Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with photographer

Flaky Photographer

brandoniain — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:16:23 -0800

How much leeway should I give a photographer who has already missed his OWN deadlines three times now? On August 11, my wife and I had our photos professionally taken on the Oregon Coast by a local photographer who came highly rated with a great gallery of work.

His initial promise on the day was that he would deliver to us a login code for his website so that we could view proofs and he would send a DVD of the originals by mail. He promised that this would happen within two to three weeks.

Fast forward two weeks from August 11 and I received an email saying that he would have pictures on the site within two days and mailed that very day. Nothing happened.

This past Monday I checked in with the photographer again, being very polite, and got a response that he would have things to me by the end of the day or tomorrow morning at the very latest.

Well, that time frame has come and gone - it's now 24 hours past "his latest" delivery...

I'm a photographer as well, I did a two day music festival in College Station, Texas a week later and have already processed and delivered on the 3,700 photos I shot over those two days. I'm trying to be polite - I know that things come up. But this is getting a bit silly and I've already paid him every penny PLUS a tip.

What should I do?

Stealing souls at an Austin-area coffee haunt. Location ideas?

bumbleintuit — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:36:48 -0800

I am a photographer in the Austin, TX area looking to do a shoot at a local coffeehouse. My hope is to find one which has an uncovered outdoor patio, with individual tables and chairs. Not so much interested in the picnic table variety of seating. Also, tables with a parasol or table umbrella over it would be swell. Any ideas?

Photography blogs

pmaxwell — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:05:13 -0800

Professional photographers: What blogs, resources, sites do you use/recommend for keeping up to date, trends, reviews, techniques, experiences with vendors, etc?

Who is the equivalent to Anselm Adams today?

jp021272 — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:06:56 -0800

Which living landscape photographer's work can be compared to Anselm Adams' stunning photography? Perhaps Edward Burtynsky (or Andreas Gursky - although he manipulates his images)... ?

'm a photographer looking for a scrapbooking/note-taking software for OSX.

willy_dilly — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:37:48 -0800

I'm a photographer looking for a scrapbooking/note-taking software for OSX. I visit alot of photographers' sites and study their photos and would like a software in which i can easily copy and paste the image and tack notes on the pictures for review later. I've been using word processor but it's too unorganized and inconvenient.

Help an amateur take some great wedding photos!

tomble — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:45:27 -0800

My friend asked me to be the photographer for his wedding (which pleased me a lot!). As an enthusiastic amateur, what should I know about wedding photography? What photos shouldn't I miss? I plan to turn up early in the morning when everyone is getting ready and take photos thorugh to the end of the day. Obviously I need shots of the ceremony, shots of the people attending, shots of the happy couple dressed in their finery. I'd also like to make the photo set more interesting than standard snaps. What interesting or unusual wedding photographs have you seen? What should I know about wedding photography?

Thanks in advance!

How do you know what this photograph means?

b33j — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:55:40 -0800

I'm looking for websites that analyse the work of successful or well known photographers in the art genre (as opposed to documentary or portraiture styles). Building on this earlier question , give me some links that tell me not what makes a photograph good, but what this artist is saying, what envelope is being stretched, what's the metaphor, what School influenced or is represented by this work, what's special about the use of space, colour, and other analyses that I don't know that I'm looking for.

The Photography Book is an example of what I'm looking for (except it's a book and it covers pretty much all genres).

Bonus question: If there's no artistic statement, how can anyone be sure that the artist is saying X?

Houston Photographer

LittleMissCranky — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:31:49 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good photographer in Houston? I'm looking for a good photographer in Houston for an outdoor portrait. I'd like to get in done pretty soon, and I can't really spend a million dollars. Anyone know of anyone good? Thanks!

