Photographers
Operate still cameras to take photographs.
A school fete and a very full camera bag
You are a photographer hired to cover a school fete for the school newsletter, with two cameras, spare cards and four hours to work. It is 10am on a sunny Saturday. The fete has stalls, a band, a dunking booth and hundreds of families. You have a shot list from the principal and a very full day.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
I have a list of shots we need: the band, the cake stall and the dunking booth. But also, a parent has just asked if you can take a photo of her son on the stage. She says he loves attention. Is that okay?
Check the permissions list first and tell the parent what you find
The boy is on the list. You take his photo and note who is not. The parent is pleased, and the newsletter has no problems. The permission list is boring and important.
Take photos of any child that parents ask, since they have agreed to it
That parent is happy, but the school's photo permissions are a list, and you did not check it. One child in the background is on the do-not-photograph list, and the photo is nearly published.
Take photos of everyone and sort out permissions when you get back to the office
By the time you check, hundreds of photos include children who should not be in them. Deleting them takes hours and the school's trust takes longer to return.
Excuse me, you are the photographer, right? I would love a really good picture of my daughter at the stall. Could you take a proper one and email it to me? I will happily pay for it.
Take the photo, give her your email and tell her prices for personal prints
She is thrilled, but you were hired by the school and some of the photos might not be yours to sell. A conversation with the principal would have made it clear.
Tell her you work for the school and suggest she asks them
Selena is a bit disappointed, but the principal later adds the daughter's photo to a shared album for parents. You were honest, and the right person made the decision.
Take a quick one on your phone and send it, so she goes away happy
The photo is fine, but now an unlicensed photo has left the event on a personal phone. When another parent asks for the same, you cannot say no.
Hey, we have just heard you got the whole set. Our manager says to give you the card so we can have copies. You will upload them to us tonight, right? We will pay in beer.
Say no because the photos belong to the school, and walk off
You protect the rights, but the band feels dismissed. A short call to the principal would have turned a hard no into a polite yes, and you did not even try.
Hand over the whole card so the band has everything, since they asked
The card also has photos from the whole day, including children. You have just given strangers more than they asked for, and you cannot get it back.
Say you will check with the school first, then send a few selected shots
The school agrees to the band's photos being shared. Dom gets ten good shots and thanks you the next day. Nothing was given away that was not yours to give.
How it went
By two you have the shots the school asked for, some lovely candid ones, and a card you backed up twice. Photography is as much about people, permission and patience as it is about cameras. Do you like looking for the moment that other people overlook?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The photo of the 90th birthday
A fictional case set in a small photography studio that also travels to birthdays, weddings, school events and local businesses.
The situation
Ravi was hired to photograph the ninetieth birthday of Mrs Delacroix, held in her daughter's backyard. The family wanted a group photo with all four generations. Mrs Delacroix was tired, sitting in a chair, and not keen on being photographed. Her daughter pushed to get the group photo at the start, before the light changed. One of the grandchildren had a broken arm in a sling and did not want to be in the picture.
What they did
Ravi made time to chat with Mrs Delacroix about her garden, and took a few photos of her laughing with her great-grandchildren while she forgot he was there. He asked the grandchild with the sling if she wanted to stand in front or be in the back, and let her choose. He took the big group shot in two minutes, then a second one without a fuss. At the end he showed the family three on his screen and asked them to pick together.
How it turned out
The family picked the candid shot of Mrs Delacroix laughing, not the formal one. It was printed and framed. The grandchild with the sling asked Ravi for a copy of the one in which she was smiling.
What would you do?
- Why do you think the candid photo was better than the formal one?
- How would you ask a nervous person if they want to be photographed?
- What does a photographer need to notice in the first five minutes of an event?