Street Photography Meetup with Ready Steady Pro & One Camera One Lens

The idea of a meet-up has been discussed a few times now in The Ready Steady Pro Community, and we’re finally taking action and getting one organised, so I've teamed up with the guys over at One Camera One Lens to arrange an action-packed day of Street Photography Fun in the UK's capital city: London!

The date: Sunday 27th April.
The Place: London - Outside the Apple Store
The Time: 10:30am. We are going to be there all day though, so if even if you catch up later in the day - that's fine!
Price: It's a free country. We can't charge you to come and have fun with a group of photographers :) All you have to do is get yourself there.
Join Us: See the form at the bottom of this post

The last London Meetup I organised was for The Guild of Photographers back in 2013. It was a great day out with a superb group of photographers. I'm sure this trip will be just as much fun!

What will we be doing? Where will we be going?

The best way to see any city is to walk and wander. Whilst we are drawing up a list of places to go and things to see, it will be a day of street photography where we wander from place to place and photograph along the way. There will be no strict itinerary.

The idea of visiting The National Portrait Gallery to take a look at David Bailey's Stardust Exhibition has been mentioned. Nothing is booked yet though and we'll probably be able to purchase tickets on the day. (tickets available from the Nation Portrait Gallery Website). The best thing to do would be to register an interest below using the form, or join us over on Facebook. If it is decided that we are indeed going to The National Portrait Gallery, we'll either let you know via email (complete the form below), or you'll see the Facebook update on the Event Page.

I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun and probably a bite to eat too, so, if you’re around on Sunday 27th April come join the meet-up. Would be great to meet some of you for the first time and to meet others again and catch up! More details will be confirmed closer to the time (times and meeting location etc) so be sure to sign up to updates or join the Facebook Events Page to stay in-the-know.

Be sure to check out the One Camera One Lens blog and if you're a believer in creative-eye-over-gear then perhaps the One Camera One Lens Facebook Group is just the thing you've been searching for.

So, for now sign up to keep up to date. More news to follow. Looking forward to meeting you all in London!

Q&A With Michael Rammell [As featured on Ready Steady Pro]

This post was intiially featured on Ready Steady Pro as part of the Photographer Q&A Series. I took part to share my thoughts on photography, gear lust, learning and networking:

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As part of the Ready Steady Pro Q&A Series we ask photographers from all backgrounds, niches and skill levels to answer 5 questions for the blog. This week, we hear from, well...erm..me! Michael Rammell of Rammell Photography & Rammell Studios.

About Michael:

Compared to many I've not been a photographer long at all. I picked up my first 'proper' DSLR back in 2009 and was quickly bitten by the bug, as so many people are. I'm a married man with two children and live in Berkshire in the South East of England. In terms of my photography I'm probably most known for my wedding work. Like so many that make their way into photography I too found my way into weddings some time ago and again became a little obsessed.

I have / am however intentionally moving into the head shot / portrait space at the moment. I'm keen to get back to working with studio lighting and making use of what I consider to be my best skill (aside from using the camera): interacting with people. With head shots and portraits it's more about the relationship between the photographer and the subject - being able to 'extract' that expression from the person you're photographing. It's that process more than anything that I enjoy the most, so when you mix that with making photographs it's heaven for me.

In addition to making photographs I am of course the host of this very show - The Ready Steady Pro Photography Podcast. I started it all back in September 2013 with a few things in mind; firstly - to actually be a podcast 'made in the UK'. So many of the big podcasts out there at the moment are US or Canadian-based and I'm keen to get some representation for the UK photography community on the iTunes and Podcasting stage. Secondly though, and the actual primary focus / intention of this podcast is to help emerging photographers making their way into the industry. Not only helping them make a success of their photography business, but also to help them do things the right way: not underpricing and damaging the industry for example. With my background in business and having fallen down a few holes myself over the past few years I felt I had a lot to share and I knew that there were a lot of people just like me with lots to share as well.

So, that's how the Podcast and the Community on Facebook began! So that's me: Photographer, Father, Podcaster. Oh, I shoot Nature, Wildlife & Landscapes too, but that's for me ;)

Having asked so many other guests these 5 questions, here are my own responses:

Question 1: What's the one single thing that has had the largest positive impact on your photography so far?

