Sunset over Pushkar

Camels mirror each other in the setting sun as I run to compose symmetrically. Nikon D700, Tamron 28-75 f2.8.

End of day, Pushkar. Nikon D700, Nikkor 70-200 at
200mm f2.8

Life changes, and each stage of my career is bringing with it new lessons and opportunities. These days, much of the work I am doing is governed by privacy ethics and laws and so my blogging has taken a down turn - as some of you may have noticed. And yet, today, during this usual lull at the end of every year, I find myself sorting through tens of thousands of images, hundreds of directories and a history of photography that I am proud to call mine. So, starting with this post, I think I am going to revisit my images and present their stories to you as often as I can.

So, lets start with India....

These images were taken at the famed Pushkar Camel Festival. At the time I was running a photographic tour for an old friend in the industry, Darran Leal. Darran's company, World Photo Adventures, is one the best in the business if you want an unforgettable and educational photographic experience. India was an experience I will never forget - on almost every possible human level.

Walking through this festival, a festival at which tens of thousands of camels are bought and sold, there are photographs at every turn. The camels, their owners, the buyers, their families, the dusty landscape, the colourful culture - the list is endless. You are in a dusty, hot, overcrowded photography heaven. Documenting an event like this is difficult enough as video at 25 frames per second. One image at a time is even more difficult.The problem is not 'what do you take?' but rather 'when do you stop taking?'. 

This in itself poses a problem - the problem of prioritising. When you are in a situation in which there is just too much to photograph, it becomes a case of 'what to leave in and what to leave out'. Once you have eradicated the 'what to leave out' aspect, the 'what to leave in' is challenge enough, but less so. So what do you leave out?' To me, that answer then becomes about light. If the light is not in any way complimentary to the image, then leave it out - epecially when there are thousands of potential images complimented by great light. 

Returning the festival in the late afternoon, the light becomes more workable and interesting, complimenting each image with warmth along with more manageable highlight and shadow details. In these conditions, everywhere you point your camera suddenly assumes more natural capture potential - especially in a place like Pushkar and an event like the Camel Fair.

Working with two cameras, each armed with a completely different focal length made the decisions and the process easier. So, the first port of call is the lens choices. To maximise the opportunities, I chose a wide angle to medium Tamron 28-75 f2.8 on one body and a 70-200 f2.8 zoom on the other.

Because I prefer to produce images to the degree possible in camera, metering was manual, which is my usual preference.  Then....well...you look, watch, point and wait for the moment. Conversely, you see and grab. There is no formula. You just get what you can - cursing when you miss, chimping when you hit. The chimping compensates for the cursing until after a while you realise that you are capturing images you have dreamed of taking since you were a boy who dreamed of traveling afar, camera in hand. When that realisation hits, you stop, take a breath of gratitude and continue your quest. There is no room for cursing or regret over any allegedly 'lost' images or opportunities. Right here, right now...this is the opportunity. Just concentrate, and enjoy. After all, you may never be here again.

Bred for warfare and known for their inward turning ears, a Marwari Stallion becomes too hard
handle at  a Festival designed for a less noble beast of burden...

Getting The Mojo Back

I remember a conversation I had with a prominent Melbourne wedding and portrait photographer many years ago. I was just beginning on my journey as a working photographer and he was well on his way. He was also heading off on a well-deserved holiday to the Maldives. I was very excited for him, having never been to such a place and considering that on my income at the time it would only ever be a dream for me to go to such a place. Interestingly, since that time I have seen and captured my fair share of the world. Anyway...I digress...

In my excitement at the prospects of going to such an exclusive idyll, I mentioned that he will be able to take some beautiful photographs there. While never having been there, I had seen the photographs and that was enough to get my juices going. Naturally, I exclaimed something along the lines of "Wow! You'll get some great photographs there!" to which he responded "I'm not taking my camera! I work with the damn thing!"

Now, this threw me completely. It saddened me to think that this prominent and talented photographer was so disenchanted with his craft that now he sees his camera only as tool he uses to earn a living. Once upon a time it represented enjoyment, passion, fulfillment and creativity. The thought of earning a living with it would have filled his heart with excitement and ambition. Now...decades later that is all changed.

