The Blogger App

I just downloaded the Blogger App on my iPhone. Who knows? I might be blogging 'on the fly' now!

A Lack of Courage...

I have no idea who you are, but your nasty personal comments are not welcome on this photography related blog, especially when they are anonymous and lack the courage of having your name attached to them. If you wish to make yourself known and ask me some questions, I would welcome you having the courage to contact me via email or on Facebook, where we can discuss your comments at length.

All Revved Up

Hello Blog. Yeah, I know what you're thinkin'...its been a while. Honestly? I have just been a little unmotivated to blog. Can't explain why. I just have.

But here are a few images from our Creative Photo Workshops All Revved Up event that  we did on Sunday night. The recipe? Some very friendly bikers, some available light, a couple of Elinchrom Ranger Quadra kits, some customers and a serious desire to have a laugh and shoot. There is not much to explain in these shots....you know the drill. Back soon.

An Apostle at the Workshop

Our Creative Natural Light Portrait Workshop last Saturday had a slightly different but absolutely wonderful appeal to it. For the past years, Creative Photo Workshops has hired attractive young men and women to be our models at our workshops. There are plenty of young people around who enjoy earning a few extra dollars posing for the camera. But Saturday saw us enjoying the honour of photographing our oldest and perhaps most captivating model yet - Apostolos. Apostolos is 91, and is the father of Sophia, one of our customers and attendees at our workshops. While we also had one of our regulars, David Hirst, modeling for us. David is great to work with and handsome to a fault. But unfortunately he was overshadowed by the presence of our other model, Apostolos, who, despite being quite tired, sat patiently near the window, posed for the light. We are only glad that David wasn't too worried about playing second fiddle as our attendees clamoured to capture Apostolos' life-revealing face and features. 

Young and handsome, David didn't stand a chance....

It is an interesting and wonderful experience capturing the face of a man who has seen so much of life. It is the kind of portrait photography that adds so much more to the experience than just beautiful lighting. It is about honouring, seeing, respecting and capturing for posterity. It is, I suppose, one of the greatest gifts of photography. Young, attractive people have their own beauty - the beauty of youth and vigor. But the aged bring with them something more far reaching. They are vessels of experience and wisdom. 

Thank you Apostolos for being our willing model and thank you Sophie for bringing your Dad along. We were honoured to have you both there at our workshop.

Father and Daughter - Apostolos and Sophia

Getting The Mojo Back

I remember a conversation I had with a prominent Melbourne wedding and portrait photographer many years ago. I was just beginning on my journey as a working photographer and he was well on his way. He was also heading off on a well-deserved holiday to the Maldives. I was very excited for him, having never been to such a place and considering that on my income at the time it would only ever be a dream for me to go to such a place. Interestingly, since that time I have seen and captured my fair share of the world. Anyway...I digress...

In my excitement at the prospects of going to such an exclusive idyll, I mentioned that he will be able to take some beautiful photographs there. While never having been there, I had seen the photographs and that was enough to get my juices going. Naturally, I exclaimed something along the lines of "Wow! You'll get some great photographs there!" to which he responded "I'm not taking my camera! I work with the damn thing!"

Now, this threw me completely. It saddened me to think that this prominent and talented photographer was so disenchanted with his craft that now he sees his camera only as tool he uses to earn a living. Once upon a time it represented enjoyment, passion, fulfillment and creativity. The thought of earning a living with it would have filled his heart with excitement and ambition. Now...decades later that is all changed.

Now...for me...decades later, I can actually understand his feelings. I don't agree with them. Not at all. But I do understand them. Years of shooting can actually destroy your love for photography, even though the life of a working photographer is without doubt more interesting than most. It is human nature to take things for granted, to change our passions and endeavours and, as we age, look for simplicity. In this endeavour, I have also found myself wavering. Recently, for instance, while in Hobart, Tasmania running workshops, I found myself leaving my LowePro ProRoller in the car, filled with DSLRs and lenses, only to use my iPhone and a plethora of apps to create the images I was looking for while we strolled the streets. The images were very rewarding, but there would have been a time when limiting my options like that would have appalled me. 

