Podcasts about Profoto

Episode 465 of the Lens Shark Photography Podcast In This Episode If you subscribe to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast, please take a moment to rate and review us to help make it easier for others to discover the show. Sponsors: - Build Your Legacy with Fujifilm. Latest savings at FujfilmCameraSavings.com - Shop with the legends at RobertsCamera.com, and unload your gear with UsedPhotoPro.com - Benro Spring savings at BenroUSA.com. - More mostly 20% OFF codes at LensShark.com/deals. Stories: Sony's FE 50-150mm f/2 G Master. (#) Tamron's 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 for APS-C. (#) The newest additions to Photoshop and Lightroom. (#) Profoto's new Spot Small. (#) The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB. (#) Flickr makes a key change to its service. (#)   Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram Vero, and Facebook (all @LensShark).

Pangrapport från Ericsson. Intervju med Barbara Wennerholm, vd på Svensk-amerikanska handelskammarens i New York, om tongångarna från svenska bolag.•Profoto vinstvarnar för det första kvartalet. Hör vd:n om pressen från vikande konjunktur i USA. Programledare: Fredrik Lennander

Ericsson får ett varmt mottagande på Stockholmsbörsen efter en rapport med överraskande marginaler. Lars Söderfjell på Ålandsbanken oroar sig dock över vilken påverkan den starka kronan kan få på Ericsson och andra storbolag på lite längre sikt.Även Avanza och Scandic hotels stiger på sina rapporter, medan Profoto handlas ned efter en vinstvarning. Och i Europa dras index ned av lyxgiganten LVMH som backar på en svag rapport som följts av tveksamma analytikerutlåtanden.Programledare: Elin Wiker och Gabriel Mellqvist.

Hiii! Today I'm so excited to sit down with a true photography legend, and someone I've looked up to for a long time now—Vanessa Joy. We dive into how the wedding industry has evolved over the last couple decades, from shifting trends to the rise of direct flash, and how she's stayed inspired through it all. We also chat about the balance between business and creativity, staying relevant without losing your personal style, and why she's so passionate about printed photos. Vanessa is also an incredible educator, with some free stuff available online as well, so be sure to go check her out!  Meet Vanessa: Since 2002, Vanessa Joy has been photographing weddings, portraits and corporate branding primarily in the Austin, NJ and NYC areas. She is a Canon Explorer of Light and trusted by brands like Hilton Grand Vacations, Bravo, Profoto, Lexar and more. Through online education and resources, she helps photographers elevate their craft. Find her at VanessaJoy.com and on YouTube.com/vanessajoy.   Connect with Vanessa: Instagram: @vanessajoy Youtube: @vanessajoy Website: vanessajoy.com Photography Business Mastermind: www.breatheyourpassion.com Safari Prints (all proceeds go to charity!!): www.safariwildlifeandlandscape.com   Connect with Me: Subscribe to our emails for updates on all things Summer School! SUBSCRIBE HERE Show Notes: the-summerschool.com Instagram: @summergrace.photo  @the_summerschool   Shop My Products: Become a Member of Summer School My Summer Grace x G-Presets (discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL) My Pricing Guide

Hiii! Today I'm so excited to sit down with a true photography legend, and someone I've looked up to for a long time now—Vanessa Joy. We dive into how the wedding industry has evolved over the last couple decades, from shifting trends to the rise of direct flash, and how she's stayed inspired through it all. We also chat about the balance between business and creativity, staying relevant without losing your personal style, and why she's so passionate about printed photos. Vanessa is also an incredible educator, with some free stuff available online as well, so be sure to go check her out!  Meet Vanessa: Since 2002, Vanessa Joy has been photographing weddings, portraits and corporate branding primarily in the Austin, NJ and NYC areas. She is a Canon Explorer of Light and trusted by brands like Hilton Grand Vacations, Bravo, Profoto, Lexar and more. Through online education and resources, she helps photographers elevate their craft. Find her at VanessaJoy.com and on YouTube.com/vanessajoy.   Connect with Vanessa: Instagram: @vanessajoy Youtube: @vanessajoy Website: vanessajoy.com Photography Business Mastermind: www.breatheyourpassion.com Safari Prints (all proceeds go to charity!!): www.safariwildlifeandlandscape.com   Connect with Me: Subscribe to our emails for updates on all things Summer School! SUBSCRIBE HERE Show Notes: the-summerschool.com Instagram: @summergrace.photo  @the_summerschool   Shop My Products: Become a Member of Summer School My Summer Grace x G-Presets (discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL) My Pricing Guide

El tema de las monturas para modificadores de luz en flashes o luz continua es un lío. Hay demasiadas: Profoto, Godox, Elinchrom, Bowens, Mini Bowens... En este podcast te explico cada una de ellas, sus adaptadores, cómo convertir una en otra mediante anillos... y cuál es, a mi modo de ver, la mejor de todas. Un podcast que vas a querer escuchar varias veces para ponerte al día. Puedes adquirir mi libro sobre fotografía y vídeo con tu iPhone desde: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0DBLPN8QB Únete a nuestra comunidad gratuita de WhatsApp desde: http://clubfoto.org Grupo de WhatsApp dedicado a la fotografía http://fotografos.pics Grupo de WhatsApp dedicado a la videografía http://videografos.pics Grupo de WhatsApp para compartir fotos http://fotos.pics Grupo de WhatsApp para cursos, talleres y aprendizaje http://fotografias.pics Nuestros cursos de fotografía https://www.cursosfotografiabarcelona.com/

Previously, Orjan was Director of Sales, Japan at iPoint Systems gmbh, Area Sales Manager Thule Group, Director of Sales & Marketing Asia-Pacific, BA Bags/President Thule Japan, Directeur des ventes VB Autobatteries S.A.S., Regional Sales Manager East & SEA Optima Batteries, Johnson Controls, Import and Export Coordinator Aichi Sangyo. He has a Masters Degree in east Asian studies from Stockholm University Orjan Pettersson's leadership journey in Japan is shaped by his deep understanding of the local culture, his ability to build trust, and his belief in the importance of personal connection. Having lived in Japan for over 27 years, Pettersson has navigated diverse roles, from working in a small Japanese company to leading major international businesses. His leadership philosophy centers around empathy, responsibility, and fostering a collaborative work environment. Pettersson highlights the significance of cultural adaptation, emphasizing that foreign leaders must learn how Japanese businesses operate, particularly in terms of hierarchy, loyalty, and long-term stability. He believes that understanding the unwritten rules of Japanese corporate culture—such as respect, obligation, and group harmony—is essential to gaining trust and credibility. One of his key leadership approaches is maintaining open communication with employees, valuing their expertise, and empowering them with greater responsibility. A major factor in Pettersson's leadership success is his commitment to authenticity and relationship-building. He fosters a work environment where employees feel personally invested in their roles, rather than merely following orders. By insisting on working in Japanese and immersing himself in the local business culture, he has gained the respect of his teams and counterparts. Pettersson also stresses the need for adaptability and resilience. From the Lehman shock to the 2011 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, he has faced numerous challenges, but his ability to stay grounded, make decisive decisions, and support his employees through uncertain times has strengthened his leadership. His belief that leadership is about "innovation with empathy" reflects his approach to balancing strategic direction with human-centered management. Additionally, he recognizes the importance of fostering creativity within his teams. While Japanese employees may be hesitant to take risks, he encourages idea generation through open discussions and structured brainstorming sessions. His introduction of informal team-building activities, such as a weekly coffee break, has helped create a culture of trust and collaboration. For foreign leaders in Japan, Pettersson advises learning the language, engaging directly with employees and clients, and demonstrating an understanding of Japanese business values. He acknowledges that bridging the gap between headquarters' expectations and local realities is an ongoing challenge, requiring both cultural sensitivity and strategic negotiation. Ultimately, Pettersson's leadership style is defined by his ability to balance Western efficiency with Japanese business traditions, fostering an environment where both innovation and long-term stability can thrive.   How can you become a leader people actually want to follow? How can you be the leader whose team gets results? Do it yourself trial and error wastes time and resources.There is a perfect solution for you- To LEARN MORE click here (https://bit.ly/43sQHxV ) To get your free guide “How To Stop Wasting Money On Training” click here ( https://bit.ly/4agbvLj ) To get your free “Goal Setting Blueprint 2.0” click here (https://bit.ly/43o5FVK) If you enjoy our content then head over to www.dale-carnegie.co.jp and check out our Japanese and English seminars, workshops, course information and schedules and our whitepapers, guidebooks, training videos, podcasts, blogs. About The Author Dr. Greg Story, President Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training Contact me at greg.story@dalecarnegie.com Bestselling author of “Japan Sales Mastery” (the Japanese translation is "The Eigyo" (The営業), “Japan Business Mastery” and "Japan Presentations Mastery".  He has also written "How To Stop Wasting Money On Training" and the translation "Toreningu De Okane Wo Muda Ni Suru No Wa Yamemashoo" (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのは止めましょう) and his brand new book is “Japan Leadership Mastery”. Dr. Greg Story is an international keynote speaker, an executive coach, and a thought leader in the four critical areas for business people: leadership, communication, sales and presentations. He leads the Dale Carnegie Franchise in Tokyo which traces its roots straight back to the very establishment of Dale Carnegie in Japan in 1963 by Mr. Frank Mochizuki. He publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter Has 6 weekly podcasts: 1.     Mondays -  The Leadership Japan Series, 2.    Tuesdays – The Presentations Japan Series Every second Tuesday - ビジネス達人の教え 3.    Wednesdays - The Sales Japan Series 4.    Thursdays – The Leadership Japan Series Also every second Thursday - ビジネスプロポッドキャスト 5.    Fridays - The Japan Business Mastery Show 6.    Saturdays – Japan's Top Business Interviews Has 3 weekly TV shows on YouTube: 1.     Mondays - The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show Also every Second Thursday - ビジネスプロTV 2.    Fridays – Japan Business Mastery 3.    Saturdays – Japan Top Business Interviews In the course of his career Dr. Greg Story has moved from the academic world, to consulting, investments, trade representation, international diplomacy, retail banking and people development. Growing up in Brisbane, Australia he never imagined he would have a Ph.D. in Japanese decision-making, become a 39 year veteran of Japan and run his own company in Tokyo. Since 1971, he has been a disciple of traditional Shitoryu Karate (糸東流) and is currently a 6th Dan. Bunbu Ryodo (文武両道-both pen & sword) is his mantra and he applies martial art philosophies and strategies to business.  

Vanessa Joy was this week's guest on Success Profiles Radio. She has helped tens of thousands of photographers master their craft and build a thriving photography business. She has also generated over $7 million in her business and has been trusted by big brands such as Bravo TV, Canon, Hilton Grand Vacations, and Profoto. We talked about how she started in the wedding industry and her expansion into niches such as fashion, food/products, real estate, corporate, and entertainment. In addition, we discussed hiring and building a team, building a thriving brand that has helped her gain over 300,000 followers across YouTube and Instagram, how she got to work with big brands, and her mastermind where she teaches and coaches people how to build their own photography businesses whether they are beginners or industry veterans. You can listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. You can also listen on Audible, Spotify, and at Success Profiles Radio | Live Internet Talk Radio | Best Shows Podcasts

Business development is likely the most stressful element of a photographer's career. Having to market and sell while navigating the relentless fear of rejection is what separates those who are able to successful grow their careers from those who continue to struggle. Well, let's fix that, shall we? My guest today on the Beyond the Image podcast is Vanessa Joy. She has worked with thousands of photographers not only in mastering their craft, but to actually build a sustainable business. Vanessa is a Canon Explorer of Light and has generated a multi-million dollar photography business working with brands such as BravoTV, Hilton Grand Vacations, Profoto and more. In this episode of the podcast, Vanessa and I dive deep into the reality of marketing and business development for creative professionals, what works, what doesn't work and what ultimately is the one thing that can generate new business. As a gift for listeners, Vanessa Joy has a free social media guide. Just DM her "instatips" to her IG at https://www.instagram.com/vanessajoy Thank you for checking out the Beyond the Image podcast. As always we appreciate your reviews on the Apple Podcast App, Spotify or wherever you get your episodes! https://jamespatrick.com/ 

Sígueme en: https://www.patreon.com/estudiolumina https://www.estudiolumina.com https://www.instagram.com/estudiolumina https://www.tiktok.com/@iamedulopez

Episode 456 of the Lens Shark Photography Podcast In This Episode If you subscribe to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast, please take a moment to rate and review us to help make it easier for others to discover the show. Sponsors: - Build Your Legacy with Fujifilm. Latest savings at FujfilmCameraSavings.com - Shop with the legends at RobertsCamera.com, and unload your gear with UsedPhotoPro.com - 20% OFF and 40% OFF holiday deals from Nanlite at NanliteUS.com - Great holiday deals from Calibrite at your favorite retailer and at Calibrite.com - More mostly 20% OFF codes at LensShark.com/deals. Stories: Fujifilm is dealing with scalping in Japan. (#) Canon patents some interesting lenses. (#) Profoto's Pro B-3 packs a punch. (#) Samyang's new 12mm f/2. (#) Getty doesn't seem to get it. (#) A new 35mm f/1.4 for Sony E. (#)   Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram Vero, and Facebook (all @LensShark).

Today, I'm joined by my dear friend, renowned photographer, and Canon Explorer of Light, Vanessa Joy! We are discussing holiday photos, using your phone to take the best personal photos, and much more. This is a must-listen-to episode as we roll into the holiday season while you capture all the memories! About the Guest:Since 2002, Vanessa Joy has been photographing weddings, portraits, and corporate branding, primarily in the Austin, NJ, and NYC areas. She is a Canon Explorer of Light and is trusted by brands like Hilton Grand Vacations, Bravo, Profoto, Lexar, and more. Through online education and resources, she helps photographers elevate their craft. https://vanessajoy.com/https://www.breatheyourpassion.com/https://www.facebook.com/VJoyPhotohttps://www.instagram.com/vanessajoy/https://www.youtube.com/@VanessaJoyhttps://www.pinterest.se/vanessajoyphoto/https://www.tiktok.com/@vanessajoyphotohttps://youtu.be/P2bJNbU9IWg?si=MMtdwkmISK_28c1Y https://youtu.be/_sVnlAFYpGI?si=GQdtlLP78YFP9TsL About the Host: Following the crumbs in the chaos is a full-time job as a Productivity Coach. As a busy mom of three and the founder of Chaos N' Cookies, keeping moms from crumbling is my main objective. After gaining 10+ years of experience as a Director of Marketing helping build multiple 6 & 7-figure businesses for other women I've created the Chaos Control System to equip moms to overcome their own objections so they can live the life they want to live and start that business they have always wanted. The Family Playbook, or standard operating procedure, is the tool every mama needs to save time and stress-less when chaos ensues at home. For new biz owners, I also help simplify systems on social media and other business platforms to automate processes to get their business up and running quickly and efficiently with how-tos and hands-on coaching. I have helped hundreds of women to be more productive and self-sufficient in their homes and businesses allowing them to reclaim control of the chaos. www.chaosncookies.comhttps://www.instagram.com/chaosncookies/https://www.instagram.com/theheathergreco/https://www.facebook.com/Chaos-n-Cookies-111324364538688https://chaosncookies.com/shophttps://linktr.ee/hsteinker Thanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.Leave us an Apple Podcasts reviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which...

La industria fotográfica sigue evolucionando, y hoy exploramos los equipos más innovadores que marcan tendencia. Descubre la nueva Alexa 265, diseñada para revolucionar el cine, el potente flash Pro-B3 de Profoto y los últimos avances en lentes Samyang. Un directo pensado para fotógrafos y creadores apasionados por mantenerse al día con lo mejor del mercado.

Episode 453 of the Lens Shark Photography Podcast In This Episode If you subscribe to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast, please take a moment to rate and review us to help make it easier for others to discover the show. Sponsors: - Build Your Legacy with Fujifilm - Shop with the legends at RobertsCamera.com, and unload your gear with UsedPhotoPro.com - Get 20% OFF with code SHARKY2024 at BenroUSA.com - Fall savings on select products at NanliteUS.com - More mostly 20% OFF codes at LensShark.com/deals. Stories: Canon's new 50 is designed for this and that. (#) This 70-200 shares a body with another popular lens. (#) Tamron seems set on dominating with zoom. (#) Profoto's new D30 is powerful and versatile. (#) Canon's 24mm f/1.4 would be my choice. (#) Apple is in the process of acquiring Pixelmator. (#) Sirui's new 85mm f/1.4 is a first. (#)   Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram Vero, and Facebook (all @LensShark).

Yo, you guys are SHOT OUT! of a needle with vaccines in it. This is a sordid tale of not sexy days due to vaccination reactions LOL. BUT, we also delve into some fun camming thangs and discuss Deadpool & Wolverine a bit. Before that though we give a preview of our next webinar at SDC, Profoto flashes and iPhones! Mitch demos new tech, let's hope he can handle it as well as he handles me! hehe. Moving on, twisty nipples! Ouch! Beaver Mower, gets LOUD! No, like LOUDDDDDD! We discuss finding a unicorn and Sally using a strap-on while being a um, low thruster. ? Mitch's booty tastes like, the ocean! No really! “You guys should be doing porn.”, hmmm. Mitch gets some new sexy toys from Lovense. Reviews inside. Hot tub whoring leads to accidental outside exhibitionism with contractors behind us. Oh. yes. Oh and a shoprite trip gets lifestyled. Come listen you freakanoids! Flip yo pineapple! Twinkle, twinkle, Sally & Mitch sjerotica.com “We put the WHAT? in WTF?”

Episode 443 of the Lens Shark Photography Podcast In This Episode If you subscribe to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast, please take a moment to rate and review us to help make it easier for others to discover the show. Sponsors: - Build Your Legacy with Fujifilm - Shop with the legends at RobertsCamera.com, and unload your gear with UsedPhotoPro.com - 50% OFF all backdrops at GravityBackdropsUS.com - More mostly 20% OFF codes at LensShark.com/deals. Stories: Instagram might flag you anyhow. (#) Nikon's new 35mm f/1.4 without the S. (#) ProMaster's Chroma TL9RGB. (#) The Pentax 17 is out and it's not half bad. (#) Profoto's new Fresnel Small. (#) Sigma's 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary. (#) Lexar's new, affordable Silver series SD cards. (#)   Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram Vero, and Facebook (all @LensShark).

In today's episode I talk about the Lumix S9 event controversy, Fujifilm's new 50mm F/5.6 "Wildlife" lens as well as Profit's new L1600D Mono-LED and I finally got my hands on a Fujifilm X100VI. You can find the show notes here. https://liamphotographypodcast.com/episodes/episode-405-lumix-s9-gf-500mm-f56-x100vi-profotos-l1600d

Episode 439 of the Lens Shark Photography Podcast In This Episode If you subscribe to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast, please take a moment to rate and review us to help make it easier for others to discover the show. Sponsors: - Build Your Legacy with Fujifilm - Shop with the legends at RobertsCamera.com, and unload your gear with UsedPhotoPro.com - 20% OFF with code SHARKY20 at BenroUSA.com - Accsoon's new SeeMo 4K at AccsoonUSA.com - More mostly 20% OFF codes at LensShark.com/deals. Stories: Fujifilm's new X-T50. (#) Will the new XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4 R LM WR become legendary? (#) Sigma's 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art II. (#) Are these Canon R1 specs legit? (#) The new Fujifilm GFX 100S II. (#) Will anyone trust these new SanDisk drives? (#) Profoto's new Pro-D3 monolights are powerful. (#)   Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram Vero, and Facebook (all @LensShark).

