Wedding photography is a demanding yet rewarding field, and it requires photographers to constantly adapt and evolve to stay fresh and inspired. Maintaining creativity while avoiding burnout is crucial for long-term success.

Coming to you from Sam Hurd and Taylor Jackson, this insightful video features an interview with Hurd, a seasoned wedding photographer known for his unique style and ability to capture genuine emotion. He shares his perspective on maintaining creativity, emphasizing that it stems from problem-solving and finding unique solutions in every situation. Hurd believes that the ever-changing nature of weddings, with each couple bringing their own dynamic, provides a constant source of fresh inspiration.

Hurd emphasizes the importance of actively shooting to combat burnout. He argues that educators who solely focus on teaching without actively practicing their craft risk stagnation. He encourages photographers to embrace new experiences and challenges, even outside their comfort zones, to continually refine their skills and perspectives. Hurd’s commitment to constantly shooting, even while traveling, demonstrates his dedication to staying sharp and inspired.

Hurd’s advice for aspiring wedding photographers is to say “yes” to a wide range of opportunities in the early stages of their careers. This approach allows photographers to develop their style, experiment with workflows, and gain experience in various aspects of the business, such as client communication and payment processing. By embracing diverse experiences, photographers can build a solid foundation for a successful and fulfilling career. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Hurd and Jackson.

If you would like to continue to learn about wedding photography, be sure to check out “How To Become A Professional Commercial Wedding Photographer With Lee Morris and Patrick Hall!”

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Most anyone who has played or plays soccer knows what it is like to rupture an ACL. Marco Damascelli, a photographer from Bari based in Milan, has documented the story behind the scars that surgery leaves behind. His penchant for reportage and analog, has resulted in the project In Crociati, an intimate exploration of the scars resulting from ACL operations. The project documents the scars, skin and composition of the knees of nine different subjects who have undergone this surgery. Through his camera, Damascelli captured the beauty, complexity and uniqueness of these scars, each of which tells a story of personal healing and resilience.

The photographs show a variety of scars: from subtle and barely visible to more pronounced and pronounced. These differences not only reflect the diversity of surgical techniques, but also the dexterity of the surgeons who performed them. Each scar is a hallmark that speaks to the medical expertise and individual healing process of each patient.

In Crociati is a contribution to the understanding and appreciation of surgical scars as symbols of strength and rebirth. Damascelli wanted to pay tribute to the people who have gone through this journey, showing how scars are not just physical marks, but testimonies to experiences lived and overcome.

I wanted to capture, through the camera, the beauty, complexity and ‘uniqueness of these scars, which are the result of healing each individual person. From the subtle and barely visible to the more pronounced and pronounced. The nine subjects, although operated with the same two techniques, show the diversity of skin closure given mainly by the manual skill of the doctor in his surgical expertise.

Marco Damascelli

Ph copyright & courtesy Marco Damascelli

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

King Charles has granted a portrait photographer with a Royal Warrant for the first time.

Hugo Burnand told The Independent that he aims to give the public a true sense of who the royals really are through his official portraits.

Palace insiders said he is grateful to have been “trusted and supported” enough to take official photographs of the family at their milestone occasions and now to be granted this official seal of approval.

“I always want people when they’re looking at the subjects in my photographs to feel that they could be in conversation with that person,” he said.

“So they really feel emotion and a connection with the person they are looking at.”

The photographer, who is famed for capturing other famous faces including Michael Jackson and Victoria Beckham, began his royal work with none other than Queen Camilla.

This was back when she was still Camilla Parker Bowles and the Tatler photographer of more than two decades got the job through a recommendation.

Camilla was so impressed with the results that she asked Burnand to photograph her 2005 wedding to King Charles. He was also the official photographer at the Coronation

“[Charles] liked what I did at the wedding enough to ask me to take some pictures of him and then the boys,” a busy Burnand explained on his way to the Royal Portraits exhibition.

The event at The King’s Gallery, which opens today (17 May), is of particular significance for Burnand as it features “the first photographs that were taken of the members of the royal family in the Victorian era”.

“It’s really fascinating because [it goes] right through until today and obviously I’ve taken quite a few pictures of the current Monarchy,” he said.

Opening up about his 20-year relationship with the family, Burnand says that the biggest challenge he faces when taking portraits of the royals is time because they, have such busy right schedules.

But he wouldn’t have it any other way and says he has come to care for each member of the family witty great affection and admiration

“When the time came for Prince William to marry Catherine, they asked me if I would do that wedding [too], so it’s been a progression,” he said of his career.

“So when it came to photographing the Coronation, I felt like I had been doing [their] milestone event photography for almost 20 years.

“It was really nice to be supported and trusted enough to be given the opportunity.”

Burnand explained that he is following in the footsteps of a “wonderful photographer” who had a royal warrant to photograph the late Queen Elizabeth’s racehorses.

