05/08/2022
Home - Chris Ceaser Photography
Hope this is useful its what photography is all about
Shoot to PRINT
We join landscape photographer and Canon Infinity ambassador Chris Ceaser on a pre-dawn shoot in his hometown of York to discuss the value of printed images
I gaze through the darkness of my hotel room at the clock on my phone. It reads 2:30am and I make a mental note to myself never to complain about dawn shoots in winter ever again. Compared to this, a 6am wake-up call is relatively pleasant. Nodding recognition to a confused night manager in the lobby, I walk out into the pre-dawn streets of York and instantly the drowsiness fades.
I have visited this wonderful city on several occasions before, but never have I seen it as deserted and peaceful as this. I’m here to meet Chris Ceaser, a local photographer, landscape expert and owner of a gallery in the heart of York. The aim of today’s shoot is to follow Chris all the way from the capture of an image of a location he knows intimately, through the selection and editing processes, to the printing and display of the shot in the gallery.
I meet Chris outside the address on Micklegate and we walk to the Ouse Bridge, our first location of the morning. While I’m familiar with shooting for personal and editorial use, I’m a complete novice when it comes to capturing images for direct sale on the high street, so I ask Chris for his tips on what makes a good image for this destination.
Chris Ceaser
York-based Chris Ceaser is an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and has won awards at both national and international level. He runs small group photo workshops in the UK and Europe and hosts regular evenings at camera clubs and societies. He is running a new demonstration print evening, which is due to roll out this September. For more information on his workshops and events, visit his website.
www.chrisceaser.co.uk
@ ceaser_photography_gallery
“If you’re shooting a well-known spot, you’re going to end up capturing something that has been shot hundreds of times before,” he says. “Whether it’s here in York or on Ponte dell’Accademia in Venice, there is nowhere I can stand that thousands of people haven’t already stood, so you have to think how you can present your shot. How can you make it different? Is it going to be a panorama? Are you going to shoot it before or after dawn? Will the lights be on? There are lots of things we can do and there are many shots in my gallery that I think are unique.”
Chris sets up his first image, a composition looking south, down the River Ouse. The blue hour lighting is ideal for this type of weather – overcast, with only a little detail in the sky. With careful use of an ND grad filter, Chris balances the exposure to ensure there is some drama while maintaining the tranquil atmosphere. I ask him how he plans and shoots images specifically for sales to the public, and how this might differ from images he’d shoot for personal use.
“You’d be naive to ignore the fact you’re trying to sell things from a gallery to pay the bills. We have to remember what it is we’re trying to accomplish,” he explains. “You have to capture what people want to see. I always hope that an image that inspires me will impact others too.”
Go handheld
Get more from modern stabilisation technology
A tripod was a key tool on the morning of our shoot, however, Chris is not afraid to try working handheld where he deems it appropriate. The latest image stabilisers are capable of reducing camera shake by up to 8 stops, allowing you to handhold your setup at far slower exposures than was previously possible. This can free you to capture more dynamic compositions on the fly without a tripod limiting your rapid framing options. While this was largely a landscape shoot, Chris spotted a charming bicycle which he captured as a detail shot. For this sort of scene, handheld shooting can be more efficient and less conspicuous.
With the first shot complete, we pack up and move on to The Shambles, one of the best-known areas of historic York. With its quaint, narrow streets and cobbled pavements currently devoid of tourists, it looks like something from a fairytale in the pre-dawn light. During the day, it would be impossible to set up a tripod and capture a clean image here, which is why we’re on location before sunrise. This morning, we have a series of Ukrainian flags displayed in solidarity with the victims of the conflict and as an additional visual intrigue.
As he works the scene, I ask Chris about the challenges of running a high street gallery, from which to sell photography. “I love having the gallery: it’s nice that people can come in and physically see things. They can see work and various finishes,” he says. “There are challenges of course. Before the gallery, there was a reasonable amount of success.
