Flash Masters
Welcome to the Flash Masters Podcast! Flash Masters recognises and celebrates the best flash photography in the world through education, awards and community. Hosted by Helen Williams and Neil Redfern, we talk all things wedding photography - from the equipment we use to the funniest things which have happened to us whilst photographing weddings - and we have a lot of those stories! To join the community, please visit Flashmasters.co
Flash Masters
New MagMod XL Modifiers and Helen launches her new (very risky!) website
In this episode we discuss the new MagMod XL modifiers as well as talking about how booking went for the launch of Neil's new 3 day photography workshops.
We then talk about the launch of Helen's new website - thanks to Martin Chung’s expertise - a website which is a little bit cheeky.... There's so much to learn about the delicate balance between authenticity, aesthetic appeal, and of course, the impact on one's brand image and how we can use personality in our websites to attract our ideal couples.
So, tune in, laugh with us, and gain some valuable insights into the dynamic world of personal branding in the wedding photography industry.
Join us in the Flash Masters community:
Website: https://flashmasters.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashmasters/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flash-masters
Flash Masters is hosted by:
Helen Williams: https://www.instagram.com/helenwilliamsphotography/
Neil Redfern: https://www.instagram.com/neilredfern/
Welcome to the Flash masters podcast. Flash masters recognises and celebrates the best flash photography in the world through education, awards and community. To find out more and to join the Flash masters community, visit flashmasters. co. Here are your hosts, Helen Williams and Neil Redfern.
Neil Redfern:MUSIC. Hi everyone and welcome to episode 49, nearly the big one of the Flash masters podcast, with me, Neil Redfern and me, Helen Williams, and in today's episode we can finally, finally, after I don't know how much waiting, but quite a bit of waiting talk about Helen's new website. We did it.
Helen Williams:It's online Very very exciting.
Neil Redfern:So in today's episode, we're going to be talking about Helen's new website and the thought process that went into it, because it's very unique, isn't it? We can say that that's a bit of a podcast clickbait. It's a bit cheeky. Ooh yeah, a bit more of a clue there. So we're going to talk about Helen's website and, in particular, personal branding and how we can use branding within our business to help market ourselves. But before we get into all that good stuff, Helen, do we have any Flashmasters news?
Helen Williams:Of course we do as if we wouldn't have any. We've got lots going on, as always. First step I think we need to say a huge thank you to our ambassador, ben Connolly, who last week did the most incredible critique session with our members in the Facebook group and he was critiquing.
Neil Redfern:Both of those.
Helen Williams:Yeah, he was critiquing some of our members' images that they submitted and it was such a fantastic variety of images, from natural moments within weddings to portraits from some members who are quite advanced with their flash photography skills to those who are more newer, and it was absolutely incredible to see and hear all the feedback from him.
Neil Redfern:It was. It was really interesting actually just to watch Ben critiquing and watch his mind warring as each new image came up on the screen because he hadn't seen them before, which I actually think is a much better way of doing it. And there was out that like pause wasn't there before he actually said something. So you'd open up the image on the screen and there was a pause and he's like, oh, what's Ben going to say? And some of the things he was picking up on it was like, oh well, I didn't see it, but when Ben mentioned it, you couldn't see it.
Neil Redfern:It was so useful.
Helen Williams:Some incredible feedback, particularly on posing which I know for a lot of people is quite a struggle, Particularly when you're using flash. There's a lot to consider and quite often that taking that moment to really critique your posing can really elevate and change an image.
Neil Redfern:He said some things which will really stick with me in particular. In fact, I'm not going to say it, so you have to be a member to listen, but I'm just looking at you here, Helen. What he said about the mindset that you should have as a photographer when shooting a couple, that one sentence is like oh that is good. Ben just said something that you should be thinking about when you're shooting a couple, and it was very, very strong.
Helen Williams:Yeah, there are some incredible golden nuggets, shall we say, within that, and I will say that Ben posted a posing guide which is from his new course that should be launched at the end of this year in Australia, but he's taken some of that, put it into a PDF and it is in our Flashmasters members group now for all of our members to download and use whenever they're ready.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, and that stream is also available to rewatch. I think it was three hours by the time we finished. Yeah, available to rewatch now in the Flashmasters member zone. So as soon as you join Flashmasters, just log into the website and there, along with all the other videos that we've made, is Ben's critique stream. So again, thank you so much, ben, you're a hero.