Now...for me...decades later, I can actually understand his feelings. I don't agree with them. Not at all. But I do understand them. Years of shooting can actually destroy your love for photography, even though the life of a working photographer is without doubt more interesting than most. It is human nature to take things for granted, to change our passions and endeavours and, as we age, look for simplicity. In this endeavour, I have also found myself wavering. Recently, for instance, while in Hobart, Tasmania running workshops, I found myself leaving my LowePro ProRoller in the car, filled with DSLRs and lenses, only to use my iPhone and a plethora of apps to create the images I was looking for while we strolled the streets. The images were very rewarding, but there would have been a time when limiting my options like that would have appalled me. 

If you have been following our Creative Photo Workshops events, you would know that Glynn and I recently returned from another tour of duty, running workshops for Dan's Camera City in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Dan's are without doubt the awesomest, bestest, most wonderfullest photo retailer in the United States. Yeah..we love 'em. Anyway...We were kept very busy, running about 16 events in 11 days...or something like that. It was exhausting, and after each workshop we would grab something to eat and then return to our room, often falling asleep on our beds while in mid conversation. Anyone would think that on our planned day off, TV would be the order of the day.

Nope. Not at all.

What does a photographer do on his day off? He gets out and takes photographs. Why? To get the photomojo back. 

After we'd given a brief presentation to the staff at Dan's, Glynn and I got into our rental vehicle and headed for a little town called Jim Thorpe. This lovely little place consumed our day as we strolled the length of it, stopping to converse with locals - so we could photograph them of course - and capturing the details that make this town so lovely in its late autumnal context. Driving back from there to Dan's, we followed Glynn's instinctive nose for great locations, finding barns and ruins and streams that we could photograph before the light failed us. As the shooting day ended, Glynn and I agreed that it had been one of the best days we had ever spent together. While we enjoy our work immensely, this was a day in which we could indulge ourselves in our own vision and simply enjoy photography for photography's sake. And in the end, that is why we took up photography in the first place.

Add caption

Glynn sports his
LowePro Street
and Field Gear
in Jim Thorpe

It goes without saying that I still find the viewpoint of the photographer I mentioned at the outset one that I cannot accept. But I can understand how it happens. Your camera once represented the very thing you longed to do - create images, and hopefully make some kind of living in the process. A photographer's life is probably more interesting than most but it is human nature to yearn for change, and take things for granted. After a while, the very thing you once loved becomes only a means to an end. That is a sad thing if you let it happen. 

If your photomojo is beginning to wane, do the one thing your instincts may disagree with. Grab your gear, get into your car and find something to point your camera at. Anything. You don't even have to go to Pennsylvania - unless you already live there of course. Wherever you go, whatever you capture, the process will do you good  - especially if you ever find yourself on the way to the Maldives with little interest in bringing your camera with you.

Mackay Workshops, Aaaaye....

Model, Jana Bailey, at our Creative Flash Workshop in Mackay

Model, Rae Johnston dons a wedding dress for our
Creative Wedding Photography Workshop

Creative Photo Workshops loves to travel. We love to take our love for photography and bring it with us everywhere we go. The great thing about being in our business is that we get to do it for a living! Recently, Glynn, Tash and I found in ourselves in Mackay. Tash and I travelled to Mackay with our new friend and locquacious laughmaker, Tearah, a photographer from Blackwater where she was going to join us for even more workshops there. Glynn was flying in from Melbourne and off we would go.

I have to tell you that I was surprised with how quickly our workshops were filled. The wonderful bunch of photographers in Mackay were so pleased to have us there, and I also have to admit to a feeling of vindication after what we had heard went on in Blackwater. I really appreciated the photographers there in that small mining town who came to our workshops. Again, thank you so very much. You more than compensated for the other silly so and so's....

We ran five separate events in Mackay. Our Natural Light Portrait Workshop, Creative Flash Part One and Part Two and our Creative Wedding Photography workshop. On the Friday evening we ran our Film Noir event at the Mackay Heritage Railway, for which we are very grateful. Gangsters, Fedoras and Fog Machines. It was a great night.

