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Marcus Bell: What Make a Good Photograph

You know start off with you know going on about you know, what makes a really great photograph and getting the creative juices thinking you know, in a post production sense but we can also be thinking about that as well like when we're taking the image because sometimes you know, we we may think are the backgrounds no good or you know, the lights not exactly great and we think we could maybe move away from that location rather than use it but I want to show you how you can actually you know, rethink that and actually you know, use tools available to us to actually improve upon and actually bring the vision that we really had in mind into fruition and into that final image but we're not just going to do that today today is going to be huge it's going to be you know we're still going to be shooting s o we were unsure about the weather this morning so rather than risk you know, having pull things down you know halfway through we decided they were going to do the shoot outdoors tomorrow mo...

rning but today we're still going to go ahead after lunch with the actual shoot of the ceremony and the reception which will be great and we'll sort of you know, talk about some indoor locations and during that time as well and what also what we'll do is go through and show you some of my favorite photoshopped techniques were going to use those free presets and actions so you will need them today so get downloading them and there was I think it went down a couple times yesterday so be patient you will get it like a female way too down lem threw fruit so yeah like I said just be patient today I wanted to be really interactive so from you guys here you know I want to know I want questions you know you know talk to me and even out there just like let me know and I want to be give you as much information as possible within the three days so all right so let's talk about like what makes a good photograph so we're just going to go back through just like a couple ideas I've bean really fortunate where I guess my grounding and photography was in landscape photography streetscape photography and it really sort of boarded on that like fine on and a lot of the photographers that taught me a lot what I know today is the basis we're really great fine art photographers and find out pre nous as well so I was really taken under the hand of me I would teo be taken into a wet dark room and talked had a produce beautiful black and white prints and it was it's the most amazing thing so if you've never done it you know look out there for some way local way they might be like a doctrine way someone could just teach you for an afternoon like the craft and because it's sort of like this just using your hands and dodging and burning and and it gets the mind working about what you want to communicate so what's great is that you've got to make decisions you gotto you know, think about what is the center of interest and that was one of the probably the biggest things for me as a landscape photographer it's so hard sometimes you know, off identifying what that center of interest is because you might have this beautiful sane you know, in these rocks as trays is clear so in a rolling hills but this still has to be a center of interest and you have two cheese what that is now generally on a wedding day it makes it easier for us, you know, because it's like because, like, if you're photographing abroad and groom in a paddock obviously more than likely that is your center of interests, you know, so it's really easy. So I guess what it was I was fortunate about, you know, learning from the landscape point it was hard and I was terrible at it when I first started, you know, I was just like I thought, you know, and I guess I just get them practicing and practicing and that's the k you know like with anything that we do with photography it's just practice you know all those little things that you know like talked about like the basics yesterday like I really encourage you to go back and re watch that over and over again because you're always going to pick up something new that I said and now a little lipo will go off yeah that's right? You know, now I get it and that's what used to happen to me especially you know, with composition you know, like a composition is an amazing thing and there's no right or wrong but you know it to break the rules everyone says that you need to know the rules first and you know what I used to go through and read books and books and even my dad's books had about composition you know, I just never got it, you know, I never ever got it, you know, I persisted, I kept on going at it and reading and learning more, you know? And what happened wass is that people would start seeing my working I mean, I just love your composition, you know, it's just amazing you just and you and I'm going what what are you talking about? You don't I mean, and I didn't realize what it was just subconsciously, you know feeding into me and that's what I loved and so that's where you don't want to talk about is learning from the masters is that this is where a lot of my knowledge comes from and so immediately you know photographers you know, from a digital dark room once you getting I'm sorry a wet dockery and you sort of started definitely learning about ansel adams I mean, you know, the guy's a god like you know he is amazing design system how is printing and everything like that and this is what's really, really important we need to open our minds up everyone has different ideas off what is an image and how much work should be done to an image but all ansel adams images were very heavily worked but subtly you don't mean so sometimes like I could spend a whole day working one image like a whole day and then you look at a new you would think where's all that work on because it was all saddle you know? And it was the same thing like, you know, people printing or, you know, ansel adams putting his own work or, you know, he's assistance pretty his work, you know, it was all very subtle but very particular and everything thoroughly thought out and that's what we need to be thinking about is all those thoughts going through and so one of the things that I find is like um is having a unique vision you know look at elliot oh it for instance like I just love the humor in his work it's amazing you know, he has a unique vision a unique personality that he shares with the world you know and that's where like you know like sometimes as wedding photographers we really do you have to think of ourselves as fine art photography oh, we have to think of ourselves as a photojournalist or you know a documentary photographer because so many caribou assan and elliott erwitt both you know you know you know initial members of magnum photography that I just love teo even today all the photographer is a part of that group and you know both of them just so different but both were you know, documentary photographers you know, both had their own individual personalities and it really stems from what I just talked about yesterday is all their life experiences you know came through in their photography and that's why it's so important for us as wedding photographers to be doing exactly the same thing you know and that's where you know it's not just wedding photography that we're talking about it's really being the finding the artist within you you know and we often find it very very confronting and we don't think of ourselves as artists but we really are when you really break down. What an artist is it's, just a person and a personality communicating a message or a thought through there are, you know, it's, an extension of who they are and really, like his wedding photographers. We still are artists, you know? We just don't think of it that way. So one of the things that I do you learn from, you know, masters, um, in photography is like a unique vision, and within that is that emotion and that impact. And I think you can see that in my work, you know, that's what? I really right up it's so important. And some of the, you know, like, the most famous images that are embedded in your brains from seeing them from the last twenty years. But he is no matter how old you are from a little kid, you know, like, you know, seeing him in newspapers, in galleries and so forth. Some of the most amazing images you've ever seen have totally many floors, you know, no composition or lacking composition light. It could be blurry. It could be out of focus, you know? But you know what? The defining moment wass that there was impact, there was a much there was something very, very powerful. And so it was really, really important that you know, we bring that and we're thinking about that when we photograph and that's why yesterday was so important so we can identify what really is important about what is to capture because I write that up is, you know, number one you know, I mean because I think unique vision just sort of you know, just happens you know, if you are practicing and that's where I talked about I'm going to share today a personal story and because I think it is so important that like I get teo youto understand