So what does it take to be successful (at least as a portrait photographer?) In this episode I muse on the key building blocks that every successful photographer I've encountered seems to exhibit, at least to varying degrees! This episode also features a quick catchup with Andy Blake from Kaleidoscope Framing (https://www.kaleidoscope-framing.co.uk/) who have been our supplier for nearly twenty years.  Why?  Because their products and their customer service are second to none! The PMI Smoke Ninja Photographic Competition is now in full swing - deadline is 5th May so what's stopping you?  Head over to  https://pmigear.com/pages/smokeninja-portrait-contest to read all about it.  The Smoke Ninja is genius! Actually, it should be called the Smoke Genius... I also mention Datacolor's excellent products in the podcast, in particular the Spyder Cube, the Spyder Checkr Photo and the Spyder Checkr Video - they can be found at  https://www.datacolor.com/spyder/products/ We have used these products for years and years and I would never go on location without them!   If you're interested in any of our workshops or masterclasses, you can find them at https://www.paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk/photography-workshops-and-training/    Enjoy!   Cheers P. If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode. PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think! If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.    Transcript EP151 What does it take? [00:00:00] Meet Andy: The Heart of Kaleidoscope Framing [00:00:00] Hi, I'm Andy I'm the general manager at Kaleidoscope. [00:00:02] Tell me a little bit about Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope. Okay, so we're coming up to our 26th year in business. We are a bespoke picture framer, mainly for the photographic industry, so we basically can make anything you want. So, as long as we can actually build it, we'll do it, it's as simple as that. [00:00:18] Why Kaleidoscope Attends the Photography Show [00:00:18] Tell me why you come to the photography show. So we come to Photography Show, uh, mainly to obviously try and drum up more business, new customers, but also see our existing customers and show off our products, ideas, what we can achieve, what we can do, and try and inspire photographers into what they can tell and display their work like. [00:00:36] Andy's Passion for Photography and Its Impact [00:00:36] Why do you love the photography industry so much? I've always had a passion for photography. I know we've spoke before on your podcast, uh, from a young, young age. Um, don't do as much of it myself anymore. Uh, unfortunately, uh, more involved in this side. But I love photography in terms of what that moment can capture. [00:00:54] What you can hold that freeze frame, that image for time. Um, and look back at it. And just, you know, it's memories, isn't it? You're capturing memories, you're capturing happy moments, sad moments, uh, important moments, lots of different memories from people's lives at different times, so. [00:01:09] Uh, if you could change one small thing, or one big thing for that matter about this glorious industry, what would it be? [00:01:17] That's a tough one. I don't know. I don't know what I'd change. Um, obviously for us, for us as a company, I'd change in terms of trying to encourage people to sell more products. That was what, that's what we would change, uh, in terms of helping us as a business. [00:01:31] But it's, in terms of the industry? Sorry, on that note, I'll stop you and we'll just drill into that a little bit. [00:01:38] The Value of Physical Art in a Digital Age [00:01:38] Do you think that photographers understand the importance and the role that finished artworks, whether it's in albums, which you don't do, or whether it's in a frame, as opposed to the fleeting pixel base like phones, iPads, TV screens, do you think they understand the difference and the importance of it? [00:01:57] Not everyone, no. I think there's an element where in a day Very digital driven world. Social media and images being on screens, and I think a lot of people don't realize how different an image can look when you put it up on the wall, when you print it big, when you put a mount around it, put a frame around it, put it onto a canvas, laminate it. [00:02:15] There's so many different options or ways to display that image. I think when you see an image framed up, we. Customers where we print their images and display them here, uh, as you've seen yours, and I'm amazed actually how often people, the first thing they say is, I didn't think it would look that good. [00:02:30] I never thought it could look that good. And, and it goes to show that actually displaying it large, printing it and putting it onto some paper can make such a difference to seeing it on screen, seeing it on the back of the camera, whatever it may be. So, and by extension, I've got a few clients that say they put their, these frames like in a. [00:02:44] Position of prominence, not necessarily visibility, but somewhere they'll see it every day, like the top of the stairs, or somewhere they, you know, walk through a hallway or something, and they enjoy that moment, they relive those memories every single time they look at a frame, and that's something I think digital products don't do, they're much more fleeting. [00:03:02] No, I'd completely agree with that. We moved into our new house in December, and I'm still trying to get frames on the wall, and it's the one thing I'm missing. In our old house, we had lots of frames. Of lots of small frames with lots of captured memories and, and I used to love it walking past the stairs and you'd see 25 frames on the wall, lots of different things. [00:03:17] And now it, we don't at the moment. So that's, I'm driving for that because it does, it, it, it brings back that, that memory, that spark, that emotion from that moment. [00:03:25] Thank you very much, Andy. I'll talk to you soon. Thank you. [00:03:28] Honestly, it's one of the greatest things about being a part of this industry is the people I've met along the way. And Andy. He's definitely one of them. [00:03:35] The Busy Life of a Portrait Photographer [00:03:35] I'm Paul, and this is the mastering portrait photography podcast. [00:03:40] So I've been in London this afternoon, we've had such a chaotic few weeks. It's nine o'clock at night. Actually it's half past nine at night. And I'm sitting on my own in the studio with just the whirring of the heating. And a couple of disc drives, chattering weight in the background. And if I'm honest, I've just found myself asleep at my desk because finally I've managed to get myself back into the habit of doing some exercise. [00:04:19] And so when we got back from London tonight, I hopped onto the Peleton and did an hour, but all it's actually happened is I'm just exhausted because it really has been a few weeks and it must have been because I haven't recorded any podcasts and that's in spite of me, not just promising. I suppose all of my listeners, but promising myself. I would do more and I do them shorter, but actually the reality is finding the space, not just the time I suppose, but the headspace to sit and do a podcast. Well, it's just alluded me a little bit. [00:04:55] So it's me. I'm on my own. A little bit of peace and quiet and I think at the moment, Things are a little bit like playing Mario carts. I love Mario karts. Cause once you get to know the course, you get to know where you're headed, what's coming up, what you've got to do. But in spite of that, well, usually my family, uh, throwing stuff at me, banana skins Inc. [00:05:18] Shrink me. You name it? [00:05:20] The Art and Business of Photography: A Personal Journey [00:05:20] Um, but then there's also those boosts where you get that little bit of extra energy and off you go, and I think running a photography studio. Is a little bit light that. It's kind of crazy. It's full on. You're running at a hundred miles an hour. Things are thrown at you that in spite of the fact you think, you know where you're going and what's coming up next. Well, life doesn't work that way. [00:05:41] So what's happened over the past. What's it been? Three and a half weeks, I think since I released a podcast. Uh, in that time we've done nine client reveals, which has been a really nice, hugely successful, which is lovely. Uh, we've done 15 portrait sessions, which means there's a whole load of reveals coming up. Um, we've judged the monthly for the BIPP, which is something I absolutely adore doing. Um, I'm chair of the judges. Uh, chair of awards and qualifications for the BIPP. [00:06:10] So I'm not strictly speaking. Judging. So I get to be a part of the process and I really enjoy that. Uh, cause it takes a little bit the pressure off Sarah and I coordinate it. And bring it all together and make sure everything's running smoothly and keep an eye on the scores. But in the end, the pressure's not on me to analyze all of these images. [00:06:28] Having said that though. Uh, over the past couple of days, I've been judging for the Photographic Society of America. Uh, which is a blast as he seeing some work from around the world. Uh, the BIPP though it is an international organization is predominantly a UK photographers, but the photographic society of America is exactly the opposite of that. [00:06:47] In fact, I'm not sure how many UK guys. are in it. And so to see work from all over the world. And he's just a real pleasure. Um, Don two shoots for the Hearing Dogs, including photographing, uh, Chris Packham. TV presenter and natural history sort of buff. I suppose it was a wonderful thing, actually. [00:07:09] I didn't know quite how I'd find him, cause it's never, you're never certain when you meet people, who've been on TV. Uh, quite what they're going to be like. And he's quite outspoken about various things, but he could not have been a nicer guy. And at the end of all of the shooting, we sat in a park and had a quick, it was a Coke. I say it was, it was a pub, but we had a diet Coke at a hot chocolate. [00:07:31] And do you know what. There was a window. There was a window in exactly the way I describe how to set up light in the studio is it was, it could not have been more like a one meter square softbox and so I persuaded him to sit and we had a chat about photography and production and all sorts of things. Uh, and I took a couple of portraits of him using window light in a pub. [00:07:55] Exactly as I describe how I learned today. So that was lovely. [00:07:59] Uh, we've done five wedding pitches so far I've lost one, but one, all of the others, which I think is pretty good going. What's that 80% I'll live with 80%. The one that I lost was one that. You know, when you get a pitch. And your instinct is always to want to win. [00:08:16] That's just inbuilt. But it was a job I couldn't figure out. Whether it was going to be tricky. And I'm not going to say more about it than that because I don't, I, you know, I don't want those prospective clients, if they happen to listen, to the podcast. You know, obviously they've decided to use somebody else or to go somewhere cheaper. [00:08:36] Actually, I was too expensive. The price we put in was too much. Um, and they were lovely people. Absolutely brilliant. And I would have loved working with them. But the job was such that it would have meant cancelling, some other bits to do it. A couple of, um, Extended stays and a few of the bits and pieces. [00:08:53] And I think in the end, I though I lost it. And of course you never, ever, ever. I want to lose work, my suspicion is the time that it would have taken. We'll drop a couple of portraits shoots in there. We'll stand, you know, we'll, we'll learn about the same kind of revenue for probably a lot less work in the end. [00:09:11] So hello, 80%. So I've lost one, one for. Uh, I'm going to live with that. That's pretty good. [00:09:17] Embracing Change and Challenges in Photography [00:09:17] Ah, I've almost, almost completely finished, ripping out. I say a ripping out. It makes it sound like a gutted, the place. Uh, reorganizing the studio. Uh, for the Elinchrom kit that we now have, because of course, I've got to take out all of the existing adapters. Change out all of the, um, any of the sort of third party kits. [00:09:38] So we've sold all of the Profoto equipment back to, uh, the Pro Center in London. Got a good price rate. So that's makes me very happy. Sarah drove that into London and deliver that safely to those guys. So thank you to them. Ashley for having a brilliant service. They took it in on a Friday morning, checked it all over. Uh, and paid us on Friday afternoon. Um, which was really useful. [00:09:57] I sold it as a job lot in the end. Because it was easier rather than trying to split it up. A few people had shown interest in bits and pieces. But, you know, it's just, sometimes it's just easy. I took a slightly lower price. And offset that against the fact it was an awful lot less. Uh, an awful lot less worry and effort on our part. [00:10:18] So Sarah drove that in, but of course I've got a ton of adapters. Softboxes kit that is sort of, I dunno, got ox or aperture, different manufacturers that were all based around Profoto in of course now I've got to change all of that over, put new adapters on. So that, um, I can use the as the light source. [00:10:38] And on top of that, all of the charges are very different. All USB C, and they're great. I wasn't certain how I was going to react to having. USB C charges everywhere. Uh, but I bought a couple of very long cables. for them and, they're 60watt. I mean, they're pretty meaty these things. I'm going to have to remember not to leave them plugged in. [00:10:56] Cause I don't know quite, I got to get a measurement on them because I don't know if they're left, plugged in whether they're still generating or absorbing that kind of power because they're digital transformers. So they must be absorbing some power. But they're great. And you can run the lights off them continuously, or you can unplug them. [00:11:13] And of course their batteries. Uh, but more on the, on the telecom side in a bit. Uh, another thing that happened is that a friend of ours, who's a wine collector. Everyone should have a wine collector as a friend. I delivered on, uh, where was it? Beginning of the week. Must have been Saturday. He delivered six more. Of the wine crates, the wooden wine boxes that he gets his really valuable, very beautiful wine delivered in, and they are amazing for storage, but also great as props. So, um, that was really, really nice. To see him and also to get these crates. [00:11:47] So it's helped me organize. Uh, stuff in the studio. Uh, also, I, I saw some video there's some behind the scenes footage of one of our workshops. And there's a pan around and it's brilliant. It's vibrant and it's fun. But I looked at just the ount of stuff we've got in the studio. And made the decision there and then that we needed to get some of it out of there. [00:12:08] So I've been redistributing things that don't get used quite so often as other things that then are scattered around the studio, probably never to be found again, I'll be scratching my head one day thinking now where's that particular softbox well, that particular modifier where's the beauty dish con the things that I don't use very much. Where are they? Uh, and I've got to go on a hunt in the attic. Uh, to find them. Uh, what else? [00:12:31] We've written three or I've written three magazine articles, one for NPhoto magazine. One for Digital Photographer, magazine, Digital Photography. Uh, magazine and one for Professional Photo magazine says three in one week. I had to turn. That was quite lively. A lot of writing, a lot of scratching my head about the different things. Eh, love writing. [00:12:52] I'm loving, writing more and more and more. I've surprised myself. I think I've certainly, I would surprise, surprise my English teacher. If only he knew the effect that ultimately many, many years. Uh, down the line, he had had a lot of fun that, so please do look those guys up that's NPhoto, which is the unofficial Nick on magazine. Uh, that's also assay, technically I've written four. I'm just thinking I've also written a piece on print and its place in this ever. Digital and file based industry and why actually a lot of us still use it. Uh, that article. Is part of a whole debate in the BIPP magazine, in The Photographer. Uh, magazine, but look up Professional Photo it's online look, up NPHoto, and also an article isn't out yet, which is about the bit I've looked after is about switching digital backgrounds. Uh, in Digital Photography magazine. [00:13:46] We've had two one-on-one coaching sessions or master classes, which is always a blast because you get to spend the entire day just figuring out stuff with one person, a couple of models on each different things, whether it's off-camera flash or whether it's dedicated to daylight or both. [00:14:03] Of course, when it's only one person. You can do whatever you want. [00:14:06] Uh, we ran one of our workshops in Oxford, which is the, uh, walking around the streets, looking for interesting places to photograph workshop. I said a name for it. Uh, streets. It's not really, I don't like calling it street photography because street photography is a thing. [00:14:21] And it's not that it's finding places, finding light, figuring out how to create imagery and how to invent shots when all you've got is the space you're in the face in front of you and the camera in your hands. And I love working like that. In fact, today I sit to sound away in, so on the way in for the shoot I'm doing that, I was doing some headshots for a Harley Street, um, clinician. [00:14:43] She's a psychologist in London. And I was doing some headshots in Harley street. And so Sarah and I packed up. Uh, the two, two of the Elinchrom lights into the rucksacks, couple of, uh, small, soft boxes. Camera gear. A couple of stands in case he wanted a white background and plowed our way into London. [00:15:02] And I was laughing with Sarah as we hold this stuff. Through the station and into a cab. Is I lay you a bet. We don't use any of it. I'm just going to use one camera and a big grin. And that is it. And sure enough that's exactly what happened. So in spite of me taking all of this kit in all we did was just have an absolute blast with one person laughing our way through it. Taking pictures I'm using daylight is in the light for the windows in her Harley street, uh, consulting room. Out in the street itself. Uh, on the steps and things like that. [00:15:36] And it was just brilliant. And that's exactly what the, the workshop in Oxford was about. It's about where, when you find yourself and who you find yourself there with, what do you do? [00:15:45] The Importance of Storytelling and Community in Photography [00:15:45] Uh, another thing I've done this past couple of weeks is had a presentation to the Village. Uh, Society. [00:15:51] Yes, Hunnam has a Village Society. You couldn't make this stuff up. It's like Midsummer murders is brilliant. A room full of, uh, retirees, mostly one or two of my clients as well. That's quite a few of my clients were in there. Uh, all sorts of people came. A busy room in our local library. And on top of that, my mum came now, my mum is a legend. Uh, she's an absolute power of nature is my mother. Uh, but it's the first time I've done one of these presentations or with my mum in the room. [00:16:21] I'm not going to tell you the whole story, but there is one bit of it where I show a photograph of my mom and dad actually. And it's a photograph that Dorling Kindersley wanted to use and they wanted to use it on a book called Sex And The Older Couple. Uh, of course I never, ever, ever. Let them. That, that image was never going anywhere near, uh, the cover of a book. [00:16:43] Uh, but it's the first time I think my mum has ever seen me do that routine. And it's, it's really, uh, it's just me laughing about photography and imagery in telling stories. And it's just one of those stories. And of course, it's my mum and dad who I think the world of, and they're the people that gave me. Well, they gave me everything. And so much of the confidence, I guess. And the drive to do something. Whatever it is in life to do it and do it well. Comes to my mum and dad's having a moment. [00:17:09] The audience was a real privilege. Uh, because she now lives here in the village with us, but it is a little bit weird. I'm doing a presentation that I've done over and over and over it though, at least that particular story over and over and over. Uh, my mom's in the audience. She didn't look too surprised. Uh, I don't know. [00:17:26] I don't know how she felt about that. Particularly. It's a shot of course of my dad who died 10 years ago. Um, this year. Uh, we've also, uh, we're working with a couple of people. We filmed a new video. [00:17:37] So we're working hard on creating new content for mastering portrait photography, not just the podcast. But the training materials and the videos. And so we've spiked that we've gotten, we're getting some more people involved. We filmed one new video. We had to took two filming days to do it. Absolutely exhausted. I was so tired at the end of it. [00:17:57] Maybe that's why I've just found myself asleep at the desk. Um, and we started to work on our social media and all sorts of other bits and pieces. Just trying to get on to get things out there. Uh, it's hard when your primary objective, you know, if you've ever seen Little Shop Of Horrors and there's the, there's the, what's the, I dunno what it's called, but it's the, it's the monster plant. And he says, feed me, Seymour, feed me now. And they were running a photography business is exactly like that. [00:18:29] We have one client. And that's the bank account because you have to keep running. It doesn't matter how many other things you have in the pipeline. Or things you want to do or ideas you'd like to explore or portfolio images you'd like to retouch in the end is a huge, great plant. Just going feed me Seymour, feed me now. I was laughing with Sarah today. Everything we do in, you know, all we have to have is one phone call that says, can I get five days of paid work from you? [00:18:56] And you drop everything and go do it because you have to. And that's the reality of this kind of business. You don't turn down work or at least, I mean, maybe that maybe some of you who are listening are in a privileged position. Where you can and you do. I'm not in that position. When work comes in, we take it. [00:19:13] We do a good job of it. And we get it back out to the client and then we sit and go, right? Where was I? Here I am recording that podcast. Uh, what's the Dune Part II actually with our daughter. I don't know if anyone's seen it is brilliant. I've no idea what was going on. It was excellent. He was. An absolute mystery to me. [00:19:33] Um, over the past week, couple of weeks I'd spent watching. Uh, Dune part one. Uh, trying to understand, because of course I never watch a film properly. I sit with a film on my second or third monitor on my iPad while I'm retouching or writing for a magazine or something. It's in the background. It burbles in a background. [00:19:52] So usually I can't watch anything with too much of a plot. Uh, but Dune part one, well, I kind of passed by, it was really pretty. I think I understood some of it. There appear to be some telekinesis kind of stuff and some mind reading, he kind of stuff. Lots of sand. Uh, and then I went to the cinema to watch Dune part two. [00:20:12] Now, what I will say is it's worth the watch. Brilliant. Big screen. Theater 7.1, Lucas, whatever THX, whatever it is, sound. Huge bucket of popcorn. A large thing of diet Pepsi and on top of everything else. Uh, class a beer. And then I realize after about two hours, That I've got another three quarters of an hour to go because it's a long film and I've got the bladder. Of a 55 year old bloke because that's how old I am. This, all of this came to a bit of a head. Now I stayed put in my seat, but honestly, by the time we got to the end of the movie, I was sweating. I was sweating beyond sweating as the first pixel of the first credit. Appeared at the bottom of the screen. I made a run for it. [00:20:59] Well, I'll tell you what I was still peeing. When pretty much the cinema was closing. People came and went. I think people got married, had children celebrated anniversaries in the time. I was like that scene. I've Austin Powers. I've never been so pleased to get inside the gents. So I'm sorry if that's a bit lewd, but you know what I mean? Uh, when you're in that sort of, oh my God, I've got to go now. Uh, but it was brilliant. The film, at least the first three quarters of it. I paid a lot of attention to, I think I was getting a little bit distracted by the end. There's a lesson, a beautiful people. If, if you're going to watch a really long film, Don't drink too much. Anyway, it was great. Uh, now what I need to do is watch Dune part one again. In the context of having seen what happens now, I'm that guy anyway, a very often, if a film is or a series or. Uh, you know, a box set or something is stressful. Drama. You know, tension, those kinds of things. I will hop onto, uh, something like, uh, I MDB or Wiki and do a plot spoiler because I don't need to stress. [00:22:01] I do the same with books. If I'm watching, if I'm reading a book that I think is a bit stressy. Then I'll go to the back couple of pages and read them, just went out what happens and then I can enjoy the plot knowing what's coming. Don't ask. I just don't like the stress. I don't need it in my life. [00:22:14] I have enough stress in my life. I'm a photographer. Life is stressful enough. Without me adding extra stress by watching something that, uh, I don't know what the ending is going to be. [00:22:26] All right. [00:22:26] Exploring New Horizons: Reviews and Competitions [00:22:26] Uh, in the middle of all of this, this is a message from our sponsors. Well, not really sponsors. I'm not paid, by anybody, but I have had a few things sent my way to review and have some fun with, uh, and the first of those is the Smoke Ninja. [00:22:41] So this has come from PMI company called PMI. I will put the links to all of this in the show notes, but PMI very kindly sent me a piece of kit I'd already bought from them on the CA. On the Kickstarter. Campaign it's the Smoke Ninja, which is a tiny EDBD. You can't believe how much stuff comes out of it. Fogger. [00:23:00] It's absolutely incredible. So this thing we've had this for a while, talked about it before, but I've, uh, I now have two of them. Excellent. Great fun. But it's all to do with a competition they're running and I'll give you the URL now. So it's, if you go to PMI smokeninja dash portrait dash contest. [00:23:22] So. HTTPS colon slash slash usual stuff. P M I gear all one word.com/pages/smoke. Ninja will one word. Hyphen portrait hyphen contest. Now they have a contest and I'm just bringing it up now on my screens. And there's $10,000. They say total prize pool. There's a prize for the best solar portrait. There's a prize for the best wedding portrait. [00:23:47] There's a prize for the best family portrait. There's a most creative award and there's the most viral award. Everything has to be done. Uh, or rather everything, everything you do for the competition has to use either the Smoke Ninja or its bigger brother. The Smoke Genie. Uh, you have to do some behind the scenes footage of it. [00:24:06] Send up your final picture and the behind the scenes footage to prove you were actually using their equipment to do it. I think as well as it giving some social media content, you have to put, you have to upload it to there. Their portal, as well as putting it on your own social media feeds. So it's a great competition and the prize is absolutely stunning. [00:24:26] Unveiling the Prize: The Smoke Ninja and More [00:24:26] Uh, each prize has $500, $500 us dollars. Um, The cash, uh, but also has, uh, some stuff from, I don't know how to pronounce this is Yoon. Um, some stuff from Small rig and you also get the smoke genie pro kit. If you're a prize winner. [00:24:45] Exploring the Wonders of Smoke Ninja [00:24:45] And the smoke genie. Uh, is like, oh, I miss the Smoke Ninja, but on steroids. Now we've been having a blast with the Smoke Ninja recently. [00:24:54] It's a really good bit of kit. The only thing we've had to learn how to do here is to disable all of the smoke sensors. So that's actually been a little bit of a head scratch. Is figuring out how to turn off the smoke detectors in the studio before we use it. Because the last thing I need is the fire brigade turning up to find me sort of with a family or a teenager, flinging smoke around and laughing my head off. [00:25:15] Uh, I'm not sure that we'll go down that well. Uh, but that's the, the competition and I in return for them sending me, uh, the Smoke Ninja. I've also got to enter the competition as well, but if you fancy it, so it's PMI gear.com/pages/smoke, ninja portrait contest. And I'll put that. Uh, in the show notes that, so it's worth a worth a look. [00:25:37] And I can honestly hand on heart say that the PMI. Uh, Smoke Ninja is well, it's just, I would call it the smoke Genius, not the smoke Genie or the Smoke Ninja [00:25:47] . I think the thing is absolutely fab. And even the other day, when we were filming the video we've created is actually I ran the fogger as a hazer. [00:25:56] So just so I had a little bit of haze in the air so that when we put the lighting across the studio for all of the pieces to camera, it just adds atmosphere. Uh, it picks out little bits of light and it just softens those backgrounds. It's. It's it's only when you start watching how a film. Directors and directors of photography and lighting engineers use this stuff. [00:26:16] You kind of think, oh, okay. That's something that's entirely applicable. In our world to photographic stills, photographic world too. So. Head over to them. Have a look at that competition. If you're interested. Uh, you might just, you might just find some inspiration for some angles on photography. Maybe you haven't thought about. [00:26:32] Diving Into the World of Color Calibration with Datacolor [00:26:32] Uh, the next one is Datacolor also is it's been a couple of weeks of stuff arriving. [00:26:38] I think I mentioned this in the previous podcast, but Datacolor sent us the Spyder Checkr, the spider, sorry, the Spyder Checkr Photo, the Spyder Checkr Video and also. Uh, thing of genius, the Spyder Cube. Now this is one of those gadgets. So. The color check is I've used a Datacolor. Spyder Checkr Photo or the older version of that. For probably, I don't know, six years, seven years, maybe even longer at the beginning of every one of the shoots off site, because obviously once you've set it up for your studio, I don't need to recalibrate this. [00:27:10] I've changed the lens or a camera on my lighting, which of course I'm doing right now. I don't need to recalibrate, but every time I go out into location, We take a safe shot with the Spyder Checkr Photo as it is now called. And I'd be doing that for a very long time, so that I've always got a reference point for my white balance and for my color. So the color spectrum under the lighting that we're using. well the Spyder cube is sort of the next level genius. [00:27:36] It gives you not just your white point and black point. There's a hole in it. What. Uh, brilliant idea. There's a hole in it with no lights you get. So that should be exactly the same darkness is the nostrils. It's just dark. Uh, but it's also got white and gray and a mirroball on the top or a little Chrome. Uh, marble, it looks like a little Chrome sphere. And that, of course, if you were lighting, it gives you your white point because it shows you your specular highlight. [00:28:00] The thing is great. It's absolutely brilliant. And of course, as we've just done right now, we are, re-engineering all of our lighting. So I now have from Elinchrom, four Fives and two Threes, and I am loving it, but not just because the light that these, these bad boys are giving is stunning. But on top of that, we've used the Datacolor Spyder Checkr Photo to calibrate all of the new gear in our studio. [00:28:27] So have profiles in Light Room for the new Allyn crumbs. And although it gives you a very flat finish, which is not my look. It gives you a very, very accurate starting point. So I just thought I'd put that in there. So thanks to Datacolor for sending me that kit. Um, if you have the opportunity head over to that Datacolor with no 'u', by the way, it's a American English, or I suppose these days international English. Uh, as opposed to the British or English, English, C O L O U R. [00:28:54] It's not that it's da as you, but I'm sure you know, it C O L O R a Datacolor. It's worth going to have a look. The thing's not that expensive. It's less than a hundred pounds. It's only about 40 quid for the spider cube. Uh, and then the spider checker photo inspire the checker video. We're all in that sort of 90 quit. Mark, I think anyway, it's very kind to them to send it over and, uh, I will put out some, uh, befores and afters on some of our feeds as to just how good it is. [00:29:20] And of course, having had. All of the new Elinchrom lighting and the Elinchrom theme is going to run for weeks. So we'll leave that. I won't talk any more about that on this particular episode, but rest assured the four Fives and two Threes. I am having a blast. It's so nice. To have stunning light back in the studio. [00:29:40] Absolutely loving it [00:29:42] [00:29:42] The Building Blocks of a Successful Photography Business [00:29:42] anyway, onto today's little, sort of the actual bit, the rest of it. I'll tell you what the diary of a working pro is getting bigger. Uh, um, I need to fix that. I need to do something about that, but at the moment, it's just because the episodes are so far apart, a lot has happened since the last one. So this, the theme of this particular episode, and I was puzzling over this. Uh, or rather what triggered it was a series of conversations and the reviews from our Oxford. Workshop and I kinda been chewing on what is it that makes a successful. Photography business. [00:30:23] What is it? What really is it I'm still working on? I don't have an answer. I doubt there is an answer. But what I have observed is there are building blocks. You need. And sort of you stack them up. I think. And on the top of it is you as a S as a successful photographer or a successful. Photography business, but you build it on certain pillars. And the four I've kind of identified, and this is based on S on feedback and it's based on observations. That I've made as well. You need, I think the following four things. At the very least you need the following four things. [00:31:04] The Essential Attitudes for Success [00:31:04] Anyway, you need energy. Optimism enthusiasm. And confidence. Now you'll notice in there. I haven't said camera craft or. And I for an image or I dunno, technical knowledge, or I, I've not said any of those things, you do need those things. By the way, it's not that you don't. But underneath that. To learn to be able to absorb ideas, to be able to push through. The fear and doubt that is inevitably part of this world. [00:31:35] You need energy, optimism, enthusiasm, and confidence. And these are things. That I'm very blessed. To have I'm lucky in that my parents gave me those things and on the whole I've normally got, I'm going to say I've normally got three of the four. It's any one moment. There are days when I have no energy, but I'll be optimistic that I'm going to get it, get it there the other day. [00:31:56] There'll be other days whenever turn of energy, but it's being in channeled entirely in pessimism. Um, there are days when I'm not enthusiastic, but it doesn't stop me thinking tomorrow will be better. And there are days when I'm, I have no confidence at all. But I'm still energetic and optimistic and enthusiastic about I, what about what I do now? [00:32:16] I could probably do a podcast on each of those things. And maybe in the future, I will maybe I'll interview. Some photographers and talk about these various aspects, but why, why have I brought those out when I could have said. You need to understand cropping. You need to understand your color wheel. [00:32:34] You need to understand how to process digital images. You need to understand how to use your camera when all of these things are undoubtedly. True. But if you don't have the energy and if you don't have the opt or more importantly than enthusiasm, I think you'll never get around to learning those skills. [00:32:52] They just will never arrive. [00:32:54] Before you even start. You have to have energy, optimism, enthusiasm, and confidence. They are the building blocks. They're the attitudes. Maybe that's what I should have called to maybe attitudes there, what you need. I think. And I've never met. Uh, top flight photographer, successful photographer. Now by top flight, I don't necessarily mean award-winning images. [00:33:16] I mean, people who've been successful in the industry. Some photographers are successful because their business just. Fly. Some people are successful because they are amazing on stage. Some people are successful because they images. Or well, simply glorious. There are lots of reasons why a photographer may or may not. Be successful. [00:33:37] So when I say a top flight photographer, I mean, someone who's known for some aspects, some skill, some quality. In industry and every single one of them that I've ever met. Shows energy, optimism, enthusiasm, and confidence. [00:33:53] So let's have a think about what each of these. Uh, attitudes sort of are. So energy and having energy doesn't mean you're bolshy or pushy, or like a bull in a China shop. It doesn't mean that it just means. That, when it comes down to it, when you pick up the camera, there's something about what you're doing. That drives you, that keeps you going because there are going to be days when you really aren't feeling it. And it's your energy. That you need to draw on. [00:34:22] Now for me, I'm kind of lucky. In the, when the client walks into the room, they give me the energy that I need. Somehow, no matter how flat I am, how tired I am, how fed up. I am sometimes. When the client appears, they give me energy. That energy drives everything. Sometimes I'll be honest. [00:34:43] My own insecurity gives me. Energy when I'm having one of those days and I'm not feeling it. I don't often get to the point where I'm like, you know what, I'm done it, it does happen. People have to talk me out of it. [00:34:56] But sometimes my own insecurity is all of the energy I need. But always when a client walks in, that triggers something in me and off I go. [00:35:06] Optimism. Optimism is I suppose an odd one. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone else write down optimism. Um, certainly in the reviews, no one's ever said optimism is not a word. [00:35:16] I think the associate. With any of these conversations normally, but here's why. Here's why I use the word and I don't mean in optimism. I don't mean unrealistic. So I don't mean that you late. I don't know. You think you're going to always make a silk purse out of a sow's ear? To use the expression. I just mean. It's that thing of, well, let's give it a go. [00:35:42] What's the worst that can happen. You know, I'm a photographer, not a brain surgeon. So the worst damage I can do is to take a crappy picture. That's essentially it. Now, if you're doing a wedding, okay. That's a little bit more pressure, but if I go, if I get it wrong, I'm going to make someone look fatter or older. Or thinner or. I don't know, less attractive than they think they should be. Those basically are the limits of the damage I can do with a camera. [00:36:10] Let's say drop it on someone. I suppose I could drop the camera from a great height and it would cause damage. Um, so having optimism is almost baked in why wouldn't I have optimism? Let's take a picture and see what it looks like. But I have met a lot of photographers who don't exhibit that they're nervous of trying things that. They think might fail and I think it will make. They think it will diminish. They're standing in front of their client, whereas I'm, I think the other way round. Is that I think the client loves it when we try things. [00:36:42] And I'm very open about stuff I will say to the client, look, I don't know if this is going to work, but you know, let's give it a go. And if it does work, I'm going to show you, I'm going to. Claim credit for it, and I'm going to enter it into awards. If it doesn't work, you're never ever going to see the image. [00:36:58] And that's basically it. Um, optimism is about the idea that you can. And that today, what do you know what I will. Uh, enthusiasm, enthusiasm runs through me most of the time. And it's a, it's a derivative of energy. Rarely, I suppose I could have fused. Those two words, but I think you can be enthusiastic without being energetic and vice versa. He can be energetic in your pessimism if you want to be. [00:37:24] So enthusiasm has a real place for me and enthusiasm. I found when I'm in, in the company of a photographer who is enthusiastic about what they do, who is full of positivity about what they do. It's it's captivating and you kind of get drawn along on that ride. Now I don't mean naivety. I don't mean. That. You're enthusiastic to the degree that we can know what could happen. [00:37:51] I'm not saying that. Similarly with optimism, you know? I'm just saying that if you're enthusiastic about what you're, what you do it carries now, does that mean all of your pictures have to be happy, bubbly pictures, new, not at all. But it's much easier to take enigmatic, gentle, moody pictures. When you're being enthusiastic about it than when you're not trust me on that. Uh, so enthusiasm is what it is. [00:38:16] And I think I've every successful photographer I've ever met is enthusiastic about what they do now. Occasionally you time it and you talk to them and they're like, they're not being very enthusiastic or optimistic for that matter. But on the whole, you feel that they would be the rest of the time. [00:38:32] Confidence, Feedback, and the Art of Adaptation [00:38:32] And then there's confidence. And now confidence does not mean. Arrogance. [00:38:37] And it certainly doesn't mean. That I don't have, or the photographers I've met don't have insecurities or imposter syndrome or all of those words they do. They really do. But something in them. Says that it's going to be all right again. Allied to optimism, having the confidence to say, I know what I'm doing. To ground yourself with the camera in front of your client and say, it's fine. [00:39:04] I know what I'm doing. And I know I can do this. Or having the confidence to take. Feedback critical or otherwise to take. feedback from your peer group or from your client. It takes confidence and it takes. To an extent, a thick skin. I think I might've missed an attribute. I think sensitivity might be an attribute that I should add to this. [00:39:26] Let me think about that. I'll come back to you on that. one, but having the confidence. To say, yeah, I can learn that. Or having the confidence to take. Feedback in a way. That you turn it into a forward facing energy. Oh on the Peleton tonight. Honestly, I have done an hours exercise. That's like nearly a thousand calories burned, which is why. He likes snoring. [00:39:48] I've lit. Honestly, I'm not kidding. I woke up at my desk. Uh, with the microphone over my head. Uh, waiting to record. Um, and that's because I've done an hour and it's been a long week. I submitted an article last night, or this morning at three o'clock in the morning. I submitted one of the articles much as I love writing. [00:40:04] Uh, sometimes the inspiration doesn't come until the wee small hours. As my Scott's friends. Uh, I would say, um, anyway, during the exercise class. That was on tonight. [00:40:16] One of the instructors said, there's this thing called? Yes. And now I've never heard of this as a thing before. Yes. And not. Yes, but, or no, but, or no. Yes. And. And that's having a confidence to take feedback in a positive way and move forwards with it. There's a scale in and of itself giving everyone knows that giving feedback in a positive way. Is a skill, but I don't know how many people think that. Taking feedback is a skill. [00:40:49] It's a practiced. Skill to know how to take feedback and. Extract or distill what's useful. Actually is a lot of confidence. And I come back to the same thing. Don't get me wrong. Of course there are days when I'm absolutely terrified. There are days. When I can't feel it, there are days when my confidence is not for whatever reason, you know, it, I'm not at all saying you disassociate. From your normal character. [00:41:20] And my normal character is I'm very, very confident in what I do. And I'm confident in my ability to learn stuff. I'm a quick learn. I can certainly do that. And I'm very good at the yes. And. But it doesn't change the insecurity. When you show an image and somebody doesn't like it, there's still that burning sensation. That you get when somebody points out something [00:41:44] , if you go to any art gallery, any and have a look at people, enjoying the pictures. Isn't it curious how some people will head towards one artist and others will head towards another artist. But they don't always like the same artists. And that's similar to photographers and feedback. So having the confidence to give feedback and take feedback is a thing. [00:42:06] Having the confidence to stand in front of a client and say, Genoa, I can take this picture. Don't worry. You're fine. Giving confidence to your client through those actions. Well, that's the thing I think. So these are your building blocks. [00:42:20] You've got energy. Optimism, enthusiasm and confidence. And I also think. You have sensitivity in there. You're going to have to leave that one with me. I thought of that while I was talking. Why does that happen? Why is it just as I think I've got my podcast nailed. I've got my things I want to talk about. During the actual recording. [00:42:38] I think of one item thought about. I think sensitivity might well be in there. If it is, I'll bring that up in another. Another podcast because having empathy and sympathy, when you're a portrait photographer, I don't know if that matters when you're out there doing landscaping, but this is the mastering portrait photography podcast. [00:42:56] And so I guess that's, pertinent. [00:43:00] So you need those things [00:43:02] . Of course, you also need practice. You need perseverance and hard work. You need creativity and your craft. They don't go away. But in my experience, Those things are built. . On your energy, your optimism, your enthusiasm, and your confidence without those. You'll do no work. You won't have what it takes to pick up your camera and develop and push forwards and change and evolve. And that's another thing, , having those four things. [00:43:31] I'm going to go back to the four. I think. Having those four things gives you what you need to be adaptable and pliable. It gives you what you need to develop and change. And trust me in this world. Particularly now AI has arrived on the scene. You're going to have to adapt and evolve to be competitive in this market. [00:43:51] Not just as a business. But visually too, because what's out there in terms of the visual arts is changing at a pace. We have never experienced. It's changing at a pace. When I did my PhD in AI 25 years ago, nearly 30 years ago. That could not have envisaged where we were going to end up. We talked about this stuff back then as a fantasy and here it is. You know, type a few key words into half a dozen of the different image generators. And just see what comes back, [00:44:22] Wrapping Up: A Look Ahead and Gratitude [00:44:22] but on that happy note, On that happiness. [00:44:24] I hope that's. I. I'm quite curious about this episode. I hope that's useful. I might write this one up as a, an actual article kind of thing. Uh, thank you for listening. To the end. Um, please do go across to PMI Gear. To Datacolor and to Elinchrom, all excellence suppliers of the stuff we use here at our studio. Uh, we stuff I use with enthusiasm, energy, optimism, and confidence. Now, it just sounds really corny. [00:44:50] I'm so sorry. Uh, but please do go ahead and look up the competition. Uh, it's a really cool one. I will be entering mostly because it gives me a chance. We've got someone coming in on Sunday. Uh, to, uh, create some, uh, very fogged work. Can't wait for that, but thank you for listening to the end of this podcast. [00:45:09] If you've enjoyed it, please do subscribe wherever it is. That, uh, you consume your podcasts. Thank you to the people that left us reviews last week. That's been quite a few. It's been really rather lovely. Um, if you do feel like leaving us a review, please, do we read them all wherever we can find them? [00:45:24] The most obvious place of course is iTunes. I represents about 60% of the world listening to podcasts at the moment. I believe anyway. Uh, so please leave us a review and a rating up there. If it's a review where you think I should change things, uh, then please do email me. Don't write that in a review. [00:45:42] Nobody wants to read that. No matter how confident I am, it stops me being optimistic. Uh, so please do email me. It's Paul at paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk dot co.uk. That's Paul. Uh, Paul Wilkinson photography.co.uk. Uh, also head across to the spiritual home of this podcast and mastering portrait photography podcast. [00:46:02] And of course that home is mastering portrait photography.com, where there's a whole heap of articles and ideas, all dedicated to the business, the craft, the art, the creativity, and well. Frankly, the enjoyment of portrait photography. We're about to hit that with some reorg. I talk about that in the coming weeks. [00:46:22] Um, and some new content, uh, we changed in the way that's all working while I'm in the process of putting together thoughts on how we're going to change that. Uh, hence the fact we're now filming videos, uh, on a more regular basis. It's all quite exciting. There's a ton of stuff going on. Hopefully I won't be asleep at my desk with too much of it because frankly that's a big waste of time. But until next time stay awake and whatever else. Be kind to yourself. [00:46:48] Take care.

