Official Photographer

[grawlix]

This thread is turning into a ramble, and losing its point.

 

The main point is that the photographs are consistently ‘technically’ poor, and include fundamental errors – professional photographers should be able to recognise and correct these.

 

A ‘proportion’ [not all] of people have consistently voiced various concerns.

 

Now all the pro-showmasters gang have got involved, and it’s now descended into nonsense as many debates here do.

 

Nothing will change. End of discussion.

[Arik_Soong]

This thread is turning into a ramble, and losing its point.

 

The main point is that the photographs are consistently ‘technically’ poor, and include fundamental errors – professional photographers should be able to recognise and correct these.

 

A ‘proportion’ [not all] of people have consistently voiced various concerns.

 

Now all the pro-showmasters gang have got involved, and it’s now descended into nonsense as many debates here do.

 

Nothing will change. End of discussion.

 

Sure they could, but could they do it while trying go get a shed load of people through and make sure everything was ok with the shot at the same time and under a strict time limit? Malcolm is only human after all, you can't expect everything to go to plan and come out perfect, not in conditions like that.

[DavidB]

Now all the pro-showmasters gang have got involved, and it’s now descended into nonsense as many debates here do.

 

The "pro-showmasters gang" as you call them have as much right to voice their opinion as the "anti-showmasters gang" as I'll call them

 

Seriously, there's two sides to a debate and that's fine. It doesn't have to be 'nonsense', and it doesn't have to be anyone 'attacking' OR 'defending'. It's possible to have opinions separate from loyalty or lack of.

[Floorplay]

I thought my photos were okay, not the best but whatever. I just wished I could've been more relaxed.

I don't mind the blue background too much, though if possible I would've enjoyed a more appropiate backdrop, ie the eclipse for the Heroes actors.

 

What I am not pleased about though is the lighting, there's big shadows on the background of my pictures making me and/or the actors odd and other parts of the pictures look far too bright

I think I was in the queue behind you when that bodyguard called you darling.

[StarryKat]

If you knew there was going to be another photoshoot with the brothers, why not get another photographer in and they can do shifts... It's a lot for ONE photographer to do and it seems to have affected the quality of the photos from what people have said.

[crippsy_99]

Ironically they did have another person taking photos, as the Nana Visitor shoot was on at the same time in photobooth 2..though cant for the life of me remember if that was a normal crew member or an actual photographer..was a girl though I think (too busy going shy with Nana to notice much else!)

[RainbowDisney]

That was Danielle a.ka. Kookie22 who I found to be a great help that day with the extra photo shoots in the other booth.

 

She took some stunning pics for Nana that afternoon

Edited September 6, 2007 by DisneyDude78

[Gandalfia]

Well, I liked my pics with Hayden and Jack.

 

Malcolm better deliver the goods with the Milo/Adrian one or they'll be trouble!!!

 

[DavidB]

I'm with you on that .. the Milo/Adrian one better be perfect or else

 

... no really, I'm not even joking.

 

Grr.

[Kell]

It'll be perfect because it'll have Milo and Adrian in it

[angel_darkavenger]

Does that make mine more than perfect cause I will be in it too? lol

[emmangel]

Have to say I'm not a fan of the photo with the photoshopped background.

 

Blue is used for a reason. A lot of people wear black, and backgrounds like that will cause floting heads. They darked the image and draw your eye away from the reason for the image. You!

 

Blue is a colour that doesn't clash or cause problems most of the time, and keeps the focus where it's supposed to be. There's a reason why every signing/convention photoshoot I've had uses it.

 

Personally I'm very happy with the blue and would hate to see it changed.

[Kell]

Does that make mine more than perfect cause I will be in it too? lol

 

Haha gosh that's some ego!

 

I'd prefer the photo without you in it really

 

Just them

[yeltz-lass]

LOL! I look like I have some kind of mental retardation The lines are more harsh on the photo though so it looks even worse.

Personally I'd say you look as though you're thinking "He's mine - all mine...and you can't have him!"

[fray101]

Well, if the photographer did reshoots for everyone who's facial expression was a little off, we'd still all be the in the queue waiting for Dom's to be redone

[Zarina]

I think I was in the queue behind you when that bodyguard called you darling.

 

 

LOL Yes, that was me! How did you know? o.O

[Neurie]

the more constructive suggestions received then the more Showmasters

 

I know this is my 3rd post in a row but I have pride in the art of photography and care greatly about the medium.

 

I just wanted to say that I hope my comments are being taken as constructive criticisms, I was unhappy with the quality (like many others) and feel that as i have experience in this area I can offer suggestions on how to improve. I can see how my posts would come out as someone just having a moan but as I have said a Majority was unhappy with the shots and i am only pointing out the reasons why they were so bad.

 

maybe it was the photographers abilities maybe he was rushed, either way lots of people were unhappy is your end result so changes have to be made.

