94 THE Digital Camera INTERVIEW 95 Bath House shoot, 2011 “Taken on a shoot for a soap and bath-product company. They wanted a fresh, contemporary look that didn’t necessarily include the actual products. We used vintage clothes and shot on location in a wonderful 1920s art deco hotel.” * Annabel Williams is an acclaimed portrait photographer, with over 25 years of experience. * Her lecture tours and photo shoots have taken her all over the world, and she often makes TV appearances. * Her photography books include 99 Portrait Photo Ideas, 99 Digital Photo Art Ideas and The Annabel Williams Book of Wedding and Portrait Photography. All images: Annabel Williams All images: Annabel Annabel came out looking like your mother, or took your clothes off – that was the choice,” she explains with characteristic frankness. “I wanted to look like a model on the front of a magazine, under her belt, Williamse’ve all got our but no-one seemed to shoot like that, Annabel now travels The celebrated portrait and reasons for taking up so I decided to do it myself.” all over the world, and her photography seriously, Annabel’s DIY ethos and ‘can do’ work’s been featured in numerous wedding specialist talks to but Annabel Williams attitude have served her well, because newspapers and magazines. She’s also is the first pro we’ve she’s blossomed into one of the UK’s finest written several successful books about Geoff Harris about the joys Wspoken to who went into the game because portrait, social and wedding photographers. shooting weddings and portraits. she couldn’t find anyone to take a decent With over a quarter of a century of Annabel’s big break came in the 80s, of ‘non-techy’ photography picture of her. “Back in the 80s, you either experience as a photographer and trainer when she persuaded the BBC to let her do Digital Camera July 2012 Digital Camera July 2012 96 THE Digital Camera INTERVIEW Bath House shoot, 2011 “I love the make-up and hair here, which were done by Karen Fundell. The image was taken in the same 1920s hotel in Morecambe, Lancashire, again using vintage clothes and jewellery.” Vineyard shoot, 2011 (Top and right) “Shot in a French vineyard. This is the gorgeous 16-year-old daughter of the owner. I asked if I could shoot her as she’d never been properly photographed before. The bottom shot was taken in a rusty old Citroën van.” Bath House shoot, 2011 (Bottom right) “This is the same girl who’s pictured on this feature’s opening spread. We used vintage clothes in the 1920s hotel.” Bath House shoot, 2011 (Far right) “Taken on the Bath House shoot, but this time with 1960s clothes. The model’s tall, skinny look works with the tall poles, and the purple dress looks great against the yellow ceiling and blue sky.” television makeovers. “My sister was a make-up artist, so we set to work on our “Wedding photographers used to friends and transformed them into models. The feedback was so great that I approached bore everyone to death by taking the BBC and got on The Clothes Show, which ages and standing them all in rows” was hugely popular back then.” Annabel’s skill as a portrait photographer concept. This was in the days of the quickly developed, and she branched out into high-street photographer who posed people weddings. “I was at my friend’s wedding in against a brown canvas background. I just the early 80s and her uncle was taking the hated that look. Wedding photographers pictures. He was a nightmare, so I took some bored everyone to death by taking ages IN THE BAG shots to help out, and everyone loved them. and standing them all in rows.” “This bit I booked 70 weddings the following year. I Needless to say, the sometimes sexist shouldn’t take wanted to do them candidly and capture the old guard didn’t react well to Annabel’s long! I use a spontaneity, which of course is commonplace no-nonsense approach. “I was ridiculed by Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III today. I got so much work because I was the many professionals,” she remembers. “They with a 70-200mm f/2.8 only person shooting like that at the time. criticised me for shooting on 35mm, saying IS lens, and an EOS 5D Soon I was featured in wedding magazines, I wasn’t a proper photographer because Mark II with a 24-70mm which led to seminars and training.” I didn’t use a tripod or a big camera. f/2.8 IS lens. I also use a “I lost a great deal of confidence trying Canon 580EX flashgun to do it their way, but I just found it for weddings, and a DOING IT HER WAY reflector. For editing, Annabel was