By Gaby Rock

Research into photography

• There are various different types of photography which are used in different circumstances for specific reasons.

Different types of photography can range from; Wedding photography, sports, fashion, news and portrait. All these

types of photography have a different way of using photography to get the ideal shot they are looking for . In this part of my coursework I will be studying further into different areas of photography, depending on the type of photography there will be different types of shot, skills, equipment, specific look the photographer is trying to

achieve, location and purpose of the shot.

Introduction

• A wedding is usually one of the most memorable days of a persons life, when celebrating such a special event people usually hire professional photographers to capture the events in high quality. The photographer is usually used to make the day look as glamorous as possible. The photographs usually include photographs of the couple for various reasons including; announcements, portrait displays, or thank you cards. The photographer also has a task of capturing the important events of the day such as, the wedding ceremony and the reception. Couples may also find it more convenient to hire a photographer for the special day as it reduces stress on the couple organising photo’s which they would like to have a specific look or location; may it be professional or natural, photographers are guaranteed to produce the finest photographs.

Wedding photography

The EquipmentTo be able to create certain photographs such as wedding photos, photographers must use top of the range equipment which creates a high quality professional photo. Here is a list of the equipment used:

• Two camera bodies that share the same lenses •Two flashes (strobes) plus cables, etc. •28mm Wide-angle prime lens, or 28mm-70mm zoom •50mm standard lens F1.8 or even better F1.4 for low light situations, not essential, but handy for candids and from back of church images is a 75mm-300mm zoom lens or similar •Twice as much film as you think, or minimum of two large capacity (250MB - 1GB) digital storage cards depending on your camera •At least twice as many batteries as you think you will need •Two white reflectors •Diffusion (soft-focus) filter •Red filter (for black & white only) •85c warming filter for grey days •Tripod for formal photos •Lens hoods to control flare

• One of the earliest wedding photo’s taken was the wedding of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert, in these days it was rare to have wedding photographers as it was not long after the camera had been invented. Most people during that era did not pose for wedding photos, they instead would pose in formal clothes before or after the wedding ceremony. Wedding photos became more popular around 1860’s where couples started posing in their wedding clothes more often.

• During this period of time it was uncommon to have professional pictures at a wedding, this may also be because it was difficult to take the pictures due to the lack equipment which meant that all photos would be taken on site in a studio as there was no job such as professional photographer’s for wedding ceremonies. Before the invention of photographic paper photographers had to use a small range of materials such as glass plates, tin sheets and cooper sheets. This simple method of photography was very unreliable as the colours would usually fade after a very short period of time as colour had not yet been created in photography.

• Wedding photography became more popular after the second world war as technology grew in camera equipment, people would usually turn up at weddings with their camera and take pictures of the bride and groom, they would then charge them. Soon after the job of being a professional photographer at weddings was established as professional photographers would become more freelance as they would need take themselves to the wedding rather then having the photo shoot in the studio, as the customers preferred pictures at the present time of the wedding.

History to wedding photography

Denis ReggieDenis Reggie is well known for his astounding wedding photography and widely regarded as one of the top wedding photographers in the world. His photography is most frequently used in books on weddings, etiquette, and photography including those by Vera Wang, Letitia Baldridge and Town and Country. He was first established as a talented photographer when he single handedly transformed the look of staid bridal imagery into the truly natural, editorial style he termed wedding photojournalism, his influence changed the future of wedding photography.

His work is distinctive, and his spontaneous images have featured in LIFE magazine, Entertainment Tonight, VH-1, E! Entertainment Television, CNN and Fox in national and international broadcasts. His photographs are frequently used in books on weddings, etiquette, and photography including those by Vera Wang, Letitia Baldridge and Town and Country.

Denis Reggie’s Work

Black & White Action Shot Shallow Depth of

field

Fisheye Lens

Dennis Reggie’s work may be more recognised as his photo have a more clear precise look, he uses a range of different techniques, from portrait photo’s to casual action shot photo’s. I like the idea of using action shot photo’s as it captures the whole day of the wedding not just posed pictures.

Joe BuissinkJoe Buissink is another wedding photographer who has become well known though his beautiful wedding photography and unique style. Although Joe Buissink has become a popular photographer over a short period of time, his intentions where never to take a career in photography; it was only around 15years ago when he shared a touching intimate moment between himself and his mother, the moment had a profound effect on him which gave him the sudden urge to capture it so he would be able to freeze the moment in time and return to it later in life.

Joe Buissink’s Work

High contrast/Sepia

Sports PhotographySports photography is used to capture action which would usually be

difficult with ordinary cameras, having a certain area of photography as sports photography is needed as sports photography is demanding

because such a small window of opportunity is available to the photographer to capture the emotional moments, the hits and the misses of the game. Sports photography is a large industry as there needs to be a certain photographer for each different type of sport. There are also

different types of photography with in sports photography; professional sports photography is a branch of photojournalism, while amateur sports photography, such as photos of children playing association football, is a

branch of vernacular photography.

EquipmentMost photographers who are dealing with high speed action like sports photographers would usually need the highest quality equipment to ensure that they get a clear shot as they may only get one chance to have an opportunity at taking a picture, for example If you were taking a photograph of an athlete in action, you would need to employ a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. This fast speed needs to be combined with the correct aperture to expose the image correctly.

There are hundreds of different types of equipment for each sport, as there are many different sports played in different arenas and on different sized pitches, fields and courts, a range of different lenses, flashes, cameras and other electrical equipment is needed. For a professional sports photographer, the following equipment is commonly used; •2 or 3 top of the line digital cameras•At least five extra batteries•1 extreme wide angle lens (14 mm) •1 wide angle zoom lens (17-35 mm) •Monopod camera stand•Tripod camera stand•Telephoto zoom 70-200•Fast telephoto 300 mm•Fast long telephoto 400 mm•Teleconverter•2 flashes•Other lighting equipmentComputer with appropriate photographic software•Protective wet weather gear•Storage cases.

