Today's video is sponsored by Squarespace the fastest and easiest place to make
your photography website. Today you are on top of my camera.
You can see all the settings, all the images that I take and this week,
and fortunately there's no pizza, but there is grilled cheese.
Have a nice evening, Richard, big commute today.
[Inaudible].
We're here. Welcome to today's video. We're actually going to be taking photos.
It is a behind the scenes video.
It's been a minute since I've actually been out in the wild with couples.
It's finally starting to turn around here a little bit. I'm a,
if you don't know me, I am Taylor Jackson.
I'm a wedding photographer for about an hour outside of Toronto in Canada.
And I photograph 60 to 70 weddings every single year on a normal year.
This year, obviously a little bit different,
a bit of a late start to say the very least. Uh,
we are now at least in the stage where we can have 50 person indoor gatherings,
a hundred percent outdoor gatherings.
And that means that weddings are starting to come back slowly on Tuesday,
actually.
So if you're kind of in this holding pattern of not being able to really book
anything, cause you're not getting a lot of inquiries. Uh,
I have actually created an elopement course that I'm going to call it in a
little mini course, but it's a lot more than that.
And it's really about just generating leads right now. So over the past week,
leading up to August 14th,
I generated 52 leads for local elopements.
I don't even really live in a big city.
I think there's about a half a million people around here and I was able to
generate 52 leads completely by advertising.
So I'm going to walk you through my paid ads as well as kind of the way that it
worked organically as well. And I'm going to demystify that entire process.
And you can take from that what you want that course will be on Tuesday.
So if you're a member, you get access to it.
You'll just get an email Tuesday morning, 9:00 AM, it'll be live.
And then if you're not yet a member, you can sign up. And if you do sign up,
you get in snacks as to every single course that I've ever made.
So there's a heck of a lot of content on there,
like $2,000 plus of stuff already.
So if you want to come over there and get my presets and the contract and uh,
and so much more so head over there, if you're interested,
Tuesday 9:00 AM Eastern time, the, uh,
a little mini course drops and it's all about booking elopements.
You can learn the photography.
You're probably already a pretty good photographer. Uh,
you can learn the photography aspects easily on YouTube,
but I think that there is a lot more to be learned about the business side of
things and actually generating and booking those inquiries and generating those
leads, which is what this course is all about today.
All I have with me is my Nikon 58 millimeter F 1.4 G as well as my Nikon
D seven 80. Not going to change the lens on,
I can put any different lenses on other camera bodies, nothing else, just,
just this right here.
I feel like there is value in keeping things as simple as you possibly can and
focusing more on the images and more specifically on,
I guess the communication with the couple that you're taking images of,
you're constantly changing your lenses and camera bodies and lighting.
I feel like it really kind of takes you out of the shoot.
And especially if you're working with people that are not professional models
are not people that are typically in front of a camera and might not be the most
comfortable. I feel like that's a bit of a,
you set up a bit of a wall with gear. So, uh, today one lens, one camera body.
Let's see what we get up to.
How's that for a dumb composition do better,
better. I'm not there yet
call this photo feature.
[inaudible].
I usually shoot under the 85. I shoot on that 85 because it makes me, I guess,
the most comfortable and in order to get real natural moments out of a session,
that's obviously like we're going out, we're taking some photos.
How do you make those, those moments a little bit more real?
And by using 85 or 58, in this case,
I feel like I'm at the right distance to actually let things happen.
And to be able to document that if you know me, I'm introverted, quiet, quiet,
shy, um, surprisingly terrible in front of the camera.
I feel a lot more comfortable behind the camera.
And by being on an 85 millimeter lens,
it definitely gives me the distance that I need. I feel like,
like also attracts like, so if your ideal clients are coming to you,
there's a pretty good chance that you are very similar to your ideal client.
And I also find that if I'm this close to my clients,
that they start to feel really uncomfortable as well.
So I like to have a little bit more space. I like that 85 today.
I'm going to try the 58. Cause I feel like there's some, uh, there's,
there's some positives to using it and I kind of want to push myself out of my
comfort zone a little bit,
but I don't want to just like completely like pull myself out of my comfort
zone. Cause I feel like that's not fair.
My clients.
One thing that I kind.
Of want to talk about.
Here is that the internet has really set the bar impossibly high for all of us
as photographers. And if you're you're cruising the internet and you're,
you're finding all these images that you like or you're finding all these poses
that you like,
it is very difficult to get a lot of those poses out of just regular
human beings that are hiring you to go out and do photos that a lot of the
images you're seeing are styled shoots and those styled shoots have professional
models that have been in front of the camera for some time since they were like
two, three years old.
