Always room for improvement

I recently had the opportunity to attend a seminar given by a couple of really talented photographers.  It's important to keep learning, to keep experiencing other styles and talent - it's a great way to improve your own style and at the same time inspire you.  Some people have a lot to offer, and these two photographers were no exception.

One of the photographers was Elizabeth Kaye, who has a wedding photography company called Weddings By Elizabeth Kaye, and her web page is called Elizabeth In Love. Follow this link to her web page http://www.elizabethinlove.com/ 

Elizabeth (or Beth as she told us to call her) had a lot of very good information on the whole process, not just the photography itself.  She spoke about her scouting practice for locations as well as day of preparation.  She also spoke about her gear and lighting techniques.  She shared some of her work with us as well - and she is a true artist when it comes to photography.  Beth has a technique where she shoots through a bush or something similar, giving the viewer the impression that they are seeing something that was not meant to be seen by anyone else - a moment shared by the bridal couple. 

Although her style differs from mine, it is always good to experience someone else's idea.  You can have 5 photographers lined up taking the same picture of the same couple, and get 5 completely different images - which is what I love most about the art.  It's not the equipment, but the person using the equipment.

The second speaker that day was Tyler James.  Tyler is also a wedding photographer.  Although Tyler and Beth have worked together on occasion, they have somewhat different styles - but a similar approach to the trade.  Tyler's web site can be found here http://www.tylerjamesphoto.com/  

Tyler also brought a lot to the discussion.  He also spoke about his gear and approach to the wedding day itself.  He had a lot of good information on picking the right customer and had a lot of technical information to pass on - such as tools and web sites to help manage and grow the business.

Tyler showed his work as well.  He has a similar style to Beth - shallow depth of field to keep the viewer on the main subject - the newly married couple.  Tyler's work is outstanding, something that comes with time and work at the craft. 

I would like to personally thank both Beth and Tyler for taking the time to talk to us the other night.  It truly is a testament to the profession when someone will help you with your business - someone who is technically a competitor.  It takes a love of photography for someone to get up in front of a group of people and talk about a subject for 3 hours - and still have more to say when their time is up.  Thank you Beth and Tyler.