</p>
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		<title>Join Us On Google Plus!</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/11/09/join-us-on-google-plus/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/11/09/join-us-on-google-plus/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:24:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[My Photographic Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Random Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google plus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1908</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is just a super quick post to say that we&#8217;re now on Google+, so why not head over to our page and add us to your circles?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is just a super quick post to say that we&#8217;re now on <a href="https://plus.google.com/102051266568244803907" target="_blank">Google+</a>, so why not <a href="https://plus.google.com/102051266568244803907" target="_blank">head over to our page and add us to your circles</a>?</p>
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		<title>Win A Canvas Of Your Proudest Photo</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/10/09/win-a-canvas-of-your-proudest-photo-competition/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/10/09/win-a-canvas-of-your-proudest-photo-competition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Oct 2011 11:56:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Competitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canvas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[proudest photo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1873</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[*** Please note this competition is now over, thank you everyone for your great entries! Full details of the winners will be announced soon *** It&#8217;s one thing taking a photo that you&#8217;re really happy with, but it&#8217;s another to be able to proudly display it on your wall &#8211; and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re offering [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1874" title="canvas-contest" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/canvas-contest.jpg" alt="win a photo canvas competition" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p><strong>*** Please note this competition is now over, thank you everyone for your great entries! Full details of the winners will be announced soon ***</strong></p>
<p>It&#8217;s one thing taking a photo that you&#8217;re really happy with, but it&#8217;s another to be able to proudly display it on your wall &#8211; and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re offering in our very first photo contest on LearningTheLight.com!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.easycanvasprints.com/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1876" title="easy-canvas-print" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/easy-canvas-print.jpg" alt="" width="409" height="113" /></a></p>
<p>Courtesy of <a href="http://www.easycanvasprints.com/" target="_blank">Easy Canvas Prints</a>, we have 2 photo canvases to give away: A large, 16&#8243; x 20&#8243; (worth $89) for the overall winner (to be judged by myself), and a 11&#8243; x 14&#8243; (worth $62) for the photo with the most &#8216;likes&#8217;.</p>
<p>Yep, I did just mention &#8216;likes&#8217; &#8211; as this is going to be a Facebook contest. The theme is <strong>My Proudest Photo</strong> &#8211; and all you need to do to enter is to put up the photo you&#8217;re most proud of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LearningTheLight" target="_blank">on our Facebook wall</a>, and include a comment about just why you&#8217;re so proud of your shot. As the whole point of this site is to learn more about photography, I thought it&#8217;d be nice if you could include a few sentences about how you took the photo, what it is about the shot that makes you proud of it, and so on&#8230;</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll be looking at both the quality of the photo and your accompanying &#8216;story&#8217; when judging for the main prize &#8211; so even if it&#8217;s a small &#8216;I&#8217;m proud of this shot because I finally got the blurred background I&#8217;ve been trying to get for ages&#8217;, or &#8216;I&#8217;m proud of this because I got the eyes tack-sharp&#8217;, please do write a bit about it. The more the merrier; and if you can be helping others by telling us &#8216;how you got the shot&#8217;, that&#8217;d be great.</p>
<p>As I said, I&#8217;ll be judging for the main prize, but the smaller photo canvas will be going to the photo with the most &#8216;likes&#8217; &#8211; anyone can vote on people&#8217;s photos, and you can vote for everyone&#8217;s if you wish &#8211; but you can only vote once for each photo (luckily, that&#8217;s the way &#8216;liking&#8217; on Facebook works, anyway &#8211; you can&#8217;t &#8216;like&#8217; the same thing more than once!). After you&#8217;ve put the photo on our wall, you can increase the chance of getting more likes by sharing it on your own profile and asking your friends to vote for you if you&#8217;d like!</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re a winner, you can choose to have your winning photo made into the canvas, or any other photo of yours. I&#8217;ll also feature the winning photos here on the site, too.</p>
<p>Please note, however, that as <a href="http://www.easycanvasprints.com/" target="_blank">Easy Canvas Prints</a> only deliver within the US, I&#8217;m afraid this competition is only open to US residents. Sorry about that, folks &#8211; I hope to offer some UK and rest of world prizes for future competitions.</p>
