wedding photography

one last question well two. recomended reading and do you think of photography couses lije city and guilds etc
 
Do your university not do any courses?
 
I think you should stop saying will do to everything. Take as step back. Honestly decide what you need and how to address that.
 
For reading I got a book specifically for my make of camera. I also regularly get magazines like digital SLR, photography monthly, n photo, there are some good mag books to about portrait photography, landscape photography.

As for courses, personally I'm not convinced that having qualifications get you more jobs or make you better than others, that's just my opinion and I'm certain that other, more vastly experienced togs here will either agree or disagree. Just get out as many times as you can with your camera and get to know it inside out.
 
the uwe does photographic degree but i need to do a peoject first. what do you call projects or is it like saying lanscape citiscape portraits would you call them projects
 
What course are you currently on? Can imagine doing two courses at the same time will be very time consuming
 
Ian, i`m not being arsey, but you really need to get help with your spelling.

I know that it should not matter, but in the reality of the business world,it does.
 
I think the phrase "dont try running until you can walk" can be perfectly applied to this situation.

Your commitment is admirable, if not a little misjudged. You've been given some excellent advice, and i think it would be a good idea to take it. Take the site down, forget all about trying to make a living from photography until you are a bit more experienced in the fields you want to specialise in. Go out with your camera and enjoy learning to use it.
 
The only reason I ask, and again trying not to sound rude, but the way in which you are having to be spoon fed advice, and advice at it's most basic level, I had you down as someone of a rather young age with limited intelligence.

Can I suggest engaging in a modicum of common sense, search the forums here to read up on advice, also search these forums on various projects and challenges, and just go out and use your camera.
 
Watersedge said:
the uwe does photographic degree but i need to do a peoject first. what do you call projects or is it like saying lanscape citiscape portraits would you call them projects
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I did the C&G 1,2,3 back in the film days. What nearly 100% of I learnt then applies now. The C&G courses are very "practical" but in a good way, they dont scrimp on the the technical. The degree courses are more academic.

Just to give you an idea how confident you need to be / can be, once you really have the technical stuff under the belt.. I shot my last wedding with a post-it note under the screen protector, and I produced some of my best work yet.

I digress.. In addition to that, I have a degree in Optics, and a HTEC in medical physics and physiological measurement (which was mainly imaging). What that gives me is a really good base understanding of light, and lenses, and optics.

I came into this as a lad who always had a camera, who then worked and studded the ancillary subjects, including photography. For me, I was 3 steps ahead of the C&G course. I had read the books, learnt, experimented, made notes etc.. If you have a scientific sort of mind, and the patience, and good observational skills, you can learn the science / camera craft bit yourself. there are no short cuts to actually learning it though

Here is the important bit
What the C&G or degree courses don't tell you is how to do business, or marketing. How to handle people, and people skills in general - and it is this bit that will make or break you. It doesn't cover issues like copyright or contracts, or other really important legal stuff (the degree course may outline this)

TBH, unless you do a separate arts course, it is unlikely you will learn about posing, composition or anything that will help you aesthetically ether. The degree courses look back at classical stuff in this respect

Again, you can teach this to yourself, but you need to be disciplined, methodical and reasoned (as well as having an artistic eye)
 
who knows.. depends on the starting point
Understanding exposure: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0817463003/
science and magic of light: http://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Fourth-Edition/dp/0240812255/
Art of photography: www.amazon.com/dp/1933952687
The negative: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0821221868
Optics for dummies: http://www.amazon.com/Optics-For-Dummies-Math-Science/dp/1118017234/
Chasing the light: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0321752503/
Way beyond monochrome: http://www.amazon.com/Way-Beyond-Monochrome-Traditional-Photography/dp/0240816250/
The luminous portrait: http://www.amazon.com/The-Luminous-Portrait-Flattering-Photographs/dp/0817400125/ref=pd_sim_b_59

Are a good starting point

of course, you need to add to that some specific books dealing with the genre you want to work in

The Strobist website http://www.strobist.blogspot.co.uk/ has lots of useful practicable stuff about simple flash usage. The luminous landscape website tutorials are not bad either http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/

Here is the thing. over the last few weddings I have shot: fireworks, long exposure building/starscapes, landscapes, portraits, still life's, food, posed and unposed. Used: natural light. on camera flash, off camera flash, light painting, torches, reflectors etc. etc.. thats why you need the basics and some in the bag, because you never know what you need to reel out
 
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not forgetting this forum of course

unlike Richard I don't have the formal training and am mostly self taught in photography. although i have read most of the books he mentions above plus a bunch by andy rouse, chris gomersal, charlie waite and joe cornish (those are predominantly about nature and landscape but as richard says skills are transferable)

At the end of thev day what you need most is practice and honest critique - he former is down to you and the later can be had in the C&C sections here
 
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