Shooting the mob?

cabingirl — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:50:54 -0800

Can you recommend a good photographer in the Philadelphia area who will come to an event and take a group portrait? My parent's 50th wedding anniversary is in June and we are planning a small party for family and friends in Delaware County, PA (near Philly). As one of our gifts, we want to have a portrait taken of our family. This is something my mom always tries to do at every wedding we have, and they never seem to turn out right because people are mussed up/sweaty from dancing, or the light's bad, or there's no good background for the picture. We considered getting everyone to a studio, but with 18 of us in the immediate family, it seems unlikely we'd pull it off.

So, can anyone recommend an event photographer in the Philadelphia area who'd be able to come to our site with the appropriate lighting, etc. and take a few portraits? We aren't planning to have them stay and photograph the event. Bonus points if you can give me an idea of what it might cost.

Yes, I know it's short notice for prime wedding season, but we can't turn back the clock.

What's the name of that American Competition TV show...?

russ9595 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:56:49 -0800

What's the name of that American TV show where a woman draped the American flag into a stunning dress without cutting it, and did the photo shoot inside Grand Central Station? I think it was some kind of photographers competition.

Need photographer in Reno, NV

twsf — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 07:10:32 -0800

I need to hire a professional photographer for a brief shoot to take some pictures of a client in Reno, NV, for the cover of her upcoming Random House book. I have googled a bunch of local photo professionals and emailed them via the contact forms on their sites but haven't heard back from any of them. Is every photographer in Reno swamped with work, or is there a better source for listings of active professionals there?

Help me look good in a newspaper photo.

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:54:31 -0800

Help me look good in a photo accompanying a news story. I've just been interviewed for a business story in a big daily paper based on the East Coast. Huge audience. Enormous. (In fact, I might have chickened out of the whole gig, except I thought I was originally to provide just one pithy quote... and then after I got further into the phone call with the journo, he went a different direction and asked more and more questions.)

Then, the paper calls back the next day and asks if I am willing to have my picture in the article, and can they send a photographer over. I calmly said, "Yes, of course," but now I'm basically peeing myself (I keep trying to settle down with the reminder that they might not use my pic or even my quotes in the final story.).

So, tomorrow afternoon I am meeting with a photographer from the newspaper. The location they've selected is indoors and non-descript. Tell me what to wear, what not to wear, what they're looking for, the etiquette of the whole deal (I'm guessing I can't ask the photog to let me see the photo, and then reshoot it if I look dumb?). Normally I always smile in photos; do I smile for this or not? If it helps: I am middle-aged and female, with a wholly average look. I'm not ordinarily afraid of the camera, and I looked through this previous AskMe question... but this isn't a wedding or a candid at a MeetUp, so I don't know what to do.

Personal experience on either side of the lens is welcomed, as is any experience with being interviewed by or appearing in a national publication.

Yosigo's minimalist photos - how does he do it?

junesix — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:47:49 -0800

Really loving the super-wide angle, minimalist photo compositions of yosigo (Jose Javier) on Flickr. How does he do it? In a number of the photos in this "Somebody is there" set, you can see his distinctive style. The bottom quarter or fifth of the photo has some scenery with/out people and very little activity. The rest of the photo is filled with blurred negative space that appears to be a continuation of the sky or background.

I assume all those photos are taken at wide angle. But how does he achieve the blurred empty backgrounds that fill the top of the photos? Can this be achieved with in-camera composition or is it product of creative Photoshop work? I assume the vignetting in many of the photos is added in the computer but I'm wondering how much of the rest is as well.

BONUS: Can you recommend other photographers who shoot in a minimalist style?

Useful Gift for Tibet/Nepal Photographer?

jbelkin — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:39:23 -0800

Photog friend going to Nepal/Tibet - what's a good gift? Some thin air-wind jacket with lots of pockets? Anything you can think of would be appreciated - especially if you have specific experience there - up to $200? Thanks. (she's with an experience group of friends but she's never been).

Looking for family portraits near Nashville, Tennessee

ZakDaddy — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 10:47:29 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good / reasonable ($) photographer or studio in the Nashville, Tennessee, area to take some family portraits? Getting tired of the Olan Mills / JC Penneys / Target / Wal-Mart crapshoot. Thanks in advance, all.

