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Wil.D Introduction
With over 30 years of experience in many aspects of the photographic & allied business William David is one of those old fashioned photographers - trained in film, but happly working in digital. The aim however is not to rely on image manipulation to acheive a result, but instead use many of the old film techniques duly adapted to the modern meduim. This means for example if an actor has his shoot during the day - the results can be seen via a secure server often that evening or the following day, depending on the agreement. The aim and concept behind Wil.D is simplicity and an informal approach. The key issue often with young actors and those looking to branch into Commercial modelling is the cost of getting the images to promote themselves. For actors it's those essential Headshots, for models it's understanding the need for Zed cards and range. It's building confidence in a safe shoot environment - where the images are protected. It's knowing what is needed to move forward without sales hype and blind alleys.
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Sam Knight - Actor Wil.D Image 2010 |
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So how is the thinking behind Wil.D different? It seemed obvious after various trials that to just work like everyone else was not the answer. As a photographer I enjoy my work - and that is very important to me. This enjoyment comes from a personal informal shoot format. So the first decision was to do away with using a commercial studio, making it possible to either travel to the subject or offer a shoot location in Leicester. The Leicester location is within a Leicester Theatre Company/Arts Centre workspace, and whilst Wil.D operates seperately from the Theatre Company there is no doubt that the introduction of props and a dramatic style to many shoots suits the style of work. The use of "dramatic" techniques reconised by actors and introduced to models results in the desired increase in self confidence and awareness in the subjects images. And thats the point of a first experience shoot - it explores range, style and personal boundries and builds on them. Ofcourse this is just one shoot option - the shoots are nothing if not flexable. Whilst it is true that normally an experience shoot covers an entire day [the advantage of not using the commercial studio in that the costs are kept under control] - there is no reason not to just order Headshots or a particular shoot brief. My background means I can work fast if the needs must! For new young actors Headshots are something they need to update often - so keeping the costs down is a sensible option. One of the important lessons to learn is to know when to keep presentation simple. One of the key points is how flexable shoots can be - no office hours, if you need a shoot in an evening then that's fine - if you need to check something get in touch anytime and you will receive a prompt reply. The other key difference is specialising in male portraiture - not to the exclusion of females ofcourse - but reconising that very few actually do specialise in this sector - so making Wil.D a big fish in a small pond rather than a minow in the ocean. Most shoots do not have a MUA present, but ofcourse it can be arranged. For experience shoots all images are provided in digital form - for good reason - as these shoots are information lead, and seeing all the results is very useful in developing a style and range - seeing what works - what dos'nt and what could be improved upon. However other shoots may vary with the supply of "contacts" and then a selected final set of processed images. [Skin smoothing etc]. The shoot type is ofcourse decided by the client.
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Image Details:-
Sam Knight [Actor]
Shoot Location:- Leicester
Shoot Date:- July 2010
Photographer:- WilliamDavid
Photoshop by:- Fossy |