On the Road

The first time I indulged myself with film and shot whatever I thought interesting was a long time ago at the annual Spring Fair in Seville. It freed me up from being miserly with the stuff and certainly paid off. If you have followed any of my previous advice, you will have shot more film than previously when on a trip. And now you’re itching to see it; I know as I’m the same.

            Getting the odd roll or two processed abroad is a good idea, and I usually do this occasionally when possible. It may not be the best processing, but it will let me prove that the cameras are working okay which is good for confidence. But I would not have any more processed than a couple of rolls. I have a favorite lab for that back in London which is much safer.

            The real problem for a working professional photographer is that after a long shoot, the exposed rolls are much more valuable than the equipment. So guard it with your life, otherwise the whole trip could be an expensive waste of time.

            When I get home and prepare to look through the slides, it's always a tense moment for me, wondering if anything came out. I know being professional should counteract a lot of this, which it does to an extent, but I still get nervous when opening that very first box.

            Hopefully the only errors will be my own stupid mistakes. That I can take, but when problems are because of the equipment I find that difficult. Recently, the move to using zoom lenses has meant a real loss of knowledge about what’s happening in the camera. I hate the way they ramp down a stop from the wide to narrow end. I have no control so am slowly going back to using only prime lenses and the one 80-200mm f4 zoom which stays a constant stop throughout it’s range.

            After looking through all the slides and deleting the junk, the real work begins of cataloguing the saleable pictures. To make this a lot easier I carry a small notebook and write down details as I shoot, or at least as soon after as practical; things it’s so easy to forget, like places, people’s names, stations, churches etc. Another method I use is to shoot a nameboard; even if it is a wasted frame photographically, it will enable me to identify where it was.

            I always consider that a week on the road equates to a week sorting the pictures, so this is a very important part of the job. It's the crucial part of how I can begin to decide what I should offer the buyers. Then the money might roll in; very necessary, but not the only reward for a professional.

 

Jeremy Hoare is a freelance travel photographer residing in London, England. Phone/Fax: +44 20 7722 2065. E-mail: jeremyhoare@hotmail.com. Web: www.travelwriters.com/jeremyhoare