Is there such a thing as semi-pro insurance for photographers?

geeky — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:59:16 -0800

I suspect the answer is "No", but I thought I would ask anyway: Is there such a thing as a semi-pro level of insurance for digital cameras? I currently have about $3000 worth of digital camera equipment (dSLR, lenses, etc.) that I use for my photography hobby. The items are insured at-cost right now as a rider on our renter's insurance policy, which will cover loss, theft, etc.

That's all well and good, but my issue is this: I'd like to be able to sell prints of my photos, but the rider specifically excludes coverage on equipment for "business use". Business use, as I understand it, is defined as earning even 1 cent with the equipment. I know there are Inland-Marine policies and other business policies to cover camera equipment and professional photographers, but I don't really need all that they offer. Plus, they can be expensive. I never do paid photo shoots, nor do I intend to in the future. I don't intend to make this a full-time job or even a part-time job, and I don't want to sell that many prints.

I've scoured the web and the big photography forums, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Is there some sort of photographers insurance that will cover the cost of the equipment if I were to earn up to a certain amount of money per year by selling prints, say under $500?

Yikes- Help me take pictures inside without making people look like stark white zombies!

thebrokenmuse — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 16:37:53 -0800

I am an amateur photographer who has just been asked to do a wedding. I need advice on what sort of flash device/ flash techniques to use to help make the indoor shots look good! I have a Nikon D40. Usually I just don't use the flash when I am inside because I hate the way it makes my pictures look. For the wedding though, I am going to be taking mainly candid shots, so I am going to need a flash so that I can take pictures fast that don't come out blurry. I know you can get external flashes, or buy bounce cards, ect. but I don't know anything about them.

Does anyone have a good reccomendation for something I could buy that is cheapish, compatible with my camera and will make my pictures come out without that typical stark flash look? Also- could you explain to me how exactly to bounce the flash off things, or other teqniques that you can use? ( In a way even an idiot could understand, I am really, really a beginner in this department.)

Thank you so much! I really want this wedding to look fantastic.

Like a thousand suns all crying at once, or a slim little japanese number

oxford blue — Fri, 18 May 2007 19:22:13 -0800

New camera or new flash? I have a Canon 400D. It's wonderful, and I'm very much in love with it. However, it's big. Even with pocket-rocket (50mm) on, it's still very obviously a big scary looking camera. Basically if I take it out (to a party, etc) I pretty much have to spend the whole night taking pictures, or otherwise lugging it around, plus because of its value to me I' wary about taking it to some places, for varied reasons.

It's not, in short, something I can just put in my pocket and forget about.

So for awhile now I've been mentally singing the praises of a tiny-little canon number, so thin I can literally always have it in my pocket (voila! No more 'I wish I had my camera' sort of regret). In specific I'm in love with the Ixus 75/ (Which may be the SD750 to you?)

But, recently, I've being shooting more in situations where the flash on my 400D doesn't cut it (night events, etc). Further, I'm getting paid in some of these situations to take pictures so quality and excellent results are obviously my goal. I wouldn't mind getting paid for taking pictures more in the future, and I'm thinking an external flash would defiantly come in handy.

So my question is that, do I get an ultra-portable camera that I can take everywhere, or do I an external flash that will give my existing camera more power, and give me more capabilities but also conversely make it even less portable?

(Related side-question: How groovy is the Speedlite 430EX? Would I be many magnitudes happier with the $200 more Speedlite 580EX II?)

Thanks for your hope.

Looking for a wedding photographer in Edinburgh

ascullion — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 08:37:21 -0800

Does anyone have a recommendation for a wedding photographer in the Edinburgh (Scotland) area? I'm getting married there next year and the one job I've been allocated is finding a photographer.. but though we're getting married there, we don't really know anyone in the area, so don't have any personal recommendations... thanks in advance.

