Lessons

Lesson Info

Class Introduction

So I really am excited to be here wanting to share my passion for photography you know, with you or end you know and also when I think creative life for bringing me here and sharing this is actually the third workshop that that I've done I'm a working photographer and I don't get a chance often enough to share you know, marginally so I'm really excited that in this beautiful forum that I'm able to do that I really wanted to think the six or ten days here you know mean penny my wife we went through all the videos that were submitted and we hand selected your because each and every one of you have something special that we saw and you know, we just think that you guys are amazing and thanks again for coming along so I want to first of all share a little bit about what it means to me as a photographer and this I want to share a story with you to start with and it's a little bit on insight into the philosophies and thought about how I go about what I do so I'm going to share a story it was...

a very recent wedding and it's the honor in one and they had two weddings the first one wass out at just about an arrows that sort of sydney in barrel it's a beautiful part of australia and the second one was in china and one of the things that they did was you know they sent me an email just before I came to creative alive and so I want to share that with you and I'm just going to read it read it straight from her m o she says demarcus these are absolutely beautiful after the wedding even during a wedding hundreds of photos from friends, iphones and deal assad's appeared on facebook, twitter and instagram I thought I'd seen them all but these are absolutely refreshingly new one and I both agree that some of the best moments at our wedding day we're just spent with you in the paddocks these moments were just magical the chinese audience will be gobsmacked by days and I can't wait to show them she then went on to say you know something that was really special to her a series of that was significant and I took a sequence of shots and I wanted tio just share with you that sequence because there was one image that really stood out to her that has naturally assumed a leadership role in all his relationship throughout his life to me his only child he has certainly being an unwavering pillar of strength and inspiration he has seen me through my weakest and most vulnerable this photo however managed to capture and I'm president role reversal dad has never rested his head on my shoulder before, so this simple and fleeting gesture is stating meaning it speaks of vulnerability trust relief and acceptance which was everything I felt from him a nice two seconds my facial expression and tie grass showed perfectly that I was both scared of leaving him and resolved to show him I will be just fine it is also enlightening you managed to catch a suggestion of a small on beds cheek so regardless of the complex emotions exchange between father and daughter this image to me is about joy and that's what I love about what we get to do you know it's such a special thing that were invited into these people's lives and we're out with to experience that and be able to capture these moments and this is what I love wedding photography so much and this is what I want to share with you over the three days is how powerful and incredible wedding photography is you know it's these stories that I want to capture it every wedding I got to and so over the next few days I'm going to show you some technique certainly but also I'm going to try to get you the practical side as well and give you any insight into that this is that image this is that image she just so much loves this is deanna's defining moment and sometimes it's photographers we can get so caught up and think about what we love this photographer's technically you know composition, lighting you know the moment and insightful but often we forget about who is most important and that's our customer, a couple that were photographing these air their moments and this is why we're there to be able to capitalize so you've got to do that. We need to be out of connect with our client. We need to be able to make sure that we understand who they are, gets annoy them as much as possible so we can identify moments when these things happen that we can capture them because I was the only one really that noticed that whole sequence happening at that wedding and I was able to no the importance and the significance other and b I want to capture that and that's what I want to share with you over the next three days is how we can do that how we can, you know, bring a piece of us to the wedding day that enables us to see these things. So the best way to explain this is to share a little bit about me a little bit about my experience a little bit about my story. This is my dad. This is a reason why I mean photography and you know, over the next few days, you know, I may reflect on how significant this is being for may, but it was his influence and he's interest in photography that led me to where I am today you know when my grand parents passed away you know and I was a wreck in the early nineties and I came across this box full of photographs and in there I came across these images just like this and I was just wild, you know, because at the time in the early nineties the most I guess mice photography you know, it was a bit I would say stay or very staged were no story, no feeling and then I came across these images enough full of life taken into the nineteen fifties and it really just resonated with me like a little spot went out, you know, it caught my eye, you know, at the same time I went to a friend's wedding and had a professional photographer that for one reason or nobody just actually didn't think that was very professional it'll you know, I just guess I had high expectations, you know, when I was attending that wedding and how he conducted himself but more importantly and my friends felt this is, well, the people the couple that