A day in the life of a professional photographer

In the spirit of broadening the subject matter of my blog, I thought I’d post about what I’ve been up to recently. I LOVE photography but am a bit of a clueless amateur when it comes to taking photos myself. Recently, however, I decided to change all that by buying myself a fancy DSLR camera and learning how to use it properly. My older sister Anna Clarke is an amazing photographer and asked if I wanted to come along to one of her engagement shoots in Oxford (she mostly shoots weddings). Obviously I jumped at the chance! A real shoot! And there was the added bonus of having lunch at the Eagle and Child, the pub where CS Lewis and Tolkein used to meet as members of The Inklings.

So, off I went with Anna to meet Charlotte and Mark, a friendly and enthusiastic couple from London. Seeing Anna in photographer mode was quite funny from my point of view, she was so professional and authoritative. It also became clear to me that I had my work cut out: Anna whizzed around at an impressive pace while I floundered desperately trying to adjust settings and get a good shot before Charlotte and Mark were whisked away to the next location.

Another thing that struck me was how as a photographer you have to build up an instant rapport with your clients. Anna is outgoing and confident; talking to strangers comes naturally to her and she can put people at ease instantly. She can direct people without sounding bossy and her enthusiasm is infectious. I’m not sure I’m the same, I’m a bit awkward with people I haven’t met before and prone to saying inappropriate/weird things. In a way it’s part of my charm(!), but I wouldn’t say putting people at ease is one of my strong points. I would like to think that this is something that I could work on though, and after this experience I have decided to try really hard at it.

Being a photographer is also exhausting! We had two hours before our car parking ticket ran out and we tramped all over the city. Anna was determined to get a good range of shots in different locations. By the end of it I was sweating, my feet hurt and I was gasping for a drink. Boy, was it fun though! If I wasn’t so obsessed with books and words I would definitely consider photography as a career path. I still might, if the writing thing doesn’t pan out! Although it is worth pointing out that I witnessed the most glamourous side of photography, I know Anna spends hours slogging away in front of her computer most days.

Enough of my rambling, this post is all about the photos! Below are some of the photos I took. It was fun getting Anna in them too, you can see how she gets her shots – be it by crouching in flower beds, getting dangerously close to cyclists or standing in the middle of the road. At the very bottom are three of Anna’s finished shots (I know, I know, you can hardly tell the difference between mine and hers!!! It’s uncanny!). I want to thank Anna for letting me tag along, it was an awesome afternoon! Also, thanks to Charlotte and Mark who let me gatecrash their engagement shoot. I hope they have a lovely wedding, they’re getting married in Central London and it sounds like the day is going to be ace!

And now for Anna’s shots…