I had exhibitions at prominent venues, which went really well. You pay a lot of commission to the venues though, so I thought I’d bite the bullet,” he adds.
“I then had to work out how to make it work as a business. At a World Heritage Site venue such as this, you have a catchment of people in a place that they trust, in a certain mood, with some nice photography on display and they think ‘I’ll buy it, why not?’ On the high street, you are part of the landscape, you’re no longer the centre of attention. It’s a different demographic – people are walking past, going somewhere else. The other aspect is cost.
Suddenly, you have to think about insurances such as public liability and professional indemnity. Then there are payment terminal contracts, heating and electricity.
There’s a lot to think about.”
Chris explains that giving people a reason to visit your gallery is a key factor in running such a business. “You have to give people a reason to come in. I do evening talks there, such as a popular lecture on Venice, from the early history up until my photography. I’ve got a big screen and I provide wine – though I’m not allowed to sell it, of course – and I have about 12-14 people at a time come in. They then tell their friends. It’s all about increasing footfall, which was a steep learning curve in high street retail.”
The principal gear Chris uses
1 Canon EOS R5
Featuring a 45MP Full Frame Sensor, this pro mirrorless camera has been Chris’s main body since he updated his Canon EOS 5D series models. He pairs this with the Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapter featuring a control ring.
2 Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Covering a range of focal lengths from wide to short telephoto, this is Chris’s standard lens. It enables him to subtly compress perspective where needed.
3 Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II
For some landscapes and most architecture, such as an image of York Minster taken on our shoot, this is Chris’s lens for capturing vertical lines and shift-stitches.
4 Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM
This is the lens Chris uses when shooting wider landscape scenes. On a Full Frame camera body, this offers true ultra-wide perspectives while also being weather-sealed for use in tough outdoors conditions.
5 LEE filter system
Chris prefers to use hardware filters and repeat location visits over exposure blending software techniques. LEE filters offer naturalistic results and produce near-ready images in-camera.
6 Canson Infinity papers
Chris uses a range of matt and gloss fine art papers from Canson Infinity, including Platine Fibre Rag and Arches 88, a new high white matt with no OBAs *(not pictured).
For me, the printed photograph produces a tangible object, something real.
As he shoots, Chris tells me about the importance of a clean image and straight verticals. While he’s using his 24-70mm lens now, he also uses a 24mm Tilt-Shift lens to correct distortions.
We move to our final destination, York Minster, another popular subject that has been photographed many times. While he usually wouldn’t shoot in this harsher lighting, Chris points out the skill of using the light you have available. To create a novel composition, Chris uses an empty alleyway to lead in the viewer and add interest. Then we head back to the gallery to sort, edit and eventually print the fruits of the morning’s photoshoot.
Chris is a strong advocate of the printed image and so I ask him why print is still such a powerful medium, even in this digital age. “Not everyone wants to print and I understand why. But for me, the printed photograph produces a tangible object – something real. Otherwise, the images will look different on every screen type, smartphone, tablet and laptop. It’s just an image until it’s put down on paper, which is where it truly becomes a photograph, by definition. An analogy would be a baker who only ever creates a mixture, but never bakes the cake!”
Printing can often seem a complicated process, but Chris believes it doesn’t have to be so.
“It’s more a case of a lack of information and that there’s an easy solution but it is often presented in a complicated way. I advise phoning a retailer you trust, such as WEX or Park Cameras, and explaining that you’d like to start printing your images. They should be able to point you towards a monitor and a good printer. Also, contact the paper manufacturers, such as my favourite one, Canson Infinity. They will send you a sample pack, direct you to ICC profiles and help you give it a go.”
We review the images and as we settle on the ones we’d like to print, Chris guides me through the choices of paper. “You’ve got matt or gloss, smooth or textured, high white or warm white. If you have a clear blue sky, you might print on a smooth paper to embrace that smooth area of blue. Meanwhile, a gloss will give contrast and a little speckle. As a half-and-half option, you could print on a matte paper with a texture – now your sky is no longer flat blue, it has a fine hint of detail,” he explains.
