Family Photojournalist, Teacher, Mentor

Where Kirsten Lewis is based really doesn't matter.

You see, both her passion and her vision to document families takes her around the world from her home base in Denver, Colorado. She is a highly sough-after teacher as well. Did you catch her on CreativeLive?

Her first course, Family Photography: Modern Storytelling, drew such a huge following that she is scheduled to come back and teach again this February. This time her topic is – Family Photography: Photojournalism in the Home.

But before she heads back to teach at CreativeLive, in Seattle, Kirsten Lewis will be at Inspire Photo Retreats, taking place February 8-10th. Her presentation at Inspire is called “The Being Of You.”

The Interview

If you are asking yourself what that means, you will want to listen in to our short conversation below:

We talk about:

– How Kirsten moved from wedding photography to documenting families
– The unpredictable nature of photographing families
– What the best photojournalists can teach you
– Encouraging all photographers to be vulnerable enough to strengthen your work
– The Artist vs. Business person
– Being a documentary family photojournalist
– How Kirsten becomes a part of the family she is photography for the day
– The one important you can grow your own documentary family photography business
– Who are you photographing for?
– Why are still photos so important?
– How to offer all-day, or 1, 2 or 4 hour sessions
– Why trying to convince parents to hire you for their documentary family session is the wrong move to make … instead what will persuade parents to sign up

In our current industry, saturated with thousands and thousands of photographers all making work that look like they come from a single shooter, it's imperative to stand out in your market. The easiest way to do so is to simply make pictures that are an extension of you, your experiences and how you see the world.

Kirsten Lewis' Documentary Family Photography Portfolio

Though Inspire Photo Retreats is just a few weeks away, you can still register for it. I am going to be there and Kirsten Lewis's presentation is on the top of my list. As a family photographer in Avon, Connecticut, I owe a great deal to her as my mentor and teacher.

Bonuses

We mentioned Huy Nguyen who founded The Foundation Workshops and Fearless Conference.

Kirsten also talks about the amazing portrait photographer Luis Gervan. Check his work out!

A Different Genre

I must have stumbled across this quote about wedding photojournalism several years ago, when I was starting to transition from being a photojournalist to a wedding photojournalist:

“The hallmark of the concept is both perspective and attitude, based on a mandate to be truly reactive rather than proactive, and a dedication to record events as historian rather than director. Content with reality, the wedding photojournalist quietly documents while anticipating action, sensitively observing details and nuance, capturing moments without subjects actively aware of the process.” – Denis Reggie, the Godfather of Wedding Photojournalism

And it took my breath away.

If you ever pursued anything without knowing that it was valid and that there would be a demand for it, you'll also know that sense of calm that washes over you when you know all will be well.

No one had so succinctly defined the kind of photography I wanted to deliver for my wedding clients. That someone had enunciated it so lucidly assured me that I was on the right path.

So began my pursuit at studying Denis Reggie‘s work. To be honest, I wasn't attracted to it because he had photographed the Kennedy's or that he comfortably commanded five figures for his services. No, it was this “hands-off” approach that captured my imagination. I'll bet you see it in my work at Amata Pictures. Take a look!

The Interview

It was on Facebook that Denis Reggie and I finally connected. I must have asked him a question or responded to something he had posted about wedding photojournalism. What follows is a short interview with Denis Reggie about wedding photojournalism:

We talk about:

– Photographer as a witness, not a director on the wedding day
– How to blend in as a wedding guest to photograph weddings as a photojournalist
– Photographing people without them being aware of the camera
– Why documentary weddings are specific to a particular age group of clients
– How Denis doesn't really use Photoshop to create fantasy photographs
– The Achilles Heels for any new photographer
– Creating consistent lighting, understanding flash to create quality light
– Producing matted albums vs. flush albums for high end clients
– Knowing your client's needs and experiences and delivering on it
– How wedding photojournalists are historians with a camera
– Getting started in the business of wedding photojournalism
– How Denis literally starved for 7 years before making it in his 8th year of business
– Working with wedding planners, banquet managers
– Time, education, practice, staying current all cater to a photographer's progress
– Whether we are sitting in a wedding photography bubble or not; will prices come down?
– There is a market for excellence in wedding photography
– Creating original works of art for discerning clients

The Wedding Photojournalism Gallery

Check out some of Denis Reggie‘s work below and visit his website:

Where Do You Stand?

Are you a photojournalist looking to enter the wedding market? Would you abandon all that you know about narrating visual stories and pose people all day long or would you prefer to work with clients who will respect your work at the end of the day? As Denis Reggie said in the interview, there is no right or wrong approach to wedding photography. If your clients expect (or even demand) a certain approach, then you are in essence only delivering on that promise you are making them at the very start of your relationship.

Why Are You In Business?

If you are in business, you should be making money at some point, right?

Jamie Swanson of The Moderntog has it dialed in when it comes to teaching photographers how to market their business – to move from mere passion into the sphere of profit.