Was haben wir für eine fantastische Woche gehabt! Zum 10. Jubiläum von Lightroom Mobile sind ganz viele wunderbare Menschen gekommen und haben mit uns gefeiert und eine sehr spezielle Aktion gemacht: Photo Shoot bei Mytholon mit allerlei wunderbarer Ausrüstung, Licht von Profoto, Unterstützung von Pierre Löhr als Wikingerexperte. Hach. Es hat SO viel Spaß gemacht!

Professional tree planting is back breaking piecework—a combination of high intensity sport and industrial labor that requires both technical finesse and remarkable physical and mental endurance. Using techniques more often associated with high-performance athletes, experienced planters (commonly known as high-ballers) leap up and down through uneven and debris-strewn terrain, armed only with a shovel and 30-kg bags of seedlings on their backs.   In recent years, tree planting has become a rite of passage among young Canadians not afraid of hard work and dirt under their fingernails. As seasonal work, it attracts many students from Canada's southern cities. Due to the brutal physical demands, most are under 30 years old. Out on the cut block inclement weather is common, and the swarms of biting insects are legendary.   Working in—rather than on—the land for months on end, and sharing an isolated camp site creates a solid bond among planters. This has molded into a subculture of sorts, which is the subject of today's show.   My guest for this episode is Canadian photographer and filmmaker Rita Leistner. Rita documents communities living in extreme conditions, typically investing months or years in a project. After spending a decade as a tree planter during her youth, Rita returned to the forest in 2016 to document a new generation. In 2021, she released her results as an Art Trifecta, featuring large fine art photographs, a 256-page photo book, and the documentary feature film “Forest for the Trees.”    Equally in her element in forests and war zones, Rita's photographs and her writings about photography, art, and war have been published, exhibited, and collected worldwide. She is represented by the Stephen Bulger Gallery for art, and by Green Planet Films for film.  If you haven't already listened, prior episodes of our podcast series Picturing World Cultures can be accessed at the links below: Wayne Quilliam discussing Australia's indigenous communities Kiana Hayeri reflecting on her work in Iran and Afghanistan Joshua Irwandi sheds light on his documentation of Indonesia's Asmat region Daniel Rosca describes the rustic landscape and old world traditions of rural Romania Guest: Rita Leistner Episode Timeline:   2:02: The backstory to Canadian tree planting as a business   5:21: Rita's interest in photography and her early days as a tree planter.   12:43: Comparisons and contrasts between Rita's early tree planting experiences and what she found when returning to the forest to document this subject.   18:21: A typical day in the life of a tree planter and the actual planting process   26:31: How Rita landed on her distinctive photographic style of capturing fast moving planters with a PhaseOne camera and Profoto lighting.   32:40: Rita talks about how the young planters responded to her sudden presence in the camp.   36:17: Rita's lighting set up with Profoto B1 lights and coordinating with an assistant to carry all the gear.   41:56: Episode Break   43:10: Rita talks about power consumption, batteries, generators, workflow, and more when working in remote locations.   45:03: Inclement weather, dirt, and bugs when shooting both stills and video footage out in the wilderness.   48:41: The lighting details behind Rita's enchanted forest nighttime images and timelapse footage.   53:38: How the work of tree planters is perceived by both the logging industry and environmentalists, and the effects this has on the planters themselves. 1:03:47: How Rita's Tree Planter project has affected her sense of Canadian identity.   1:06:04: Rita Leistner answers our PWC Visual Questionnaire.   Guest Bio: Rita Leistner is a Canadian photographer and filmmaker who creates portraits of communities living in extreme conditions, typically investing months or years in a project. After spending a decade of her formative years as a tree planter in the Canadian wilderness, she returned to this theme to document a new generation of planters from 2016 to 2019. In 2021, she released the project as an Art Trifecta, featuring fine art photographs, a 256-page monograph, and the 91-minute documentary film Forest for the Trees.   Additionally, Rita has been captured by insurgents, assaulted, and shot at, and she has run into gunfire to get a photograph. She has published four books of photography including Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq (2005), widely considered one of the most influential anti-war books to come out of the Iraq conflict. Rita's photographs and her writings about photography, art, and war have been published and exhibited worldwide, and are in major corporate and museum collections. From 2010 to 2016 she served as Associate Professor in the History of Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the University of Toronto. She is represented by the Stephen Bulger Gallery for art, and by Green Planet Films for film.    Stay Connected: Rita Leistner Website: http://ritaleistner.com/ Forest for the Trees Website: https://www.forestforthetreesdocumentary.com/ Rita Leistner Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ritaleistner/ Rita Leistner Twitter: https://twitter.com/ritaleistner/ Stephen Bulger Gallery Website: https://www.bulgergallery.com/artists/45-rita-leistner/overview/ Green Planet Films Website: https://greenplanetfilms.org/products/forest-for-the-trees?_pos=1&_sid=90a01a45d&_ss=r Canadian photographer Lorraine Gilbert: https://www.lorrainegilbert.com/