how you can tap into your own lives and all the pivotal moments in your lives that have shaped who you are that you khun bring to the table and it just connects it a little bit more you know, in certain situations through the day like exactly what you're saying irene, you know is like, you know is like, you know, your personal moments really do connect in some way with the couples you know and other personal moments and that's where I'll be getting you at home and here to write those personal moments down everything that's really happen in your life is like a pivotal moment we need to be writing that down because that's what's going to come back is this unique vision, you know, I mean and it's so important that everything is simplicity and the most beautiful photos in the world and the most beautiful artworks and the world are very, very simple, you know, behind those simplicity is often a lot of complexity, and a lot of thought has gone into it, you know? And so sometimes, like, you know, when you're flicking through a newspaper or a magazine, it's, the reason why you keep flicking or your stop and you go well, I like that, or you're just drawing, and it might be an advertisement or something like that, but it's, the simplicity of that image and this is where you can actually go to an art gallery and actually study the paintings on the wall from modern art galleries to even, you know, classy classical, our collars and see that firsthand. So the other thing is light and that's where, you know, like, I felt like I fumbled through your slays the very last session explaining lie because I never used, like, a live you like, you know, to show the light ever before and but so today, like when we go shooting, I'm just tethering I'm just going to do what I do best. So, you know, like so you can just see first hand, but, you know, like it's so important. And there was a lot of questions you know, like on the chat rooms about so what if you know how do you see light if you know you don't have a huge window you know like is everywhere and you're just gonna look for the quality life even if it's just like a lamp you know mean is long as you've got the face in the right positioning you know or you move yourself to actually because sometimes it might be a photo journalistic my menu think what the largest knot right there if I moved there just that little bit the lights just going to get a little bit better and we'll try to get a little bit more questions from you guys so I can show you that because I guess over the last ten years it's just comes second nature it was like, you know, like the six of us here they you know in if you had just asked so you know when you saw you know I took her kim to the top tier how did you just know the light would be there? You know? And I just I just know it you know? I mean it was just instinctive and that's where I'm saying about practicing everything has to be instinctive, you know? So you need to know your gear and like all the dials how do you how do you change them the camera has to be you know like it's like um you know you're like um you want to be out of describe your cameron just be at a shoot you know I mean so don't let anyone else touch your camera you know I mean it's like, you know like it's got it's your little baby una main it's like you're a little precious thing and so it's really important so the other thing I think is what I've learned from the masses the creativity you know there's so many amazing for terrible even today like I still come across new photographers you know and go wow look at that creativity now it doesn't mean that I'm going to go copy that or you know, I think that's the worst thing you could do is copy another photographer you know, like I know photographer's going to tumbler or things like that and they pull images and then they go copy it you know exactly don't do that but suddenly be inspired, you know, grab like a folder and you know, copy images and put it in the folder and call it an inspiration folder, not a copy folder, you know? And because honestly the more you're doing that and the more that you're employing that into your work it would into your brain and just feeding at all the time new material you know, it's just going to just resonate with you you know and just little ideas they're going to come together and what you find just so great about what you d'oh and about your personality in that unique vision and learning about the creativity it all starts to become your unique star it just it just happens, you know? And you gotta work hard for it, you know and that's what you know really what I love doing is because you know, like I'm always learning I'm always learning the time that I stopped learning is this time that I put my camera down and give it away you know, because I don't want to be style I don't want to do the same thing, you know, I want to always be refreshingly new, you know? And as soon as I get somewhere I go great, that was good that I was able to do that but you know what my mind's already going to be thinking about what am I going to do next because that's exciting, you know, like it's like, you know, like going back to that passport photo I never want to be that person ever again, you know? And I'm sure you know, you guys here and the people at home don't want to be that person even, you know, lost too short and you have the chopped choice to be ordinary or extraordinary and it's your choice you make that choice so creativity is really I just I don't know I just love it you know what I mean and it's part of the learning process the other thing is composition you know it really is important that you learn all sorts of composition and there's so many you know from s curves leading lines you know, full grounds you know you know and also like things with mergers and you know, distracting elements you know, fortunately these days too you know and this is where I think we've gotto think like an artist's sometimes we're forced teo you know, taking the image like you I'm going to be you know, today in a foreign situation where there's going to be cameras around there's going to be cords I'm going to be sort of tied teo cables and so I'm gonna do the best that I can in that situation it's gonna be weird you know and all that you guys know how weird it is but you know like the thing is is that sometimes there might be something in the road you know there might be a person that's not really supposed to be there but I'm still going to take the shot anyway because I know in postproduction I could just take that out you know and it's the tool available to us now for a long time you know, first off I used to be really, really hesitant about doing it like that and I know a lot of other people out there sort of feel quite strongly about it should be pure should be exactly what you saw you know what when I started learning about painters and that they start with a blank canvas and you know, like some of the you know, pain is from the thirteenth century that might be in a square in venice and you know, using a camera obscura and what they're doing is like, you know, using a prism to be able to project what was happening on outside through a window onto a war and they sketch it, you know, and I sketch it onto the canvas what the thing is when they're sketching is they make a conscious decision off what to include and what not to include, you know, and it's exactly the same for us is that we have to take the image and everything has to be included, but we have the choice afterwards to extract something that shouldn't be there now I'm not one for, you know, dropping in skies and making things unbelievable, but I am I believe in actually delivering a perfect piece of artwork to a client and I believe very strongly about communicating my vision of what I feel inside that really should the client that I want to give the client and so that's really important and we'll we'll talk a little bit about that today so but you know, for finally you know is the defining moment you know? Hey nicco percent you know, coined the term and every other photographer you know has followed suit and knows that it's that defining moment that makes the difference between a great photo and an ordinary far and sometimes that is like a millisecond the difference and you have to be prepared to capture that image in a millisecond you know, there's a lot of things that we can do in photo shop and you know and and light room but we can't change that we can't change the defining mind you know and so that's where we're gonna be raises shop and practice and practice and practice so when we're on a wedding day we couldjust nile it you'll remain and you know what when you dial it you know it and you see that image and you get that shiver than your spine go wow, that was cool and then you move on you know, I get the next image you know, and this times you know, this times when like, you know, like I've missed the moment, you know, like I just like I kick myself and you know what? Sometimes it's actually a problem I keep myself so much that I'm forgetting about like I'm beating myself up for about five minutes I'm now abstracted they have to tell myself right get back in the