If you have been following our Creative Photo Workshops events, you would know that Glynn and I recently returned from another tour of duty, running workshops for Dan's Camera City in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Dan's are without doubt the awesomest, bestest, most wonderfullest photo retailer in the United States. Yeah..we love 'em. Anyway...We were kept very busy, running about 16 events in 11 days...or something like that. It was exhausting, and after each workshop we would grab something to eat and then return to our room, often falling asleep on our beds while in mid conversation. Anyone would think that on our planned day off, TV would be the order of the day.

Nope. Not at all.

What does a photographer do on his day off? He gets out and takes photographs. Why? To get the photomojo back. 

After we'd given a brief presentation to the staff at Dan's, Glynn and I got into our rental vehicle and headed for a little town called Jim Thorpe. This lovely little place consumed our day as we strolled the length of it, stopping to converse with locals - so we could photograph them of course - and capturing the details that make this town so lovely in its late autumnal context. Driving back from there to Dan's, we followed Glynn's instinctive nose for great locations, finding barns and ruins and streams that we could photograph before the light failed us. As the shooting day ended, Glynn and I agreed that it had been one of the best days we had ever spent together. While we enjoy our work immensely, this was a day in which we could indulge ourselves in our own vision and simply enjoy photography for photography's sake. And in the end, that is why we took up photography in the first place.

Add caption

Glynn sports his
LowePro Street
and Field Gear
in Jim Thorpe

It goes without saying that I still find the viewpoint of the photographer I mentioned at the outset one that I cannot accept. But I can understand how it happens. Your camera once represented the very thing you longed to do - create images, and hopefully make some kind of living in the process. A photographer's life is probably more interesting than most but it is human nature to yearn for change, and take things for granted. After a while, the very thing you once loved becomes only a means to an end. That is a sad thing if you let it happen. 

If your photomojo is beginning to wane, do the one thing your instincts may disagree with. Grab your gear, get into your car and find something to point your camera at. Anything. You don't even have to go to Pennsylvania - unless you already live there of course. Wherever you go, whatever you capture, the process will do you good  - especially if you ever find yourself on the way to the Maldives with little interest in bringing your camera with you.

Rob Guest Endowment Concert

Sylvie Paladino performs
"Beauty and the Beast"in duet with a recording of Rob Guest

Hello Blog! You'd think that I would visit you more often, wouldn't you? I mean, you and I have been doing this for a long time now! Sorry Blog...I have been all over the place recently! Anyway...enough of the apologies. You get the point, I'm sure.

Last week, my wife, Tash, and I had the privilege to once again photograph the Rob Guest Endowment concert. This is a part of my regular work for ANZ Trustees, who, in this case, care for the Rob Guest Endowment, a trust that sees to the futures of Australia's best upcoming theatre performers. It was set up in honour of the late Rob Guest himself, one of this country's most respected performers and mentors within the industry. I had the joy of seeing him perform as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables here in Melbourne several years ago. His version of "Bring Him Home" brought me to tears. His sudden passing was felt with much sadness by those who knew him and worked with him. I never had that privilege as a photographer, but I am glad that I was able to see him perform.

Winner, Blake Bowden with music director,
Kellie Dickerson

This year's Endowment concert once again revealed the potential of young performers within this country. Each year I am astounded at their talent. Having been a singer on the odd occasion myself, I am awed by their abilities. Both musical and theatrical, these young people are offered some rather wonderful opportunities by the trust and their futures within the industry are given a serious boost. This year's winner was a young man named Blake Bowden. His performances were certainly memorable and his win well deserved. That said, I would not have wanted to be a judge on that night. Not from what I saw and heard. I am sure the margins were very fine indeed. 