“But I am the first human portrait photographer,” he said.

As Burnand’s job primarily centres around the royal’s milestone events, his job has not been affected by the family’s current health troubles.

“I recently took a portrait of the King which I think might be released quite soon – maybe around his official birthday.

“I just take pictures, smile and let them decide what they’re going to do with them.”

With such a limited timeframe to get the historic pictures, Burnand admitted his job is made easier by the relationship he has established with King Charles.

“We get on incredibly well,” he said. “Over 20 years, we’ve built up a relationship that means we don’t necessarily have to talk everything through from square one because I already know some of the things he likes and doesn’t like.

“And he knows what I’m capable of doing, which makes the relationship through the camera work quite well.”

Royal Warrants can last up to five years and permit those in possession of them to use the coat of arms of whoever granted the honour.

Hinton, WV (WOAY)- Three Rivers Avian Center is hosting a Spring Birds of Prey Workshop on Saturday, May 18, and there’s still time for you to join. 

The workshop offers bird lovers the golden opportunity to photograph eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, and more. 

Professional photographer Steve Rotch will provide participants with technical tips on how to take great wildlife photos.

TRAC co-directors Ron and Wendy Perrone will handle the lovely models to ensure they don’t fly the coop. 

The event is open to both professional and amateur photographers. 

The proceeds from the workshop will help the center continue rehabilitating injured wild birds so they can return to their homes in the great outdoors. 

The cost of attending the workshop for the whole day from 9 am to 4 pm is 100 dollars.  

However, you also have the option to attend just one session for 50 dollars. 

The morning session will be from 9 am to noon, and the evening session is from 1 pm to 4 pm. 

You can visit stevenrotsch.com for more information or to sign up. 

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The prestigious Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize has been awarded to South African artist Lebohang Kganye, celebrating her profound exploration of personal and national history through photography. The announcement was made during a special ceremony at The Photographers’ Gallery in London, with Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, presenting the £30,000 prize.

Kganye’s acclaimed exhibition, “Haufi nana? I’ve come to take you home,” held at Foam in Amsterdam, secured her the award. The exhibition delves into home, belonging, and identity themes, reflecting the complex histories of post-apartheid South Africa. Her multifaceted artistic practice blends photography, sculpture, performance, theatre, and moving images to create evocative large-scale installations.

The exhibition’s title, “Haufi nana?”—”Too close?” in Sesotho—invites viewers to reimagine notions of space and separation. Kganye’s installation at The Photographers’ Gallery features life-sized cut-out figures of her family, meticulously crafted from photo album images. This work poignantly addresses the forced migrations and altered identities imposed by apartheid laws.

Upon receiving the prize, Kganye expressed her honour and acknowledged the critical engagement of her fellow shortlisted artists with contemporary issues. Clare Grafik, Acting Director of The Photographers’ Gallery and Chair of the Jury, praised Kganye’s innovative use of photography and highlighted her work’s emotional and political resonance.

Anne-Marie Beckmann, Director of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, also commended Kganye, noting the significance of her exploration of family history and its broader implications. Beckmann emphasised the powerful conversations about displacement, hidden histories, and the evolving nature of photography that the shortlisted artists’ works provoke.

The 2024 shortlisted artists—VALIE EXPORT, Gauri Gill & Rajesh Vangad, and Hrair Sarkissian—received £5,000. Their works are exhibited at The Photographers’ Gallery until June 2, 2024, before moving to the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Frankfurt.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the partnership between The Photographers’ Gallery and Deutsche Börse and the 25th anniversary of the Art Collection Deutsche Börse. The ongoing collaboration underscores a shared commitment to promoting contemporary photography and fostering cultural dialogue through art.

The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize, established in 1996, has become one of the most significant international arts awards. It recognises exceptional contributions to contemporary photography and continues to celebrate and support artists who challenge and redefine the boundaries of the medium.

For more information and to view the exhibition, visit The Photographers’ Gallery or the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation websites.

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Exhibition of the week

Judy Chicago: Revelations
An illuminated manuscript that Chicago started in the 1970s and is only now being published reveals the thinking behind her renowned work The Dinner Party.
Serpentine North, London, 23 May to 1 September

Also showing

Fragile Beauty
Photographs from the collection of Elton John and David Furnish range from 1950s jazz portraits to eerie reportage of 9/11.
V&A, London, 18 May to 5 January

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The Vinyl Factory – Reverb
This huge immersive exhibition of sound and art should set your eardrums popping.
180 Studios, Strand, London, 23 May to 28 September

Sunlight: Roger Ackling
Survey of a pioneering British artist who made sculpture in and of the land.
Norwich Castle and Museum, 18 May to 22 September

Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London
Abstract and intricate woodcuts that reflect on contemporary matters including climate change.
Guildhall Art Gallery, London, until 8 September

Image of the week

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The Kunstsilo in Kristiansand, Norway – ‘an incredible phallic landmark!’ according to the ‘trillion dollar man’ Nicolae Tangen, head of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, who co-funded the gallery, once a grain silo. “We walked around town thinking, ‘Where would be nice to have our museum?’,” Tangen adds. “Then there it was.” Read the full story here.