<h3>How To Enter</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/LearningTheLight" target="_blank">Visit our page on Facebook</a>, and &#8216;like&#8217; us if you haven&#8217;t already done so (you&#8217;ll need to do this so you can post on our wall).</li>
<li>Put <strong>the photo you&#8217;re most proud of</strong> on our Wall.</li>
<li>Include a comment about why you&#8217;re so proud of it. Remember, for the large canvas prize I&#8217;ll be judging both the photo and &#8216;story&#8217;, so please do include as much info as you can &#8211; if you can be helping others take similiar shots in the future, all the better!</li>
</ol>
<p>And that&#8217;s all you need to do. <em>The smaller canvas will be going to the photo with the most &#8216;likes&#8217;</em>, so feel free to share your photo on your own profile, too, or asking your friends to vote for you.</p>
<p>You have until October 31st 2011 to put your photo on our wall; a few days after that I&#8217;ll announce both my winner (for the large canvas), and the photo with the most &#8216;likes&#8217; (for the smaller canvas &#8211; so, the earlier you get the photo up on our wall, the larger your chance will be of getting the most likes!).</p>
<h3>Terms</h3>
<ul>
<li>This contest is only open to US residents (excluding Alaska, Hawaii and PO Boxes).</li>
<li>Competition ends on October 31st 2011.</li>
<li>To qualify, post the photo you&#8217;re most proud of on our Facebook wall, and include a comment about why you&#8217;re so proud of it. There are no minimum or maximum lengths for this comment, just write as much as you wish.</li>
<li>The 16&#8243; x 20&#8243; canvas prize will go to the person with the best photo AND story, and will be judged by myself.</li>
<li>The 11&#8243; x 14&#8243; canvas prize will go the photo with the most &#8216;likes&#8217; on Facebook.</li>
<li>The top photo within this blog post is for illustrative purposes only, and does not reflect the actual canvas/size of the prize (image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/buhsnarf/5155031177/" target="_blank">BuhSnarf on Flickr</a>, used with a creative commons license).</li>
<li>We will get in touch with you in November if you have won, via Facebook. If we haven&#8217;t heard back from you within a week, we reserve the right to award your prize to someone else.</li>
<li>As we will feature the winning photos on LearningTheLight.com too, please only enter if you are happy with this. We will of course link to your blog/website/Flickr profile etc, should we feature your photo on site.</li>
<li>Our decision is final. Oh yes it is.</li>
</ul>
<p>Good luck everyone, I&#8217;m really looking forward to seeing your proudest photos!</p>
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		<title>Learn From The Experts: An Interview With Marianne Taylor</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/09/11/learn-from-the-experts-an-interview-with-marianne-taylor/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/09/11/learn-from-the-experts-an-interview-with-marianne-taylor/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Sep 2011 15:25:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learn From The Experts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[learn from the experts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wedding photography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1804</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week I&#8217;ve been lucky enough to interview the fantastic London wedding photographer, Marianne Taylor. Marianne specialises in creative, reportage wedding photography, and her shots instantly drew me in when I came across her website. I really love Marianne&#8217;s work, and also admire the way she handles such a busy schedule, but at the same [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_1809" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 85px"><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="size-full wp-image-1809" title="marianne-taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/marianne-taylor.jpg" alt="Marianne Taylor" width="75" height="104" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Marianne Taylor</p></div>
<p>This week I&#8217;ve been lucky enough to interview the fantastic London wedding photographer, <a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/">Marianne Taylor</a>. Marianne specialises in creative, reportage wedding photography, and her shots instantly drew me in when I came across her website.</p>
<p>I really love Marianne&#8217;s work, and also admire the way she handles such a busy schedule, but at the same time gives out little bits of help and advice to anyone who wants to ask her a question (see the question about &#8216;Ask Me Anything&#8217; below for more info).</p>
<p>Anyway, over to Marianne (after one of her fantastic shots):</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1807" title="Photo by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/11.jpg" alt="Photo by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>Hi Marianne, and thanks a lot for doing this little interview! So, my first question: I originally found you via Twitter (<a href="http://twitter.com/mnoo" target="_blank">@mnoo</a>), where you have a large following and are a prolific twitterer. Do many of your brides find you in this way, do you know?</strong></p>
<p>Twitter for me is first and foremost about being part of a wider photographic &amp; wedding vendor community. Funnily enough being a wedding photographer is a pretty lonely occupation, with long days – and nights – tied to the computer editing pictures and doing admin. It’s invaluable to have a community to talk to and keep you sane. It’s the equivalent of  the water cooler in a traditional office environment.</p>
