Photography Xperiment Podcast

Dan Waters of www.danwaterscreative.com and www.getprophotoclub.com agreed to record this interview while driving fr0m Peterborough to Cambridge for me to play tourist for a day and for Dan to reminisce and play tour guide to the university town he grew up in. Once we got past the topic of Bobby, his incredibly loved dog who lives a life better than most children, we moved on to business and life as a photographer in Peterborough.

In the conversation, Dan shares his ideals on time management, living a life worth living and how he’s been able to achieve such a wonderful balance by not being a slave to the clock and curating his business to fit around his life.

Interestingly, Dan was super shy as a youngster and has overcome that – not that you’d ever know listening to him today. Hearing this, it became a topic I focused on, along with wedding and portrait photography business, networking, the laughing club, his man-kind project and what it’s like to be the world’s most helpful photographer.

Dan’s Website

Dan’s Facebook Page

Dan on Instagram

Dan’s interview on PhotoBizX

Dan’s PREMIUM interview on PhotoBizX

Get Pro Photo Club

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Dan for allowing me to record this interview at a moments notice and not running up the back of the track while trying to answer my questions with your full attention.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

Mark Seymour of www.markseymourphotography.co.uk hosted an industry dinner that coincided with my time in London and I was lucky enough to be invited along. There were photographers, high-end function coordinators, a photography business coach, an album company representative, a wedding marketing startup sales person and an incredible meal hosted by Mark and Karen at their lovely home.

The idea of these dinners/get-togethers (this is the second time Mark has hosted a dinner like this) is to network, make friends and meet other professionals from within the industry on a more personal and relaxed level than something like a conference or workshop. And what a success it was!

In this candid interview, recorded the morning after the dinner while walking through Mark’s home, admiring his collection of photography, which includes an original Henri Cartier Bresson, and his library of photography books, Mark opens up and shares his thoughts on wedding and street photography, workshops, the dinner, making it as a photographer in today’s market, collecting photography, the learning curve and so much more.

I hope you get as much from this interview as I did in recording it. My other hope is you come away from this episode with ideas of your own to meet and mingle with other professionals in your area and see what these relaxed gatherings can do to enhance both your life, knowledge, business and love of photography and what you do.

Mark with an original book by Henri Cartier Bresson. He also owns the reprinted version which is a fantastic copy but this along with the framed print in his home are the pride and joy.

Mark’s Website

Mark’s Facebook Page

Mark on Twitter

Mark on Instagram

Mark’s interview on PhotoBizX

Mark’s PREMIUM interview on PhotoBizX

A taste of Mark’s impressive and beautiful print and book collection.

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Mark for allowing me to record this short interview at a moments notice.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

Darren Lehane of www.lehane.photo has some pretty strong feelings on what is and what isn’t street photography. It’s the same with gear, especially new photography gear and the clamour for photographers to get hold of it to make them a better photographer or somehow improve their photography business.

After spending a few days with Darren while visiting the UK, it was very cool to hear his thoughts on all things photography – from street, weddings, personal projects, books, the masters and skills of today’s photographers. Not only were the conversations engaging and fun, it was very cool to hear how another photographer thinks about the craft.

In this conversation, recorded on a train trip to Brighton to meet up with a few other photographers, I did my best to draw Darren out on some of the topics we’d discussed over cooked breakfasts at Mazzi’s cafe, shooting some street photography in central London or over a cup of tea while chatting on the lounge in his London flat.

I hope you get as much from this interview as I did with spending the time I did with Darren in London. You’ll find examples of his street photography and links to more of his work below.

Darren’s Website

Darren’s Facebook Page

Darren on Twitter

Darren on Instagram

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Darren for allowing me to record this short interview at a moments notice.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

Rahim Mastafa of www.rahimphoto.co.uk has recently made the transition from fitness and gym based photography to costume based shoots in and around Cardiff in the UK.

One thing stood out about Rahim while staying with him for a couple of days on my UK trip – just how easily he made connections with anyone, anywhere. One example was while paying for a jacket purchase in a department store, Rahim started chatting to the sales assistant who turned out to be a part-time program director at the local community television station in Cardiff. A few minutes later and they were exchanging social media details and making the online connections on Twitter and Facebook.

It turns out Rahim had approached the same station with a possible idea which fell on deaf ears. Armed with this new connection, he’ll be giving it another try with a much better chance of speaking to the right person.