I knew when I was coming up with these questions that I wanted to make them the sort of questions that would challenge the photographer to think. I didn't however consider that I'd be answering my own questions at some point...this is a tough one. There are so many things and combinations of things that have contributed in massively positive ways towards my photography and towards my business. If you were asking me what has improved my actual photography though, as in, making photographs, I'd have to say that the one single thing to have improved me the most has been to just give up the gear obsession. It really is that simple.

By not obsessing with gear you free up your mind to focus on the craft. Rather than searching the internet for new lenses and figuring out what I was going to buy next and watching YouTube Reviews of the latest equipment, I instead found myself reading articles on vision, on business, on light, on technique and so much more. I learnt more about photography the moment I gave up this silly obsession with shiny lenses and the latest camera's. Furthermore it saved me money too!

So many 'photographers' have all the gear, but in truth (and we all know this) the thing that separates us from Uncle Bob or the photographer-next-door is our vision and eye for light. WE are the difference. Not the gear. Sure, gear is important. The right lens for the right job and all that, but really, I think I'd be pretty confident to say that I could shoot a wedding or a portrait with less than full professional gear. The reason I say this is because camera's and lenses are all of such a high quality now that you'd be amazed at what you can do with some of the lesser equipment. For example: remember that photograph of the great Muhammed Ali, knocking down Sonny Liston from back in 1965...what gear do you suppose Neil Leifer (the photographer who made the photograph) used for that photograph? He sure didn't have auto focus, or an LCD screen to check out if it was all in the frame. The gear matters very little, you matter more than anything. That has been the biggest revelation to my photography. If you can give up an obsession with gear you will become a photographer unchained.

Question 2: If you could start over again from scratch, what would be the one thing you would do differently?

Despite saying that giving up an obsession with gear was the one biggest thing that has improved my photography, I wouldn't change that, or try to give up the obsession sooner. Sounds ludicrous I know but if I didn't experience that obsession when I did, then perhaps it may have come round when I make more money and eat into my success then. That is a hurdle I had to jump in my own time. But, if I were starting out and were to do something differently, I'd definitely have joined a community, group or society sooner. I'm not talking any old Facebook group with other photographers - I'm talking about a buddy group of sorts with a good combination of social chatter and business-minded talking.

The reason I say this is because I believe that you cannot learn everything through your own experiences. Meaning that just because you've done something or read something does not mean you've learnt something, or learnt it the right or best way. In short - a community of great photographers, business people and friends is a powerful thing.

You can go into these groups, be confident to ask any question you like without fear of ridicule and have plenty of options put on the table for you. This is something I do regularly even today in both the Guild of Photographers community and the Ready Steady Pro Facebook community. Both of these groups are filled with a variety of people at all different stages of their photographic careers. Some have been around for 20+ years, others for a matter of months. The beauty here is that new people always question why things are done the way they are and the old guard, so to speak, can tell you why they aren't done the way they're not done. In the Ready Steady Pro group for example we've got newborn photographers from the North of England to the South, we've got Wedding Photographers from UK, US, Australia and commercial photographers from Singapore. We've got stock photographers, head shot photographers, portrait photographers and so much more. Not only that, this eclectic mix of creatives are a really friendly bunch too. I'll admit I'm not quite sure how it's happened but we've pulled together an amazing group of photographers from all walks of life. It's a group I can no longer live without!

So, join a group, a community or a club. It'll raise your game, question your thinking and be a hell of useful resource if you have questions. Doing this sooner would have made my life in the early days much, much easier!

Question 3: Who is the most influential photographer to you, and why? (Or, Which photographer do you admire the most, and why?)

