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Creativity in Photography

so you need to have beautiful marketing material you need to have you need to have your skill level up when it comes to the kind of pictures that you the pictures that you take learn an f stop from a bus stop understand direction of light and how to take beautiful flattering pictures of your subject but after that you need to take interesting pictures of your subject and photographs that cannot be taken anywhere else that I know is when people look at your website they go holy cow that's interesting it looks different and it's exciting and it's okay if somebody hates it you just don't want him not to have an opinion about it at all and so this is where I really like to give myself assignments about every eight weeks or so we have a thing that we got we call playing barbies in the studio now playing barbies is a day for me to work with my hairdressers in the community we do a lot of cross for money between hair salons and makeup artists and such and so we'll get together in fact as soon...

as I get home from malaysia which I'll be going to tomorrow I'm going to do a plan barbie's like the monday that I get back and this is what we're going to do the hair stylists and the makeup artist will collaborate and bring in models to my studio and it's the wood if well what if we do this I've always wanted to try this and they'll do really beautiful fun hairstyles and really wacky things and then me is a photographer this is a total play date the studio's clothes that day I will get a chance to play and do whatever I want to lighting wise I can practice different concepts that I want to try because I'm still growing as a photographer I'm still trying to new trying new things this is such a wonderful thing and what it gives you is it gives you an opportunity with no stress to practice new concepts and try something different so that you have interesting pictures in addition to your bread and butter things to show on your website because you want people to see on your website something that is so different that it screams in your behalf you want them looking at your website going holy cow I'm sorry but I can't go anywhere else this has got to be what this is what I want all my word I have to have this last year I booked my first one ding dubai on photographs one of the princess's wedding thankfully because of my website because it was I had some very unique pictures that that she liked very very much and it was an amazing experience and I want to go back so if you're in dubai and you're hearing this and your woman call me I want to shoot your wedding so yes darling when I look at your website do I see you I see your wedding stuff along side with your bambi tourist yes you will now that's a good question a lot of people don't believe in doing that but I do because I think it's all part of the same I want them to see that I'm not just a one trick pony and you'd be surprised it cracks me how many people will hire me for one thing and then they'll say oh my god I want you to do this and here's the the other flipside of the coin if you only show one thing on your website if you only show wedding photography this is the dumbest thing to be people go oh you mean you followed their families too hello authority do you be surprised if you only show commercial photography they think you obviously cannot photograph wedding or you obviously can't photograph children so I believe that it's all part of the same and I believe that's my personal mantra is that there's people here this is about photographing people and so I find that it's that I want people to see that so I don't have a problem with it and by the way the people that have the other side of the coin I'm sure they could be just as adamant about giving you a great reason why they do it the way they do it so I'm not saying this is the only way to do it or the right way it's just what works for me and the way I like it yes baby I just want to chime in with a goal from dubai says bambi I would love to be your assistant and dubai teo look for goal when you go there you go okay I'll keep that in mind so okay so here is so anyone getting to the point so one of the things that I've started doing is I always like to think well what can I do to surprise a client what can I do that in addition to the normal kind of photography that I do when somebody comes in to just blow him out of the water I want them to come in and and I want them gabbing about me when they leave I want them going that was the craziest thing I ever did in my whole life it was just so old what fun because the experiences as important if not more important than the actual photo shoot so I started this thing as a result I must say I have to give project runway and project accessory I have to give them credit for this because they're the ones that really spurred me on to to creating my own things so I have started creating my own garments for people to wear I don't think you have to spend a thousand dollars I think you just got to think out of the box so what we'd like to do now are we ready guys to show them the short video clip and it's going to show you guys a real short video of what we created I like working with random products in different fabrics and stuff so we start with our model wearing just a basic slip to cover up the goods actually kind of like that that's kind of cute as you notice were kind of covering her brother her bust up a little bit and we're going to create something very different and very random uh with her notice the way her makeup is done it's in keeping with the garment that she's going to be wearing that's really good so use newspaper ink for eyeliner what was that yeah newspaper ink for eyeliner so basically what we're using is we're using I love that yeah we're using newspapers and we're using duct tape black duck tape so the moral of the story is that I started creating garments for the models to wear it for my my client's toe wear out of really crazy random pieces I've done it out of um newspaper this one was a combination of newspaper and also comic comic magazines and then I've done some out of trash bags I've done some out of uh tinfoil and such so let me bring jenny poo over here and let's show you the finnish resolve okay jennifer just relax for a moment and what I want you to see just bring your hands like write upon your waist for a minute and all this is by the way people the only thing holding this dress together is black duct tape you see it does hold everything together ideally if I had a choice I'd put it on just a regular on a form I'm not on a person I don't I don't need to have the slip on but this makes it very easy so that you're not taping to their body I don't want to take to the shape so basically we taped the newspaper all the way around her waist as you saw in the video and then I went back I felt that it was a bit too static and it was