Lifestyle Photography

We've just started to develop lifestyle photography. For those who don't know what 'lifestyle photography' means - it is photography that captures people in context and a more relaxed and fun way. The main difference, though, is the pictures are done 'on location' rather than within a studio. This provides a more realistic setting and background.

Here are some pictures of a friend of mine. She wanted some pictures for a specific purpose, which I won't go into here - but she wanted professional quality pictures. My friend owns a wonderful old manor house, so the location was already available. We used a professional make-up artist (Rachel Liney) and tried out various things.

We will be doing some portfolio work over the winter, so if you fancy a make-over and photo-shoot then just get in contact.

Here are some of the pictures:-

What defines professional? (post 4)

Okay, so we have:-

(1) Creative eye, including good composition and understanding light
(2) Professional grade equipment, including lenses (and the know-how to use them)
(3) Ability to cover a range of pictures and so do week in week out

My fourth - and this will be my last - is simply that pictures must have a hallmark of looking professional. In other words, people must be able to look at a sample of pictures and say - 'they look professional'. I know that may sound obvious, but the proof should come through in the pictures, otherwise something is missing. There must be an overall quality of work that speaks 'professional'.


A candid moment that captures so much. I love this picture - it is simple and was taken quickly, but this kind of picture inspires me to take more. I love the feel in black and white, it seems so timeless.


A still life of flowers, yet the colours are beautiful and the soft light and differential focus between the foreground and background make for a pleasing picture. This is straight out of camera - no extra work on the computer.


The lighting and composition in this picture are so very strong, framing the bride and groom. The strong lines from the roof structures offset the expanse in the rest of the picture.

What defines professional? (post 3)

So far my comments on professional are (1) having a creative eye and (2) using professional grade equipment. It goes without saying that you must have a good grasp of all the technical details for photography, both creatively, exposure and light.

My third difference is being able to capture a range of pictures and to do so consistently. Many people can take the odd picture really well, but doing so on a regular basis across a range of areas is different. That is what you expect from a professional.

Here are a few pictures from a recent wedding (Sally and Nick - 28th July 2007). I hope you enjoy them.
Best wishes, Glen



Details are an important part of the day, flowers especially - but they need to be good pictures.


Pictures that capture the essence of the day, such as this shot from the back of the church, help to tell the story of the day. Good composition, good timing and the right lighting are key.


Formal pictures seldom make promotional images, but they are an important part of the day for most couples. Selecting a good background and working well with people are key, plus a good understanding of light.


Of course posed pictures of the bride and groom are normally a must - getting people to relax in front of the camera is the key here, as well as being able to direct people in terms of how and where to stand.


Candid pictures that capture the moment are normally favourites - but this must be more than a snap, you need to be in the right place at the right time, and know how to use composition and light.

What defines professional? (post 2)

Okay, so here is my second post on this topic and it is about the type of kit you use. There are two grades of photography equipment, those targeted at the high street and those targeted at professional users. Professional equipment is (1) more expensive, (2) higher spec and (3) more robust and durable. The one that I will focus on here is the higher spec. So, just what exactly does this mean?

Well it means when a manufacturer is making something then fit for purpose is the measure of quality - in other words quality needs to be sufficient for the intended purpose. In terms of cameras the difference is generally in how robust they are, although professional cameras do have more features. The big difference, though, is in the lens and lighting. Let me explain.

Professional grade lens are made to a much higher specification and they let in much more light, which makes then heavier and bigger. This all goes to make for a very heavy camera bag but some top draw lenses and some great pictures. The downside is the cost and weight - you are talking about around £1,000 or more for each lens, and each one can weigh a pound on its own. A photographer can easily have 5 or 6, to cover different situations. That is a lot of money and weight in glass.

The other area is lighting. The use of artificial light is key; too much and you spoil the picture, and too little and you will struggle to see anything. Professional grade equipment is designed to give a balanced picture, using a mixture of natural and artificial light. Of course you have to know what you are doing, but that applies anyway.

