Creative Live Workshop: Jasmine Star

I have had my butt planted in front of my computer screen for the last 4 days. All day! Every day! I’ts getting sore.. but I’m loving every minute of it! lol

Let me explain:  Jasmine Star, a wedding photographer who I adore, agreed to shoot a wedding and have an online course on how she does things. It’s a 5 day workshop, with questions and answers… and she shot a LIVE wedding!  how insane is that!   A couple actually volunteered to have their special day.. filmed.. photographed, and streamed on the world-wide web! INSANE!

Chase Jarvis from Creative Live, is the mastermind behind this idea.  CreativeLive  is a website which offers free advice (in the form of streaming video) to artists… wether it be wedding photography ( Go Jasmine :) )  How to use Photoshop, or even how to paint watercolor.

It’s all up to you, what you watch, and it’s all free. so thanks Chase. :)   This was amazing!  There were people watching this stream from all over the world, Denmark, Trinidad and Tobago, someone even mentioned they were up at 3 am watching from Brazil! Crazy!  It’s  amazing the freedom that technology gives us!

I learned sooo much from this last 4 days.  All of the little tips and tricks were a godsend. and I know everyone does things differently… but if I can become even half as good as her. I’ll be happy

Here’s a list of things she said that inspired me over the last few days, or at least things I want to be reminded of on this journey:

• “Your website is your handshake and your blog is your voice.”   she means that your website should be you, the professional.. you’re blog, should be you the person. Let people get to know, and like you for you, not just your photography.
• “Take the Ghetto out and shoot the fabulous!” – when shooting a crappy location
• “The tongs cheapen the pictures”  Remove Remove Remove, if it doesn’t add to the shot, remove
• “Take 5 seconds out of your time to move things. Remove. Always.” – when setting up a shot
• tell a story in a photo, not everything needs to be cropped -  get a shot of the brides feet, with her purse and shoes.. get the dress in the back.
• “You can rent a camera, you can borrow your sisters computer, but you cannot rent or borrow your brand.” – your brand is everything
• “I’m a photographer. Not a Lightroom or Photoshop expert.”   I out-source my life because I want a life.
• “You’re either connecting or repelling.” – getting clients, you want people to like you , or dislike you, you want them to feel something, the worst thing is indifference
• “Nobody ever sees life in flash.” – on using flash
• Say yes to all of the clients request, this is their day. You are a guest. Make their day!
• “Brides are booking out of emotion.”
• “It is OK to be absolutely breath-taking and feel beautiful.” give the bride permission to feel beautiful, in today’s society.. that is hard. “Make it fun, fresh, and fierce.”
• “Know your style, get your clients posing to the image you want, and use those images on blog to pitch your style!”
• “It’s not their fault that you put them in that dumb pose.” – speaking about posing, Dont let them know it’s not working, shoot a couple frames and move on, otherwise the couple will get nervous about their performance
• “Make him look cool. Make her beautiful, and  everyone is happy.”
• “You have to give them an action to move into that.”  Walk up to him and swing your arm around him like you’re seeing an old friend from summer camp
• If you’re stuck, you just need to take a step back and take a look at the situation.
• “When you talk behind your camera, you keep the client engaged.” They will be more comfortable
• “You have to show them what they don’t know they want.” speaking about *the first look*
• If it’s special to them, I want to photograph it
• Anything that makes the wedding unique, that’s what I will be photographing.”
• “We make images of emotional moments people (would normally) forget.”
• Same day slide shows are a way for the client to see my pictures first!  I want them to see my professional pictures before Uncle Bobs.  “Yours probably is better but it’s not new.”
• “If you want something to grow, you want to start the conversation early on.” – about slide shows
• “It’s my job as an artist to choose the strongest picture”
• Shoot for the client, but also take pictures for yourself, pictures that you know the bride might not necessarily like, but something that drives you.
• shoot the name cards, every magazine will publish the name cards
• turn your subject to face the light, people naturally face away from the light and then you have a blown out back because you’re metering for the face
• “When you wake up for the rest of your life and could choose every day what to do, what would it be?”
• “I’d rather see you fail at something you love than to succeed at something you hate.”

Top 10 words of advice for a second shooter.

1. Leave your Ego at the Door

2. NEVER PASS OUT YOUR BUSINESS CARD

3. Find New Angles – there’s no point getting the same picture as the main photog, that’s not why you’re hired

4. Smile

5. Get Water – the main photog will appreciate this!

6. Offer to Carry Bags – you are there to make the main photogs life easier. you don’t have to carry bags, just offer! the thought is appreciated

7. Taking Care of Vendors – help move things, put things away, ppl remember this, and you will probably work with them again in the future

8. Gather the Family

9. Same Day Slideshow – find a place for the photog to create it, and to display it.

10. Dress Appropriately
One of the bigger things she discussed, is finding your own style:  “What are the three words that describe you, and you’re style?”
“Are those three words describing you now? Or are those words describing  what you want to be? If it’s the latter, you need to take a step back.”

I think I still need to figure this out!   but that’s a whole other ball game!