a bit too straight so then I went back and I just started tearing the newspapers a bit to just take it from being so so perfect and so literal I put this piece down here in the front of her just for a little bit of fun we can take it out if we want to and then I have just to break up all of the newspaper I just took some black tulle and I tucked it in randomly let's turn around q t so we can show them the back so and I have to say the first time I made this the model that I put it on you turn towards us now she went she went oh my god to spare me she says I like that so much she goes I want to wear that out to a club so you could do it and the last thing you could do to that could be really cool is if you had like a piece of black ribbon you could put a piece of black ribbon ideally I'd like to use flat black tape flat not shiny I don't like the shiny black tape as much as the flat you just need something that sticks and it's super super easy this part right up here you just basically take the can I have some something grab me some of the paperwork I'll just make a real quick demonstration and this kind of project this kind of a project that you have your client you it took us probably fifteen minutes to do this let's try this first well let me have that too big okay so here's the newspaper all you do with the newspaper it's just a whole sheet you know a double sided sheet of the newspaper and then you just take it and you twist it just a little bit so that it looks a little roughly and then you tape it um onto the product oh I'm not gonna actually do it so here we go so you can have that back and then for the bust I want to be I want to give it a little bit of a little a little shape in the front so you just basically crumple it a little bit like this see how that goes and then we'll bring it up under here and we tape it right down here so we can give the bus line a really nice shape so it's a really easy thing to do and I'm here I'll take this from you can give us yu um and then the results are really fun and interpretive I did a session outside a couple of weeks ago in my by the by the lake close to our studio and it was absolutely a blast and this is the kind of product when you do this for a client can you imagine when this girl goes home and you've done a portrait such maybe she's a high school senior and she goes home what do you think she's going to tell her parents about session do you think she's going to tell them about that stupid cap and gown she war do you think she's going to tell them about oh I wore this beautiful blue draper I think know she is the first thing she's going to a school show oh my goodness you should see my photographer blah blah blah blah blah she wrapped me in you know in this in newspaper for goodness sakes can you believe that you have got to see the pictures well guess what happens everybody starts talking about that and the first thing when when they end up on her facebook page or you know she gets her pictures from you that you cannot buy that kind of press so it's not about the garment it's about the experience and what it produces for you you kids do this and I promise you it is you were going to call me and you were going to say baby I cannot believe it is the most amazing thing I've ever done because it gets people talking about you now I would probably recommend maybe don't do the newspaper thinks that's already been done uh can I tell you right now don't do trash boxes honey hour you got that one down too and I also got black too and I also have tinfoil down so you gotta find something different but the cool thing is and this is where it comes in it's like it's part of the creative process see that's what this is about you know people sometimes cracked me up because I think okay photography is just that it's this right here in front clicking the lens done it and it up but that's not what it's all about you see I believe that all of these kinds of things hairdressers photographers makeup artists were all artist it's all part of the genre the the fashion designers that is an art form it's an absolute artform and so I believe that all of this is part of that creative process and what happens when you start creating garments like this and you just do something crazy like this it stimulates the artistic side of your brain and then someday when you're photographing a wedding it'll you'll be reminded maybe it'll be the color between these two pieces right here these two little cartoon pieces in her dress or it's something in black tulle you'll see this little feather or something that and it'll draw you to this experience which will lead you to a new creative thought and that's what I'm looking for is I'm trying to stimulate my own thought process so that in normal life I can use it and transition from one step to the other this is kind of like the cotton candy this is total cotton candy and this is like like steroids ok but I find a way to incorporate the concept of this into a normal regular process at the end of day I'm not I don't care all if they like it or hate it as long as it's part of the experience and so it's so much fun I'm not getting you this is like the most fun you'll ever have and I challenge every one of you people out there here's what bambi cantrell wants you to do I will put it on my block I want all of you out there to create a two minute video on you can use video or any of those things youtube whatever and maybe we could do this even through creative live and what I want you to do is I want you to chat I want to challenge you and I want you to create something a garment of your own for your model to wear guys I especially want to see it from you because I want to see you kick my butt I want you to do something different creative and I'd love to see how that impacts on you know who cares whether it comes out perfect or not it's not about perfection it's about the experience and it'll be so much fun to have any questions about this so far I bet we're getting tons of questions on everyone's really liking how this is very international like no language where everybody can do this the only thing okay for you guys that air in france I really want to do this look in france newspapers and I cannot find french newspapers anywhere and I've been to even to new orleans where hello we have the french quarter okay hello if that's not french what is right so I've been looking for new orleans and in january oh good I'll get me some french newspapers for my my dress because there's just something about the sports section here when it just doesn't work for me so anyway there'll be a lot of fun bambi a question from um let's see what that new pinky pinky do you ever think that potential clients will be put off by couture photos yeah yeah they might I don't want that and you know what it's okay if they don't like it as long as they don't if they're not if they don't have an opinion that's all I care about you see I don't