If you are dedicated to your craft, you would have noticed how you have progressed due to your discipline and focus. The business side of the equation is no different. It too needs your constant attention. Ignore it at your peril and in a short time you will have nothing more than a hobby to call your own.

That might just be the ticket for a lot of people currently in the industry. Nothing wrong with being a hobbyist or a weekend photographer, while you still have your day job. For some photographers, the grass is always greener on the other side anyway and you living that life might mean a more comfortable and stress-free existence.

That said, if you are going all in, and you are going to spend the next 20+ years as a professional photographer, you are going to need to market your photography business and do so really well.

The Marketog Course

Back in 2014, I spoke with Jamie about Marketog and since then she has made a few additions to her tried-and-tested course.

Here are the six steps she covers in Marketog:

How to get more of the right kinds of clients
How to turn inquiries into clients: 6 game-changing strategies
How to turn your website into an inquiry-generating machine
How to get repeat clients and more word-of-mouth advertising
How to get other business owners to send you their best clients
Your marketing toolkit for effective marketing

Open Enrollment … Now!

Jamie is about to open enrollment for the course again, for a limited time (today through January 24th). Despite her busy schedule (look, she has five kids and home-schools them all), I managed to convince her to spend a little time with me being interviewed about the six-week commitment you are about to make for yourself.

The Free Sample

Grab this FREE sample lesson to get a sense of what you will learn from the Marketog course.

Follow Along At Your Pace

One other thing, while the course runs for six weeks, you have access to all the course materials for life. So, if you don't get to it as the course starts on January 25th, relax! Just log in when your schedule permits it, and walk through the modules step-by-step at your own pace. Jamie makes it super easy to follow along, but there is a good deal amount of work to be done. If you are spinning your wheels, pop into the Facebook group Jamie has set up for you to ask questions or share your successes.

Ready To Sign Up?

Are you ready to jump-start your photography business with a solid plan for marketing it? Will you enroll for Marketog now that you a little bit more about the course? Do you still have questions? What would get you off the fence? Tell me below in the comments section and I will do my best to help you out. You see, like you, I am enrolled in this course as well and honestly, I am lingering on module 3 right now. Come join and inspire me to complete all six modules of Marketog with you!

Robert Norman, a wedding photographer based in Trumbull, Connecticut, will teach other photographers the encaustic process at this year's Inspire Photo Retreats conference.

So, what is the encaustic process?

The Encaustic Art Institute says this:

Encaustic is a Greek word meaning “to heat or burn in” (enkaustikos). Heat is used throughout the process, from melting the beeswax and varnish to fusing the layers of wax.

Robert and I sat down to talk in some detail about the encaustic process, how he approaches it and finally whether there is any commercial applications with the final piece of artwork.

As I said, at Inspire Photo Retreats this year, Robert will guide a small group of photographers step-by-step through the encaustic process. By the end of the day everyone will have one or two finished pieces to take home with them.

If you haven't yet, register now for the Inspire Photo Retreats conference. It's a terrific event, bolstered by charming photographers like Robert, Cig Harvey and Tyler Wirken.

Below are some examples that Robert has shared of the encaustic process:

If the interview piqued your interest and you want to learn this fun photographic process, there is only one way to learn from Robert Norman and that's by being at Inspire Photo Retreats this year.

The Fujifilm X-Pro 2 is finally out. After years of speculation and lust, photographers can rejoice today. As a Fujifilm X100T user (scratch that, devotee), I was on the fence about buying a new Fujifilm camera.

At Photo Plus Expo, I tried the Fujifilm XT-1 but wasn't taken to it like I had with the X100T.

Form factor and the way the camera simply blends in the way I work made me wonder about a camera similar to the X100T but with the ability to change lenses. That camera may just be the Fujifilm X-Pro2.

There are a lot of reasons to own this new camera body. But first a few videos that set the tone.

David Alan Harvey

Max de Martino

Gianluca Colla

Kevin Mullins

Find a whole slew of other videos on Fujifilm's YouTube channel.

The reviews are out too for this new Fujifilm camera.

Jonas Rask

Kevin Mullins

Damien Lovegrove

Patrick LaRocque

Tomash Trzebiatowski

If you poked through the videos and reviews above, I am sure you want order a Fujifilm X-Pro2 like I do. If you are in the US, you have at least 3 options when it comes to buying it online:

B&H Photo Video

Adorama

Amazon

So, what's going to be? Are you convinced this new camera may be just the thing for you and your photography business? Does your approach to photography lend itself to using a camera in an unobtrusive way? Can you see yourself photographing without those heavy DSLR cameras?

I for one am looking to divest myself from my Nikon D700. It's a matter of time when I swap that system out for the Fujifilm X-Pro2 and its slew of sharp, fast lenses.

Which lenses will they be? I'll follow up in another blog post with my choices. Until then, think about how your gear should get out of your way of making art.

If my experience with the Fujifilm X100T is any indication, the Fujifilm X-Pro2 carries forth that same feeling or culture with it; it's a silent but equal partner in the art of image making.

I want to hear from you. Share your thoughts below in the comments section. What do you like or do not like about the Fujifilm X-Pro2?