And so to expect that level of work from yourself is
really unmotivating.
So like always take a step back and realize that you are doing by far the best
that you can within the situation that you're in. Um,
and know that not everyone and I wouldn't like it this way.
If I was photographing models just out all the time,
I feel like it would become very boring. I almost like the,
the element of getting somebody from a stage where they're completely
either unsure or just, they're not used to being in front of the camera.
They're like, I don't know what this,
this next hour is going to be like to bridging that very quickly into a space
where they just feel comfortable to be themselves. Um,
I think that having an activity of some sort is,
is one of the ways that you can do that,
whether right off the top of the shoe or something that you are going to,
I feel like if you're able to tell a little bit of a story,
a little bit of a journey that that kind of means something to your couple.
I think that's really cool now don't let that,
that activity just take over the entire shoot.
It really does have to be kind of a small piece in this case. We just,
we thought that it would be fun. It would be interesting to,
to have some grilled cheese right off the top and it definitely kind of relaxed
us all. And it was a good icebreaker to just start the shoot.
And I feel like by the time we even really stood up from that picnic table,
everyone was pretty comfortable with one another that we were able to just do
these weird photos out in the parking lot.
I'm going to try one in this parking lot, cause this is pretty unique lighting.
There are no backgrounds that are suitable, but the light is great.
Do you guys want to be right here? And I'll kind of see what I can figure out.
And if you just want to hold hands, just stand side by side there for a second.
Do you just want to walk towards me and you can look at each other and just
pretend you having a great time in this weird parking lot. It looks really good.
Um, I think another thing is to, to be really excited about stuff when,
when you're excited about it.
And I was pretty excited about the light that was happening in that parking lot,
uh, to speak a little bit about kind of what I look for in a location.
Number one, I'm usually looking for good lighting,
something that is going to look the best on the people that I'm photographing
second to that I'm looking for those good expressions and ways to relax them.
So for, in for instance, if they're a very introverted couple, like, like I am,
I'm not going to do very well on a street corner,
out in the middle of Toronto with like a thousand people around,
I'm going to do a little bit better if I'm somewhere a little bit more quiet
than alley, something like that. So I'm looking for good lighting,
a location that allows people to at least kind of be themselves and to not be
uncomfortable.
And then after that is when I'm looking for the actual kind of background.
And as you can see in this parking lot,
I don't know if it will be an image that goes up on,
on a wall or something like that. But I do feel like it is a pretty good, uh,
real life moment with some actual real emotion as well as good lighting.
And the aesthetic factor is definitely there. So, um,
by capturing more real moments, I feel like you actually are creating something.
That's just not as stock is not as standard as, um,
as most people traditionally would. Like if you go to a park,
you're probably not going to shoot in the parking lot of that park,
but to shoot there for like a minute or two and to get a couple images,
it really does kind of add something to the shoot,
adds a sense of realness that otherwise might not exist.
Another thing that I find.
Critically important and easiest way to bridge a couple from being like, hello,
nice to meet you. Let's go take some photos.
We're uncomfortable to being relatively comfortable in front of the camera is
movement and walking. Um,
it really is something that I rely heavily on and I'm sure you've probably seen
it in a few of my shoots, but right off the top,
if we don't go get grilled cheese, we're likely going for a walk.
I'm making them walk this way first hold hands.
So they don't even have to look at me then turn around.
And from a far far distance, they're holding hands and walking towards me,
walking, holding hands is a thing that's comfortable for. Most people,
that's a space that they are they're familiar with and they can just kind of be
themselves in some way. And to do that right off the top,
makes it a much easier transition to get them into a Headspace where they're
just kind of like, ah, it's like this isn't really that big of a deal.
All we gotta do is walk around and hold hands. Like we're good at that.
That's great. And if you all look at each other and just be happy and smile.
Awesome, cool.
That right there.
And you can just be exactly like that and just kind of smile towards me here.
I mentioned here,
and something that is critically important for weddings specifically,
really is to just get the basic shot of your, your couple,
just smiling and facing the camera. That's really the only,
I would say required shot from an entire wedding day and you absolutely need to
get one on the engagement session days as well.
That regardless of all the cool stuff that you set up and the artistic images
that you try to capture end of the day,
their family is likely going to want the most boring image that you take.
So make sure that whenever the light is working very well,
like it did down this alleyway, just get them to pause arm around each other,
smile, face the camera.
