There is nothing more that I love when I shoot weddings then turning an image into a piece of art.
A photograph that blows my client away.
During this webinar I want to show you a series of photographs from the location to what I have captured right through to the editing stage and the final delivery.
I will talk my way through the thought process of my vision from start to finish. Looking forward to seeing you all there.
Mark Rossetto: Hey guys, Mark Rossetto here. Welcome to Walk the Talk webinar series. I have, um, one of I think is Australia’s up and coming leading the superstar photographers Ash, um, who is an amazing photographer, Ash K I’ll post the website links into this webinar series as well. But, um, Ash’s an amazing photographer and what I love about her and her work is that she totally thinks outside the box. Um, and her thought process in creating images is absolutely phenomenal. How she can take one, um, go into a location and see the one thing and then come out and see something completely different in your finished print products. That absolutely blows your mind. So I’m really looking forward to this. This is going to be super cool. So this is for the wedding photographers out there, but it’s also for portrait photographers who shoot on location to realise, you know, when you start thinking at the bots, when you start to see things from a different perspective, you start to create an amazing images that your clients would never anticipate. And when you show it to ’em, it absolutely blows their socks off because they don’t see what we see. And that’s the main thing about today, which is super cool. So without further ado, let’s, um, let’s highlight Ash. And Ash is going to take it away. Go for it Ash
Ashley K: Background. It’s chaotic. Ok. So I’m Ashley. Um, I’m a wedding photographer based in Melbourne. Um, I started my business in 2011 with my sister Nikki. She, for those that don’t know her, she’s um, a videographer, wedding videographer. Um, so yeah, we had a very good selling point at that stage cause we were two sick, enthusiastic sisters. We worked together and we, we actually, our business took off really well. Um, but early in probably 2015 we decided that, um, working just together was limit limiting us from working with other photographers and videographers. So we decided to take, um, separate businesses where I formed Ashley k, um, photography and she’s Lux Film house. Um, we still work together so much. Um, we both refer each other, uh, work when we can. Um, but we just now get opportunity to work with other people, which is great cause it’s also helped us to branch out and get even more work. Um, we’re, uh, actually working together in We Going to Italy next week. So we’re really excited to shoot a wedding in Rome. Um,
Mark Rossetto: Who wants to shoot a wedding in Rome? That’s amazing.
Ashley K: Sorry. It’s, um, originally we, uh, I’ll explain the story in a minute, but originally we were shooting a wedding at the Vatican.
Mark Rossetto: Oh wow. Which, oh, that’s right.
Ashley K: Yeah. And so, um, we got an email from the bride a week ago saying that the Vatican now declined their wedding and that they have to move it to another church. Um, which it’s disappointing in somewhat cause you’re like, damn, like you’re never really going to ever get opportunity to shoot at a Vatican again. But in saying that, um, it’s still going to be awesome. We’re going to shoot another amazing church that I’ve Googled and I’m just like, this is insane. Um, and also shoot some awesome locations around the coliseum and stuff. So we’re excited about that. Um, and my business mostly comes from social media, so this is where my bride actually found me. Cause it’s funny, she’s actually from New York. Wow. Um, and she’s hired me from Instagram, so she found me on Instagram. Um, and I think in this day and age, we’re quite fortunate to have, um, social media as a tool to network with people all across the globe and get opportunities to work in, um, different countries around the world. So Nikki and I have been pretty lucky. We’ve shot, um, weddings in Santorini, London, Fiji, Vietnam, Thailand, um, Bali, world Bali time. So it’s pretty cool. We’re really lucky. Um, and very fortunate that, um, anyway, I’ll go into some, sorry.
