Mark Strachan: Portrait & Comercial Photographer

What advice would you give a photographer starting out in the industry?

Be passionate about learning. Learning drives sucess.

What was the most challenging assignment you have ever had either physical or emotionally?
 Working in Uganda for the Cotton On Foundation. I lived in a poor village for a week and produced a coffee table book about daily life in that area.

What is the most unique project you have worked on and why? 

As above. Emotionally and Physically challenging. I learned a lot about myself.

What inspired you to start taking photos? 

I love art but cannot draw. Photography was perfect for me.

How did you become a photographer? What was your big break into the industry? 

I left school in Year 11 (not recommended!) and worked for the Geelong News and Geelong Advertiser as a photographer. Afert learing lost (especially time management and getting results under conditions) I left to persue my solo carrer in 1983

What interests you most about photography? What do you find most rewarding about photography?

I learn something on EVERY assignment & making a good living from what I love and meeting interesting people

Why is your favourite photographer/s and why? 

Julia Margaret-Cameron – 1860’s female photographer. Research her. She was at the time an underappreciated photographer as she liked to “do it her way” – including deliberately making her portraits out of focus as she liked the soft look better. Photography as a profession was dominated by men in those early days and she was looked down upon because she was a woman in a man’s world” 

Lewis Caroll, who authored “Alice in Wonderland” is also a photographer from the 18oo’s whom I admire a lot. 

Annie Leibovitz is another favourite as is Richard Avedon. I own photographs by all these photographers except Julia Margaret Cameron – A single piece of her work can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Where do you see the photographic industry in ten years time? 

I think the industry will be flooded with amateur photographers, however the photographer offering something unique and high quality will continue to prosper.

What type of cameras and equipment do you use?

Leica, Nikon & Canon

If you could photograph anyone or anything from any time period who or what would it be and why? 

I would have loved to photograph Abraham Lincoln, US President, Fascinating and Determined man who changed the course of history.

Michael Teo: Portrait, Fashion and Fine Art Photographer

ABOUT MICHAEL
I focus on people photography. i do portraits, families, newborns, maternity and weddings. my main interest lies in conceptual fine art photography and fashion for advertising. i think that the distinctive features of my work are my unique approach and my emphasis on emotional content and connection.

What advice would you give a photographer starting out in the industry? 

Stay in touch with your passion, be persistent and patient. There are bound to be failures and rejections, but use these as motivation to develop and refine your craft. Also, learn business skills, marketing, accounting, business management, legal (contracts, copyright etc). This is probably more important that the standard of your photography.

What was the most challenging assignment you have ever had either physical or emotionally?

I can’t say that any of them have been especially challenging physically or emotionally. Often the greatest challenge is getting the right expression/emotion out of the subject. i recently did a tribute to Herb Ritts’ famous 5 supermodels shot. None of the girls were professional models. Before we started i did individual portraits of each girl. One of the girls was very nervous and i was struggling to get a good image. i needed to get at least one good shot of her to build trust and rapport. i asked everyone to leave the room (4 other models and 3 HMUAs). i tried for a few more shots, but was getting a tense nervous face. Eventually i turned her side on, posed her and asked her to look down. i got a nice shot and she was happy with it. The rest of the shoot went wonderfully.

What is the most unique project you have worked on and why?

I sometimes design and make outfits for the purpose of photographing them. i’ve made outfits from newspaper, cling wrap, freezer bags and i am currently working on a paper one.

What inspired you to start taking photos?

my father was a keen amateur photographer, he subscribed to a couple of photography magazines and i loved looking through them, so i always had an interest in photography

How did you become a photographer? What was your big break into the industry?

My first career was a musician and two of my music students are award winning photographers, Mercury Megaloudis and Bill Gekas, both of which are incredible photographers who’s work i admire. It was Mercury who inspired and encouraged me to pursue photography more seriously and he still continues to mentor me. i don’t know that there is a “big break”, but a gradual build.

What interests you most about photography? What do you find most rewarding about photography?

I love photographing people. Photography gives me a means to make people feel good about themselves and invites them to fully love and and accept themselves for who they are. i gives them a look at the beauty that others see in them.

Who is your favourite photographer and why?