This is only one example of how easily Rahim makes these acquaintances which go on to lead to bigger and betterer things. It was a simple connection like this that led to him having access to an unlimited supply of costumes from a local supplier who provided costumes for his shoot in the Roman baths of Bath which you can see here: A SPARTAN Cosplay Photo Shoot at The Roman Baths.

After seeing Rahim in action, I asked him about exactly how he does it in this interview which took place in his car on the drive to Bath to visit Jo and Neil Menneer of Divine Divas who you can hear in an upcoming interview on PhotoBizX.

Rahim’s Website

Rahim’s YouTube Channel

Rahim on Instagram

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Rahim for allowing me to record this short interview at a moments notice.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

Lionel Taplin of www.stealthedayphotography.co.uk moved from photographing bands to wedding photography with his own spin on alternative. Although Lionel is based in Bristol, he made the trip over to Cardiff to meet up as I was passing through.

Once we started talking about his journey from bands to brides and hearing about Lionel’s success with bookings via Instagram, I stopped him right there, grabbed the audio recorder and retraced what he’d covered so far before going deeper on how he’s made his transition and exactly how he’s making the connections he is with his couples via social media.

Once again, this interview is unedited, raw and exactly as recorded over a cup of coffee in the home of Rahim Mastafa – the fitness and costume photography based in Cardiff to be featured in the following episode.

The blog Lionel was featured in, following his first wedding: https://whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com/musical-tuscany-destination-wedding/

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Lionel for allowing me to record this short interview at a moments notice.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

Dermot and Catherine Murphy of www.dermotmurphy.com run a successful family photography studio in Belfast, Northern Ireland and I had the chance to record a short interview with them around their dining table while visiting.

I feel very lucky to have been offered a room at their home when Dermot heard I’d be visiting the area. I had no idea how much better it would be to discover a city in tow with a local photographer. Not only did I get a chance to see the way Catherine and Dermot run their business, they allowed me into their lives for the few days I was there with a tour of the city, eating and drinking at the best pubs and restaurants, a cycling trip with the nicest older men you’ll ever meet and so much more.

Thanks again Dermot and Catherine for sharing your city, home, friends and business with me – it’s something I won’t forget.

To skip the intro and go straight to the interview, go to 6 minutes 15 seconds into the recording.

Dermot Murpphy Photography

Dermot Murphy on Facebook

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Dermot and Catherine for allowing me to record this short interview at a moments notice.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

Jenny Stein of The Family Photographer Podcast is todays guest, is based in Pittsburgh USA, is the mother of five and has a family and children’s photography business.

Jenny says, “Photography is what I use to look more deeply at my days and to help us remember the every day moments that make up our lives as a family.”

Her podcast explores her beliefs with other photographers from around the world and is aimed at the person who carries the camera in the family.

Your photography can take you to places you would never go otherwise. – Jenny Stein

In this interview, we explore photography, business, podcasting, photography as a hobby and why exactly Jenny does what she does and how she manages it all.

I came away from the interview feeling challenged about my ideals, why I do what I do, what’s important in my life and business. I think both Jenny and I pushed each other and I expect, you’ll find yourself deep in thought about the topics that come up as you listen in to this episode.

A big thanks to The Image Salon for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If outsourcing your editing is something you’re currently doing or considering, please put the guys at The Image Salon to the test… I think you’ll be blown away! They service some of the biggest names in the industry including Fer Juaristi, Two Mann Studios, Gabe McClintock and Edwina Robertson to name a few.

Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?

Will you take any kind of action after hearing what Jenny had to share?

I think there’s nothing like a daily photo project to learn about photography. – Jenny Stein

Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Jenny or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below too.

I give myself permission to quit all the time. – Jenny Stein

Advertising for a show that doesn’t have a ton of listeners doesn’t make much money. Then you have to put energy into growing the show. But I just want to put my energy into the interviews and the people. – Jenny Stein

It feels weird to me to let everything be about numbers. – Jenny Stein

Jenny Stein Website

Jenny Stein Podcast

Jenny Stein on Instagram

Jenny Stein on Facebook

Jenny Stein on Flickr

TWiP Family Podcast on iTunes

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

SmugMug

Russell Boyd

Libsyn

White House Custom Colour

Episode TPX08: Niki Boon – From Obscurity into The Eyes of Adoring Photographers

Episode 169: Sandra Coan – A Killer Portrait Photography Business Shooting Film with No Props

The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

The Photographer’s Pricing System: Get paid what you’re worth for portraits and weddings by Alicia Caine

Thanks again for listening to the show and thanks to Jenny for coming on and experimenting with a new and different format for this photography podcast and for sharing her thoughts, views and ideas.