<p>I do have some clients I know that follow me on twitter, mostly these tend to be the kind of people who are themselves somewhat involved with either creative or online communities. I think majority of clients keep an eye on my work via <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MarianneTaylorPhotography">facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/blog/">my blog</a>.</p>
<p>To actually answer your question though, I don’t think many clients (unless they are part of the scene) initially find me via twitter, no.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1813" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong> Your photography has been featured in magazines such as <em>Cosmopolitan Bride </em>and <em>You &amp; Your Wedding</em> amongst others; can you remember what your very first magazine feature was, and how it came about?</strong></p>
<p>My first magazine features were some interviews for photography magazines, before I started doing wedding photography. My first wedding feature was in Cosmopolitan Bride magazine. Kat from <a href="http://www.rocknrollbride.com/">rocknrollbride</a> had told the Editor about my work and then told me to get in touch. I did, a lovely lunch followed, and luckily Miranda thought my pictures would work well editorially. Ever since the first Cosmo Bride feature there has been regular interest from several magazines, and I also consider Miranda a friend these days. Everything I do tends to happen quite organically, I don’t really have a grand plan or force myself on anyone. I hope that my work will do the talking in most cases.<strong></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1814" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/3.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong> You were the first photographer I came across that used the fantastic &#8216;Ask Me Anything&#8217; service (<em>check out Marianne&#8217;s page at <a href="http://www.formspring.me/mariannetaylor" target="_blank">http://www.formspring.me/<wbr>mariannetaylor</wbr></a></em>), where you literally answer any questions your readers throw at you (including technical photography questions). I found your advice and honesty incredibly helpful. Do you ever think you&#8217;d run any wedding photography workshops in the future at all?</strong></p>
<p>Thank you! I’m glad someone reads it. I enjoy helping others and wish I had more time to do it. If anyone can learn from my successes or mistakes, that’s brilliant. I get asked about mentoring quite often and it’s something that is definitely at the back of my mind and is something I am planning on mulling over more when the season slows down a bit. I definitely wouldn’t want to take anyone’s money without having a clear idea of the value I might be able to offer though.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1820" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/4.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong> If you could choose to photograph any wedding in the world, be it in the future, or a wedding from the past (yep, you can time travel for this question!), what would it be and why?</strong></p>
<p>Oh, what a hard question! I don’t think I’d have a specific person who’s wedding I’d want to photograph&#8230; The best weddings for me are when the couple are giddy about each other, and when they have planned the wedding completely on their own terms.  <strong></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1821" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/5.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="900" /></a></p>
<p><strong> Can you give our readers any advice for when they&#8217;re asked to photograph a friend&#8217;s or a family member&#8217;s wedding?</strong></p>
<p>I would say, recommend they hire a professional photographer. There are photographers for all price ranges out there, with proper equipment, insurances and back up plans and procedures. I have heard way too many horror stories of this sort of arrangement not working for one reason or another, and it’s tragic not to have pictures you love as memories from your day. I also think it’s unfair on whoever has been asked to do it, it’s pretty difficult being both a guest and a photographer at a wedding without splitting yourself in two. Also to add, when they do hire that professional, let them do their job and enjoy the day yourself!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1822" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/6.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong> Do you have a favourite lens that you like to shoot with?</strong></p>
<p>I am quite partial to the 50mm and the 35mm.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1823" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/7.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong> For me, one of the things I&#8217;ve noticed and really like about your photography is the amount of fun you capture &#8211; the smiles and laughter. Can you give us any tips on how you capture those moments?</strong></p>
<p>Patience. I have always been drawn to the authentic expressions and the only way to catch those is to be aware of situations and be ready when the moment comes. Some photographers find it difficult to slow down enough and hence might miss more of these.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1824" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/8.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong> How do you like to handle the &#8216;first dance&#8217; photos?</strong></p>
<p>Generally my assistant will hold an off camera flash for these.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1825" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/9.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong> Can you remember your very first wedding?<br />