In this episode, I get to very briefly chat with Louis Wahl, CEO of WEX Photo Video. Turns out he is a really nice guy (and with luck, I'll get to chat to him in a full-length interview at some point in the future.) It's the great thing about the photography show - I get to meet loads of people! As well as the short chat, the episode is primarily a response to an email I received from 'Steve' asking what first strobe he should choose.  Having sat and pieced together an answer, I thought it would be useful to make a podcast out of the answer.  I guess you can be the judge of that! Cheers P. If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode. PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think! If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.    Transcript [00:00:00] My name is Lewis Wall, and I'm the CEO of Wexphoto Video. Okay. So maybe this needs just a little explanation at the photography show last week, which was a blast. I took my little handheld recorder and just grabbed a few people as I wanted ran the show. And I had a vision of creating one big podcast episode where multiple photographers could answer the same question. [00:00:25] Just questions about the industry, how they felt and why they were, where they're at the show. But when I played them back for a couple of reasons, I didn't think that that was going to work mostly. And you'll hear this in this little snippet. I get quite excited and an hour of that. Well, nobody needs that in their life. [00:00:42] So instead I'm going to sprinkle these little clips. Through some upcoming podcasts just for interest. And so you can hear the views. I have some really interesting people in our industry. [00:00:53] And I started with this guy. Now I bumped into him. And by accident. I was buying a memory card for the recorder. Actually. I needed additional memory card. And so I went and queued at warehouse express, WEX photo and video. Standing there quietly in the queue and the next chapter at the till waved his arm at me, I went over and while I was there, I noticed that it was Louis. It said on his badge CEO. Of WEX photo video. And do you know what I thought I chance, my arm and see if he would be willing to do a short interview. Well, you couldn't have met a nicer guy. And he was very willing to give me a few, a little bit of a viewpoint. And so we grabbed just five minutes and this is that interview. [00:01:33] And I start the conversation with why. Do you come to the photography show? This is where our customers are, uh, and they expect to get the service that we provide to them all the time in the stores, and we provide to them online, as well as our institutional customers, a lot of our professional customers, so, yeah, I mean, this has got to be the place to be. [00:01:52] Where else wouldn't you be at a time like this? This is a brilliant place for us to meet our customers. And, of course, I have to ask you, well, I guess it's an obvious question, but you're a supplier to this incredible industry. Why do you love the photography industry so much? Well, the one thing is that I don't come from a photographic background myself. [00:02:10] I actually come from a kind of a radio television production background. But it's all about the intrinsic desire that our customers have to accomplish something. There's an artistic need, so We've got a mission, which is to help our customers get the perfect shot every time and anytime. People come to us not to buy a black box with a camera in it. [00:02:31] They come to us because they've got a problem, and that's brilliant. So they've got a project, they've got a creative spark, they want to achieve something. And all of the people who work with us, they're all photographers as well. So they've all started with some kind of imaging or background, a creative background. [00:02:46] My last question, this is just a very short set of snippets, but my last question is if you could change just one thing about this beautiful industry of ours, what would it be? That's a tough one. I wouldn't necessarily say it was a perfect industry. I wouldn't say it was problematic. [00:03:02] It's, what would I change? I'd probably make it a bit easier for us to understand how people work. Product is flowing through from the developers, the people who are originally designing it all the way through the end user. 'cause that's often a very translucent, it's almost opaque, so you don't quite understand what's happening there. [00:03:21] Sometimes the big brands will tell you a little bit more about where their thinking is, how they want to develop their technology. But I think what happens is you get a lot of customers who they want to see that they actually wanna see that where, where the technology's going. Because again, they've got these objectives and often it. [00:03:37] You know, it's kind of cased in a little bit of secrecy. I kind of understand that. If you're developing technology, you want to protect it. You want to protect your intellectual property. But that's probably the only thing I would say that's a little bit problematic, yeah? I mean, we went through such a long period of difficulty in terms of production supply. [00:03:56] People were very difficult to find stuff. Um, we're kind of through that now. We can get pretty much what we need. Um, but, uh, you kind of feel this, probably me as not a terribly, um, technologically, uh, kind of genius sort of person. You kind of, well, where does it go next? And I think a lot of people kind of think in that way too. [00:04:15] They want to compete, they want to, they want to grow, they want to develop. So, yeah, I'd say that's probably one area. It's like, what does it look like? You know, what does the future look like? That's probably one question everybody's got. What does the future look like? It's funny, in the last episode I did, one of my laments was, I wish more of the kit was designed with the photographers that are going to use it in mind, as opposed to the guys developing it with their, you know, various bits of interfaces and the way the software, it's all software driven now, everything is software. [00:04:44] Um, and I wish there were more people who are photographers involved in the design phase. But listen, what an absolute pleasure, thank you both for your good service, I've just bought, A very small memory card from you, but over the years, I've spent many thousands with you, but thank you for it. It's my pleasure. [00:04:59] Thank you so much. So, like I said, you can hear me getting very excited, but what a thoroughly decent guy and of course, warehouse express WEX photo video. Is one of those bastions of the industry. It's huge. And it's ultra reliable. I've bought a ton of kit. From them over the years and I'm sure I will continue to do so. [00:05:19] And it was a real pleasure to meet Louis a genuinely nice guy. At least he was in the few minutes I got to chat to him. And hopefully I did leave with a seed that I'll go over and maybe get a chance to record a full length interview with him. Cause I think the insights. From some of our trade suppliers. Would be fascinating for all of us because they've seen the trends and they've got the data on it. [00:05:41] Whereas each of us. Our, in our little silos. So one after the other, I will introduce these little interviews into each of the upcoming podcasts. I'm Paul. And this is the mastering portrait photography podcast. [00:05:56] So hello. One and all, I hope you well on this, I see quite bright and sunny Sunday evening. It's not particularly warm, but at least for a moment, it isn't. raining yesterday, dance the showers quite a bit. It was a good day yesterday. I've had a good week, lots and lots going on. As you can imagine, we had a training workshop here on Monday, which was an absolute blast. [00:06:33] It was so much fun. We called it a mastering extraordinary to sorry, mastery can't even get my own titles right. Mastering Ordinary To Extraordinary Studio Photography, which is basically about shooting in reasonably confined spaces. [00:06:47] And the guys that came in the workshop with just brilliant. We laughed all day the models big shout out to Kinga and to Libby who were brilliant. The two guys who modeled for us and the whole thing about having a good time, enjoying being creative learning as we go Was just the whole, the whole workshop the whole day. It was fantastic. [00:07:09] So thank you to everyone who came. Also this week. I had two shoots yesterday. You forgive me for telling this story. It was that. It was a good day. Lovely clients, but I did that thing that I do so often, which is to get people's names muddled. And this is yet another one of those extreme examples. Sophie and Matt were the couple and Bertie was their dog. So as we're heading out into the garden to take some pictures in daylight, I'm just double checking their names. [00:07:38] I've got, my phone it's got the appointment on it. I'm just very quickly scanning it to make sure I've got everything I need. It's Sophie and Matt, Sophie and Matt, Sophie and Matt. I've literally, as I put my phone in my pocket. I turned to them and say, right, so Alice and Sam, what are we going to do? And the two of them just look at me. Are you absolutely out of your mind? And the minute they looked at me, I knew I'd got it wrong. [00:08:05] How, how, how can your brain ditch what you've just been reading. I mean, literally, as I said, it. It was seconds after I'd read it. The only name I remembered it was Bertie the dog. It was just, oh, come on. Anyway. Saturday was interesting in as much as, although we've had the alien crumb kit in now for a week or so, saturday was the first day when I've had two full shoots going at my normal pace. [00:08:34] But with all of this new equipment on the upside, let's talk about the upside. The light that they give off is beautiful. And I remember now why I originally chose Elinchrom and why, even when I was using Profoto kit, I would still put Elinchrom modifiers back in to the mix. The light we're getting is just beautiful. [00:08:55] And it, it seems to play really well in our studio. Now, every studio is different. Every photographer's tastes and color profiles, are different. For me, for what I do in the space. I do it, there was a proper magic in the studio and it was, it's hard to describe, but I actually felt quite emotional. That said none of the kids did what I expected to when I expected it. One light turned itself off, eventually found the off timer. [00:09:27] There's a little timer in the settings. So I turned the two backlights off cause I needed to turn the two back lights off, which is fine. But when I powdered them back up again, they wouldn't register on the controller. The controller would trigger them. But it wouldn't read them. [00:09:40] So I had no idea. I. I've got literally thousands of pounds worth of kit in the studio and I'm doing what I used to do, which is to walk up to them and turn the dials on the back. Talk about old school. Maybe just, maybe I need to spend the day with the manual because I'm sure none of this is to do with the kit. [00:10:00] It's all to do with the operator. Again, thank you for putting up with the sound quality on that interview. I've got a load of those coming. It was a lot of fun. To do it and a huge amount of fun, lots of questions, or the same questions to lots of people. And there are some really quite interesting insights in there, but today's podcast. [00:10:19] I was going to talk about something different, but I had this email. That came in during the week and it just simply says the following. [00:10:26] Hi, Paul. I have just listened to the latest podcast. Congratulations on becoming an Elinchrom ambassador. I enjoyed hearing the story of you buying your first strobe and how it has led to you becoming a brand ambassador all these years later. I am probably in a very similar situation to where you were in 2003 i.e. Just thinking of buying my first strobe and I wondered which light you would recommend now. I've been looking at the Godox AD200 as I'm on a limited budget, but we'd love to hear your thoughts. [00:10:57] So there you go. Nice email from Steve and in the process of sitting and tapping a pencil on my teeth as I do. I have actually emailed him back and so this is in some senses a transcript of that email, but I thought it'd be an interesting podcast too. Chew on why you choose the kit. You do. So obviously when I'm going back to someone who asks a question like that, and we get these kinds of questions all the time, what camera, what lighting, what software. In the end. You have to make these decisions and they're all arbitrary, but you live with them for quite a long time. [00:11:33] So how would I go about today, choosing my first strobe? So I have to caveat all of this conversation, as you now know. With the fact that as a brand ambassador for it puts me in an interesting position. Of course, I want to recommend nothing but 'Chroms. Why would I do anything else? But of course, That doesn't suit everybody. [00:11:57] The budgets don't suit everybody. And even in my bag, my camera bag right now. I have a Nikon SB800. I have two Godox V1's. And coincidentally, two Godox AD200's. Because they're small, they do their job. The SB800 is then there because occasionally I want to have on-camera flash. Nikon, well, it plays better with Nikon the than it does with Godox. [00:12:21] So I've got that in there. Um, permanently with it's AA batteries, for those moments when I want to do an on-camera flash very often a direct flash, old school photo journalist style. Whether I'm doing a wedding or without doing something a little bit more commercial either way, but it's a very versatile rig. [00:12:38] And I, at the moment, I don't have an answer to how I'm going to change that. To step a little bit more into line with the Elinchroms. Now don't get me wrong at all. It was a proper emotional moment when I fired up the 'Chroms. Uh, for the first time in an, in anger, I suppose, as the expression, for two paying clients, as opposed to doing junior workshop. We're in a workshop, you have time to think. [00:13:01] So I have time to reset. I have time, to adapt when I'm working with a client, of course, it's quick fire. I had a two year old and a four year old in in the afternoon. And I had a dog in the morning, the knee, none of these are patient. You don't have time. So actually working them was app was brilliant, even if I'll be honest, I haven't quite got my arms around it. [00:13:24] So to answer the question, the AD200 is a really good light. So instead of saying, here's what, here's the right answer. Here's the kit you want? I posed some questions and here's the question list I went back to Steve with for him to answer. [00:13:41] Firstly, and most importantly, what is your budget? And then add 25%, possibly 50%. cause no matter what you think you needed, you're going to need more, whether it's spare batteries, whether it's modifiers to put on the front, whether it's a bracket, that'll put it onto a normal light stand, whatever it may be. You're going to need to add that on the AD200's very good, they're a little bit fiddly. But they are exceptionally. Good for what they do. [00:14:04] And even if, and even, sorry, not with, when I'm out there using my Elinchroms, I am sure that the AD200's will never be far away for little bits of fill light or effects lighting, when I need it. [00:14:16] Do the triggers. This is an important one about studio lighting in particular off-camera flashlight ING. Do the triggers for that system feel right to you? All too often, the bit that is missing from any money fractures lineup is the trigger. They're, they're made, they do their job, but they're not user-friendly. [00:14:34] And I have to say, even after however many years I was using the Profoto. synchro Air TTL. It was never my favorite trigger. I get frustrated with Godox as well is nine times out of 10 when I'm using a strobe, I'm using it in the dark. So what's the one thing I want to be lit up. [00:14:51] It's the buttons on the triggers. I. I know what I'm doing is really, I don't get how for a device that by definition, I'm going to use when the light levels are low. It really is difficult to use in low light levels. I just, yeah, just one of those things and it comes back a little bit. To what Lewis was saying about having the designers of these systems a little bit more transparent. [00:15:14] I'd love to have more designers, more designer input. Sorry, more photographers input into the design processes of some of this kit. Because actually we use it. We know where its weaknesses are. We know what is frustrating when we're down there in the dirt. Trying to get things sorted. [00:15:30] Next question. [00:15:31] What adapters will you need to get a modifier onto the light or will you always use a bare head flash? I asked this because if you're using an AD200 nothing fits it until he put a modifier, a bracket on it that will take. Whether it's Elinchrom, whether it's Profoto, whether it's Godox themselves. Any S- type for instance, an S- type modifier on to the front, but you are going to have to buy some additional brackets. To make that possible. [00:15:59] Are you going to expand the system? [00:16:01] So Steve's email asked. W I'm buying or stated I'm buying my first strobe. What would you recommend? And part of the puzzle is what are you going to do in the future? Is this just one strobe, in which case an AD200 is perfectly fine. Is it going to be part of a set and will it all be the same style? They're big for speed lights, but they're little for strobes AD200's of, I don't know if you've seen them. They sort of look. Sort of rectangular, like, I dunno. Couple of bars of chocolate. taped together. They're not very big. They're very rectangular and they're very good. [00:16:37] But will you always stay with this manufacturer? Are you going to buy into their system? Will you have a Godox controller? And then you'll add Godox studio lights Godox led lights Godox, more Speedlights what are you going to do? Because if you're going to stick with a system. Start with the system that ultimately you want to use. [00:16:57] What modifiers ultimately do you want to use? [00:17:00] Will it be umbrellas or boxes? Are they readily available and affordable. Of course, anything that clips onto an S type adapter, that's the old Bowens adapter, is really relatively speaking available and it's going to be not too expensive, because the manufacturers like good docs and picks was it picks a pro and a few of the others. [00:17:20] They're all adult. Adapting and adopting the S type. And it means you get access to really good quality budget kit. To bolt onto the front. Or, you know, like me, are you fascinated with really beautiful light? And it's not that those modifies don't create beautiful light, but for me, just using a kit, I want to feel good about it. So I've stayed. I've had, I've stayed pretty much with Elinchrom, um, throughout, even though. I was using pro photo strobes. [00:17:47] I was still using my old Elinchrom modifiers because they just lovely. Um, Is it. An additional question who inspires you? Maybe that's an obtuse question. But it's not a bad shout to have a look around. Photographers whose work you really like. And then it doesn't take long to go through their social feeds and figure out what they use. [00:18:10] Because if there's a look you're trying to create, there's a lighting quality it's going to try and create. I mean, in the end, you'll form your own lighting, your own designs, your own style. And that's absolutely right. But more often than not, when you're starting out you're using ideas from other people, you're looking at social feeds, you're looking at websites, you're looking in magazines as much as magazines. It's still a thing. [00:18:35] And you, you, the curiosity is peaked when you see a picture, you really like, and you're thinking, okay, how did they do that? It's never a bad idea to have a look at the kit they've used. And for us here in the studio, for instance, I will constantly look at images and try and figure out what lighting they've used. [00:18:52] But of course then actually our studio isn't that big, so I have to figure out a way round that. The good news is if you can figure out a way around it, you can use pretty much any kit. The bad news is there are some things I can't do. There's some lighting patterns. I simply don't have the space typically overhead to be able to do. But either way go and have a look at the people you really, really admire and are inspired by and have a look at their kit and see if that's something that might feed in to the conversation. [00:19:21] This is one of those techie dweeby things, but what is the battery life? And are you going to exceed it? And by battery life, I don't mean it, the total lifespan of the battery, I mean, is it going to go flat at the moment you really want to take a photograph and as such. How much are the spare batteries. [00:19:38] Some of these manufacturers that, you know, in additional batteries, 500, 600, 700 quid. And it's fine if you've got the money. But. You know, maybe that's just too much. Or would you, for instance, if you're only going to work in a studio, will mains power do you? Now here at the studio, I've taken a view to move away from mains, but for no, not because I want to take the strobes out on location necessarily, but because we have children running around, we have dogs running around and having mains cables is not ideal. [00:20:10] My Profoto B1's We're brilliant for that could keep them out of the way the kids, the tripods are all weighted down. There's no cables. The only downside is if I use the modeling lights, batteries are going to go flat pretty quickly. So have a look at the batteries and what strategy you're going to have for keeping things charged up during a day of shooting. [00:20:29] And then the final one I think was do you need modeling lights? If you're like me a photographer that uses modeling lights as your guide, how are you going to do that with something like the AD200 and although the manufacturer Godox do claim that it has a modeling light on it, it's really small. [00:20:45] It's not going to do you an all flood a good it's. Okay. If you're in a really dark space. And you just need to see what you're doing. It does. Okay. But it's not great. In my opinion from that, but if you don't need it, then that's absolutely, brilliant. So it's instead of answering really for Steve. [00:21:03] I don't know what he was expecting: buy that one. that'll be fine. What could go wrong? [00:21:07] I've opposed yet more questions. But I think this is how you choose your kit. And this goes across all types of kit. These are the types of questions. You need to ask yourself. And for me, I think the really important ones, the fundamental one. Is what is your budget? [00:21:23] Because in the end, particularly if like me, you, when you're living from it, You have to show a return on that investment for every bit of kit you buy over its lifespan. What is your budget? [00:21:36] The next thing you have to ask yourself is going to, is it going to do the job? I need it to do. Because as always, there's a thousand ways of doing everything. And every manufacturer will tell you their way is the right way. [00:21:50] And every manufacturer is absolutely right. But what do you do? You got to pick one in the end. [00:21:56] And that's the final question. [00:22:00] Do you want to pick it up and do you want to use it? And that's the most important question of all when it comes to being creative. Because if you don't utterly love using the kit, it land. In a box and that is a proper waste of money. You have to buy the kit that you love and that makes you want to create images. That, that there's no getting around that because if you don't buy something that makes you smile and makes you want to pick up your camera and create a picture, then you'll never use it. [00:22:31] And that really is, a waste of money. [00:22:35] So on that happy note, this is a shorter episode. I'm hoping to go back to my weekly recordings, but we'll see how we go. So far so good. I hope the little interview snippet with Louis at the beginning, was interesting is only short, but I thought he had a really nice way about him and a really intriguing Viewpoint on the industry and it's always interesting to talk to these guys. [00:22:55] As a thank you for him being recorded. I'm giving warehouse express a free plug. There's no arrangement here at all. I buy stuff from them. Much as I buy it from other suppliers too, but I really, I really rate warehouse expresses customer service. I have had. I'm sure if you troll around, you'll find people with different stories. But the story I have is they've always been exceptional. They've always delivered on time. They've always been good value. They are one of those companies where their customer service is rock solid and their stock levels also a pretty high. So if you want it, you can get it and you're going to get it when they say it will arrive. [00:23:33] So you can't say much better than that. So on that happy note, thank you for listening. Thank you for getting into the end of this particular episode and as always, please do subscribe to the podcast, wherever it is that you get your podcasts. Please also leave us a review. Oh, I'm one of the main platforms. [00:23:50] We love it when we see ratings and reviews on iTunes, because of course it is the biggest platform for podcasts of them all but wherever it is that you listen to your podcasts, please do leave us a review. Of course, if you ever have any questions, just like Steve did, please drop me a line. [00:24:06] It's paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. That's paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. Um, I did mention the workshops we're running. We're ramping those up just at the moment, having a blast. It's so much fun. We've had the nicest models and more importantly, the nicest attendees on our workshops, they're very friendly. [00:24:28] They're very funny. We have a really, just a good time laughing and taking or laughing and creating beautiful images. If you fancy one of our workshops, please head over to Paul Wilkinson photography and look for the coaching section or just Google paul Wilkinson photography workshops and you will land on them. Without a shadow of a doubt and head over to masteringportraitphotography.com, the spiritual home of this podcast. Which has a ton of resources for portrait photographers, whether it's about the creativity. The artistry, the enjoyment or the business of this wonderful art. [00:25:02] And until next time when I should be presenting yet another snippet from the photography show. , thank you for listening and be kind to yourself. Take care.

