Someone sent me a message and asked "why do you bother photographing your coffee?" ..usually I'd say "good question" but I have an actual answer, so I thought I'd share it with you here...
Q. Why do I bother photographing my coffee?
A. Because I like doing it.
Click the instagram below to see a selection of eleven coffee photographs. Click here to stalk for more on Instagram.
My profession is essentially marketing, social media marketing to be more accurate. I specialize in the photography sector because that's what I'm passionate about and also something I've always dabbled with. I figure if you're going to work for a brand to promote their product to photographers, you should at least know about the products, right? So, what I do all day every day is find interesting content, post it, watch how people react, give them some form of interaction back, start conversations, mess about with photographic gear and make photographs.
Working from Artisti cafe in Coffs Harbour - Cafe noise is great. Great coffee.
If you sat and watched me work for an hour, I could go from laughing at what someone's posted on a Facebook page to photographing a camera bag or tripod with something or other in or on it to show size or usage.
I've been doing this independently for four years, running my own business with its own books and tax etc... During this time I've been working from home or, in limited cases a cafe. I've been fortunate to have an office and space at home to work and I've always said that its tough to work from home with kids, but that I'm fortunate to be able to work from wherever I am...
Using WD My Passport Pro / Wireless for Lightroom cat and all my work on the move.
At the moment I am "wherever I am" and I've been here for a few weeks - I love being here, the boys love seeing their grandparents, the weather is good (I prefer cold, but a bit of warm never killed an... oh, wait, it did... but you know what I mean) but in short, I'm working from a kitchen table and its driving me absolutely crazy.
Working from 'wherever' can be amazing and flexible and I want to smash something...
And by 'you' I mean me...
That time of year when every man and his dog are making lists, checking them twice (for affiliate codes) and slapping them up on the internet for all of those clickings!
Here's my list and the reasons that I'm including the things I choose. Hope that a. you click them, buy them and I get $1.45 and b. that if you need help choosing photo gear for family or friends, that this list helps.
Why? A great step from a compact camera / point and shoot. You can use this in auto mode for stunning photos (matched with a good eye, you'll do even better!) and when you're feeling more confident, you can start working through the modes to 'M' for 'Much better' (or manual... right?) and really sharpen your skill set.
The Fuji X-T1 is a great camera, but to me, its in a different place to the Sony... The X-T1, also features wifi options for control and transfer to your phone / tablet, etc, but there's something different about the X-T1 that just makes it a bit... cool? Does that even matter? I don't know, only you can answer that. The Fuji X-T1 with the 56mm f/1.2 lens is a stunning combo for anyone that wants to do away with all the mess and fuss of choosing and just have a powerful, relatively compact camera to take everywhere.
If you're going to buy one of the above cameras, you're going to need to put the images somewhere! Recently I've been using the WD MyPassport Wireless when I'm on the go... The ability to put my SD card in the actual drive and see it transfer off onto my drive without me having to do anything - so good! Then I can connect to my drive from my phone / tablet via its wifi network, copy the contents, edit them on my phone and upload to wherever! Great for me as a social media professional. Great for you as a photographer (aka mum or dad with a camera) that wants to have a good bit of storage handy!
A departure, but not, from photography! If you're on a shoot or just out and about taking photos in some cool place... You and your friends, Urbexing it up, maybe shooting a model (your semi-cute, but willing guy friend) in an old house somewhere... Take music! Add atmosphere to your environment and don't be fussed if it rains - just dance! Big Turtle Shell is an epic inclusion for anyone... Yes, you can charge it and take it to the beach / a picnic / farm OR just to do the dishes...
You have this cool stuff, but you need to cart it around - there's only one bag brand that you need... (well, there are two, but you know.. for now, lets go with one!) The thinkTank Photo Retrospective 7 is my goto walk around camera bag - I stick my mirrorless camera, extra lens (typically a wide and a good portrait length) as well as my Turtle shell. All of my Retrospective camera bags are Pinestone - they remind me of my dad's old fishing bag. Much love.
Well, we're half way through this list... What are you even doing for Christmas? Do you like lists like this? Are we all born to windowshop? One thing I do know is we should have a coffee before we move on to number 6...
By now you may have gathered that I enjoy a good coffee? I'm using a Silvia V3. Incidentally, Silvia is named after Silvia Rancilio, the sister of once Rancilio SPA owner, Luca Rancilio... Enough with the random info - The Silvia is a great espresso machine (none of that pod nonsense) for your home.