</strong></p>
<p>My first-first wedding was back in the 90’s, but that’s so prehistoric now that it’s probably not worth mentioning! For my first wedding as Marianne Taylor Photography, I was planning on going solo. I saw the venue a couple of days before and realised the reception would be held in a dark room without any windows or artificial light what so ever.  After the initial panic, I asked my friend to come assist with off camera flash (I’ve never been a fan of on-camera flash). I feel I was otherwise fairly well prepared, I had backup equipment and I had my insurances etc. The day was a whirlwind, but went well and I loved it. We also realised how much we enjoyed working together with Susanna, and she’s been my regular assistant ever since.</p>
<p>I think one thing to point out is that I had absolutely confidence in my technical and artistic abilities at that point (of course there’s always room for improvement, mind!). I don’t think someone’s special day is the time to practice photography, that’s something you have to do before hand.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1826" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/10.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong> If you could only follow 5 people on Twitter, who would they be and why &#8211; can be photography related or not, up to you!</strong></p>
<p>Since for me twitter is primarily a hangout with my industry friends, it would be impossible to rank them like that! So here are some completely unrelated follows:<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/lightstalking" target="_blank">@LightStalking</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/photoprouk" target="_blank">@PhotoProUK</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/foundacam" target="_blank">@foundacam</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/londonist" target="_blank">@Londonist</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/heyuguysblog" target="_blank">@heyuguysblog</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1827" title="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/111.jpg" alt="Wedding photography by Marianne Taylor" width="600" height="400" /></a><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong> Lastly, what would be your top tip(s) for someone tyring to improve their photographic skills?</strong></p>
<p>Shoot, shoot, and then shoot some more&#8230;</p>
<p><em>Thanks again to Marianne for giving us this interview! You can see more of her work at her <a href="http://www.mariannetaylorphotography.co.uk/" target="_blank">main wedding photography website</a>, </em>on her <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MarianneTaylorPhotography" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, or follow her on <a href="http://twitter.com/mnoo" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</p>
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		<title>10 Awesome Music Videos Shot With A Canon 5D MK II</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/09/01/10-awesome-music-videos-shot-with-a-canon-5d-mk-ii/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/09/01/10-awesome-music-videos-shot-with-a-canon-5d-mk-ii/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Random Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canon 5d mkii]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music videos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1598</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Canon 5D MK II is a fantastic peice of kit: a brilliant camera for still photography, and pretty darn fantastic for videos too. Check out these music videos, all filmed with the camera: // // // ]]&#62;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Canon 5D MK II is a fantastic peice of kit: a brilliant camera for still photography, and pretty darn fantastic for videos too. Check out these music videos, all filmed with the camera:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4gCWBwTFI9Y" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8hYW9Y05L1A" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe><span id="more-1598"></span></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TvevVp6BxDY" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dMWN-_1onh0" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Gp2rtDT55DM" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MSq7_ZqnNGo" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fcQTL6ILmPc" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jqdz_l3gOQ0" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/en-RxGaOPps" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0NhmAXsGQkw" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
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		<title>An Inspirational Video For Budding Wedding Photographers</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/08/25/an-inspirational-video-for-budding-wedding-photographers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/08/25/an-inspirational-video-for-budding-wedding-photographers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Random Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video Guides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video guides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wedding photography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1628</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you&#8217;re a regular reader of LearningTheLight.com, you&#8217;ll have noticed that I like wedding photography &#8211; a lot. I&#8217;ve written a piece on why you can learn lots from wedding photography, for instance, and have recently been lucky enough to interview two top wedding photographers, Emma Case and David Charlwood. Anyways, I was lucky enough [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&#8217;re a regular reader of LearningTheLight.com, you&#8217;ll have noticed that I like wedding photography &#8211; a lot. I&#8217;ve written a piece on <a title="Why You Can Learn Lots From Wedding Photography" href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/01/04/why-you-can-learn-lots-from-wedding-photography/">why you can learn lots from wedding photography</a>, for instance, and have recently been lucky enough to interview two top wedding photographers, <a title="Learn From The Experts: An Interview With Emma Case" href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/08/08/learn-from-the-experts-an-interview-with-emma-case/">Emma Case</a> and <a title="Learn From The Experts: An Interview With David Charlwood" href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/08/16/learn-from-the-experts-an-interview-with-david-charlwood/">David Charlwood</a>.</p>
<p>Anyways, I was lucky enough to stumble upon this great video below, from a Seattle-based wedding photographer, Kirk Mastin (you can view his <a href="http://www.mastinstudio.com/">website here</a>). It&#8217;s a fascinating, and truly inspirational short video, explaining &#8211; in my opinion &#8211; the beauty of shooting weddings. Check it out:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/27071877?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;color=ffffff" frameborder="0" width="549" height="309"></iframe></p>
<p><span id="more-1628"></span></p>
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		<title>Learn From The Experts: An Interview With David Charlwood</title>
		<link>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/08/16/learn-from-the-experts-an-interview-with-david-charlwood/</link>
		<comments>http://www.learningthelight.com/2011/08/16/learn-from-the-experts-an-interview-with-david-charlwood/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:38:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>learningthelight</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learn From The Experts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aperture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[learn from the experts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wedding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wedding photography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.learningthelight.com/?p=1606</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m really thrilled to bring you an interview with David Charlwood today, a fantastic wedding photographer from the UK. David was one of the very first photographers I started to follow on Twitter (follow him here), and he also featured in my very first &#8216;I Wish I&#8217;d Taken This Photo&#8217; article back in March 2010. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_386" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 83px"><a href="http://twitter.com/dcharlwood"><img class="size-full wp-image-386" title="dcharlwood-twitter" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/dcharlwood-twitter.jpg" alt="David Charlwood" width="73" height="73" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">David Charlwood</p></div>
<p>I&#8217;m really thrilled to bring you an interview with David Charlwood today, a fantastic wedding photographer from the UK.</p>
<p>David was one of the very first photographers I started to follow on Twitter (<a href="http://twitter.com/dcharlwood" target="_blank">follow him here</a>), and he also featured in my <a href="http://www.learningthelight.com/2010/03/19/i-wish-id-taken-this-photo-boscombe-pier/" target="_blank">very first &#8216;I Wish I&#8217;d Taken This Photo&#8217;</a> article back in March 2010.</p>
<p>So, without further ado, over to David:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.charlwoodphotography.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1608" title="david_charlwood_1" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/david_charlwood_1.jpg" alt="David Charlwood Photography" width="550" height="366" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Hi David, and thanks so much for agreeing to do this interview. One of the things that first drew me to your style of wedding photography &#8211; without sounding too pretentious! &#8211; is the true artistic value of your images. Indeed, you market yourself as a &#8216;Fine Art&#8217; wedding photographer. How would you describe your style, and how did you come up with it?</strong></p>
<p>Fine Art wedding photography is about creating a visual narrative that&#8217;s more than just story-telling. I love the idea that through the light, moments, detail and colour of a wedding day an image can be a piece of art in itself. Fine Art wedding photography was started by Jose Villa in America, but it wasn&#8217;t until I read how he described his work that I realised that description suited how my own style had developed.</p>
<p><span id="more-1606"></span><strong>You got married recently &#8211; congratulations! Was it strange being in front of the camera, for once? Did you take any shots yourself?</strong></p>
<p>Thanks for the congratulations! Yes, it was strange being in front of the camera. My wife is an events planner, so we had a deal that if she didn&#8217;t try and run our wedding on the day, I wouldn&#8217;t take any pictures. I think I was quite well behaved.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.charlwoodphotography.com/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1612" title="david_charlwood_2" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/david_charlwood_2.jpg" alt="David Charlwood Photography" width="366" height="550" /></a><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>It&#8217;s a typical situation for someone known as &#8216;the photographer&#8217; within their circle of friends or family: sooner or later you&#8217;re approached to photograph an upcoming wedding. Can you give an amateur any advice on how to handle this at all?</strong></p>