I have to admit to absolutely loving what we do. In a nutshell, we came into a group of photographers, taught them some things, made some friends and got asked to come back to do more. Now, that is a great gig. I feel sorry for photographers who don't understand the joy it brings to us to be able to share, to enable, to empower people in their passion and their craft, to make new friends and to be remembered with affection for having done so. For that, I get paid. And there are photographers who are afraid of doing that? Wow. Incomprehensible. Sure, I aint drivin' no Maserati, but I am loving what I am doing. And I would prefer a more practical vehicle anyway...

Thank you Mackay photographers for making us so welcome. We look forward to coming back soon.

Model: Raylene Smith

Local legend, Paddy, poses in a pub door as part of our Natural Light Portrait Workshop...

Rae poses in the Queensland 'cold' for an off camera flash photograph...

If the world needed an Enema

From our Natural Light Portrait Workshop, Blackwater QLD. Not bad for an Alpaca Shed as a location...

The lovely Megan Walker

A couple of weeks ago I recorded another episode of Shutters Inc with my good friend, fellow photographer and podcast host, Bruce Williams. In it I mentioned that I would be heading off to a place in Queensland called "Blackwater". When he asked "Where!!?" I told him to imagine a place where, if the world needed an enima, that is where they would put the tube. Blackwater, QLD. Hey, it was only a joke, ok?

Why was I going to Blackwater? Well, my wife and I had been invited to come to this mining town to represent Creative Photo Workshops and run workshops up there for the photographers who live in this 8000 strong town. While it is normally Glynn who accompanies me, my wife had been invited especially from the host of this invitation - our good friend Di Collins. Di and I met years ago when I first went to Rockhampton to run workshops there. But since then she has become good friends with Tash, and so the workshops were really only a front for her chance to catch up and giggle with my Mrs. But hey! What do I care? Any chance to roam the world and teach photography and I am there - especially when I can take my wife along and enjoy the crazy quietude of her lovely company.

What distressed me was that I had heard from people in the town that there had been some resistance to our workshops being held there. Apparently some fear arose among some photographers in town and I heard that some even went to the point of tearing down the posters that had been put up to advertise our events. If this is true - and I have no reason to believe that it isn't - then I am deeply saddened by that mentality. If there is one thing that we all need as photographers it is education. I have been shooting for over thirty years and I long to attend more seminars and workshops. My problem is that I am usually running them instead. But to so grossly object to an internationally welcomed team of photographers coming to your part of the world to run workshops because you are afraid that other photographers may learn something that you don't know is so small-minded it beggars belief.

The photographers who attended the workshops there were all lovely, and their spirit of sharing and gathering as fellow photographers was not one I would worry about at all! They were very interested in getting together, shooting and sharing ideas, catching up and having fun with their cameras. I can only say to those photographers whose reason for not attending was your small-minded objections to outsiders or your fear of others learning something you don't know, then you should have come to them yourselves. You would not only have learned a thing or two about photography, you would have been given a polite lecture about the greatness of sharing and the elevated level of thought that the more professional photographers have in this world - one of giving, sharing, teaching and encouraging.

I hope to return to Blackwater to run more workshops. The profit in it would be irrelevant. The message to those nay-sayers and persecutors would be everything. Thank you Di for being positive in the light of your opposition. Thank you for being strong. Thank you for making it possible for us to come and have some fun with you and your fellow photographers in Blackwater. I stayed there for days and didn't see any tube coming down from the sky. Hmmm, I must have been wrong.

From the second of our two Film Noir events in Blackwater. A local locomotive in a nearby park becomes an ideal location for this fabulous event

Back from Workshops in the US...

Creative Wedding Photography Workshop, Los Angeles.
Model: Bonni Mircovich

Film Noir Workshop,
Bethlehem Pennsylvania

Hello everyone! First things first. I know that you are all getting a little tired of me starting my blog with an apology for the delay in updating. Well, I would be if I were you. That being the case, I won't do it this time. OK? These last couple of months have been incredibly hectic however. And now that I am back from the workshops we ran in Pennsylvania and California, I can give you a bit of an insight. 

