Simon Antony Photography » photographer

How difficult is it to photograph children?

Simon Steed — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:44:10 +0000

Note! Good photography isn’t cheap….. and cheap photography often isn’t good!

Simon Steed — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:42:01 +0000

You will see there are thousands of photographers out in the marketplace, all vying for your business, how on earth should you choose?

Do you want the cheapest possible job but pay more in the long run as the quality is fine for Facebook but not your dining room wall?
Do you want the highest quality possible but then can only afford the complimentary print being offered?
Or do you go on reputation, quality and price?

For most of our clients, the third option is the route taken. Sure a lot of them have gone to the likes of Venture, Olan Mills or whoever but when they see the pictures they like and are told “that will be £990 please sir”, you can visualise their hearts skipping a beat or few – “£990 for five photographs, you are having a giraffe!”

A lot of the work we do is by referral i.e. past clients pass our name onto their friends who then go on to book us and never look back. Why?

Our prices are very reasonable – we are not and never will be the cheapest – this is our living and we need to meet certain overheads and of course make some money.
Our approach is second to none – we have a lot of fun with all our clients, this allows them to relax and consequently their pictures shine.
Our quality is top notch – Simon is a particularly fussy bugger and will not allow anything to go out unless he is happy for it to be on his own wall or album
We try and accommodate all your needs so if you want the shoot to go ahead, purchase a couple of prints and then can only afford more in 12 months time, that is fine – we can do that. This happens a lot with Weddings where we will shoot a wedding, say Budget Bronze at £350 for the photography and then wait 6-8 months whilst the couple save up to get their album done. They then spend another £325 on the album plus get some canvas prints as well – in total the couple have spent over £800 on their wedding package but spread the costs over 8 months hence they don’t notice it as much.

One saying we do go by is:

“Good photography isn’t cheap….. and cheap photography often isn’t good!”

Remember this. There are a lot of bedroom shooters out there that are trying to make it work but with inferior equipment, inferior skills and most importantly, they are not insured – 90% of the time, it’s their second income and all these points together explain why they are cheap.

Do you research, talk to the photographers, meet them, find out their style, look at their portfolio and then ask yourself, would I like their style of pictures on my wall or in my album – I’d hope that you would find a full time professional to then take your photographs for you, I know we would!

Simon Steed

March 2010

Simon Steed is a full time professional photographer that focus upon high quality portraiture, wedding and baby photography. He covers the Stockport, Greater Manchester and Surrounding areas and is available for commission work. He can be contacted through his website, http://www.simonantony.co.uk

Launch of new Family and Couples portrait package in Stockport

Simon Steed — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:57:33 +0000

We are pleased to announce a new package geared towards families and couples which gives them a range of photographs to treasure

Full details are available from this link

Why professional photographers charge what we do

Simon Steed — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:12:53 +0000

1. Professional photographers are in business, and consequently we need to make a profit to survive. Because it is our career, we dedicate ourselves to becoming the best we can be, and share that knowledge with our clients in the form of the photographs we take.

2. Professional photographers have to buy professional equipment. Nope, we don’t just pick up a point-and-shoot from ASDA or Jessops and declare ourselves a professional. We have spent thousands of pounds getting multiple camera bodies, the finest lenses, flash equipment for every situation, tripods, light stands, backdrops, props, carrying and storage cases. And then when you think you have it all – you need to get backups for everything to make sure you never miss an image.

3. As Professional photographers, education is an continuing exercise, and hence they learn as much as they can about the business. They join groups like SWPP or the National Press Photographers Association. They attend seminars and training by some of the best names in the business. They concentrate on becoming the best they can be.

4. Professional photographers don’t just snap a picture, they create a photograph or even a piece of artwork. They understand positioning. They understand lighting. They understand placement. You’re not just paying for the ability to place a finger on the trigger and snap a picture. You’re paying for the years of experience it took to create the perfect image.

5. Professional photographers can spend hours producing one professional photograph. Time can include:

creating the marketing
answering emails and phone calls
meeting with the client to talk about the event
setting up for the event
drive time to and from the event
time for the actual photographing
running to and from the lab
meeting with the client for previews and decisions
processing the image
retouching the image
mounting the image
framing the image
packaging the image
dropping off final images
production work
follow up work

Add it all up, and you can see why one portrait session may include hours worth of work. It’s impossible to stay in business if you only make a few pennies per client.

6. Professional photographers have to be more than photographers. They have to be CEOs and marketers, and bankers, and salespeople, and production workers, and janitors, and buyers, and negotiators, and networkers, and drivers, and organizers. And photographers. That’s a lot of skills for one person to master.

7. Professional photographers will do it all. Want to get married at the top of a 14,000 foot high mountain, where the only way up is a 30 minute ski-lift ride? A professional photographer will be there. Want a portrait running through the waves on a Southern California beach? A professional photographer will be there.

8. Professional photographers aren’t just order takers, they provide total customer service. Professionals photograph dozens or even hundreds of clients a year. They understand what looks good, how to put together albums, and how to group multiple photographs together. Their goal is to provide you with what you need and what’s best for you – not just have you sign on the dotted line.