I don’t have a favourite photographer. There are so many excellent photographers with such varying styles. i like to see how different people see the world and create images through their vision. i appreciate many different styles of photography.

Where do you see the photographic industry in ten years time?

This is a very interesting question. i will answer it from my perspective as a photographer of people. i believe that photography is becoming democratised. Almost every one has a camera on them all the time in smart phones. DSLRs are becoming very common and there are so many good instructional sources. There is also quite sophisticated post processing software that is making retouching easier and more available to the average person. So overall, the standard of photography is rising. As the standard of images increases, professional photography is going to be less about creating images and more about creating moments. i believe that a photographers job is to make their subject comfortable and give them the space to express themselves freely. The photographer’s role will be more of a personal facilitator and less of a technician. Of course technical proficiency will be a prerequisite, but the role will become more personal.

What type of cameras and equipment do you use?

Canon 60D

24-105mm f4

50mm f1.4

2x 400w Bowens Studio strobes

Cactus V5 flash triggers

Light modifiers: shoot through umbrellas, reflective umbrellas, soft box, octabox, beauty dish, grids & snoots

2x poly boards

3x YN560II speed lights

2x 5in1 reflectors

Sekonic L-308S light meter

Colorchecker Passport

15”Macbook Pro

Wacom Bamboo tablet

Lightroom, Photoshop

If you could photograph anyone or anything from any time period who or what would it be and why?

I love photographing who i am with. When someone is in front of my lens, they are the most beautiful person in the world, there is nothing or no one i would rather photograph.

Iain Sim: Portrait Photographer

About IAIN

Iain Sim Photography is actually a partnership, although the name doesn't suggest it. I take pictures and my wife Jo does basically everything else, but somehow I get my name on the website. We also have two beautiful kids. We've been running a photography studio for about eight years now, and have been lucky to keep finding clients that we connect with, which I think makes a big difference to the final images. I also photograph products, headshots and personal projects, and these can sometimes be found on the blog or our facebook page.

We love working together and creating pictures that will be a part of our clients' lives for many, many years to come.

What advice would you give a photographer starting out in the industry? 

Along with learning the craft of photography (i.e., the technical skills required to capture a well seen/lit/composed/exposed image), it’s really important to also develop skills in turning those images into saleable products (i.e., file management, printing). In wedding or portraiture photography, most successful photographers run their own businesses these days, and so skills in marketing, sales and management are also incredibly valuable. The best thing I ever did for my business and career was to join the AIPP’s mentoring program.

What was the most challenging assignment you have ever had either physical or emotionally? 

My first paid job was a Serbian wedding with over 400 guests, most of whom spoke no English at all. Luckily not all of them were at the ceremony! There were people waving massive flags and a guy playing an accordion at an incredible volume while I tried to wrangle a few hundred guests into a group photo, and at that moment one of my CF cards decided to die! I lost four images, quickly re-shot them and vowed to have a better backup system in future! I now shoot with two cameras in the ceremony, both of which have two cards recording simultaneously for backup. 

What is the most unique project you have worked on and why? 

Probably this: http://blog.iainsim.net/2012/03/21/a-family-tree-sort-of/. That link will take you to a blog post which will explain the whole story.

What inspired you to start taking photos? 

I actually needed two doses of inspiration. I had a great photography teacher at High School who was passionate about photography and it probably rubbed off. I then did work experience as a photographer at a newspaper and decided I’d do something else for a living, because to be honest I found the things I was photographing for the newspaper pretty uninteresting. Then years later I went travelling and realized that I still loved photography and that the problem had just been that I hadn’t been photographing people, which is really what I’m interested in. 

How did you become a photographer? What was your big break into the industry? 

The family in the blog post I linked to earlier above were actually my “big break”. When they got engaged they asked me to photograph the wedding. I think I spent more time planning my role than they did planning to be bride and groom, so when their bridesmaid called to say she’d just recommended me to her friend (the bride with 400 guests), I was reasonably ready. I’ve had to learn and re-learn a lot since then, but those two weddings formed the basis of the business that I now run full-time.

What interests you most about photography? What do you find most rewarding about photography? 

Without any doubt, it’s the stories of the people in front of my lens, and the idea that I can capture images that will be used to tell those stories to future generations. For me, it’s not really about pixels or even about art actually.