game you know what I mean? Like, you know, like in you know, like and just get back and there's gonna be another moment you just going to be prepared for that? All right? This is one of my favorite favorite artists vermeer and another love is too huge and, you know, it ran the sixteenth century and in the netherlands and, you know, like I just learned so much so that I wish I were included in the presentation that one from pierre de hooch is that he does a lot of, like, a family portraiture and it's sort of like environmental portraiture and and so often, you know, we don't think about how much we can learn from painters from four hundred years ago, you know way think that sometimes we think that we know it or anyway, you know, I mean, but the thing is, oh, we think that we've just come up with something new, there is nothing new, all right? It is all being done before and you know what? It was probably done for hundred years ago that's a scary thing, you know, it's amazing when you start learning about history like I remember being in greece and you know, out on these outer islands, you know, and funding out that it was like, you know, like it was a long time ago where it was like you know, before they even the roman days and they had plumbing, heating and everything like that all sorted out you know and it was just incredible, you know, like what they were I would do and you think I got where I thought it was any like, three, four hundred years ago that happened you know, remain and it's not it could be like a two thousand years ago at the house in music you know, like so whatever we think that you know is new it's not you know and there's so much to learn you know I mean, here we are we're probably going to other photographers blog's toe lang what they're doing and everything like that we're really the real information is this you know, breaking it down understanding about it you know? Because here we could look at the line you know, look at what she's positioned in front of that window now look at the light on her face from that window was exactly what I was doing yesterday. You know, when we can I sort of understand and break down the lighting you know, the composition you know look at the natural big net of that image think of the composition off where we actually the liars off that image we got the curving in front the levels and then we've got the painter then we got the model and then we got the back wall so it becomes more three dimensional so we can start thinking about oh, so what if I have something in the full grand of my image and that's what I try to do and and that's one of the things that I was mentioning about greg gibson and cliff mountain air yesterday is that they said and they were telling me about, you know, when I was shooting for the newspapers is that they had to go out and get the shot and well, from what I would call is that they have to get the safety shot, they get the safety shot, then they can play, then they can get something wow, you know, I mean and that's where I guess, like I started to think about when I'm on location or I'm shooting a broader portrait, you know, in during the preparation and I've got control is that okay? I got control not only sometimes over the the model I mean the bride, but I definitely got control over the environment in my space and my positioning, so what I can do is like, I think, well, I'm here what if I just move back a bit? What if I made this table over and put a plant there you know, or some flowers. So now I've got something in the foreground and it maybe the angle of the table is now becomes a leading line into, you know, to the to the bride so we could be thinking about this and it's just sort of, like, churning and and the mohr, you get to know these principles the mohr is in and fits into your subconscious, and it becomes more autopilot and that's what I find is that, you know, like, I'm just on order part and, you know, what's great about that is that I can just concentrate on the bride, you know, I could just smile because, you know, like, one of the you know, I had all those tools out yesterday, you know? You know what your your your biggest who is is your smile it's infectious, you smile, you know? And people smile back, you know, people feel good, you know, like, they have that thing way like, if you're laughing, you know, and you could be, like, bring about nothing all of a sudden people just start lopping with you because and I don't even know what you're laughing about it's the same sort of thing, so when everything's going wrong, you know mean just smile, stay calm you know I mean in your head you're probably going about what we're going to dono everything like that but you're just smiling and you're thinking you know like you and you just gotta come up with something you know I mean you gotta change direction you could've made you know and so that's where I got it okay so he like let's look at the subject matter like the use of color here you know, the times you know and then you can actually go greater to date are like about understanding color principles so if you've like used red now red is where it's a very, very dominant color and your eyes insulin drawn to it but now if you got red then you need to balance that with like a greater mass of eva green or you know, a blue or yellow like it's gonna be balance so unfortunately if you had like, the whole war red and then you had a person in yellow it's not going to be balanced but the thing is the way you could do is break the rules so it works, you know, so there's no right or wrong but you need to understand the rules and the principals first then you can go ahead and break them and I think that's one of the things at the moment that I've personally saying I guess mean in the industry for for a while now with new people coming in is that you know, some people are learning those basics so those basics are being forgotten about you know, when I first started going teo w p p I you know and hoping come along you know, I think would be wonderful, you know, if you can make it all to w p p I you know, there was a there's a photographer and you need to check him out he's a legend in america and that's monty's aka he was one of the greatest teachers of photography there is people like bambi and my good friend jerry harness let's so much from him you know, and I'm so glad that how great of teachers both they are that they're teaching those basics it's like being, you know, brought down and to a new generation but you know, you at there like in internet land and here is that we've gotto except that we don't know it all you know and that we need to know those basics because if you want to call yourself a professional photographer, you've got it no them you in that way you'll be great and in all situations, you know, there is a photographer there's so many photographers back home where I just would go to seminars all the time and I would just share this knowledge and was just like a sponge you know and some of these guys you know, you know, twenty, thirty years older than me and sometimes you can think you know, what do I have to line from him you know, like they pop man that is the worst boards that you can be thinking is because you know, like they've got so much to give you you know I mean maybe not from a creative side because you're going in a different direction but just the basics and knowing understanding about light you know, it's just incredible there's one for terrify blown like from you know back home and it's robbie hayman you know, like a full a queenslander and another great portrait photographer weighing radford you know and those two guys were really great friends and they know it you know? These guys are like a cycle pedis you know, I've been where you guys are I've gone to w p p I you know, years ago and here I am doing platforms in front of two thousand people you know and and then I'm thinking I don't need to go to another publisher and I know what I'm doing you know, the main that's I'm crazy you know like what I get so much out of you know going to a platform and seeing another photographer you know, seeing someone like jerry and oh bambi you know, I mean I get something from them always so never ever think that you know it all it's really important so the tonal reigns but also the point of focus is so important it remained think of that point of focus which really is that center of interest you know? So you gotta make the choice and the decision what is that center of interest you know always be conscious of that and I'll show you the tools like even in photo shop on dh hopefully during shooting that can highlight that center dangerous it's really easy you know you're going to like and I'm giving you like a favorite dodging burn action so we can just do that really simp really, really subtly but it's it's really cool so I can't wait to get to that so big right? So what makes a good photograph all of these exactly what I just said about those paintings makes a great photograph exactly all the same but for me, number one is impact so let's think about you know, some of the things that you think about what makes a great photograph and maybe if there's people out in