Our Creative Commune

This week, the we're all feeling the burn after a packed schedule of weddings and a big birthday celebration. We pull back the curtain on the reality of being a wedding creative in 2024, discussing the booking decline that everyone is feeling but nobody wants to talk about.

This leads to a huge announcement from Liam about a major career change after more than two decades in the industry.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

We also dive into:

• Incredible destination wedding stories from Lake Como and Cyprus.
• The shocking tale of a planner who tricked suppliers into working her wedding for free.
• Using ChatGPT to analyse and improve your creative business.
• Are full-length portraits and straight horizons a thing of the past?
• The eternal struggle of photographers and videographers staying out of each other's shots.

If you're a wedding creative feeling the pressure, or just love a good, honest chat about the ups and downs of running a small business, this one's for you.

Get a free 14 day trial of Musicbed: https://www.musicbed.com/invite/935Cy

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Hungover Birthday Banter

04:14 - Our Recent Weddings: Oli Foxley's Tumble

07:31 - Destination Wedding Debrief: Pete in Lake Como

12:08 - Destination Wedding Debrief: Liam in Cyprus

20:37 - The Big Topic: Why Are Wedding Bookings Down?

25:14 - Liam's New Career

30:12 - Can AI Save Our Business?

36:37 - The Photographer Who Charged £300 For One Photo

49:50 - The Styled Shoot That Was a Real Wedding?!

57:46 - The Curse of Tripods: Photographers vs. Videographers

01:09:10 - Our Highs & Lows

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Our Creative Commune, Pete, Laura, Liam, and Bee dive into a whirlwind of topics! We brace ourselves as Google Gemini's AI delivers some hilariously harsh feedback on our podcasting style (are we really that insular?). Then, it's war stories from the wedding front lines: Liam shares his ordeal of shooting a wedding post-dodgy-fish-and-chips, and Pete recounts battling a painful eye infection mid-shoot.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

We tackle the big debate: how are content creators impacting the wedding industry, and are they really taking work from pros? Plus, a crucial heads-up on the UK's "Making Tax Digital" changes that all freelancers need to know.

As always, we share our highs and lows, and issue an important alert about a "pervy caller" targeting photographers. Tune in for candid chat, essential industry insights, and a good few laughs!

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Intro & Makeshift Studio

02:01 Remembering Past Podcast Adventures Abroad

03:40 AI Feedback on Our Podcast (Spoiler: We're Keeping it Real)

05:20 What We've Been Up To: Wedding Recaps & Mishaps

05:26 Liam's "Tracy Island" Wedding & Food Poisoning Woes

09:02 Working While Sick: Styes, Vomit & The Show Must Go On!

15:01 Laura & Pete Shoot a Wedding Together (Photo & Video Dynamic)

17:52 TOPIC 1: Content Creators at Weddings - Impact & How to Cope

21:57 Strategy: Educating Clients or Communicating with Creators?

26:52 The "Educate Your Clients" Debate - Is It Our Place?

32:18 TOPIC 2: New UK/EU Travel Deal - Hope for Destination Weddings?

36:53 TOPIC 3: Making Tax Digital - Essential Info for Creatives

41:17 Our Dream (Unprofitable) Cafe Business Idea!

42:17 TOPIC 4: Gallery Delivery Times & Modern Client Expectations

46:03 The Power of the "Next Day" Social Media Preview

51:12 GEAR CHAT: New Fuji X-Half & DJI Mavic 4 Pro

53:33 COMMUNITY ALERT: "Pervy Caller" Targeting Photographers

55:30 Our Highs & Lows of the Week!

01:03:20 Outro & Upcoming Adventures

Keywords: Wedding Photography, Wedding Videography, Content Creators, Making Tax Digital, AI Feedback, Freelance Business, Podcast, UK Weddings, Working Whilst Ill, Pervy Caller Alert 

Get a free 14 day trial of Musicbed: https://www.musicbed.com/invite/935Cy

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pop the kettle on! Welcome back to Our Creative Commune, Episode 108. Pete, Laura, Liam, and Bee are here with the usual coffee-fuelled chaos, chatting all things wedding photography and videography. 