Who is your favourite photographer and why? 
I don’t really have one favourite. Here’s three that jump to mind though: I love Annie Leibovitz’s ability to tell or even create a story in a single frame, Jose Villa for his colours and the perfect simplicity of his colours, composition and lighting, and Peter Brew-Bevan because of his incredible creativity – if you do a google image-search on his name you’ll see hundreds of images and each one is completely unique, even though many of them are shot quickly and in similar circumstances.

Where do you see the photographic industry in ten years time?
I’d like to think that as technology keeps improving it will just become less about the technical skills (because everybody will be able to take a well-exposed image or if not, very easily fix it) and more about each photographers ability to communicate ideas or tell stories visually. Digital SLRs have dramatically increased the number of “professional” photographers in the industry and have also dramatically decreased the proportion of life events such as weddings and births which get photographed by a full-time photographer, so we’re already seeing that it’s harder to make a living than it used to be and that only the best photographers and the best businesses are succeeding.That may sound pessimistic, but I actually feel great about the industry, knowing that it will be hard work but there’s a great life and career still to be had. 

What type of cameras and equipment do you use?
All Nikon, but all of the major manufacturers are making amazing cameras these days.

If you could photograph anyone or anything from any time period who or what would it be and why?
I’d love to take some of today’s gear back a few hundred years and photograph people who had absolutely no idea what I was doing! These days one of the hardest things about photographing people is getting them to put aside their ‘photo face’ that they’ve practiced in the mirror and just be themselves.

Sarah Anne: Birth Photographer

ABOUT SARAH

I am a mum of a beautiful little girl, who inspired me to get back into photography after her birth. I started out taking photos of her then friends and then I started taking on clients. I then, after many hours of practice and study was given an opportunity to photograph a birth and never looked back.

Sarah's Website

What advice would you give to a photographer starting out in the industry?

Practice, practice, practice. Read up on all you can. If you are doing a shoot research before the shoot don't just go in hoping for the best.

What was the most challenging assignment you have ever had either physically or emotionally?

This would have to be my first birth, the beautiful Mumma was trying to have a normal birth after 2 c-sections. After laboring at home for many hours (I was there for 15hours) she had to get transferred to the hospital to have another c-section. It was hard knowing she didn't get the birth she wanted but I had also captured her labor and all the hard work she had just done.

What is the most unique project you have worked on and why?

Being a birth photographer every single birth is unique none are ever the same. Its not like a normal shoot where you pose every couple in the same few poses. Every that baby is born is a unique little being.

What inspired you to start taking photos?

The birth of my daughter. It was truly magical and also pages on facebook put birthing images up and I knew straight away its were I needed to be.

How did you become a photographer? What was your big break into the industry?
I studied in high school then started taking photos of my daughter and her friends. Then people started asking me to take photos of there kids. Put photos up on a Facebook page and it took off.

What interests you most about photography? What do you find most rewarding about photography?
Being able to capture memories forever for my clients. Definitely being able to capture the moment a new life enters the world and knowing the parents will have that forever

Who is your favourite photographer and why?
It changes all the time but it would have to be Victoria from Adelaide birth photographer, her images are always stunning. Also her respect for the birth space is inspiring.

Where do you see the photographic industry in 10 years time?
Its changing all the time but I believe people are going to want more of their lives captured. 

What type of cameras and equiptment do you use? 
Canon 60D and almost always have my Tamrom I think its 25-70mm 2.8

If you could photograph anyone or anything from any time period, who or what would it be and why?
Births from every era! Imaging being able to show the changes over time.

Simone Nurro: Child and Family Photographer

About Simone
Little did I know that what started out as a passion in photographing my own children would turn out to be my calling. It raised up, in me, a yearning to not just record my own moments and tell my own story but to be a storyteller for others. I love being able to share my passion with each and every one of you, remembering a time, a place and a connection. It is with all my heart, my passion, my vision and joy for life that this calling became Enraptured Photography in 2011. I am all about the moments. The little moments, the big moments. The ones that seem so simple yet turn out to be amazing. I am a Natural light photographer always seeking the glorious morning light and hunting the glow of the afternoon sun. Perfect light in which to create enchanting moments in time. I am a “live your life to the fullest” type of girl, with a big heart.  I am blessed to be a mother to three beautiful children, married to the love of my life who makes me smile every day and seeing the world in a whole new way since looking through my camera. From my heart to yours, Thank you for taking the time to look around, for taking a moment to share in my journey and for looking into my world through my photography.

