The Mastering Portrait Photography Podcast

So it's 2023 already!  What happened to 2022?  This episode says a big thank you for 2022 and kicks off the year ahead with some thoughts on how to deal with so much negativity in the years and the media.  We're hitting it all with positivity, energy, creativity and laughter!  Well, you wouldn't expect anything different from us would you?

We also say thanks to some incredible brands who have put a little faith in us and asked us to be ambassadors:

Graphistudio (they create the best photographic albums on the planet!)
https://www.graphistudio.com/en/ 

Pixellu (we use their brilliant Smart Albums application to do the heavy lifting for all of our album designs). If you fancy a discount, use the following link and discount code:
https://www.pixellu.com/?fpr=masteringportraitphotography
Code: MPP@2022

Panasonic Eneloop Batteries (not as sexy maybe as let's say, a camera but massively important!) These guys have very kindly helped with a little funding for the podcast - useful given that we entirely fund it, write it and produce it ourselves.  A little help like this goes a long way - just like the life of their AA batteries (sorry, couldn't resist!)
https://amzn.eu/d/gbinUuT 

Finally, we mention a package that is proving priceless for us in our colour correction - Imagen AI.  Machine Learning (aka. Artificial Intelligence) is certainly going to be a huge part of all of our lives in the future - some of it for good and some of it otherwise - and one or two applications have already emerged that are stunningly elegant in the way they support our business: this is one.  Since we added this to our workflow, it has not only saved us hour upon hour but has also improved the consistency of our colours and grading. Ai isn't all bad!  If you fancy getting 1500 free credits, use this link:
 https://www.imagen-ai.com/start?ref=paulwilkinson  

We also want to thank all of our clients - both as subjects and as delegates to our workshops - we could not be happier and more grateful that you're part of our lives!

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU and here's to a fabulous year ahead!

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode.

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

We are a lucky business.  OK, I know you make your own luck to a greater or lesser degree, but we really are a lucky business.  Every day I work with people I love - from our team in the studio to our clients across the UK and further afield.  

As we run into the festive holidays, our studio has been full of laughter (and the smell of gingerbread, thanks to our Christmas candles!) as clients come to pick up their last-minute gifts as well as albums and frames they ordered during the year.  The shelves have creaked under the weight of the boxes; each bowed with our distinctive ribbons and tags.  Today, with just a few days to Christmas, the shelves look empty, with just a few items left to be picked up. Every client through the door has brought joy and festive cheer and taken away photographs it has been a joy to create.

Like I said, we are a lucky business.

And so it is that I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with my guest for this interview for the past decade.  Michele Jennings was, up until a couple of months ago, the CEO of Hearing Dogs For Deaf People - an incredible charity that provides assistance dogs for deaf adults and children.  I have worked with the organisation for the past 11 years and so it has been my pleasure to spend time with Michele and her team, creating images for the brand.

This is a lovely interview and we cover all sorts of things from positivity to passion, from vision to values.

As ever, I asked Michele to nominate a book and she recommended Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman and it's available on Amazon here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Four-Thousand-Weeks-Time-How/dp/1847924018

Definitely worth a read!

If you're curious, Hearing Dogs For Deaf People can be found here: https://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/ 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the interview!

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode.

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

I recorded this podcast at 7am while sat in the studio, waiting for a new TV to be delivered.  Luckily it actually arrived when they said it would!  The TV is for our Client Reveal Room as we want our customers to have the best possible experience when they come back to see their pictures.

But exactly how do you figure out where to spend your limited budget?  On things that benefit your client, that's where!

In this episode, I mention a couple of different things.  Firstly, a reminder of the colour correction tool I love: Imagen AI If you use this link: https://www.imagen-ai.com/start?ref=paulwilkinson the lovely guys at Imagen AI will give you 1500 free (yes 1500 FREE) file corrections.  I get some as well, so feel free to use the link, and we BOTH get a freebie!

We have just announced a brand new workshop: Mastering The Essentials Of Studio Lighting.. This workshop is very anyone who is venturing into studio lighting and wants to get to grips with creating stunning images with simple techniques and easily available kit.  We'll go through everything you need to know, from setting up the camera to getting the best out of your space.  Details can be found at https://www.paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk/store/workshops/mastering-essential-studio-lighting-21st-november-2022/ As always with our workshops, the number of attendees is strictly limited to 6 (or half a dozen if you prefer it in words) so everyone gets plenty of time to try things out and ask questions.

At the mentioned workshop, we'll be serving a delicious lunch care of the guys at What's Cooking.  Admittedly this link is a little geo-restrictive (I doubt it's much use to listeners more than a few miles away!), but the lunch was sooooo good at the last workshop that I felt we just had to give a quick link!

Enjoy!

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode.

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

At the end of a long week, the exhaustion can creep up on you.  Fatigue is not an unusual feeling for a professional photographer.  But finding your source of energy, whether it's your work, your clients, your colleagues or just some time out with family, is crucial.

For me?  Well, for me it's always been about people in one form or another!

The details of the Photo Hubs Oxford workshop mentioned in this episode can be found at:

https://photohubs.co.uk/product/oxford-light/

This is a hands-on, three-hour workshop for no more than ten people and is all about the thing that I love doing most: finding and using available light for fantastic portraits!

Would love to see you there!

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode.

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

It's late and I'm driving back from a beautiful spring wedding, shot in uncharacteristic April sunshine.  I am, to put it mildly, hot and tired.  in spite of this, I thought it would be an idea to record a quick podcast on my way home, so here it is - various musings on finding freedom in the studio and the joy of using the Z9  as a wedding photographer. Oh, and I got to photograph some fireworks which is always a lot of fun!

During this episode, I mention the workshops we've introduced here at our studio.  Details of these can be found here on our website.

Enjoy!

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. 

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry. 

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?  

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry. 

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?  

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry. 

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?  

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry. 

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?  

In this episode, sponsored by Panasonic eneloop Pro Rechargeable Batteries, I am pondering on the difference between being 'proud' and 'taking pride' in everything you do.  A subtle but important distinction - particularly if you're British and have been brought up that pride always comes before a fall!

Some ideas about how to get around that familiar feeling of not wanting to brag about your images - tell the client how amazing they look instead!  Much more comfortable for us Brits and has the added bonus of making the client feel great too!

Enjoy!

Cheers
P.

If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, where there are articles and videos about this beautiful industry. 

PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think!

If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 

If you'd like to use one of the other players out there, why not try Vurbl?