were in the photos is that those photos didn't even represent who they were they didn't even given inside it all into their personality, you know, it's I want all pretty photographs really it didn't mean anything to them and so this was another significant thing that happened this is me, sadly enough back in nineteen ninety six man like I'm so glad I'm not this person anymore probe for many reasons but I was working for a bank probably I ran this time about six years seven years and I honestly found its soul destroying every day I was there I just hated it in fact you know, I was talking to one of my best mates like back at home the other day and it reminded me you know and we used to sit there and we planned like our both of us were planning like something new and exciting for each of us that was going to be life changing we're going to go over to europe and you know and travel for a while and it's where you know really became a photographer and but before then we would spend half today bringing each other telling each other how much we hated each other's jobs you know, you know, it was just and like, you know, my wife was looking at me and through that time and she just noticed me as a person declining, you know, it's getting more and more depressed I was living for the weekends in fact I didn't even feel like I was living most of the time I was locked in to somewhere that I hated and I guess because at the time you know people said like, you know, you got to stay at this job you know you've got benefits you know you've got like a solid wage you know you're stupid for leaving but you know what? I just knew that I had to make a different part of my life and that's where photography got into it and I felt so right and then I came back to this my dad passed away when I was a teenager and he left me with with his camera and three manuals on photography plus some other things and from there my journey started as a photographer and as soon as I picked up the camera like I think like many of you it's like this bug that hits you it just pulls you in and you just want to keep photographing you wanna learn you want to keep going and I can honestly say that's exactly the same now it doesn't matter wherever I go get to I'm always looking for I'm looking how I can better myself how can I be better and it all started you know about seventeen eighteen years ago when I first picked up that camera you know there's a lot of hard things about what we do thy you know and we gotta come over challenges all the way one of the things that happened and I didn't tell people this for a long time is that when my father was in photography business his business failed any went bankrupt and you know I like it any guy or son or daughter my dad is my hero, you know? And here I am thinking here I want to pursue this career but how could I be successful at that if he failed you know and for that for a long time really was an issue for me so probably in the first two, three even four years of business I had to overcome that because I was failing because I guess I felt that how could I be successful? So I was just so lucky to have the support of penny to support me encourage may be there you know and for the first couple years I made like a twenty thousand dollars as a loss and it was only because of her that I was able to get through and then the next year later you know, I turned around you know and I was making twenty thousand dollars and this is probably working like eighty, ninety hours a week you know, it was ridiculous so those things had to give things have to change I had to believe in myself and as soon as I started believing in myself things changed. But you know, as photographers this huge sacrifice that we give you know, like I said, I'm a working photographer last year you know, I shall fifty two weddings you know, all around the world and the studio shot probably thirty forty more I love it I loved every one of the eyes you know there is a huge costs you know, as photographers as well and so sometimes like I'm divided because here I used to work in a bank that I absolutely hated you know? But then now I get to do what I love you know, like I would just do a twenty four seven if I could but you know, I got time just after my last trip just after the wedding in guam and penny turned to me and I was saying I mean that's fifty two weddings and she just said, you know what? We miss you because I was holly high you know? And sometimes I get drawn from what I love doing but as wedding photographers you need tonight that there's a sacrifice that you give each and everyone of you so much time you give to other people's families and friends that you're celebrating with them and not your own family so sometimes there's a cost luckily for may my photography gives me so much, you know, it's like caption that image off deanna how it means how fleeting that moment wass but now she can cherish that moment forever and as you'll see and I actually will reign dinner after that corn what's chatting and chatty and one of the reasons why I saw that moment is because I reflected on my own life I remember when I was about eight years old and going to my brother's wedding and you know it was a bad time I think was like the eyes not the wedding was a bad time but fashion was a bad time like I remember my brother in a brown suit and the big fluffy sort of provide you know I mean it was crazy you know and after the wedding night like my granddad he is a stern as I come had never hugged me ever never told me that he loved me and he went up to my brother and he just touched him you know, on the side of his arm and just nodded and in that moment gone it's like he loves us he really loves us he never shows and it was just so subtle so when I see something like that on with dion is wedding is that I connect with that immediately I see that love I know how important it is filled you know how often liken allies have we felt vulnerable you know, wondering about and spend our lives wondering you know our parents going