xmlns:fb='http://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml' Welcome to the blog of international award winning wedding photojournalist Ian MacMichael: September 2012

Saturday 29 September 2012

Some more photo walk feedback and further info....

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We received a really nice email from another of the delegates who attended the photo walk photography training workshop a couple of weeks ago......


"I thought the workshop was excellent, a lot of useful tips and information. Really happy that I now know how to use my camera, not just on manual in such a short space of time!

I enjoyed learning about how the camera works as I feel this is key to taking great picture (this I did not realise until attending the workshop!). It was interesting to play around with the camera and having the knowledge to create the effect you want!

All information given was explained clearly and not too technical so was very easy to follow and understand.

Also I thought the group size worked very well giving everyone the opportunity to have some time with you and ask questions.

Looking forward to the next one and I am definitely excited to be involved! Thanks again for a great day!"


We were originally thinking the the follow up work shop will take place in January, along with running the first workshop again for those who missed it.

However, there seems to be a lot of interest so we are thinking that we may run this first workshop again in early December.

Again, the numbers will be limited to 5 so if you are interested in attending and learning how to get more from your camera and be happy with the images you shoot, then please get in touch.
You can get in touch through this blog, Twitter or Facebook.

We also have a group page on Facebook which you can join. In that group you can ask questions, talk to people who attended the first course and get their views, share your own images for feedback and also keep up to date with all the latest info on upcoming courses and training.

We will share a few possible dates and see what works the best for everyone..........






Friday 28 September 2012

Graeme and Helen wedding preview...

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We had a lovely time with Graeme and Helen last week capturing their intimate wedding at 60 Hope Street.

Here's a preview image with a full post to follow soon....


Wednesday 26 September 2012

Latest commercial work...60 Hope Street....

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We were called last week by Colin at 60 Hope Street to ask if we would go and shoot some images of their newly refurbished bistro bar. It is quite a transformation! Photographer Ian MacMichael went along on Friday morning to complete the shoot, and Ian and Hazel were back there later in the day to shoot a wedding (some images to follow shortly).
All the still images and the ones in the video were shot with the Nikon D800 and only ambient light.
The video is HD, so please allow a minute or so for it to load (depending on your internet connection).










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Tuesday 25 September 2012

Wedding image wins first place!

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This week, we are very pleased to announce that an image shot at one of our weddings this summer has been awarded first place in the AGWPJA competition!

The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association is a distinct division within the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA). The AG|WPJA focuses strictly on the artistic and "fine art" aspects of wedding photojournalism.
AG|WPJA members are international wedding photojournalists, who excel both in creating outstanding images through a documentary approach, and in the art of post-production processing of wedding photographs. In a nutshell, AG|WPJA photographers take great candid pictures, enhance them using the technology available, and deliver museum-quality images from your wedding day.


The AGWPJA selects 20 winners for each of 5 categories every quarter. We have been placed in the top 20 four times now, but this is our first 1st place! It is humbling to have been awarded 1st place from among the many thousands of entries that come in from around the world. This quarter, there were only 4 photographers from the UK who won awards, and we were the only one with a first place.


The image was shot at Michelle and George's wedding earlier this year at The West Tower. It had been an emotional morning for both the Bride's and Groom's parties with everyone doing their utmost to make everything perfect for Michelle and George.
We had become friends with them both over the course of meetings and their pre-wedding shoot, which was one of our favourites this year!

George had been holding back the tears as he waited for Michelle to arrive. This moment was shot moments after Michelle had joined George at the front of the room. George's mum was shedding a tear as she watched, and George's little boy looked up and placed a loving hand on his Grandma's cheek to comfort her. It was a beautiful and tender moment and it was a privilege to be there to be able to capture it.There are also some wonderful expressions from other members of the family seated around.

The image was shot with a Nikon D3 with 24-70mm f2.8 lens and processed in Lightroom 4 with one of our own presets.

The competition judge's comment:

"Several of the images I picked in this category were chosen because they were surprises, unexpected moments. This was one of them. I loved the relationship between the child and the woman. The composition revealed great expressions – just a classic picture."


Monday 17 September 2012

Post photo walk report....

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Well, our first photography training workshop, which we called a photo walk, took place last Saturday.

We are delighted to say that it was a fantastic morning spent getting to know each other, talk about cameras and photography and spend some time shooting and trying things out!

We met up at Costa for a coffee and used that as our class room for the first hour. We talked about some basic elements and the way a camera works and what some of the settings mean and how that changes what we capture. There were lots of really good questions and we all helped each other out with answers.

We then went out side and wandered around some of the Brunswick dock area of Liverpool waterfront. We started off all shooting in fully automatic mode to see what we were getting. We then went on to use manual to see how we could change and control the light.

There was lots of time to take plenty of photographs and also, as there were only 5 delegates, enough time for each one to spend time with Ian  and get help and advice.

Some feedback was:

Hi Ian,

I definitely enjoyed the day...thank you!

