Then the phone rings

I have had a few enquiries since the wedding fayre on Sunday. But guess what, nothing has changed! All of the enquiries have had nothing to do with the wedding fayre.
All of the enquiries have been from people from the uk but not from Carlisle.
I just think its a real shame that most people here can't tell good photography from poor or average at the best.
I did have a look at the other exhibitors work and the emotion and true capture of the moment just wasn't there.
I can't keep investing in marketing in this area to receive nothing back! I noticed one traditional photographer was diplaying large cross process look wedding photo's. She never even had that right. They looked awful! She is following a trend that started 6 or 7 years ago also.
Those photo's even if they had been digitally cross processed well, will look dated in no time! All this digital jiggery pokery! Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it! I think photoshop is abused so much. Before digital I would make the best quality print I could with a bit of dodging and burning. Maybe enlarging through a silk stocking to take the harshness from a brides skin at times. When I started shooting digital I still used the same techniques. The only things I have done with digital at times that I couldn't do in the darkroom is stitch some photo's together and more contraversial, add some clouds into a bland white sky!
I know, I know, I'm not completely proud of myself for putting something in a shot that wasn't there in the first place. But you need to remember that these aren't landscapes I am doing. Its merely in the background. Its the emotions and beauty in the people that is most important to capture in my shots.
After all I would spend a long time burning in horrible white skys when I printed in the darkroom.
I feel that I use photoshop but not abuse it!
I also noticed that none of these photographers had they're own style and had very traditional shots mixed with what would look like a photo journalist approach to some. They're albums were a mix of modern and traditional. I just feel all this is so confusing. Even they're so called reportage stuff looked staged!
In the same way as when watching you've been framed and suspecting that the guy who falls into the swimming actually staged it to get 50 quid from beadle. I look at these staged reportage shots and cringe, and mumble to myself "That's not real".
I don't wish to sound arrogant or bitter. I will tell you of photographers that I admire. None of them live here in carlisle though. There are actually 1 or 2 in Cumbria that are pretty good! In my next post I will share my favourite wedding photographer with you.