What gnu things are you trying in your photography business? After all, could there be any better time to mix things up and try some new stuff? This week the guys chat about the new things they are working on and trying out. Give it a listen and maybe you'll be inspired to try something new as well.
Along the way we give you a few tips about the California wine country, share our current binge shows, and learn that the best cigars are "the most expensive ones".
Informative and entertaining, grab your favorite beverage and press "play". And don't forget to subscribe!
Your Hosts:
Michael Mowbray, M. Photog., Cr., owns Beautiful Portraits by Michael in DeForest (Madison) Wisconsin and also owns MoLight. Learn more at:
www.beautifulportraits.com
www.gomolight.com
Dan Frievalt, M.Photog., M. Artist, Cr., owns Frievalt Photography in DePere (Green Bay) Wisconsin and also runs Seniors Unlocked. Learn more at
www.frievaltphotography.com
store.seniorsunlocked.com
Carl Caylor, M. Photog., Cr., ASP-Fellow, Kodak Alaris Mentor, owns Photo Images by Carl in Iron Mountain, Michigan and also runs Carl's Coaching Corner. Learn more at:
www.photoimagesbycarl.net
www.ccphotocoach.com
MoLight offers more than 20 different MoLight -brand softboxes and modifiers.
What gnu things are you trying in your photography business? After all, could there be any better time to mix things up and try some new stuff? This week the guys chat about the new things they are working on and trying out. Give it a listen and maybe you'll be inspired to try something new as well.
Along the way we give you a few tips about the California wine country, share our current binge shows, and learn that the best cigars are "the most expensive ones".
Informative and entertaining, grab your favorite beverage and press "play". And don't forget to subscribe!
Your Hosts:
Michael Mowbray, M. Photog., Cr., owns Beautiful Portraits by Michael in DeForest (Madison) Wisconsin and also owns MoLight. Learn more at:
www.beautifulportraits.com
www.gomolight.com
Dan Frievalt, M.Photog., M. Artist, Cr., owns Frievalt Photography in DePere (Green Bay) Wisconsin and also runs Seniors Unlocked. Learn more at
www.frievaltphotography.com
store.seniorsunlocked.com
Carl Caylor, M. Photog., Cr., ASP-Fellow, Kodak Alaris Mentor, owns Photo Images by Carl in Iron Mountain, Michigan and also runs Carl's Coaching Corner. Learn more at:
www.photoimagesbycarl.net
www.ccphotocoach.com
MoLight offers more than 20 different MoLight -brand softboxes and modifiers.
Recorded live from the carny trailer at the State Fair. It's the photo happy hour podcast. Hey everybody, I'm Michael Mowbray. I'm your friendly bartender here at the photo happy hour. Today I'm mixing up a fuzzy navel of photography fun. Joining me today are Dan Frievalt. And Carl Caylor. Say Hey guys,
Dan Frievalt :what's up?
Carl Caylor :Hey guys.
Dan Frievalt :I like fuzzy navel of photography fun
Michael Mowbray :fun, photography fun,
Carl Caylor :Say it like three times really fast. Fuzzy navel photogaphy fun Wow.
Michael Mowbray :fffffffff....I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Anyway, um, that was not my impersonation. But anyway so in case you're joining us from The first time or the 25th time, which would be weird cuz I think this is our 20 This is numver 20. Guys.
Dan Frievalt :Next episode we can drink.
Michael Mowbray :And that's, that's a clue. That's a clue to the premise of this podcast a podcast is or we are three professional photographers who've been around for a while and we get together and we drink. And we talk about drinking and we drink and then we talk about more about drinking. We talk about mojitos we're talking about slapping mint and and eventually we get to a photography topic. So the topic today is new stuff. Okay, new stuff are we doing? What kind of new stuff? are you guys doing anything new, you're trying in session, something you're kind of proud of something different. Anything you want to share?
Carl Caylor :You talking to the audience or us?
Michael Mowbray :yeah, I'm talking to everybody else. And I'm talking to you guys.
Carl Caylor :Call it in guys call it
Dan Frievalt :the two people that are listening. I'm not sure that They're gonna respond.
Carl Caylor :Your on your own, Michael, keep keep them sweating. Oh my gosh, you know, it just been a different year with COVID. And, you know, I'm kind of, you know how other years when you get started with senior seasons, that's a lot what most of us do and we talk a lot about high school seniors. So I'll kind of reference that but, you know, we get the first person to the door in the season and you're kind of rusty because you're not you at the end of last year, you're like in a groove and you had things kind of work in a sequence and yeah, things just kind of fell into place. And in each year, it it that rust goes away faster, because you know, you pick it up a little bit quicker than the year before. Problem is this year. All the things I used to do. previous years I was interrupted like I used to have the popcorn machine ready to go and and there's sodas, you know, other stuff or beverages and Fun stuff there for them and, and now this year I, I can't really do that and so like our my initial meet with everybody has been different and I think I was really kind of afraid of that. But it's turned out to be a really good thing because also instead of dealing with refreshments and all that kind of stuff, we dive in headfirst faster into the photography, I go through the rules a lot quicker and they just kind of get immersed in and being themselves in front of the camera a little bit faster than what I used to and I thought it was gonna be a bad thing but it's actually turned out to be a pretty positive situation for me and I don't know about you guys, but have you have you been having a little bit different sequence or different steps in getting started with your seniors this ye ar?
Michael Mowbray :Oh, a little bit. But you know what my my working style has always been. I kind of like to get the work right away. I mean We're talking like a minute after the through the door, we're already starting to work on stuff. You know, I usually don't do a lot of preamble. I like to get right to it. And for some, that's just me and some of that is, I don't like to slowly ease into it. I want them just to, you know, also know, okay, this is on, we're good. Okay. Okay. You know, and then they're engaged, and I keep them rolling the entire time. And I kind of did that I did. On my season started really late, because we had, obviously with COVID. And then we had another COVID bump, and we had a little bit of shutdown. And then there's this whole mask thing and, you know, could we have people in our businesses and so Kevin kind of kept pushing everybody back. So I did my first sr, a couple of weeks ago, and it was only on location. So normally I would do studio, and then we go on location after that. So there's no studio we met on location. And fortunately, it was the younger sibling of a senior I photographs maybe three years ago. So I already knew the mom and she knew my work. And so you know, we chatted a little bit on zoom just to kind of get some ideas. And we got we met on location I had my lights ready and we just started and it was nice. I was a little worried about rust. I told tell you the very first shot out of camera spot on I don't know if you guys saw that I posted something on on the web and on the Facebook page for the business but on the line on the line I think I posted like the fourth shot because that was you know, what the first shot was good. You know, by the fourth shot I'd gotten the expression and the cropping and the composition right so I'm like, Alright, cool. You know, this came back so you're right. You know, I was worried about the rust rust came off per shot, gone. You know, it's just like, once you've done this for a while, and this is a tip for all you folks are out there getting started and worried and trying to fumble around with settings and stuff. It gets better. You know, if you keep Working on your craft and you keep practicing, it does get better and it does get easier and starts to become old hat and the technical side does and then allows you to be more creative. And I didn't get super creative on this shoot, but I tell you every shot was dead on for exposure, and I haven't gone through all them yet. I'm sure pretty sure everyone's sharp. So technically on everyone's sharp, good composition. That's nice, because when you start with a base like that, makes it a hell of a lot easier to call down. Believe it or not for me, it makes it a lot easier to call down because you're looking like now. Yeah, that one's maybe it's a little underexposed or a little bit soft. It's like no, they're all good. Okay, what's the best expression out of these eight? That one? What's the best expression out of these for that one? Boom, boom, boom, pick them out, done. It's kind of nice.
Dan Frievalt :Yeah, and for me, I think the whole shutdown was It was just like the uncertainty of, you know, how do we start back up? How are people going to be comfortable? How do I approach it? So, on top of the rust It was also like, well, this is new territory for everyone. How's everyone going to feel? And like you said, Michael there was like, Oh, we can reopen, but everything has to be outdoor or how, you know, I want to meet with people or kind of go through things and that's kind of thrown for a loop or just the fact that normally we're coming off of fired up from conferences and inspired and, or teaching and you know, teaching helps me personally get the rust off a little bit too because I'm working on techniques and working on programs and teaching people so that gets me in the groove and all that was like two months of that's completely shut out. And we have
Michael Mowbray :to get out and do something now in
Dan Frievalt :this work. Yeah, it's kind of like you can read all you want about something but Then when you're in that situation, that real life situation is completely different. You know, and that's why you experience Trump's education a lot of times, you know, yeah. And like you said to Michael, like, the experience helps you in Cairo to, you know, you kind of get over that hump quicker. And I noticed that, for me personally, that was like a mental block that I had to get over, but everyone coming in was totally fired up. Like they too, were had a mental, not block, but they had a stressful time. You know, like everyone was on the same page. Like, they didn't have prom. They didn't have all these events. They had uncertain things about the future. So they came in like, even like more like, Oh, what's this going to be like? And after a few shots, everyone felt normal and they felt like hey, this is really cool. I feel good again. I feel like even the mom said to me after like privately like I haven't seen my daughter smile and enjoy herself in months. That like just saying it again, like gives me goosebumps because it was like, yeah, we're, it's what we do is so powerful and we get in our own heads, but they just the senior felt so good, it was something that was normal again, and she had her prom dress on when she couldn't wear to prom and, you know, all those things that in their habits and all the stress that we just took that away and, and myself wasn't all that creative because I reverted to kind of the safe stuff. So now, now that I'm in the groove more, I'm venturing more and pushing the boundaries, but, you know, just doing that safe stuff to start with, for them was completely different than the pressure we put on ourselves. So yeah, sure. I,
Carl Caylor :you know, I, I've been kind of listening to myself and you guys talk in the last few weeks that we've been doing these and, and one of the things that might take away through the COVID was that, you know, really gotta maybe slow down instead of trying to do so many different things with ever Everybody, let's slow it down to a few things, a few different ideas, and then really fine tune and do variety within those ideas. So that was like step a step B, for me, has been, I noticed some of the things that were being posted lately of other people in the area, my area, and I'm noticing that they're all to me, they looked all the same. And I thought, well, maybe it's just me saying this. But now I've had the last like two or three people that have come to the doors have called and said do do different things than what we see on Facebook and like, you mean on my Facebook site? They said, No, you know what everybody else is getting all the other girls look the same. And I started thinking, you know, that that's telling me that there are people that just want to try something different. So I've been forcing myself to do less and less than my normal areas to less and less interesting. To do even on things, you know, with backgrounds and with props and things that I've used for years, and I'm going in different places, and not going back there with anybody else that I'm photographing, so everybody has at least one location that is completely unique to them. And then even within those type of things, I'm doing things that look different for them. And it's been, it's been fun because it's forcing me to be more creative, again, to think and to think New. And people are really enjoying it. So hopefully, that'll help, you know, create a buzz out there, that you don't have to look like everybody else. And you can you can do things that are creative and different and unique for yourself. And I'm starting to hear those people giving me ideas again, which is cool. I used to have it all the time, but I don't know the last few years I've been getting a rut there. People come to my doors and they're expecting me to do everything. Come up with the ideas and yeah, I got kids no showing up with Hey, I got this cool. Cool thought. Can you go here? Okay, we just did a kid fly fishing in his river boat. I've never seen a river boat before. Yeah and and we went out there and I photograph. I hung off this bridge and photographed I'm going to meet me. It was so doggone awesome. I'm like I'm having fun again photographing and it's senior portraits. This is great. So I've been having the last few weeks has been absolutely phenomenal as far as the high school seniors and being creative and having fun again, so pretty excited about that. So yay, COVID
Michael Mowbray :that's, you know, one of the things that kind of disappointed me with I mean, obviously COVID it's really disappointing overall but one of the things disappointed me with like, some of the restrictions on what we can do is did kind of hamstring me for studio and I think that's actually one of the sexy one of the bigger differences I offer. This area is I do really good studio I think I do really good studio I do really clean studio but I also do you know a little bit of a fashion look a little bit I can do moody in the studio of last couple years I've gotten really simple. With fat your body.
Dan Frievalt :You get moody in the studio,
Michael Mowbray :I get moody I can. Can you tell I'm moody today? Go check my Facebook feed. See what I've said in some groups? See how many people I unfriended today, but anyway. No, but I mean, you know, it just it just took a little bit away from what I like to keep in my back pocket as a big key difference. Because, you know, I see a lot of the same stuff like Carl was saying a lot of the same stuff from other people around here, but it's all outside. And one thing I noticed is it's all hopefully, area people aren't listening. Um, it's all fairly mediocre lighting. So that's one Things I've always tried to stand out for is really clean, crisp, you know, definitive lighting that really makes a subject pop. And because I don't see that, and at least not in my area, I see very little of that. And either on location or in the studio and then losing the ability to do an hour in the studio and having to do pretty much everything outside so far. You know, kinda kind of hamstrings me but makes me rethink on doing the outdoor and take the studio stuff outdoor. Yeah, and try to create some of those same looks outside.
Dan Frievalt :Well, yeah, and you bring up a good point. It's like sometimes we have to challenge ourselves and purposely put ourselves out of our comfort zone in order to grow. Like we talked a couple episodes about emulation and, you know, looking at things and in feeding off of that.
Michael Mowbray :Always. I think Carl's showing signs of Corona.
Unknown Speaker :Oh, yes, yes.
Michael Mowbray :Had Lyme disease do? We forgot to
Carl Caylor :talk about what we're drinking?
Michael Mowbray :I know I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just saw no. swinging around on oh my goodness.
Dan Frievalt :That is funny. We're spitting
Carl Caylor :on his face.
Dan Frievalt :Yeah. So of course so. So Carl's got Corona. Michael, you have I am
Michael Mowbray :drinking. I'm drinking a 16 year old Lagavulin single malt Scotch. It's actually one of my favorites. Is
Carl Caylor :that the one we got you?
Michael Mowbray :Did we get all yours was a Glenfiddich. It was like, Oh, my 18 year old was an 18 year old Glenfiddich. It was Yeah, which was quite tasty.
Dan Frievalt :Yeah, yeah, we pretty much almost drink that whole bottle that weekend.
Michael Mowbray :I was gonna say that didn't last better last week.
Dan Frievalt :Michael Michael woke up remember Michael woke up the next day like I have a headache. And we looked at the bottle. It's like wow, that bottles like half gone. I know. We we helped you a little bit but
Michael Mowbray :it could have been bad or the fine cigars from The smokery establishment they're up an Iron Mountain.
Unknown Speaker :Wasn't that fine? You know, I want some
Michael Mowbray :cigars. Well, this is this is what our owner smokes. It's like, well, what are your best cigars? It's like well, he always says the most expensive ones. Yeah.
Dan Frievalt :Quality salesmanship there are like, four bucks.
Carl Caylor :schweetz Yeah,
Michael Mowbray :exactly.
Dan Frievalt :The most expensive ones, I guess are the better ones.
Carl Caylor :She's in the mushrooms a bit too. Daniel, what are you drinking?
Dan Frievalt :I am taking a Pinot Noir from California which we opened last night and it kind of shed a tear because the last couple years we've been going to California in October doing various wine country Tahoe type Palm Springs all different kinds of places. But wherever we go in California we seem to stumble upon a vineyard which isn't that hard to do. And a lot of the vineyard You know, there stumble and then we come back and go, what wine calm did we say? When did when do we get it?
Carl Caylor :Find out next month.
Michael Mowbray :Yeah. And what vineyard is that Pino.
Dan Frievalt :This is from Reve. Reve? Reve? It's in the, I think the Russian River Valley. It's kind of Russian River, Alexander Valley. Alexander Valley, I think, yeah. Actually, Jeffrey woods, throwing a name out there that we know but it's back in the industry quite a few years back. He lives out in Healdsburg there, so I kind of hit him up and he gave us excellent vineyard life choices, advice and we went to and we loved every one way that he suggested it was great. Because the Russian River has more that buttery Chardonnays that pinos and then a little bit further, like the Healdsburg area has more the deeper Ed's Zinfandels. And then so yeah. And we had to leave a day early. I don't know if we've told that story due to the wildfires that broke. Right. I forgot. Yeah. So we were just talking about that too. And I brought up the pictures on my phone because it's like, we rounded the we left the hotel and like, Oh, yeah, yeah, I get the message on my phone saying they're only five miles away. And yeah, you could see them. They were like, right there.
Michael Mowbray :I was out there last not this past April 4 April before, just after a big bout of those and yeah, I was still pretty charged in a lot of places.
Dan Frievalt :Well, yeah, and don't take vineyard suggestions from Michael Mowbray because we honor on our way through Napa. We stopped that. The one that you suggested and I'm texting Michael like um They have a tasting. It's like $110 a person
Michael Mowbray :don't be a cheapass
Dan Frievalt :like holy, Mo, Mo like must be doing well.
Michael Mowbray :We didn't do the hundred and $10. But that is that's a great vineyard, Robert sinskey By the way, if you guys are, yeah, they got a great Pinot Noir and it's got some nice cabs there too. But it's actually what we're gonna do is turn into a wine bug guests will sell that they'll sell their Pinot Noir in half bottles, so 375 milligrams per milliliter. Because a lot of times, it's just the two of us. And if we don't want to open a whole bottle and end up drinking the whole bottle, you can buy half bottles and then
Carl Caylor :leftover wine. What Wait, am I
Michael Mowbray :Yeah, but you know that but then you feel better. It's like, Oh, it's Tuesday. Let's open a bottle of wine, you know? versus it's Wednesday. Let's open a bottle of wine Thursday.
Dan Frievalt :It's all good during COVID season like, you know, season note season COVID Season Season Season.
Michael Mowbray :I've shown you guys photos of my wine room wine rack dusters, right? It's got empty spots in it now. Oh, for years it's got empty spots. Yeah, yeah, we got to refill
Carl Caylor :Well, I actually had a good structure that I wasn't drinking anything other than unless we were doing the podcast because my I was trying to make sure I fit into the clothes for my son's wedding this last weekend. You know how hard that has been? Um, yeah, I can quit anytime I want though. Really? Honestly. Gosh, so talk
Michael Mowbray :so usually have expandable pants so you're good.
Carl Caylor :Yeah, but this stuff. We didn't want to do tux things they were more casual. So we actually had to buy stuff and it was purchased back pre COVID and right as it is yet again. And who? Yeah, fun stuff. We made it.
Michael Mowbray :I might have a wedding coming up because oh, they're they've they've gone ring shopping.
Unknown Speaker :So really? Yeah. Ah, cool. Yeah,
Michael Mowbray :I'll be fun. I'm kind of hoping. Yeah, it's just do something really really, really small.
Dan Frievalt :Well, now's the time to do it. Yeah, he has a perfect excuse to be like, Hey, we can only have 20 people.
Michael Mowbray :Exactly. Well, my, my daughter here. She would have something small anyway, so it's, I'm cool with that.
Carl Caylor :There you go. Hey, podcast from the wedding. Danna wicked. Again, we could do like a commentary.
Michael Mowbray :Yes. I kind of like they were off offline. We were talking about we should we would like to do a play by play of a photoshoot
Unknown Speaker :and should do that.
Michael Mowbray :Yeah. It would be really mean if we just grabbed one off of YouTube and then just a mystery science theater. Have you guys know what I'm talking about the reference?
Carl Caylor :Like it's like a solid movie and we could just do you know, add our own commentary into it. Exactly. Yeah.
Dan Frievalt :I like or like the the shows were like, they couples watched like a reality show and they're like, what are you doing? And they're throwing their shopping commentary. Like, are you kidding me? It's
Carl Caylor :not like the words in their mouth.
Dan Frievalt :Yeah, yeah. Yeah. couch. Its couch something. I don't know. We watch it a few times. It's pretty funny. I can put my name on it. But there's too many shows. Now.
Michael Mowbray :See if this is super sports, you know, we need a new show. We just finished ours. We went through seven seasons of West Wing.
Carl Caylor :Wow. Which is we're binge watching blind spot now. Dan's up.
Dan Frievalt :I started. Chicago Bulls last dance last night.
Carl Caylor :All right.
Michael Mowbray :Oh, yeah, I watched that. Yeah, that's interesting.
Dan Frievalt :Don't tell me how it Don't tell me how it ends. The
Carl Caylor :butler did it. I swear I'm
Dan Frievalt :not sure what happened at 85 bulls season, so don't tell me
Carl Caylor :there's another cool
Dan Frievalt :Michael Jordan guy you know? I don't know. I just yeah, just just watching it. It seems like that Michael Jordan's gonna be something special. Just after the first episode, it seems like he's gonna be gonna be something. There will be
Unknown Speaker :some conflict there.
Carl Caylor :Just another show. I like it's called Cheers. No. There's like 11 seasons of it. It's great.
Unknown Speaker :Sorry. I think we're gonna start
Michael Mowbray :Schitts Creek is what we're gonna start. That's what the CH so yeah, don't Danny for being obscene.
Carl Caylor :It's supposed to be pretty odd. Yeah here.
Dan Frievalt :We've watched a few seasons. And so that it's it's it's the dry Canadian humor but it's Yeah. David. David
Unknown Speaker :it's humorous
Dan Frievalt :it's, well there's no it's it's it's not Canadian that way it's produced by Canadians. Yeah, well it's got
Michael Mowbray :aren't they all do Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara who are both old sctv alums which was I think it was actually produced in Canada as well had john remember that that john candy in it and john can Bob and Doug McKenzie and that the whole thing is a the McKenzie brothers Yeah,
Dan Frievalt :yeah. The coffee. The proposer?
Michael Mowbray :Oh, it's all for everybody who's still listening. What was our target?
Carl Caylor :What are we doing now? What are we doing?
Dan Frievalt :Yeah, that was I was going somewhere but I totally don't remember where where I was going with my store. We found
Carl Caylor :out what you're drinking. No. So I mean, that was important
Dan Frievalt :that it's important in the venue and it's from Yes, Riva. Healdsburg, California.
Michael Mowbray :new stuff I finally finally I probably mentioned this before but finally redid my website. This is a project that's been on the back burner for five years and it does a lot I'm really happy with it and I used photo biz photo biz comm photo biz comm for all your website photography needs
Carl Caylor :episode is sponsored by,
Michael Mowbray :I'm hoping so maybe we can get some money. But one of the things that that allowed me to do and kind of forced me to do when I was rebuilding is what do I want to focus on? You know, what do I want to do with the pivot, and I barely I just put like a whisper at the back end of the website about weddings now used to be what I lead with. Now it's just like a little hint of a whisper of weddings there. And I lead with headshots, seniors and commercial probably equal weight of all those because I want to do more headshots and I want to do more commercial. So got a lot of product stuff up there that I never had in the old site. Didn't Have any products and I still did some product stuff, but now it's no big and at the forefront of the new site.
Carl Caylor :So that's practicing with it now to I've been, we've been seeing a lot of really nice looking bottles, you know?
Michael Mowbray :Well, again, I think I've mentioned this before, but you know, here's a little tip for you. And if you want to get into product photography or anything, actually anything you want to photograph, go out and go ahead and buy it, photograph it, put it on your website, feature it as something that you do, and you can write it,
Dan Frievalt :write it off, it's a read write
Michael Mowbray :it off. So I think I might be photographing some more scotch pretty soon.
Unknown Speaker :I'm going to photograph a jeep.
Unknown Speaker :Here you go.
Dan Frievalt :Yeah, I know where I was going with mice. I just totally remember. It's getting out of your comfort zone. So we talked about Yes, right, talking about emulation. And you know, but then if you've been in the industry for a long time you get in a rut and How do you get out of that rut? And if you listen to the last episode with Dan McClanahan, he talks about how he shut down all the social media and that's freed for him not seeing what other people are doing. So just the opposite said emulated he's shut off everything so he's not inspired by anything. But yeah, because yeah, yeah. And with his pricing, he's more free because it's like, he's got the money up front so he can just, let's just create, you know, and I, you know, that's, that's one thing that, like I've been trying to do was just like, Okay, try and get out of the comfort zone and create, you know, get the same shots, but try and try something I haven't tried before. You know, use a different lens, you know, use a different angle, get get down on the ground, get up on top, you know, like Carl's like, Oh, I'm shooting from a bridge, you know, just, it doesn't have to be groundbreaking. Like you don't have to reinvent the style. I think that's where I get hung up sometimes because I feel like oh, it has to be right. So different. No, it could just be the little things, you know, and, and clients really appreciate that. Like, you know, they'll say that like, oh my god did you see he was like crawling through the water and lay down? Yeah, you know, they think it's the coolest thing if you like, put that effort out like I'm gonna do whatever it is, you know, and that's what they talk you know, they talk about and, and, and word of mouth advertising is huge. So true.
Carl Caylor :Yeah. Experiences huge adventure.
Michael Mowbray :Yeah, yeah. Back in my wedding days. I always made sure at some point during the wedding. I ran somewhere, y'all like I was like, all ran over here with my cameras like, so I made sure the bride and the groom saw that I did in front of them or didn't from the parents. There was no reason for me to run typically. But the fact that I did run and I went through something really quick hustled that always, I mean, swear to god that always played really well. You know, so you know, things like that. I mean doesn't it doesn't contribute to the end product, to be honest. But it contributed to the
Dan Frievalt :camera shake after that,
Michael Mowbray :oh, by the way, I quit doing that because this is stupid.
Carl Caylor :I don't know what the what did I got the most residual weapons from was I still work for a studio and out of the pier and we photographed a lot of weddings over at the old St. Joe's church right across the river at St. Norbert College. And there used to be a big willow tree that hung over the river right there behind the church and, and we go out there and photographs because there's, I think that it wasn't falling out when I was there, because we used it a lot. But there was this one branch hanging out there. And I always thought, you know, it would be a really cool, different view. If we climbed out on that branch. And photograph tech is now what no one else has a few inches higher up and it's done the river. So it's gonna be a Completely different view. So I was there I photographed I thought, I'm gonna photograph the whole wedding party over here. I'm gonna crawl out there so here I'm shimming out and guy hands you the camera and I'm like photographing him is hanging on the tree and photograph at the same time and, and then I'm like, gosh, the wedding party was done. I thought okay, I'm gonna do something the bride but I could get the right angle so I literally hung upside down from my knees over the river in my tuxedo, mind you because y'all were touched up floater This is on film too, by the way so I had 645 photographs and they're all laughing at you they're like come on you can do it you know they're gonna really get into this and I was having fun and kind of laughing to try not to you know drop the camera that river cuz it wasn't mine. It was the you know the studios and got the shot like I only got it we got it. We got it. And they all cheered and they took off running towards love and go wait. It was really interesting to to climb out of there and hold on. The camera at the same time, I like Road Rash up and down my chest from, from the limb, try to like the tree and climb back off it. But it's stuff like that, that, you know, funny things like you said that the hustle or the, you know the different things that you do crawling through the dirt and going that extra mile or extra half mile or whatever to, to do something that they can, they're like, wow, they're really, they really do care about this, they really want to do something different for us and let you in on a secret. It's true. I really do want to do something different for you. That's what makes this fun. Otherwise, I'd be bored on my skull. You know, we want to do stuff that's out of the ordinary and a little bit less normal. Otherwise, why are we bothering with this stuff? You know, but you know, if we
Michael Mowbray :don't do stuff like that, that's really overt. You know, we've been doing this long enough. We know we're kind of creating a little bit of voodoo magic in the camera, but unless they're looking through the viewfinder At the time we are they don't know that. So by adding a little bit of
Unknown Speaker :I don't know showmanship and ship a
Michael Mowbray :little bit, showmanship. PT Barnum, you know kinda razzle dazzle you know, you need a little good movie by the way, you know?
Carl Caylor :Good thought process.
Michael Mowbray :Well, by the way, my wife who is actually in the next room probably can hear me saying this is she finally got on iTunes, because that's the she wanted the soundtrack. Yeah. Okay, not a technology person at all finally got on iTunes wanted that soundtrack. That's the only thing on her iTunes.
Unknown Speaker :Really? Yes.
Carl Caylor :You gotta like get her a gift card.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, no.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah.
Dan Frievalt :Well, and and disclaimer too, it's like don't go over the top with stuff or let me put it this way like Don't be trespassing. Right? Right. Yeah, like you made that post about glitter being everywhere. Yes, there's showmanship but be respectful of right people and just the industry because it does harm everyone. There's certain areas, I go to now and it's like everything's trampled. Or someone says, Oh, you I don't want you to shoot in here anymore because there's been a bunch of people here, you know, a chalk written on, on on rock, a brick, you know, class of 2021 or baby with an arrow, you know, things like that. So, you know, be respectful as well. You can do showmanship and still be respectful,
Unknown Speaker :be respectful. And then
Michael Mowbray :if you're going to do something on location, clean your crap up. And that's Dan talked about this I was at this nature preserve and taking the senior over to the spot and I see all this shiny stuff on the ground. It was all metallic confetti that somebody had done. I know it had to be from a shoot while Would you have metallic confetti in a nature preserve, it was
Unknown Speaker :just all in the ground.
Michael Mowbray :So that's dangerous for the animals. It looks horrible for other people who want to be there and other people who just want to enjoy the nature. You want to see all this stuff on the ground. So that's just yeah, just use some common sense people. So
Carl Caylor :if you saw it on Pinterest, it's probably something that they did on their own property.
Unknown Speaker :And just remember that so well not necessarily
Michael Mowbray :if you saw it on Pinterest don't do it because it's been done thousand times
Carl Caylor :but 10 times before and it be done thousand more by the end of the day
Dan Frievalt :more by my overlays, so you don't have to make a mess like that.
Michael Mowbray :No, seriously, I mean, he said that kind of adjust. You know, one one thing like that is our smoke bombs. I mean, smoke bombs are kind of hot right now. So what I did there and and I have some I own some I haven't looked one yet because I've always been afraid of a where am I going to do this? This is going to create like a rock And make the fire department GM or the please go Dan. And and be it's like you know, I'm just too windy and yeah or I forget to take them you created those smoke bomb overlays perfect. You know I don't ever have to fire off a smoke bomb fantastic, you know, because they look real because there were
Dan Frievalt :yeah a couple of them rolling around in my truck and it's like ah you know if I do it it'll be somewhere you know on private land or somewhere where Yeah, it's not gonna cause a ruckus but yeah, yeah and then down the smaller smoke bomb like someone else suggested so they get somewhat the experience. They're not realizing how much smoke is coming out of there so you can add to it, you know, as well and you know, even with like flower like I've I've done the flower shots where throwing flower in the air or, you know, I've gotten the color, corn starch, which you can get from Amazon and that is the Same stuff to use for color runs and everything. So it's it's cornstarch, it's biodegradable. You know, it's made to quickly dissolve but I still feel weird using that because I don't want to make a mess it might be several days before it rains, you know, so I don't really use that, you know, either unless it's like on my private property and I can, you know, either hose it down or it's my private area so it's no big deal. So
Michael Mowbray :yeah, your private areas that where you're trying
Carl Caylor :to pass on that.
Dan Frievalt :You don't want to come home with colored stuff in your area.
Carl Caylor :For Mattel or leave it or leave it private. You want to leave it in somebody else's private area either.
Unknown Speaker :That's not good.
Carl Caylor :Not good at all. You know, here's the other thing too is we always talk about in even venture say that we preach about it, trying to get things right in camera and And always, this is where another one of the pivots since COVID. By the way, I always thought that, you know, if I, if I get everything I intended in camera, it's going to impress them, you know, because they're gonna say, Wow, that's really cool or to make it real to make to have the smoke bombs right there or to, you know, have what they're staying on be real or fireworks who not being there for real or whatever. And you know what, I've been noticing the kids just they're not. It doesn't excite them. It doesn't make it. There's no response to them whatsoever. Okay, that's cool. That's about it. But if what I'm noticing, when we show their images when they're when they're come in for their image presentation, and all that stuff is there and they know it wasn't there. When we did it. They're like, Oh crap, why would you do this is cool. So I'm getting more response with do using the brushes and the potency of the actual And overlays and templates and stuff like that. And so when they see it, they knew it wasn't there when we did it, but I'm seeing more excitement after the fact now instead of when we were trying to do it in camera, it's exactly the opposite of what I always believe was the what would be more powerful or more adventurous and I don't know, I don't know why but they seemed more excited to see something that wasn't there when we did it. And now we created something for him so weird. I don't know something.
Michael Mowbray :dazzles them a little bit, you know? Yeah.
Dan Frievalt :Well, and so two points on that. Which is interesting. It's like hey, cuz cuz, cuz point number one, something new that I've been doing this year, which was the absolute worst time to start it but in person consultations before the session, I always do the clothing consultation to get to know them. But one of my unique selling points is that I have a studio kind of like what Michaels saying so not only that it justifies the pricing they come in, they're like, hey, this guy's legit. It's got portraits on the wall albums, all that kind of stuff. So depending on how they're feeling we can either do that zoom or in person people been fine with in person, it's just me in the studio, we can keep distance, mask up everything like that. So that surprisingly, that's still been quite cool with everyone. But along with that, I'm really getting to know the client before I even photograph them. They're getting to know me and they're getting to know my pricing, which is even better, and pre qualifying and justifying the pricing because they're seeing everything over the phone. They may love the photos. I send them a price list. Well, yeah, this is maybe not worth it. So I've been booking a lot more converting a lot more bookings meeting in person, number one, number two, I'm getting to know them better. And I'm showing them images sure and get into know what they like and what they don't like. And so one girl is really interesting. Because she's like, I don't like all the fake composite stuff. So it's pulling stuff up. And she's like, Oh, I really like this. I really like that. I got that it's a composite. That's a composite. That's a brush overlay. She's like, Oh, really? I'm like, yeah, you know, so she I don't know if it was something she saw somewhere else or whatever, but she wanted it to be
Michael Mowbray :on well, things not done that
Unknown Speaker :Dylan. Yeah, right
Michael Mowbray :part of it. Yeah,
Dan Frievalt :yeah. And now last night, for instance, I had a girl, we did our session, she goes, I really want to go to my track. Like, that's fine. We'll go there. That's what's important to you. We discuss everything that was important to her. And so that was freeing or for me as well, because I haven't done that for a while. We, of course, once we got on the actual track, you know, it was free and hopefully we we thought we're gonna have to jump the fence which I didn't want to do, but it was open. And we got on and we're doing some shots. And you know, with the Sony we were kind of discussing this a little bit before we got on but I was doing the tracking sheet Jumping the hurdle and it's it's like dead on focus on like, Oh, this is awesome. So it's getting really goofy angles and different things and lighting it unique ways and getting it in camera and that was impressive to them I think because I was showing them like look at this I normally don't show I know the back of the camera but they Yeah, they were impressed. However my assistant got a kick ass shot that I
Michael Mowbray :know your behind the scenes shot was amazing.