 

the more people who moan about their experience the better at least then yoy can get a more accurate analysis of the percentage that were happy and percentage that were unhappy.

 

Perhaps it would be a good idea if the topic started had a poll asking if people were, happy,unhappy not bothered and OK but room for improvement. the reason people post negative comments is because they are unhappy with something they want to see that other people have the same problems and back them up. a poll is an easier way for people to see what the rest of the people think without the need to post the same complaints.

 

Again I'm sorry if my negative attitude has offended or bored anyone, especially the photographer if he reads this forum (doubt it) but as well as negative comments I hope you read between the lines and see all the improvements I have suggested at the same time.

 

I, like everyone else who complains am just looking for confirmation that the people who organised this event see that your audience is not happy and are looking into improvements.

 

Any professional photographer who would even call himself such would have the facility to digitally alter a picture to include a back ground on the stop especially as the back ground is blue. I have a friend who does professional photography, and it is extremely simple to replace that stuff on the fly.

 

Sorry but this is rubbish, remember before the computer age where photographers used skill to get the best shots? yes people can digitally enhance photographs but when they pay for a professional photo It should look professional without need of any computerised manipulation, why should people have to edit them the camera is capable of getting better quality. Its not that blue is bad people will complain no matter what the background most peopel just feel that something themed to the guest or event would be better. at least then when you show your mates they can see you the guest and some representation of where or when it was.

 

I look at photos people have with Ellija wood or James Masters and cant tell where it was and weather it was in the last 5 years or not. blue is generic and boring it looks like a cheap old curtain. you cant honestly tell me that having something themed or just more interesting would be 100x better. are you really HAPPY with blue, I think its more a case of People who would prefer a better background and those who don't care, can anyone honestly say that they think this is the best way to do it or that its even close?

 

 

please look at the example I posted above showing how a better image can be taken just by amending lighting and settings and you will se that without 0% digital computerised input I have better results.

 

and that wasn't even using professional equipment, I used a kitchen spotlight and a cheap lens.

 

You appear to have misread what I said or atleast taken it as an attack. I said that any professional photographer WOULD HAVE THE FACILITY to do digital manipulation. you cant take a god damned aweful picture and make it stunning just by photo shopping it for 5 minutes, but a good photograph can be turned in to a stunning one with alittle bit of work.

There is a degree of skill in taking a photo, timing knowing about the right appiture, shutter speads and exposure, but there are also alot of thigns you can do to help esepcailly ins situation slike these shows.

 

Now if you have time to ponse about getting the lighting just right, setting of multiple ramote controaled flashes and posing int he most appropriate ways then greta go off and do it as aliving.

 

Your never gonna get that at a convention.

 

Its more gorilla photogrpaphy as it were, the kind that is used on sports events or live music shows.

 

It ahs to be quick and done as best as possible in the space of time given.

 

All im saying is that if some one wasnts a abck ground to be added it would take 30 seconds to render the abck gorund and give them the chocie, espeicailly if its run correctly.

 

Your example was a bit of a hack job if i say soa nd there ar ebetter programmes out there which render a hell of alot better and would adjust some of the horrible compositioning on that photo.

 

The geenrla quality of the photos i have seen taken have not been great, i would even say they were damned poot in places.

 

http://www.fleetingimages.co.uk/

[Floorplay]

I think I was in the queue behind you when that bodyguard called you darling.

 

 

LOL Yes, that was me! How did you know? o.O

Recognised you from your blog.

[DavidB]

Does that make mine more than perfect cause I will be in it too? lol

 

Haha gosh that's some ego!

 

I'd prefer the photo without you in it really

 

Just them

 

I expect we won't be able to see all of James in the photo anyway - I'm not sure his ego would fit

[Kell]

His swollen head might block the view of Milo and Adrian

[angel_darkavenger]

lol...I hate you two!

[Kell]

Don't lie, you bloody love us

[Deap]

 

You appear to have misread what I said or atleast taken it as an attack. I said that any professional photographer WOULD HAVE THE FACILITY to do digital manipulation. you cant take a god damned aweful picture and make it stunning just by photo shopping it for 5 minutes, but a good photograph can be turned in to a stunning one with alittle bit of work.

There is a degree of skill in taking a photo, timing knowing about the right appiture, shutter speads and exposure, but there are also alot of thigns you can do to help esepcailly ins situation slike these shows.

 

Now if you have time to ponse about getting the lighting just right, setting of multiple ramote controaled flashes and posing int he most appropriate ways then greta go off and do it as aliving.

 

Your never gonna get that at a convention.

 

Its more gorilla photogrpaphy as it were, the kind that is used on sports events or live music shows.

 

It ahs to be quick and done as best as possible in the space of time given.

 

All im saying is that if some one wasnts a abck ground to be added it would take 30 seconds to render the abck gorund and give them the chocie, espeicailly if its run correctly.

