Hello from a rather wet and windy Manchester!

H

Helen Hughes

Member
Well, Stockport, to be precise...
I found this site via Bob Rigby Photo on Twitter and thought I'd give it a whirl.
At the moment I'm in the 2nd year of studying for my FdA in Commercial Photography but most likely I'm staying at Uni for one more year to attain my BA. Even at my age (40).

I did work in the photographic industry some 20 odd years ago, both as an assistant and had my own work published in various local newspapers and mags. I gave up due to other pressures, got a real job for many years, hated it, and threw the towel in nearly 2 years ago to return to the mad, irritating, frustrating, exciting world of photography!

Any other Mancs/North West people please say hello!

Cheers
Helen
 
Hi Helen

Welcome to the forum!
Commercial photography eh?
I do quite a lot of it in my line of work... I'd say it is the area that I most enjoy!
Its the diversity of work I enjoy!
In the last few weeks i've been to a barn in the sticks to photograph vintage industrial furniture, a facility for testing flood defenses and a museum to take photos of kids enjoying learning about Edward Jenner... and loved every minute of it!

I'd certainly be interested to hear what you learn about!

the mad, irritating, frustrating, exciting world of photography!
Click to expand...

Quote of the week for me that one ;)

Hope you enjoy your stay here!

Looking forward to seeing some images!
 
Hi Hamish and thanks for the welcome!

It's extremely varied but it's all about bread and butter, simple as that. A very vocational degree as opposed to writing essays about Henri Cartier-Bresson (although he's the master, etc...)

So we've covered lighting of all kinds, including OCF, product photography, fashion, portraiture, location, 5 x 4, etc etc. Absolutely nailed the technical aspects because...we have to! It's all about knowing how to do a commissioned piece of work. It gives you the confidence to go out and bid for jobs too. All in 12 hours a week tuition time! Very intense. But the rest is up to you, what you put in - you get out.

Now I'm in the last year we have a new found freedom to put in practice all we learned before. So I'm concentrating on documentary photography (haha!...ok EDITORIAL...so it gives it commercial value of course ;))
And a studio based project on the go, too.

As far as work goes, I've been paid to photograph dead animals, dead people and other artefacts for a museum too (for an iPhone app), as well as other varied nonsense such as men digging holes in the road and vintage tea cups. All in a day's work...I just wish I had more coming in, it's VERY difficult. Still constantly come up against the "but surely you work for free, you're a photographer, it doesn't cost any money does it, you just press click and then we download them at Asda to print out, yes?"....brigade... ;)

My website is
ishootpeople P H O T O G R A P H Y BY HELEN HUGHES Cheadle Cheshire
I'm constantly updating it, changing the design, thinking what I've got on there isn't good enough, being self-critical is one of my downfalls sometimes...aaaah!

Also though I have a blog at
I shoot people where there are a few shots from the documentary piece I'm currently working on.

Between now and the end of the year I'll have my actual portfolio nailed down.
 
Ah - Pershore! Spent a number of weekends down there as a child...being dragged around the Cotswolds to such exciting places as... Wyre Piddle! (huh huh...childish sniggering...)
 
Hi Helen and welcome. I'm sure you'll enjoy this place. I like your website by the way. Nice design and I like the muted palette that you used. The shots of the lady dancing, the bare leg and the balcony are super. Looking forward to seeing more.
 
Hi Helen and welcome. I'm sure you'll enjoy this place. I like your website by the way. Nice design and I like the muted palette that you used. The shots of the lady dancing, the bare leg and the balcony are super. Looking forward to seeing more.

By the way, it's wet and windy down here in the SE too (I'm not in Potsdam at the moment!).
 
Paul Lange said:
Hi Helen, had a look at your site and blog and liked the images as well as your views. I nearly wrote forthright views but I think thats not quite right, Id say no ******** instead.
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at there, Paul? Do you mean I am erm...straight talking! haha! Come on, what's in the asterisks that got censored?
 
Ah - Pershore! Spent a number of weekends down there as a child...being dragged around the Cotswolds to such exciting places as... Wyre Piddle! (huh huh...childish sniggering...)
Click to expand...