to really really tell us what they mean to us some people go their whole life and they never get to hear it but you know it weddings what I loved is people tell each other how much they care about each other it's amazing it's just so incredible so I want to share with you, you know that you don't have to feel like that person in that photo is that you can reach up and grab it and then I understand a swell because it's taken me a long time to get to where I am today and it's still challenges there's always challenges coming you know my way and that I have to overcome them and that's where you gotta rise above each time and pick yourself up from the ground and just keep tell me you know, because there's a lot at stake, you know? And the reason why there's a lot of steak is that because I don't want to go back to that, you know, I just can't you know, it was just so I'd never want to go back to that place, but one of the things is that about wedding photography is that you have to be here for the right reasons, you got to understand that this is a once in a lifetime event for the people that you're photographing and if you get it wrong and you don't understand exactly what you're getting into, you know, I believe that you're doing yourself a service, but you also giving that couple a disservice because imagine if moments like those ones that I've shown you already just went uncap chards sure, you know, the couple will still feel it but imagine giving them that gift off those images that brings them back exactly to that point in time you know that that that love with your partner you know my marriage is tough it's so hard it's like a you gotta work hard at that you know what like you know I think of a couple twenty years from now just things aren't going right things were really hot but they look back at a moment in how they looked at each other they take him back to that day and go man I love this guy you know when people are gone you know like people pass the grand parents or parents I can go back to that moment and go I remember that moment I remember that day it was just incredible and I've got this memory and that's what I believe that each and every one of you have a gift and if you want to be a wedding photographer it's an incredible journey and offers so much and you know if you really believe in and you really love it so much is that hopefully over the next three days I can give you as much inside into creating powerful images that where you are giving a true gift to the people that you're photographing so when I started photography you know I was off you know and went on different directions and at first I love photographing landscapes and streets photography and that was really my passion at the time and wedding photography I like that, you know, I really did, but it wasn't my true passion but then I went to a seminar and saw these great international photographers you know, commercial photographers and saw this amazing body of work throughout the entire day and naively I went up to them afterwards because I've seen this incredible man and I had this burning question I wanted to ask him and I said, man, this is just incredible work I love it and I said, when do you get the time to do the work that you you love doing? You know, like I said, I was nine they just looked at me blankly and I said, what do you mean? I said, well, you know, I like this is incredible in u sai busy when you get the time to do the stuff that you really love and still that you know like didn't understand and he said to me he said, marcus everything that we showed you today that's how passer that's, what we love photographing this is what we do and it was like this huge sledgehammer that just hit me and for the next five days I run away and thought about what I guess the space I was from is that I come from a real basic working class background when I grew up in all the people around me they didn't they would never say that you could do something that you loved and get paid for and this is what this photographer told me he said you know what we do what we love and it just happens that we get paid really well for it says we live in the dream you know, in here I was thinking my dream is photography but I was filing it and the reason why I was failing out is because I realized the thing that I did like doing was the landscapes in the streetscapes and weddings was paying the bill and I have to even make the decision off which way I was going to die and why was felling is because I didn't have the passion in the weddings that I was doing and so what I did is that are brought everything that I loved about landscapes the big open wide picturesque places and I decided to bring that into my wedding photography I took everything about emotion and the storytelling elements about in the streetscape stuff that I love doing I brought that into my wedding photography all of a sudden I loved it weddings became the thing that I loved most doing and there was some like, you know, twelve years ago and it's still exactly the same and as soon as that happened my business started taking off because what I was doing at the time was something totally different totally different to what other people were doing you know and I was told also that you couldn't do that you couldn't do the star photography couldn't even do this sort of business techniques that I was doing at the time so how many times have that's been told to you guys you know they don't do it that way you can't do it that way you know, you know the saying that you look your styles different it's off you know, the main everyone's doing this you need to do that you know what if you go now into business books and learn all the greatest things about business and being successful is that you need to be different to what everyone else is doing you need to be different you know because if you're just going to d'oh and b what everyone else is doing you're just a bad copy of that and you're not going to stand out and that's where I was lucky you know is