Shootzu - The Podcast

Jason Edwards is an award winning natural history photographer, who has been in the industry for over 25 years. His collection of photos ranks as one of Nat Geo's largest. Based in Melbourne when he isn't on expeditions to the Antarctic or African jungle, he spoke with James from Shootzu the podcast on his photography business journey.

Streaming from Tuesday 11 December 2018, on Shootzu the podcast, on iTunes, Spotify, Jason is interviewed about his photography business journey, the challenges he sees facing the industry and the mental resilience required to go on assignment as a natural history photographer.

Starting his career at the Zoological Board of Victoria, he has a series of accolades to his name and is heavily involved in educating the community on conservation issues. He takes us behind the scenes of what it is like to be on assignment in remote places of the world, and the need to love your own company if you choose a career path that can often mean significant time by yourself.

On mental resilience in his job, he states: "You see bad things happen to people. I'm not there to make the news, I'm there to document it." This means even when confronted with things he doesn't agree with he keeps his emotions in check. "Never let it out. I have no right to let it out. When I am working with someone and if we see something that's uncomfortable, or something that they don't believe in... No one speaks. You don't show it, you don't show any emotion at all."

Jason's words of advice for Australian photographers: "photographers have to stand up for their rights". Charge what you're worth. In the industry which is constantly experiencing the entrance of disruptors with the perpetual race to the bottom, he says it is critical to protect your rights, protect your images and protect your business livelihood!

In an interview-style, this is the finale of the current season of Shootzu the podcast, which aims to share the stories of successful photographers and videographers from across Australia and New Zealand to motivate, inspire and educate their industry peers on running a profitable photography business.

We take a stand against generic, boring staged photographs above your mantle. We take a stand for emotional, fun, crazy, enjoyment filled lives captured with passion and as unique as your love story.

We are lovers first and it's from there that our love of capturing every transient moment comes from.

For the last 5 years Lacey has not only created a stir with her controversial images promoting womens rights, but she has also cemented herself as one of this country's most talented and outspoken birth photographers.Lacey has been known to be unapologetically raw. She encapsulates the depths of the human soul in a single still image. Lacey has even been known to post herself nude up next to Kim Kardashian...why not? Ballsy and emotionally attached, Lacey strives to have women empowered through her imageryLacey is an accredited member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP), a part of the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers, Birth Photographers Australia, and Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project by Leilani Rogers #PBAP. More recently, she has started her own campaign #humansuncensored to help desexualise human bodies, men and women alike.

Lacey has been recognised locally for the impact that her imagery has made on her community. She was nominated as a finalist for the "Fair Go" Pride of Australia Medal in 2014. She has also been interviewed by NT News, ABC Radio, Positive Birth Movement Melbourne, and has spoken to a group of women about the "love yourself" campaign- loving your body postpartum, through the Office of Woman's Advancement NT. She is an avid lover of birth, breastfeeding, and babywearing.

In 2015 Lacey was awarded NT Documentary Photographer of the Year 2015.

AIPP VPPY 2016 Lacey submitted 8 entries with 6 of them being awarded. Lacey was awarded the EPSON AIPP VPPY Documentary Photographer of the Year 2016 making her a multi-award winning Professional Photographer

Leanne Bertram is the principal photographer at Little Big Adventures.

With over a decade of personal experience in photographing hundreds of families, businesses, products and events, she has focused the last 4 years on photographing the Little Big set at their daycares, kinders and preschools all over Victoria.

Her reputation firmly established, and very much in demand, Leanne has now bid a fond farewell to suburbs far and wide. Bolstered by community support, she's back in the belt of her people - the Bayside suburbs of Melbourne.

Leanne enjoys interacting and playing with her new friends wherever she goes and making magical memories for their parents to treasure. It's a delight and honour to work in the community she loves and to see her little friends as they grow and shop, play sports

and even walk through the gates of the school with her own children.

It's more than just taking beautiful images: it's creating happiness.

When Leanne is not photographing your little ones, she can usually be found patting cats or immersed in her garden. She's only half the age her hobbies suggest she is ( she likes to think it offsets all the jumping around in a tutu at kinder )

Founded in 2012 by friends Erin Neale and Tara Pearce, Erin and Tara are two of Australia's leading wedding photographers for modern lovers in search of soulful yet polished photography.Inspired by the thought that a love story should be timeless, Erin and Tara's artistic direction distills the emotion and energy from the day, just as much as the individual moments. Frames told truthfully and expressively, immortalising not only the magnificent moments but the dozens of secretly significant moments, in between, for a style of visual storytelling that is as transportive and moving when revisited in years to come, as the day it was captured. Raw, honest, romantic and instantly recognisable, Erin and Tara are behind the lens of some of the most stylish and soulful weddings ever captured

My potted history....I'm an English girl married to a Scottish boy, happily living the life of dreams in Bayside Brisbane with our two young children. Before finding my roots in Australia and jumping behind the lens I was an interior designer in the UK, which explains my fascination with In Home sessions. My passion is capturing the authentic, the fleeting, the tender and the crazy, as they happen in the natural surrounds of your daily life, because I believe that in years to come, these are the moments we want to remember.

Briggsy was born and bred in the Yarra Valley and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. As soon as he started taking photos, he absolutely knew that this is what he want to do. Being fortunate enough to be able to give up 'normal' 9-5 life is an incredibly fulfilling and amazing feeling, to be living this dream each day.

Fusing modernist simplicity with a natural and candid approach, Von of YCM Photography has over fourteen years experience behind the lens. With a Bachelor's degree in Photography from Charles Sturt University, Australia, Von has also completed master classes at the London School of Photography, United Kingdom.

YCM Photography specialises in portraits and capturing emotions, also competently providing services in many other areas of photography including family and children's portraits, pregnancy, and commercial and professional portfolios.

YCM Photography studio is located in Newcastle, however we also service areas around Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley, Central Coast and areas beyond.

Glen Mackay started his video production business 10 years ago and now continues to grow his client base through the power of Social Media. Being around happy people and getting to party it up every single weekend in a new location, Glen is living the dream.

Belinda Richards started Frog Dog Studios after completing her diploma in photography and BA in Fine Arts in 2014. Melding her love for animals and her love for photography, she has created a studio where people's pets become works of art. APPA-AIPP Emerging Photographer of the year for 2018, Belinda talks to Laura about the challenges and rewards of working with dogs and other four-legged models.