In the week before leaving, I had to pack up my house and move, shoot Susan and Billy's wedding on the Saturday (more on that soon), pack for the US that evening, get married myself on the Sunday and then get on a plane the morning after - complete with my beautiful wife, Natasha. Yes, it was kind of a working honeymoon you might say. Tash and I love our work and we love to travel, so it was destined to be wonderful. My Love is a wonderful photographer in her own right and had never set foot on American soil before, so for her it was very exciting indeed. For me, it was a chance to give her a glimpse of how beautiful the country is and how hospitable our hosts could be. 

So, after living through a week in which some of the most stressful and exhausting things two people can go through, we spent thirty hours traveling to finally arrive in Newark airport, exhausted and excited at the same time. We were in New Jersey and ready for all that lay ahead! The next morning would see us take the drive down to our hosts in Allentown, Pennsylvania and arrive at Dan's Cameras - ready for a meet and greet with many who had booked for our workshops and events in that part of the world. I gotta tell ya - its a good thing we are young and healthy! :-)

I won't go in to the day by run of workshops and events or I will be here forever - and so would you if you were to keep reading! But I will say that we were overwhelmed by the warmth and hospitality of our hosts - the gang at Dans - and our friends who attended our workshops. Altogether we ran seven events and workshops in Allentown and we have been asked to return for more! Will we? Ah, yuh! 

Jeremy, Studio Essentials Workshop,
Dan's Camera City,
Allentown, PA

Taking a few days to ourselves, Tash and I explored through Pennsylvania, taking time to visit Gettysburg - a place I have wanted to visit since I was a boy. On these fields in 1863 history was made, brought about in the most horrific of ways. Battles and wars are the unfortunate means by which history is often written, and these fields and hills were the site of the most devastating battles of the American Civil War. It was an interesting day, poignant and informative, especially as we stood in places where thousands of men had been led into the very places they would meet their painful end. Standing on Big Round Top, Cemetery Ridge and the point of Pickett's Charge were all very interesting and moving indeed. A drive through Maryland and Pennsylvania the next day brought us finally to New York City where we spent the better part of 16 or so hours seeing the sights and walking through this remarkable metropolis. Atop the Empire State Building we photographed the city below as the sun set to the west. On to Times Square, 5th Avenue and Macy's on 34th Street...

An early plane to Los Angeles was the next order of things. We had not even bothered to get a room in New York as our plane was scheduled to leave so early. Again, Creative Photo Workshops had been invited by our good friend, Mark Comon at Paul's Photo in Torrance, California to run workshops for them also. Film Noir kicked us off, followed by our Creative Flash Workshop Part One the day after and our Creative Wedding Workshop the day after that. Now, with Monday through Friday to ourselves, Tash and I could visit the sites and experience California. 

We did that in some rather diverse ways. We wound up doing everything from being in the studio audience for Jerry Springer's "Baggage" program to experiencing the beauty of Joshua Tree National Park, the heat of Palm Springs, bad pizza in Temecula and the colour of the Gaslight District of San Diego. In LA itself, Graumann's, Malibu, Santa Monica, Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood sign were all on Tash's 'to do' list as well. Boxes ticked. Done.

A quick snap at sunset, Joshua Tree National Park.

My Love at Joshua Tree

For Tash and me this opportunity to run workshops and events in Pennsylvania and California afforded us a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We will never forget it. So many new things. So many wonderful experiences. So many new friends. So many boxes ticked and new ones to consider. We saw and experienced things both of us had long dreamed of, but now with the added beauty of holding each other's hand along the way. It made the getting there - in every way - finally comprehensible. I have travelled many times, to many places. My 'About Me' page in this blog is but a glimpse of my adventures, camera in hand. This one was an entirely new and unique one altogether. 

So, as you can see, it has been a rather busy time, and I have only scratched the surface in telling you of the busy nature of my life these past few months. I am hoping finally for some calm, while working to continue the excitement and adventure. It is a wonderful life and despite its unpredictable paths, it continues to excite and fulfill me. With new and joyous love in my life, I am renewed in many ways. There is yet more to achieve, complete, restore and renew. Thank you to all who have borne with me through some rather difficult, confusing and exhausting times. Your friendship, kindness, patience and understanding have not been and never will be forgotten. 

More to come....

Shelton.

California, Here I Come!

There are times you wonder if you have made the right choices in life, realising that there is little you can do about some of them if indeed you even wanted to. Time takes care of them. But there are others that you never regret or feel differently about in any way. For me, one of those decisions was to build my secular and creative life with a camera in hand. And, as a result, another 'once in a lifetime' opportunity has again come my way. I have been invited to travel with my old friend, Ian Rolfe and legendary Australian landscape and commercial photographer, Peter Walton, to run a photo tour through some of California's most incredible locations. This tour will run in May, 2012 and I have to admit - I can't wait.

Now, I am not a landscape photographer as such, but its not because I don't know my way around them. I actually do, and I am very proud of the landscape images I have created over many years of traveling and running photo tours. Our recent Creative Photo Workshops MeaWannaShootaLotta tour in New Zealand in 2010 was just one of those. For me, being primarily a people photographer is a creative choice and a personality based one at that. I am a people person. I enjoy connecting with people even more than I do the earth. That said, I have stood in awe and watched the sun rise and set over some of the most incredible places this beautiful planet has to offer. I have breathed those moments in and realised that I was experiencing something so wonderful it could not be put into words. More than that, I have created some of my most memorable images ever in those moments. So, perhaps my contribution to this tour will be different to the other two gentlemen of note. I imagine I will be adding some 'people elements' into those locations. Then again, I imagine I will also have my own experience in the landscape to offer. Thirty two years with a camera in hand has taught me much about each photographic opportunity. Much of my landscape and travel work is on my website - Shelton Muller, Photographer

Ian Rolfe and I have been friends for over 25 years. We have photographed and traveled together many times and photographed the same places from different perspectives on many occasions. I have known of Peter Walton's work from a time even before I knew Ian. It was some 30 years ago that I came across the work of Peter Walton in an issue of Minolta Mirror, a now defunct annual photographic publication that was a must have in its day. Peter's commercial work was amazing, but his love for the landscape is reflected in his work. I had the honour of being on the same lecture bill with him in Auckland at a photographic convention a few years ago. A nicer fellow would be hard to find and I am looking forward to traveling with him very much.

For information about our Californian Wonder Photo Tour, click the image posted above left.. If you are interested in coming along, contact Ian Rolfe in an email. Click here for that.

As per usual, Creative Photo Workshops has many events planned for 2011, one of which is our photo tour through Egypt, which is also now in the planning. I will keep you posted very soon about the details on that incredible event also! I have been to Egypt twice, and it is a land of intrigue, history and photo opportunity that is simply mesmerizing and unforgettable. 

Shelton Muller

Day 7 - And on the Seventh Day, they...worked their butts off...

In Allentown, Pennsylvania there is a fabulous photo retailer - Dan's Camera City . Dan's is one of the most forward thinking and customer oriented photo retail outlets I have ever known. It even has its own 'University' where classes are regularly programmed to teach their customers the principles, techniques and processes connected with so many aspects of their photography. For this reason, Creative Photo Workshops became a part of the scenery. Yes, Glynn and I found ourselves, of all places, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. We were there to run three separate workshops. They became four before we left. More on that later. The first of them was our Creative Wedding Photography workshop. 

The wedding workshop is perhaps the most difficult for us in some ways. In fact, it can even become a little awkward at times. It is difficult because there is always a keenness to shoot the setups Glynn and I establish - which is fine - except that there has to be time for explanation too and this workshop requires a little more patience than some other workshops. It is also difficult because there is an expectation on our part that our customers have already attained a certain level of prowess and knowledge in their photography before they take on the responsibilities of wedding photography. Glynn and I have never run a wedding workshop in which at least some of those who have attended have returned for our Understanding Your Camera workshop so that they can learn about shutter speeds and apertures. For us, this is a real eye opener. And, once again, it proved to be the case in Allentown among some of those who attended. For some, a basic understanding of metering was not present, and so much of the time was simply spent establishing shots in which lessons on proper incident or spot metering techniques were necessary. Unfortunately, that is time taken from the more specific aspects of wedding photography, such as posing and managing the shoot. This is not a criticism of our customers. Rather, it is an education for us, alerting us to some of the misconceptions about modern photography. The whole "take 4000 pictures on Auto and hope for the best' mentality is somewhat pervasive within that aspirational new collective of neophyte wedding photographers. It is an entirely inappropriate and unprofessional approach to the couple's Day of Days, but that is the fault of the industry, not entirely the photographers themselves Every time we run our wedding photography workshop it is adapted for those specifically in attendance, which is fine, but wedding photography has unique difficulties and challenges associated with it that we prefer to spend more time addressing. I never get to actually shoot much at a wedding workshop, which in this case was ashame as Mike, the owner of Dan's Camera City, had arranged for a wonderful location with some beautiful lighting opportunities and I would have loved to gone a little ballistic, I have to tell you....