This week, the pollen count is trying to take us OUT, Liam’s back from a surprisingly chilly Spanish wedding (his 21st there! Buckfast may have been mentioned), and snapping portraits of the lovely Martin Cheung. We swear everyone else has been doing some work too!

Things have gone a bit crazy – suddenly everyone wants to book us, pay us, and meet us! We’re navigating the 'OMG money!' vs ‘****, tax bill!' tightrope, and, of course, drooling over rumoured new cameras. Liam’s also attempting to bring back the 90s with film photography (spoiler: he forgot the film).

Then we get stuck into the proper meaty stuff: Is it cool for photographers to shoot a bit of video (or videographers to grab stills) when you're both on a job? What do you do when a supplier you recommended bails for a stag do THE NIGHT BEFORE?! And you absolutely HAVE to hear the story of the 'Scottish Retreat' – think Fyre Festival, but for photographers. Seriously, it’s a car crash.

As always, we’ve got our highs (awards night planning is looking lush!) and lows (Pete’s hay fever, Bee’s iron levels, Liam’s twitchy eye – it’s a medical marvel over here). Plus, we day-dream up our own hopefully-not-a-disaster creative retreat. So grab that coffee (or a Buckfast, no judgement) and join the commune!

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Hello & What's In Our Mugs?

00:32 - Hay Fever vs. Wedding Pros: The Struggle is Real

03:00 - Liam's Spanish Wedding No.21 (Minus the Sun, Plus the Buckfast)

06:25 - Liam Shoots Martin Cheung

07:02 - Are Shorter Weddings The New Thing?

09:00 - It's All Kicking Off! (Bookings, Cashflow & Mild Panic)

11:21 - New Gear Lust & Why Our Old Photos Are So "On Trend"

13:28 - Liam's Great Film Camera Experiment (Fail No.1)

15:35 - BTS Content: Phone Clamps, Meta Glasses, or Just Being a Dick?

18:09 - TOPIC: Hybrid Shooting - Are We All Secretly Filming/Snapping?

26:27 - Child Labour... Uh, I Mean, Content Creators in Training

28:31 - TOPIC: Recommending People - What If They Go On a Stag Do Instead?

37:10 - TOPIC: The Photography "Fyre Festival" - You Won't Believe This Scottish Retreat Story!

51:46 - Our Creative Commune Retreat? (Less Disaster, More Booze)

53:58 - Highs & Lows: Awards, Macerators, Table Tennis & Twitchy Eyes!

01:03:44 - More Highs & Lows: Running PBs, Posh Funerals & Dodgy Iron Levels

01:10:28 - Never Eat Only Haribo & Coffee. You've Been Warned.

Get a free 14 day trial of Musicbed: https://www.musicbed.com/invite/935Cy

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wedding season is kicking off! Join Pete, Laura, Liam, and Bee as they shake off the winter slumber (and recover from some intense DIY projects) and dive back into the world of weddings. This week, we tackle the hot topic: is 35mm film making a comeback? We discuss a client request, the pros and cons of shooting film today, the costs, the nostalgia factor, and whether digital can truly replicate the look. Plus, is Liam finally gearing up to actually try it!

We contrast the analogue love with the rise of AI editing and culling tools – are they helpful or hindering authenticity? We also get real about the business side: handling unexpected cancellations, the ethics of contracts and refunds (including a tricky divorce scenario), and the changing landscape of referrals in industry groups. Hear about recent weddings in Scotland and the Lakes, dealing with tricky lighting, and our usual highs and lows. Grab a coffee and enjoy!

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

Timestamps:

(0:00) Intro & DIY Madness: Liam's plumbing adventures, Pete & Laura's new carpet/desk saga.

(5:52) Wedding Season Begins!: Liam shoots a photographer's wedding in Scotland (The Byre at Inchyra), Pete films a local Lake District wedding. We chat portraits, marquees & avoiding downtime.

(17:23) Is 35mm Film Back?!: Exploring the trend, the appeal (nostalgia vs digital), the costs, the logistics, and whether we should offer it. Liam volunteers as tribute to try it in Spain!

