There are times when I have to photograph in harsh weather conditions. You can never predict the weather, especially in Oklahoma but you can learn to adjust to these problems.

Recently, I had a photo shoot in front of The Wes Watkins Center while it was cold and snowing outside. Yes, my hands were hurting because of the cold weather. Not only does the weather affect the photographer but also the camera equipment. Going from the cold to the inside of a warm building creates condensation and your lens will fog, this could be a problem. Also, the cold weather can affect how your shutter works, it tends to slow it down. Of course there are other weather conditions such as rain and wind. Even though these can be a problem, when overcomed they can also result in some outstanding photographs. So, don’t get discouraged, embrace this opportunity.

Since a lot of my friends are getting married, I thought I would share with you a little bit about wedding photography. This kind of photography can be very stressful and I know of many photographers who refuse to shoot weddings for this very reason.

When I first started taking pictures I decided to try the water out and help a friend shoot a wedding. It was one of the most horrible experiences that I had to endure. First of all, I would like to say that weddings don’t always go as planned, things are always going to happen. So, when shooting a wedding keep that in mind.

I use to hate shooting weddings. The stress of knowing that this is the “big day” for my clients and that there is no room for mistakes, was a lot of pressure for me. After several horrible experiences, I decided to look at this whole wedding thing in a different perspective.

When I shoot weddings I prepare myself to expect anything from an annoying mother-in-law to horrible lighting in a church. I tell myself that this is my client’s day, and that whatever they want I will do. Every couple is different and therefore every wedding is going to be different. I tailor my photographs to the personality and character of my clients. I think about their story and tell that story through my photographs. In the end not only am I happy but so are my clients.

I have learned that when taking portraits of people the outcome of the image can be influenced by the photographer’s personality. It can be a very difficult task to get someone to “come out of their shell”. However, I have found a few tips to be very helpful when shooting portraits.

Tips:

Always stay calm. Things might not be going exactly your way but stressing out only makes your model feel uncomfortable.

Be yourself. If you are yourself around your model then that makes them feel comfortable to be themselves around you.

Don’t be cheesy. I can’t stand it when some photographers say really cheesy things. You want them to have a good time too.

Get happy. If you are excited about the photos that you are taking then your model becomes more relaxed because the photographer is pleased with what they see.

Don’t make them feel insecure. Not every model is perfect and some might have better features than others; however, never make them feel uncomfortable and DO enhance their best features.

Don’t be so uptight. If the photographer is having fun and then the shoot will go a lot smoother.

So, these are a few tips that I have found very helpful when shooting portraits. I know they work because I have tried them myself. I have had the opportunity to take photos of many different people here at OSU such as President Schmidly, Coretta Scott King and many other professors and faculty; and using these tips have helped me do an efficient job. I hope everyone lets their true self shine through when photographing people.