Here are a few pictures as examples:-


This picture was taken by Samantha and shows what can be achieved using a professional grade lens. The combination of the sharpness of the bride's (Dipti) face and the out-of-focus necklace is a hallmark of a good lens. It is a beautiful picture made so to a large extent by the quality of the lens.


This picture demonstrates the ability to combined natural and artificial light, to give a pleasing, balanced picture.


This picture uses a differential in the focus to create an artistic effect. The place card is in focus but the rest of the picture is blurred, even though the distance between the items is very close. The lighting is also very soft and natural. This picture was entirely created in camera, no soft focus lens, no computer adjustments - just a very good, professional grade lens. It has turned a very simple and not-so-interesting scene into one that really appeals to the eye.


This picture was taken using a tripod and an ultra-wide angle lens. The lens costs around £1,500 and you can see why when you see the result it can produce.

What defines professional? (post 1)

I thought that I would do a few posts around a particular topic, which means that if you follow this blog then you can read the series!

So what is the difference between professional and non-professional pictures, in terms of the finished picture. In the era of digital cameras you might be forgiven for thinking that anyone with a good quality digital camera could pass as a professional, and herein lies part of the trouble - it is not as easy as it was to separate an enthusiast from a professional.

So here are my thoughts.

Creative eye. I used to think that the best pictures had to capture a wonderful subject - such as a shaft of light coming through woods illuminating a single flower; catching that special moment, or being in the right place at the right time. Well, that is part of the trick - but more often than not a good creative eye is about taking a very ordinary scene and capturing it in way that makes for a good picture. More often that not that means thinking of something less obvious. Clearly the composition of the picture has to work, the same applies to art - the overall picture must have a look and feel that makes for a good picture, but the creative eye, in my view, is more than just composition - it needs to capture something more than just a technically good picture.

Below is a picture that in my mind uses the creative eye to take a very standard scene and makes it much more interesting. You cannot see the bride's face, but the picture so very clearly speaks volumes to me: the picture instantly says "wedding", but not in a boring way; the composition works, with her on the left, a few table details in focus and the expanse of the room out of focus; her veil and hands make a nice still life subject and your eye is drawn to them in the picture; and finally, I am left wondering what she is thinking about as she listens to the best man's speech. The fact that I cannot see her face is not an issue - in this case, less is more: she looks beautiful as she is in the picture, with her hair, dress, hands and veil.

Did I think through all of that when I took the picture? Of course not, the picture took my eye, I would have looked through the viewfinder for a few moments, taken time to compose the picture and adjust any settings on the camera, then I pressed the shutter. But when you do this professionally you develop an instinctive sense of what the creative eye is all about. The black and white finish adds to the overall tone of the picture. This was taken using film, black and white film, but I knew that when I took the picture and so this was a deliberate step on my part.

The picture is more special to me, because the bride in question is my daughter. I was not of course the official photographer, but it was nice to capture a few moments myself.

We've had a really good response..

...from people since Samantha and I joined in partnership. We've taken 18 bookings in 18 weeks, some for this year and some for next. This is great news and much better than we had thought. The reaction from couples has been fantastic. People appreciate the fact that we don't do cheesy pictures - but we do style and professional quality images. There will always be lots of guests at a wedding with good cameras who will be able to take lots of snaps - but we always look to go way beyond snaps, using our skill and professional grade equipment (in the main this refers to the lenses and lighting we use).

The other big gain has been professional development. Working alongside each other has helped us both to develop and fine tune our skills and the way we work. You always learn from other people and especially other professionals. We are both very pleased with the pictures we have been taking recently.

We have put together a brief for a new website, which will be live in the autumn. This will feature us both and is going to be fab - we are both really excited about this. We also have some new literature coming as well, which will feature some images from our recent weddings. And to add to this, we will also be extending our range of sample albums. We like to keep our work fresh.

Oh, it is so nice to have some sunshine. I hope you are enjoying it.