that I found this passion that I love what are doing and in people loved it and we started booking more and more weddings now things were far from perfect you know, if I'm honest I'm not really that great a business you know I'm not but what happened was is that my photography was and has always bean is the foundation of our business and you know, like I just because I came from it like a find out background I just loved working every image to the point that you know, I was spending the whole week, you know, just working every image so I was never ever seen had timeto be with couples or clients and so I had to learn and gradually over those three, four years is that I made changes I saw and it was out of eventually identify things that I was doing wrong and I was also seeking advice, you know, but outside the photography world, you know, and as soon as I think started to happen, you know, I started progress and it's been a slow journey, you know, over a long period at a time just so I can do what I love doing and it continues to be that way so I want to show you something in a second about I'm going to definitely take you through some technical aspects, but one of the things that I think that will really make a huge difference is drawing on your own life experiences, you know, because I believe that your photography should be an extension of who you are personally and when you look at it that way it's going to make you unique because you're going to see the world so different to the person sitting next to you totally different you know and then what's going to be great is that people that are looking for you and want your star they're going to be attracted to you because you're different you're letting yourself in the marketplace and it can be just as easy as that expressing who you are continually and that's why we're going toe have ah over the next three days is a like a contest is I want to hear your stories I want to heal stories about you know, some of the challenges that you face both personally and in business or I want to hear a personal story about you know what? Maybe you've seen at any means just like I would mention about like my granddad about just that slight touch of a hand and now on a wedding day I see that I wantto you to tell me about your story as well and I want to hear that story from all around the world wherever you are I want to know how you got to where you are even or where you want to be and what your dreams are so I want to show this photo with you so this is kimberly the bride and when you first look at it you see like a fun photo booth moment just a random moment at a wedding but I want to tell you it's so much more than that that is image of the bride is with her brother brenton and what I love is that her little niece is like looking at it wondering what the hell they're doing in that photo booth then across the ways another little niece and her uncle you know, just sorting out the photos and looking at the ones that everyone else has done that night and behind them is another uncle on and in fact that uncle he's a godfather so when we first think of that image is that we think of it as a simple photo beef but this is a monumental moment for kimberly that I was able to capture and I knew that that's why I ran across part of the room to get that shot because I knew those relationships I knew the people and that's what's important about we need to know who is there on the wedding day it's like a like a football you match you know, like the super bowl you know is that you need to know the place you know the players and the play's ahead and you need to know everything about that it's no different on a wedding day is that you need to know who everyone is there, their relationships what's up and you can learn those easily little by little and even on the day itself you'll get little bits of information from the very first phone call or scott core email that you get from your couple and you could just drop those downs and all I'll talk about how we can really plan for weddings, but I start this up on our facebook business page this image lots of people loved it like that, you know, and in a photographer got on and made a comment and said, you know what? I don't know I don't get this image there's a lot going on, you know, it's very, very busy and knowing may if, you know, I mean, like I would just sort of, you know, not worry about it and just ignore anyway, the next day I got that kinds of facebook is just having a quick look in a notice the bride got on and made it coming so that comment she right love laughter and a family inside joke is what's going on? I just loved kimberly's response because that's, what I saw and that's what was most important as well, it sometimes, you know and and I get caught up in this sometimes as well, you know, you go over, you know you're at home or you're at the studio, you know, at the office and you get onto a photographer's blawg and you go, wow, look at those amazing shots, how can I do that? You know, like, I'm not good I'm there you know what I mean? I get I'm really fortunate I got some amazing photographer friends or in the world some of them like a really really well knowing and it when we're on one on one and we just might be just having a you know, a quiet beer one or just going off shooting together we were opening up on will be honest to each other and those say to me or I'll say to them and I'll say you know what? I just don't know where my photography is at the moment I just don't doesn't feel right you know, I like I feel like I'm not good anymore you know what these are some of the greatest photographers in the world telling me this and you know what? I saw it and I go I know exactly what you may I feel exactly the same and he thinks you know that you know, these great photographers you know that they think everything's perfect it's not but one of the most important things to know is that is because if we believe in ourselves too much is that where we will stop if we're not continuing to