Posing People the Jasmine Star Way!

Entertaining read (as ever) from Jasmine Star on pre-visualising posing for wedding couples, and how things don't always go to plan!

http://www.jasminestarblog.com/index.cfm?postID=1040&reflections-mistakes-previsualization

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Chris at Keep Shooting Photography
http://www.keepshootingphotography.co.uk/

Tesimonial from Steve

"We were absolutely blown away by the quality, candidness and sheer number of fabulous images Chris at Keep Shooting delivered back to us on our wedding day. He ghosted around our wedding - we hardly knew he was there - and the results are simply breath-taking. We would recommend him time and time again without hesitation. First class."

Steve, Manchester

Thanks Steve, it was a pleasure!!!

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Chris at Keep Shooting Photography
http://www.keepshootingphotography.co.uk/

New Year's Resolutions

Well, it's that time of year again... the time when we all write lists of things to do in the coming year, stuff them into a drawer and then don't do anything about them, until it comes to the end of the year and we think "oooh, I must do that NEXT year". And repeat, ad infinitum...

Testimonial from Vicky

"We were extremely happy with the photos taken of our baby boy. Chris made the photographic session very easy and enjoyable and even though I was a bit sceptical about being in any of the photos, Chris' relaxed approach and creative ability meant we did have those types of shots taken and in the end they were my favourite ones! The variety of photos Chris took were all so good it was difficult to know which to choose and the montage he put together for us in the end exceeded our expectations. All our family and friends have commented on how great the photos look and I would definitely recommend Keep Shooting Photography."

Thanks Vicky - was a pleasure!

Starting Off With a Bang!

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Chris Keep

Keep Shooting Photography

www.keepshootingphotography.co.uk

07743 011466

Future Football Star...

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Chris Keep

Keep Shooting Photography

www.keepshootingphotography.co.uk

07743 011466

Bump Photography with Nicky

Just wanted to share a few images from a recent bump photography shoot I did - Nicky was great, and totally got into the mood of the whole thing...

Just waiting for the arrival of the little one now, then it will be back for the baby shots!

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Chris Keep
Keep Shooting Photography

www.keepshootingphotography.co.uk
07743 011466

Headshots - Two Week Proof Guarantee

 We know you don't want to wait for months after your shoot to get a look at your headshot photos...

...so we're proud to introduce the "Two Week Proof Guarantee" - we guarantee you will receive the proofs of your images within 2 weeks of the date of the shoot.

And if you don't we'll give you a £10 print credit voucher for every day they're late.

Don't wait around for your pictures - Keep Shooting!

How cute...

Offer Of The Week - 10% Extra Free on Gift Vouchers

Every week, Keep Shooting Photography will be bringing you a new offer for products and services. Great deals to make your photography experience even more rewarding!

Check back regularly, or send a blank email to offers@keepshootingphotography.co.uk with the word 'Subscribe' in the Subject field, to get the weekly offer emailed to you!

Recent Comments From Satisfied Customers...

"I was a little apprehensive about the shoot and also the ability to get my 15 month old son to smile for a photo!!! Chris made us feel completely at ease and also had a fantastic manner and alot a patience with Alfie. He not only got a lot of fabulous pictures of my son but some amazing family shots as well - Chris we cant thank you enough!!"


Angela, Preston

Putting the 'Professional' Into Wedding Photography

There are a lot of blogs and articles out there devoted to the subject of how to be a great wedding photographer - they talk about lists of 'must-have' shots, how to pose people for formal groups, and where to stand the Bride and Groom to get the 'good light'. Whilst this advice is obviously valid, and very useful to those photographer looking to break into wedding photography, they seem to miss something, and that for me is that you shouldn't just aim to be a 'great wedding photographer', you should aim to be a 'great PROFESSIONAL wedding photographer'.

One Week Only - 5 FREE PRINTS!

For one week only, Keep Shooting Photography is offering Headshot Photography customer 5 EXTRA FREE 8" x 10" PRINTS with any Headshot Photography package.

Follow the link for more details on Headshot Photo Packages, or email headshots@keepshootingphotography.co.uk to book your session and get your free prints!