At the helm of the musical performances on this evening was the lovely Kellie Dickerson. Kellie was Rob Guest's partner in life, and I was left in awe of her ability to conduct an orchestra while the voice of the man she still loves sings "Beauty and the Beast" along with Sylvie Paladino in a profoundly touching duet. Even I had to prevent a tear or two from inhibiting my work during that performance.

As photographers, our job is to capture the evening as it happens. In this regard, I have to admit to feeling proud about the things we teach in our workshops. Understanding metering, light, walking the arc and lens perspective all come into play if you are to produce jpegs within the camera that can be used immediately from that camera. These are the processes and techniques we teach at our Creative Photo Workshops and events. I am not interested in hours of Lightroom or PhotoShop, and frankly I am not paid enough to be bothered with it. I quote for my shooting time. Therefore, I don't want to work for more hours without pay. Do you? 

If I were shooting this event ten or fifteen years ago on film, I would have been compelled to employ my 'in camera' prowess. Why? Because I would have had to turn up with perfect transparencies the day after. I see no reason why I cannot now follow the same process and produce hundreds of jpegs in the camera that I can upload quickly and straight from the camera. My wife did the same thing, metering for the highlights, shooting to produce jpegs, not RAW files that are 'shot to the right' and need finishing. Yes, there are arguments for and against but I often feel that the humble jpeg is underestimated. Do I shoot RAW files? Absolutely. Do I use many of them for my customers? Rarely. After the concert, I resized them in Lightroom and uploaded them to Dropbox for my client. 

Job Done.

I believe that the time honoured process of producing in camera needs to be considered seriously, even by the neophyte photographer who has only ever known digital. In this regard, long time shooters like me have a distinct advantage. Conversely, my wife has only ever shot digitally as a professional, but she knows the processes behind the production of SOOC jpegs. 

Thank you ANZ Trustees and The Rob Guest Endowment for another fabulous night out and the honour of being part of this philanthropic event.

Working with Flash

Model, Brooke Sebek, is not faking being cold,
but using Tungsten White balance and Honl CTO gel confirms it in this image...

Model: Olga Ellie Zaramboukis

Creative Photo Workshops held two Creative Flash Photography workshops (Part One) over the weekend. While this can be a difficult workshop in some ways, it can also be very rewarding - both for us as teachers and for our customers. The images our customers create and take home are dynamic, interesting and often ethereal.  Moreover, they are created from very ordinary circumstances, which is actually the case with all of our workshops to be honest. But there is something about alerting photographers to the power of flash that is very rewarding in terms of their creative and photographic empowerment.

Usually the day begins with most of our customers telling us that either they have no understanding of a flash they have bought and don't know how to use, that they simply hate flash, or that they only use it when they absolutely have to but don't know how to be creative with it at all. Our workshop changes all of those attitudes and difficulties. It begins with some simple but eye-opening on-camera flash techniques and then progresses to the off-camer flash stuff we all love.

I am very proud of what we teach at our flash workshop because it deals with the principles and returns our photographers to a day when there was no Nikon CLS, infrared TTL exposure or easy way out. We do the math, and we teach it as the best way to take control. If you haven't attended one of our Creative Flash Photography workshops yet, I would highly recommend them...even if I say so myself...:-)

Mackay Workshops, Aaaaye....

Model, Jana Bailey, at our Creative Flash Workshop in Mackay

Model, Rae Johnston dons a wedding dress for our
Creative Wedding Photography Workshop

Creative Photo Workshops loves to travel. We love to take our love for photography and bring it with us everywhere we go. The great thing about being in our business is that we get to do it for a living! Recently, Glynn, Tash and I found in ourselves in Mackay. Tash and I travelled to Mackay with our new friend and locquacious laughmaker, Tearah, a photographer from Blackwater where she was going to join us for even more workshops there. Glynn was flying in from Melbourne and off we would go.

I have to tell you that I was surprised with how quickly our workshops were filled. The wonderful bunch of photographers in Mackay were so pleased to have us there, and I also have to admit to a feeling of vindication after what we had heard went on in Blackwater. I really appreciated the photographers there in that small mining town who came to our workshops. Again, thank you so very much. You more than compensated for the other silly so and so's....