(27:38) Camera Nerd Corner: Reminiscing about old film cameras (Contax 645, Mamiya) & finding undeveloped rolls!

(29:42) Film vs. AI: The contrast! Discussing AI culling fails and new AI retouching tools – helpful or harmful to authenticity?

(34:43) Business Real Talk: Handling a last-minute cancellation, contract ethics, deposit debates, and a tough scenario involving divorce & album refunds.

(46:09) Shooting Challenges: How would you handle a church ceremony lit entirely pink?!

(51:20) Referral Rant: Why are referrals drying up in big groups? The shift to WhatsApp cliques, and referral etiquette.

(59:58) Highs & Lows: Running obsessions, DIY triumphs, pre-wedding nerves, expensive flights & listener love!

Get a free 14 day trial of Musicbed: https://www.musicbed.com/invite/935Cy

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

We'd love it if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it really helps other creatives find us. You can also send us a message on Instagram with your thoughts on this week's topics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Pete, Laura, Liam, and Bee for our regular chat all about the world of wedding photography and videography.

This week, we’re re-introducing ourselves for new listeners before tackling the big issues: the frustrating rise of client ghosting and rejection, navigating the popular "editorial" photo trend (is it all it's cracked up to be?), and debating radical portfolio strategies to stand out.

We’re also sharing stories of demanding client inquiries, the tricky landscape of destination weddings post-Brexit, and indulge in some serious gear lust (hello, autofocus anamorphic lenses!). Plus, hear a little more about the British Wedding Film Festival awards launch, and catch up on our personal highs and lows, featuring fantasy book addictions, DIY disasters, and Hadrian's Wall adventures.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

Keywords: Wedding Photography, Wedding Videography, Creative Business, Client Ghosting, Editorial Photography, Portfolio Strategy, Wedding Industry Trends, Destination Weddings, Canon R6, Anamorphic Lens, Fuji, Videography Awards, Small Business Challenges.

Timestamps:

* (01:46) Re-Introductions: Who are Pete, Laura, Liam & Bee?

* (08:34) Editing Styles: Shifting back to a lighter, airier look?

* (10:33) Portfolio Panic: Should we delete half our website to stand out?

* (11:52) The Ghosting Epidemic: Why are clients disappearing & how do we cope with rejection?

* (18:11) Editorial Wedding Trend: Debating the style and educating clients (Martha May article mention).

* (23:33) Finding Your Ideal Client: They still exist!

* (30:34) Gear Talk!: Anamorphic lens lust, RF primes, Canon R6 vs R6 MkII, Fuji dreams & Bee's unique photo project...

* (39:57) Nightmare Inquiries: Dealing with demanding clients and unreasonable requests.

* (47:24) Destination Wedding Dilemmas: Navigating the risks post-Brexit (especially Greece).

* (55:39) Industry News: Videography Summit buzz & Our NEW Videography Awards launch!

* (59:55) Highs & Lows: Hadrian's Wall hikes, fantasy book addictions, Peter Kay, DIY injuries, and more!

Get a free 14 day trial of Musicbed: https://www.musicbed.com/invite/935Cy

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

We'd love it if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it really helps other creatives find us. You can also send us a message on Instagram with your thoughts on this week's topics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pete, Laura, Liam, and Bee are back for another catch-up. This week, we're excited to officially announce the launch of the British Wedding Film Festival – hear all about the idea behind it, why we think the industry needs it, and what makes it different. Liam shares the highs and lows (aching legs and Lightroom battles!) of his new property photography side hustle.

We also dive into takeaways from a recent videographer retreat:

• Using AI like ChatGPT as a 'personal assistant' (inspired by Arran Kenny's method) – useful hack or too much?
• The TikTok debate – do we really need to be there, even if the clients are?

Plus, we discuss that scary Italy visa story, get some clarity on using music legally on Instagram business accounts, and of course, share our personal highs and lows – featuring Bee's surprising AI astrocartography results, a wet legging incident, and Pete getting schooled by a kid at table tennis.