little like I know there's two or three of you out in the internet land maybe if you can like charming and you know and uh tell me your thoughts you know, like what makes a great photograph to you because it's different for everyone the star revenge is there anything that you well and it's on your list? Of course, but you know when I see a photo and there's strikes emotion, whether it's somebody that's my family or some stranger that hired me but I look at that photo and I just feel emotion whether it's excitement or happy or sad or you know, interest or whatever it is that those in the photos that I say that's a that's a great photograph yeah, and and and he said some elements would mean that you think you know, when I'm looking at my own work on dh producing you think ok, you know, is there added things I'd love to add to this list a swell so any like and that's what I want to hear from from everyone as well let's add to this I'll get like a white board and we could just write it on the tv screen. I have a comment from online yeah great this's from ck es photography who says connection yeah, good one I think of course I'm not able to do it I'm going to get there one day though because I believe in myself I like simplicity amongst confusion I think that was great the picture of of the lady in the house yesterday that was exactly what I was hard about simplicity with the use of light in confusion and I love that yeah that's a great one because yeah I love that look and I've seen some some artworks and and you know some really great photographs where that's just you're right in it in that center of interest and just really comes out so and it really tells more of a story choke cherry and susan e both say that emotion makes a good photograph they think great photograph is one that evokes emotion yeah I agree and ills lucero says that the story makes a photograph and the right moment is what pair pair up c twenty twenty says and mellman says the wrongness of the moment it's excellent it's good I have those unexpected moments that you can't necessarily anticipate you do expect you know certain things that a wedding you know the couple to be excited too see each other as the bride comes down the aisle but like yesterday when you talked about that father of the bride that broke into tears of those things you can't plan and those were the most beautiful telling moments and I love when something just takes you completely off guard yeah I agree you know and that's what I was saying yesterday is that you can never like you know take time out you know I mean and when we're talking about the reception you know today is that once the speeches of finished you know we can't think about getting fed you know I mean forget about food you know, I mean, pull through because you know, straight after the speeches is when some of the most amazing moments happen but often it's the terrible thinking man it's been a long day I'd love to have something to eat but for me I remember like one moment and it was like, you know, like it was a moment that I missed, you know? And the little boy was getting ready with the girls and it was just the door was slightly ajar and I couldn't see the girls, but I could see him and the one of the ladies has put her bra on the bed and he's trying to pick up the bra and then, like, at the same time, puppet, you know, like course hilarious look, and I'm thinking, like, you know, like and then I kicked myself because I was thinking something else, and but I saw it happen and I was too slow and I miss that money an idea I literally kicked it myself, but anyway, but there's, what happened was amazing is that a little while later there was a mannequin outside and the dress had been taken off, and here he is like, you know, about to cut the actual manic in, you know, and I got that image, you know, I now did on and you know, what the funny thing is like could you imagine if I said how could you do I miss that? Could you do that again? You don't know mean like I'd be going to jail I think way like crazy, but those moments just you never know like it's always the unexpected at the greatest moments that you know as a photographer ends up being the most rewarding, you know? Yes, I'm expand on light a little bit I'm a sucker for amazing light and that's what I always try and improve my use of year after year but we'll always draws me in is when you've got a powerful image where it's not just the light is really pretty but where the light can enhance the mood and the emotion of the moment and everything that's already happening in the motion within the image when that all comes together yeah, I think that really makes an extremely powerful image yeah, definitely you know and yeah it's really yeah and like one of the things you could do if you want to if you find yourself in a situation, you could actually create that light like that and most amazing light so, you know, so we brought along today like like a pro photo pack to use outside tomorrow so it's just a poor warren and used like maybe one or two, you know it's been on hundreds or it's been on tens and you can actually create some incredible light we're just a small little kid and do that desk right? So when it happens and actually that's even better, you know that's what I love all right? So let's talk about like, you know, like I touched on this before, what is an artist and just don't get hung up on it, you know? I mean, it really, really is simple it's a really simple definition, the way we think about it, I think when I started thinking about it and in our terms and so forth, I just thought it was really complex I'm just never understood it, but really, when you break it down it's very, very basic again, it's just an extension of who you are and that's why I just think yesterday was so important, you know, and we'll continue a little bit on that today and tomorrow I'm going to share a couple personal stories of mine, and the only reason why I'm I'm going to share them is because I think it's so important for you guys to feel, you know, going to yourself and get out some amazing knowledge that will help you um she you know, better, you know, and be a better photographer and really understand, you know, each other so when this is an image that I that I took when I first was learning to be a photographer and I was very fortunate to, you know, travel through europe for six months and you know way took a long time off of work and even idea in australia you know, when back in I was working for the bank people I would work with would apply for twelve months leave twelve months and that would give it to them unpaid but they could go to europe and go travel it is a bit like a gap year, you know? I mean and I saw these people going all the time and I come back to their job and I was thinking, what have I done in my life? You know, my life sucks and I'm done nothing you know and he they've got had this huge adventure and so this you know, helped me really spurred teo you know, create a better life for myself and so me and my wife penny, we we just saved and saved and saved and we saved enough now when it came time to leave, the funny thing wass is that my wife is amazing and like, you know, in business she's just amazing and she's like the secret you know, the studio impressions you know? And the funny thing is that when she applied way anyone to go for six months is that she got twelve months approved leave when I applied they gave me three months for six months of proof like lee, so that was the best thing that they ever did, you know, why is because halfway through my trip, you know, me and my wife were in spain, you know? And we had to make a decision am I going to leave the bank and leave that secure job all that security and risk everything and be a photographer? I had one wedding bolt, which was six months after I was getting back I didn't know what I was going to do, but we talked about it and we say we're gonna do it, we made the decision, I stayed up so three o'clock in the morning, my friend gave me a hand, we had a few drinks I had to ring and they said, oh, marcus, that all the managers or in a meeting and I said, don't worry, I'll ring back tomorrow and I said, no, no, we'll put you through so they're having a big board meeting, you know? And I said, I'm resigning and I said, I can't, um we'll need it in writing to make it official inside, okay? And then so what happened was, is that I wrote out my resignation letter that night we had to drive and allah to send sebastian to go to a post office to get it back because it was it was facts and the facts was going to cost me fifty dollars the fax it anyway and on the way like I ripped it you accidentally ripped the paper and I didn't have any more paper and I thought I'm not spending fifty bucks to resign and so I mailed it but then I realized it was all ripped you know? And the thing was it was just a great feeling I felt free for the first time I was excited and my journey started as a photographer you know? It wasn't easy but you know we mean my wife we we slept in cars we slept in tents freezing cold however we did what we could to get through that three, six months I could just photograph and we didn't have to work, you know it's really rough but it was the greatest time of outlaws all we had was this backpack and oh, anything we own was in that backpack and it was this immense freedom you know, like even in now like we get all these things like you know, that we accumulate like tv screens and cameras of let lenses and everything but all I needed was my one camera and just that backpack and we spent the last two weeks in here in greece and we did a business plan we weren't out my dreams and her dreams our dreams collectively together form a being a photographer and that's all that business plan wants was that dreams you know I dreamed what I wanted to bay and I wrote it down I took that hime and we try to work out before we left what I could do and what I did is I thought, you know what I could so my images at the markets I knew you had a print I could set up a doc cream at hein you know when it seems I got hime I bought all these things tow you know, I make a stand printed through the night because I had you know, I couldn't print during the day because it was you know, like light would get through and that's what I did and when we're in here I thought, you know, it's going to cost a lot of money to have a market stand cost twenty five bucks and back then in brisbane was the most popular markets like five thousand plus people would go through these markets what our collective audience people relaxing so they people were buying these prints on the walls you know, like um then I thought you know what? I'll stick up some portrait's and I'll stick up some wedding things and then I got my first portrait job two weeks later and it was an incredible portrait you know, opportunity and then that's how my business grew I was in the markets I'm not embarrassed to say it we wrote in our business plan that I would be there a maximum of twelve months it was probably about six months in that things were ticking along so much that we didn't have to go to the market anymore. So what I found what was important about having a business plan that were full of your dreams is that they became your goals and that you said minimal goes like and then yearly goes and then five years continuous girls and it was all there and we did that, you know, in here and you guys can do it two is just write down your dreams and believe in what you want to do and then they become your goals and that lets you give you the foundation to work really hard at it, you know, and that's the thing you know, like that is the hugest difference from me being a banker to me, being a photographer hated the photography I mean no theo banking had depression for you know what I clocked in at eight o'clock and he's seen as I was allowed to leave it for thirty you know, like every lunch out like I would take the full lunch I would go down to the gym and work out it was great you know what happened when I was a photographer is that I would work eighteen, twenty hours sleep early because I had to I would eat breakfast I'll be thinking about photography I would be talking to people and I'm having a conversation with people but I'm all I'm just thinking about his photography you know my life now is just how much photography I just love it, you know and I would work so hard at it and I continue to do and because of that passion it makes the hugest difference that's are saying you say it's the key to success you don't have passion, you know going to be successful and it's also the difference what I said today you know you have the choice to be ordinary we have the choice to be extraordinary it's up to you you make those decisions and I learned that the hard way as well the onion person that's going to make it happen is you really at the end of the day definitely I'm really really blessed to have penny and she supports me and she's like, you know like my coach and you know she backs me up all the time, but sometimes she's not there, you know, in the only person that's going to make a difference is may and like I said, I always have challenges always along the way but and I have to lift myself are and overcome this challenge is so when we come back and thinking about us as a photographer and had dreams that's what I thought this trip was for may this was my trip and I shot this with black and white film and when I look at this image and like this, I don't see those dreams. And even though this is penny when I took this image for me it was representing me looking out to the future and so I painted it I painted it because it had so much life I chose the colors, you know, it was not that color. When I took that, I made choices of what I wanted to communicate to other people. I wanted to make choices, what I wanted to communicate to myself and remind myself off this trip that I took of my journey of where I'm going, you know, and each and every one of us can read something different into it and that's what's great about artwork, you know is that you read what you want to read into it, you make up a story, but I just told you my story so let's talk about just must have pretty your work? Yeah, if they just wanted to add how many people are in the chat rooms telling their stories about that when they left left their jobs or people that they leaned on in order to get through it. So it is really a universal story for all of us artists you know? And I bet you there's a lot of people at hime like um wondering when can I leave? Yes you know, I want to make the leap and always at all I would say is that if you love it so much you wanted so much then make it happen and you need to make that leap but you know and make sure to you go back to yesterday's footage you re watch it over and over and again and learn all those basics and get to understand because you need that you know, I mean, you need toe differential ate it ourselves like you know, the guys in this room they know how crowded our industry is and how tough it is to be really good at it but that doesn't mean that there's no room for other people like I said, like cream's gonna rise to the top and you have to be that cream there's a lot of people j f noble saying omg marcus I feel exactly the same I'm obsessed and show cherry sun's up very well by saying holy crap this is awesome that's great, fantastic all right, so let's think about muster pretty your work remember yesterday I was saying that our spending my whole life very early on, you know, producing every image to a work of art for the client and so to the point way I didn't have time to see clients that's crazy you don't you know and I land I like you know what I mean? And I moved on but I still kept the high quality of work because you know what happened it sets me apart from my competition I find it astounding but the secret is this is the greatest opportunity for you I find it out at standing that so many photographers do two things they don't edit their work before they show their clients they pretty much show it close or nearly just out of camera for one secondly that people outsource it now I'm not against outsourcing, but what I'm hoping to show you some workflow techniques is where you could take control because you need to really have your signature on those images not someone somewhere else in the world adding those images for you because they aren't you they haven't got your personality, they haven't got your vision of what you want your work to bay, you know, and I'll share how you could do that really easily today, but what I found is is setting yourself up so you're different from everyone else you'll look is different, but you're at least even just showing high quality work these people are going to talk about you. They really are they gonna go? Wow, look at that, you know, amazing, like a beautiful print, you know, on the on the wall that is advertising who you are to all their family and friends, that album so it's good needs to sparkle. It needs tto be different to what everyone else does, and like I say, we'll show doing and what happens that can diminish price becoming a factor, because if you look like everyone else, how can you be more expensive than everyone else? Does that make sense? So if you're looking amazing, you khun price yourself amazing, you can actually price yourself what you're worth, which is probably more important. Too often we undervalue our art, we undervalue who we are and what we should price ourselves. One of the problems I see in our industry at the moment is pricing is because what's happened is that, you know, people come into the industry, they get really good reputations and they get big follower ships, but you know what? Those people didn't have a price to start with, and the people following them think, well, I'm not as good as them, so I'm gonna price myself a lot lower, but if the pricing from what they're getting the information from is inaccurate what does that mean down here? I can tell you what it means. People go out of business, they don't survive. They may be in this industry for one year, two years, but that's in you really need thio make your own choices on your own pricing and you need to stick to it. You know? How about, like, a talking about photography when everything falls in line and you gotta believe in yourself, it's the same with pricing if you believe in your pricing, you know what the people enquiring with you will believe it as well. You know why is because you're setting yourself apart from your competition so price doesn't become as much as affected. It always will be to a certain degree. So it's not going to eliminate it. But it helps you be ableto price you where you probably should bay teo even just survive. You know, I challenge everyone. Teo, add up the hours. Honestly, off everything they do at a wedding day. All the preparation. You know, if you're doing the preparation that I talked about yesterday and imagine how many hours that is and you really should be charging for that all the postproduction, all the fine cause, all the emails, all the customer interaction. You should be paying for that they should be paying for that so you need to actually know all those hours up and you know I wouldn't be surprised if it adds up to eighty plus hours now even mawr in some cases some people are a lot more involved with the hours you know with their clients so maybe like one hundred twenty hours imagine if you're just charged fifteen hundred dollars you know to photograph a wedding you just one hundred twenty hours you know, someone at home maybe do a calculator and you know what that is per hour and I think you would be shocked you'd be really shocked what that alley right is look at that figure and ask yourself are you worth bad? Are you worth those freaks in a few dollars oh are you were so much more markets and twelve dollars an hour our twelve bucks now you know and what if you're pricing yourself a lot less than that? What if you're at five hundred dollars? E I just had a quick question because I believe you fully on you need to price what you're worth and have to believe in your pricing but what you know were and I'm not trying to speak for everybody but I'm experiencing that the general public sees me show up take pictures go home and now you tell them you know like when we say because I need every bride prior and I sit down with them but I don't want to say I'm price this way because I go out beforehand and I do this but how do you how do you overcome you know when they're like but you know you just you know I don't know if I'm making sense but you know what no definitely no it makes perfect sense so you do what you need to educate them you know you know in I don't want to talk to you much business but it is important you know because when you okay so when someone rings up your you know sends an email what's the first question they ask how much how much yeah how much ok when you're shopping for something you know and you're looking for a service what's your question how long is this going to last no no no no no I mean like what like you asked how much yeah you know why we asked how much is because we don't know what else to ask you don't mean you know because we uneducated about that process you know may know what photography is what's involved so it's important really not to answer that question straight up you know don't answer that straight up or you say you know we're starting from and but before you answer that you said um you start talking about the benefits that we do you start talking about them you start a conversation you know and this is where you know, I think it's really important, you know? And because then you try teo, engage them a lot more, then you start educating them and then you tell them the price because you've made a connection to start with all of a sudden it's not just about the price they're starting to like you as a person if you're passionate about it, they will start to get that passion in ago well, like this person you know and if like they've already heard someone half the price and they're thinking, you know, I love the passion in this person I love that passionate ancients just got so much energy, you know? And she seems actually going include so much more that seem important because you told her it was important you know what I think it's where spinning that extra money you know me so there's a lot of things that we need to do to be our to educate ourselves first so then we can educate the client as well. So so yes so it really is it's really important? So one of the things is it also creates a reason for people to talk about your work that's where a lot of our pharaohs like businesses is referrals, you know, like just like, you know, a photograph eon is waiting because I photographed her sister's wedding you know, and I think one of the reasons I photographed her sister's wedding is because a planner that loves our work referred us, you know, domain and because we did something right so you can see how all these connections can happen and how great business model can really eventuate, you know, and it also gives us the ability to be the complete professional and I really start to feel really strongly about that, you know, I don't feel like, you know, we're only doing half a job if we're not doing this side off the job, and this is where, you know, like, if you're investing time to deliver this is that again, leading clients know the art side of what we do is really important, so for me it's a drawing out the emotion, you know, and someone was saying that about the important aspect for me that's that's it it's drawing at the emotion about master printing it's highlighting the centre of interests that I'm going to show you, we can improve the composition, remove elements that a distracting because I'm going to quickly go back see, here there was like a bean, you know? I mean, I don't want the bean in my dream, you know, I mean, it was not like, you know, like a vision, I took it out you know so that's what we need to do is like think about like, you know, remove anything that had distracting improve the quality so how did I learn about all this? I was given this book buddy eddie if rems and I would encourage you to buy it even if you never ever going to go into the wet dock because getting into the psyche off you know, like these uh, people that printed you know you said it was a very touchy feely thing, you know, like, you know, like just going in and feeling the image dodging and burning you feel you've felt it, you know, it was like this this practice and so it just sort of talked about dodging and burning turning and this is the before and after and this is just using film so it's sort of form a is like to show you an example of how you can communicate your vision very simply is that I've lent rules along the way now this image I just love this image because I knew the relationships you know, I knew that she was watching her brother get married and she was either come with emotion. Now this is one of the reasons why I use a lot of natural light could you imagine if I had a flash and I just sort of flashed in there you know, I mean so even though the light is very low and dim, the quality of light is still there. Okay. Now, one of the things that I learned is that you need to rotate an image one hundred eighty degrees so you're so you can remove the subconscious element of how you look at images. Sometimes our brain is trained in away toe see things or forget about things that you know but memory came back to simplicity being one of the key things. If we can simplify this image because it is a very busy image, then it would allow us for when other people are viewing it to be really more enjoyable. So I flip it one hundred eighty degrees and analyze. Now where does my eyes look? Lie back down here and he should. So I think of it sometimes is painting with numbers, so I re rotated and I wanted I've already envisaged when I shot it because it's more of a journalistic moment that I want it in black and white anyway, because it's going to take away all the colors and that information so that's the image you know and what I did, I just climbed that image out, you know, I mean he's the center of interests, I lighten her to be the brightest part of that that area and then it was going across to the little boys, you know? And you wouldn't notice now that this is a lot darker so we can read that image we can see her emotion and that was done in literally five seconds five that's completely different every image it's a completely different image what would you have done if you showed the client that image the client would have just moved past it has been a special exactly the client would have just missed straight past it and didn't see the moment in how powerful wass only what I sorry I said what I notice about it is that I would be thinking when I captured this image in your head when you're just taking the image you're seeing the mom and just feeling it and and so like he said that when they go past it you just think, well, wait a minute I was invested in that image so it makes so much sense tow what you're saying hard to enhance it so that they see what you see yeah, exactly and you know, like this is where like, you know, like, you know, people like ansel adams and elliot oh and henrik oliver sauna but that would do that in the darkroom, you know, not necessary, klein that little corner out but there were just lied in dark in that areas you don't mean what they could