The ethics of CCL and Flickr

FunkyHelix — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:29:21 -0800

I need to know if I'm doing something wrong by displaying a derivative digital art piece. Someone thumbnailed a photo from flickr, and it immediately inspired an art idea. So I tracked down the photographer at their filckr account and check the license on the photo. It was listed as Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0, meaning I could use it for derivative works, as long as I gave attribution and the resulting piece was kept noncommercial.

I really should have just used the photo, linked back to the original and be done with it. But I know sometimes people license their photos not really believing anyone will actually use them. So I e-mailed the photographer to make sure I had permission. Meanwhile, I created my own digital art work using the photo and finished it.

The photographer wrote back that they would love if I used the photo. However, they had just entered it into a contest with a rule that the photo couldn't be unpublished, and they were concerned by my taking and then displaying work using this photo, that they would be disqualified - would I be willing to wait until the contest end. I agreed and even sent them a copy of the finished piece, which we e-mailed back and forth about for a day or two.

Fast forward a month and I haven't heard anything back from the photographer. I send a polite e-mail explaining who I was again and that after a month I wanted to check in on how the contest was coming. I hear nothing back. I contact them again, this time through the Flickr messaging. Still no word, though the photographer has uploaded two batches of photos since I sent it, meaning their account is still active.

I double checked and the photo in question is still up and still listed under the exact same Creative Commons License.

Would it be illegal for me to go ahead and display my derivative digital art, even if I followed the license it is being publicly displayed under on Flickr currently?

Help us find a wedding photograph in central Connecticut.

Xalf — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 07:23:21 -0800

Looking for a Connecticut wedding photographer and general advice on picking a photographer. We want someone to photograph our wedding in central Connecticut in July: someone who is easy to work with and will deliver a quality product at a reasonable price. Negative reviews are helpful too (my e-mail is in my profile if you'd rather not trash someone publicly).

More generally, how should we go about picking a photographer? What are important signals given by good or bad wedding photographers both in person and on their websites?

Non-stuffy Family Portrait Photographer in SF

thomascrown — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 12:21:41 -0800

For my parents' 35th anniversary, my brother and I want to commission a nice family photo, as we haven't had one taken in year and years. We'll all be in the SF Bay Area for Thanksgiving, so we're on the search for local photographers who might be well suited. Problem is, most of the portfolios we've seen have been fairly, well, bland. We're looking for something less stodgy than a standard studio shot, something a little more fun. Can anyone recommend a photographer in the area who might be a good fit?

Portrait of the editrix as a young woman

orange swan — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 12:29:33 -0800

I'd like to have a nice formal picture of me for inclusion in my Christmas cards. Can anyone recommend a good Toronto-area photographer? "Good" in this instance means both "technically skilled if not possessed of wizard-like abilities" and "charges reasonable prices" as I am a) vain, b) plain, and c) cheap. Email me with contact info if you don't care to share the person's identity with the world. Thanks!

Lost in the past of the web?

zadcat — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 12:49:58 -0800

Seeking the website of a Japanese photographer. Back in the relatively early days of the Web I recall looking at the site of a Japanese photographer. I remember black and white semi-abstracted shots of building interiors, staircases, empty vistas, no people. I was on someone else's box and couldn't bookmark it, but I loved the work and would like to see it again. Anyone know which site, or whose work, I could've been looking at?

So much to do, so little time.

6:1 — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 12:51:55 -0800

Weddingfilter/Catererfilter/Photographerfilter--Los Angeles Co., anyone have first hand experience with any of these in the LA Co. area? We are planning our small (30-40 people) wedding at a friend's house. I am new to the area, and have no idea who to use for the caterer or photographer. Anyone have great suggestions?

We are both native midwesterners (read--meat eaters). We were thinking of having a prime rib carving station (possibly). Many of our family members are flying in for the event and we want to make sure they are well-fed.

The wedding is taking place outdoors at sunset with hill/mountains. We realize this may be more of a challenge for the photographer because of lighting. This will be early/mid November.

I have done a AskMeta search, but couldn't find anything this specific.

Thanks in advance, we will be monitoring and willing to give more specifics if it will help.