It's the usual mix of wedding industry chat, creative business insights, and friendly banter. Pull up a chair and join the commune!

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

Keywords: Wedding Photography, Wedding Videography, Creative Business, AI, ChatGPT, TikTok, Social Media Marketing, Side Hustle, Property Photography, British Wedding Film Festival, Wedding Awards, UK Wedding Industry, Working Abroad, Instagram Music Rules.

Timestamps:

Liam's new property photography side hustle & the joys of re-learning Lightroom (03-15 - 08:32)

Takeaways from Roo Stain’s videographer retreat (08:34 - 11:25)

Using AI like ChatGPT for productivity (Arran Kenny's method) & Bee's astrocartography adventures (11:25 - 19:02)

The TikTok debate for wedding pros - is it essential? (19:03 - 26:55)

BIG NEWS: Launching the British Wedding Film Festival! (27:45 - 39:57)

Concerns and discussion around working abroad (Italy/US visa stories) (39:57 - 44:31)

Clarification on using music on Instagram Business accounts (Meta Sound Collection) (45:22 - 47:13)

Highs & Lows of the week (Anniversaries, TV series recommendations, embarrassing moments & more!) (47:14 - 1:00:28)

Links:

British Wedding Film Festival: https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com/

AI Tools: ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com/), Claude (https://claude.ai/)

TV Recommendation: Adolescence (Netflix)

Book Recommendation: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Get a free 14 day trial of Musicbed: https://www.musicbed.com/invite/935Cy

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

We'd love it if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it really helps other creatives find us. You can also send us a message on Instagram with your thoughts on this week's topics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should photographers add video and become hybrid shooters?

Liam won't, because his photography would suffer. Bee loves video but resents how much keeps getting added to a photographer's job (advertising, accounts, content creation: where does it stop?), and Pete and Laura tried shooting both at bridal prep once and did a worse job of each. We note more enquiries asking for video at a lower price, and agree nobody should be criticised for choosing hybrid. We also talk about the toll of long haul destination weddings (once a year is enough), buying back National Insurance years before April, and trending music on Instagram, after stories of businesses being chased by record labels. We can't verify them, but it was never really allowed, so we talk about licensed music subscriptions (which also forced Pete to change this podcast's music).

Plus Liam's Thai wedding at an English style country manor in the jungle at nearly 40 degrees, jet lag that kills your appetite, plane armrest etiquette, why salmon is so expensive now, and Pete's new Italian espresso machine, which needs a name.

Our Creative Commune is four wedding photographers and filmmakers chatting about photography, videography and the wedding industry, just like we do over coffee most mornings.

Timestamps:

00:00 Liam's back from Thailand

02:04 A country manor in the jungle

04:05 One long haul wedding a year is enough

05:08 Jet lag

08:40 Back to back weddings in different countries

11:43 Shooting when you're exhausted

12:45 Plane etiquette

20:23 Table tennis at the club

23:26 National Insurance and pensions

29:28 Should photographers shoot video too?

35:03 Salmon prices

40:34 Trending music and copyright

49:47 Licensed music

54:54 The podcast's music licence

57:32 Highs and lows of the week

Check out the episode on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

Get a free 14 day trial of Musicbed: https://www.musicbed.com/invite/935Cy

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's it like shooting a wedding in Rio de Janeiro?

Liam's back from a Brazilian destination wedding, and it was very different. Videographers and photographers work inches from the couple even during the ceremony, the venue steers couples to its own recommended team, the first look turned into a crowd of cameras and iPhones, and portraits got five minutes. Liam explains why he can't shoot like that (we're too polite). We also talk about judging a Latvian wedding competition where about 90 percent of the photos were vertical, whether Instagram has killed landscape photos (and why we miss blogs that showed a whole wedding), side hustles and exit plans after a Manchester photographers' meet-up, and twenty years since Pete and Laura's first wedding.

Plus a 4.30am sunrise shoot on the day Liam landed, 211 photos when Bee asked for 50, a sun on the equator that rises too fast for the orb of joy, Lawson Film School going online at thirteen and a half hours, and Pete's sixteen year old espresso machine tripping the fuses.