have done is like, you know, like he's bleached a lot in a swell if that, you know, in certain areas or they could have used, like, really hard core burning in to get rid of that spot so would've been black, you know? I mean, so they did it, you know? And I think the more that we understand that it's always been done, is that it's okay for you to do it? In fact, it's important for you to do it, you know, because you gotta communicate what you saw, what you felt in that moment, you know, like and this is just a pure photo journalistic moment that I saw so you can't go in, you know, with big lights flashing and, you know, otherwise it would be come she would feel uncomfortable she would go off, you know, like they've just noticed that I'm feeling really emotional, you know? And then she become self conscious, you know? So so that's the idea. Okay, so, uh, let's talk about, like, a few examples, you know, like, this is way like I was the basic image that I took of raw, but that was my vision for that image, you know, and it was just bringing that in this was like a really simple image and it was just used to be out to do this in the dock grimace well in the wet dock cream is that because I wanted to strengthen the composition is that I just flipped the image and darkening and big netted and use a little bit of softening in certain areas was really simple there's no tricks, you know, it's just sort of our principles that I employed very quickly to be out of communicating exactly what I wanted to tell a story another example was this image this is the role image of that but I didn't want to I knew I didn't want o show people that but that's what I saw you know because it just now you see that sir of interests it's less distracting you know of the other elements but all the other elements add to the image and so that feel it adds to that moment the coloring adds to that moment you know I mean so it's important to know that not everything needs to be just normal color and normal back on wine you know show you today like you know techniques that you can just really change it and find something that suits you and you can do it like in a second you know it's really cool and in fact the presets that you can download and hopefully everyone's able to download them okay is that there's all different looks in there that we can just that they're yours to keep you know s o this is that the same sequence that air that image after they go to that tree they came back it was a beautiful shot and that's just the road far and this is completely only done in raw the rawr far only haven't even opened it up in photo shop you know so we can do that even erinn debbie camera royal through bridge or just before you get that role file open into photo shop all done through there also it was you could do it in light room as well you know so yeah really quick before you move on just a couple questions I am jennifer is wondering when you convert to black and white do you no longer include the color version for clients to only include that that final version on dh then judy bee photography or wondering if you when you've edited a photo like is dramatically as you do like the mother and the sons do you do edit it before they ever see it yeah so I've ended it before they ever see it okay so there's no second guessing okay so that's really important secondly was when you convert to black and white do you no longer include the color version or do you include both versions sometimes I don't clean by fishing any clean the black and white but this is the thing is that because I'm going I've engaged because the client's educated may remember yesterday I asked him to go on to my website onto the blawg and right click images that they like and also processes put it in another folder so I'll get a gauge of how much black and white don't do but also like to like that's my artistic freedom to like that and I tell them that you know, I mean I'm gonna feel what it means should be in the right sort of color space or black and white or tone now the good thing is and I just do it now it is extremely where I would honestly say it's extremely rare client would ever come back and I want that image changed ever or even requests the image you know, if it was black and white in color now we do because we have in our process before goingto album and when we're doing the design if we find that the images aren't matching up you know that they maybe in two colors and two black and whites where I would prefer it to be just seamless and just color or black and white or a vintage time through all those images then I will talk to the client say look do you mind if I change this back or that's when the client could say you know what? I love that image like I'm white but could we have that in color and that's when I'm getting their client involve involvements? I'm never saying no to the client but the clients also not asking so yeah richard marx had asked, do you have a rule that establishes whether you render a photo in black and white or color? I know you're kind of talking about the percentage of the hole but how do you decide how do you I get a feel like, you know, like more photojournalist iq moments you know? And if there's distracting colors you know, just ripped them out just make it simple, you know and just take it out so I think that's you know, for me it's really simple but saying that like I just I've been doing it for a while so yeah that's a feeling yeah feeling and some of the vintage times that we use you know, we wouldn't use it in certain areas of the wedding, but we would use it in others because it lent itself to it as well and also probably you know, the other thing is that sometimes like, you know, we're not cheating in ideal situations you know, like we have challenging locations and often those vintage times you know were given new life to it, you know, and well, we got like like I developed like, you know, I think six hundred pre cents now you know so there's like you know four hundred different looks and I go to those looks because it enhances those locations you know it makes something ordinary extraordinary you know so it could be a really great asset you know just to give you like a quick couple examples um you know just going and bringing out that's clouds now I was having a conversation with russ this morning and he was saying he loves seattle which I do as well it's really amazing spot and you're saying but clouds on very very defined and if you look here is that they're not ready to find eva but using dodging and burning techniques you can actually bring out that and make it a little bit more mysterious and you know so you sort of dark in here and you lied in there you know and do that and it's sort of a feel sort of think again you know I'm shaping the image I'm communicating what I want to communicate also again just train you tow a vintage time um you know it's sort of two this is one thing that's been challenging to our minds and thinking about a client is important is that I think about the client's perspective on what they would value that image okay and let's think about the value as we went along so this is the raw file okay now think about this what value would you put on that image from a client's perspective then just using a preset taking it to their then maybe using a texture dropping an in with the border and then that you don't mean and so you could just have your own look this is just one look, you know I mean so but just think of the perceived value between that image and that raw image you know and this is what you oh I see said for typical weddings you have four hundred images are so do you d'oh I mean these aaron do they all look like that that they they you proof? Um and and then how do you yeah, I know them I got something this here so I get from that to that and that is done in like a millisecond right from yeah, so that's just a preset and I'll show you how they like their work on like I say like you've already if you get the free ones and you can always just buy like our whole collection if you want you know and then you can just have all our looks that we just using this to you and now you can patch things teo also do textures as well, you know it's a little bit harder with borders but it is possible but we found that were being our to create some really cool borders within roll, you know, that it really cried and just really simple all right? So one of the things that is also important just talking about role is the difference between ron j peg I always shoot roll always and if you're not I really encouraging you to trenton swap over from j peg too raw you will get to understand shortly in the next session why that is because the quality is so far superior if you're doing actions in photo shop and you're just using eight mode and you're working in j peg what happens is that you create gaps within your images often at screen resolution you're not going to see those gaps but when you go to print something there is information missing and so thinking about you know your role workflow and and thinking about how you process your images you know what? Color space and what bit deaf they're in it's really area where you