The recipe for a fantastic photoshoot is passion plus passion.  If you're passionate about what you do, your enthusiasm will be captured by a passionate photographer.

It doesn't matter what you're passionate about.  Just let your passion exude and take over, and those around you will be affected by it.

I've had the pleasure of working with a few passionate people and I just love being in their presence. There's just something captivating  that sweeps you along with them.

Passionate about Coffee!

I had the pleasure to meet Sophie Highfield just before Christmas as she was getting ready to open her second Cafe Blend coffee shop in the UK.  Sophie discovered her passion for coffee while she was travelling and it is this passion that has led her to open a chain of unique coffee shops.  Sophie doesn't just supply coffee because she knows people will buy it, she does it because she is passionate about what she does.  The range of coffees, coffee-martinis and speciality teas that Cafe Blend produce are quite unique.

I recently had the opportunity to photograph some of the Cafe Blend drinks and it was a pleasure to hear Sophie enthuse about the products - from the specialist coffee blend they use and all the other ingredients to the time, skill and technique they put into making each drink.  As well as photographing them I also had the opportunity to sample one or two of them.  I can honestly say they taste as good as they look.

#TheKiss2012

Vintage Passion

Somebody else I worked with who is passionate about what they do is Laura Norrey.  Laura is a model with a passion for the 1950's.  We met as a result of a tweet I sent asking for a 1950's style model.  Within minutes, three separate people had recommended Laura and I'm glad they did.  Laura is a quintessential 1950's model - elegant, refined, delicate and she just oozes style.  When I met her it was actually a surprise to see her in colour - I almost expected her to be in black and white.

I worked with Laura on 'The Kiss', a recreation of a classic shot.  Laura's passion for everything vintage was totally contagious and this was evident in her attention to detail and just how much hard work she put into the shoot.  I have some other projects in the pipeline which will allow me to work with Laura again, and I can honestly say I can't wait for them to happen.

I'm passionate about photography.  It's why I do what I do.  One thing I have noticed, though, is that my passion increases when I am around other people who are passionate about what they do.  There appears to be some from of exponential growth.  It's synergy in its truest sense - the end result is far greater than the sum of the component parts.

So, if you want to be successful, if you want people to love what you do to the same extent that you do, get passionate about it. Then connect with other people that are passionate about what they do.  Success, then, is only a matter of time.

If you would like to know more about the people mentioned in this article, you can find them here:

• Cafe Blend - website: www.cafeblend.co.uk  Follow Cafe Blend on Twitter: @cafe_blend
• Laura Norrey - Model Mayhem page.  Follow Laura on Twitter: @LaraLaRouge

Some people get really hung up about how they are referred to.  What’s all the fuss?  Some people only like to be referred to as a ‘professional photographer’, as if stating the word ‘professional’ makes them better than anyone else.  Actually, some of the best photographers I know are amateur and proud to be so.  One guy, in particular, creates far better images than any of the professionals I know.  But he doesn’t get hung up on the fact that he is an amateur photographer.

Some people call us ‘togs’ (as in phoTOGraphers).  Yet again, I know quite a few other people who see that as a derogatory term.  I’m quite happy to be called a tog and so are most of my photographer friends.  In fact, we got the word ‘togging’ added to the urban dictionary as a description of what a bunch of togs do.

There appears to be a theoretical hierarchy in photography circles – pro’s at the top, then togs, amateurs and then the lowest of the low is a GWC – ‘Guy With Camera’  Unfortunately this is definitely a derogatory term.  It refers to a certain type of person who buys all the right equipment so that they can get closer to models that they normally wouldn’t get the opportunity to associate with.

So who am I?  Well, I’m a photographer.  It’s what I do for a living so I guess that makes me a professional photographer.  I’m a tog.  It’s what I do.  It’s who I am.  I suppose you could call me a Guy With a Camera.  I am male, and I do have a camera.  In certain photography circles I am called ‘The Tedge’ – that’s a whole different story and not one I’m going to share now.