Another question where I see guests often replying with more than just one photographer. So, I'll do the same. I also have two huge influences on my photographic work:

Jerry Ghionis - Jerry is a master of light, a master of posing, and an astute businessman. For me Jerry has it all as a photographer. Not only can Jerry make amazing photographs no matter what the situation and lighting, he really knows his stuff when it comes to pricing, business models, sales and marketing and more. I've watched so many of Jerry's video's, read interviews and sat through Web Casts on the ICE Society website - never before have I found a photographer to be so engaging and interesting. I simply love everything that Jerry does. Of Jerry's style, I'd call it 'truly unique' (because lets face it not everyone's work is unique at all nowadays) and beautiful. Just really classy photography. Another thing that appeals to me so much about Jerry is his demeanour. He's a real chameleon in that he can really adjust his approach to any situation and client. He can be the calm  guy, the lad, the joker and the ladies man. These are all the things you need to be to successfully negotiate a wedding day. More than anything though Jerry's posing is second to none. Just watch him work with a bride and groom or a model. He has an eye for detail that you rarely see on photographers today.

The second photographer would have to be Martin Bailey. A hugely different photographer to Jerry in that Martin doesn't even photograph people. Martin Bailey is a UK-Born Japanese citizen of over 20 years. Martin Photographs Nature & Wildlife and runs photography tours and workshops all over the world including Hokkaido in Japan, Iceland, Kenya, the Antarctic and more. The reason I follow Martin so closely is not only because he is also an amazing photographer, but also because of Martin's technicality. Martin really know's his stuff and can share and teach in a way that is very digestible. Martin runs a photography Podcast that is over 400 episodes old now and I've been through every single episode. As well as shooting, teaching and Podcasting Martin has also written a number of eBooks for Craft & Vision. One of these books is called 'Making the Print', in this Martin reveals some incredible tips and advice that only improves your photography, it also helps you shoot in a way that will improve the end-product print. Martin Bailey is a photographer I trust and believe in when it comes to technology, technique and nature & wildlife photography.

I also have to give a mention to Cliff Mautner, Susan Stripling and Joe Buissink for their work too. I know all of the names I've listed for wedding photographers are pretty much big names in the industry and you've perhaps heard of them all before, but the reason I believe in these people and find them influental is because they're actually out there doing it, they've made it big, they're a success. They're not just shooting weddings at high prices, they're also touring the world and teaching others all about that too. These guys know what they're talking about, they're great at what they do and that's why they're the so called 'big names'.

Question 4: If you able to give just one piece of advice to someone just starting out in their photographic career, what would it be?

I started this blog and this podcast because I've more than one piece of advise to give, so it's hard to choose just one. But, for the sort of person I imagine to be reading this right now and for the person that Ready Steady Pro is aimed at, my one piece of advice would be: "Don't demonise the day job".

Nearly all of the advice out there, especially from the pro's already in the market and the message being delivered by many videos and products is 'Go Pro!'. Whilst I believe that if anyone has the business skills (firstly) and is a great photographer (secondarily) they can go pro, I would advise people to slow down, calm down and don't just jump! There is a plan B you know!

All too easily people can jack in their day jobs today and make a go of being a full time photographer. It's easy to be lead into thinking this with all of the success stories you're seeing on the internet and media. I'm not saying you should not do this, but what I am saying is that you don't have to. You can keep your day job too for now. Many photographers in the industry also have a second source of income, whether it be teaching, online classes or subscription-type services, product endorsements, or...believe it or not...a day job! That's right. With so many people flooding into the photography industry it has become more and more of a saturated market. You have to do more to stand out now. If you're a working photographer times are harder than they've ever been and you may have to take work you'd otherwise prefer not to take. Well why not keep the day job, or go part time. Transition your way into the industry perhaps.

This may sound like a really contrasting bit of advice compared to what you're hearing from the rest of the internet masses, but working for yourself isn't just about making good photographs, it's about cash flow management, diligence, taxes, paperwork, advertising, marketing, sales and a whole lot more. Not to mention that your credit situation changes once you're self employed. If you're looking at a mortgage your situation can be taken into account. Sporadity of work can really hamper the amount banks will lend you. I'm not trying to scare you here, just giving you some facts.

I'm working my way towards full time too, but I am planning my transition to be long-term. Over the course of 5 years starting in 2015 (after my wife has finished her year off on maternity leave). I'd rather do it right.