Also, a big thanks to The Image Salon for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If outsourcing your editing is something you’re currently doing or considering, please put the guys at The Image Salon to the test… I think you’ll be blown away!

My favourite thing really when I’m taking photos, it’s really nice to do stuff for free. ‘Cause it just feels so pure. – Jenny Stein

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me, hope everything is going well for you in life and photography!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

Michael Blann of www.michaelblann.com was a selfish choice for an interview for me. I first learned about Michael after seeing an ad for Phase One Cameras showing him working in the high mountains of France… photographing the greatest race on earth, the Tour de France. My passion.

The Phase one ad was based around Michael’s new book – “Mountains – Epic Cycling Climbs” which was three years in the making. It’s a book that brings together a photography project that focuses on bringing the physical landscape to the stories and reputations of cycling’s biggest climbs.

After having a closer look at Michaels work, I realised there was so much more to him as a photographer than cycling and landscape photography.

I don’t use Photoshop too heavily. I like for people to believe that what they’re looking at is what was there on the day. I don’t like skies that’ve been burnt in and looked really dramatic. – Michael Blann

Michael spent six years working for Getty Images as their London Creative Photographer, where he got to roam the world photographing everything for their creative needs.

Now, he’s working for some of the best agencies and brands in the world shooting advertising campaigns and helping companies see their ideas come to life… companies like Adidas, Nike, Sky, BBC and Puma.

After all that, I saw a quote from Michael that read “It’s my personal photography which is shaping up to be the most exciting.”

To say I’m rapt to have Michael Blann for this episode of the podcast is an understatement. I hope you enjoy the conversation and questions as much as I did in asking them.

Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?

Will you take any kind of action after hearing what Michael had to share?

I’ve always described myself as the passive observer. By that, I mean there’s some photographers that like to be riding amongst the action and be part of the crowd that you’re shooting. For me, I’ve always liked to take a step back and view a scene, which is kind of this classical approach. – Michael Blann

Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Michael or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below too.

As a photographer, it’s really useful to print stuff, to actually look at work. – Michael Blann

Photography is not all about money. It’s about exposure, it’s about personal gratification that you want to get involved in a project because it sounds interesting; it just varies. – Michael Blann

You’ve got to remember that you really only have one opportunity when the race comes past to get one shot. – Michael Blann

This style of photography where you’re sort of detached from what you’re looking at but you’re looking in at it is what I’m about. – Michael Blann

I thought the photography would be the hard bit and the time-consuming bit but it was putting the thing together that took an awful lot of effort and time that I never really envisaged at the start. – Michael Blann

Michael Blann Website

Michael Blann on Instagram

Michael Blann on Twitter

Mountains: Epic Cycling Climbs by Michael Blann

A Short Film About Photographing Mountains

Michael Blann Photographing Mount Ventoux

Michael Blann on Camera Gears

Michael Blann’s commissioned work for Nok Nok

Michael Blann’s commissioned work Shimano

Michael Blann on Phase One

Tour de France

Thames & Hudson

Andrew Diprose

Susannah Osborne

Robert Millar

Rouleur Magazine

Romain Bardet

PWC Intelligent Digital

Mountains from Michael Blann on Vimeo.

Thanks again for listening to the show and thanks to Michael for coming on and experimenting with a new and different format for this photography podcast and for sharing his thoughts, views and ideas.

Also, a big thanks to The Image Salon for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If outsourcing your editing is something you’re currently doing or considering, please put the guys at The Image Salon to the test… I think you’ll be blown away!

I guess my aesthetic is very sort of classical. There’s a few tweaks here and there and I might simplify shots or make them more classical in their approach – whether that’s cropping or whatever, but I don’t go too heavy on it. – Michael Blann

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me, hope everything is going well for you in life and photography!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

Ale Vidal of  www.ale-vidal.com is a filmmaker, director and story teller, or story weaver, as she likes to describe herself. She specializes in capturing the goals, facts, and feelings of a brand that cannot be expressed through traditional marketing.

When you see Ale’s work, I think some words that will come to mind are dreamy, beautiful, emotional and transportive. As a creative, you may even feel what she creates is unattainable, it’s that good.

