Esteban Gil is a wedding photographer based in Guilford, Connecticut. He is also a teacher and mentor to scores of wedding photographers through his website, Steel & Flint Society.

The Wedding Photographer's Portfolio

Here are some of Esteban's exquisite wedding photography:

The Interview

Esteban and I spoke several months ago and I have finally got this interview with him ready for you to check out. So, click the graphic below and give this a listen now.

At 12:37, I ask Esteban about his next workshops. Please disregard the dates as these have all long gone past us.

The Steel & Flint Soceity

STEEL + FLINT is an interactive, community-based resource for wedding photographers, with the goal of instilling a sense of “community over competition” among its members.

While Esteban started the Steel & Flint Society, he is joined by Nicole Apuzzo, Roxanne Gil, Mike Musto and Drew Hines when it comes to leading other photographers through in-person workshops.

Want to learn step by step instructions on how to use a Godox AD200 and a Westcott Rapid Box together? There is an online tutorial for it.

It's a learn-by-doing environment. Check out the weekly challenges that you can participate in as well.

But if you are really intent on meeting up with Esteban or any of the other Steel & Flint Society leaders, keep an eye out for their workshops here (just don't be surprised if they are all SOLD OUT, so you do have to jump on the opportunity as soon as it presents itself!)

For Wedding Photographers

If you are a wedding photographer, what would like to learn at a Steel & Flint Society event?

WordPress Plugins For The Win

These are truly exciting times we are living in. As professional photographer, if your website uses WordPress plugins, you are going to want to sit up and pay a little attention.

Would you like an easy and seamless way for your clients to order prints through your own website?

If you said yes, you are in the majority. With nearly 30% of all photography websites based on WordPress, the time has come to be able to fully harness the power behind the ubiquitous platform.

My friend, Scott Wyden Kivowitz, who works for Imagely just sent me an email to confirm that print fulfillment is now a reality for wedding and portrait photographers.

The Announcement

This is BIG news.

After nearly four years of development, Imagely‘s NextGen Pro WordPress plugin now will allow your clients to place print orders through your own website!

How awesome is that?

Learn more about print fulfillment via the NextGen Pro WordPress plugin.

The Interview With Scott Wyden Kivowitz

A few days before the announcement, I actually got to chat with Scott about the update to their legendary WordPress plugin. Check out that interview below:

P.S. We talk about the NextGen Pro plugin being updated “today” but it was technically launched yesterday.

More Questions

As it so happens so many times, after the interview is recorded I am reminded of some questions that forgot to ask Scott. He was very kind to respond. I'm sure site speed and plugin reliability are your concerns as well. Here is what he had to say about both of those topics:

WordPress, including themes and plugins, can have security issues. But so do Google, Apple, Squarespace and every other software company out there. You don’t hear about most of them. WordPress security issues come up so often because it’s easy to attack open-source software, used by 30% of the Internet. Even Microsoft had 529 vulnerabilities in 2019 alone which are individually listed here. Apple had 229.

With that said, my suggestion is to use themes and plugins from reputable companies. These are companies who update their products often for compatibility with constant changes in technology. But also companies who are updating their products, fast, to solve any security issues that may arise.

I’d recommend hosting with companies who keep their servers up to date and WordPress up to date. For example, hosts that use PHP version 5.2 and older are vulnerable to security holes not visible in PHP version 7.2 or above. So you can clog leaks by merely keeping the server up to date, which has nothing to do with WordPress.

In addition to updates, you can identify reputable companies by how active they are responding to social posts, how active they are in public forums, how they’re reviewed regularly, and so on.

Imagely's NextGen Pro

So, there you have it. Will you be updating your WordPress plugins to include NextGen Pro? How do you think your clients are going to react when they are able to book a session AND order their prints through your site?

While right now the only lab onboard to work with NextGen Pro is WHCC, that is likely to change as more labs are integrated in the system. Which professional labs would you like to see work with this application?

If you are handy with WordPress (and even if you are not, the folks at Imagely will help you out), I hope you will consider this WordPress plugin.

Friends at Chennai Photo Biennale have just informed me about a new residency program that will address the changes to how we now perceive “the family portrait.”

This project invites photographers and lens-based artists to reimagine the Family Portrait by establishing the transition from the accepted definition of ‘the family' to what it represents today.

If you are a photographer that is already pursuing family photography or you are a social anthropologist who is studying how visual perceptions shape society, you might be one of 10 selected to study with experts from France, Germany and India.

The residency will run from September through November 2019, in two phases with three mentors. Some sessions will take place in Chennai, India, while others will be conducted online.

The selection criteria is as follows:

Residency is open only to practising lens-based artists and photographers of South Asian origin across the world (South Asian Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)

Applicants can submit proposals for existing projects they are working on or new ideas on family portraiture they plan to work on.

For more information, please visit this Chennai Photo Biennale page.

Please note that the deadline is fast approaching – August 31, 2019!

Muslims In America

The first Muslims may have arrived in the North American continent in the 14th century. And according to this article about “Islam in America,” even Christopher Columbus may have used a guide book written by Portuguese Muslims!

Yet, Muslims in America today often feel marginalized and stigmatized by the media. They become easy targets of ridicule because of their faith or in the way they dress. The fact is, Muslims who have either immigrated to the United States or have been here for generations are productive citizens in the communities they call home.

Genesis Of A Project

So, when New York based editorial photographer Syed Yaqeen was looking to work on a portrait project, it would seem the work came looking for him!

Syed who is originally from Bangladesh, identifies himself as an American now. To counter the often negative portrayal of Muslims in the media, Syed commenced to work on project to portray his Muslim sisters and brothers in a positive manner. Through his work, he hopes to inform us that Muslims are so much more than the stereotypes seen on television every night.

He was commissioned by ISPU – The Institute of Social Policy and Understanding – to create the portraits for Muslims for American Progress.

Portraits of A Community

From Syed's site:

“The Muslims for American Progress (MAP) Project educates the public by providing a much-needed, evidence-based portrait of a deeply misunderstood community. The MAP project quantifies the contributions of American Muslims in New York City in eight areas: Civics and Democracy, Economic Development, Medicine, STEM, Philanthropy and Nonprofits, Arts and Entertainment, Sports & Education. MAP-NYC is a project of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. ISPU conducts objective, solution-seeking research that empowers American Muslims to develop their community and fully contribute to democracy and pluralism in the United States. ISPU is a leading think tank focused on studying and empowering the American Muslim community.”

The Interview with Syed Yaqeen

Syed and I recently chatted about his work and where he hopes to take it after New York City. Give this quick interview a listen please.

Syed's Portrait Portfolio

Give these portraits a close look please. These are our neighbors, our friends, may be even our relatives. I believe the central premise to Syed Yaqeen's work is to show us that Muslims aren't really very different than you and me.

Meet & Greet

Meet some of the subjects of this project this Saturday (April 14, 2019) at the Mulberry Street Library in New York City.

Light Your Subjects

Have you ever had trouble using flash to light your subjects?

John Gress will teach you to light for impact and precision. He has just launched his first US workshop tour, starting with these nine cities: Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, El Paso, Dallas.

Who Is John Gress?

John Gress got his start in photography in Portland, Oregon. Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago is now home. Initially a photojournalist, John now considers himself a commercial and editorial photographer. He is also actively involved in directing videos now.

Recently, John spoke at ImagingUSA, in Atlanta, Georgia and will soon be presenting at the CTPPA convention, February 15-18th.

From his website:

Gress arrived in Chicago in 2003 after having worked as a Portland, Oregon-based freelance photojournalist since 2001, regularly handling assignments for Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and People magazine.

From 2000-2001, he was a staff photographer for The Topeka Capital-Journal, where his subjects included the University of Kansas basketball team, the Kansas City Chiefs, and state government figures.

Previously, from 1996-2000, he was a freelance photojournalist for the Associated Press, covering the Portland Trail Blazers, the USA Track and Field Championships, the 1998 World Cup, and various natural disasters across the Pacific Northwest.

Interview With John Gress

Give this a quick listen now:

Lighting Scenarios

Lighting Workshops

Learn more about John Gress' lighting workshops here. Use the code or mention: SESHU, to save $50 on your workshop registration.

Remember there are only 15 spots in all of these workshops and most of them are more than half full already. So, jump to it people!

Looking for other resources on lighting your subjects? Try this one about Zack Arias' OneLight 2.0 video course and this one about Joseph Victor Stefanchik's speedlighting workshop