 

Your example was a bit of a hack job if i say soa nd there ar ebetter programmes out there which render a hell of alot better and would adjust some of the horrible compositioning on that photo.

 

The geenrla quality of the photos i have seen taken have not been great, i would even say they were damned poot in places.

 

http://www.fleetingimages.co.uk/

I think you may have also missed my point, don't assume a professional photographer has the facility to manipulate photos digitally there are still many thinks that can improve a photograph before any digital manipulation even needs to be thought of. as you have said you cant "polish a turd" even with the best computers available. but my point was that you shouldn't have to, The reason this post was started is that "some" people (sorry for saying majority earlier, I wasn't trying to speak for others just commenting on the FACT that so far in this thread more people have been unhappy with their images than those that were happy) did not like their photos because of the way they came out (i.e Harsh lighting, no time to relax and pose misallignment ect). before photoshop was even brought up improvements could have been made just by changing settings, which is what I was trying to show in my example. (just by changing seetings the end result can be better.

 

The only reason i brought photoshop up was because I used it to make my (Hack Job) 2nd example. I keep getting comments about this like "I don't like the style of that BG" ", "blue is better than black" and "the lighting or scale looks odd" I know this is a rough job I even said that in the post. It wasn't meant to emulate what the final shot should look like, nor am I anti-blue, I like blue (If anyone cares , my favourite colour is orange) The reason i did that purposefully quick photoshop job was simply to show an example of what could be achieved with a themed BG. I dont mind a blue BG at all, I just feel that it could be less boring. I agree its "OK" I think it works as the LFCC page and flyers are blue, I just think with a logo, Like the one on the web page it would have been more interesting and less like a photobooth shot or school photo.

 

So the shadows aren't right and Jack Coleman looks fatter (Sorry Jack, please don't take offence), I changed the aspect ratio of the shot when processing it. that isn't the point here. It doesn't matter if its black It could be any colour I just picked something that would match the theme of Heroes in this case.

 

I just want people to know that I think it could have been better with different settings, better alignment and "I feel" that a background would be more interesting and less like a school photo. its something i was taught in basic photography and expected some of the rules I learned there incorporated here as they are what i know as the basics. perhaps im just being too critical as I have background knowledge of photography.

 

also the images at http://www.fleetingimages.co.uk/ are ace, this is the sort of photography i expected to see from what was advertised as professional. I have not seen a single image that comes close to par on these shots. Photoshop should not even be considered as the process of it takes too long, just by having a better set-up initially, the photographer could have gotten much better results.

 

The images i have are OK but i expected better than OK and from what i have read a lot of others expected better too.

[faythe]

I think between us all we are kind of losing the point here and reading things into each others comments that are not really there (its really not a dispute it only a matter of opinion difference).

 

I have just sat and read through this entire subject and at no point can i see anybody "having a go" at Malcolm (the photographer)

 

Correct me if i am wrong but i believe from what i am reading that we all agree that the guy did the best he could in the circumstances he was presented with, it must have been exhausting.

However the way the conference was run had its issues due to no limitations on sales or time restrictions (followed quickly by to many suddenly being implicated) on the photo shoots or the autographs.

 

The blue background again is open to opinion (not heated discussion), as to preference, i agree that it gets the job done but that even with the blue background the lighting could have been better and a few seconds more taken to make sure the best pose could be caught in the image. Again this is not down to Malcolm just the circumstances he had to work with.

 

I do agree with DEAP that some sort of alternative background/icon could have been used and it is possible to do this with minimal effort and time.

Even something as basic as having a slightly different colour background for each guest. The guy has an opinion and should not be knocked down for it, as should none of us.

 

I don't think you will ever get everybody to agree on the same thing so we all need to lighten up a little and accept each others opinion. This is not a b***h fest and the only people we are mad at is showmasters not each other and certainly not the photo guy.

 

I have since spoken to show masters as well as read their apologies and acceptance of all the inconveniences caused and they have confirmed that they will look at all issues and rectify them going forward.

It is bloody brilliant for a company to admit its failings and do something about them so lets keep them coming so that if they are read we might get taken seriously (lets not continue to argue with each other).

 

Showmasters have confirmed to me they will not make the same mistake with Eclipse and are going to be limiting the number of tickets the sell to around 800 (thats including the 100 gold passes) and have confirmed that this will mean less of a rush and limitations on things so as to not put the guests or us under undue stress. All our ideas are taken very seriously.

 

So please keep the ideas coming and lets see what happens.

 

Edited September 7, 2007 by faythe

[Zarina]

I think I was in the queue behind you when that bodyguard called you darling.

 

 

LOL Yes, that was me! How did you know? o.O

Recognised you from your blog.

 

 

Oh duh *facepalm* I forgot I had linked my blog in my signature