learn that's where we'll start and that's where we will go back to that passport photo because we will lose that we'll lose our passion for what we do and so we're continuing learning just like you guys always lining, always trying to be inspired but one of them things that is really important tonight is that when we're photographing a wedding is that we're not photographing for other photographers is that we're not trying to impress our fellow photographer the most important thing that we're off who we've got to impress who do you think it's right the bride the green the mother of the bride and the groom everyone at that wedding is the most important person that we've got to impress and that's all you got to remember is that you constantly remember that it doesn't matter what some photographer thinks about your work those photographers and not going to put food on your table you know if we get caught up I was you know I was really fortunate todo a destination wedding and when I dio try to catch up with some photographers and photographer that I really love and marries work was was saying to me that you know we just had a conversation last night with his wife and then he felt like that he started to lose his way because he was entering competitions you know around the world and and then he was going to weddings and starting to think about these competitions and he found himself starting to shift the focus and when he was shooting I was thinking at the back of his mind about all because she it is for the competition this is going to be well and he lost focus and his wife sort he said, you know I'm seeing something just not just there at the mine now this guy's just sort of passionate and I have a huge respect for it and he started seeing and then he saw it as well and totally change he forgot about the competitions he forgot any room refocus on what he does best is capturing amazing moments for he's brought in green and the people at the wedding and it's so important to remember that also you know, is there sure like competitions are important but afterwards you know, I mean when you're reviewing your work, you know you might come across the name age but you know what? American nine times outta ten like if you saw that like on award winning image is that you know, that probably isn't the bride and groom's favorite image you know, photographically is probably right, but what does it mean to the couple? But this is where I want to capture moments like this and I want the couples to feel that I want the couples to remember it and that's what I believe is our even moral obligation to deliver to our clients, you know, so there is a huge importance about being a wedding photographer and I believe if you're not feeling that way then I think wedding photography is not for you and just like me is that if you questioning it then you have to ask yourself the big question and you even change and become hugely passionate about it or simply just choose another part of photography, you know, it's ok, but the good thing is that to know to change now, then leave it five years and no during that five years is that you weren't able to really deliver truly for these people because remember, they only get one crack at it, you know? You get another go next weekend and it's, one of the things that I always keep in the back of my mind, is that sure, you know, we got a good reputation, we've got a good business and I could have an off day, you know what what I believe in is that I know and I have to live with is that if I have that off day, that couple has to live with that for the rest of their lives, and that doesn't sit well with me and that's. The attitude that I bring to every wedding is that when you get to a wedding, you have to be on you have to, like, you know, immediately, like, take charge with yourself to know that you're going to deliver the best possible results that day, no matter what's happening in your life, you know, no matter if you got up and you did something wrong and you having an argument with your wife or you know, vice versa and you know you're gonna forget about that you're gonna put that out of your whole system and you gotta put your game face on you know and that's so important so this is where who's to your impressions is it's not marcus bell you know I don't trade on the marcus bell it's studio impressions photography and I have six amazing staff members that and also an amazing wife that work in the studio and makes geo impressions happen in each of them feel exactly the same way they're passionate about photography and about what they're doing even like our people that look after I'd mean a photographer vis now in a business way it's probably not the best way of doing it but you know what is that I have people at the studio that a passionate about what do they know in my passion? And even though I drive them crazy a lot of the times you know is that they support me they believe in what I do and as a result I believe in them a swell so one of the things that I want to let you know is that the foundation ofthe studio impressions photography is what it is that's the photography you know, like I'm not brewing at marketing I'm not brilliant at networking I'm not you know oh I don't know we're going to talk about like personalities later is that you know like I'm not exuberantly I'm not so you know outgoing I'm I'm really actually quiet I'm really reserved I'm often shy you know but I let my photography do the talking for me and I find like minded people and couples that see something they see an image on the website and it may be like a like a grand parent embracing that granddaughter they see that they connect with that and they say you know what that's what I want my wedding photography to bay and there's just so engaging and then it's just like it's a perfect match and that's where if you're trying to be like everyone else is that you're really getting clients that out there that are gonna fit everyone else and not you and that's what I like I so blessed with