Brining Photography Weblog

Hector & Hamish

Regular readers of this blog (assuming there are some) will probably remember that just before Christmas I took some portraits of a couple of ageing West Highland terriers - Angus and Hamish. Unfortunately since then (but hopefully not related to my visit) Angus, sadly, had to be put to sleep.

Shortly into the new year however, there was a new arrival - Hector - a gorgeous little Westie pup who took no time in making himself at home apparently. 

So following a call from their owner, another visit ensued and we spent a good hour or so attempting to get both dogs to a) sit together, b) sit still and c) look at the camera (preferably at the same time) In fairness, Hector was fabulous given his age and seemed to enjoy being the centre of attention whilst Hamish just looked on laconically (if, indeed a dog can be laconic) with an air of quiet resignation.

I've not previously been overtly fond of small dogs, but I must admit that I could have happily smuggled Hector out in my camera bag - he was just wonderful. 

The Importance of Qualifications

Further to my previous post about the benefits of using a Professional Photographer, I thought I'd follow it up with a post about the importance of using a QUALIFIED Professional Photographer.

What's the difference you may ask - surely by definition a "professional" anything must be qualified? Well no. Not in the case of a photographer. The definition of a 'professional' (according the dictionary on my MAC) is "someone who is engaged in a specified activity as their main, paid occupation rather than as a pastime" Thus the act of being paid defines the 'professional' status.

All very well so far, but this doesn't necessarily guarantee any degree of competence - this is merely implied by the 'professional' moniker. The truth is that although it is possible for a relatively unskilled person to make money from photography by using one of the latest highly-automated cameras, and thus call themselves a "professional", prospective clients and customers should always look for a measure of defined competence which only comes with a qualified professional photographer.

To gain a qualification, issued by one of the three main awarding bodies  - the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP), Master Photographers' Association (MPA) and the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) - a photographer has to demonstrate not just photographic skill, but artistic and technical ability, presentation skills and excellent customer service before being allowed to use the relevant letters after their name on business cards, letterheads etc.

From a client's point of view, booking someone who is a member of an accredited body gives them the peace of mind that, should there be a problem with a job which cannot be resolved directly with the photographer, they have at least got a third-party to go to. Also, as qualified members of a professional body, we photographers are duty-bound to uphold the high standards set by them when dealing with our clients and customers. A win-win situation.

So just as you would think twice about using an unqualified plumber who turned up with a shiny bag of spanners and a cheeky smile to fix your heating, you should apply the same logic when choosing someone to record your precious memories, capture your event or promote your products.

Let the cowboys stay with the cattle.

Snowy Walk

After the recent, nationwide, snowfall we all seemed to have experienced to varying degrees, what better way to enjoy it than to go for a walk in it with the dog. Well, to name but one, stay in and look at it through the window with a cup of coffee perhaps. But not today. The dog (Jack) has to be walked no matter what the weather - or is this just a fallacy? Do dogs actually look at bad weather and think they'd rather not bother but only go out because they feel they have to for the owner's sake? Who knows? Anyway, we both set out the other morning for a tramp around our favourite fields newly enveloped in their crisp white duvet.

Unfortunately there was no sun, just a leaden sky which made for very monotone views with the vast swathes of whiteness only punctuated by the stark blackness of trees and hedges. The lack of any footprints in the virgin snow showed that most other people (and dogs) had elected to enjoy the snow using Method B - i.e. through the window with a cup of coffee.

The black and whiteness of the scene did make for a couple of nice images  though, which I've included below along with one of Jack who always seems oblivious to weather, surroundings, people, dogs etc. and only wants to run after his ball. No problem normally but today there were many occasions involving copious sniffing and digging to locate it buried in the snow.

After about an hour of being slowly frozen from the feet up, we returned to the warmth and continued to enjoy the snow looking out of the window with a cup of coffee (and bowl of water)

Jack, with ball