If you're going to cart all this stuff that needs powering, and you're off somewhere for more than a few hours with heavy phone or tablet use in mind, maybe on a shoot, maybe off to the woods to see if you can find a teddybear's picnic - who knows - anyways, I've been using the Anker power for a year or so and LOVE it... Well worth the cash, great form factor, more powerful than a speeding bullet... (This one will charge your iPhone from flat to full about 6 times'ish)
I don't actually, but you should listen to this record - its brilliant, timeless and real. Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here on vinyl, even suitable for hipsters - vinyl's cool don't you know.
Yep, lately this guy has been making an appearance on my desk, often. After 5pm Silvia sleeps for the night and my tea drinking skills come to the fore. A big mug of tea is a comforting thing.
Just go somewhere quiet with your mug of tea, think about your year. Has it been bag, good, otherwise? Did what you think would happen, happen? Where do you want to be this time next year? Tuesday December 16th 2015... 365 days of uncertainty / positive direction?
I'll be a year closer to starting my renovation mayhem, I hope to be sitting at a new desk in a new chair, I may have moved completely across to a mirrorless system OR Canon will have released the 5DMK4 and I'll have sold everything and simplified to a Mk4 and a new set of primes. Who knows.
Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun. Shine on you crazy diamond.
Happy Christmas.
Sime
I went up to Sydney to photograph my little brother's wedding a good while ago now, and in a way I guess this is a short post reminiscing about that day... In another way, this is me trying to help one of you (only one!) out of a spot with a small set of tips that helped me.
Sun up over Sydney's northern beaches...
Looking down over Dolphin bay...
Driving up the day before the wedding, a nine hour drive, didn't really allow for any physical location scouting, so it was up at 5am on the day of the wedding to head out around the area and see what was what. Found some nice beaches, a small jetty and some nice looking trees - of course I couldn't account for the light and, at the end of the day, that's what bit me... Damn inability to 100% control the sun! -- When I say I had no way of physical pre-scouting, what I meant was -- Without Google maps, I'd have been flying totally blind... Wandering around the whole place on Google maps long before the wedding day is a good idea! Pinned places I thought would be worth a look and made a note of travel times, too.. The distance between the groom and bride getting ready, where they were going to be married to the reception, etc... All of these little things make it easier on the day.
The girls getting ready to get ready on the hill...
My new sister-in-law, Kate, had all of her hair, makeup and dressing done up on the hill - You can see the bay in the background. I remembered to photograph shoes and jewelry... As an essential newb with only ten "2nd shooter" weddings under my belt, I had a few key things noted down on a list(s) that I was checking as I went. The pressure of a wedding, and as I mentioned this was my first solo wedding, can make you pretty stressed and, as a result, you tend to rush stuff and rushing leads to massive stuff-ups! -- Make a list, check it twice (or thirty times, thirty times is much better) and you'll do better.
Started to relax a little after photographing my brother...
Weddings are stressful, but they don't need to be - as any seasoned wedding photographer will tell you... They're just a portrait shoot, or, 100 portrait shoots all tacked together that you will never get another shot at... In outfits you may not get to use again in a location that will only ever be the same way on that one day, with all those people in that one place. See, no stress at all. This was my little brother getting married to his bride, Kate, and I was stressing - big time. Stress can be good because it makes us (well, some of us) stop and think "how can I make this work" for me, it was a chance to make notes, make plans, make arrangements - don't be afraid to ask your couple to nominate someone that you're able to work with on the day - someone to wrangle guests / family, etc. You can't shoot a wedding on your own and find all of the people. Ask for help.
Good part of it being my brother was he did what I asked! (Laugh at nothing, go!)
Gear! here's a tricky one... Take all you have or don't... Carry on restrictions, the absurdity of being gate checked and, in turn, arriving at the other end with a torn sack of tangled camera metal is not very enjoyable... You need to pick and choose what gear you take and, with time, that will get easier! You take a couple of lenses, your creativity and ability is tested and that's great - right? If you're a full time professional wedding photographer, you find ways around this kind of dilemma (Insurance, hardcases, knowledge) ..if you're just starting out and you have no choice, well, you do the best you can. You'll stuff it up a few times, you'll wreck yourself carrying a massive stack of gear around only to arrive home a day later and laugh as you realise you used two lenses and one body - but what is it they say? Better to have and to not want than to want and get slapped by a bride that looks wide when you shoot her at 28mm because you forgot your *insert lens here* ...that's the saying, right? Anyway... This will sort itself given a few goes!