What we learned

A Leonora Carrington painting sold for £22.5m in record for UK-born female artist

Artist Benediktas Gylys was surprised by the rowdy behavior his video portal linking New York and Dublin attracted

South African artist Lebohang Kganye has won the Deutsche Börse photography prize

Many spectacular buildings were never made

Jonathan Yeo’s portrait of Charles III is formulaic flattery

The London show Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain is seismic

Palestinian artist Maisara Baroud does a Gaza drawing every day

Francis Bacon loathed his art dealers

There’s still no plan to restore Glasgow’s burnt-out School of Art

Tate Britain has acquired its first painting by pioneering artist Louise Jopling

Masterpiece of the week

The Virgin and Child with Saint John by Bernardino Luini, probably late 1510s

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This painting shows how Leonardo da Vinci electrified and obsessed people in his lifetime, just as he grabs us today. It is a frank imitation of his style and imagery. Luini was based in Milan, where Leonardo worked for years, and must have looked long at the paintings of the Tuscan genius. This scene is a pastiche of Leonardo’s compositions of Mary with Jesus and the young John the Baptist. It even includes a depiction of rock strata inspired by Leonardo: yet Luini probably didn’t know that Leonardo’s images of geology grew out of detailed, highly subversive research into fossils and the history of the Earth. He reduces Leonardo’s true strangeness to a more conventional Christian art. Could Luini, as has been claimed, be the real painter of the record-breaking religious icon Salvator Mundi?
National Gallery, London

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We’re Just Trying to Learn How to Love by Hamza Ashraf is a deeply personal collection of ephemera spanning three years

Notoriously private public figures, the British Royal Family are everywhere and nowhere, hiding in plain sight. This is perhaps why; when they throw us a bone and allow us a peek into their previously unseen lives, we jump. 

A new exhibition at The King’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace, London, will reveal the tales behind 100 years of Royal images captured by the likes of Cecil Beaton, Anthony Armstrong-Jones, and Lord Snowdon. 

Among the original works is the personal portrait kept by the Queen Mother of her daughter Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, signed by the late Queen. 

The array of photographs charts the evolution of Royal portrait photography from the 1920s to the present day, through more than 150 items from the Royal Collection and the Royal Archives. 

“The Royal Collection holds some of the most enduring photographs ever taken of the Royal Family, captured by the most celebrated portrait photographers of the past hundred years – from Dorothy Wilding and Cecil Beaton to Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey, and Rankin,” said Alessandro Nasini, curator of Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography.

“Alongside these beautiful vintage prints, which cannot be on permanent display for conservation reasons, we are excited to share archival correspondence and never-before-seen proofs that will give visitors a behind-the-scenes insight into the process of creating such unforgettable royal portraits.”

Visitors will see the earliest surviving photographic print of a member of the Royal Family in color: Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester and sister-in-law to King George VI and Edward VIII, on her wedding day. 

The photo was taken in 1935 by Madame Yevonde, a pioneer of color photography and champion of women photographers. 

Previously unreleased wartime images by Cecil Beaton will be on display for the first time, including a photograph of King George VI and the Queen Mother comforting each other while inspecting bomb damage at Buckingham Palace. 

The incredible photograph from 1940 shows how the royal couple used photography to project a sense of stability and hope for the nation during World War II. 

Visitors will also see annotated contact sheet proofs from Elizabeth II’s Coronation, with a note from Martin Charteris, the Queen’s Assistant Private Secretary, recommending to Prince Philip which images should be sent as personal mementos to the Royal Family and Maids of Honour.

Also on display will be photographs from the 1980s and 2020s highlighting the revolutionary way in which photography and tastes have evolved. These include Rankin’s 2001 photograph of the Queen smiling against a glittering gold backdrop, Andy Warhol’s 1985 portrait of Her late Majesty, sprinkled with diamond dust to make it sparkle, and The Princess of Wales when she was the Duchess of Cambridge by Paolo Roversi, 2021. 

The exhibition opens today and can be visited every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays until October 06 2024. Tickets cost £19.00 for adults, £12.00 for 18-24s, and £9.50 for 5-17s and disabled guests. Access companions and under 5s can visit free, and a £1 ticket offer for those on named benefit schemes is available May 17 – July 08. 

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the official exhibition webpage. 

Check out our guide to the best cameras for portrait photography, along with the best lenses for portraits. If you want to create photos with a more vintage feel, why not check out our list of the best film cameras around.