We ran five separate events in Mackay. Our Natural Light Portrait Workshop, Creative Flash Part One and Part Two and our Creative Wedding Photography workshop. On the Friday evening we ran our Film Noir event at the Mackay Heritage Railway, for which we are very grateful. Gangsters, Fedoras and Fog Machines. It was a great night.

I have to admit to absolutely loving what we do. In a nutshell, we came into a group of photographers, taught them some things, made some friends and got asked to come back to do more. Now, that is a great gig. I feel sorry for photographers who don't understand the joy it brings to us to be able to share, to enable, to empower people in their passion and their craft, to make new friends and to be remembered with affection for having done so. For that, I get paid. And there are photographers who are afraid of doing that? Wow. Incomprehensible. Sure, I aint drivin' no Maserati, but I am loving what I am doing. And I would prefer a more practical vehicle anyway...

Thank you Mackay photographers for making us so welcome. We look forward to coming back soon.

Model: Raylene Smith

Local legend, Paddy, poses in a pub door as part of our Natural Light Portrait Workshop...

Rae poses in the Queensland 'cold' for an off camera flash photograph...

If the world needed an Enema

From our Natural Light Portrait Workshop, Blackwater QLD. Not bad for an Alpaca Shed as a location...

The lovely Megan Walker

A couple of weeks ago I recorded another episode of Shutters Inc with my good friend, fellow photographer and podcast host, Bruce Williams. In it I mentioned that I would be heading off to a place in Queensland called "Blackwater". When he asked "Where!!?" I told him to imagine a place where, if the world needed an enima, that is where they would put the tube. Blackwater, QLD. Hey, it was only a joke, ok?

Why was I going to Blackwater? Well, my wife and I had been invited to come to this mining town to represent Creative Photo Workshops and run workshops up there for the photographers who live in this 8000 strong town. While it is normally Glynn who accompanies me, my wife had been invited especially from the host of this invitation - our good friend Di Collins. Di and I met years ago when I first went to Rockhampton to run workshops there. But since then she has become good friends with Tash, and so the workshops were really only a front for her chance to catch up and giggle with my Mrs. But hey! What do I care? Any chance to roam the world and teach photography and I am there - especially when I can take my wife along and enjoy the crazy quietude of her lovely company.

What distressed me was that I had heard from people in the town that there had been some resistance to our workshops being held there. Apparently some fear arose among some photographers in town and I heard that some even went to the point of tearing down the posters that had been put up to advertise our events. If this is true - and I have no reason to believe that it isn't - then I am deeply saddened by that mentality. If there is one thing that we all need as photographers it is education. I have been shooting for over thirty years and I long to attend more seminars and workshops. My problem is that I am usually running them instead. But to so grossly object to an internationally welcomed team of photographers coming to your part of the world to run workshops because you are afraid that other photographers may learn something that you don't know is so small-minded it beggars belief.

The photographers who attended the workshops there were all lovely, and their spirit of sharing and gathering as fellow photographers was not one I would worry about at all! They were very interested in getting together, shooting and sharing ideas, catching up and having fun with their cameras. I can only say to those photographers whose reason for not attending was your small-minded objections to outsiders or your fear of others learning something you don't know, then you should have come to them yourselves. You would not only have learned a thing or two about photography, you would have been given a polite lecture about the greatness of sharing and the elevated level of thought that the more professional photographers have in this world - one of giving, sharing, teaching and encouraging.

I hope to return to Blackwater to run more workshops. The profit in it would be irrelevant. The message to those nay-sayers and persecutors would be everything. Thank you Di for being positive in the light of your opposition. Thank you for being strong. Thank you for making it possible for us to come and have some fun with you and your fellow photographers in Blackwater. I stayed there for days and didn't see any tube coming down from the sky. Hmmm, I must have been wrong.