So, my one piece of advice: Don't demonise the day job. Bide your time, suck it up, keep going to work, earn that regular wage and then enjoy photography and be selective about the work you take, because you can afford to be selective.

Question 5: Paint a picture: What is the one thing / place / person you would love to photograph and why? It can be a person or a moment from history. As part of this answer also tell us about what gear you'd use, what lighting, what looks, wardrobes, poses and expressions you'd make use.

It'd have to be a day of shooting portraits in the most interesting place in the world: London.

I'd setup a portable studio in South Bank. I'd have a two light setup and photograph strangers as they pass. I'd ask them to step into the booth / portable studio type setup that I've got and I'd work through a series of expressions with them. At first I'd imagine many would be nervous & confused, but after a few minutes I think I'd be able to get a really 'cool' picture of them.

I'd take email addresses and send them a link to the page where I'll post all the portraits. Those willing to pay the printing and shipping costs can have a copy of their portraits.

This would be less about the actual end photograph as such and more about the project and the process of photographing and interacting with all of those people. I'd love to get it to 100 / 150 people in a day and then put together a small book.

Anything to Add

Yes! I just want to finish by saying that in an industry such as photography, where everyone is creative, you cannot just be better. You have to be different. Being better is not good enough. You have to have something unique about you and your work. You have to stand out for something, be associated with something, be 'that guy who does that thing' rather than just another great photographer. In truth, there are more great photographers than the world has room for. I'm sure in your local area there are a handful of great photographers. So, be different. Not just better.

On top of that: Join a community, give up obsessing with gear, go to night school, college, university or some other establishment and learn about business. Find a great accountant that knows about taxes. Listen to Podcasts and shoot every day. Be better and be different. Give back to others by paying it forward, be kind to others and help when people need it. If you're kind on the way up, you'll have friends if you find yourself on the way back down...That's the key to success. It's that simple ;)

If you want to know more about me, see my work, or get in touch I'm on pretty much everything on the web:

Personal Work: www.MichaelRammell.com 
Wedding Website: www.RammellPhotography.com
Blog: www.ReadySteadyPro.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mikerammell
Twitter: @RammellPhoto / @ReadySteadyPro
Google+: www.plus.google.com/+MichaelRammell 
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rammellphoto/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rammellphoto

Don't forget you can also post in the comments section below, or join the fun over in the Ready Steady Pro Facebook Community

Would you like to take part in photography Q&A? Send us an email with your answers to the 5 questions and it could appear on this blog too! More details can be found on the Q&A Page

London Street Photography With The Guild Of Photographers

This is a post long, long overdue, but now during the Christmas and New Year Period I've been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to catch up with it all. I've had weddings to shoot & edit, we've got a baby on the way (now overdue at the time of writing this) and in between that I've had a house full with people staying for Christmas. So, suffice to say I've been a little quiet on the Social Media and blogging side of things. But, I'm back now and today I want to share with you some photographs I made back in October in London...

On Sunday 20th October I led a photo walk in London with some extremely talented and very fun photographers from the Guild of Photographers.

In what initially was just a small idea that was batted around - we ended up running a full photo walk in London for the day. It was a huge success. With 11 of us in attendance we set about photographing the sights, scenes and people of London.

So, today, right here in this post I want to share a few of my photographs from this trip with you. I'll talk a little about each one and how it came to be:

So this first photograph (above) was one of the very first photographs I made on the day. Some of the photographers that joined us on the walk were a little apprehensive about photographing strangers and weren't keen on asking for their permission. Well, if you don't ask you don't get. So to demonstrate that all you have to do is be confident and polite you'll find you're more than likely to get complete strangers agreeing to have their photographs taken. I found this chap to be really interesting and like most of my work from this day I felt a contrasty black and white was in order.

This particular character was sitting on a bicycle/taxi thing in Covent Garden (our arranged meeting place). He was reading a book as I approached him, waiting for his next fare I can only assume. When I asked "Excuse me, would you mind at all If I made your photograph?"
"Sure" he replied. So, I made two frames as he continued to read and then I asked him to look directly into the camera, and that's how this shot came to be. I thanked him for his time, wished him a pleasant day and moved on.