Mark Rossetto: Would, would, would, would you say Ash, just a quick question for you. Are you more Facebook or more Instagram
Ashley K: Partner? I think I would say Instagram now. Um, I would say Facebook is, I I use Facebook differently than other people. So I’ve got a, um, my actual personal Facebook is just my name. Um, I add to my, my clients to my personal Facebook. And I use my personal Facebook as a way to communicate to my couples as well as tag them and be able to see the comments that are coming through in regards to their wedding photos. Um, it just gives, it makes them feel like they’re more, more on a personal level with me. Um, and they’re often messaging me on Facebook and chatting to me and then they’re getting to see my work as I go on and refer their friends, their friends, their bridesmaid, um, add me as friends, um, and then they become future clients. So I use my personal Facebook as a, as a, um, tool email promoting myself than a Facebook page. But I do have a Facebook page but rarely use it. So yeah.
Mark Rossetto: That’s pretty cool. So, so kind of like you use your strategy for Instagram to get the attention Yeah, yeah. Facebook to interact and actually start the conversation and connect with your clients.
Ashley K: Yeah. That’s awesome. So I look, I, I try to keep my Facebook, my personal Facebook strictly business, but every now and then I’ll, I’ll throw in some personal stuff, like stuff about my kids or stuff about my day or whatever so that they still feel like they’re in a personal Facebook group. Um, but yeah, so just try and mix it up bit, but obviously I won’t <laugh>.
Mark Rossetto: That’s really clever. I really like that because connecting with your clients in a, in a, um, in, in, in their own space. Like you were in their, you’re in their world. Yeah. Coming to email and all sorts of things where you feel impersonal. So to be able to do that on Facebook is pretty awesome. Yeah.
Ashley K: And they, they think they know me as well. So the good part of this is for me, um, I haven’t been able, like I’ve, my, um, face-to-face meetings with clients has dropped dramatically cause they feel like they know me. They don’t need to meet me. They, they just want, they, they know all about me through my Facebook, my Facebook lives that I do all the little, um, Instagram lives and stuff. So it’s, it’s, it’s dropped my, um, actual face to face meetings, which is awesome. Cause who wants to meet the AT eight when you’ve stuff so helped. Well,
Mark Rossetto: Yeah. Very cool. Awesome.
Ashley K: Okay, cool. So, um, be, before I go into some of the shots, um, I just wanted to explain, um, my like, thought process for some of the images that I have. So when I shoots first and for inspiration is light. So I look for where the light is and what’s, what’s interesting. So whether it be, um, natural light or something around like available light that I want to use. So I’m always looking for the light. Um, with PO in terms of posing, um, I’m pretty much all day. My posing is pretty standard except for every now and then I like to create a story and create a pose that has meaning. Um, so I, I will find a set that I really love and then create a story with within the pose. Um, and so anyway, I’ll go through some photos. Let me, so should I, should I go through sharing?
Mark Rossetto: Yep. Screen.
Ashley K: Lemme just make sure I don’t have anything rude on my screen. <laugh>,
Mark Rossetto: She’s not joking about the plumbing incident. <laugh>.
Ashley K: Oh, too funny. Um, alright, so I’m sharing my desktop.
Mark Rossetto: Let’s just make sure that everyone can see that. Gimme a thumbs up if you can see her desktop. Perfect. Awesome.
Ashley K: Woo,
Mark Rossetto: Happy days.
Ashley K: Alrighty.
Mark Rossetto: If you can lift up your, your, your, your finder screen. Yeah. That’s cool. They
Ashley K: Can’t see my personal stuff. <laugh>.
Mark Rossetto: Exactly. Perfect.
Ashley K: Awesome. Alright, let’s start with, I’ll start with the shots I’m showing you this morning. Um, mark, cuz I think they’re pretty cool. Um,
Mark Rossetto: So you don’t say, say yourself <laugh>.