So what should you call me?  Actually, in all honesty, I don’t care what you call me.  The only thing I do care about is that you do call me.

Just call me!

I was recently asked by a client to write a small article on how to take pictures for press use.  So, my blog post today is that article.  I hope you enjoy.

Taking Pictures for the Press

As more and more newspapers are reducing the number of staff photographers they employ, it is becoming more important for event organisers to have their own photographers present.  It is, therefore, also important to understand the type of images that the newspapers are likely to use or likely to reject.

Here are some of my tips for taking press images.

Fill the Frame

This is one of the first photography techniques I teach my students.  Before you take the image, have a good look all around the view finder.  Make sure your main subject fills the frame.  Our brain cuts off anything we don’t feel is relevant, but unfortunately our camera doesn’t.  Therefore, when we see the image we’ve taken we suddenly find that the main subject is tiny and surrounded by a lot of space.

Get the Eyes

If you are photographing people, make sure the eyes are in focus and are looking at you.  If the eyes are sharp other areas of the image that are not quite in focus will be overlooked.  Obviously, aim to get the whole image in focus, but you absolutely must have the eyes in focus.

Make sure the eyes are looking at you and are open!  When taking a group shot at an event it is highly likely that someone will be distracted by what is going on around them and will look away just at the point you take the picture.  Make a lot of noise.  Keep telling the group that you need their attention and keep checking through the viewfinder.

Also, people blink.  They do it all the time.  When you have a group of people posing for a photograph the chances of one of them blinking just when you take the picture are multiplied.  A blink only lasts a fraction of a second.  Therefore, take several shots in rapid succession and before the group disassembles check the back of your camera to make sure you have all eyes open.

Tell the Story

Once upon a time photographs were used to support the text in a newspaper article.  Then, in the 1940’s, that all changed and the picture became the story with the text supporting the picture.

In these current times of instant everything, the average attention span is dramatically reducing.  When you think about the shots you take, assume that nobody will read the text unless the image first grabs their attention.  Make sure people can look at the image and immediately understand what is going on.

Think About the Background

It does matter what is behind the subject in the image.  If the background is too cluttered it will become a distraction.  Also, keep an eye out for objects that might look odd in the image – poles growing out of people’s heads etc.

Where possible get some distance between your subject and the background.  This will give your image more impact and make your subject more noticeable.  If you must use a wall as a background get your subjects to stand at least 2 metres away from it (unless the wall is important to the story).  That way the wall is likely to be thrown out of focus.  If you are taking your image at an event and there is likely to be a lot of people in the background, pull your subject as far away from the rest of the people as possible.  Again, this will give your subject some separation from the surroundings and make them more noticeable rather than being lost in a crowd.

Get Some Activity in the Shot

If the event includes lots of activity, capture some in your shot.  There’s nothing worse than seeing an image of a group of people standing still when the event had lots of excitement and movement.  If it’s a sponsored run get pictures of people running, if it’s a netball match get pictures of people shooting for the net.  They don’t have to be live pictures. You can separate a group of people, give them instructions and then shoot away.

Don’t Forget the Cute Factor

Everybody loves cute pictures.  OK, not quite everybody, but the newspapers do.  A cute picture of a child will almost certainly get in the papers.  It adds the ‘aww’ factor – the human interest factor. Local papers love images of local children.

Call in the Professionals

If you are staging an event and want some publicity in the media, now is not the time for someone to pull out a phone-camera and snap away thinking that the Nationals will beat a path to your door wanting to print the images.  Neither is it the time for someone with a half-decent camera and good intentions.  Make sure that whoever has the responsibility for taking pictures at your event really understands what they are doing, how to create pictures that the press will use and how to use the equipment properly.

The key word in the above sentence is ‘create’.  The images from your event should be created and not just snapshots of opportunities that present themselves.  Carefully plan and stage each image.

Your organisation’s reputation hangs on the quality of the images submitted to the press.  Thousands (if not millions) of people will see them.  If in doubt, call in a professional photographer with experience of submitting images to the press.  The cost may not be as high as you think and the benefits will be endless.