Our Creative Commune is four wedding photographers and filmmakers chatting about photography, videography and the wedding industry, just like we do over coffee most mornings.

Timestamps:

00:00 Back from Rio

03:05 A sunrise shoot and a white party

05:45 211 photos when Bee asked for 50

07:46 The Brazilian way: inches from the couple

09:54 The first look crowd

11:26 Handing over group shots, and a Thai tea ceremony

14:38 Five minutes for portraits

17:50 Lawson Film School is online

21:27 Side hustles and exit plans

25:34 Twenty years since our first wedding

34:16 What does editorial mean this year?

36:49 Has Instagram killed landscape?

39:56 Judging a Latvian competition

43:33 Highs and lows of the week

Be sure to check out our Youtube channel if you'd like to see our faces: https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can wedding photography on its own still pay the bills?

This week we hang out with Kelly Clarke, a Manchester wedding and newborn photographer. When lockdown wiped out her weddings, she walked round an empty Manchester with her camera, turned the pictures into prints, then mugs and merchandise, and built a second business working from six in the morning until midnight. Now both run side by side, and her weddings have grown from five to ten to twenty six. That leads into a frank chat about whether wedding photography alone can sustain a living, why diversifying matters (Liam is doing some property photography and plans to teach motorcycling), paid Instagram and Facebook ads, newborn shoots, why Kelly won't take on staff, and her tax return holiday.

Plus Kelly deadlifts 140kg, her destination wedding plans in Cyprus, watching our own first wedding film from ten years ago, and judging a Latvian wedding film competition in our living room.

Our Creative Commune is four wedding photographers and filmmakers chatting about photography, videography and the wedding industry, just like we do over coffee most mornings.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome Kelly

01:01 Kelly's deadlift

05:05 A destination wedding in Cyprus

12:19 Kelly's lockdown business

17:25 Meta ads

18:55 Why Kelly won't hire staff

20:29 From five weddings to twenty six

23:02 Can wedding photography alone pay the bills?

24:35 Newborn photography

31:13 Diversifying

35:20 Kelly's SEO and Instagram

43:03 The tax return holiday

46:36 Watching our first film

52:43 Judging a Latvian film competition

56:47 Highs and lows

Be sure to check out our Youtube channel if you'd like to see our faces: https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

Check out Kelly's work: https://kellyclarke.co.uk/

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could you run a wedding business without social media?

Pete, Laura and Bee wonder whether anyone would notice if they stopped posting. (Pete and Laura post very little and still book through Instagram.) We also talk about Instagram changing the grid to 4:3, why a Dutch tilt always leans left, clients who want every image of them taken down (and the worry that AI could clone faces), and couples who never download their gallery and then ask for the files a decade later. Back it up, then look at it. Bee explains her six month galleries with a reminder a week before they close, and Pete gives a quick summary of DeepSeek and the stock market wobble.

Plus Pete can't sleep after a good night at table tennis and needs a dictaphone for his 2am Lawson Film School ideas, the course is now four or five times longer than the original live version, and Bee designs albums from another photographer's photos.

Our Creative Commune is four wedding photographers and filmmakers chatting about photography, videography and the wedding industry, just like we do over coffee most mornings.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:35 A dictaphone for 2am ideas

04:40 Work catch-up

06:11 Filming Lawson Film School

11:17 New bookings

12:48 Instagram changes the grid

15:21 Do you need to be on social media?

18:30 Behind the scenes videos

21:32 Why is a Dutch tilt always to the left?

24:36 Clients who want their images taken down

27:40 Marketing without showing faces

28:41 Galleries aren't permanent

31:11 DeepSeek and the stock market

33:47 Highs and lows of the week

Be sure to check out our Youtube channel if you'd like to see our faces: https://www.youtube.com/@OurCreativeCommune

Lawson Film School: https://www.lawsonfilms.co.uk/lawson-film-school

Say hi on Instagram @ourcreativecommune

liamandbee.com

lawsonfilms.co.uk

lawsonphotography.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.