Ashley K: No, I think what, what we can do with photos stuff is pretty cool like these days. So, um, I was explaining to Mark this morning that this was a good example to show people cause I feel a lot of people in this day it’s, they’re scared of shooting in dark places. Um, and this was a very dark place, as you can see in the raw image. Um, you can’t even see, the only thing you can see is the subject which was lit up by, uh, off camera flash and some of the, um, ambient lighting around there as well. Um, the next shot I’ll show you is just me boosting up the exposure in just so you can get an idea of what, what detail we have in the photograph. So that’s the, obviously the detail that we have when we, um, increase the exposure. And then the final print, um, or the final image is this one, um, which I played around with and flipped. So one side of the image has been flipped, um, because I, I wanted to get rid of back to that. You can see I’m pointing to my screen like you guys can
Mark Rossetto: The mouse, the mouse, see,
Ashley K: See. So can on the screen can see doesn’t match the side. So it make it look all like a match, but also trying to do it in a way where, um, it doesn’t look like it’s mirrors. So obviously you can see the box on the right hand side is not on the left side. There’s some things at the top of the, um, just, yeah, I’m pointing at the screen, um, that I’ve kept in from the other one just to show you that little bit of difference there. If anyone has any questions, yell out.
Mark Rossetto: <laugh> Now this got, um, this got you enter this into Vis and stored a,
Ashley K: I think it’s at 89. I think it was almost a gold. Um, but yeah. Um, buddy Andrew Harrison.
Mark Rossetto: Oh, Andrew Harrison m little
Ashley K: On me for the posing, which, you know what, at the end of the day I do, I do agree that um, the brides arm should have been over the groom arm, but that’s the kind of stuff within Umpie that they look for for it reaching that gold Mark <laugh>. And you know what, I, I agree with him. I wanted, um, so yeah, that’s, that’s the, um, the Palace Theatre. Is that what it’s No, the Palace Theatre. The Regent Theatre.
Mark Rossetto: The Regent Theatre, yeah. Yeah.
Ashley K: So that’s the region theatre. And I honestly, when I, when I there I was just like in heaven. Cause I was like, this is amazing. But I was also really scared of the fact that it was just so dark in me. You can see in the raw that, um, but how awesome our, our cameras and, and photographing in raw is so important cause you can get all that detail back.
Mark Rossetto: Cool. Um,
Ashley K: This is also, um, shot at the, um, same venue. Um, this was done, so I’ve done this, this is the final image as an album spread. So you can see, um, in the photograph that I’ve kind flipped at and played around with it and copied it and made a, like a really creative album spread, which, which was a, a cellar in the album. They loved it. Um, and I still got that image as well. What else have you got?
Mark Rossetto: Very nice. So what happens if we’re not blessed with as beautiful locations as, as this?
Ashley K: Um, well I’m not always blessed with these locations. Um, but if you’re not, you just, I’ve got a co I I’ve got a couple I can show you. Um,
Mark Rossetto: That’s where I was leading to <laugh>. Yeah, yeah.
Ashley K: Where are we? That’s fine. So I mean, for example, this is Hamilton Island, like it is a west location, but if you have a look at the actual location, it’s, it’s just some trees. Um, you know, it’s not wow but there’s things you can do to make it look and they’re just walking. It’s nothing, you know, special. But I’ve Right. Ended up put some nice flare in there. Um, and it’s become a little bit more, you know, wow.
Mark Rossetto: <laugh> perfect.
Ashley K: I don’t know if anyone’s ever shot Hamilton Island before, but they are the most strictest place ever to photograph. So basically if you are an outside photographer going in, um, you are not allowed to shoot anywhere in Hamilton Island, but their venue and the church. Um, so when I was being a little bit, um, trip bit of a shifty was, was like, you need up meet back at the venue shots. And I’m not a hundred percent a big fan of beach shots. I think they’re kind of me like, unless it’s a wow beach, I don’t really love them. And so I, we got in a golf golf buggy and we drove back down towards a beach and I said, well meet you there. Well we’re just going to stop for a toilet break or something. So it was just like trying to get them away and literally we had five minutes. Cause if we had been caught, they would’ve been really angry at us. So we had five minutes and I saw this, this location and I thought, let’s just quickly jump in there. I couldn’t do anything special. I just had to walk. Yeah, beautiful.