If becoming a wedding photographer is something you aspire to, become proficient with your camera manually. No racing driver has only an automatic licence for his car, and it could be said that wedding photography is the Speed Racing equivalent of professional photography. 

Shelton Muller

Day 6 - The Road Less Traveled - to Allentown.

I gotta tell ya. I was tired. After a huge day hoofing it 'round New York, these legs of mine were feeling it. Glynn felt a bit the same. We felt like two satisfied veterans as we got packed and ready to leave Newark for the drive south into Pennsylvania. We had breakfast, checked out and picked up the rental. 

Our first port of call would be Harlem. We both felt the need to check it out. Driving through Harlem was certainly interesting, and we found ourselves asking whether it was safer to take our Lowe Pro ProRollers out of the car and bring them with us, or leave them in the car. We opted to bring our gear with us, even though, to be quite honest, I wasn't in the zone. Perhaps what I needed was a day off...like, really...off. Today was going to be that day.

As we walked through Harlem, we were approached by a local. He told us that he knew that we were "location scouts" for Hollywood, looking for places to film. We replied with firm "G'day mate' and let him know we were just two Aussie photographers. He showed us around a little, told us where all the movies had been shot in that street and gave us the heads up on where the best food is. And of course we took his picture. Not inclined to reveal the nature of our LowePro cases, we just opted for using our Ricoh GRD III's. I love that little beastie. Have I told you that yet?

Two tired dudes leave New York behind...

The drive to Pennsylvania from there is pretty easy - if you want to just settle for taking the Pennsylvania TurnPike. To some degree you have little option. But where possible we would get off that thing and grab a back road. The lady in the little box who kept giving us directions was very patient with us. All she kept saying was "recalculating" and trying to get us out of wherever the hell it was that we were. She never once got angry or annoyed. 

Even though it was raining and there wasn't much chance for photography it was still a beautiful drive, especially if you take the road less traveled. The forests in New York and Pennsylvania are verdant and lush, even in some of the outer suburban areas. It is punctuated with abandoned mills and buildings that date back to the War of Independence. It is quite fascinating and in some parts it is absolutely beautiful. I think I could very happily find a place in that part of the world and enjoy being there for quite some time. But for now, we were headed for Allentown. Yes, its the Allentown Billy Joel wrote that song about. Technically, Allentown never had any real steel mills. Nearby Bethlehem did. But there is one thing Allentown does have that Bethlehem doesn't. Dan's Camera City. Glynn and I were booked in there to run three days of workshops. 

Dan's Camera City is similar to Paul's Photo in LA with regard to one very important aspect of photo retail that only a few understand - their customers want to learn and they want to shoot something! If photo retailers supply both of those things they will have a better chance of surviving while still holding on to their bricks and mortar. Over the next few days Glynn and I would add our unique brand of Australian photo workshops to their rather conservative mix. I will be back...

Shelton Muller

A Walk Through New York. Day 5

Me in Times Square. Photo: Glynn Lavender

So where did Day 4 go, you ask? Well, that's easy. It was spent trying to get through security in LA airport, followed by a long flight to New York, followed by dinner with one of Glynn's old friends, Heidi, in a restaurant in Newark. Ok? See. Nothing there to excite you too much. We did have a good giggle with Heidi, however! She is a laugh. We'd been used to Bonni's unique sense of humour in LA so it was time for a change. Thanks Heidi! After a long day managing airports, security, public transport and a long flight, you were great company. 

