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.