For a long long time, I have admired the creativity of Two Mann. Wedding after wedding, they are creating masterpieces for lucky couples around the world. I thought to myself – I have similar gear to them, and humans cannot be wired that differently – why are they super creative, and I am just taking safe, solid, consistent shots? I needed to bridge that gap to get to where I wanted to be in this industry. For those who know me, they will tell you that I hate mediocrity – I don’t want to be operating in my comfort zone. I need to be able to push the boundaries in everything I do. And the one thing that was going to give me a kick up my ass from a photography perspective was this workshop!
The 2 main things I got out of the experience are (1) I am now fearlessly trying out new stuff, new techniques, and being able to capture those raw moments rather than trying too hard to pose couples. I find myself now shooting from inside where the action is happening, rather than shooting at a subject – this has resulted in some dramatic images that talk to clients, that talk to us – those that create a feeling of actually being there in that present moment. This showed straight away in the first wedding after the workshop. All our couples that we have shot after this workshop have commented on the fact that my recent work has been much more engaging than pre-workshop photos. Many have commented that the recent photos evoke many more emotions and senses – all credit to the workshop! (2) I built up a terrific network through this workshop of leading wedding photographers who I often lean on for advice, critique and industry developments. I cannot put a value on this. On top of all this, we had a hell of a lot of fun both during and after the workshop.