Well, I'm back on the road with a microphone - but this time in my wife's nippy little Peugeot!     There are a so many aspects of customer service but one of them is how you explain what you're going to deliver and how you're going to do it and, given the stories in this episode, that is something that is very easy to get wrong!  Utlimately, clarity is king!   Cheers P. If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode. PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think! If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.  Full Transcript: EP148 - Clarity Is King [00:00:00] So for those of you with sharp ears, you may have noticed that that does not sound like my regular Land Rover biscuit tin on wheels, and you'd be absolutely right about that. I shall tell you the slightly sorry tale of what's happened to my Land Rover, uh, later in the podcast. In the meantime, I'm heading up to the photography show in Sarah's car, which is, frankly, as nippy as hell. [00:00:26] It's like driving a go kart. It's tiny, it's quick, it's a lot of fun to drive. It's not my Land Rover, but hey, I'm Paul, and this is the Mastering Portrait Photography Podcast. [00:00:40] So hello one and all, it is a very, very wet Sunday here in the UK. It's one of those, it's one of those days when I look around me And everything looks monochrome. You. You wouldn't be certain if this was an entry in a photographic , competition, I'd be accusing the author of putting a, a plugin on it that has sucked the color, sucked the life outta the scene. The sky is well gray, the road gray, the walls. The trees and hedges as I drive past them, sort of a grey green. Even, even the bright yellow markers on the roundabout signs that I've just driven past are not iridescent yellow. They're sort of a dull ochre. [00:01:44] Everything about today, except for my mood, is grey. And actually, it's been a little bit of a mixed month. Now, I know I said at the beginning of the year, and this, I said also at the beginning of the year, You never set yourself. New Year's Resolutions, because they're impossible to live up to, and if you want to do something, just set out about doing it, whatever time of the year it is, just set about doing it. [00:02:05] I set about doing a podcast a week, and then crunched into some of the busiest couple of weeks, I think, I can remember, which I'm now, well, sort of surfacing from. It hasn't, it's not exactly clear As in, the diary isn't clear, there's a lot going on but there are also chunks like today when I'm gonna spend the best part of three hours sitting in a car. [00:02:26] Now I know three hours, to my American and Australian friends, is like driving down to Starbucks for a coffee. For us in the UK, that is not an insignificant amount of time. So I'm going to record a podcast or two and then maybe over the coming weeks I'll get back into the rhythm of it and get these things rolling. [00:02:44] But there is so much going on story of the Land Rover so let's deal with some of the slightly sadder news over the last couple of weeks or last month or so. It started with an accident. Excellent couple of days up with the BIPP, that's the British Institute of Professional Photographers, or Professional Photography up in Preston, and then had a great meeting and spent a lovely evening with the guys for, with Martin and the guys there. [00:03:12] Discussing things like the monthly competition, how we're gonna, promote it. It's been very successful so far but of course, there's plenty more we could be doing. And then on The following day, went across to record a podcast, went across with a friend and a photographer, Sean Conboy, to meet a photographer who I had never met personally, but knew about, a guy called Stuart Clark. [00:03:35] Now, Stuart is 97, nearly 98 years old, and one of the sharpest, most interesting photographers I think I've had the privilege of meeting. We sat in his lounge and recorded, probably about an hour and a half, I have a conversation about photography, his life in it, his history in it, the things he has seen change, and when I say the things he's seen change, I mean fundamentally, you know, he started on glass plate cameras, and is now in the digital age, I mean that's in one lifetime how far it's come. [00:04:11] Almost in one set of stories we've gone from the origins of photography, maybe not quite, there's a little bit before that of course, I mean it started in the 1850s. But you know, almost the origins of photography as we know it through to today, and it's a fascinating interview, and as much as anything else, just listening to his voice on the microphone, I sat at the beginning of this interview and we popped a microphone in front of him and I put some headphones on, and as he spoke, it was the most breathtaking sound, he's quite quietly spoken, But the mic, and the room, and the ambience, and the stories he was telling, I mean, it was electric in my headphones. [00:04:51] I actually gave the headphones over to Sean so he could have a listen, simply because it was so beautiful. I'll cut that down, it's just a long interview, and I need to just figure out how I'm going to share that. But it was a wonderful thing. Wonderful thing. And at the end of it, took a few portraits of the man with He said, oh, I've got all my cameras. [00:05:09] We said, oh, get them out, get them out. And of course, he went looking for them and couldn't find them in the attic. I mean, Sean and myself, slightly terrified that we've sent this 97 year old into his roof space to see if he can find a camera. Anyway, he eventually returned with a Raleigh, a TLR. [00:05:25] Twinlens, Reflex, Rolleiflex. Beautiful camera, and so I've got some pictures of him with that, so a little bit of his history. Anyway, roll o'clock forwards to that evening, I leave Leeds head down the M1, which is the in the UK, for, again, my listeners around the world. It's the motorway that runs straight down the middle. [00:05:44] of the UK connecting the north to the south. It connects all the way up to pretty well, it goes up to Scotland pretty much and then drops straight into London. And I was heading down the M1 when suddenly, 70 miles an hour, I'm in the fast lane, they, there is, there wasn't really a bang, but you felt this kind of thunk, and then the engine's vibrating, I can smell oil, oh man, the smell, it's, if you've owned cars for a while, And you've had them go wrong, you just know, when you can smell oil like that, there is nothing but trouble. [00:06:19] Coming I planted my foot on the brake pedal and manoeuvred my way across a couple of lanes of reasonably fast moving traffic. Sort of slan slapped it into the hard shoulder as quickly as I could, because if you're running an engine, You can smell oil, it's vibrating, the last thing you wanna do is keep going because you are at that point destroying what is left of your engine. [00:06:45] So I lifted the bonnet to have a quick look, just to make sure there wasn't anything obvious. Sure enough, there is oil everywhere. Engine's not good. That's not going. So, luckily, I say luckily, this is, it's my life. I spend my life in a car. And we have recovery, RAC recovery. So I rang the RAC. [00:07:04] They said they'd be there within an hour because I'm on, I'm in live, I'm on the edge of live traffic. This is the, probably the busiest motorway in the UK and I'm sitting on a hard shoulder in the pouring rain by now. And I keep getting the updates and, you know, it's like, it says it's going to be an hour, then it's an hour and a half, then it's two hours. [00:07:21] It's, it's four degrees, which is pretty chilly. It's raining and sleeting. So I've, thinking, well, I don't really, and this is a lesson, I don't have any rain gear in a car. Luckily, I had a couple of blankets in there that we use for, if I want to sit people, if I'm doing a shoot somewhere out and about, I've got it in the back of the car, just in case I need to sit somebody down on the ground. [00:07:41] So I wrapped myself in a pair of picnic blankets, sat under one of our wedding umbrellas. Luckily I got some battery packs so I could keep my iPhone charged up and sat and watch Netflix. And of course I'm watching the arrival time of the RAC and it keeps creeping out and creeping out. And eventually this orange van arrives he takes one look at the car, sticks his head under the bonnet and says yeah, you've blown your engine, that's not going anywhere. [00:08:04] I can't tow you, he tells me, because the limit for towing a car as heavy as the Defender is one mile, and I'm six miles from the next available exit. So, he says the next, they'll send the recovery vehicle, proper recovery vehicle out, and I say, well, am I supposed just to sit here in the rain then? And he says, yep. [00:08:24] And so, for the next couple of hours, yet again, I'm out in the rain, I keep my phone charged up, keep watching Netflix. It turns out Netflix, I like watching Netflix anyway, it's always on in the background while I'm editing. It turns out it's quite a useful distraction, because by the time the recovery vehicle turned up to actually put it onto the flatbed, the guy looked at me and he just said, Simply, get in the cab, get warm. [00:08:47] I could barely move, my legs were shaking, I was beginning to get hypothermic. You stay out of the car for safety reasons, but I'm beginning to think it was more dangerous being not in the car than it was being in the car, which is an absolute nightmare. He had to open the door for me, my hands were so cold I could barely pull the handle. [00:09:04] I climbed into the cab, which turned out to be like a sauna, and sat and defrosted as he hitched up the car. and took me halfway home. Yeah, halfway. Because I was so far away, they couldn't drive me all the way back to home. So of course I'm in touch with Sarah, I've told her what's going on. They parked me at Northampton Services where they're going to send another recovery vehicle out for me. [00:09:27] And again, it says it's going to be an hour and a half. And I wait and I watch as the time increases, two hours, three hours, four hours. It's not clear, they never, they're never clear about how long it's going to take. And they, they deliberately obfuscate, I think, so that you can't say, well you said you'd turn up then. [00:09:44] They give you a range and then they keep telling you the range is creeping out. And, apart from the gas, I'm not the only person that needs recovering. And the driver did give me a. a heads up. He said to me as he left, he said, you might be a while because you're no longer in live traffic, so you're no longer in danger. [00:10:02] You're just sitting in a services. Now I would agree with him about the danger bit, but sitting in Northampton services at what were we now? Sort of midnight, 11 o'clock I think I arrived there. Maybe 10. 30 we arrived. And it's not a place you'd want to sit. There's nobody else around. Then luckily for me, I have a, you know, guilty pleasure in McDonald's and KFC and things. [00:10:23] Can't help myself, the smell of it. And I thought, I'll get myself a McDonald's. And so I got, I did, I got myself a burger. Some coffee and some chips, and sat chewing on those. And within two minutes of me buying it and getting it, I noticed that McDonald's had changed their sign. The big signs outside say that it's open 24 hours. [00:10:43] Big sign. McDonald's. 24 hours. Five minutes after I buy my burger, they put up signs that say, Sorry, only serving coffee. So that's not Open. That's not, that's a complete breach of contract as far as I'm concerned. They said they'd be, I'm thinking it's alright, I'll just get a burger and if I need one in a few hours I'll get another one. [00:11:02] Nope, none of that. I could get a coffee but couldn't get a burger in spite of the sign saying 24 hours. I'm gonna come back to this point because it's quite important for us as photography businesses. Anyway, I'm sitting there. The great and good of those that probably need a little bit of help from mental support and social services came and went, came and went, came and went. One or two drug deals were going on out in the car park. I don't know how, the police don't spot it. You can see it a mile away. So it's a fairly lonely thing. So I recorded a podcast. I recorded what was going to be this podcast. I got my recorder because it was in the car. [00:11:37] Obviously, I'd been recording with Stuart. And so I sat and I recorded a pretty, I think it was a pretty good, quite emotive podcast, I sat clutching my coffee because obviously that's now all that McDonald's was serving. It's fairly lonely except for the rantings of one chap who was telling me all about his relationship with the Queen. [00:11:57] I don't think he was very well, if I'm honest. I also don't think he was sober. So I recorded this, what I think was a rather excellent podcast, very Radio Four very radio documentary, you know, lots of background sounds and lots of life real life going on. And at the end of it, I sat back and thought to myself, that, that is going to be an excellent podcast, and I noticed that I hadn't hit the record button. [00:12:23] I was just so tired by now and a bit stressed. just forgot to do it. And so that was the end of that really, and I never, I didn't have the heart to do it again, even though I did have the time, because I was there for another couple of hours. I think in the end I waited there for four hours front to back. [00:12:39] Recovery vehicle, the phone rings, he says, I'm here, but where are you? And I look across six lanes of moving traffic, and he's on the other side of the motorway. Heading North. So, I'm heading South, so I have to direct him somewhere. Surely the guys have told you where I am, and they had, but not very well. [00:12:58] And he had to drive up to the next junction, turn around and come back and pick me up. And then, on it goes, and, and, we drop the car, I nominate to drop the car at our next stop. The guys that service it, my local, well it's not local, it's about 10 miles away, but the garage that services the Land Rover on a regular basis. [00:13:15] I dropped it in there lay by, switched on the immobiliser, locked it all up and Sarah picked me up and I got home at just about quarter past four in the morning. Now having left Leeds at about Two in the afternoon to get home at four in the morning was, well, a little bit heartbreaking. By now I was fairly fed up, fairly cold, incredibly tired, and I knew I had to wake up really early to let the guys know at the garage they've got a service to land over and also to get on with our day that was already in the diary. [00:13:49] So rang up the garage the next day, he didn't sound at all surprised. I'm glad to hear from me having spotted my Land Rover and he knows If the Land Rover's there, it needs something doing. And, obviously I got the engine, I went over, I got the engineer out to have a look at it, and even he rubbed his chin a bit. [00:14:05] And the only good news was there was still oil in the engine, which gives you hope. If there's oil in the engine, you haven't seized it. That's the good news. Anyway, 24 hours later, I get a ring from the engineer who says Found the problem, you've got a hole in Piston 2. Now, I don't, I'm not a mechanic, but I've been around engines all my life, and I know that if you hear the line, you've got a hole in Piston 2, you're in trouble. [00:14:33] And so it has proved to be, because to get a piston out to replace it, you have to take the entire engine apart. There's no getting away from it. The engine has to basically be dismantled, almost certainly taken out and put back in. Or in a Land Rover, they can actually lift the bodywork and service the engine on the chassis, but it depends what they're doing. [00:14:53] On this, I haven't asked the guys, I haven't been back to get it yet, and this is three weeks ago. So, So he explained to me that if an injector is maladjusted and is running a little bit rich, the additional heat from the fuel burns a hole through the aluminium. And I said, well, should I have done something? [00:15:08] And he said, no, there's no way of knowing. It's just not something that you could detect. And it's something that used to go wrong a lot. He hasn't seen it for a while with the later engines, but this one, he said, we used to see this quite a bit. For the past three weeks, they have been replacing the hole or replacing the pixel. [00:15:22] Piston with the hole in it in my Land Rover. I got a phone call yesterday, Saturday, but unfortunately I was in a shoot, and this is how the phone call went. He said, We've road tested your Land Rover. It's ready to drive. You can come and pick it up, but please bring your piggy bank with you. I kid you not, he used the phrase, bring Piggybank with you. [00:15:43] So I couldn't pick it up yesterday, can't pick it up today, can't pick it up tomorrow because I'm running a workshop, so I'll go over on Tuesday. I still don't know how much it is because the garage hasn't told me, in spite of me asking because it's a labour led cost. So the parts have been 1000 plus VAT, I know that much. [00:16:01] The labour is 75 an hour and I reckon, he reckoned it was 4 5 days work. So I know I'm in it for quite a large amount of outlay. Unplanned, bad time of year. I've got to find, who knows, anywhere between four and seven thousand pounds, who knows. So again, no clarity. Something I'm gonna come back to. [00:16:27] However, rest of the week, not so bad. And Another story. I think about podcasts, right? I could just tell you the facts, but it wouldn't be that much fun to listen to. Well, I don't think it would be fun to listen to. I wouldn't listen to it. 20 years ago, and I only know this because I picked up the light that I still have and looked at the Flash Center's service and and Quality Assurance sticker on it, and the light I bought second hand was serviced by the Flash Centre in 2003. [00:17:00] There's a sticker on it, and I remember going to the Flash Centre in London, scratching my chin, and I can't remember the guy's name, he's still in the industry, he doesn't work with the Flash Centre anymore and I, he said, can I help? And I said, yes, I want my first strobe, please. He said, I said, I'm happy to buy second hand, I don't know whether this is something I'm gonna do, but Would you recommend? [00:17:20] And we looked at the shelves, and, and, if you've ever been to the Flash Centre in London, it was brilliant. It wasn't a posh shop. It was, in some ways, it was like the drum shops I used to go to when I was a working musician, and it's just got racks and racks and racks of stuff. You know, there'd be a posh rack somewhere with all of the new bits and pieces from then, Bowens and Elinchrom, but then there'd be sort of, you know, Shelves and cupboards with interesting little bits of second hand kit and cabling and softboxes and umbrellas And it was brilliant and I was like toy a kid in a sweet shop And he said I think this would do you and he lifted off the shelf a second hand Elinchrom 500 so that's an Elinchrom 500 as this is a A strobe but it's got the old school analog sliders on it. [00:18:09] There were two sliders, one that controlled the strobe power, and one that controlled the power to the modeling light. And if you wanted them to stay the same, you move the sliders together. The slider's been designed to be close together, so you move them up and down, which, to me, having worked on audio mixing desks for concerts in the music industry, was absolutely brilliant. [00:18:32] Perfect. It was absolutely brilliant because I knew, it felt completely natural. Now, of course, one of the things was you never had the same Bower twice. It was already a second hand light when I bought it, and not a new one. So, whenever you set the lights in the studio, you had to reset your aperture to suit. [00:18:51] Because the things, it didn't matter. It didn't matter that you put a mark against the sliding scale. The sliders were so worn that lighting power would go up and down all the time. But it was metal cased. It's got a fan. It was quite loud. It's quite loud. And I bought that light. I. I bought a big tripod and I bought an Octabox, a six foot Octabox. [00:19:14] That was the three things I bought. A tripod, an Elecrom 500, an Elecrom tripod, Elecrom six foot Octa. Took it home and for the next year or two, practiced lighting. It wasn't part of our business for quite a long time because I never really had the space to do it. At that time I didn't have a studio. [00:19:34] I just knew that was the road we were going to go down, or I thought I might go down. But I didn't understand studio lighting, and so I needed time to get my shit together. So, I used to practice, I bought a polystyrene head, so there's a shop in London called the London Graphic Centre, which sell stuff. They sell art pens and graphics and it's two glorious floors of anything you can think of to be creative. It's absolutely fantastic. And in there, for some reason, they sold polystyrene heads. I don't know what they're for. You know, if they were in a hat shop, I'd understand it. If they were in a wig shop, I'd understand it. [00:20:14] In a graphics shop? I've no idea. What do you do? Sit with your pen in your hand looking at a fictitious head going, What do you think of this? Having a conversation with Polybeads, and I don't know. Anyway, I bought one. It was like three pounds or something. Carved out the eyes like something from a CSI episode. [00:20:31] I got a penknife, carved out the eyes, got a couple of big glass marbles, and shoved them in. I mean, it was quite macabre, but if ever, I'm found out to be a psychopathic, sociopathic, you know, mass murderer. Everyone will go back to this head and say, Well, we could see it then. Look what he did to the eyes. [00:20:49] But I popped those in because what I wanted to understand was how I move light around, what happened to the face, And what happened to the reflections in these glass marbles? It was just a very simple way of me being able to, without having models, because I didn't have a reputation back then, I didn't have a client base back then, I didn't have a steady stream of people that would come to the house to be photographed, but I needed to understand it. [00:21:15] So this polystyrene head, with its macabre eyeballs, was my go to. I stuck it, I skewered it, like Queen Elizabeth would have done. And off with the head, I said! I skewered it on a pole of some description and stuck it in the middle of the room. And, that's how I learned to light. It was all with this Elinchrom 500, the, the, this brilliant bit of light, and I still own it. [00:21:40] I still have it, it's still in the attic, unfortunately the tube was blown, you can actually see that there's black in there. The rest of it I'm sure still works so if I actually sent it back for a replacement tube, I could probably get it working again. I don't know that I will maybe I will, maybe I will, because the footnote to this story is that last week, Elinchrom asked me if I would be an ambassador. [00:22:03] for them. Now, this comes off the back of a conversation where I'd looked at the Elinchrom lighting at the London the Society's Convention of Photographers in London, and got chatting to the guys, Simon Burfoot and the, and the guys, uh, at Elinchrom, people I've known for quite a long time. He used to work at the Flash Sensor, he's now looking after Elinchrom, so I got to chatting to him about the lights had a look over the product, had a look at what they're producing, both in terms of the technology, in terms of the roadmap in terms of the light that these things produce, and the light has the same quality that I remember with my Elinchrom 500. [00:22:38] Now the thing is, if you look at the cover of the box, Book, Mastering Portrait Photography. That was shot in a study in somebody's house with my very first light. It was shot with my Elinchrom 500, my 6 foot Octa, which was wedged in because the ceiling was only just 6 foot, so we had to wedge this thing in on its tripod in their room with some black velvet behind. [00:23:01] Pinned to the curtain rail, and it's still, to this day, one of my favourite ever shots. And, when you go to Elinchrom, one of the things I've always loved about them is the colour accuracy of the tube. Now, every time you ignite um, Xenon in a tube, it gives off a very particular light. For all sorts of reasons with the, to do with the design of the circuitry and the light, getting that right is really important. [00:23:26] And Elinchrom have always had this really beautifully consistent quality of light out of the units. Now I moved away from Elinchrom about six, seven years ago, I think to Profoto for the simple reason that And maybe it's a bit longer, but for the simple reason that when I went looking for a battery powered, rather than a mains powered monoblock. [00:23:48] Now a monoblock strobe is simply when everything is in the head, as opposed to a battery pack and the small flying heads. I didn't want that. I wanted something that was self contained. I wanted something with a battery. I wanted something with no cabling. And so when I went to Elinchrom at that time, they didn't do anything. [00:24:04] I think even now I have eight Elinchrom lights up in the attic. And I had to retire them because I went over to ProPhoto who produced the B1. The B1 is an excellent light. It's brilliant. There's, you know, it did everything and has done everything that I would ask of a light over the years. Beautiful kit, beautiful lighting, beautiful modifiers. [00:24:26] They're having said that I've kept all of my Elinchrom soft boxes because the Rotalux system is the best in the world and I still prefer it to my Profoto stuff. But nonetheless, you know, there's no doubting the quality of the Profoto units, and there's no doubting that I've created some images that I really like with it, But I've never felt the same nostalgia as I have with Elinchrom. And so when Elinchrom showed me their kit at the convention, it's you know what, I would absolutely love, love to switch back. It's about time that I thought about it. And so I asked the guys if I could get a price on a full rig of kit, switch over to Elinchrom and it went a little bit quiet if I'm honest. [00:25:12] I'd sent the email, I'd listed out what I wanted and then I got a quick message saying was I around the other morning, could they pop into the studio and come and see us, and Simon and Mark from Elinchrom popped into the studio, had a look around, and during that conversation asked if I would be an ambassador for Elinchrom. So for the first time in quite a long time I got a little bit emotional about kit. I do get attached to kit. Even though the Profoto stuff is brilliant, I've never felt that way about that. But with Elinchrom, it was that first light. It was that first moment that I learned to read and and understand Studio Lighting. [00:25:54] And to be asked to be an ambassador is, it has a couple of angles on it. I mean, the first and most important is that what an honor, you know, this is a lighting company who I have so much of an emotional connection with, and here I am 20 years after buying my very first secondhand light, here I am as an ambassador for them. [00:26:17] So I'm quite emotional about that. But also the kit is so. Phenomenal. There's something about the way it works, the way it operates. It feels like photographers designed it for photographers. So, I'm very happy. They've lent me some kit at the moment. Now, I have a bit of a challenge tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'm running a workshop. [00:26:35] It's a workshop. All around, using studio lighting of various types in small spaces. Because if you go out into location, you very often end up in a boardroom or a kitchen. Well, the other day we ended up in a storeroom for computer equipment. It was quite bizarre where we were working. And you have to very quickly read the room, figure out what you're gonna do, and create something. [00:26:59] Magical from it. So, that's what we're doing tomorrow. And of course, it's premised on using my strobes. Now, understandably and I suppose predictably, Elinchrom are not that keen that I continue to use Profoto kit, my Profoto lighting for my workshops. So at 9. 30 tomorrow morning on the day of workshop, I am expecting a delivery of a whole load of Elinchrom kit that I'm going to actually then use for the training day. [00:27:33] Interesting, huh? It's a good job that not only did I learn to use light, but I'm really quick to get my head round the technology. Now they did leave me the other day with an Elinchrom 5 and an Elinchrom 3. And fortunately I have a trigger. I have a dedicated Elinchrom trigger anyway. Bye! From some Rotolight kit, which also uses, thankfully Elinchrom radio telemetry. [00:28:00] So, I've got the, I've got the Elinchrom trigger. Now, as an aside, here's a little bit of detail, right? This is just a bit of detail. It doesn't, it has no bearing on anything, really. My Profoto dedicated Nikon trigger. The something or else, something or else. Is it AirTTL, TTL, TTL? Unit. If I leave the batteries in it, it goes flat in about 10 days, even if it's switched off. [00:28:25] I pulled the Elinchrom trigger out of its box, having not used it as a trigger in probably three years, forgot that I'd left the batteries in there, which is a dreadful thing to do, never leave batteries in kit when you store it, but I had, so I hit the power button thinking, oh, that's not gonna work. Nope, fired up instantly. [00:28:43] There is a joy when you're When someone designs kit properly, there is a joy in it. This Elinchrom trigger has had those batteries in it for as long as I can remember. I can't remember the last time I used it as a trigger, and it fired up instantly. I know for a fact my Profoto unit would have been dead in 10 days. [00:29:02] And as designers of kit, this is a plea to everybody who designs for our beautiful industry. It's for good. Goodness sake, think this stuff through properly. You know, if you're going to turn something off, it shouldn't be draining enough current to flat a pair of AAA's in 10 days. It just shouldn't. [00:29:21] Because many of us don't pick up our triggers in those kinds of time frames. Many of us would just be out, you know, location photographers that use the strobes intermittently. So think about that. Think about how, um, The kit is going to be used in design. Even the circuitry has to be designed in a way that makes sense. [00:29:40] You know, Elinchrom, this unit, it's been in its box. It's still boxed. It's been in its box for a few years. Powered it up because I'd forgotten to take the batteries out. Nope, quite happy. Right, where do I go? Downloaded the new firmware because it's so old that It doesn't actually know about or didn't know about 3. [00:29:57] They weren't on its list of recognized Elenchrom lighting. Connected it up, and off it went. Just genius. That's I'm sorry though, that is an aside. Anyway, tomorrow morning, tomorrow morning, I've got a handful of delegates we've got a room full of people, a couple of models, and some lights that I have never ever seen. [00:30:13] ever used in anger. It's going to be an exciting day. Other good news this week so that's, I mean that is my good news this week, but other good news this week is that I finally managed to get our broadband account sorted out. We live in funny times my broadband contract had come up a little while ago with BT. [00:30:32] Um, I've got both the house and the studio are on the same contract because primarily we use it. all of the bandwidth for when I'm working, and I like to be able to work from home a lot. And we're paying, I don't know, I think nearly, I think we're paying 300 quid a month for the two. So I'd rung BT a couple of weeks ago and said, right, it's time to renew because I'm out of contract. [00:30:53] I will stay with BT although there are other providers in the village now, their reputation is awful, so I can't build my business on that. And while BT might be a little bit dull. They're also the most reliable. This is British Telecom. It used to be British Telecom. Isn't it interesting how a brand evolves to be known as BT? [00:31:12] But it has to have such a long history. You know, if you say BA, we know we're talking about British Airways. If you say BT, you know you're talking about British Telecom. You know, I've no idea in any more what ICI Stands for, we know what it does though. Interesting to see if the BIPP, the BIP, or the British Institute of Professional Photography can evolve the same way. [00:31:33] Time will tell. Anyway, BT, so I rang them up spent the best part of half a day on the phone because you have to. I'm sorry, we're experiencing a very high volume of calls at the moment. Your call is important, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Yeah, right. There's only, there's one call handler, but I have no idea, but there's certainly not enough. [00:31:52] So anyway, I got through a long conversation, got both contracts more or less nailed, or the one contract with both lines more or less nailed, and our bill came down by two thirds. My speed went up, I'm on a digital line, my bill came down. You have to think, maybe I was being stitched before, or maybe I built a bad contract before, but anyway, that was half a day well spent. [00:32:15] So, and it's, I mean, it's like, you know, it's 300 quid a month, or was. It's now for the two lines, 100 quid a month and I've got gigabit down, 100 megabit up, and life is pretty good. But the delivery cycle of it, I've no idea. I mean, I get random boxes, I get random texts from DHL, or FedEx, or Royal Mail, as to what's going to arrive when, it's I couldn't make head nor tail of it. [00:32:39] Sarah said, when are they connecting us? Well, I've got this date, Monday the 11th. Okay, Monday the 11th, that's brilliant. Monday the 11th, that's when they're going to connect everything up. Monday the 11th. Right, are we sure about that? Yeah, Monday the 11th, I've got an email here. Monday the 11th. F Thursday, before that, what's that, 11th, 10th, 9th, 8th, so Thursday the 7th, I get I walk into the office 10 o'clock, and Michelle says, phone line's dead, and I'm like, can't be dead. [00:33:05] Why would it be dead? I look at the hub for the broadband, the broadband's working okay, but no telephone, and they say, oh, you are kidding me. They've switched it over four days early. Now, I'd had some text saying the engineer was working on our line, and the engineer had completed his work, but at no time, at no time, did it tell me which of the two lines were being affected and what they'd done. [00:33:30] So I rock up on Thursday to find no telephone. Now, again, fortunately, we'd had the digital phones arrive. They were in their boxes, but I hadn't set anything up yet because I had been told it was all going to happen on Monday the 11th of March. Have I got those dates right? Yeah, I'm sure it's Monday the 11th of March. [00:33:49] Monday whichever day it was, only the Monday of March. And, so I'm very frantic, because at this point, anybody that rings us up isn't going to get through. I didn't know even if we had voicemail because I got, none of it is done as far as I'm concerned. So we rattly, a bit of a rattly morning as I sort of ripped out the old phones, put in these new digital lines, logged in, set it all up, got admin rights, because of course it's basically VoIP is nothing more than Zoom without pictures. [00:34:18] So. And I got all of that set up and all of it is now working, but it got me thinking, and here we go. This is the point of this bit of this podcast. Now, I don't know whether the second half of the podcast is gonna be the second half of this podcast as I drive back from the photography show or whether I'm gonna release that as an entirely self-contained episode. [00:34:39] I guess it depends how much news I find at the photography show. But let's assume. This is a self-contained driving to the NEC Podcast, and it's done. This is the point of this podcast. I've told you three stories, okay? I've told you about the RAC, I've told you about the garage, and I've told you about British Telecom. [00:34:59] All of these have been suppliers that I would say on the whole, I rate pretty highly, the RAC. They've got me out of a pretty horrible situation. I pay money for that. By the way. It's not like they're, they're definitely not a charity. It's not the NHS, but. They rescued me when I needed it. Admittedly, they weren't clear about when and how, and it took quite a long time, but I'd have been in a lot of trouble if I couldn't have got off that motorway, and the car was undriveable. [00:35:26] Our garage. I know they fixed it because they always fixed it. But I do wish they'd be clear. I do wish they'd tell me how much, to the best of their knowledge, it's going to cost me. I don't like obfuscation. I don't like not knowing how long it's going to take. They've had the car for three weeks to do a week's worth of work. [00:35:44] Again, I know they've had to order parts. In a sense, I'm an experienced buyer. And then there's BT, who They told me certain things and then did them in a different order on different dates and put me into a flat spin when they disconnected the phone line to my business. All of these are quite important. [00:36:04] It's about clarity. It's about being clear with your client. It's about When you say you're going to do something, you do it. Now there is a theory about under promising and over delivering. So being, having things connected early, in theory, should be a good thing. But it's only a good thing if your client's ready for it and their new phone's ready. [00:36:25] If they're not, what you've basically done is disable part of their business for part of a day. Clarity is really important. For me, even now, I go back through the BT, various texts and emails, and even I After the event, couldn't tell you exactly what was supposed to happen, and the order. I still have some stuff to do, I still have to send some kit back, but, because I've got these two lines into two different buildings being contracted at the same time, none of the emails make sense, because they send both emails, or rather they send emails for both lines, on the same contract number. [00:37:02] It's never clear exactly what is going on. It's not clear. that some kit is going to work and some kit is not going to work. It's not clear quite what should have happened. And that can't be a good thing. That can't be a good thing when I'm sitting here telling you about three suppliers who I rate actually pretty highly. [00:37:21] I've chosen them through years of experience, I've picked them out of the crowd, and I've decided who I'm going to use. Are they all working now? Well, as far as I know, they are. RAC rescued me, the garage has rung me to say the car is ready, and I have Absolutely electric connectivity in our building or buildings, but the confusion is unnecessary. [00:37:43] The confusion, had that confusion happened in the sales process, I don't know whether I would have bought. It didn't happen in the sales process, it happened in the fulfillment side. So the sales guys, they got it nailed. When I bought my RAC, Membership, I don't know how many years ago. The guy was utterly convincing. [00:38:05] When I bought my BT contract, the guys were utterly convincing and of course when I go to the garage, well, the first time I went to the garage, I went reputationally because somebody else had recommended them. I bought instantly because they were They were utterly convincing. The problem happens in the fulfilment stages. [00:38:27] And as such, I think we need to keep an eye on that. We need to be very clear to our clients, exactly what it is that we're going to do, and when we're going to do it. I was doing a wedding pitch yesterday. And I had to be, and I've, I mean I've well practiced at it, I've done it a long time. I say to them, okay, here's the process. [00:38:45] I actually talk them through the fulfillment process. We talk loads about the wedding, but then I go through to the fulfillment process, and I suspect occasionally I lose a gig because of it, because maybe it sounds just a little bit too boring. Precise. I don't know. But, I said to the client yesterday, who are buying with us, by the way, you come to the studio two to three weeks after your wedding. [00:39:10] That gives you enough time to have a short honeymoon. If it needs to be longer, or you want it shorter, we can do that. Two to three weeks, you're gonna come, you're gonna have lunch. During that meeting, we are gonna show you a slideshow. We're gonna melt your hearts. I do say this. We're gonna say, I'm gonna soften your wallet, [00:39:27] We are gonna make life very difficult for you to say no to any pictures. Then we're gonna bring up those pictures and we're gonna, we are gonna help you choose the pictures that are going to go in your album. It's a lovely process, but it's not an easy process, so we're going to give you some lunch. [00:39:42] It'll take a few hours. At the end of that, you're going to pay for the extra images you put in your album. I'd say that a little bit softer, but that's what I'm saying. You're going to settle up with us as to the images that are going to go into your album, on top of the ones you've already paid for as part of your initial contract. [00:40:00] Then, We're going to give you a USB that has watermarked images of everything we've shown you, and the slideshow of the, uh, that we showed you in that reveal. We license the music, by the way, with the MCPS, so you can have any music you like. So, you let us know what music you like. That's what your slideshow will be set to. [00:40:19] It'll be on a USB. At the end of the meeting, when you've settled up with us, that's what you take away with you. The next morning, we start working on that design. Within a week, maybe two, depending on what's going on in the studio, we will send you a PDF that shows that design. You have a look at it and decide whether you like it or not, or if there's anything you'd like to change. [00:40:40] And the things we're looking for from you are A. Do you like the design? And B. Is there anything in any of the images that needs additional retouching? Fire exit signs, those kinds of things. When you eventually sign off the design, and you can go backwards and forwards as much as you like, by the way, because the most important thing is that you love your album more than anything else in the world. [00:41:02] You're going to have that for the rest of your lives together. You must love it. You make as many changes as you want. Yes, okay, by iteration number seven or eight, we might be rolling our eyes at you. But we will still do it, and we will get it perfect for you. When you're happy, you sign that off. We will do two things. [00:41:20] Firstly, we will order your album and any copy albums you need. I don't say it like this, I'm saying it really clearly because I'm driving a car at 70 mile an hour and I'm trying to make this clear. But nonetheless, this is the process, right? Uh, I say we will order that album and any additional copies you'd like. [00:41:35] Eight weeks after that, as a maximum, you will have your album in your hands. The actual order time, by the way, is shorter than this, but we always say, 8 weeks, because then I'm under promising and over delivering. You will also receive a link online that has a link to the finished images. The edits that we've done for you without the watermarks, because part of what we do is any image a client puts in their album, we will give them a digital copy of that as part of the contract. [00:42:06] We charge quite a lot of money for this, so it's fine that they can have the files, but we only release the finished files. When the album design is signed off. Why do I do it that way? Well, it gives me a couple of things. Firstly, it gives me a lever to pull when people are saying, Can I have a file? And I say, Yeah, as soon as you sign off your album. [00:42:23] The second thing is, The only hi res files that go out are fully retouched and finished. There's no danger that an artist Unretouched image can end up in a big frame on someone's wall. So that's why we do it that way. And I'm really clear about that fulfillment process to the client. Now, I think there's other bits of our business where we're not so clear and I'm figuring out those areas and trying to work out and make sure that everything we do is super, super clear because the experience I've had with three suppliers who genuinely, I rate, genuinely. [00:42:58] I'm happy to pay for their services. I think it's been a little bit muddled and a little bit muddy. And that, well, that can never be a good. Do you know what? I'm going to round this podcast off there and I'm going to make the journey away from the photography show another edition which I might release at a later date because that gives me extra content, right? [00:43:20] For those of you, for those of you who are part of our workshop community, we released a new challenge last night. So we, inside, anyone that's been on our workshops, you get invited into a secret and private Facebook group. The only way you can get in there is by being on one of our workshops because that is creating a super concentrated little audience, a little community rather. [00:43:42] of like minded people who can ask questions in a way that is safe, a way that is positive, and you get feedback from others in there. It's a really nice community. On top of that, people like Simon and Mark from Elinchrom are inside the group, so that if you have any specific questions about flash photography not only will you get answers from people who run the group companies based around this kit. [00:44:06] Of course they're going to bias their answers towards Elinchrom, but hey, I'm an ambassador for them. So what else would you expect me to say? Likewise Jeremy and Miranda and the team from Neal and the team from Graphistudio are in there. So if you have any questions about albums and those kind of things, it's just a really nice place to be. [00:44:21] But we run these image challenges. The current challenge which I released last night is the one chair challenge. Take a subject, take one chair, just one chair, and pop a photograph into the community. And then at the end of the month, I have a run through them, pick out my favourite, do a video critique, and set a new challenge. [00:44:41] And we did this one because the article is featured in Professional Photo Magazine this month from us. We do an article every month, but this particular one is of Lucy in a chair, and it's just a simple shot of a teenager. Just looking super cool in what is my Nan's old throne, old armchair. So that's that community thing. [00:45:02] Workshops, if anyone's interested in any of our workshops, just Google Paul Wilkinson Photography Workshops. You will find them they'll pop up in Google and And then you can see what's going on at the moment. The tomorrow's workshop is all about small spaces and it wasn't, but it now is about how to use Elinchrom lighting in small spaces. [00:45:21] We'll see quite how that adventure goes, so to wrap up, let's overtake this tanker in tons of spray. Thank you for listening to this podcast. It's kept me entertained for at least half of my journey up to Birmingham. If you have any questions, please do email paul@ paulwilkinsonphotography.co.Uk. I've had a couple of really nice emails in the past few weeks. Apologies. I know I've been a little bit slow in getting back to everybody, but it really has been a . a tiny bit, a tiny bit crazy at the studio but also head across to masteringportraitphotography. com which has a heap of stuff all around this beautiful skill of ours or topic of ours the joy, the creativity and the business of portrait photography. [00:46:08] Head over to masteringportraitphotography. com and do please subscribe. Hit that subscribe button. I don't know how you're listening to this right now, but I'll lay you a bet there's a subscribe button there somewhere. Subscribe to the podcast and then it just arrives. You know, you didn't even know you were going to listen to me today, and there you are. [00:46:26] Forty minutes later, whatever it is, I've no idea how long I've been driving and talking forty minutes later, you are sitting thinking, Well, that was worthwhile! Do you know what? I'm really glad I hit that subscribe button. Also, if you get a chance, leave us a review. [00:46:39] If it's a nice review, stick it somewhere public. If it's not such a nice review, email it to me, and then we can make changes to make things better, which is a constant process of evolution. Me and Darwin, well, we'd be great mates. And whatever else, as I head my way north, be kind to yourself. Take care.