But Day 5 had been long scheduled as our 'day off'. And how do photographers spend their day off? Taking photographs, of course! But I have to tell you that when the alarm went off at 6am I was not pleased. Aren't you supposed to sleep in on your day off? Apparently not. To top it off, we would spend the next 14 or 15 hours walking through New York, a LowePro ProRoller between us, carrying the lenses and cameras we would both need.  In the end, we probably could have done most of our photography with our trusty little street camera - the Ricoh GRDIII. Have I said how much I love that little beastie? Oh well. Rolling the LowePro wasn't too difficult considering we were taking turns anyway. Travelling without the ProRoller would be so difficult. How did I ever travel without that thing? Anyhoooo.....

The view from the Empire State towards the Statue of Liberty

After a motel breakfast, Glynn and I caught a crowded subway into town, getting out at Madison Square Garden. Yep, I was finally in New York. Stepping out from the station I felt that familiar rush of being in a new place, a new city, somewhere I had never been before. Glynn had been there before, but this was my first taste at the Big Apple. I planned on taking as big a bite as I could in the one day we had. It would turn out to be an exhausting day off, but one I won't forget. First on the agenda was a morning shot of New York from the top of the Empire State Building. Glynn is acrophobic so I went up alone....with a thousand other tourists. But its all worth the wait when you finally get to the top. Ok. That box? Ticked.

A dancer poses for some quick photographs in Central Park

Donnie

After that, much of our day was actually spent in conversation with complete strangers. There was Donnie in Central Park, who regaled us with stories of his battle with alcohol. And then there was Ed who played the fiddle for passersby. After asking an older couple seated geometrically on a park bench if I could photograph them, Glynn and I spent quite some time with them after having been given a polite 'No'. Its fabulous what a conversation can do. They acquiesced after a while and even 'made out' for the camera! I have since even received an email from the gentleman who apparently wants the photograph now. You see, it was all just a matter of trust. This is where the photographer needs to gather skills that have little to do with the art of taking photographs. Conversation is just one of them. For Glynn and I it proved a worthy tool in our street photography toolset. Without the ability to engage our subjects in banter and manifest an interest in them as people, we would have simply gone nowhere. More than that, we would not have had the joy of meeting new and interesting people in our walk through New York. Photography offers more to your life than the joy of images. It also adds another dimension that is not expected.

Donnie

Making our way through the acreage that is Central Park, on through Strawberry Fields and then back through town, we found ourselves in Times Square for a a well earned pizza before heading home. It had been a long day and we were very tired. But here's the thing people often get wrong about New York, at least in my limited experience.The people are friendlier than you expect. At least that's we found.

The couple who said 'No'...

Glynn in Times Square

It was around 10pm and we were wondering how we were going to get back to our motel near Newark airport. Oh yeah, we stay in all the ritzy joints. Glynn pulled out a map to get our bearings and as he did so a young woman passed by. Realising that we were a little lost she stopped, turned around and asked "Are you guys ok?" After we explained our plight she gave us all the directions we needed for finding the perfect bus back. I was impressed. That kind of interest in others isn't supposed to happen in the Big Apple, is it? But this kind of thing had happened to us all day. We had encountered all manner of friendly people. I had been told that New Yorkers are rude. Maybe they are. I don't know. I must have only met the friendly ones.
Well, I made it. And,as the old song says 'if you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere'. Thank you, New York, New York. It was fun. See you again in May 2011.

Strawberry Fields, forever...

Shelton Muller

US Workshops Tour, Day 1

Being invited to come to a country like the US to run photography workshops is both daunting and exciting at the same time. There is the initial excitement of the chance to travel, to meet wonderful people, to teach and to tick a couple more boxes in your personal bucket list. For me, all of this happened during our recent Creative Photo Workshops tour. The daunting part is hoping that you live up to the expectations that surround the arrival of two photographers who have been invited from Australia to run workshops that some might consider possible for any local photographer to run. As you can imagine, we were met with that curiosity from so many who came to our workshops in the US. Why these guys? Why not a local photographer? However, I believe that Glynn and I form a team that is greater than the sum of its parts. That's not ego talking, although we both have our share. Its just something I believe in when it comes to what he and I bring. We believe in education, passion and fun for our photographers. We are also from that mysterious land down under, where women glow and men plunder, apparently. You better run, you better take cover. 