And if they're coming from a pose of something they're comfortable with,
like just walking and you call that out,
just be very quick to capture exactly that, that first moment,
as soon as they just smile and face the camera, because that first,
that first moment is going to be the best that it is.
And it's going to kind of slowly fade from there as realize that you're taking
their photo. So, um, work quickly. And as you can see,
I take a lot of images and that simply to capture the in between moments, um,
which I feel like are where the actual real life moments are, uh,
rather than just trying to put people in a variety of different poses. And okay,
now you guys piggyback now you have from behind now, you,
now you hold hands and face opposite directions rather than just calling stuff
out like that.
I'm just doing the best that I can to focus on kind of those in between moments
when they look at each other, um,
when they're actually enjoying the company of one another,
maybe that's a high thing to aspire to as far as to like actually be able to
capture something true to the couple within one of these sessions,
because it is a very, um, contrive moment, I guess, that like, hello,
we are going to take photos now. Yes. Uh,
it's very difficult to genuinely capture real emotion within that.
But I think by keeping people natural and relaxed and not making them do
anything that you dishonored a wedding magazine that you're just straight
copying,
that it really does just get a little bit closer to those true real to life
moments, or as close as you can get within a session.
I'll mention quickly that to get those in between moments that I am
photographing as they're getting into whatever I'm telling them to do.
And as they're exiting that as well,
all it's not all the time that I'll actually be looking down at my viewfinder,
I'll still be kind of capturing a few frames, not even looking through here.
And I feel like I do get a lot of images that I really do enjoy. Um,
just knowing roughly where my frames at,
and maybe I have to crop a little bit in post or straighten a post,
but knowing that as they're getting into there, and then as their say,
for instance, they're walking towards me, they've just now released hands,
but they're like, okay, cool. Like that, that was fun.
If I'm still taking a few photos like this while talking to them,
I'm actually going to be getting some sort of real emotion from them again like
that. Um, and if I just stayed behind here, they'd be like, Oh,
I thought we were we're done. Okay. We'll go,
we'll go back to being in pictures together.
Whereas if you're not looking through the viewfinder and you're kind of,
or even if you want to go live you at that point,
when you're making images like that, it kind of removes the barrier.
And you're more of, I guess,
a friend overall and they can be themselves for just that brief moment,
which is all you really need.
A lot of the time. Are you guys gonna hold hands?
Does he run up there if you want?
And if you want to just pull each other and really close for a hug first,
then you can kiss if you want. Perfect. And then if you want,
keep going up the bridge a little bit,
that's good there.
And then if you want to hold hands and you can come down this way,
nice and slow and you can be happy with each other. You can walk this way here.
That's good.
Amazing.
Oh, that's good. And if you want to look at me for a few, you can do that.
Amazing. Cool.
To wrap this all up. Thank you so much for watching the video.
Don't get stressed out if you are taking images and they just don't look exactly
like the shoots that you're seeing in Martha Stewart weddings or whatever it
might be, that there are a lot of different ways.
You can take photos that are actually meaningful to people.
And by just putting people in those poses that you're seeing,
it might not really be true to them.
So do something that feels correct for you,
that if you put yourself in the shoes of the other, the other couple,
that if you were there, you were there with your partner,
what images would you like? Do you want these really over the top post images?
Or do you want something that's just a little,
little more natural to actual real life? Um,
I would pick the natural to real life every time and I feel like my couples do
as well. So, um, that's kind of the place that, that I come from overall.
And if you are interested in learning how I generated a significant number of
leads over the past couple of days here, uh, Tuesday morning 9:00 AM,
that course will be out on the member site to sign up over there.
If you're interested,
you can sign up just for a single month and you get instant access to absolutely
everything. So, uh, come on over there. If you're interested,
today's video is sponsored by Squarespace.
Squarespace really is the fastest and easiest place for any photographer to make
their website. Uh,
the things that I love the most one how easy it is to set up that.
And also whenever you do set up your website,
that it just works across all different styles of devices.
So from computer to phone, to, to tablet,
to whatever might exist in the future,
I like knowing that I don't have to do any hard coded updates in order to make
that work, that it all just happens.
And also that my website is just online all the time.
I've definitely had some issues with this in the past with other web hosts.
So if you're interested head over to
squarespace.com/tiller Jackson and sign up for your trial, build it out.
And if you love it,
which I I'm pretty certain that you're going to go live with it and turn it into
your, your website for your photography business.
All of my websites currently run on Squarespace and I am very happy with them
overall. So thanks very much Squarespace for sponsoring today's video.
I'll see you again another time until then please enjoy
this.
[Inaudible].