See, not so hard.

So, I walked aimlessly and didn't really give thought to where I was heading. As you do, I stumbled upon St. Paul's Cathedral and spotted this rather intense looking guy on the steps. I took a seat, waited for my opportunity to photograph him and then left. I was sure to make use of leading lines here. On this occasion I felt making his portrait and disturbing him wouldn't only annoy him (as he seemed to be enjoying what he was reading) but it would also be a moment lost. Reading a booking on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral.

As I mentioned back in the very first photograph the meeting place for our group on this Sunday was Covent Garden, just outside the Apple Store. It's public and obvious and everyone knows where it is! Before setting off and making our way for South Bank we stayed for a short while to photograph the always-excellent street performers.

Jugglers, actors, stuntmen and musicians all gather here to show off their talents and make a little money in the process. It's one of the beautiful things about London, there are people everywhere willing to entertain you. Strangely though most of them are amazingly talented and I'm sure should be doing far better to the point where they have record deals or are at least gracing our Radio Stations. They're certainly far more talented than the acts you see on the reality TV programs. (I digress). Alas, it's not always to be. It just means we get to listen and enjoy when we're out in London.

Acoustic musicians singing a mix of their own original work and re-works of popular current music are a mainstay of the performances you can usually find in Covent Garden. This young lady was singing her heart out to the crowd that had gathered around her. This was another instance where the group began to photograph her from 'behind the lines' as it were, standing with the other onlookers. I opted instead to get in close: I threw a few pounds into her Guitar case, she nodded in appreciation. I help up the camera as if to gesture "Is it okay for me to make your photograph?" and she nodded again and continued her performance. I made a fair few frames from a low angle, being sure not to get in the way for the other people who had gathered to enjoy her performance. I moved back after getting my shots and let the other members of the group do the same.

So, in true British style, it rained on this day. It rained a lot! The heavens opened and by gosh it got wet, fast. Just before the downpour though we had some fun at Somerset House whilst en-route to South Bank (thanks Liz for being tour guide / navigator). I asked my fellow Guild members to stand in various places in between the fountains using the rule of odds. Poor Marta there on the right is hidden behind a fountain, but the concept was good, in my mind at least :)

Shortly after this shot it started to rain too much for us to stay outside for much longer. We made our way inside to wait for the shower to pass. In the UK the rain can really start and then top quite suddenly. Other times it can be relentless and rain non-stop all day. Fortunately for us the rain lasted only a short while. So we headed inside to chat about our experience of the day so far and to see how people felt about approaching strangers, now that we'd been doing it all morning.

This is a portrait of my fellow Guild Member Jakub Voza. Jackub was a really interesting guy and I'm so pleased he made it on this day to join us. I found Jakub very creative and very quirky and good fun to shoot with. As the rain came we retreated inside to Somerset House where we settled for a good 30 - 45 minutes with a hot drink (for some; a glass of wine) whilst things dried up. The rain just didn't stop, but neither did the conversation or the banter. We all enjoyed each other's companies and chewed the fat, so to speak.

At some point the rain had to stop, right? Well, it did eventually. We seized the moment and made our way back outside to a refreshed and invigorated London. The air was clean and there was now a different feel and texture to everything as leaves were battered down from the trees and puddles formed everywhere, giving us the chance to play a few games with the reflections. Everything had a silvery metallic look to it now that the rain had been. (again, perhaps this is just the way I saw things?!)

After a short time of playing with reflections and doing a few more group shots outside Somerset House we continued with the original plan and made our way to South Bank. Always an interesting place to be. As we started walking I held back and got this shot of the gang walking off.

So, just over the bridge from Somerset House was our destination: London's South Bank. A riverside setting lined with places to eat, a quirky old book shop under the bridge, more performers and even a Skate Park! If you're in London - South Bank is a great little place to check out. It's on the same side of the river as the London Eye, just a minutes walk away.

In this shot (above), i grabbed this lovely couple as they walked by and convinced them to model for the group. They were more than willing.