is that when I get teo goto a wedding the couples just let me do what I do because I know that's what I do best they're not telling me you got to do this you've got to do that because they know what I'm great at you know and they just let me do it and I just love that I just love that about the couples that I get to photograph so over the next three days we're going to go through so much we're going to go break down a hole real wedding we're going to go through my equipment the settings that I used and we're going toe emulate as much as possible you know, some of the wedding days you know, we've brought a prep what other things going in my mind the things like, you know, light, you know, composition creating the set, you know, making it the best experience possible we also it would do what I love tomorrow if possible this is rain dependent we are in seattle all right? So you know, but we've got lots of planes say day two and day three may get mixed up a little bit we may swap things around like, you know, one of the things that I'm passionate about it is producing a great image and in using tools available to us like photoshopping light rain sometimes they just really, really subtle and I want to take you through all of those techniques one of the other things that will do is that will, like do a real ceremony and real reception and that's coming great, we've gotta grew the great couple and their family as well and they're already married, but we're going to reenact their wedding and going to go through and how we need to be able to think about where we need to bay when and how we should be capturing a wedding ceremony and also like, you know, reception's you know all these amazing moments that happened there um like I say we're going to go through photoshopped techniques so how do we take an in beach from this gradually used the role data that we can really extract out all the information and then pop it you know, like making a beautiful signature image that will hang on a client's wars and then they're gonna cherish you know means I'll take you through that and with that we've got like free presets and actions that we've done up just for creative live and so you can go to our side download them and we'll use those together so as I'm using and working images you can use do exactly and you can follow me what I'm doing so you understand um also go through like workflow technique you know, because like you remember like I said like one of the big problems that I had is and I want to see spend away my time like working images do you guys feel that sometimes like you always in front of a computer? You know, when we first started out we would spend three four days like editing and an entire wedding just at the proof stage and back then like couples I haven't even put purchase anything that I mean how crazy is that? But it was it was smart business on one point of views because we looked incredible every image looked amazing you know and that got us so many weddings because people were sharing their photos and go wow this is right you know and so we're getting more business in but we're spending all their time doing that we don't have time to see clients hello there chris is that you know and it's those things that you learn in business so you know between me and adam that's being with me for ten years is a great photographer as well and check out his work if you get the opportunity you know is that we learn ways and we told ourselves howto like you know process eight hundred images like in one to two hours instead of spending three days and we're going to share that with you we're going to share those techniques with you hey marcus yes incredibly incredibly beautiful and inspirational and I just want to share with you some of what people are saying online because they are just passionate about what you are saying too so susan what have we got b s photo design who is from brazil said I've been studying photography for fifteen years and I always thought I wasn't ready I had to study more have better equipment whatever and I saw all these people who had absolutely none of the official training I thought necessary working and making a living from photography now I finally have the guts to go for it just wish I had done earlier and we have sally who said he is absolutely incredible this is by far the best explanation for wedding photography that I have seen and red bird photography said I'm getting chills marcus is speaking to that little part of me right now that always says I don't know meg what are we doing? I'm really glad he's taking the time to say that is only opinion that really matters is that of the client so people are definitely connecting so I just wanted to share that thank you I want to get one more shot at actually a virtual valenzuela is watching perfect so we love you and roberta says everybody this course with marcus bell is very special to me the reason is he was one of my very first photographers I truly admired he was an inspiration to me to reach great heights and wedding photography everyone should get this course I consider marcus one of the few true great masters of wedding photography well thank you for better he's an amazing guy and just loving say thank you very much for those beautiful words for me you know like over the next few days like I'm going to give you my all I'm not holding anything back you know say anything you want to know like I'm an open book like I mean I photographed fifty two weddings this year I don't have time to do workshops you know but the thing I love is I love sharing what I get today, because, you know, I like, you know, like I found a new life in wedding photography and it's given me a life. And if I can share that with you, and if you have that same passion, I want to share as much knowledge as I can. So you can do exactly what you want to do as well. And so anything you want tonight, like, just hit the desk, you know, type it in, and you guys as well here, just ask away, honestly, it's, it's. I just want to give.