From the second of our two Film Noir events in Blackwater. A local locomotive in a nearby park becomes an ideal location for this fabulous event

Working with Natural Light

As a photographer, it goes without saying that I love what light does. I love it. There. I said it. Even though it didn't need saying. Our Creative Natural Light Portrait workshop is a great lesson in finding light and working with it. We ran this workshop on Saturday with two young girls, who happened to be sisters, as our models. Courtney and Chelsea are only in the early mid teens, and they are beautiful young women with a lovely spirit. As pretty as they are, however, they, like every other person, still need to be properly lit if they are to be complimented in their photographs. 

Far too often I see photographers - especially those new to the craft - relying upon the beauty or interest of the subject itself and often ignoring the light in which they place them, or find them. Photographers do not photograph interesting things. We don't even photograph beautiful things. We photograph light on things. That's what we do. And when we finally wrap our little heads around that concept, it doesn't matter what we take pictures of. Anything can be interesting.

However, it just so happens that our models on Saturday were very pretty. What the heck...

Back from Workshops in the US...

Creative Wedding Photography Workshop, Los Angeles.
Model: Bonni Mircovich

Film Noir Workshop,
Bethlehem Pennsylvania

Hello everyone! First things first. I know that you are all getting a little tired of me starting my blog with an apology for the delay in updating. Well, I would be if I were you. That being the case, I won't do it this time. OK? These last couple of months have been incredibly hectic however. And now that I am back from the workshops we ran in Pennsylvania and California, I can give you a bit of an insight. 

In the week before leaving, I had to pack up my house and move, shoot Susan and Billy's wedding on the Saturday (more on that soon), pack for the US that evening, get married myself on the Sunday and then get on a plane the morning after - complete with my beautiful wife, Natasha. Yes, it was kind of a working honeymoon you might say. Tash and I love our work and we love to travel, so it was destined to be wonderful. My Love is a wonderful photographer in her own right and had never set foot on American soil before, so for her it was very exciting indeed. For me, it was a chance to give her a glimpse of how beautiful the country is and how hospitable our hosts could be. 

So, after living through a week in which some of the most stressful and exhausting things two people can go through, we spent thirty hours traveling to finally arrive in Newark airport, exhausted and excited at the same time. We were in New Jersey and ready for all that lay ahead! The next morning would see us take the drive down to our hosts in Allentown, Pennsylvania and arrive at Dan's Cameras - ready for a meet and greet with many who had booked for our workshops and events in that part of the world. I gotta tell ya - its a good thing we are young and healthy! :-)

I won't go in to the day by run of workshops and events or I will be here forever - and so would you if you were to keep reading! But I will say that we were overwhelmed by the warmth and hospitality of our hosts - the gang at Dans - and our friends who attended our workshops. Altogether we ran seven events and workshops in Allentown and we have been asked to return for more! Will we? Ah, yuh! 

Jeremy, Studio Essentials Workshop,
Dan's Camera City,
Allentown, PA

Taking a few days to ourselves, Tash and I explored through Pennsylvania, taking time to visit Gettysburg - a place I have wanted to visit since I was a boy. On these fields in 1863 history was made, brought about in the most horrific of ways. Battles and wars are the unfortunate means by which history is often written, and these fields and hills were the site of the most devastating battles of the American Civil War. It was an interesting day, poignant and informative, especially as we stood in places where thousands of men had been led into the very places they would meet their painful end. Standing on Big Round Top, Cemetery Ridge and the point of Pickett's Charge were all very interesting and moving indeed. A drive through Maryland and Pennsylvania the next day brought us finally to New York City where we spent the better part of 16 or so hours seeing the sights and walking through this remarkable metropolis. Atop the Empire State Building we photographed the city below as the sun set to the west. On to Times Square, 5th Avenue and Macy's on 34th Street...

An early plane to Los Angeles was the next order of things. We had not even bothered to get a room in New York as our plane was scheduled to leave so early. Again, Creative Photo Workshops had been invited by our good friend, Mark Comon at Paul's Photo in Torrance, California to run workshops for them also. Film Noir kicked us off, followed by our Creative Flash Workshop Part One the day after and our Creative Wedding Workshop the day after that. Now, with Monday through Friday to ourselves, Tash and I could visit the sites and experience California. 