Seeing as this one is in Black and White also - what you can't see is the amazingly vibrance and redness of the wood behind this lovely couple. We took a walk over the river and spotted this large, red wooden structure. I think we all had the same thing in mind when we wanted to use it as a backdrop. I gathered up a few South Bank Pedestrian's and guided them towards this back drop for the other photographers to use as models, but I had to save this couple for myself! I asked them to squeeze in nice and close, keep each other warm and forget about the odd set of people with massive camera's behind me. The laugh I was expecting came right out and after a few short moments settled into these lovely natural smiles. What a great couple!

Save South Bank! After moving on from our fun using the big red background we were again on the search for willing passers by to pose and model for us. As we walked by the skate park in South Bank I was summoned over by this gentleman who insisted I signed the petition he and his colleague had going to Save Southbank! "What's happening to Southbank" I asked. "What does it need saving from?"

"They're going to knock down this skate park and small recreational area down to build more shops and retail units in addition to all the shops they already have along this part of the river" he explained

"Your Portrait in exchange for my signature" I offered...

Then this picture was made. Such a great smiler. I only took 1 or 2, but knew that I'd nailed it. What a willing model.

Shortly after this a few of the other photographers from the group asked him for his photograph. I said "Go on, go for it. I'll get you some signatures!". So, as promised I set about getting people walking by to come over and sign the signatures. By the time Andrea from our group had finished making his portrait (Andrea asked him to move over to one side and pose next to the Skate Park) I had gathered a small queue of about 6 or 7 people and had them ready to sign the petition.

Everyone's a winner. I get a photograph and I help his cause for him. Call it an exchange of services!

We'd spent so much time in South Bank, and thanks to the earlier rain we were running behind a little bit. We had a table reserved at an Italian place about 10 minutes walk from where we were. So, as we all slowly started to make our way towards the restaurant we walked back along South Bank. That's when I spotted these guys...

This couple were very, very into one another. I was actually the other side of them, shooting a musician (see next photograph) with the sunset behind her. Keen to keep up with the group I started to speed walk and realised this couple were having a very passionate and public engagement and show of affection. I was at this point on the 70-200mm (your perfect Street Photography Lens...not!) so was able to crop in and frame the loving couple. I had to take this shot a few times in a bid to remove the passers by from the scene. 

As I mentioned above most of my shots from today were black and white. I also mentioned a performer with an amazingly dramatic and colourful skyline. This was her. The option was to go for Flash (in the bag in the pouch) or shoot and embrace the silhouette or risk grabbing the flash and missing the quickly fading light. In hindsight I wouldn't change a thing about this one. The silhouette makes this so much more fun. It could be anyone and anywhere.

So, that's it for today. Those are my 10 favourite shots from the Guild of Photographers London Street Photo Walk, arranged and organised by yours truly. We will of course be doing this again, it goes without saying. It was great fun. Not only making the photographs, but just being around other creatives and other photographers; seeing how differently people shoot the same scene and subject.

I hope you've enjoyed these photographs?

If you have any questions or comments, or are interested i attending a future photo walk please drop a comment below, or email me: michael@rammellphotography.com.

VIDEO: Preparing a Photograph for Print

Printing is considered by many to be the final step in making a photograph. It’s a sentiment I agree with.

The ‘problem’ with printing though is that people often think it’s expensive or that prints never come out quite right:

• Prints can sometimes come out too dark
• Prints are sometimes not as sharp as they were on screen
• The colours can be wrong -
  • Too warm or too cool is a common issue
  • Skin tones being innacurate and people appear either Orange or Pale
• I’ve also heard on many occasions that prints can appear ‘washed out’ with blacks appearing slightly grey.

Well today I want to share with you a short video to guide you through the basics of printing and to avoid these common issues. If you’re printing your photographs this is, in the most basic way, the very least you should be doing with your photographs in Lightroom to ensure they come out as bright as you intended them to be, to have rich blacks and brilliant whites and to be clean from spots. Take a look:

So, try applying the clipping method and adjusting your screen brightness before editing your photograph and see how different the results are.

If you have any questions please do get in touch with me via the contact form, or over in theFacebook community