<p>Yes, the main thing is to think carefully about whether you want to accept the responsibility, and if you&#8217;re happy with it go for it!  Make sure you have spare camera gear (rent it if necessary), but most of all just be yourself. Your friends/family will have asked you because they like your work and want you to photograph their wedding, so photograph it from that intimate perspective. One final, random piece of advice: make sure you drink enough on the day. If you&#8217;re dehydrated it will badly affect your images.</p>
<p><strong>If you only had one lens to shoot an entire wedding with, what would it be, and why?</strong></p>
<p>My one lens would be the Zeiss 50mm f/2.0 Makro Planar. I shoot 90% of my images on it. The way it renders out of focus areas is amazing and I actually enjoy the extra thought that a manual focus lens makes you put into every image.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.charlwoodphotography.com/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1613" title="david_charlwood_3" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/david_charlwood_3.jpg" alt="David Charlwood Photography" width="550" height="362" /></a><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>What&#8217;s the best piece of photography advice anyone has ever given you?</strong></p>
<p>Position yourself for the light, first and foremost. Once I started thinking about the direction and quality of the light first, before the other elements in the scene, I found I began to create better images.</p>
<p><strong>How did you get into the wedding photography business? For example, did you start by second-shooting, or did you jump straight into the deep end?</strong></p>
<p>I jumped straight in at the deep end. A friend called me and asked me to help some good friends of hers whose wedding photographer had dropped out at the last minute. I loved every minute of it and knew by the end of the day that I&#8217;d found something I wanted to do.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.charlwoodphotography.com/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1614" title="david_charlwood_4" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/david_charlwood_4.jpg" alt="David Charlwood Photography" width="366" height="550" /></a><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>As well as your main wedding photography site, you also write <a href="http://charlwoodphotography.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">a really great blog</a>, where you share your personal experiences, photography tips and more. What are your favourite things to write about, and why?</strong></p>
<p>I think I most enjoy sharing images I&#8217;ve rediscovered. I blog a lot about current weddings and other photoshoots, as well as review photography equipment, but I love finding an old image on one of my hard-drives and being able to share it with people again.</p>
<p><strong>We&#8217;ve all heard horror stories about weddings going wrong; angry mother-in-laws, crying brides and more. What&#8217;s been the hardest/scariest thing that&#8217;s happened to you?</strong></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been very lucky, as I haven&#8217;t really had any real disasters or things go wrong. I think my scariest moment has to be leaning quite far out of a car window to catch a shot of the wedding car following us down a country lane. My wife was not impressed when I told her afterwards!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.charlwoodphotography.com/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1615" title="david_charlwood_5" src="http://www.learningthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/david_charlwood_5.jpg" alt="David Charlwood Photography" width="550" height="366" /></a><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>If Twitter suddenly gave you a 3 person limit to the amount of people you could follow, who would they be and why? They can be photography-related or not, totally up to you.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/josevilla" target="_blank">@josevilla</a> &#8211; Jose Villa, apart from basically inventing Fine Art wedding photography, has helped wedding photographers gain more respect in the industry.</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/lytro" target="_blank">@Lytro</a> &#8211; If you&#8217;ve not heard of Lytro&#8217;s Light Field camera technology then look them up, I think it&#8217;ll be the next big development in photography.</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/photojournalism" target="_blank">@photojournalism</a> &#8211; Shares really interesting links. I like seeing events through other photographers&#8217; eyes</p>
<p><em>Thanks again to David for taking the time to do this interview! As I mentioned before, David was one of the first ever photographers I started to follow on Twitter, and I really recommend you do the same, by <a href="http://twitter.com/dcharlwood" target="_blank">following him here</a>.</em> He&#8217;s also active on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/charlwoodphotography" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, too, and writes a really interesting <a href="http://charlwoodphotography.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. <em><a href="http://www.charlwoodphotography.com/" target="_blank">CharlwoodPhotography.com</a> is his main website, where you can view lots more examples of his stunning fine art wedding photography.</em></p>
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