Annabel Williams Profile page 4

Top Tips

•Striking a rapport with the subject is essential. Be friendly, have fun.
•Don’t be intimidated by your gear. Learn it so it’s second nature, so you can concentrate on the subject.
•Use natural light. If you learn to see and use it well you’ll get much more natural results.
•Don’t ‘pose’ your subject. Go for natural poses and genuine expressions.
•Use a longer lens and stand further back. Getting right up close can be intimidating.

Annabel on weddings
Annabel’s photography career began when she was asked to shoot a wedding when she was 25. She tries to capture the spirit and joy of the event, rather than going for static posed shots. But she rejects the trendy ‘reportage’ style. ‘You still have to manage the shoot,’ she insists,’ because if you just shoot candids the chances of getting shots with everyone looking good are almost zero. You have to direct things, but show the joy and emotion of the event.’ Perhaps ‘contrived spontaneity’ is a better term for it.

Top Gear
Annabel uses a Canon EOS 1DS MkII, usually with a 70-200mm f/.2.8, but sometimes a 28-80mm f/2.8. She doesn’t use flash, tripods, reflectors or any other accessories, but does take a hair and make-up artist
to make sure her subjects look their best.