I’ve been working to create this video for Sue Bryce Education for a year – yes, the shots in this video have been collected over a year. I have always been drawn to Ale’s work, her eye for beauty is absolutely remarkable. – Sue Bryce

A big thanks to The Image Salon for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If outsourcing your editing is something you’re currently doing or considering, please put the guys at The Image Salon to the test… I think you’ll be blown away! They service some of the biggest names in the industry including Fer Juaristi, Two Mann Studios, Gabe McClintock and Edwina Robertson to name a few.

Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?

Will you take any kind of action after hearing what Ale had to share?

Beauty has so much more depth to it. Beauty is being able to experience something that is aesthetically inspiring and that could be rooted to something that connects us on an emotional level. – Ale Vidal

Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Ale or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below too.

Connection was something that was always important to me. – Ale Vidal

For me, as a storyteller, I didn’t want to take the focus away from this heartfelt story of just that couple. – Ale Vidal

Emotion is the translation of those values, the values of the person that you’re filming, your values, like the emotion comes from that or at least real emotion comes from that. – Ale Vidal

Ale Vidal Website

Ale Vidal on Instagram

Ale Vidal on Vimeo

Ale Vidal on Facebook

Ale Vidal Agency Films

Sue Bryce Education Video by Ale

The Heart Knows (Director’s Cut)

Le Secret d’Audrey

Una storia d’amore in Italia

Free People

Episode 087: Sue Bryce – How to Make Real Money From Your Photography Business Right Now

Thanks again for listening to the show and thanks to Ale for coming on and experimenting with a new and different format for this photography podcast and for sharing his thoughts, views and ideas.

Also, a big thanks to The Image Salon for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If outsourcing your editing is something you’re currently doing or considering, please put the guys at The Image Salon to the test… I think you’ll be blown away!

Each story that I create, I want it to be meaningful and individual to that person because when it’s individual to that creative, you don’t have to replicate anything. – Ale Vidal

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me, hope everything is going well for you in life and photography!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

Jacob Fu of Local Adventurer.com and his wife Esther move to a new city each year. From Atlanta to LA to Vegas to San Diego and Portland – where they are now –  while curating one of the top 50 travel blogs in the world! They picked one year because it’s long enough to find hidden gems but also temporary enough to motivate them to get out there and explore often.

Before the blog, Esther and Jacob had a wedding photography business for 8 years which they have now left behind. The Local Adventure Blog is filled with beautiful photography, travel tips and advice, places to visit, city guides, things to do, plus how to articles on blogging, photography and travel. It really is a gorgeous, easy to navigate, fun site that can easily find you lost and exploring for wayyyy to long!

I’m rapt to have Jacob on to talk about their journey and how photography has led them to where they are now.

It’s easy to find inspiration and it’s easy to find beautiful photos but if they [blogs and posts] don’t tell you where or help you get there if you want to experience that same thing, that’s one of the most frustrating things. – Jacob Fu

A big thanks to The Image Salon for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If outsourcing your editing is something you’re currently doing or considering, please put the guys at The Image Salon to the test… I think you’ll be blown away! They service some of the biggest names in the industry including Fer Juaristi, Two Mann Studios, gabe McClintock and Edwina Robertson to name a few.

Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?

Will you take any kind of action after hearing what Jacob had to share?

Yes, it’s about the money and running a successful business but more so about being happy with what we’re doing and if we need to take a step back and take some time off and we’re ok with that, then that’s okay as well. And where we’re always constantly look to see how we need to pivot and how we need to shift – Jacob Fu

Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Jacob or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below too.

The goal of every post is to be informational and to be useful to the reader and honestly I think that’s what help the blog grow to what it is now – Jacob Fu

Anywhere new you go is potentially new content – Jabob Fu

It was valuable to keep a deep catalog of content – Jacob Fu

Local Adventurer Website

Local Adventurer on Facebook

Local Adventurer on Instagram

Local Adventurer on YouTube

Jacob Fu on Instagram

Esther Julee on Instagram

Jacob Fu on Twitter

Esther Julee Wedding Photography Website

Thanks again for listening to the show and thanks to Jacob for coming on and experimenting with a new and different format for this photography podcast and for sharing his thoughts, views and ideas.

Also, a big thanks to The Image Salon for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If outsourcing your editing is something you’re currently doing or considering, please put the guys at The Image Salon to the test… I think you’ll be blown away!

You have to be willing to get a hundred no’s before you get a yes – Jacob Fu

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me, hope everything is going well for you in life and photography!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew