Photographic Advice from SPT Photography

Why Digital is Best

"I find that using a digital system is so liberating, it is fast, it is versatile, and it allows you to do all the dark room techniques you would ever wish to do on the computer. This of course allows you to experiment with new looks relatively easily without using up huge amounts of expensive materials in printing.

It is also immensely useful to be able to see an image as soon as you have taken it. This allows you to adjust your settings, your lighting, or the position of the family to get the best out of any situation really quickly. Speed to me is the important factor here, I like to be able to 'go with the flow 'and take pictures as things happen, for example I don't want to have to stop the process while I change to a black and white film. This way I can shoot all the photographs of a family in colour and make the change to black and white post shoot "

Software used

"The software I use is the very latest version of Photoshop which is CS2, no doubt another will be out very soon! This is a fantastic tool that allows me to process my images very efficiently and will also prepare them for the Internet. I do tend to spend far too long playing with the images that I have just taken, trying to find a new way of making them stand out. I love playing with colour especially if I've been to Kew Gardens or have used balloons in my shots. I will sometimes isolate these colours and make the rest of the photograph black and white which can create some really special images. The key with photoshop is knowing when to stop fiddling, as with the dark room process. It is possible to do too much to an image and then it will just look like a cheesy over produced photograph.

Another great trick with photoshop is being able to cut and paste. Your perfect family portrait is ruined by little Johnny making a silly face. Photoshop has the ability to steal a better image of Johnny from one of the other family photos and paste it into the first one. This is invaluable with children's photography because of their short attention span"

What makes a good portrait photographer

"To me there are a number of elements to a good photographer. Of course there is the technical ability to take good photographs and this comes with a natural eye, fast reactions and good vision. But this would be nothing without the ability to respond to a client and in this case with children. My own son Sam (aged 5) is a rather tricky client of mine and so I've learnt quite a few tricks to get him to respond to me. For example, for the shy child, of which there are many different types, they love being able to see the digital photograph on the camera and sometimes this will break the ice as they want to see more. Props are important distractions and take away the pressure of waiting for the shot to be taken. Children love bubbles, balloons and anything to do with the outdoors which is why I love to go to Kew Gardens.

So once the photographs have been taken the final part of the 'good photographer' equation is customer service. Here I have tried to make print selection as easy as possible with my online ordering system. I offer a full service including framing by Richard Stanwix , a fantastic craftsman who does a superb job. A fast turn-around time is very important to me , as I know how frustrating it can be waiting weeks for your images. The photographs are ready to view within 48 hours online and if you order prints they will be with you a few days later. Of course framing will add a few more days but generally the process takes less than a week."

Candid photography

"If I had to class myself as a particular type of photographer, it would be a 'candid photographer'. I love to be able to capture a moment when a child is excited or surprised by something, the expressions you get are so magical compared to an 'asked for' smile. I have taken a lot of candid shots in classes around Ealing including nursery classes, ballet classes and even judo classes and really enjoy the experience. It's such a lovely way for parents to see what their child is doing when they are not there.

If you would be interested in having me come along and take photographs in your class do call me and see if it's suitable, as Parents really do treasure these photographs."

Venture

" Lastly I thought I would just mention Venture, a popular photographic franchise, as I'm always asked my opinion on this company. My view is that they take very good stylised photographs but that they are very expensive. I won't say another word!!"