I Give You This Ring...

A quick post with some images from a recent wedding I shot.

The ceremony was at the Manchester Town Hall, which has a beautiful old balcony surrounding two sides of the hall. I was able to get almost right over the couple as they exchanged rings...

Portrait Photography Gift Experience Boxes

Keep Shooting Photography offers a unique gift idea, for the person who has everything - their precious memories in a box!

Tips For Headshot Photography Shoots

Headshot photography may be a daunting prospect to some people, especially if they are not used to having their photograph taken. There are a number of different things to consider when preparing for your headshot photo shoot to make sure your images are as good as possible...

Clothing

Wear clothing that is relatively plain, with simple, muted colours. The photos are about you, not your clothes, so you don't want to wear anything that is going to distract attention away from your headshot. Keep it simple and you can't go far wrong, and have a few alternatives to hand for a different look.

Subscribe to the Keep Shooting Photography Blog!

It's now even easier than ever to keep up with all the blog posts from Keep Shooting Photography via RSS.

Simply click on the 'Subscribe To' link on the right of the page, and you will be able to add the blog directly into a number of the most popular RSS feed readers...

Subscribe now!

Thanks...

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Keep Shooting Photography
http://www.keepshootingphotography.co.uk
http://www.twitter.com/keep_shooting

Exceeding Expectations in a Photography Business

Expectations can be a tricky thing in photography. By it's very nature it is an emotive pursuit, which people on both sides of the camera can be very passionate about. But with those passions come great expectations, and the huge challenge of exceeding them. And it is only by exceeding expectations that your will build an army of referrers, who will go out and spread the word of your amazing service.

Non-Flash Wedding Gallery Now Available

Given the less-than-universal support for Flash these days, I have now posted a non-flash version of the wedding gallery on my website. It can be found at:

http://keepshootingphotography.co.uk/Wedding_Photography/wedding-gallery-non-flash.html

The content is exactly the same, but it is straight HTML photos instead of Flash. This will allow users of Safari and iPhone, iPad to view the content.

Non-Flash Portrait gallery to follow soon...

Smile Please...

"Smile Please". The command every photography subject dreads. The alternative "Say Cheese" induces the same reaction. Photographers hate saying it, and subjects hate hearing it. So why does it so prevelant?

Recent Headshot Photography Shoot...

A couple of images from a headshot photography shoot I did last week...

Mel and Joe's Wedding Photography...

A few photos from the wedding of Joe and Mel, on 9th July...

High Quality Professional Photography is a Luxury...

...but only if you consider it a luxury to smile, to share, and to remember...

Nine Questions to Ask Your Prospective Wedding Photographer...

... Before you book them!

The wedding photography market is so full of choice these days that it can be baffling to the uninitiated. Some photographers may just be starting out, and some may be vastly experienced, but all should go about their business in a 'professional' manner. This list of simple questions has been put together to help you navigate the minefield of professional wedding photography services, and decide what is right for you. After all, you do not want to be disappointed on your wedding day, or on the day that those picture proofs arrive.

Something Different - Manchester in Monochrome

Back in January I had a free Saturday on a beautiful sunny (if rather cold!) day, so I decided to grab the camera and participate in what Zack Arias would call a GOYA photo session. For those not familiar with Zack's blog (you should definitely check it out), GOYA stands for Get. Off. Your. Ass. So I headed into Manchester with the simple aim of just seeing what I saw, and raising the camera to my eye if I saw anything.

Turns out I saw A LOT.

Summer Photography Sale!

The Keep Shooting Photography summer sale is now on!

If you succeed in everything you do, you're probably not trying hard enough...

This has been boiling up in my mind for some time now, and I think it's something that we can all be guilty of, not just photographers. We find something we're good at. Something we enjoy. And we do it. And do it. And do it again. It's comfortable, and it's safe.

But we don't go anywhere.

We don't grow, and we don't change. We don't challenge ourselves, and we don't experiment.

And most importantly, we don't fail.

Get 10% EXTRA FREE on gift vouchers this weekend!