We did that in some rather diverse ways. We wound up doing everything from being in the studio audience for Jerry Springer's "Baggage" program to experiencing the beauty of Joshua Tree National Park, the heat of Palm Springs, bad pizza in Temecula and the colour of the Gaslight District of San Diego. In LA itself, Graumann's, Malibu, Santa Monica, Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood sign were all on Tash's 'to do' list as well. Boxes ticked. Done.

A quick snap at sunset, Joshua Tree National Park.

My Love at Joshua Tree

For Tash and me this opportunity to run workshops and events in Pennsylvania and California afforded us a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We will never forget it. So many new things. So many wonderful experiences. So many new friends. So many boxes ticked and new ones to consider. We saw and experienced things both of us had long dreamed of, but now with the added beauty of holding each other's hand along the way. It made the getting there - in every way - finally comprehensible. I have travelled many times, to many places. My 'About Me' page in this blog is but a glimpse of my adventures, camera in hand. This one was an entirely new and unique one altogether. 

So, as you can see, it has been a rather busy time, and I have only scratched the surface in telling you of the busy nature of my life these past few months. I am hoping finally for some calm, while working to continue the excitement and adventure. It is a wonderful life and despite its unpredictable paths, it continues to excite and fulfill me. With new and joyous love in my life, I am renewed in many ways. There is yet more to achieve, complete, restore and renew. Thank you to all who have borne with me through some rather difficult, confusing and exhausting times. Your friendship, kindness, patience and understanding have not been and never will be forgotten. 

More to come....

Shelton.

Think! But not too much...

Yesterday was an interesting day. It started with such promise and I was very excited. But it was going to be a day of learning for me. Let me tell you why. Lets start with the setup, shall we?

A shoot had been arranged for Glynn and I and the CPW team. A tutorial was planned. However, due to illness, two of the team could not make it at the last minute. That's ok. Glynn and I would still do the shoot. 

We had the pleasure to work once again with Australian Top Model, Sophie Van Den Akker. Creative Photo Workshops was there working with Sophie when it all started for her. She first modeled for us for our initial Emerging Nymph event, and then for a couple of our flash workshops. Then, she landed her place on Australia's Next Top Model, coming third in the placings but perhaps the most commercially successful of the models since then. Sophie has worked for Nikon, Speedo, Avon and other high profile companies since her TV debut on that interesting reality program. Sophie is a beautiful girl with one of the most geometrically perfect faces I have ever seen. She is a laugh a minute and great fun to work with as a result. 

To us, she is still just Sophie. However, getting hold of her is not so easy anymore. She is in demand - and under contract. However, she graced us yesterday with her company for a shoot. And Sophie - thank you! It was wonderful working with you.

The lovely Sophie Van Den Akker in designs by Matcho

There is so much going on in my life at the moment that I have to admit to being plain tired. And yesterday - it showed. Here I was in a fabulous location - an abandoned factory complex in Kensington, just north of Melbourne. I had a wonderful model, fantastic clothes from Matcho, a very talented clothing designer, and my old shooting buddy, Glynn Lavender. Add to that our Elinchrom Ranger Quadra kits and you have the makings of a memorable and creative shoot.

But yesterday my mojo just wasn't working. I think that I was so distracted by other things that I just wasn't problem solving very well. And, as my previous post argues, successful photography is mostly problem solving. To be honest, I believe I was overthinking it. I was making things complex when they were really quite simple. And I learned a lesson from my own book once again. Keep it simple. Keep your lighting simple. Keep your lenswork simple. Keep your concepts simple. 

While I am relatively pleased with some of the images, I would love to have another shot at it. Alas, I don't think that will happen. Sophie is off to bigger and better things...

Glynn gets into position for a photograph

Shelton Muller