something of a visionary when incomprehensible that anyone would take I simply use Adobe it came to wedding photography, helping to a picture of a child by standing in one place Photoshop Lightroom.” develop a visual style that is still in demand with a tripod and looking down through a today. “I just came up with a totally new camera that showed you the image upside Digital Camera July 2012 98 THE Digital Camera INTERVIEW Annabel Williams 99 BEHIND THE IMAGE Camera and lens Location and model Composition PRO INSIGHT “I shot this at Key West “This cemetery is famous “This shot is a good example “FOR THIS cemetery in Florida, using for having its tombs above of how I often shoot at an Annabel’s top UNusuaL a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III. ground . I met Maria in a bar angle to create a more tips for taking pro WEddING The lens was a Canon EF one Halloween, dressed as dramatic effect. There are wedding shots SHOOT I Was 70-200mm f/2.8L USM, a dead bride, with blood lots of muted colours from Focus on people with a focal length of 70mm. running down her face and the dead flowers, which 1Develop a relationship INSPIRED by I shot in Aperture Priority carrying a bunch of dead create an amazing with your subject – A HALLOWEEN mode at 1/1600 sec at f/2.8. flowers. I was so inspired background. Note the concentrate on them, COstumE!” The ISO was set at 400.” I asked her to do a shoot!” quirky red shoes, too!” not the camera. Make sure you set things up so you can do this. Prepare first 2Check out backgrounds, locations and clothes before you start shooting. Plan the day 3Make your shoot feel like the subject’s own personal fashion shoot – plan it, and spend a day need to be prepared for all eventualities if out together creating you want to avoid disasters.” perfect pictures. Annabel prides herself on being a Keep things fresh “non-techy” photographer, but that doesn’t 4With small mean to say she cuts corners. Take lighting, children, always have for example: “I never use studio lighting or plenty of breaks and flash at a wedding, unless it’s a shot in the change clothes and aisle, or the evening reception,” she says. backgrounds often to “I much prefer natural light, and keeping stop them getting bored. things simple. I have just learned lots of ways Watch the lighting to cheat, to be able to shoot anyone, in any 5Look for soft even weather, through sheer experience. light – under a tree, in a doorway, or under a “I just focus and expose on the subject’s porch – which creates face to get that correct, then the rest of the really flattering light picture is a balance of light, colour and every time. texture used as a background to the main event, which is the person.” THE LIGHT IS EVERYTHING Annabel is adamant that wedding and portrait photography is often portrayed as a highly technical subject, when it needn’t Charlie, 2010 be. “Provided you set up your camera in (Top) a simple way, you shouldn’t have to think “Taken in Key West. I chose the down and back to front. Furthermore, friend, or a cheaper wedding photographer have if they slow down and allow more time about it again!” she says. “It’s different for pink dress and shoes to contrast I hated the sort of pictures these male pros to fit within their financial limitations. The for things. I have found that virtually all landscapes and commercial work, but for with the chair. Charlie was saying “Nowadays, digital how big her ice cream was going took of women – all posed and trying to customers are now in control, and many brides think they will have much more time people you just need to use your camera to be for doing the shoot!” look sexy. They were pictures for men, cameras pick up all the photographers don’t like that, but they on the day than they actually do. simply, so you can concentrate entirely not women.” need to be realistic.” “If the bride and groom tell you that all on the people you are photographing.” Charlie and her parents, detail in the shadows they want is candid shots, I can guarantee Annabel does quite a lot of training, 2010 (Centre) A HELPING HAND and highlights for you” TIPS FOR MARITAL HARMONY they often won’t be happy after the event so what kind of mistakes does she see “This looks relaxed and natural, Digital cameras have been a huge help to So if somebody is asked to shoot a wedding – you really need to get some composed her students making time and time again? but in fact I asked them to do it wedding and portrait photographers like photographs of someone’s big day.