9. Professional photographers watch for the newest, most innovative, creative products available. They stay up to date on industry news, and find things that perfectly match their clients taste. They don’t try and fit you into something you don’t like – they find out what you want and search the world over for the perfect things. They are the professional.

10. Professional photographers have the knowledge and the skill to make you look the best you can be. I can buy a hammer for a few pounds at the local store, yet I spent hundreds of pounds for a handyman to repair my deck. I can buy a needle and thread for a few pence at the fabric store, yet I spend over £100 on alterations at a local tailor. It’s not about the tools; it’s about the outcome.

Sure, anyone can buy a camera and take a picture. You can head down to your local discount store, wait several hours and have a minimum wage clerk place you on an X and snap a few pictures. But they can’t get what a professional can get. They won’t concentrate on expressions. They won’t advise you on outfits and locations. They won’t provide 110 percent customer service. You won’t get a professional portrait.

Are you a professional or would you rather we take your pictures?

Adapted from text originally written by http://virtualphotographystudio.com

New baby bump picture – Sharon and Bump

Simon Steed — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:03:04 +0000

This is a picture of my wife Sharon and our soon to be born bump, gorgeous and brings a tear to my eye…. Hope you enjoy

[singlepic id=203 w=963 h=1264 float=center].

Spicer Hallfield will soon be no more – Administration fails

Simon Steed — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:27:59 +0000

Well the inevitable seems to have happened, Spicers administrators are struggling to find a buyer to take on the business as a going concern and it now looks like they will be liquidated.

I first heard about this just over a week ago when I got a mail from the administrators inviting me to the site/store to purchase old stock as 20% off – I had a look but the site is so hard to use at the best of times It was not worth the effort for me.

There does seem to be a silver lining in this cloud, as a result of the redundancies, there is a spin off company that has developed.

Former factory manager Martin Abraham has set up his own business, MTA, at Haddenham Airfield, which like Spicer produces photography albums.

It currently employees eight of his old colleagues, and Mr Abraham belives their experience will help his venture to flourish.

He said: “First and foremost I want to keep as many jobs as I can and from the response we have had so far that is definitely achievable. The key thing is always going to be the people, because you can’t just throw an album together.

“The people Spicer Hallfield let go have got many many years of experience of how to produce good quality albums and that is what I am capitalising on.”

New 24-70mm F2.8 L Series Lens in the bag

Simon Steed — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:50:49 +0000

I’ve been looking for a few weeks now for a fast aperture low light professional lens and finally settled upon the venerable L Series lens from canon in the guise of a 24-70mm F2.8 L Series and I am very happy that I did.

I will add some pictures below – i’ve noticed it is at it’s sharpest at F4.0 but slightly soft at F2.8 – not a big problem for me. The Bokeh is gorgeous as you can see from the closeups. This will now be my main lens on the camera with my other body holding the 70-200 F4.0 L series until I can upgrade this to a F2.8.

Canon EOS EF lens for sale – 20-35mm and 35-70mm

Simon Steed — Tue, 26 May 2009 10:43:43 +0000

For all your photo nuts out there, I have the pleasure of trying to sell you the following excellent lens.

Only reason for sale is I no longer use them so i’d rather sell on so they get used.

EF 35-70 f3.5-4.5 macro – originally cost me £119

EF 20-35 wide angle f3.5-4.5 with hood – originally cost me £450

Both are in excellent condition with only light markings on the body/hood, glass is nice and clean.

I’m open to offers on both of them and would consider swap/px for other canon equipment – I am looking for a 1.4x extender if that helps

Pics below

Pressefotografforbundet: Too much Photoshop? Judge for yourself

Simon Steed — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:12:46 +0000

To me, I can understand fully why the judges disallowed these images, sorry but they are just too processed for my liking but they are good pictures nonetheless.

What I do take issue with is the judges seeing the raw files as the facts of the scene, colours and all – we all know that Raw files need some post processing to get the best out of them, however in these cases I feel they have been overdone, more like an over processed HDR image

Your views?

Too much Photoshop? Judge for yourself:

Three photographers were told to deliver their RAW-files for closer inspection, when the three judges in January were assembled to select the winners in Picture of The Year in Denmark. This is the first time in the competition’s 35-year history that it has happened. One of the photographers, Klavs Bo Christensen, has accepted to show his RAW-files for the readers of pressefotografforbundet.dk. You can also hear a recording of the conversion between the judges about the photographer’s story.

via Pressefotografforbundet: Too much Photoshop? Judge for yourself.

British Journal of Photography – Photo blunder reveals government’s decisions

Simon Steed — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:55:15 +0000

I find this really astonishing, not only did some super telephoto lens get a top cop the sack a couple of weeks ago due to him openly carrying top secret terrorist papers that were subsequently photographed resulting in the text being clearly readable, another muppet has done the same thing!

When will they ever learn – full details at the BJP website:

For the second time in less than a month, a government official has been photographed carrying secret documents while in front of the Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street

Hazel Blears, the secretary of state for communities and local government, was seen exiting a cabinet meeting at No 10 with the briefing notes in full view of photographers. The documents reveal that the government plans to scrap the second home allowance for Members of Parliament.

via British Journal of Photography – Photo blunder reveals government’s decisions.