This year I was contacted by a number of A-level students who were struggling to locate a photographic business with which to complete some photographic work experience West Sussex. Fortunately, I have the correct insurances in place to be able to help so I offered a joint placement to 2 girls who came along back in May. Kristen & Jodie joined me for 3 days from The Weald, during which time they planned, set up, shot and edited 2 shoots using clients who I had invited to come along to the studio after a model call which was featured in my Samphire Photography VIP group.
They learnt about the lighting I use and had the opportunity to photograph a maternity session as well as the Mum-to-be’s younger child, Henry. They styled the session really well and interacted with the client. As you can see from the images below they did an amazing job.
We even had time in the afternoon for them to fit in some portraits of each other. After looking through images they liked in terms of low key lighting they worked out how to light each other for the black & white portraits seen below.
Editing was reserved for the last day and once this was completed we delivered the images back to the client who replied….
” I love the photo of Henry with the grey car playing on the floor and the one of him looking straight into the camera with the 2 yellow balloons. I would probably never have chosen to put him in grey trousers and use yellow balloons as I struggle to move away from navy and blues but I am so pleased I had no say in the matter as I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE LOOK. Thank goodness for the girls great vision and eye for detail. And…..you may be surprised to hear, I actually like some of the photos of me, which NEVER happens. They are lovely keepsakes and I am really grateful to you and the girls for us to have this opportunity. “
The girls were kind enough to write a piece on their time here, which you can read below.
KRISTEN & JODIE….
On the first day of our work experience we prepared for a photoshoot with a two-year-old boy and a pregnant mum. In order to do this we looked on Pinterest for inspiration and gathered images of ideas for the photoshoots. For the little boy we decided to use yellow and white balloons with white background and grey clothes, also a wood background with blue clothes. After learning about how the business works and exploring the studio, we picked put props for the photoshoot. We also learnt about how to use the camera and set up the lighting ready for the next day.
For the second day we started by preparing the studio and gathering any final props we needed. The client came at 10:30 and we began to shoot with the little boy on the wooden background and we used the big studio light for the majority of the pictures as it was a rainy day. As well as using balloons in the shot we also included bubbles and toys to entertain the little boy. For the maternity shoot we picked out two different colour and styled dresses, one was long and fitted in a burgundy colour and one was pink lace and flowy as it showed the bump. In some photographs we added a flower crown. After the shoot was done, we decided to take portrait pictures of each other using different lighting techniques by using the beauty dish and a dark back drop.
On the final day of our work experience we started by looking through the pictures and choosing which ones to edit. As we took quite a lot of pictures we had to choose around 10 images so we had time to edit all of them. We used Photoshop to edit the images and Clare showed us a process that she goes through when she edits the photos. In the afternoon we set up the studio for a shoot the next day and finished editing the photos so that they would be ready to send to the client.
We really enjoyed our work experience as it gave us an insight into what it would be like to be a photographer and especially as we were able to see the whole process from start to finish of a typical shoot. Photographing the little boy and his mum on the second day was really fun as we had not done anything like that before.
The second of my lovely work experience girls was Darcy who joined me from Steyning Grammar, where my own children go. I was able to offer her 2 days in the Samphire Studios and as with Kirsten and Jodie, she planned, set up, shot and edited 2 shoots. In Darcy’s case we had all children in the studio. The first session was for another little Darcie and her younger twin sisters, regular clients of mine and totally full of energy and I think it took all of us, Mum, Dad me and Darcy to keep them all in the picture but it was well worth the effort as you can see from the image below. Mum said, ” Oh Clare! As usual I LOVE them!!! Darcy did a great job! Love the one of them 3 smiling! Didn’t think we’d get one like that!”
The second session was a young boy who was at what we call the sitter stage, when babies are confidently sitting but not yet on the move. The colour Darcy selected suited his complexion perfectly and Mum was over the moon with the images Darcy took and edited for her “Oh my goodness these photos are AMAZING!!!! Please pass on our thanks to Darcy, and of course thank you to you as well. We LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!!” As you can see from his portrait below I am sure you will agree.
Darcy also kindly wrote about her experiences with me.
DARCY…
During my work experience, I was fortunate enough to have clients attend a photoshoot which I had prepared in advance. This included designing back drops which I had gained inspiration from previously by creating mood boards on Pinterest, choosing outfits for the toddlers/new-borns to wear which fit in well against the colours I chose for the backgrounds. I also got to experiment using a camera which I had never used before and I made sure the camera was in all the correct settings before clients showed up. After taking over 200 photos, I used photoshop to edit the finals I had picked. If necessary, I cropped the photos to reduce background space which wasn’t needed. I also used a brushing tool to subtly touch up on any discolouring to the skin and food! On the side of this, I had some spare time to help out with packaging up school photographs before sending them off. Overall, I really enjoyed the few days I spent in the Studio, it was a great experience for me as I have never worked with younger children. I have also learnt skills on photoshop which I didn’t know before.
Well done to all the girls who came in to the studio, you were a real credit to your schools and I hope it helped you gain an insight into the type of work I do.
Photographic work experience West Sussex
For further information on my Maternity, Newborn, Milestone and Family sessions, have a look at my website where you can find details on how all the sessions are run xx
Comments are closed.