Team Working

D or Z — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 10:00:28 +0000

We are a father and daughter team, not a photographer and an assistant, but two photographers. We interact seemlessly (some say telepathically) at weddings, portrait shoots, events and gigs. We don’t argue, we don’t compete, we swap cameras and lenses, so we often don’t know who took any particular picture.
This is not to say we don’t have our own strengths, weaknesses and preferences but in almost any photographic situation we can (and do) swap roles. David, with a background in engineering, tends to be more technical but as an artistic streak. Zoe, with a background in the arts tends to be more creative, but she has inherited some engineer genes.

For example, when shooting young children at nurseries, its usually David who takes the pictures and Zoe who helps to get some animation and different expressions from the child. But some kids react very differently to men and women. If the child reacts well with David and ignores Zoe completely then Zoe gets the camera and David will get the expressions and the reactions. Or if the child just doesn’t like men then Zoe gets the camera and David will back away, sometimes even leaving the room.

At weddings, either of us can do the usual group shots and posed shots, which leaves the other free to get pictures of the guests or candid unposed shots. Occassionally we will need a lighting arrangement with two flashguns. One of us will have a flash on camera and the other will have a remote flash which will fire in sync.

With studio portraits, one of us can get the “standard” shots while the other can appraise the sitter and take over and perhaps do something more “artistic”.

Its really all about mutual respect, trust, and learning from each other. (Telepathy does help though)

Now, which of us wrote this??

David and/or Zoe

(Reminds me of the drinking game, where two folk go into a room, drink a bottle of whisky each, then one leaves. The other has to guess which one is left)

photo-electric.co.uk

Team Working