In terms of feedback, mine is all positive. I thought the group size was spot on...it was small enough for everyone to have some time with you and to be able to ask questions, without that taking away from the practical experience.

For me personally, there was a lot of information and a lot of that was quite scientific and mathematical, neither of which are my strong points! But I think that when I read up on it again it will make more sense...I need to take my time on stuff like that.

As the day went on, I found it easier to understand things as I could see the difference that the different manipulations made to the photo...which was a revelation!

The day has definitely left me wanting to know more and I can't wait for the next one!



I have to say it was brilliant to see people go from a really basic knowledge when we first met up to then shooting in fully manual mode and being delighted with their results. 

And also...

Just wanted to say thanks for a great session. I've learned loads and things were explained really well 

Here are a few images from the day...I don't know who shot them, I have done a quick edit on 2 that I liked!







We have now set up a Facebook group, Ian MacMichael photography training group, so feel free to head over there and get involved and keep informed about the dates of future training walks that we will running.....

 



Thursday 13 September 2012

Photo walk up date...

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Delighted to say that our first photo walk training workshop will take place this Saturday and all the places are taken!

It promises to be a great time, learning from and inspiring each other to make better photographs and get more from our cameras.

We hope this will be the first of many of theseworkshops. Other topics we have thought could be good to look at are:
  •  workflow
  •  post production
  •  Photoshop techniques
  •  importing, organising and cataloging your images
  •  lighting techniques,
  •  on and off camera flash.

As well as looking at the more technical side of photography, we will also be talking about creativity and the creative process, staying inspired and staying creative. So, easy then, right?!

It's worth mentioning that you don't need a fancy expensive camera. Although I wil bring a pro DSLR along for everyone to have a play with, I will be using a Panasonic point and shoot style camera and my iPhone. We really want to emphasise that primarily, photography is about vision rather than gear.

We will discuss cameras and settings and what the buttons do as well so we can explore our creativity further, hopefully producing more satisfying results. We want to also make the point that getting the shot right in camera is far better than trying to fix it in post production.
If you would like to take part next time, please get in touch via this blog, email, Facebook or Twitter. Places are limited to 5 delegates per workshop so well all get the most out of the time.







Commercial work for Brockstone Landscape Construction.

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This week, we have been shooting some more images for Brockstone Landscape Construction. the images are of a couple of recent projects completed by Matt in South Liverpool. We have also included here another image from the shoot earlier on in the week.....




Monday 10 September 2012

Welcome to new commercial client Brockstone Landscape construction...

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We were delighted to be contacted recently by Matt from Brockstone Landscape Construction to produce a portfolio of images for their website and marketing materials. Specifically, Matt is entering one of his recent projects in a national competition and wanted some professional images of the project to use.
The portfolio building will start later in the week as photographer Ian MacMichael will visit a couple of other recent projects.

Here is a preview image from our first shoot together for them...some more images and a fuller post to follow soon.....




Sunday 9 September 2012

image of the week 2012, number 22...

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Apologies for the delay for getting on with the image of the week series. It's been a hectic couple of months with lots of weddings, some commercial work and a holiday!

I posted lots of sunsets on Instagram when we were away, all shot on my iPhone, but now getting back to shooting with the Panasonic Lumix GF1......

Grabbed this image while stopped at the lights on thew Dock Road, Liverpool city centre...

As usual, unedited  apart from simple black and white....



Panasonic Lumix GF 1, 1/3200, f3.5, ISO 100






Friday 7 September 2012

Another feature on BrideAccess.com!

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We found out today that some of our photographs have been used on the blog of wedding web site BrideAccess.com. We are delighted to have been featured again, this time as part of an article on wedding themes and styling.

"Wedding themes are more than just a tidy label for your wedding. A wedding theme can show off your personal style as a couple and bring cohesion to the different elements of your wedding. Themes keep you organized and focused, giving your wedding a polished look.  Here are a few ways to incorporate a theme without overdoing it.
First, consider the depth of your theme. Would you like to merely allude to a theme and create a certain mood or feeling, or do you intend to mimic a direct time, place, or idea? For instance, the vintage theme is certainly a popular theme choice. You can either incorporate a few older pieces such as picture frames or old books and use light ivories to nod to vintage eras in general, or you can use fedoras, flapper-style bridesmaid dresses, and a vintage Model-T to convey a distinctly 20s look."

You can see the full feature here.

Thanks to Marcie at Bride Access for featuring our work again! Here's another "theme" image from a recent wedding......

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Your Merseyside Wedding magazine....

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The current issue, July/ Aug,  of the magazine Your Merseyside Wedding has just gone on sale. We are delighted to say that it contains a 4 page feature on Helen and Alex's wedding which we shot last year. The article features 19 of their wedding images which was at Thornton Manor.

It's great to see our images featured in print after a lot of recent internet coverage.

Grab a copy if you can and let us know what you think.....