Simply visit the vouchers page on the Keep Shooting Photography here:

http://www.keepshootingphotography.co.uk/Portrait_Photography/Products/Portrait_Vouchers.html

And 10% extra will be added to any vouchers you purchase.

Not this will not show up in the checkout process but the additional value will be added onto your voucher when delivered...

Vouchers can be used on shoots, prints, anything from the Keep Shooting Photography range.

Grab a summer bargain today!

(Valid until midnight Sunday 20th June)

Playing with Headshots

Sometimes as a photographer the only person that is around is yourself.

That's not an excuse to put the camera down and switch on Springwatch instead...

First Impressions - Captured By The Light by David Ziser

Have just received my copy of Captured by the Light: The Essential Guide to Creating Extraordinary Wedding Photography by David Ziser in the post.

I've read a number of wedding photography books, but this really is very impressive looking. Lots of step by step examples and easy to understand lighting diagrams.

I've not finished reading it yet, so I'll post again with a proper review soon, but suffice to say it looks good so far!

Photo Stories - Wedding Shadows

I took this picture at a wedding I shot last year. The weather forecast was overcast and I'd been planning on trying something like this using off-camera flash, but the sun came out and did all the hard work for me!

Photo Stories - The Lights Fly By

This photo was taken in 2007 on a cold but clear night in June when my other half was away for the weekend, and had left me with clear instructions to 'do something creative'.

Shoot for the Edit

An interesting piece on the merit of getting it right in-camera, taken from the perspective of a photo retoucher who is obviously trying to do himself out of a job!

http://www.pittsburghcreative.com/blog/shoot-for-the-edit/

I think the author has a point though - if we accept mediocrity in our shoot, relying on the old fall-back of "I'll fix it in post" then we run the risk of becoming sloppy. Personally, I find that even if I'm meticulous during a shoot, there are usually one of two things I will want to fix afterwards, so the idea of deciding to add extra post-production work on purpose seems counter-productive to me.

Most of the time, it is actually quicker to fix it before you take the shot - even though it may not seem like it at the time. Stray hair on a model? Maybe it takes 30 seconds to clone it out, but if you shoot 100 images that's nearly an hour to get rid of that hair 100 hundred times. Or alternatively, 1 minute to go over to the model and straighten it out. Once.

Get it right in camera...

Noah's Photo Shoot

A few sneak peeks at images from a recent phot shoot with Noah - great kid, really enjoyed the day... hope you like the pictures!

Is It Photography?

A great blog post by Zack Arias, about how great photos and great photographic experience don't necessarily go hand in hand.

http://www.zarias.com/is-it-photography/

A great read for anyone considering 'uninspiring' work...

Enjoy!

Ordered new Leave-Behind cards

Just ordered the new branded leave-behind cards for weddings... can't wait to get them back from the printers, I think they will make a real impression on potential customers!

Portrait Testimonial...

A recent testimonial from another happy customer of Keep Shooting Photography:

"Hi Chris, a massive thank you for our family photo shoot, the photos are brilliant and the grandparents love them too! It was great having the shoot at home as Nikhil was completely relaxed. We liked the new ideas, especially the hands and feet shots! A brilliant Mothers day present. I am sure we will be seeing you again for more shots in the future. Thanks again."

Always good to hear that people are happy!

Hello new visitors!

Hello to everyone who is visiting the blog from my Facebook page or directly from my website at www.keepshootingphotography.co.uk! And if you haven't been to any of those sites, check them out!

More posts soon...

New - Portrait Parties Service!

Get free photos, and get paid to have fun... too good to be true??! Not with a portrait photography party by Keep Shooting Photography it isn't!

You organise the guests, and we'll do the rest - sort a venue, bring the equipment, take the photos and deliver them to your guests... and you can earn £10 per booking!

Keep Shooting on Facebook

The Keep Shooting Photography Facebook page is constantly being updated with new content, and is worth a look for galleries of photos from previous shoots, details of promotions and other information. Become a fan today!

First post!

Welcome to the Keep Shooting Photography blog - a place where news, recent shoot images and other good stuff will be displayed. Keep coming back for regular updates!