Episode 431 of the Lens Shark Photography Podcast In This Episode If you subscribe to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast, please take a moment to rate and review us to help make it easier for others to discover the show. Sponsors: - Build Your Legacy with Fujifilm - Shop with the legends at RobertsCamera.com, and unload your gear with UsedPhotoPro.com - More mostly 20% OFF codes at LensShark.com/deals. Stories: Nikon talks about its passion.  (#) Profoto's new softboxes. (#) Sigma considers jumping into medium format lenses. (#) Venus Optics' Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D FF. (#) Pentax's new film camera is nearly here. (#) Viltrox's AF 27mm f/1.2 Pro. (#)   Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the Lens Shark Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram Vero, and Facebook (all @LensShark).

So we're kicking off 2024 with a slightly random podcast from the cab of my Land Rover (thank you Craig from New Zealand for telling me he quite likes the rawness - pretty much gave me permission to once again strap on my Madonna-esque headset mic and ad-lib my way through the first episode of the year!) This episode is a blend of a summary of 2023 and some ideas for 2024.  If anyone is curious, the lighting I mention is the Aputure LS60x and LS60d (tunable, focussable LED spotlights), the Aputure Accent B7c and the Phottix TR200R RGB Tube Lights.  All brilliant. The Superclass and Masterclass we will be running at the Societies Convention 2024 can be found at https://thesocieties.net/convention/speakers/paul-wilkinson/ and we would love to see you there - either at the workshops or just for a well-deserved pint! Finally, all of our workshops at our studio can be found at https://www.paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk/photography-workshops-and-training/  Enjoy! Cheers P. If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode. PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think! If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk.  Full Transcript: [00:00:00] I wasn't intending to do too many more podcasts on the Land Rover. Um, however, However a nice guy called Craig from New Zealand emailed me over the Christmas period to say how much he enjoyed the podcast, how much he enjoyed Mastering Portrait Photography the website, and most importantly, at least from the perspective of this particular episode. How much he liked the ones from the Land Rover. To use his words, they feel a little bit more raw, and I don't know what that means. Whether it means unscripted, or whether the sounds of a rattling Land Rover as I travel from point A to point B is somehow an interesting soundbed. I've no idea, he doesn't elaborate. However, thanks Craig partly because it's always nice to know that what you're doing doesn't just disappear into the ether, and I think as photographers we would All appreciate that sensation but also that even when I'm recording things literally in the last few minutes I have between jobs, because that's all the [00:01:00] time I'm managing to find, then even those episodes have their value. So one way or another. A very happy new year. Please forgive the sound quality. I'm Paul, and this is the Mastering Portrait Photography Podcast.  Do you know one of the things you're meant to do as a sound engineer if you're recording for either, I guess, a podcast or radio or for video, is to record a sound bed, to record the ambient noise. So, forgive me while I record little bits like this. Yes, just, I suppose in theory it should be silence, but in a Land Rover nothing is silent. But I'm going to need lots of little bits of the audio if I have to do any corrections. I'm off to another shoot. I'm working with the Hearing Dogs [00:02:00] today, just a few miles down the road, in the UK, a typically average journey, I suppose, half an hour or so. Uh, half an hour out, half an hour back. If you live in the US, that's literally like tripping over your own doorstep because it's a journey under two hours. But here in the UK, we're used to slightly shorter journeys. The year has already got off to a ridiculous start. Uh, I actually thought, and every year I think this, that December will quieten down, I'll have a great break over Christmas, January will be quiet until it ramps up. And actually all that happens is I tear through the whole of the holiday period at a hundred miles an hour, hoping I can get a breather. December was really busy, which was good. 2023 however wasn't the year that I'd like to relive. It hasn't been a bad year, but we've had to fight every inch of the way. Nothing has ever landed in our lap. Both Sarah and I and Michelle. are grafters, [00:03:00] all of us work, and work hard for our living. But, last year really was a little bit of a brutal year. Um, just felt like the atmosphere out there in the marketplace wasn't everything it could have been. Um, we've got very, or have had, very high inflation in the UK, certainly for this country. Now, if you're listening to us in Venezuela or somewhere, possibly not quite the same thing. But with inflation rates kicking up, uh, touching out somewhere near 10 percent and then obviously hikes in interest rates by the Bank of England to bring that back down, essentially what you've got is the perfect storm for people like us who work in the service sector, because our costs of production have gone up in line with inflation. At the same time, the costs of living for our clients have gone up by the same amount, and so the battle for us to be one of their priority spends is that little bit more tricky. However, we've [00:04:00] done it, we had a really good year in the end, but like I said, we have fought tooth and nail, uh, to do it, and I think that's the making of a business. I've said over the years, and I think it's probably out there on a podcast, I'd be surprised if it wasn't, that being a successful business when things are going well is actually really easy. There's not an awful lot to it. You do your job, you create what you create, you sell it, you move on to the next one. Don't get me wrong, I know it's much more nuanced than that, I live this world. But broadly speaking, when things are going right, this job isn't that hard. It's when things are tough, that they show your real character. So, I've spoken about customer service, it's when it goes wrong, really, that you show the true Skillset, the true worth in everything that you do. When things are a little bit tougher, that's when you have to dig deep. It's when you have to show what you are made of. And we've done that over the past 12 months, and we ended December with some beautiful shoots, some lovely clients, [00:05:00] one or two unexpected sales that came in from jobs that I guess there was at least one that I had mothballed, to the point of it being in the archive when the orders eventually came in. Didn't expect to hear from them, hadn't heard from them in 18 months. So for a business like ours, where we are very much about a personal service, it's in person sales, it's an in-person experience, it's about memories, it's about laughter, it's about feeling valued. Wherever possible, we do not do remote sales. I don't do remote sales for precisely the reason that it's taken 18 months for one of our clients to come back and order their pictures. And that's in spite of us doing all the usual stuff, we've emailed them, we've called them. Not to be, not to hassle them. Just to see if there's anything we can do to help. But the problem with non in person sales, online sales is of course. You have very few levers you can pull, and there's not a lot you can do. You can [00:06:00] say you're going to take the album down, which we did. In fact, the album was dormant for probably two thirds of that time. We'd just changed the password so that no one could log in. But of course, when they emailed and said, Oh, I've just noticed I can't log in, we opened it back up. So it's not a real lever, it's just A way of us knowing that they're looking at the album again. And the order came through, and it was a beautiful order. So it's great. It's a proper Christmas bonus. Unexpected. Out of the blue. Beautiful album. Beautiful Graphistudio album. Beautiful frames. Big frames. And the whole thing, in the end, closed out at a really nice value sale.  So there's a lesson in there somewhere, which is, you know, don't ever write anything off. And we don't write anything off. I didn't know what the title of this podcast would be. Maybe that's what it should be. It's, you know, don't write any job off. But actually, this is one of those unscripted podcasts where I haven't really got a clue exactly what it was I was going to talk about. So I have this kind of list of things in my head, but who knows whether I'll get to the bottom of [00:07:00] it. Uh, on this year, on the title or on the topic of it being a New Year, of course everybody sits down and makes their list of New Year's resolutions, which actually I don't. I've never been a believer, and I think, I thought that's what the title of this podcast was going to be. I've never been a believer in New Year's resolutions. I don't know why, I just think if you want to do something, do it. Make, make every day the opportunity for a resolution. That's not to say that I'm really good at doing that. That's not to say that every time I've thought, you know what, I'm going to make that happen this year. I'm going to lose three stone and get fit, for instance. You know, doesn't happen. I'm going to stop drinking, doesn't happen. I'm going to become a vegetarian like my daughter, doesn't happen. There are plenty of things that I'd like to do that just Do you know what? They haven't happened. But Equally, I don't wait till New Year to change the big stuff. But, and there is a but, is that New Year does mark a [00:08:00] natural transition, certainly when it comes to reporting your successes as a photography business. We actually don't report our profits December to December. our accounting period is September to September. But we do Internally, track it in standard calendar years. Why? Well, actually because for social photographers there is a natural hiatus around about the end of December. People will have rollover jobs, we will very often have jobs in the diary. In the gap between Christmas and New Year simply because they book in for those. So it's not a perfectly clean break where , it stops, it starts. But there's definitely a feeling in the marketplace that, oh, let's wait till next year. If somebody rings us and says, I want to do a shoot for my family, and if it's any time around November, the chances are they're gonna say, oh, do you know what, let's push that into next year. Let's see what next year brings. There's a lot of that. And so it's [00:09:00] good for us to have a data point that I can compare year on year, decade, on decade these days, . And of course, covid sort of flung that up in the air, uh, three or two and a bit years of not really being able to rely on anything.  Our data is absolutely shot: the trajectories, the averages, our historical patterns have somewhat collapsed. We are getting back, I'll be honest about that, things are beginning to look a little bit more familiar, the end of last year, or the bulk of last year, it was definitely starting to feel that way. However, things that we are looking forward to doing, so some of this stuff kicked off last year, and some of it is things we're gonna do this year. So last year was a big sort of step up in us building our workshops and our workshop community. Lots to do on that front, we're not by any means in the position we are with our photography. Photography was a solid vision [00:10:00] for us. We can take a picture, we've worked out that the quality was good, we have fab suppliers, we have solid workflows, efficient practices, we knew our way around the marketing. Over a few years we built the business reasonably sure footedly. Obviously, we've tripped over some things like all businesses do. Not gonna say for a minute we got it all perfect. But it was something we could get our arms around and could understand. And the minute I knew we had a good product then I knew we could build a business around it. And I knew we had a good product because I've been taking pictures since I was a kid. I've been creating images and portraits since I was 10 years old, so I knew I could take a picture in the end, ignoring the whole kind of self confidence or insecurity bits and the imposter syndromes and all of the rest of the stuff we talk about all the time. I knew I could take a picture.  Training courses and workshops are slightly different. I still know I can take a picture, but whether or not we could run good workshops, whether or not we could supply great materials, [00:11:00] these were questions that we still had in our heads.   So, for instance, one of the things I was curious about was whether it would be a good idea to set the context of each workshop with a little presentation. I'm, I'm not a fan. When I go on a training course, I really, really, really want to see or want to understand how the person giving a workshop does what they do. Whatever it's in, whether it's marketing, sales, Photoshopping 3D, visuals. Customer relationships, I don't know, many, many different aspects to this business. But if I want to go and learn from someone, I want them to hit the road sorry, hit, yeah, no, hit the road quick and get into the nitty gritty. I'm not a big fan of spending hours in a preamble. However, one of the things I did pick up on is that you do need to be organized in your approach. And whether I like it or not, and whether I'm comfortable with it or not, I'm not that guy. I'm not the guy that thinks in a linear fashion. I can [00:12:00] when I have to. You know, I spent 10 years working as a manager in IT. Trust me, I can when I have to. But that's not my natural skill set. I'm not linear. And I can, if I could see Sarah's face when she listens to this podcast, she'd be like, yeah, no shit, Sherlock. You are not linear. Because Sarah's very organized, very drilled, very Put together, and I'm so not those things. I wish I was, sometimes, but out of the same chaos comes the imagery and the ideas that we have. So, I can't turn it off. I don't want to turn it off. If anything, being slightly chaotic is my superpower, because it brings ideas, and it brings energy, and it brings drive. But, equally, it brings inconsistency. It brings me being really easily distracted. Distracted by breathing, you know? It's just ridiculous. So, some of the things we did last year were to [00:13:00] try and see if there are ways in which I can help myself and help the delegates on our workshops not suffer at the hands of my own chaos. And one of them is we do a quick presentation, half an hour, forty minutes. If I get that right, of course that becomes a piece of collateral that we can send out to you if you come on one of our workshops. It becomes a series of ideas and diagrams that maybe I can use for training videos. It becomes some words that maybe I can re craft into maybe a podcast or for when I'm writing with NPhoto magazine or whether I'm writing for Professional Photographer. So these are just parts of the puzzle. And we got that together last year and the feedback we're getting from our workshops is just phenomenal. It's absolutely brilliant that people have come on it. They seem to enjoy it. They come back. So to all of those people who are multiple offenders, thank you. It's so lovely to see you all. It feels [00:14:00] like we're beginning to build a little community. So now I know I've got the product right or we're in the, we're going in the right direction with the product. Now we can really start to focus on it. Forgive the pun. We can really start to drive that home just like we did with the core photography business. And that's the target of this year. Mostly is to drive the training. Drive The platforms, the videos, all of the stuff that goes around that. The podcast is a big part of that. But finding the time when I'm on my own To sit and record is or has proven tricky over the past month or two. So, Christmas and New Year were lovely. I digress here a little bit, but there's a slight point to it. Christmas and New Year were lovely. So, we stopped, we shut the studio down. Day before or two days before Christmas Eve I went shopping with my boy to do some mop up. Spent a really, just had a really lovely day the day before Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve onwards up until, really up [00:15:00] until New Year's Day was spent with family and friends. And I really do mean pretty much every waking minute was with people I love. And now I'm an extrovert. In theory, as an extrovert, every one of those moments with family and friends is a moment to recharge. It's a moment for me to really feel energised. Yeah, that's, that's an extravert I love being around people. But I tell you what, when I got to New Year's Day, all I really wanted to do was just find myself in a dark room. And switch the social side of my brain off and do something much less much less social I suppose is the only word I can think of. I've had a couple of days of that and I'm beginning to get myself back together. And then, uh, last or two nights ago straight back out photographing the Christmas party for the Le Manoir chefs. And the staff, [00:16:00] which is riotous. Now those guys, Le Manoir is two Michelin starred hotel and restaurant, or restaurant with rooms, I think is how they like to call it. It's an amazing place, beautiful food, voted one of the top hotels in the world. It's in the top 50 every year, I think it was in the top 10 this year. Absolutely phenomenal place, and they work hours that make mine look kind of shabby, I think. They work long hours, it's hard graft, they love it, they're brilliant. But when you're thrown into their Christmas party, they don't half let off a little bit of steam, and it is great. So it was really nice to have a couple of quieter days, and then the Christmas party at La Manoire with my friends who are chefs, front of house gardeners, housekeeping you name it, the management team, marketing, sales, the HR team who asked me to do it. They're just brilliant, and I've come away from it buzzing and energized all over again. So I cannot wait for the year. [00:17:00] And on that, we are building the workshops up.  On that note, we have a couple actually, I'm going to be at the convention, the Societies of Photographers convention in January, I'm hoping there's some structure to this podcast by the way I'm gonna have to finish in about 5 to 10 minutes because I'll arrive at my client and I'll pick it up again, but I'll let you bet I'll repeat a bit because I won't remember where I got to, and I don't want to have to spend hours in edit, I don't have time to spend hours in the edit, so this is gonna be one of those podcasts That is pretty raw, it's gonna come out of the recording unit as it is, and it's gonna go straight out. As you're hearing it, I don't think there'll have been very much editing except to stick in some music underneath it, and just to check the sound quality's alright. So, forgive me for that. But it's gonna be well I'm at the convention, 17th, I'm at the whole of the convention, but I'm doing two workshops, I'm doing a super class on the 17th. And a Masterclass on the 18th. The Superclass you have to book in advance. I think there's one place left. That's all. If anybody fancies [00:18:00] it, head over to the Society's Convention and look for the Superclasses. We're gonna spend the whole of that three, three and a half hours. Creating headshots and personal branding images. I've never met the couple who are my models. I'm looking forward to meeting them. They sound really cool. But we're going to explore lighting, how you interact. We're going to talk about whatever people want to talk about. Whether it's the marketing side of it, whether it's the business side of it. Whether it's how you tell a story through the photos. It's whether, how you weave the story of the shoot. Because I think that's an underrepresented part of social photography is how you thread your way in a meaningful fashion through the shoots. That's the superclass. That's on the 17th.  On the 18th, I'm doing a masterclass, you don't need to book for that, but I'd love to see you. It's free if you have a ticket to the event. Come along and we're going to be talking about specifically ten lighting patterns. I'm going to put together ten easy lighting patterns that you can replicate. One of the things I'm acutely aware of is, [00:19:00] I find much of taking a portrait second nature to me. I do it Automatically, I can see light, I can feel it, I can almost smell it out. anD I, I don't know why or how that should be, but it is. So when I'm positioning lights, I know exactly what I'm doing, because I'm simply looking at what's in front of me. But, I've had to critique a few images some people have been on a workshop, some people have simply have asked me for some mentoring, and reading light, it turns out, is not the most natural thing in the world, and I, I assumed it was. So I've clearly misunderstood some aspects of what, how we can teach this, so part of the Masterclass really, or part of the idea behind the Masterclass really, is to see if we can nail down ten lighting patterns with two lights, so we use one light, we'll use two lights, we'll create some drama, we'll create some theatre, we'll create some very basic stuff, [00:20:00] But the idea is we're going to hand over some real examples done live in front of the audience as to how you can do this with basic equipment. We're going to do it in a normal room. It's just one of the meeting rooms in a hotel. We're going to do it with normal kit. I will have two lights I will, I think, have a pop up backdrop, which I'll bring in, just so I've got a plain backdrop, because I can't guarantee it. And we're going to go through some of the ideas. And that's kind of where we're taking all of our workshops now, is to give our delegates things they can take away with them. Proper, right, okay, if you do this, that will work. One of the things I've always fought against, the reason we haven't really gone down that road up until now, is I've Rebelled a lot against people telling me how I should do it. And I never ever, still don't, want to be the guy that says this is how you should do it. And I try really hard to remember at the beginning of every workshop, every presentation I [00:21:00] ever do. I did one the other day, we did a webinar, and I started by telling everybody on it. It's very personal to me. My eyes, my clients, my lights, my camera, my style. All of it is about me and what I like. It might not work for everybody. So I can give you insights into the thought process and this is what I thought we would do. We'll give insights, we'll give ideas, we'll give inspiration, we'll energize. And all of that works. But the problem is if you don't understand the fundamentals or can't read it like some photographers can, then it becomes slightly trickier. So the masterclass, the second of the two classes, the masterclass at the convention on the 18th of January, it's gonna be much to do with that. So if you're round the convention, you're a loose end. I think it's 11 till one 30 on the 18th. So it's a mid-morning slot. You'll finish your breakfast, you'll have had a couple of cups of coffee. You'll be thinking, what the hell am I gonna do today? Why not stick your head in and come and have a play?[00:22:00]  So that's what we're going to do. And at that stage, I'm going to break off here now, because as I turn this left hand bend on a very wet road. Here we go. I'm just going to arrive at my client, which is great. I'm photographing for the Hearing Dogs this afternoon. I'm photographing a re a recipient, so a partnership, a hearing dog and a a deaf person whose story is both heartbreaking and inspirational in equal measure. So I'm looking forward to that. It's going to be a lovely shoot. I will pick up again when I've broken off and let you know how that went. and finish off this podcast. Once again. Craig, thank you very much for telling me that I can, if I wish to record podcasts in the car,  So just to pick up where I left off, just come to the end of a lovely shoot. Sorry, also weaving, or trying to weave through traffic in a very small Buckinghamshire town. Wilmslow, it turns out, is full of tiny little [00:23:00] streets. Many of which I'm navigating a large Land Rover through. It's not easy and speaking at the same time. Apparently, it turns out, I can just about walk and chew gum at the same time, but cannot talk and drive a Land Rover at the same time. too: must be two different bits of my brain. Okay. And a nice person's let me out, and another person has refused to let me out. And there's a motorbike, and I've just landed into school traffic. In Bucks, which means that no one's paying attention at all to anyone except their own journey home and trying to get back for our, I'm assuming, a cup of tea and to get the kids a sandwich. Where are we? So yes, I just finished a really beautiful shoot with a really lovely person who she lost her hearing. Well, she had an illness, went into a coma, came out of the coma, and discovered that she had lost her hearing, one heck of a shock. And so she now has a Hearing Dog, but she's profoundly [00:24:00] deaf, has absolutely no hearing at all. And the hearing dog provides all of the support that she needs. So if the doorbell goes, the phone goes. Smoke alarms, obviously. Every minutiae of life that we take for granted, the hearing dog supports them. A hearing dog. A beautiful spaniel. I'm not going to give any names away, because that's not my place to. But an absolutely wonderful shoot. And I read in the notes that she wasn't particularly keen on being photographed. Not someone who's used to being photographed, not someone who enjoys being photographed. And you read these notes and I would say 80 percent of my clients sit in that bracket. Um, there are days, there are days when I wake up and wished everybody I photographed really, really, really wanted to be photographed. Models and the like. Because man, wouldn't that be just glorious? Really easy too. It'd be wonderful that every person in [00:25:00] front of the camera wanted to show off, and they just loved it, and they were confident, and knew how beautiful they were. But that's just not my world. So the lady, really super smart lawyer didn't really want to be, well my note said that she didn't really feel comfortable being photographed, but it turns out, uh, She could not have been lovelier. Did I just say that right? Lovelier, lovelier. She could not have I'm concentrating on driving. Lovelier. And the shoot has just been absolutely beautiful. The dog was stunning. The light has been really nice. We're under a rain warning at the moment. We're about to get some really heavy rain, but it held off long enough that we've done the whole shoot in the dry. Well, in the dry, but not on the dry. Everywhere. I don't know what it's like where you are around the world, but in Britain, just at the moment, we've had back to back rainstorms of one sort or another. Some of them big enough to be given names. And we've got another tranche of it coming in in about an hour. Oh, half an hour, about half an hour. [00:26:00] I don't know why that matters. I'm one of those people that have to suddenly get to detail. I don't know why. I apologize. Anyway, it's been a brilliant afternoon, and it's these kinds of shoots that remind me why I do what I do. Because just having people like the lady I've just photographed in front of the camera who full of energy, and smart, and laughter. She can hear nothing. Everything is being done through lip reading, which is, for me, is not I mean, I'm used to working around the deaf community, but I'm one of those people that spends a lot of time looking to the sides to see where the next shot's coming from. So, mid sentence, I'll suddenly find myself looking away. And, until working with the Hearing Dogs For Deaf People, I didn't even know I did it. And, of course, it becomes a profound challenge that I need to concentrate and I've spent the afternoon concentrating on making sure no matter who I'm talking to or what I'm thinking for the next shot I must always [00:27:00] have eye contact with the person, the hearing dog recipient because They're relying on seeing my lip movements to be able to understand what's going on. And it, you become acutely aware of it. but equally, she said, it's really bad when people try to talk slowly because that changes her understanding of the words. Because she's lip, because she's lip reading, if you speak slowly, actually that makes it harder to understand the wording. So all in all something I need to continue to work on and get better at. At least I'm aware of it, and I try, I try pretty hard, but the photos we've got are absolutely beautiful. So where were we, where were we? Oh, I think we'd come to a bit, some of that training, I've no idea, I told you I'd lose track. podcast part two, I'm Paul, and this is still the Mastering Portrait Photography Podcast. As I wind my way through the lanes. Other things that are happening in the studio. Obviously we're working on the setup of our training and our workshops. I'm about to re [00:28:00] platform all of our websites onto a new platform. Not quite sure which one it's going to be just yet.  But one of the challenges I guess all of us have is our web presence is really important, and so I built all my own websites built it all on WordPress. So all hosted it's all currently hosted on Siteground but over the years, a combination of price walking, which simply means every year it's got more and more expensive. You can get a good deal to start with, but gradually, I mean, we pay now. For two, the two main of our websites, I think the basic hosting is about 1200 quid a year for the two. And on top of that are all the little plug ins that we've had to buy and put in to run things like the shop, to run things like the automated side of it, the emails, to do certain things like display the images the way I want them. All of these bits of software are licensed. [00:29:00] Which is fine, but if you added all of that in to get in as well, rather, I think you get up into the region of sort of 1, 500 quid a year, 1, 600 pounds a year, somewhere around there for the two websites. Now that's fine, we're a big business. We work really hard at what we do, and we can justify paying properly, and paying, well pay our licenses anyway, but we can justify all of the expense of the website simply because it's a part of our turnover.  However, what irks me is firstly how difficult it is to keep on top of all of the updates of all of the component bits of software and also just how expensive it is when it doesn't need to be. It's not about the fact that I have to invest in it, it's about the fact that I don't think I need to do, I need to invest the time and the finances to the level we are. So I'm hunting around at the moment. I think I know what we're gonna do, and I think I know how I'm gonna do it. It'll take time, which is [00:30:00] something I don't have a lot of, but it's still got to be done. But if I can get all of the websites into one place, simplify them down, they don't need to be as comp, I'm really proud of our websites, but they do not need to be as complicated as they have evolved to be. And it's not that I set out to make them complicated, or I set out to do stuff that's particularly difficult. It's just that, year on year on year, as you add functionality, as you try to do new things, as you get on top of SEO, and structuring, and then keeping a track of 301s and 404s, and then you've got to have, like, an SEO tool to help you make sure your SEO's alright. And then you've got albums and portfolio bits of kit. You've got sliders. Oh man, there's so many bits of software. All of which is necessary to do what I have in my head. So what I've got to do first is figure out what's the bare minimum I can get away with. And then secondly, re platform all of that. So the websites will still be [00:31:00] beautiful. But if I can get it all under one roof, it'll be much easier to manage. And I don't have the time, to manage everything anymore, I simply don't. So that's, that's on the list for this year. And the other thing we're gonna do this year, or I've already started doing, is gradually pushing more into continuous lighting and away from strobes. Now, this is one which I don't yet know quite where the journey's gonna take me, but the foray that we've had into it so far has been incredibly rewarding. LED technology now with high CRI LEDs is at the standard where the quality is nearly as good as strobes. It's not, I still love the light you get off a Zenon strobe. There's something really beautiful about the quality of light, and of course, massively punchy. You get a huge amount of light, [00:32:00] a huge amount of kick. out of pretty much any strobe compared to an LED. If you had LEDs as bright as the strobe, as bright as the instantaneous flash of a strobe, people wouldn't be able to see. It's, you know, so bright, there's so much energy in that tiny fraction of a second, that, I don't know, thousandths of a second of light burst. But working with LED makes it easier to do video and you really can see What you're gonna get. And my logic is a very simple one. If it's good enough for the film industry, and the TV industry, Netflix and the like, then it's good enough for photography. Yes, alright, there are some things I'm gonna have to learn how to do differently. But I love doing that anyway. I'm a quick learner on most things. And so, I'm really excited about it. We've started I bought I've got a couple of Aputure Lightstorm Focusable, so these have got focusing lenses on the front focusable spots, and [00:33:00] they've got the old Bowens S type mounts on them, so we can mount pretty much anything. I use Profoto strobes in the studio but I've got these Aperture Lightstorm tunable lights, which are absolutely phenomenal. Really bright when you want them to be. If you turn them right down, they'll last for hours on a single charge. Also I've got a couple of, they were just cheap. I was working in the flash centre doing judging for the BIPP. And it was the flash centre in Birmingham were hosting us. And they had these light strips, just light rods. LED, Phottix. I think they were 40 quid each. I mean, they're really pennies. You know, a tank of fuel in this Land Rover is about 80 quid, so for the price of a tank of fuel, I can get two highly tunable, full spectrum lights that will do any color on the color wheel. As well as doing normal presets. They also do some clever things with, you can make, turn them into police lights and all the rest of it. They're quite cool. [00:34:00] So I got those working in the studio, but one of the challenges when you're working with Available light is the camera is going to capture everything it sees. With strobes, I don't worry about the lighting in the studio because the strobe overpowers it. Doesn't really matter. But with LED, you have to get the lighting, the whole lighting, exactly as you want it. And it caught us out a little bit when we were recording a video recently, and the video is simply too dark because I've lit my subject perfectly. But I haven't lit the rest of the studio because it never really occurred to me, and I need to do it, and it's fine. Everything's okay, and certainly the subject looks incredible, but when you look at the footage of me talking to camera, for instance, I'm in the gloom somewhere. And although we tried to sort it out a little bit, we haven't quite got there. So I've now retrofitted all of the lighting in the studio, so all of our normal overheads, office lighting if you like, in the studio, with, again, made by Aputure. They are, I can't, I think they're called [00:35:00] B7Cs or BL7Cs, which are, they look like a fat light bulb with an Edison screw thread, so they'll fit pretty much any light fitting from 100 volts up to about 250 volts. You screw them into a light fitting, and in normal mode, they just behave like normal light bulbs, except that you can hook them up to the same app I use for the Aputure Lightstorms, and you can control them completely from the phone. So I can control how strong they are. I can also control, again, like the Phottix, light sticks, I can control exactly what color they are. So these things, they're only about 50 quid each, but they are fully tunable. Any color I like and some special effects, if ever I did video that needed to feature, I don't know, police, car or fireworks or firelight, , it does all of those, that's of almost no interest to me. It's quite a cool thing to do, but. Not really for what I do. But I can control their light to be any colour [00:36:00] temperature and any power. On top of that, if you unscrew the light, it becomes a battery powered light. It simply can sit in someone's hand, or you can put it into any light fitting, even if it's not plugged in, and it will work exactly the same. It doesn't really make any difference. It'll last for about seven hours off the battery. These are really cool. So, we've started to experiment. A little way to go. I need some slightly, some LED panels. I've got a couple of bits. I do have some LED panels, but they're slightly older and the high CRI on the newer LEDs, you can really see the difference when you're illuminating skin. But it's a whole new adventure and it does change the way you shoot. So at the moment when I'm shooting, particularly when I'm doing headshots, I'll use, I'll do some with strobes because you get that glorious, clean light. With really deep depths of field. And obviously, ProPhoto units that modifies everything is absolutely stunning. So that's not something I'm gonna [00:37:00] completely get rid of anytime soon because I'm addicted to the quality of the light. But in the second half of the shoot, or maybe for certain shots, I'll bring out some LED lighting, maybe with a soft box or maybe LED, the strips and. You then get this beautiful thing where you can have much shallower depths of field. So, and total control, you can see exactly how the light's going to play. You can change the colours of the lights as if I was gelling the strobes, but it's so much easier. Literally, I can just dial it in to the app and change the colour of the lights. It's opening up new avenues to explore where we can play with colour because it's quicker. We can play with really shallow depths of field. I'm unlikely to ever be able to light, a family easily, because the power you'd need to get the depth of field you need, at least with the ISOs that we're still using at the moment, is possibly a bit too bright. But, [00:38:00] ISOs are becoming normal. The party I shot for the hotel I shot nearly all of it. Our ISO 10,000, ISO 10 K. That's just ridiculous in terms of sensitivity. But I wanted to capture the colors of the party. I wanted to capture the candlelight. I wanted to capture the sort of fairy lights and effects lights that the events company had put on. I wanted all of that, and I didn't wanna bounce, flash in and kill it. I did, obviously, when they're doing their awards. I used a flash gun. I used a, a speedlight on the camera because. Me being creative with the lighting is really not part of that puzzle. They need to be well lit, they need to be clear, they want to be able to celebrate the awards they've won. But, when it comes to the event side of it, the party side of it, I shot nearly all of it at ISO 10, 000 and then simply ran it through, for this particular run, I ran it through Adobe Lightroom, the AI noise reducer. I didn't turn the noise [00:39:00] reduction up very much, 20%? Tiny. But it has a really profound quality to it now. So you can run at ISO 10, 000 and still get pretty clean images. You lose a little bit of detail, it can get a little bit mushy. But it's a 50 megapixel camera, the Z9. And these pictures are not going to be used anywhere bigger, I'm going to guess, than 7x5. That's it. They're not hero pictures, they're not going out as posters. So, I've got a huge amount of latitude. And to be fair, I probably didn't even need to put the noise reducer on it, but I did just because, it's like somebody's going to zoom in and go, that's a bit grainy. Why do you need high ISOs, or clean high ISOs with LED? Well, think about it. Let's say I want to get to f8, right? Let's say I want to photograph a group of four or five people, and I'm going to need f8. To get the front to back bite in the image. So that the person at the front of the shot is nice and sharp, the person at the back of the shot is nice and sharp. Now, with a strobe, [00:40:00] that's really easy. With a strobe, I can turn the power wherever I like it, it won't make an awful lot of difference to the people in the shot, it's just a bright flash, and it's done. And I can set the camera at ISO 100, F8, F11, F16, whatever. Doesn't matter. It'll override all the light in the room, and I've got plenty of depth of field. Really easy. Now. If I turned my LEDs, and I'd need a few more than I own, up to get ISO 100, 100th of a second, f11, that is bright sunlight. That's effectively daylight, but on a sunny day. So, that's not really practical in a studio if I don't want people to be squinting. I could turn the power of the lights down, and use less power on the lights, but then of course I'm going to need to use slower shutter speeds, wider apertures, or higher ISOs. And now, with the ability to clean up even high ISO, [00:41:00] I'm starting to teeter on the edge of being able to do practically what you can do with strobes, with LEDs instead. Not there yet, but we're heading In the right direction. So that's on my list. That's part of this year. I'm gonna re-platform, the websites we're gonna switch over to LED. And we're gonna just see whether, for instance, we can create better videos, more videos, so it in, in the end. This year, it is all about making the changes we need to the business that we are looking forwards to. More about training, more about workshops, more about creating videos, about creating educational materials. Who knows, who knows, one day I might even get around to writing a second book to go with the very successful Mastering Portrait Photography. Mastering Portrait Photography Part 2, the sequel. This time it's personal. Mastering Portrait Photography Armageddon. I don't know, maybe I'll do it like Fast and Furious. We'll just do two, then three, then four, then [00:42:00] five, and then twenty eight. Who knows. But at the moment I haven't got that in me. The problem is always, of course, like all of us, our real clients, the clients that pay our everyday bills, the portrait clients, the wedding clients, the commercial clients I'm gonna have to service those guys first. And that's always the kicker, is how do I manage to keep the revenue coming in just as we need it, while still effectively building an entire add on or new business. It's a new business. So that's the puzzle. I will get to the bottom of it. I will figure it out. I'm enjoying the process very much. And so that, for us, is the year ahead. As I drive through, the rain has just arrived. It's dark and gloomy. My windscreen wipers are now squeaking in the background. I'm sure you can hear that on the recording. I'm driving through a very beautiful bit of the country. I'm running along one of the ridges in the Ridgeway. That's the Chiltern Hills. Just driving along and in spite of it being gloomy and dramatic, there's [00:43:00] fields full of sheep, there's just past an old farm, it's actually one of my clients here, and it's beautiful I'm guessing that is a medieval farmhouse, that is well old, that's got to be, and you're looking at the roof line, it's all sagged and these tiny little bricks and the road dips and drives around into the distance, it's Quite beautiful in spite of the rain. So there you have it. Please do head over to Mastering Portrait Photography. Also have a look if you're interested in the workshops that we're running this year. They're all out all up. The first six, at least, are up. The first few sold out literally within a day or so. Which is really flattering, but then gives me the problem of having to immediately schedule in new ones. There are a few spaces on some of the others though, so if you fancy coming and having an absolute blast about portrait photography in particular, whether it's you want to talk about the business side, the photoshopping side, or camera craft [00:44:00] or studio lighting, then please do head over to Paul Wilkinson Photography and look for the section on workshops. You can just google Paul Wilkinson Photography workshops. And you'll find them pretty quick. Whatever else happens, I hope your holiday season was peaceful. I hope you had a lovely, restful one. If not, I hope you're having an absolute party. And so, here's to 2024. Let's hope that it's Well, let's hope that it's a nicer year than it seems to have been in the first few days. There's nothing in the news that fills me with very much joy. So I'm just ignoring the news. I'm not paying any attention to it. I'm not getting involved. It just upsets me. I'm going to continue to do what I do and enjoy spending time with my clients, enjoy spending time with other photographers. Basically, I'm just going to make the most of my time on the planet. Here's to 2024 and whatever else, remember, be kind to yourself. Take care. [00:45:00]   