What advice would you give a photographer starting out in the industry? 

Know who you are, what style of photography you love as that will come out in the images you create. Don't look at others or compare yourself to others and practice, practice, practice. 

What was the most challenging assignment you have ever had either physical or emotionally? 

The first time I photographed a newborn baby. Although it looks easy on the outside or in the finished image, getting to that point takes so much time, patience, the right light, the right time and the right angle. Some newborn sessions can take up to four hours to complete. The finished product is always worth it though.

What is the most unique project you have worked on and why?

For me personally, it is always about improving myself and the way I shoot. So each year I enjoy developing a concept, shooting and editing it to create the perfect image to me for submission into the annual awards. Being rewarded for it is an extra bonus. Last year I focused on children's portraiture and shooting just children in unique environments, clothing and bringing the image in my head to life.

What inspired you to start taking photos? 

I have loved photography since I was quite little and loved to be the person that was capturing a moment in time. As I got older and even more so as a mother, documenting my children's lives became paramount and really drove my passion for photography into a business. Quite unexpected and I never thought people would pay me to do something that I love but they do. But it is not all about the passion, you need to have a business plan and how to run a profitable business.

How did you become a photographer? 

People started asking me to take their photo's! I have been in business for 2 years now and I love it. I take it quite seriously though and constantly practice my skills and keeping up with all the new changes within the photography industry.

What was your big break into the industry? 

I wouldn't say, I had a big break. I just enjoy what I do, and people enjoy what I provide them. I think just staying true to yourself is the best place to me.

What interests you most about photography? 

The ability to document moments in time. Capturing that cheeky grin, the first kiss between a husband and wife, the first time a mum holds her baby, families coming together to not only document themselves but special milestones and above all the creativity it allows me to just be me. I love that photographs document history, something to look back upon to remind us of not only special times in our lives but also hard times where we can learn to be better.

What do you find most rewarding about photography? 

Clients facing lighting up or even crying when they see their images. Nothing beats that. I also love that my children have so many images to look back upon of their childhood.

Why is your favourite photographer and why?

I love  Annie Liebovitz. She mage me fall in love with New york. She has an amazing eye and knows how to take an amazing portrait. I love her black and white images.

Where do you see the photographic industry in ten years time? 

hmmm, that is a tough one. I am not really sure, All I know for sure is that photographers will need to be providing more that just images - it will be all about the experience.

What type of cameras and equipment do you use? 

Nikon D800, 50mm lens, 24-70mm lend and 35mm lens. I am a bit of a prime girl and now saving for a 85mm. I love using tripods and getting my images as right as they can be in camera. Love lightroom and photoshop.

If you could photograph anyone or anything from any time period who or what would it be and why?

This is a tough one. I think there are so many things that would be fun to photograph. The first thing that pops into my head is times square on new years eve! I just love street photography so I think documenting JOY is an absolute honour.

Pele Leung: Architectural and Landscape Photographer

ABOUT PELE

In my previous life, I was an IT professional for almost twenty years. In 2007, a career break changed my life and now I am a full time commercial photographer specialising in architectural and landscape photography. In addition to traditional photography, I also shoot VR (Virtual Reality) images by utilising the stitching techniques to produce images up to 360° view. More of my work can be seen on my website www.peleleung.com

What advice would you give a photographer starting out in the industry? 

Be prepared to survive without any serious projects for a long while. If possible, keep at least a part-time job if you don't have a solid financial support behind you. You also need a good portfolio to demonstrate your potential. While good photography skills and records are important, a good human network is essential for any photographers who want to win any commercial projects.

What was the most challenging assignment you have ever had either physical or emotionally? 

Client's assignments are not easy but there is solid incentive for you to chase. The hardest assignments are the ones I created myself at downtime. There weren't any guidelines and targets and I had to trust my own instinct and believed that they would be useful to help me to win more projects in the future. 

What is the most unique project you have worked on and why? 