Dan Frievalt :Yeah, like I was because I so yeah, my assistant does all the behind the scenes, so I don't see the story until I come home. I usually eat dinner and I'm like, Oh, I guess see what what my assistant did for the story. I'm looking at him like, Dave Yeah, Chad. She even told me when we were shooting, but I was so focused. She's like, Oh, I got a cool shot. Well, I know I sent her a message like Jocelyn this shot right. So, so not so guess what I'm saying is Several things. You know, something new I'm doing is meeting with people. The other thing is that know your client, talk it over with them, because they may have preconceived notions. And even today, I did a clothing consultation with twins, and I'm photographing. And one thing that I do is I, you know, you might laugh, but I tell them to create a Pinterest board. I want to know what things what's your style, your style and outfits and what you see that you like, now, we're not gonna copy that. That's what makes it different, though.
Michael Mowbray :Yeah, it's inspiration or insight, I think is probably the better word. Yeah. Or direction. Yeah,
Dan Frievalt :directions. Just see what they're what you know, and they're kind of even though I send a clothing consultation now that clothing tips thing, they're still looking on Pinterest and like, Oh, I like this outfit. And I like that. So it's not even just about the image. It's about the outfit. And, you know, it goes along with that so I can, the more I can get to know that senior in their style. Closer, I'm going to create something that they enjoy, and that the parent is going to then purchase because they're going to love it. So just, you know, that's a unique selling point, as well, you know, that just do something that, you know, other people aren't doing or maybe don't have the time to do you know, or if you're only photographing, you know, 40 or less seniors a year, you have more time to meet with them. And that's your, that's what I sell. It's like, Hey, we're gonna create something unique and different because I'm not photographing hundreds of seniors.
Michael Mowbray :Well, I mean, the only way the only way you can photograph hundreds of seniors is to kind of cookie cutter is maybe not the right word for it. But you know, maybe it kind of is, you know, yeah, it's hard to be super creative and different for 150 different kids. I think Yeah.
Dan Frievalt :If you can write and that used to be more than norm, I think that's flopped. Now. Like switch like it used to be all these things. studios, which I used to shoot a lot. And then so I turned that when I started over it because I'm like, Hey, I'm going to use this as my uniqueness because I know that shooting all this, well now there's so many part time photographers that that may not be so unique anymore. So what is it going to be? Is it going to be unique locations? Or is it going to be that you are a studio photographer, you know? Or is it going to be that you have like some people like Marcy and Christy and Gary box and stuff that have sets that are unique to them? Like, they can't just go and shoot in the same alley, or the same field that everyone else uses. And I put a lot of time and effort into finding new locations, which sometimes my behind the scenes, gives those away because they also now show up and be like, dang it now there's a photographer there.
Michael Mowbray :You know, you need to turn off the GPS coordinates on your Yeah, when you post them.
Dan Frievalt :Yeah, yeah, well, yeah, my assistant was taking some of the areas I'm like, No, no, no, don't take
Michael Mowbray :Yeah, take it someplace else. There you go. Yeah. I grew up in Denmark.
Unknown Speaker :Yes.
Carl Caylor :He would always say Denmark today. Wow. Many, many more. More.
Dan Frievalt :These are all real town names by the way that are near me or late. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker :Or like Yes, yes. Oh my goodness.
Dan Frievalt :So yeah, those are some of the other things I'm doing.
Michael Mowbray :So any parting shots final words?
Dan Frievalt :Feels like I just gave it.
Carl Caylor :Yours nailed it there. I mean,
Michael Mowbray :that's nothing to follow up with that on.
Carl Caylor :So that was like the ending fireworks right there. All right. So
Michael Mowbray :we need to we need to go to our sponsor. I've got two possible ones. Okay. I'm going to hold one on my right hand one of my left hand. Which one are we picking?
Unknown Speaker :That one right.
Michael Mowbray :Right, okay. is a good one. All right. This week's podcast is brought to you by great big Kentucky sausage fest. Kentucky sausage fest. It is an imperial brown ales designed to go with hot dogs in particular. And others spicy sausages. It's a great big Kentucky sausage fret fest from against the grain brewery. That's in Louisville, Louisville. long winded Yeah, we need to get Tammy Hall on your level. We do long haul she talks local Kentucky. Yo, hey, you gotta do it. You got to pull. You gotta you gotta pull that bottle in your teeth or toggle Volvo.
Dan Frievalt :She said I think she said her grandfather said you have to see it like you have a multiple of marbles.
Michael Mowbray :And it's pretty much the way it is.
Carl Caylor :It's pretty cool. So
Michael Mowbray :rush on out and get yourself great big Kentucky sausage fest. So. So that's it for this week. Until next time, guys. Cheers to you.
Unknown Speaker :Last call.
Michael Mowbray :You've been listening to the photo happy hour podcast. Be sure to hit that subscribe button to not miss a single action packed episode and join our photo happy hour Facebook group where we'll post links to the stuff we all talk about. You can find my MoLight gear online@www.go molight.com that's geo mo Li gh t comm you can find the Facebook page under MoLight store and I also run the Godox flash help group on Facebook. You can find Dan SR unlocked website at www dot seniors unlocked.com that seniors with an S at the end unlocked.com and the Facebook group under SR is unlocked and you can find Carl's coaching corner@www.cc photo coach comm cc photo coach.com Till next time, cheers to you
Liam :I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you want me to pay you to subscribe, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you subscribe now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you. I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you. I will find you and I will annoy you