Bob MartinWhen researching sports photography, Bob Martin is one of the most well known sports photographers I have come across in my research, During a career spanning the last twenty years, Bob has photographed every major

sporting event; from the last ten Summer and Winter Olympics, to Elephant Polo and Horse Racing on Ice. Bob is a multi-award winning sports photographers and specialises in; shooting action, graphic and

editorial pictures for advertising, corporate and editorial clients.

His work is also featured in Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Life Magazine, Stern, Paris Match, Bunte, L"Equipe, The Sunday Times and

The New York Times, and many more

This is one of my favourite pictures taken by Bob Martin. He highlights the type of

sport with the way he has taken the picture and edited giving the picture an angelic

look. The picture contrasts with most other sports photography which is usually fast

paced. We are able to recognise that Bob is creating a certain look to link with ballet,

creating a soft dreamlike picture.

This is another picture taken by Bob Martin. This picture

highlights the facial expression shown by the athlete, even

through the tough waves he is still able to capture the

determination in his facial expression.

Bob Martin

Walter Looss JrWalter Loss Jr is another sports photographers who I have come across in my research, his high talent of photography has featured in Sports Illustrated nearly 300 times, including 10 of the magazine's famous

swimsuit covers.

Walter loss’s career has spanned over 40years, from his first recognised shot at the Chicago Cardinals vs. N.Y football Giants in the Yankee stadium and since then has been recognized with awards for

outstanding achievement in the industry. At the age of 65 he has worked with most of the well known sports athletes, from baseball

great Roger Maris to tennis star Serena Williams.

Walter Looss JrThis photo is taken by Walter, with his fine photography and editing he has made this shot look unique when looking at swimming photography. Using the black background he has created a picture which has a minimal look so the audience will focus on the athlete, and gives the feel as if the athlete is floating like a fish in water.

This photo highlights the strength and power of the athlete by using a high angle shot . As the athlete is stretched out the audience can also see the masculinity with in the athlete and the determination through the stretch in his elongated body. Walter also focus’ on the height of the athlete as he includes the audience so we can see the comparison in height.

Fashion PhotographyFashion photography was established around the 1930’s and is a genre of photography devoted to displaying clothing and other

fashion items, usually seen as a more glamorous side of photography .Through the years has become more popular as

fashion has become more important and recognised and become a large part of today's society. Fashion photography is most often

conducted for advertisements or promotional purposes and usually features in fashion magazines and clothes catalogues.

History of fashion photography

The first known appearances of fashion photography were in French magazines such as La mode practique around the first decade of the 20th

century. In 1909, Condé Nast took over Vogue magazine which contributed to the beginnings of fashion photography.

The first modern photography shoot was published around April 1911, which were photo’s taken by a photographer called Steichen, he took photo’s of gowns designed by couturier Paul Poiret. The photos featured in a issue of

the magazine Art et Décoration.

soon after the fashion photography trend became more popular, Vogue was followed by its rival, Harper's Bazaar, and the two companies were leaders

in the field of fashion photography throughout the 1920s and 1930s

Donald McPhersonDonald McPherson was originally born in Florida, he then moved to Europe around 1992 to pursue his career in fashion photography. Once in Europe he met a fashion icon called Isabella Blow, who inspired him greatly, they

shared an apartment in Paris and the pair developed a close working relationship. He began his career as an assistant with several other

photographers, he became more established once he had photographed the first fashion story for Tatler (fashion magazine) with Isabella Blow, serving

as fashion director.

He was also known for shooting one of the most expensive shoots ever known till date and he has worked with celebrities such as Tom Cruise,

Keira Knightly, New Order and Gwen Stefani.

He has also shot for magazines such as The Russian Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar and V. New York Times Magazine.

Donald McPhersonDonald is known for capturing many celebrities, here he has captured Gwen Stefani looking glamorous, she is posed in a glamorous bedroom, filled with white kittens and a tiger rug. This may represent her soft but feisty nature.

This is another image taken by Donald, we can see he is trying to create a clean, sleek look by using minimal colours and clothing. He has also linked the image and clothing with the rock genre of music, using face paint and a guitar.

Mario TestinoMario Testino Peruvian fashion photographer. Originally he began studying economics at university, and in 1976 he went to London to study photography and funded this by working as a waiter.

In Testino’s career he has shot fashion stories for magazines such as Vogue, V, and Vanity Fair. Famous brands such as Burberry, Gucci, Zara, Michael Kors, Dolce & Gabbana, Estée Lauder, Valentino and Versace. Celebrity subjects have most famously included Diana, Princess of Wales and her sons, his work usually evolves a lot around the royal family and he even took the engagement photos for Prince William and Kate Middleton.

In 2002, The National Portrait Gallery in London staged the landmark exhibition “Portraits” by Mario Testino that to date remains its most successful exhibit. Over the next four years the exhibition went on tour to Milan, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Tokyo and Mexico City.

He has received a number of awards and recognitions for his achievements and charitable work, including a Doctor Emeritus from the University of the Arts, London, the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award, the Medalha Tiradentes from the city of Rio de Janerio, Brazil, and the Order of Merit from the city of Lima, Peru. He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 2011.

Mario TestinoHere is a photo taken by Mario Testino, this is one of his very famous pieces of work. He has captured Prince William and Kate Middleton, this was one of their first photo shots together for their engagement. The picture looks very natural and loving, the colours are also subtle which makes the ring stand out. The couple are close together and look very happy.

Mario Testino has published nine books of his work and edited one other dedicated to

contemporary art and artists from his native Lima, Peru.