Fashion photographer and director, Michele Laurita, relives, shares, and educates her incredible, cosmopolitan life of being an artist, the importance of business terms, love of Profoto, professional expectations on set, and some wonderful stories of shooting high talent!

It's likely that everyone reading this has used, or at the very least heard of Adobe's ubiquitous piece of software called Photoshop. But are you familiar with the very first—and perhaps the most eccentric—of the evangelists working behind that magic curtain?   Well, you're about to meet him today, in our latest podcast featuring pioneers of photography and imaging. As Adobe employee number 38, graphic designer Russell Preston Brown was in the room when brothers Thomas and John Knoll showed up to demonstrate a new piece of software, in 1988. Suitably impressed with what he saw, Russell made a beeline to Adobe co-founder John Warnock and uttered the imperative “Buy it! Now!”   Thirty-five years later, Brown has not lost an ounce of passion for concocting magic with digital imaging tools, and for sharing his knowledge with other users during his outlandish workshops and events.   Join us for a rollicking chat with this shapeshifting impresario in cowboy attire. From Brown's earliest training in darkroom photography to his current digital workflow syncing a mobile phone with Profoto lighting gear, we cover a lot of ground.   Throughout our discussion, we reflect on the revolutionary effects of technological advances, plus Brown's uncanny luck to be there in the middle of the zeitgeist, which led him to a telling analogy:   “Yes, I was in the right place at the right time. I made my fair share of contributions, but it all comes back to—what if the Knoll brothers had not decided to make Photoshop? I want to see that Jimmy Stewart episode of “A Wonderful Life,” where Photoshop didn't appear. Would we be using Letrasets?...”   Guest: Russell Preston Brown For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://blogd7.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/adobes-first-evangelist-russell-preston-brown Above photograph © Russell Preston Brown Episode Timeline: 2:47: A peak behind the scenes of Brown's early experiences at Adobe and what constituted working as a graphic designer back in 1985.  10:24: Brown's early training in darkroom photography, the type of photos he made and the tech transitions to the mobile phones that he works with today.  15:55: Thomas Knoll calls the iPhone a hallucination of what you are seeing in terms of colors, dynamic range, and quality of light. It gives us what we want to remember from that moment. 19:45: Brown's workflow for shooting with an iPhone synched to Profoto strobes and other lighting modifiers, and his ability to carry everything around in one bag.  24:12: Comparing image captures from different brands of mobile phones: iPhone, Google Pixel 7 and Samsung 23. Plus, make sure to use a solar filter over the lens when photographing the eclipse. 31:27: Brown's experiences working directly with programmers in the development of Photoshop, plus working one-on-one with a programmer to develop actions, scripts, and panels for his own Photoshop tools.  36:06: Episode Break 36:39: Brown reflects on his rapport with photographic purists during early presentations about Photoshop—from a photojournalism conference in Perpignan, France, to an early discussion about digital with Greg Gorman.  42:39: Adobe's earliest dreams and goals about prepress and processing images to create CMYK output for print publication, and the subsequent ability to access Raw data. 47:15: Differentiating between generations of Adobe users and how they employ the software, plus distinguishing between Lightroom Classic and Lightroom Desktop. 51:46: Applications that have kept all the original tool sets, offering many routes to similar results, to serve the full range and successive generations of its user base.  54:00: The question of AI and differences between typing text and using AI prompts, or taking one's original photographs and supplementing them with AI through Photoshop's Generative Fill. 1:03:39: The dangers of using creative tools incorrectly, and Brown's predictions about creative trends to come.  Guest Bio: Russell Preston Brown is the Senior Creative Director at Adobe Systems Incorporated, as well as an Emmy Award-winning instructor. His ability to bring together the world of design and software development is a perfect match for Adobe products. In Brown 's 38 years of creative experience at Adobe, he has contributed to the evolution of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator with feature enhancements, and advanced scripts. Most recently he has started to travel the world with a mobile phone camera to capture his adventures from a whole new creative perspective. This new age of mobile photography has sparked his creativity and has inspired a variety of new imaging directions.  Brown also specializes in inspirational hands-on training at Adobe MAX, where he shows users how to work and play with Adobe software. He shares his delight in testing the creative limits of his tools as a prolific creator of an entertaining collection of Photoshop tips and tricks. His in-depth design knowledge and zany presentation style have won him a regular following among beginning, intermediate, and advanced Photoshop users alike. A live performance of the Russell Brown Show is not to be missed.  Stay Connected: Russell Preston Brown Website: https://russellbrown.com/ Russell Preston Brown on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_brown/ Russell Preston Brown on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/russellprestonbrown/ Russell Preston Brown on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/therussellbrownshow/videos Russell Preston Brown on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user6594224 Russell Preston Brown at the Photoshop Hall of Fame:https://www.photoshophalloffame.com/russell-brown Adobe Max: https://www.adobe.com/max.html

Peti Apple problémákkal küzd, Benedek elmeséli a washingtoni utazását, beszámol a múzeumokról és burgerekről. Elmesélte hogyan találta meg a saját fotós témáját Washingtonban. Gábor és Peti megküzdött a Canon tetheringgel, és elmesélték legutóbbi munkájukat, és a Profoto vakukkal kapcsolatos tapasztalataikat. Megjelent a Sony A9III is, aminek mindenféle képességét, de főleg a global shutter-t és a vaku funkciókat is részletesen átbeszéljük. Az adás linkje:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tripodcast.hu/116 Műsorvezetők: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Láng Péter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lénárt Gábor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Varga Benedek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Támogass minket Patreonon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tripodcast.hu/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Csatlakozz a Tripodcast Community Facebook csoporthoz! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tripodcast.hu/community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Küldj nekünk hangüzenetben kérdést! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tripodcast.hu/messages⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Az adást a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tripont⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, és a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Fujifilm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ támogatta! Egyéni oktatásról az alábbi linken kaphattok információt: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tripodcast.hu/oktatas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Kövess minket Instán: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tripodcast_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Az adásban elhangzott témák, linkek: - Gregory Halpern Magnum oktatóanyag: https://www.magnumphotos.com/learn/course/gregory-halpern-documentary-sur-realism/ - Sony A9III: https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-9m3 - Profoto Pro10: https://profoto.com/us/pro-10 - Profoto Pro11: https://profoto.com/int/pro-11 - Profoto D2: https://profoto.com/us/d2

There are times when I see a photographer's work that I have an emotional response, a feeling that I am seeing something special. That's what happened the first time I browsed through Victoria Will's website. Photo after photo there was something.... with impact. That doesn't happen very often. Victoria's career in photography began as a photojournalist, but has now moved to a focus on celebrity portraiture, editorial, and commercial assignments. That beginning, however, is readily obvious. Her images feel spontaneous, like she just happens to be there with a camera while some A List actor, or Hall of Fame musician. happened to be posing. Victoria's portraits just feel honest and authentic. Victoria's images have appeared in the pages of some of the top publications, including Vogue, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, ESPN and W Magazine. Commercial campaigns for brands like Carhartt, Levis, Netflix, Hulu, Epix, AT&T, Bose, Samsung, Ralph Lauren, and Miller High Life have also used her work. Her About Page says that her approach is "rooted in collaboration and meaningful connection where she seeks intimacy, authenticity, and elegance with a thoughtful eye and composition". I would probably just describe her work as magic, but I guess her wording is probably better for the website. You don't get to this level of success, and talent, without other people noticing, and she has a crazy collection of awards. Victoria has been recognized by American Photography, PDN Photo Annual, and Communication Arts, and her imagery has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions internationally. Her first monograph, Borne Back, a collection of tintype portraits, was published in 2017 by Peanut Press. Tintype photography is something I know very little about, or more accurately, nothing at all. Luckily for all of us, Profoto has a video on their YouTube channel documenting the process. You can check out "Victoria Will Shoots the Stars at Sundance" here. In 2023, Victoria became one of the newest members of the Canon Explorer of Light program, an honor I will say is so very well deserved. She is one of the best working today. Join Canon Explorer of Light Victoria Will and me as we explore tintype photography, and discuss her tintype image of famed actor Sam Shepard, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Victoria Website: victoriawill.com Instagram: @victoriawill Twitter: @vwillphoto Victoria's Book Borne Back: peanutpressbooks.com Profoto Video on Victoria Shooting Tintypes Victoria Will Shoots the Stars at Sundance: youtube.com Victoria's Photographer Picks Dana Scruggs: danascruggs.com | @danascruggs Benedict Evans: benedictevans.com | @benedict_evans

Como ya sabréis, llevo unos meses trabajando con Profoto y también con Godox, es el momento que os diga mis impresiones sobre ambos sistemas. **COMPRA EN FOTOK desde este enlace y pon el cupón GABELLIFTK en tu carrito de la compra para llevarte un regalo. WEB FOTOK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fotok.es/?aff=y206⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ___________________ WEBS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rubengabelli.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fotografodecomida.es⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cutt.ly/ft3QEHF ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PATREON: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/RubenGabelli ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INSTAGRAM: @rubengabelli

In this episode of the Beginner Photography Podcast, I chat with commercial, fashion, and personal branding photographer Dauss Miller. We delve into the creative use of light and motion in photography. Dauss shares his insights and experiences, offering valuable lessons for photographers of all levels. You'll discover the power of understanding artificial light, starting with reflectors and experimenting with different lighting sources outdoors. Dauss also emphasizes the importance of capturing the essence of a subject and their story, unlocking their true impact through photography. So, grab your camera and join us on this enlightening journey as we explore the art of photography and unleash our creativity. Get ready to learn, be inspired, and take your photography to new levels!The Big Idea with Timestamps:00:08:04 Photography challenges; instinctual understanding of light.00:11:11 Lost job due to identity theft; found purpose in photography and self-employment.00:24:40 Creatives create from within, without distractions.00:28:39 Understanding the creative process and technical capability.00:35:42 Understanding clients, their purpose, and creating visual impact.00:49:46 Finding balance: capturing self while being creative.00:51:59 Understanding artificial light: start with a reflector.00:00:30 Photography interview with Dos Miller, discussing creativity, light, and communication.00:08:04 Photography came naturally; instinctual understanding of light.00:11:11 Lost job due to identity theft; found purpose in photography and self-employment.00:18:24 Recently moved to Austin, discovered personal development.00:24:40 Creatives create from within, without distractions.00:28:39 Understanding the creative process and technical capability.00:35:42 Understanding clients, their purpose, and creating visual impact.00:39:14 Supportive coaching for high-level women in business00:49:46 Finding balance: capturing self while being creative.00:51:59 Understanding artificial light: start with a reflector.00:57:47 Dos said you need less input than you think; tailoring for clients can make you more creative; positive feedback is important. Links and Resources:Photographer Dauss Miller's WebsiteFollow Dauss on InstagramSign up for the All new Private Beginner Photography Podcast Community!https://beginnerphotopod.com/group Connect with the Beginner Photography Podcast! Email me at BeginnerPhotographyPodcast@gmail.com Send in your Photo Questions to get answered on the show - https://beginnerphotopod.com/qa Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/ Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