Ashley K: Um, ordinary kind of shop. Okay, here we go. Um, so, um, this is, this is not a raw, I haven’t got the raw in here, sorry. But this is the kind of location that we would call ordinary. Um, and so this is just the grooms preparation. Um, he’s just in front of a beautiful window light there and I wanted to make a nice, beautiful portrait for him. So I got this, but then I also wanted to make it a little bit more better. So I cropped alling in back nice portrait for him. And that’s a TV reflection there so you can see on the side. Um, that’s simple. You, the one thing that I always, always do when I’m shooting, uh, weddings and portraits is just take the obvious shot and then look around and see what you can see. If you can see that reflection or you can see something different happening in different lighting. Um, it’s always just about trying to make the photo a little bit more interesting. Um, and in that, in that case I just, I really liked that kind shot and it’s so simple. Like there’s really nothing to that. It’s just a guy sitting down on a chair looking out and beautiful window light with TV reflection. So it’s really easy. Have a look at those TV reflections cause they’re always around. Yeah.
Mark Rossetto: And the best part about, about these images, ash, is when you photographed them on the day, you’ll always have the bridal party looking at you going, what are you doing? Why are you taking a photo of like, why are you, why are you hugging the TV <laugh>? Why? And, and, and, and, and it’s not until they see stuff like this that they’re like, ah, and,
Ashley K: And then you show them like, oh, you’re so good and you’re, I,
Ashley K: But it’s good cause it makes them feel like, you know, you’re not just taking a standard photo. And I think that’s important for our clients is that everyone can take, we’ve got iPhones now, we take you knowing which, which is in this case that simple thing. And um, yeah, it’s always there guys. It’s always there. Just look for it. Um, what about, what else have we got? Oh, here. So, um, I’m not sure if um, there’s Melbourne people here <laugh>, but if there is, some people would know this location, it’s really common. Um, it’s just around corner from the St. Army Barrack, which everybody goes to. Um, so this is a easy and it’s location cause it’s quite graphical and it’s quite interesting with its lights and shapes and shows and kind of stuff like that. So, um, I, I went to this location only three weeks ago and I, I saw this really cool, interesting light coming through, um, which I thought was super cool.
Ashley K: And I thought, well that’s an awesome shot, but I, I really like, want to make this pose better and I want to make this image a little bit more interesting. How can I do that? So I thought, okay, well look at those, bring them forward a bit. This is, these are all the raw images guys, um, bring them forward a bit. I’ll get to kiss. And I noticed that shadow in the background, which was really interesting. Um, but I thought as soon as he kisses her, they’re just going to blend into the background that shadow, you’re not going to see that really defined shadow in the back background. Um, so then I was like, um, and you can see in the back, like of the, I’m putting the screen again. You can see here, you can see this is really defined. You can, if you take away this section, you can actually see exactly what they’re doing. I thought that was really interesting. And then obviously with time, the strengths on the day and light going down quickly. And a videographer here just, you’ve just got to work with what you got sometimes. Cause
Mark Rossetto: Damn those videographers hang
Ashley K: Erin, so many of my shots as well is Nikki <laugh>.
Mark Rossetto: Yeah, Nick’s here. Oh,
Ashley K: Is she <laugh>
Mark Rossetto: Always
Ashley K: In my shots. So, but you know what, it’s, in this day and age we have to work with the videographer and it’s, we’re sharing the space and you just have to deal with it. So in the end, I cropped him out. Um, I warmed up the image and I thought this was quite an interesting image in terms of light and it’s a really simple location. Um, but it’s, it makes a really interesting, the light and the shadows and the um, shapes and stuff. And then if you look in the raw, you can see at the bottom here all this kind of stuff, which really I like to get rid of images that don’t, uh, sorry to get rid of things that really don’t make sense in the image or don’t add to the image. So I’ve, I’ve gotten rid of them there to make it more cleaner. Um, another, this is just another shot I took at that location too. So, um, editing, editing wise for this, it was the, that particular day was quite du and it wasn’t bright as the day like the other one. Um, so I wanted to match their pose with the background, which is kind of dramatic and um, you know, attitude and, sorry. Yeah, that’s where I’ve got that one from. Okay, let’s keep going. Let’s go. Santorini.
Mark Rossetto: Oh, Santorini. I love Cent Nikki.