“Generally, when I’m shooting, I already know the type of paper I’m going to use,” Chris says. “Like with a long exposure, I might choose a smooth matte so I don’t lose the smoothness in the sky. If I use a gloss, the colours will look fantastic – as you move it around the speckles will vie for attention, but you will have a more traditional photo.”
Chris’s top tips
• High street value Running a gallery, you will need to earn enough from direct sales to cover costs and make a profit
• Try papers Request a sample pack from a manufacturer, such as Canson Infinity, so you can discover your favourite types
• Offer a selection Build a powerful portfolio of varied work to give you more chances to connect with the viewer
• Commercial thinking To cover as many bases as possible, keep the commercial value in mind, shoot scenes you think people may buy, as well as some more unusual compositions
• Create a mix When curating work in a gallery or exhibition, try to introduce an interesting variety of image styles and break up repetitive themes, while maintaining a natural sense of continuity
Unique view
The printer whirs into life and as the first shot of the day is being processed, I ask Chris about the gallery. How does he lay out high street space for maximum effect?
“Most of the stuff I do is early and late, so there is a lot of warmth” Chris explains. “I try to create a mix of colours and themes in the gallery. Regarding the use of space, it’s often a case of what I need to fill. For example, I might think to myself that the 20x16 rack is a bit bare, so my next print goes there at that size.”
As far as choosing what goes on his walls, Chris says it depends on how he feels on any given day. “Today, I am in a warm mood, so I might spend some time creating a theme. That might be a beach scene, a cityscape, some moorland and a sunrise. If that’s too many warm images, I’ll break it up with a black and white for example, so there is that mixture.”
The image exits the printer and we examine the rich colour and depth the paper has bestowed upon it. Chris holds it up to inspect the surface before display. “What would I show people without the prints?” he laughs. “You wouldn’t get that effect on a laptop screen.” After breakfast, as we consider where in the gallery it might hang, the first visitors of the day enter the shop. With the prints on display, Chris can help guide their purchasing decisions including the size and paper type.
“It’s about emotional connection,” Chris says, as I explore the stacks of Canson Infinity paper. Having a high street presence has to make financial sense, but with a considered approach to capturing and printing, a unique product can be created from even the most well-photographed scene. Chris’s gallery provides more than images, it offers an experience.
Top tips to capture gallery-worthy images
1 Find a composition Work a popular scene to find the right framing that makes the most of the lighting and tells a different story. Look for leading lines and interesting foregrounds which might have been overlooked by most people.
2 Rotate and shift A perspective control lens will allow you to capture buildings with straight lines, correcting for distracting converging verticals. Here Chris rotated his 24mm shift lens to match the camera orientation and shifted the lens up.
3 Check focus When printing large format images, critical sharpness must be checked. Make use of the magnify functions on the latest cameras and adjust the focusing until you’re happy. Focus peaking might also be helpful.
4 Vary focal length Once you have captured a few images that you’re happy with, change lenses to explore some different angles. This is advisable when shooting in variable light, to make sure you get the most from ideal lighting conditions.
5 Dynamic angles Try changing the height of the camera, to see if any unique perspectives can be achieved higher up or lower down, closer to the ground. Anything that displays the scene in a less obvious way should add interest.
6 Consider filters Chris likes to use hardware filters to capture a balanced exposure in-camera. Unlike some other sky replacement techniques, using an ND grad filter will naturally darken skies, while also keeping the lighting consistent.
Home - Chris Ceaser Photography
The gallery is situated in a lovely old timber building that dates back to 1400. We have 2 rooms full of inspirational landscape photography and are a 1 minute walk from the city walls and Micklegate Bar, the royal route into York. A visit to our gallery will enhance any trip to this beautiful city....
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