My first most unique project is "Ultra Panorama of Melbourne City". It was my self-sponsored project to photograph Melbourne City in the ultra panoramic format up to 360°.  The outcome works well and I believe this set of images is still one of the best in its own kind.  

What inspired you to start taking photos? 

In addition to the software development work, I was also the part-time staff club editor in my previous IT job. This editorial role needed to prepare some photo materials for articles. Back to 2001, digital cameras were still quite new to many people and they were expensive too. I took a plunge and bought one so as to keep the ongoing film cost down. I was immediately hooked when I had accidentally taken one dream photo - basically my first postcard quality photo! An initial success is always an encouragement to go forward.    

How did you become a photographer? What was your big break into the industry? 

I took a career break in 2007 and conducted a 46,000 km Australia wide photographic adventure myself. After the 8-month journey, I decided to give full time photography a go. There wasn't any big break like sudden lottery win and every day is a new (& hard) journey. Meanwhile I am still chasing the big break.

What interests you most about photography? What do you find most rewarding about photography? 

Some people like collecting stamps but photography is even better as the collectable is my own creation instead. Creativity is the main drawing card and sharing the work with others is also a fascinating experience.  

Who is your favourite photographer and why? 

I used to have quite a few favourite photographers but now this is no loner relevant to me. It is important to abandon the influence from others and do not live under other photographers' shadow. This does not mean I don't look over other photographers' shoulders but it is important to digest what I learned from others and create my own style. If you really want me to give you a name (my favourite photographer), this will be myself, Pele Leung. 

Where do you see the photographic industry in ten years time? 

Hardware producers will become larger (but only the strong ones will stay) as there will be more people taking photos. The future is mainly for the consumers and more people will manage to get better photos. The number of professionals will drop and the photo market will be the stage for the semi-professionals who don't really rely on photography as their primary income.

What type of cameras and equipment do you use?

I used to shoot in both digital and film (Panoramic) but my last roll of film was done in 2007. Since then, I only shoot digital with a high end 35mm DSLR.  

If you could photograph anyone or anything from any time period who or what would it be and why?

If I could go back in time, I would like to capture the unknown beauty of the ancient Earth. However, I am also happy to photograph the scenery of the current world. All in all, I just like to explore the world with my camera and there is always something interesting to shoot regardless of where I am. 

Robyn Slavin: Wedding and Portrait Photographer

ABOUT ROBYN
I am a professional wedding and portrait photographer. My partner and I have run a successful business for over 17 years. Our approach is casual and easygoing, while still ensuring that your day runs smoothly. We place particular emphasis on enjoying your special day while capturing beautiful, timeless images that you will cherish forever.
Robyn's Website

What advice would you give a photographer starting out in the industry?

It’s not as easy to make a living from photography as it was 10 years ago.  Don’t think that just because you have completed a photography course that you can now become a photographer.  Unfortunately, being a good marketer is probably more important for financial success than being a good photographer.

What was the most challenging assignment you have ever had either physically or emotionally?
The first wedding I ever photographed.  Especially since I had never even attended a wedding before.

What is the most unique project you have worked on and why
No particular job stands out.  Photographing weddings is always unique in it’s own way as you are dealing with different personalities each time.

What inspired you to start taking photos?
I loved being able to make something ordinary look extraordinary in a photo.

How did you become a photographer? What was your big break into the industry?
There was no “big break”.  I just worked bloody hard and did the jobs that other people were too lazy to do.  I said “yes” to everything.  I bit off more than I could chew and then chewed like crazy.

What interests you most about photography? What do you find most rewarding about photography?
Most rewarding thing is the appreciation I receive from clients.

Why is your favourite photographer and why?
I don’t have one favourite but I like the simplicity of David Bailey’s work.

Where do you see the photographic industry in ten years time?
There will be very few really good professional photographers making a proper living from photography in ten years time.  Since digital came into our industry, every second person is now calling themselves a photographer and setting up a little home business.  And every other person can now take their own baby, kids, family photos.  There will be very little call for proper professional photography.

What type of cameras and equipment do you use?
Nikon

If you could photograph anyone or anything from any time period who or what would it be and why?
I would go on tour with the Rolling Stones and document the tour. Why? because I love live music.