Would a gear list be helpful? probably not... Well, Canon 5Dmk3, mk2, 16-35, 35, 24-70, 50, 85, 100, 70-200... 580 and 430 flash units, triggers, lots of batteries... more batteries... all the cf cards, some sd cards, too! OH and a Sony RX1, I shot a lot of the bride, Kate, getting ready with the RX1. (Fixed 35mm stunning little underrated beast)
So, gear... Yeah, can be challenging.
While we're on gear, lets talk about backups on location... I use WD Passport Pro on location along with my Macbook Air. I have two of the WD drives! I also have a sweet little WD My Passport Wireless as a backup backup. Yep, there's also mostly still a copy on CF as I have enough to shoot all day and not reuse cards, I'm fortunate. Take Shaun and Kate's wedding, 2490 frames... One shot to shoot it, multiple points at which to destroy data and be slapped by my little (muscle bound) brother... Backup Backup Backup. No, really. Don't shake your head and mutter 'it won't happen to me' ...it might, and when it does you will cry.
On with the day....
I had the RX1 on a Peak Design 'Capture' clip and ready to roll all day - 35mm fast lens, full frame, good performance at intermediate iso... What a snazzy little camera... Here's a photo I took of the girls while they were whizzing about, no big cameras getting in the way, a sneaky little RX1 at kidlet height... Always carry a smaller camera along now (The a7)
Skip forward to the ceremony, the official bit... Anyone special you MUST photograph? Where's the bride starting her entrance? Will the groom be standing facing this way or the other way? Introduce yourself to the person marrying your couple (if you've not already done so!) ...also, unless you've already checked (which you should have, right?) make sure you know about any regulations (hard and fast ones) that the venue has in place... Don't be that guy (or girl) that the celebrant stops a wedding for!
If you have a second photographer, and I didn't, it's much easier to focus on the main stuff and have your second run around like an idiot and get all the crowd reactions and side views etc... I kinda like seconding, (Thanks Katie) a bit of creative freedom (though, always work on the premise of "get the shot in the bag and then faff about being arty")
Oh, and remember, is the car special? What about the car? Should you do your best to shoot it at its MOST SPARKLY and make sure your reflection is in the shots? Absolutely! (not, for those of you who have a broken sarcasm warning buzzer)
Make sure you get photographs of people special to the bride and groom*
I added the * as I have a personal (aka my wedding) moment to add here... When we finally received our wedding album, the photographer had missed out on including my wife's father in the photographs... Not cool folks, don't do that! (go back and read the bit I wrote about asking for a nominated person to wrangle the guests, like cows... wrangler-tastic!)
The moments between the moments, don't stop watching...
Anyways, you're most likely asleep... This has been part one - the pointy part of the wedding, almost, we've not got to the kiss yet!!
A summary for you...
1. Do an online plan, use Google maps and stuff, mark addresses and make lists.
2. Check your lists a few times, gear lists, shot lists, people lists, contact numbers, locations.
3. Check your lists.
4. Do everything you can to know enough about your bride and groom so you're not totally guessing on the day.
5. Know how your gear works... Check your gear's working...
6. Breathe.
7. Slow down!
8. Backup backup backup.
9. Check your lists!
Part two coming soon... I hope this helps someone!
Privileged to 2nd shoot a wedding with New York based photographer, Amanda Stevens, this weekend gone... I do enjoy the 2nd shooter thing, and being able to hand off raw files at the end and not have a massive edit / delivery is always lovely. Images to follow, some even via the Sony a7 (there's a funny story)
Meanwhile, a bit of a rejig on the old website, the front page looks a bit different, mostly as there are music photographs I've taken at some point or another in the last ten or so years... Thinking about music photography, I think I'd like to do a little of it again, just thinking.
Meanwhile, again, I am going to try out making a film with FilmicPro on my iPad for a short film competition that FilmicPro are running (feel free to enter, I'll do badly anyways!)
My idea for the film I need to make (5 minutes worth) is, you'll be horribly shocked, ready... COFFEE! That's right... Kinda odd idea, as I'm sure it will maybe annoy coffee shops / bean roasters... Maybe it won't and i'll have a clearer view - but anyways, won't share much perchance I chicken out and it doesn't happen.
Enough meanwhiles and anyways... Leave you with some music and a photographic exclusive, never before seen on the internet (translates to I was lazy enough to not edit it...)
Dave Matthews at Brixton Academy - Photographed him shoulder to shoulder with my best mate. Magic evening. Anyways.