Glynn gets a little excited about our workshops...

No wonder Glynn has a bad back...

Glynn and I were invited to run a series of workshops for Fullerton Photographics in Fullerton and Paul's Photo in Torrance, Los Angeles, California. It was our second time around for Paul's Photo and our first chance to do our thing for Fullerton Photos. After making our mark on these two retailers, we were booked to head for Allentown, Pennsylvania where we had been cordially invited by Dan's Cameras to run a series of workshops for them. Having been as busy as we were, I wasn't able to blog. So, come back to the blog and I will keep you up to date on what we were doing and the madness that ensued. Lets start with our first day, shall we?

Fullerton Photo is run by Gaby Mullinax, a very smart and rather lovely woman I had the pleasure of meeting at PMA in Anaheim earlier this year. Glynn had already pitched the idea of workshops to her and now his pitch had come to fruition. So, off we were to run the “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” workshop for her customers.

The day arrived and Glynn and I found ourselves surrounded by about 20 Orange County Women, each with a different level of photographic experience and equipment. That being the case, we adapted on the spot, trying to get the girls to come to grips with their cameras and the basic functions that make for great photographs. After that, it was time to do some actual cool stuff. Out came the models and our chance to set up some photographs. It was then that we realised the value of the lessons we had presented in the first couple of hours.

Gaby had cleverly named the workshop as she did and the theme “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” gave Glynn and I the chance to run it as we saw it, as long as they had a giggle and learned something too. To be honest, it is our ability to instantly adapt to situations that has often made the difference between a successful workshop and a disaster. Our combined experience with people and our years in the industry mean that we can sometimes pull a workshop out of our hat, instantly adapting from what we had planned to do to that which is necessary for the customers who have come along. While that is never our intention, we are often compelled to do so in order to cater for a workshop group that is unique in its expectations or experience. Such was definitely the case with our first day back in Los Angeles. It is a rewarding afternoon indeed when you can prove that a red t-shirt against a green garage door can produce some wonderful images. It was a giggle, and Glynn and I learned something also. We learned that our new Fedoras look awesome on us!

Model: Bonni Mircovich

LA ...not so Confidential

Our Film Noir workshops in Melbourne have been very well received, and its reputation as a photographic event preceded us all the way to Torrance, California. Mark Comon, all round great guy who owns Paul's Photo, insisted that we run that event for him as our 'kick-off' for the series of workshops we were running for him. I love that event, and I love shooting in that style. Mark had ensured that he'd purchased a fog machine, so we were set - except for the pistol prop. We had not brought ours from Australia. I have heard its not a good idea to travel with things that look like guns. Hmmm, wonder why. Mark Comon had bought these piddly little plastic pistols that looked small in a child's hand, let alone look real for the event. Glynn drove around in vain from camera store to camera store looking for a plastic pistol that was relatively life size. No go. Apparently, while real guns are sold over the shop counter in LA, trying to get a plastic replica is too dangerous. Go figger. In the end we had to settle for the anachronistically unsound air pistols that a customer's husband dropped by. At least they were big enough!

Our customers loving every minute...

Image straight from Ricoh GRDIII

So, we were set to go. A ProMaster lighting kit and the costumes we brought from Australia were all we needed to establish the event. Models arrived, and it all happened. Well, most of the models arrived. Nicole and Bonni Mircovich were right on time, and she looked fabulous. Bonni worked with us for every workshop in LA and she never let us down. A beautiful girl with a beautiful spirit. I would work with her anytime. However, our male model was nowhere to be found! What is Film Noir without a private eye in a Fedora and trenchcoat?

Bellboy to the rescue. Yes, that's right. During the course of the evening, one of the young bellboys who had been helping us with power and access to various parts of the Hotel stepped up to fill in the void. Being tall and slim made him perfect for the part and he was happy to spend his evening doing something very different from his usual occupation. So, the evening's shoot went very well, and we were happy to have our first official workshop day over. I was very pleased with many of the images straight from my Ricoh GRDIII actually. Damn I love that camera! Now...to bed to sleep and wake to run yet another workshop in the morning. Stay tuned....

Mark Comon 'shoots' with model, Nicole