Public Liability Insurance...

It has suddenly dawned on me that i should probably do some research into public liability insurance seeing as i want to be working as a wedding photographer, which usually involves a lot of people. So i did i quick google search and the top result was http://www.insuremyliability.co.uk. Their advert was for liability insurance from just £40. Their website says that : The standard limits for public liability insurance are £1,000,000, £2,000,000 and £5,000,000. Unlike employers liability insurance which is a required cover by law if you employ any staff, public liability insurance is not compulsory but is usually considered a key cover for companies looking to protect themselves against unexpected claims that can put the future of the business at risk. Public liability insurance should be taken out by any business that deals directly with the public or works away from home at other premises.

Kevin Poolman Interview Update

I have just received Kevin's answers to my question. He was really prompt, helpful and friendly with the interview process. I would have loved to have interviewed him in person but unfortunately he was a bit too far away. Anyway here are his answers.


1. How would you say you fit into the market place?

I guess it's evolved from my days as a staff newspaper photographer. Then I was obviously only doing newspaper photography but since going freelance, I still do some newspaper shifts but now newspaper freelance budgets have dried up because of the recession, I'm doing more PR and corporate work.

2. How would you describe your personal journey in photography?

For vague details of my career, see Q4. But otherwise, the type of photography I've always done has thrown up lots of interesting and surprising assignments, and there have been lots of money-can't-buy experiences including spending a day with the SAS on exercise, attending a function in Charles & Diana's living room in Kensington Palace, and spending a week with the under-16 England rugby team in Rome! I've also spent so much time photographing various members of the Royal Family that the Royal protection officers recognise me! That said, there have been countless mundane jobs including school fetes and hundreds of school Nativities. But there have been plenty of shocking jobs such as the Potters Bar rail crash and numerous car smashes. So all in all, my personal journey in photography has been very colourful!!

3. What are some of the concepts behind your work?

To be honest, with my type of photography, concepts are more determined by my clients. Usually a photographer is the last piece of the puzzle, as they've arranged everything else for an event and then you just have to realise their concept, rather then your own. That said, my experience allows me to make suggestions on the day and get shots that they wouldn't necessarily have thought of.

4. How did you get into photography?

It was always a hobby from my dad, a keen amateur. After leaving school at 16, I did a BTEC National Diploma in photography at Brunel Technical College, then the NCTJ's (National Council for the Training of Journalists) press photography course at Sheffield College, the only course of its kind in the country. After spending a year at the Chester Chronicle, I was appointed chief photographer at The Reading Chronicle, where I stayed for nearly 10 years before going freelance three years ago.

5. Has anyone inspired you to produce any certain pieces of work?

No-one has inspired me to do one particular piece of work, but if there's another photographer who inspires me, it would be Joe McNally (www.joemcnally.com), a freelance photographer based in New York, who's done work for National Geographic, Time Magazine, etc. Technically, he's very good and they always say that "photography is painting with light". I feel he's very good at doing just that.

6. Lastly. Do you enjoy what you do?

Yeah. Every day is different, and you do get to meet some very interesting people along the way. Going freelance a few years ago re-kindled my passion for photography as I enjoy working for lots of different people and not the same company every day.

Interview With Kevin Poolman

I have been in contact with a photographer called Kevin Poolman. He shoots a variety of styles including weddings but his passion is sport. I have sent him questions on an email to answer which he said he would and am now waiting on the response.

http://www.kevinpoolmanphotography.co.uk/

Artist Statement

My work has recently changed direction, from landscape type photographs, picture post card images; to a more contemporary field. I have decided to begin a journey within portraiture and to somewhere new for me to gain experience in what seems to be a logical move in styles in terms of getting work at the end of it.

My portraits use classical medium mostly but with a contemporary twist, i enjoy bringing portraits to the world through the use of film, but mixed in with modern scanning technology. This creates a workable image in a file that can easily be edited but also transferred and shared with the world through the internet.

I feel this methodology of work is something that appeals to people because of the overall quality of the imagery being produced, see for yourself at www.jamesdowdingphotography.co.uk under Film Portraits.

Wedding Photography Investigation...

I have been slowly researching wedding photography as an industry and have noticed that there are two significant styles of imagery. On one hand there is the traditional, very good photographs with soft photoshop to improve the standard image that has already been taken, to just give it the edge on other images around.

http://www.nickwilliamsphotography.co.uk/portfolio.php?category=2&imageid=527

But on the other hand there are these new and up-incoming styles which include the use of 3D technology, heavy use of photoshop to physically change the entire photograph into something else entirely.

http://youlookgorgeousphotography.blogspot.com/

This new wave of up and coming wedding photography is something a little scary. I only say this because its becoming less about the ability of the photographer to take a photo and more about their skills with a mouse and a screen. I am a very traditionalist photographer and i see myself sticking with the first example of wedding photography. 

Photography as a Career Profile

Job description

Photographers create permanent visual images for an exceptionally wide range of creative, technical and documentary purposes. A professional photographer usually works to a brief set by the client or employer. Examples of image content include wedding, family and baby photographs, fashion, food, architecture, corporate photography, war zones and landscapes.

Most professional photographers specialise in one area, such as fine art, fashion, advertising, editorial or social photography. Around half of all professional photographers are self-employed. The remainder work for a wide range of employers, including creative businesses, publishers and photographic agencies, or in the education or public sector.

Typical work activities

Work activities vary according to specialisation. However, common activities for most photographers include:

• working with clients to discuss the images they require and how they want to use them;
• seeking out appropriate photographic subjects and opportunities;
• carrying out research and preparation for a shoot;
• working in different locations, and in different circumstances, to get the right image;
• using an extensive range of technical equipment, including cameras, lenses, lighting and specialist software;
• communicating with photographic subjects, putting them at ease, encouraging them and directing them;
• arranging still life objects, products, scenes, props and backgrounds;
• liaising with other professionals, including graphic designers, writers, gallery managers, picture researchers, commissioning editors and art directors;
• managing the processing and use of images, discussing technical problems, checking for quality and dealing with clients' concerns;
• preparing proofs for approval;
• compiling finished products for sale, including albums and framed prints, for example;
• understanding traditional film and digital photography and keeping up to date with industry trends, developments and new techniques;
• developing expertise with software to digitally enhance images by, for example, changing emphasis, cropping pictures, correcting minor faults, or moving objects around;
• managing the business aspects of the work, including administration, scheduling work, invoicing and basic accounting;
• developing a good portfolio, building a network of contacts, and achieving a reputation for quality and reliability, in order to secure future assignments;
• self-marketing by, for example, producing business cards, postcards and promotional materials, and creating and maintaining a website.

Many graduates start out as a photographer's assistant, spending a great deal of time on routine administration and helping out around the studio.