Los sensores RGBW de Sony, la irrupción de Leica, las nuevas focales progresivas de 85-200, la fotografía computacional y la IA, la establización de 5 ejes, el pixel binning y los 48 mpx, los objetivos intercambiables del Xiaomi... son conceptos que se están implementando de fábrica en los nuevos smartphone que salen al mercado.  Pero es que el apartado accesorios no se queda corto: paneles LED, flashes de Profoto, el ProGrid de Shiftcam, las lentes que se adaptan a las fundas, los filtros polarizadores y de densidad neutra, las ópticas externas de 360 grados..  De todo ello hablaremos en nuestro próxima programa, junto a Carlos Mesa, fotorreportero, formador y presidente de la Asociación Fotográfica Planeta Insólito. https://www.instagram.com/carlosmesa.foto/?hl=es En el apartado para suscriptores Carlos Mesa nos mostrará unos cuantos trucos para expertos con Snapseed, la app gratuita de Google, para dispositivos iPhone y Android con la que hacer edición y revelado fotográfico. Para disfrutar de esa clase y todo el contenido formativo que te ofrecemos en Carrete Digital tan sólo debes suscribirte en nuestra página web. https://carretedigital.com/cursos/edicion-de-fotografias-con-nuestro-smartphone-con-snapseed/ El funcionamiento de los nuevos directos constan de 2 secciones:    -Directo público, de 21.30 hrs a 22 hrs    -Carrete Class, de 22 a 23 hrs Si quieres participar de esta Carrete Class, tan sólo has de suscribirte a Carrete Digital (además disfrutarás de:    -Más de 70 cursos online, además de los que vayamos añadiendo    -Carrete Class, todos los lunes, en exclusiva y en directo    -Soporte de los profes    -Descuentos en otros cursos de la web y otras actividades que realicemos en un futuro    -Grupo privado de Telegram Suscríbete a Carrete Digital, conviértete en CARRETERO VIP y participa de las Carrete Class de los lunes en directo o míralas cuando lo desees en diferido. https://carretedigital.com/suscribete/

Daniel analyserar Profoto och EU försöker ta cred för en hypad men fallerande del av gamingindustrin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A raíz del video que he publicado en mi canal de YouTube, mostrando los nuevos modificadores de la serie Clic de Profoto, muchos de vosotros me habéis preguntado si ya no trabajo con Godox y ahora estoy con Profoto. Solucionamos estas inquietudes en este podcast

Konstantin & Becky bring to you the latest Nikon news and photography related announcements. Rebecca Danese: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca_danese Konstantin Kochkin: https://www.instagram.com/konstantinkochkin Production: Konstantin Kochkin Contact us at media@graysofwestminster.co.uk Nikon Report 100 Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE is shipping and in stock in Europe & UK https://tinyurl.com/yu63mcam Z 50 Firmware ver. 2.40 https://tinyurl.com/3wypj4a9 Wireless Transmitter Utility (Mac) v.1.9.9 https://tinyurl.com/67bf5sn6 Nikon Japan announced the discontinuation of the Speedlight SB-500 flash and suspension of orders for the Speedlight SB-5000 flash. https://tinyurl.com/bdhdjavu https://tinyurl.com/4va7sry3 Speedlights Disappear by Thom Hogan https://tinyurl.com/57ff2na7 Nikon announced collaborations with Nissin and Profoto (11.11.2021) https://tinyurl.com/4yyrruxd Nikon & Nissin collaboration Q&A https://tinyurl.com/2p84ydsx Official 3rd party Flashgun options (with support from Nikon): Nissin MG60 https://tinyurl.com/yh3e49m3 Nissin MG80Pro https://tinyurl.com/2s49fs27 Profoto A10 $1095 https://tinyurl.com/4kb28pee Other non official options options (reverse engineered) Godox V860III TTL flash $229 https://tinyurl.com/2s4y9nar Yongnuo YN685 II N TTL Speedlite for Nikon $130 https://tinyurl.com/yckx4xeb Yongnuo YN565EX III $120 https://tinyurl.com/35yh6ce7 YONGNUO YN968N $150 Meike MK-420N TTL flash for Nikon cameras $55 https://tinyurl.com/4ymxdmff Nikon support updated the article on Remote Camera Control Software support. https://tinyurl.com/mtjssaee Nikon Z30 silicone protection covers. https://tinyurl.com/es9kekzd Nikon D750 camera hits 1,000,000 clicks https://tinyurl.com/ywwd7wm7 Tamron has announced plans to build a new factory in Vietnam . https://tinyurl.com/457as686 Centre for British Photography opens to the public! https://tinyurl.com/yckjfemc https://tinyurl.com/mtuytn5e Reviews 40mm f/1.2 Voigtlander for Nikon Z - FIELD TEST by Grays https://tinyurl.com/mr3zkcbr Thanks for watching! #nikon #photography #news --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/grays-of-westminster/message

SummaryThe last few months has brought some near future technology into the spotlight, in particular generative AI for image creation, copywriting and more. Over the last year on this podcast we've had the opportunity to speak to several companies that provide services that we would call future tech for creative production, and so as we get ready to close out 2022 we've put together this clip show, our future tech round up. You'll hear from Ajay Bam of Vyrill, Mark Milstein of Vaisual, Ben Conway of VNTANA, Mark Duhaime of Orbitvu, Patrik Bluhme of ProFoto. Let's take a look back over some of 2022's episodes focusing on the technology supporting the future of e-commerce. Key TakeawaysAjay Bam - Ep 45One of the most interesting things for me is that Vyrill has created a tool that allows you to leverage user videos of your products. Customers are already watching these videos, you can help point your customers to the most helpful content for them personally.Measuring ROI of creative can already be challenging, but one such measure is almost certainly engagement, and Vyrill also helps you understand engagement on YOUR videos, but other creators videos that feature your product. We only touched on sentiment analysis and other insights capabilities that Vyrill offers, but if we think about this in the context of localization, you can really start to see some value in that.Ben Conway of VNTANA - Ep 85When we talk about 3D I think many people jump to thinking about the end customer, but as Ben pointed out, many VNTANA customers have found a lot of value in B2B situations. Designers working with 3D models to help sell a product before any samples have gone into production. I don't think it's a big leap to make at all that these 3D design renders become the starting point for fully rendered product imagery. Could we see product imagery creation become a part of the merchandising process, before any sample is ever cut or sewn?The second part of that clip illustrates how powerful AR has the potential to be for categories of product that customers have a hard time understanding in e-commerce. In this anecdote we're talking about handbags and the relative size of handbag has been a perpetually challenging thing to indicate to customers in traditional e-commerce interactions. The numbers are powerful here, very real improvements in return rates.Mark Duhaime of Orbitvu - Ep 78One of the big concerns about automation is always flexibility, I think many photography professionals are really hyper aware of this. We learned from Photoshop Automations how badly things can go wrong if your automation interprets your instructions in a way you didn't intend. But what systems like orbitvu are really automating is a bunch of non-value add steps that a photographer has to do manually today, with a lot of smart ways to avoid unintended consequences. The studio is still in control, but with more time to focus on producing and improving imagery. While an automated device might ot be right for every production type (today at least) I think almost any studio has space for one. Even the most high touch on figure studio often still has to shoot a box full of accessories that could be dealt with quickly and easily with an automated device. Patrik Bluhme of Profoto - Ep 69This was pretty big news in the industry, profoto is one of the leading brands of studio lighting and has been present in every studio I've ever worked in, and maybe even set foot in. They see the value in supporting workflows for many of their customers, and StyleShoots gives them a product they can bring to a studio and show them how automation can change their workflows. I really think automation for a lot of product photography is going to be big, if not in 2023 then beyond, and part of that is because we have a LOT of things creative production professionals need to focus their time on, and product photos on white maybe doesn't need to be one of them. Mark Milstein of Vaisual - Ep 45This is obviously a topic that is front and center right now. As various generative AI tools have started becoming publicly available, there have been a lot of questions about how they work, what protections for artists should be in place, and how does this impact the human beings doing these jobs using traditional tools today. I think it will have an impact. But not overnight. We've spent 15 years building our ecommerce creative production processes to what they are today and just like any new technology, generative AI will have to be evaluated and adapted into workflows and processes that can keep this all organized. One of the things that Mark said that I found really striking is that he feels that this technology will make traditional art methods MORE valuable in the long run. I think there may be something to that. In the same way that we still value vinyl records after digitization of music, I think the photographer, painter, poet and sculptor will see the public's value perception of their work go up. Discount CodeReminder to use code ECCP to get your first month of PhotoRoom Pro for free! Thanks to the PhotoRoom team for the generous offer. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

I've reshot my bio photo self-portrait, shot a second, more challenging portrait with my archery bow, and I share the process in this week's post. Details on blog: https://mbp.ac/799 Music by Martin Bailey

I've reshot my bio photo self-portrait, shot a second, more challenging portrait with my archery bow, and I share the process in this week's post. Details on blog: https://mbp.ac/799 Music by Martin Bailey

Kersten meets up with Dave Williams in the English countryside to chat about the latest tech in this post-Photography Show wrap up episode. The guys review new gear from Platypod, DJI, Profoto, Lowepro, Xencelabs, ShiftCam as well as Dave's new photography book ‘The Eiffel Tower Effect'. After a year living in a van and travelling Northern Europe in pursuit of photography, Dave gives an update on the state of Kofifernweh and ideas for future projects.Dave's incredible landscape photography has been published in National Geographic, Nature and Time Magazine to name but a few and he his a regular contributor to ScottKelby.com and DIYPhotography.net. Dave is a proud member of the ‘Instructor Dream Team' for the Photoshop World Conference and has recently authored the book ‘The Complete Aurora Guide for Travellers and Photographers' sharing his extensive knowledge gained over many years of shooting the Aurora Borealis.00:00:00 Intro00:02:05 Northern Lights and how to find them00:08:53 Van life and the future of Kofifernweh00:25:32 Platypod Extreme & Platyball00:32:45 Xencelabs Tablet00:39:11 DJI Mics00:46:40 Lowepro Flipside BP 400 AW III00:53:40 ShiftCam ProGrip00:56:17 Profoto clic soft box octa01:05:36 Adobe Shasta01:16:20 The Eiffel Tower EffectTHIS WEEK'S LINKS:Dave Williams on the web:https://www.idavewilliams.com/Dave Williams on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idavewilliams/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/idavewilliamsTwitter: https://twitter.com/idavewilliamsJOIN THE CAMERA SHAKE COMMUNITY for the latest news and some behind the scenes insights:  www.camerashakepodcast.com======================================CAMERA SHAKE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:https://www.youtube.com/camerashakeFULL EPISODE 122 IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON: YouTube - https://youtu.be/g8kSK3hZ00QApple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2Y2LmfmSpotify - https://spoti.fi/304sm2G======================================FOLLOW US ONInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/camerashakepodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camerashakepodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ShakeCameraKersten's website:www.kerstenluts.comKersten on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kerstenluts/https://www.instagram.com/threeheadsinarow/Nick on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nickkirbymedia

A well-crafted portrait is a beautiful thing, and this week's podcast takes a deep dive into creating individual, group, and family portraits, both on location and in the studio. Our guests are master portraitists Monica Sigmon and Michael Taylor, co-owners of SigmonTaylor Photography in Williamsburg, Virginia. Please join us for tips on everything from how to arrive at a signature style when working on location to the practicalities and pitfalls of establishing a dedicated portrait studio and turning client's heads in today's competitive marketplace.  After listening, if you're still hungry for more portrait photography insights, look no further than Sigmon Taylor's six-part series Portrait Studio Intensive, produced by the B&H Event Space in February 2022. Guests: Monica Sigmon and Michael Taylor Photograph © Sigmon Taylor For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts Episode Timeline 2:37: How does one arrive at a signature style when shooting portraits in an infinite variety of different locations? 4:03: Building a visual library and exploring your photographic personality to make your portraits stand out. 5:52: Location portraits are more about the story you are telling than what the background looks like. 6:49: Use of lighting conditions as a common thread in defining your signature portrait style. 8:40: How to establish a high-end portrait niche and deliver the goods from the start. Creating work and an experience the client will love. 11:14: Every portrait is a self-portrait, and the value of stepping back to look inside yourself. 13:24: The skill of cultivating an interest in your subjects. People all have stories to tell. 14:18: Tips for expanding from an individual portrait to a group session, and the importance of scheduling a preliminary design session. 16:20: The smallest children rule the day. Keeping the attention of the adults while keeping the children entertained. 17:26: The portrait photographer as symphony conductor. How to take control of the portrait session and bring everything together in a single moment. 21:52: Valuable advice for new portraitists: Understand your limitations and have joy in what you are doing. 22:26: How to even the playing field when photographing powerful subjects who are hesitant to relinquish control. 27:30: Getting out of your own head and being in service to someone else. 27:58: Compositing elements within a group portrait: Is or isn't it cheating? 30:19: Commanding the set and taking the time to finesse the pose. Anticipating the rhythm and flow of a shoot. 33:33: Number one creativity killer: Feeling rushed for time. Slow down and manage expectations. 34:44: An inside look at the design consultation: Establishing the rules of engagement. 36:10: Making the sale up front: Explaining to the client what their investment will be. 41:12: Working on spec vs invitational portfolio building to create the work you want to shoot next. 43:44: Episode break 44:42: How practical is establishing a dedicated portrait studio today? 46:28: Creating a unique style to turn peoples' heads and make them into clients. 46:44: Can higher prices result in increased sales? 48:22: A fair payday leads to a different attitude and better pictures. 50:12: Finding a feasible studio space to work in: Renting space vs a brick-and-mortar address. 53:18: A creative approach to personalizing your office in a neutral space. 55:18: The creation of Sigmon Taylor's signature look: Black Label portraits. 57:31: The Black Label lighting style: A marriage of classical lighting with a contemporary personality. 1:00:08: Vehicles for Sigmon Taylor portraits: Prints, wall portraits, and coffee table books. 1:01:33: Digital files of client portraits: Selling them vs gifting them. 1:03:15: Sigmon Taylor's approach to printing portraits through relationships with various labs across the country. 1:05:50: Photographers show too many images. Do not put images online. 1:06:24: Considerations for camera gear when establishing a portrait studio. 1:09:34: Effective portrait studio lighting: Profoto and Elinchrom One. 1:11:40: Connect with Sigmon Taylor on social media. Stay Connected: Website: https://www.sigmontaylor.com/ Studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigmontaylor/ Monica's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicasigmon/ Michael's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelglentaylor Twitter Feed: https://twitter.com/monicaandmike Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SigmonTaylorPhotography Sigmon Taylor's six-part Portrait Studio Intensive: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/eventDetails.jsp/id/4063  

In this episode, Ebony sits down with Jyo, co-creator of Call Me Artist to chat about where she finds inspiration from for her art, when did she feel comfortable calling herself an artist and shares about her upcoming class with Call Me Artist sponsored by Profoto USA. To register for Call Me Artist - https://www.callmeartistretreat.com/ Jyo's portfolio - https://www.momentsandphotographs.com/Profoto, A Call Me Artist sponsor - https://profoto.com/us

Gary and Booray experience separate life-changing events during their two weeks off. In photography news, Kaye Middleton photographers her stepmother-in-law for a magazine cover, new Canon camera rumors, Nikon releases a z-mount camera aimed at vloggers, and Profoto releases the A2 .Save 50% on your first year with 17 Hats using the code "photobomb" at checkout just go to www.17hats.comCheck out Gary's YouTube channel HERE.Check out Booray's YouTube channel HERE.Join our Facebook Group, the Bombardiers Lounge

SummaryPatrik Bluhme of Profoto joins Daniel for episode 69. About a year ago, Profoto went public with an IPO and as part of that process, explained what their plan for future growth looked like. One area of opportunity that profoto identified was what they called “ecomm workflow solutions” That can mean a lot of things, but we now know that Profoto was interested in moving into the automation space in a big way. It was announced in early april that Profoto had acquired Styleshoots. We invited Patrik to come on the show and talk about not only that, but what else the future holds for brand. Key TakeawaysProfoto has committed to making tools that support creating great light, including in the mobile space. Profoto purchase StyleShoots in order to move more into automation, and bring the lessons they've learned as the industry leader in lighting, to other areas of the creative production workflow. For Profoto, it's also about an automated solution that is consistent with other assets created. Profoto lights it all. The day of this recording, Profoto had released the A2, a soda can sized flash you can throw in any camera bag. Expect more interesting announcements from Profoto and Style Shoots. https://profoto.com/int/news-room/profoto-acquires-styleshootshttps://profoto.com/us/a2CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

Episode 369 of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast. Download MP3 -  Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, email or RSS! Featured: Photographer, Austen Hunter   In This Episode If you subscribe to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast in iTunes, please take a moment to rate and review us and help us move up in the rankings so others interested in photography may find us. Show Opener:Photographer, Austen Hunter. Thanks Austen! Sponsors: - Fujifilm's Create With Me program.  Build Your Legacy with Fujifilm - Get 20% off at KupoGrip.com with offer code PetaPixel20- Get 20% off at BenroUSA.com with offer code PetaPixel20- Get 20% off at Tenba.com with offer code PetaPixel20 - More at LensShark.com/deals. Stories: Nikon kills two more DSLRs. (#) Tamron shows Fuji more love. (#) Nik Collection 5 is released. (#) ProGrade Digital's new card. (#) Nikon's new 400. (#) Godox has a new ring flash. (#) Capture One 22 gets updated. (#) Meike has a new fast 50. (#) A major firmware update for Sony's Alpha 1. (#) Profoto's new A2. (#) Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (all @LensShark) as we build this community. We'd love to answer your question on the show. Leave us an audio question through our voicemail widget, comment below or via social media. But audio questions are awesome! You can also cut a show opener for us to play on the show! As an example: “Hi, this is Matt Smith with Double Heart Photography in Chicago, Illinois, and you're listening to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast with Sharky James!”

On this week's episode our host Jonathan Aymin sits down with Salvatore Cincotta to discuss how to market your business in a way that builds relationships, what you should be doing to generate leads and how to target your ideal couple. About Our Guest: Sal is a noted industry writer, author, educator and publisher of Shutter Magazine, which industry pros turn to for cutting-edge technical and business insights from leading photographers. He brings his decade of corporate experience, working for the likes of Procter & Gamble and Microsoft, to the photography business, where he continues to prove himself to be a leader and innovator. Salvatore Cincotta Photography's accomplishments: Company ranked number 1,598 in the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest-Growing Companies in America 2015 Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies in America 3 years in a row – 2015, 2016, 2017 Sal's photographic rankings include statuses as a Master of WPPI and a PPA Master of Photography (M.Photog.) Named a Legend of Light by Profoto for his outstanding skill and contribution to American Photographic Community. WPPI Annual Print Competition 2017: 33 award-winning images WPPI Annual Print Competition 2016: First Place High School Senior Category; 20 award-winning images SWPP Annual Print Competition London 2016: 15 award-winning images WPPI Annual Print Competition 2015: 20 award-winning images Sal featured in St. Louis Business Journal as the “St. Louis Character” in April 2016 Find Him Here: Website: https://www.salcincotta.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salcincotta/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salcincotta/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salcincottaphoto/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/salcincotta Thanks for checking out The Venue RX on Youtube. We are a team of content creators bringing you weekly reviews, tutorials, and business coaching videos. For a look at all things motivation, mindset, podcast interviews, and more...this is the place to be! BE A GUEST! If you are interested in being a guest on our show, or you know someone who you would recommend, go to our website and submit a request! We will review your application and get back to you promptly. ► Website http://thevenuerx.com/submit Don't forget to smash that LIKE Button. Remember to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel and click the BELL ICON to set alerts for all our new weekly videos! CONNECT WITH US & SUPPORT!!! ✩ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thevenuerx/ ✩ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thevenuerx ✩ Website: www.thevenuerx.com ✩ Anchor: https://bit.ly/3gKSshE LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ✩ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qW7ntS✩ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3gIz7h3Android: https://bit.ly/3njXOTE

Saludos! en el capitulo 23 de soho estudio | Podcast + Fotos, hablaremos de la experiencia de Andreína en sus sesión de desnudo implícito, nos cuenta como fue su experiencia y como reacciono su familia y amigos, el desnudo sigue siendo un tabú en nuestra sociedad o no? qué opinas? Vamos a estar en contacto!: @soho_estudio @soho_estudio_people http://www.soho-estudio.com Nos vemos!

En este capitulo te cuento una historia de terror que me sucedió, te cuento como perdí uno de mis mejores clientes por un error que se pudo evitar, escucharlo y déjame tus comentarios! sohofotografia@gmail.com soho-estudio.com @soho_estudio @soho_estudio_people @Gabriel_Cuesta

¿Quieres saber cómo elegir el flash de mano perfecto? Vale, es una pregunta trampa. El flash de mano perfecto no existe porque depende de quien lo vaya a utilizar, que tipo de fotografía haga, que presupuesto tenga, la intensidad de uso... Pero por eso mismo hemos hecho este episodio del podcast para enseñarte a que u sepas elegir el flash de mano perfecto para ti. Y ya que hablamos de flashes de mano, te recuerdo que ya tienes disponible en la academia el curso de iluminación con flash de mano, junto con otros 32 cursos de técnica fotográfica y marketing por tan solo 10€ al mes. Marcas de flashes de mano Existen multitud de marcas que fabrican flashes de mano. Marcas de flashes específicos como Profoto, otras marcas que se dedican a la iluminación como Godox, marcas que fabrican todo tipo de herramientas fotográficas como Neweer e incluso las marcas de cámaras también fabrican sus propios flashes de mano. Esto al final determina el precio, la calidad de construcción y de materiales y una serie de características que quizás deberías tener en menor consideración. Es más, esto debería ser la última parte de tu elección, ya que principalmente esto depende de tu presupuesto. ¿Qué especificaciones debe tener tu flash de mano? En este episodio te damos una serie de puntos en los que debes fijarte para saber como elegir el flash de mano perfecto para ti. Estos puntos son clave dependiendo de tipo de fotografías que hagas, por eso solo tú puedes saber que necesitas, y para que no se te olvide ningún apartado aquí tienes el checklist y en el podcast lo desarrollamos: El número guía (la potencia)Si dispara en modo TTL o ManualSi va a pilas o con batería La tasa de refresco del flashDisparo en alta velocidadQue zoom tiene Después de escuchar el podcast y entender por qué son tan importantes estos puntos es cuando debes fijarte en otros puntos como el precio, la durabilidad, la estabilidad de la luz del flash y, por tanto, de la marca. Gracias por suscribirte a los cursos, por tus valoraciones en Apple Podcasts, comentarios y me gusta en Ivoox, por escucharnos y seguirnos en Spotify. Un saludo y hasta el próximo lunes a las 07:00.

Muchos de vosotros ya sabéis lo que opino de Profoto. Para mí es la mejor marca que hay en cuanto a luz de destello, no hay discusión alguna en que es un producto Top, Premium y muy profesional. Y alguno de vosotros se puede estar preguntando.... "Rubén, si es tan buena, porqué no trabajas con ella?" Pues siempre lo he dicho, actualmente tengo un equipo completísimo de Godox con el que trabajo a diario y cambiar a Profoto me ocasionaría un desembolso muuuuuy importante. Desembolso que tardaría muchísimo en amortizar, ya que el hecho de tener Profoto no implica que pueda cobrar más a mis clientes, lo que implica es que ganaría en tiempo de edición, fiabilidad, seguridad, etc... Pero esto sigue sin convencerme para realizar un desembolso de tanto dinero. Lo que nunca he negado y siempre he dicho también, es que si algún día los señores de Profoto llaman a mi puerta y me ofrecen algo interesante... ufff, será difícil resistirse a la tentación. ¿Habrá llegado ya el momento en que Profoto llama a mi puerta para tentarme? Veremos como acaba esto.... De momento lo que sí que sé, es que en este Podcast tenemos a Nico de Profoto, dispuesto a darnos respuesta a todas las dudas y preguntas que le planteo. WEB: https://www.rubengabelli.com YOUTUBE: https://cutt.ly/ft3QEHF PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/RubenGabelli INSTAGRAM: @rubengabelli CONTACTO: info@rubengabelli.com

Capitulo 21! y hoy vamos a conversar con Alejandro Serra, piloto de drone certificado, trabaja como freelancer y nos da algunos tips de cómo hacer dinero con nuestro drone! habla él! yo estrelle el mio y no me quedaron ganas. Sígueme en mis redes: @soho_estudio @soho_estudio_people @Gabriel_cuesta http://www.soho-estudio.com