A bit special ?
 

As a veteran of three meets now (and the holder of the coveted Subsim's "most attended" award :DL ), I've collected some great memories, but feel I have to say this one was a bit special ....

I was unable to attend the full programme because of business committments, but was determined to experience the UC3 Nautilus. :cool:

Ok why a bit special ? Basically, all of you guys. I felt thoroughly welcome despite the fact that I joined the trip at a later stage and didn't really know most of you from the SH forums.

I've taken great pleasure from all the photos you've all posted. Some of you might know I was a professional photographer in a previous life and I'm used to being "the guy who takes the photos" - but not this time. You were all at it !! :o
Its clear many of you take your photography very seriouslyand it's been a pleasure looking through them. I was tempted to do a Neal here and offer up awards , but I'm sure I'd end up insulting too many people - and who am I to judge anyway.

If you take a bunch of submarine enthusiasts, what can you give them that tops everything - Answer ? - their own real submarine to play with. How can any future meet top that ?

So thanks to Jonathan for organising this remarkable meet, thanks to Copenhagen for being such a beautiful and interesting city, thanks to Von Hinten for the excellent report, thanks to the dev team for being part of everything, thanks to Peter Madsen for loaning his sub, thanks to the many guys who noticed I was there, and thanks to the big guy for pushing me out of the sub and being everything that Subsim needs to be.

:rock:

You're more than welcome my friend, and I hope to see you on many Subsim meets to come. :up:

Hi David

It was a real pleasure to meet you finally and I hope the trip in the sub was everything you hoped for.

I can tell from your gear, use and pictures that you have a flair for taking pictures.

I would be honored if you would look through these pictures and give me your comments:

http://jonathanjorgensen.daportfolio.com/

It was a great honor having you on board, sir! :up:

Jonathan,

In the UK there's no real distinction between an amateur or professional photographer, except the latter decides to charge money and sets up in business. Over time the professional just gets more practice at it, learns a few tricks and techniques, and is probably more consistent, rather than "better".

Whenever an amateur starts taking his photography seriously ( as in your case), the results are usually frighteningly good. The photographs you have taken all have a creative eye, but you probably wouldn't be doing it if you hadn't got that.

If you want a goal, why not consider submitting to a picture library. This was once " strictly for professionals" but for many companies this is no longer the case. There are several on-line libraries who can deal exclusively through the internet - contracts, submissions, sales etc .
I've used this site but I'm sure there are others.
www.alamy.co.uk

It's really a numbers game. You need to submit tens of thousands of images to make "a living" ( even 1000 will only get you about 2500 Danish Kroner per year), but even for small numbers its a great kick to get paid for your images. Don't expect to get rich. The brilliant pictures aren't usually the best sellers.

Earlier this year, I actually sold one of my photos to the local newspaper in Odense (3rd largest city in Denmark), and I was thrilled about it, untill I realized that the director in charge of photos had tricked me and paid me less than what I was entitled to according to the freelance organization for photographers.
I got 600dkk for it, but I should have got IIRC more than 1000dkk, because it was made in the night. The photos of a fire at 2am.
The photographer sets the price when offering the photo to whomever he/she wants to sell it to, and then afterwards the negociation can begin, if the buyer thinks it's too expensive. If the photographer has the only photos of a unique situation, then it's the time to "squeeze the fruit", "milk the cow" or whatever you say in English.

Anyway, if you wanna have a look at some of my photos - yes, I know, I haven't updated the site in a while, been busy elsewhere... - then go ahead and give me your opinion:

http://www.larsbundgaard.dk/

I was never into reportage for newspapers/mags etc (although I used reportage style for children, family groups and weddings) so I have no experience of negotiating, although I believe it is easy to be ripped off if you are not an established professional, or alternatively do not have an agent.

Neither did I do a lot of fashion/portfolio/glamour photography. I had a spell at makeover photography but hated it. My daughter knows more about that industry.
She's a partner in this business
http://jk-photography.net/

Her own sites are
As a digital retoucher :-http://www.myretoucher.co.uk/myretoucher_services.htm
and as a photographer
http://katharinemillichope.com/

I can identify more with the urban and nature shots you have done, and there are several there which I like, particularly the boating scenes - but as always this is a subjective thing.

Lars, are you doing paid portfolio work ?

What do you mean by identify?

Paid? No, not yet. I have purchased some transportable light equipment, and I have some different backgrounds. For now, I have to focus on finishing my thesis for university. But I hope to have all the photos online from a portrait session, I made in June with the 3 board members of the Danish Student Organization, DSF. I made portraits of three, but for some reason only one of them have used her photos online, since they apparently all stop by December.
You can see them here:
http://www.dsfnet.dk/drupal/?q=image/tid/215
They did what I asked for and put my url as photographer. Now they got it for free, though they paid my expences travelling there plus a bottle of redwine. I can then display the photos on my website. I know the chairman (or rather woman) in person, so that's why they got it for free.
I have offered friends portraits for free, so I have some more photos to display, but afterwards I intend it to be a extra income if possible.

It doesn't really matter to me what kind of photos. I don't even mind making erotic photos, BUT that doesn't mean pornographic. Erotic in something like page3, which I consider pretty innocent. But if it could be as travelling photographer for a newspaper abroad, then this would be nice too. I don't know, will have to wait and see, what the situation is like, when I finish my studies next spring. Which has nothing to do with photography, having studied French and German.

It means I am more familiar with that area of photography so I am able to have an opinion on it.

Nothing wrong with that. Nice if you can get the work ! :DL - but I think the dividing line can be a thin one. Personally I think photographing beautiful women/girls is a priviledge not to be abused. Eroticism should be about beauty, but pornography is about ugliness.

Ahh... okay, I get it now. Well, nature and urban photos are "easy" motives, since they are mostly static objects in front of the camera. I like doing them, if I pass by a nice spot by coincidence, but there's not much challenge to it.
Making photos of sport, manifestations, riots etc for a newspaper would be so much more challenging. But it could be interesting too...
Personally, I make a big distinction between erotic and pornography. The last involves toys or "acting". I'm not at all into doing that. But making a serie of photos of nice girls/women to a magazine like FHM (which doesn't exist anymore in DK, but has a counterpart here though - M!) would be cool. And a bragging thing among friends... :haha:
This should ultimately lead to a point, where some good money can be earned and buy exactly the kind of equipment, which is top of the line. I have heard Hasselblad should be superb... :hmmm: