Who said professional development needed to be dull?! I mean, that was certainly my experience back in the corporate world. But now I get to do fun stuff, not only for work, but to further develop my skills too. (Another massive bonus to working for yourself!).
A great way to improve your skills
There comes a point in your business journey (or in your hobbies for that matter) where you get past the “beginner”, “basics” or even “intermediate” level, and all the usual go-to resources just aren’t enough any more. This is why I took the plunge earlier in the year and booked onto one of Paul Wilkinson’s in-person workshops: Mastering Available Light, which was out on the streets of Oxford (see my blog on that awesome experience here).
Following that workshop, I decided to book onto Paul’s “Mastering Ordinary to Extraordinary Studio Photography” workshop (and I don’t think he’s seen the last of me yet).
But why did I sign up for a workshop which focuses on capturing gorgeous studio portraiture, if that’s not my bread-and-butter work?
Ok, so I have a studio, and I do use additional lighting, but if you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that my flexi studio looks nothing like a traditional photography studio. It’s a chameleon of a room that can look like your own space, so we can capture those all-important story-telling images to market your business. However the principles behind lighting people well, and interacting with the subject to craft the shot are the same, whether or not you’re going for more classic portraiture or the business-owner-at work shots.
It’s true to say that my photos in this blog won’t look like my usual style, and that’s ok. What I learned from Paul is directly translatable into my own business (and I don’t just mean what we covered about lighting and directing – Paul is a Master Photographer, and has a wealth of both technical and business knowledge).
There’s a point at which you step away from the step-by-step crib sheet, and learn the “why” behind how things are done. One of the first things I did when I first established my business was to set about learning how my camera worked, so I could capture the shot, but it took quite a while for my own style of photography to develop. I’ve long since left the crib sheets behind, but was left feeling stuck about where to go next.
Paul is great at explaining the why behind how shots are taken, and that knowledge is gold.
What was the workshop like?
I was one of four delegates, a good mix of pro togs and hobbyists, and throughout the day we had three absolutely lovely models to work with. Paul provided more support at the start of the day, and by the end, we were setting up the lighting and posing the models on our own. And yes, he set us a different challenge each. Mine was to photograph Kai with the backdrop, model, light and me all in a line (in any order). No pressure(!). This is my personal favourite shot from the set-up I came up with (which involved me crouched down on the floor).
Having a seasoned pro on hand to provide feedback as we went was absolutely brilliant, and a great way to learn and improve.
It was a really fun and informative day, with plenty of demonstrations and detailed explanations as well as the opportunity to give it a go. I particularly appreciated seeing a Master Photographer at work again, and following his thought processes in setting up a studio shoot.
Learning how to make better use of the tools I have, to improve my skills in lighting within my studio or at your own venue is one of the ways I invest in my business.
What’s your next investment going to be in your business?
If your plans involve booking a brand photoshoot or business video shoot, let’s chat:
Special thank you to Paul and Sarah for hosting such a valuable workshop (and an amazing lunch), to Abi, Katie and Kai for being such wonderful and patient models, and to Stuart, Honor and Sam for being really lovely fellow students.
Click here to find out more about Paul Wilkinson and the photography and training services he offers.
I’m Adèle Williams, and I founded SuperFunkyPenguin Photography in 2015.
I specialise in taking natural photos that genuinely gives prospective clients a real feel for what it’s like to work with you, creating that initial connection.
We work together to plan and design your brand photoshoot to be as effective as possible. Your portfolio of images from the shoot will be carefully crafted to align to your brand values, and includes everything you need to help you easily craft social media content and refresh your website.
Curious to know more? Book a cuppa-and-chat by clicking here!