Ashley K: Well Nikki will know this one because we shot this one together. Heaps of fun. We loved it. It was flat. 42 degree day. Absolutely so hot. Um, we were both were looking disgusting, but it was a good day. So this is the raw image, um, which is nothing special really, but obviously when she, me and Nikki like to always when the bride’s leaving to go to her location or whenever we can stand back and let them walk ahead of us so that we can just capture, just keep shooting. And sometimes you get those moments where it’s just like, Ooh wow. And then we’re like, come back down, walk back up and hold your dress. And sort of seen this, this um, this beautiful shot of her. Um, and then I’ve turned it into this. Um, which my visual for this, this was entered into a as well, which didn’t get, they got a 79 <laugh> ridiculous, which is fine.
Ashley K: I don’t care. I’m still love the image. That’s why I’m showing you. Um, the whole concept of this was, was a bride walk into her ceremony. She’s an angel, she’s about to take the next step, step of their life journey. Um, one of the things I got marked down was this umbrella here. Um, they said I should taken it out and 50% people said take it out. And the it in the reason why I it in cause I wanted to keep the image a little bit more realistic. Um, and I wanted to show that destination feel. And sometimes when you’re passionate in something, you just go ahead with it and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. So, um, that’s an I really loved as well. Um, here’s another one where it’s really quite simple. Um, this is a, um, just going around taking candids and I notice, oh this, oh actually I’m not going to take credit for this.
Ashley K: This is Nikki. So Nikki <laugh> Nikki was taking this shot and I go, oh, I’m going to see what she’s, what she’s been seeing right now. Um, and so I started taking that photo and then I thought about it later on. I was like, wouldn’t it be cool? Like it looks like a picture frame. Cause this is literally all this, this is the outside of the hoteling is I, this looks like a picture frame. Wouldn’t it be cool if I got the bride looking out? Um, and it looks like she’s apic a portrait in a picture frame. So I tried around with that. I didn’t love her pose there. And then I got to the earring cause I thought, oh that’s really cool. Like she’s doing something, she looks beautiful. But then I decided the front top page and there she’s bang coming in from the side ruining <laugh>. That’s alright. And then so I finally got that and this is my final editor that beautiful. So if you have a look as well, you can see all the things in the background. I’ve removed it cause I want it to be nice and clean.
Mark Rossetto: Love it. Super cool.
Ashley K: Super awesome <laugh>. Um, alright, what else have we got? Um, sorry. So, oh, this is just a ceremony shot. Um, things that you can do with ceremony. So obviously again, really blessed with an amazing location here. So I’m not going to say that I get locations like this every week cause I really don’t. We get really crappy, um, ceremony locations to work in. But this is one of those amazing beautiful like locations that you just kind of go, oh my God, how did get so lucky? Um, and this was the final shot of that. Um, little things you can see removal of the, the rope there, um, in the, in the final shot. Um, what else have I done? Not much really. Just getting rid of things that, you know, don’t have you. Things that you can get rid of in the images that don’t make sense or don’t really play any good part in the image.
Ashley K: So I’ve gotten rid of that, but I, I love this photo. Cause I think ceremony shots like this, you could actually, you don’t, I don’t see many clients printing ceremony shots and putting it on the wall, but I could see this particular image getting printed and putting on the wall, putting put on the wall cause it’s just so beautiful. Um, very cool. What else have I got Angela? So Angela, this is the raw, um, and I’ll, I’ll go through some of the, um, integrations of this. So another thing I always do too, I don’t always do it, but with this particular bride, so I’ve obviously met her a year in advance. Um, this is like my second, um, like that I had done and I was like, I really want to push myself for the next, like the next 50. I want to get something. So I that at that stage of my, my shooting, I was thinking about things before the wedding day.