khun improve so much and I guess like I had this ten percent rule you know if I can improve everything that I do at every stage along the way by just ten percent that's a huge difference in quality at the end remember if I'm looking for something about trying to difference right myself in the market place producing fun, our prince and something amazing that's one way of doing it for sure all right so creating like workflow efficiencies is really important because could you imagine like working individual images on four hundred, six hundred images it's just can't do it, you know, remain like like like me, like learn from my mistakes, you know, like going to it. But one of the things we just do is I'll show you how you can just process for thumb now, martin, you know, a wedding to a certain level and then you can go into do dodging and burning in a cr and everything's done there on dh. Then you can out that way we have, like, like we found that we need images for different purposes. So we need one for the blogger. We need one for the slide show. We need another one to do album prince and so why go back every time to actually produce another run of those images? Why not do that? All at once? The same bridge? This is infomercial, but it so it's like a like a the image processor script in bridge, but on steroids. Yeah, and this is a script that your company studio impressions created. Yeah, yeah. And it's for selling your website. Yeah. Underwood's product it's called quick. Fly quickly and I'll show you how it works like because it's just so amazing because one of the most important things to do as well is water marking your images and so one of the things that we do is just sort of running through that and then we can have different things for slide shows you know, screen or blogger and also proofing as well so we could have like big artist proof go through that that image so any questions absolutely so marcus we have talked about black and white and the question came up from a wedding photographer who's from california and says could you talk about color? Do you look for complementary colors that your wedding locations and how much thought did you give to color with the images you capture? Yeah, color is really important, you know, like because the bride's gone too a lot of times great lengths to think about colors for a wedding, especially if she's got a planner involved as well, you know, they're going to be thinking about what matches and and so even from the bridesmaids dresses as well and so yeah, like I'm really looking for color and complimentary things again, you know, like if it's an important image and you're in a situation where you know like everything's working except there may be a vase or some flowers in the corner, you know, and it doesn't really compliment but you need them there or you haven't got time to move them you can know now that you can change the color if you need well, um back to when you're talking about the shot in the church samantha is wondering what do you mean by the quality of light is still there even if it's dim explain the difference between quantity and quality of life yeah, quality of light is where you know like that it's the way it's falling you know, falling onto the face like one of the I guess you know, the artist that I love pain is obviously you know is rembrandt you know? And if you study rembrandt lighting where you know generally you know it's lit from the side um and you get a shadow just hear like with the nose and it's just this tiniest little highlight just there under the under the socket and so that's what? I'm looking for its light like that you know or in some cases just flat lighting now you know so you can get that lot anyway, you know from any source but it depends on you know where the brides you know gene is facing and so unit would've noticed yesterday is that sometimes I asked her to move the chin, you know, because it was just sort of get that little catch like, you know, I mean, I was looking for that, you know, and it just becomes intuitive now you have your own star of light, you know, there's a lining sort of like where you like things um and you know, like when we had her up on the platform and the light came and it was just gorgeous the most gorgeous like you know I mean you know and I was just so excited I you know, I don't know if I showed it physically but you know, I was just like so excited going oh my god, this is just amazing, you know? And I feel like just well that's when it all comes together and you know, like you celebrate, you know, but yet light so it so it doesn't have to be a really, really bright light source, you know, hopefully will try to show that later today, you know will be I want to look for really dim areas I'll shoot a twelve thousand eight hundred s o and show you that light still maybe we'll just didn't try to do it with a torch or something like that, you know and just use even like some softness on that on the torch said like a pocket little touch so we could do that for sure there's a question from philip bamber photography who'd like to know what you do about mixed lighting situation it's because I know we talked about that yesterday a little bit, but in all the various places you go, I know you said practice practice, practice and the answer yeah you know what like okay first of all, keeping it all really simple is important, you know, especially in your workflow situation and I got to say, you know, like that's where black and white could work really well you know is that you just make it black and white and then if the client then wants it in color then you need to do the extra work now what's really great we've like lightning for and cia six now is that you can actually brush in you know, like the water and changed the white balance off those areas so it means that you could actually match it so it's perfect now other times you may want to use it as your advantage like if you're using like some flash and you like my use some color gels on dh it's different to sunlight then you can create like two different looks that could really bring at that center of interest so sometimes it can actually be an advantage, right? Well, you actually the rest of their question was do you find yourself making these images black or white or do you have a way of working it out in color so yeah, we can definitely work it in color but only if you need tio thank you very nice. Yeah um to watermark or not watermark you watermark on yeah do you do social networking on lee and yeah, the ones you give to the client not juan tomorrow so let's talk about yeah that's a great question about water marking okay, a lot of photographers out there would say don't watermark anything all right now those photographers often end up with the images on other people's websites for one you don't mean where someone's just unfortunately and it's a sad part about industry where their blood only taken them and put him as and selling them as your own work. That's one thing but, you know, like with pinterest on dh so many other forms, you know, is that, like, safe rinse and where, you know we'll have our wedding featured on june bug weddings, you know, a great great block, you know and say for instance, like, you know, if we don't have a watermark on there and then it ends up in five sort of times down the road and it's on pinterest no one really may know where that came from. They may refer back to june bug, but not to our website, you know, but if our water mark is there, you know it's important. So what if, like, you know, a bride in your area is, you know, looking at all these what photographers websites and, you know, trying to get starling images thinking about the starling of the wedding, you know, and copying and if they keep seeing your logo by the time when they think about are goingto find a wedding photographer there seeing your logo all the time, you know, eh? So I'm not saying, like, you know, give the client's images with watermarks, but if you're putting stuff on your website or your blogger and things like that and they can easily just right, click and say them like, I think they should be watermarked because it's ah it's an avenue that sell shit that happened to me? Yeah, they said no, no watermark and then I just randomly pinterest myself one day just to see and they were there is no watermark, but if they loved it in the comment, but when people start pinning them, they don't have to have the comment down there. Yeah, exactly, and it is like it's a challenge, you know, because they, you know, one of the things that you don't want to do is missing opportunity to get your name out there, but you, you know, so there is no right or wrong you just have to make a decision for yourself in that situation, but where you can water mark, I think you should be doing it because it's not going to hurt it really is. There's. No is like it's, not really huge. If it's just subtle, you know, and that's what we do without what a market is, just really something subtle people will see our images over and over again, and it just implants into their brain is that I've got a contact studio impressions, you know, because I keep seeing their images everywhere.