it doesn't I think being having somebody hate something is a good thing because if they hate it that's the opposite of love it and it's all right you know at the end of the day I'm not going to die because someone doesn't like a picture I take but I can promise you that if I don't push the envelope no one is gonna like any pictures I take is there going to be boring so that the tradeoff to me is just so it's so worth it to push yourself and you and not be worried about whether somebody hates a picture you take or not I'm not getting the first ten years I was in business I was so hung up on perfection and making the perfect picture just like everybody else and so I was so competent competitive competition minded and trying to make it all perfect that my pictures were so boring it was just awful and I didn't even enjoy the experience and nowadays I like it it's okay and if somebody doesn't like it's like okay they just have not they just said they don't have a sophisticated palate like I do that's how I look at it so you know it's ok at the end of the day that's what makes the world go round and I believe this if they sell vogue magazine your town this'll work you know even everywhere I mean I'm from columbus georgia really small tanner was used to be when I was a young one that was you know it was a very small town and you know they sold vogue magazine in my town was buying that magazine there so I always say you know maybe we are have our own personal hang ups about certain things and we need to get over ourselves and move forward and just be free and I'm not saying I'm not making that it's a statement on on anything that's inappropriate or vulgar but as an art form let's just enjoy life because this is just part of the fun of being an artist is enjoying the different kinds of textures and and experiences that people can have in a good away and there are so many negative things in our world and so many negative you know photographic experiences is such let's give them something fun given something talk about in a good way another question when you photograph something this creative do you ever posted and pinterest no I don't usually post on pinterest I usually put him on my block and I think I've got some on my block right now from the session I did outside I've got videos on my my bloggers well controlled portrait dot com backslash blawg yeah because I I love doing this to me that's part of things speaking of videos I also think videos are really an important element for us to incorporate in what we're doing as a photographer and and I'm not saying they have to be perfect you can use your little iphone if you need to but it's a great way for people to see your humanity I have a character that I created her name is bunny star and bunny star is she's kind of like my little alter ego and she's a very crazy little old lady and on my boy website on my block if you go to my block go to video she'll see bunny stars one of many stars videos and you know what's really funny I have booked two weddings as a result of that video and when you see bunny story you'll go you've got to be kidding really but it's because people saw it and they thought it was hilariously funny they said you know what you've got a personality I liked that I've gotta have you no heart and heart he was a photographer and the whole my goal is to give people so many reasons emotionally toe hire me emotionally you see there's always a logic you know oh this was so much more expensive than this one but again if it's just if we're just comparing toilet paper then why not by the chief of stuff and there's a reason why people want to buy charmin toilet paper and not the rest of those brands because think about but if it makes you feel kind of special and you know you know and or that other company that has the little the the little teddy bears you know that they use and so forth so the moral of the story is this the reason why advertisers do what they do and the way that they try to get people interested and it's even interesting the progressive insurance company or geico why did they why's that guy ko cup why they used that little that little critter yeah the gecko and why do they make their their commercials funny because they know that if they do that people will see them as a human being and then they want toe they'll actually maybe buy something stupid that we all hate to buy like life insurance or health insurance we don't want to do that I mean that's ridiculous and yet we will and we like that little progressive guy he's so cute the little girl that's that's in the little store she's a darling who would not want to buy from her so okay anyway moving along one more question and then we're gonna go to take some pictures all right great being one who was wrapped in tool yesterday yeah how'd where does that come from like you literally made a mermaid dress with tool and me spinning around and safety pins and you know what I can't tell you where it comes from I will tell you this that I have been sewing since I was like ten years old we were very poor and so if I wanted to have anything I had to make my clothes when I was younger I love fashion if I was not a photographer I would absolutely want to be a designer I love love fashion and I just think it's a really it's another beautiful creative outlet so this actually this crazy stuff started because I just was laying one night and I could not sleep and it just started haunting me about things that I could create as it was on project accessory they were using like things from you know from a garbage can or something I don't know what it was about all I remember going with it just haunted me I was like we'll have that such an interesting concept what could I do is a photographer you and why should I want to because it's all part of the creative process and it kind of starts to thinking in a creative vein and when you start thinking in a creative vein it can't help but motivate you to do something further so to me the side bet and if it is the fact that clients talk about it and they love it and they go oh my gosh I can't wait baby is going to do that little newspaper thinks she does her she's gonna she's gonna create a dress out of out of garbage bags for me today and I'm so excited about that you know they start seeing that and it makes them real excited that's him he's the icing on the cake to me this is all of this is the one time I'm doing something for me because I want I need to be able to stimulate my brain and every time I get in a rut where I get bored with what I'm doing and I feel like I'm a loser because we all feel that way at times you know we do what we feel like I just I can't even butter my bread correctly it's just you know I can't do it then this is a great way for you to get to cleanse your soul it's great cleansing that's exactly what it is you I love fashion and I just felt I've got guard yeah it's it's very fun it's just a blast