Ashley K: Nowadays I just go through my stuff and choose something. But in the early days I like to think of concepts. So I was like, this bride, she’s really beautiful, she’s really glamorous. She reminds me of like old Hollywood, Audrey, her. So these are like my inspirational, um, ideas for her. I loved that location. I had been there before. Um, I, I remembered that window and I was like, how can I make that, how can I make a, an ordinary dress shop into something a little bit more spectacular? So I was like, right, can you go with this idea? Like, I’m like, get sexy, get your drove off, get your like makeup. And we did that shot. I was like just explaining to <laugh>. Sorry. So that was the, the uh, final image there. Love taken back in 2015, but still one of my absolute favourite in the world images. Am I going over time or anything? <laugh>? No,
Mark Rossetto: No, that’s alright. I think you’ve got, um, the last one, Yamen was that? No, we did
Ashley K: That Ver verity. So Nikki will Nikki’s, um, did this wedding with me too. Um, so this is Verity. Yeah, so, um, quite just a standard image of her putting her earring on. I thought she looked like, you know, snow white. Um,
Mark Rossetto: And talking about the glamorous locations, there’s a toilet on the left-hand side.
Ashley K: Yeah,
Mark Rossetto: Toilet,
Ashley K: Some toilet rolls. Random things. And we go
Mark Rossetto: Beautiful. Get
Ashley K: Rid of that kind. Another one here. Um, again, blessed with a nice location. Really it is really pretty. The final image of raw. It’s funny what our cameras take, isn’t it, in terms of color and stuff and then being able to get detail and stuff back in, in the, um, in the blinds and stuff like that as well. That like, that’s all really important I think.
Mark Rossetto: Yeah, it’s cool. Very cool. Very cool. I think, uh, I think that’s, that’s all that you had I think, which is very cool. Awesome. Alright. That is very cool. Ash, I’m going to, um, do you want to turn off your screen share for a second? Beautiful, beautiful. Awesome. Um, I guess from here, the biggest thing that I take outta this ash with you is that, um, you take the opportunity when you can and you’ve also done your homework. So going into the church in uh, Rome is like going into a location you haven’t been before. And a Google Maps is amazing. I did my first wedding in, um, Mildura when I was working for Ex Site Mildura wedding. I’ve never been to Mildura before. It’s amazing what you can find on Google Maps. Yeah, Google maps and pitches and you can plan out your whole location and do room views and uh, I mean street views and look at graffiti walls. And I was taking them to places they’ve never even seen before. And I’m like, they’re like, how do you know this? I’m like, at Google Maps, like, it’s amazing. Yeah, there’s so much cool stuff. The other part that I love is that you go into almost every room in the house and you look for the opportunity. So look for the windows, look for the go into bathrooms. And sometimes you, you come up the most random locations, um, create, can you just find some really awesome stuff?
Ashley K: Hey Mark, when you were working with obviously, um, doing more European couples and stuff, <laugh>, um, did you ever find that, um, your, the moms would be like, oh, why you in room?
Mark Rossetto: Totally. It’s totally like we would have it that we would go, um, they’ll prepare the front yard, like garden manicure. Perfect. Yeah, daylight. Like it’s just the sun is glaring, it’s the worst lighting and we’ll shoot around the side of the house. Yeah. And they’re like, what you here for? Like yeah, but the lighting’s not good. But that like yeah, all the time
Ashley K: You take them into the spare room, they’ve got their beautiful, like their beds made, but the light, it’s terrible. It’s dark. There’s nothing, you take them into the spare room, they’re like, no, you’re not help here.
Mark Rossetto: Yeah. Yeah. Especially the, they have the shut on them like screen and they wonder why we don’t shoot in it. Cause it’s so,
Ashley K: It’s funny. So you’ve got to, you’ve got to kind of tell ’em, no, this is where the nice light is. This is where we’re going. <laugh>. Yeah.
Mark Rossetto: Yeah. No arguments. And look on saying that too. Just a different side note. And then, ah, before I start with that, what I will do, I’m going to stop for q and a. All right. But I’m going to stop the video. So for those people that were on this call, you can have fun with the q and a that we’re going to, um, that we’re going to keep on going with weren’t on this call. Um, I’m going to stop the recording here. We’re continue q Fantastic. See you webinar.