Well you have been treated to something else, but you missed out on 'North Piddle', and 'Piddle in the Hole' a shame that and I live 1 mile from Wyre, now 'titter ye not' you sound like Frankie Howard ;)
 
welcome to the forum Helen, wet and windy in manchester? never !! I've spent many a night in manchester Dj'ing and i think it's rained everytime lol
 
Damn Swear filter!
What did it say? No Bull5h1t mabye!

Id agree! Certainly some strength in the views on there ... cant be a bad thing eh?

Would you frown upon me calling my self a pro without any formal qualifications to back it up?
Just out of interest really...?

Looks like we have another user with an interesting blog to keen an eye on anyway... we have a couple or three bloggers here!
We quite like to help promote peoples blogs, so you are more than welcome to post links etc as you write stuff for it!
 
Welcome Helen. I'm positive you'll enjoy it here and very certain no one will disagree. :)
 
Hamish Gill said:
Damn Swear filter!
What did it say? No Bull5h1t mabye!

Id agree! Certainly some strength in the views on there ... cant be a bad thing eh?

Would you frown upon me calling my self a pro without any formal qualifications to back it up?
Just out of interest really...?

Looks like we have another user with an interesting blog to keen an eye on anyway... we have a couple or three bloggers here!
We quite like to help promote peoples blogs, so you are more than welcome to post links etc as you write stuff for it!
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, Hamish. I would sooner judge people by the standard of their work.
When I wrote that post, I was possibly frustrated having been researching many other people out there who call themselves Photographers, or should I say 'faux-tographers'...there's a lot of it about. I fully appreciate people who have spent a long time learning their craft and for every photographer who has a degree, there are just as many out there who will say you don't need one and can come up with some great work. It's all about dedication to the craft I suppose. And if you're making a living out of it, then yes, of course you're a pro (at whatever you do).

Some 'fauxtographers' have got expensive kit but don't know anything past 'Auto' mode, but they seem to be getting work. In a way, it's de-valuing photography for the rest of us who bother to do it properly. Take my friend's recent wedding in the summer... she insisted I did NOT shoot it as a) I was a guest and b) it was on the same day as my birthday so she did not want me working on my birthday. Fair do's - I could relax and have a drink.

The lady who did photograph the wedding had never done this before. She wasn't even a photographer. I could tell, as she looked most uncomfortable in handling the equipment. Not least making me cringe as she was using pop up flash! (arrrgh!). See what I mean!?


I'm still learning myself (all over again) and will be learning for every day for the rest of my life!
I suppose I was talking to myself that day...(nothing unusual there!) ;)
 
just had a quick look at your blog, loving the retro club(i run a 1950's rhythm&blues club in Edinburgh) , right up my alley
 
I'm still learning myself (all over again) and will be learning for every day for the rest of my life!
Click to expand...

Thats the little bit of knowledge that i think makes a photographer ...
If you stop thinking your need to learn more you are in a lot of trouble IMO!

I tend to agree with you ...
with the exception of the idea of a faux-tographer (although i like the phrase ;))

At the end of the day, as a "Pro" imo/e, you have to realise that in this world there are people who see your idea of quality and people who dont ... If someone is willing to pay someone else for something that you think is ****, then really its nothing to do with you!
You have made the decision to go into photography as a job, it may be that in your opinion others are de-valuing photography, but who is to say that someone "better" than you might not think the same about your work?

Photography is subjective, entirely so, we all view the world differently ... by its very nature, every photographer is imo on an even footing...
I understand that practically speaking, thats not true, but i do believe that as a photographer you are best taking that view ... It just makes it all easier to deal with ;)

anyway, this is a little deep for a first convo, hope im not sounding confrontational ... ... its not meant that way, just interesting to explore these things as they arise
 
Hi Helen, Yep as Hamish guessed it said no bullpoo. I appreciate what your saying about photography being devalued. I think this too. I'm not a pro photographer in any sense but I put a lot of effort into learning the subject. I read a lot and I practice often with the intent of pushing more self a little more each time. Many people just buy an expensive camera and assume that is all they need to do it like the pros.
 
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