Helen Williams:He really is. And he's even more of a hero because we're not done with Ben yet, and I'm happy to say that.
Neil Redfern:I'll oh exciting announcement.
Helen Williams:Oh yes, Although I'm giving away the surprise now that our next podcast, which will be our 50th episode, we're going to have Ben on as our very special guest.
Neil Redfern:Episode 50, mate, that's also Australian.
Helen Williams:That's almost better than New York.
Neil Redfern:New York. Yes, so Episode 50 featuring Ben Connolly.
Helen Williams:Very, very excited.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, really looking forward to that.
Helen Williams:For once, Ben doesn't have to get up at literally 5am to start. No, we're staying up. Yeah, fantastic. So thank you so much, Ben. And then the other bit of Flash masters news is that our incredible Flash masters member, Esteban Gill, is on our next Flash masters live stream in the Facebook community, where he will be doing a how I shot it stream and breaking down exactly how he took some of his most recognised and favourite flash images.
Neil Redfern:I can't wait for that. Esteban I'm sure if you listen to his podcast you'll love to be aware is an insanely incredibly talented photographer and a brilliant educator as well. Yes, so that stream is going to be brilliant. I'm genuinely really excited for that one. I've seen to Esteban before either. No neither have I, so that would be good.
Helen Williams:Yes, very, very exciting indeed. So I think that covers all of the Flashmasters news. However, you know, I think you've got some news yourself and I was wondering if you could update everyone on how your workshops have been going.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, so I think in the last podcast I was just about to put my workshop places live within my Patreon and I had 11 places and it was a bit mad. It's also weird to say, but they sold out within 90 minutes. All 11 went within 90 minutes, which is crazy.
Helen Williams:Oh, we need to round of applause over the top.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, I feel awkward doing that myself. But yeah, just within my Patreon, which is amazing. So I wasn't planning on this. But I then got in touch with the venue again. Turns out they had availability for two weeks after the initial one, so Shine 2 is taking place.
Helen Williams:Let it shine. No jazz fans at the time. Make it shine, that's better, oh OK.
Neil Redfern:Make it shine, make it shine.
Neil Redfern:We will let it shine, in particular, on the 23rd of October for Shine 2.
Neil Redfern:So, yeah, that one went on sale and now seven of those 11 places have gone, which is just incredible, and I just wanted to take this opportunity if anybody who's coming to the workshop does listen to this podcast to say thank you genuinely for putting your trust and investment into me and my workshop. It's always overwhelming when people do that, especially when you're talking about now a three day workshop, which obviously involves more money, let's be honest. So it's more expensive, but a much bigger time commitment as well. So to know that people are doing that and making that journey, putting that investment into the workshop, is really amazing, and I will do everything that I can to repay that trust by making these two workshops the absolute best, best learning experiences that I can, and I am determined to do that. I've already started putting plans in place and I'm very, very excited there's gonna be multiple models, so much covered on the workshop not just shooting, but editing as well, workflow, mindset, equipment. I'm gonna try and cover everything and I'm just looking forward to it all being the residential aspect.
Neil Redfern:You know all being together in the evening as well, just chatting long into the night. It's gonna be brilliant. And I can also announce although we didn't say this last time, that the attendees do know that I'm gonna have an extra educator on the workshop. You are Introducing Helen Williams. Yay, yeah, helen's going to be very kindly helping well, not helping me You're gonna be doing your own talk on how you light ceremony and group shots.
Helen Williams:I am. I'm really really looking forward to doing that. It's something that I love doing on the wedding day and I think particularly here in the UK it isn't often done. So I think, yeah, there's a lot to offer there and lots for people to learn, and that means that between us, I think literally every part of a wedding day and how you can cover it will be good. Yeah, because what?
Neil Redfern:I'll do for that section is I'm going to split the group into two. I will be teaching how I light dancing and speeches, whilst Helen is teaching the other half of the group. Group shots and Ceremony, ceremony. That's the one, and then we'll basically just switch over so everyone gets the chance to see everything. So, yeah, I'm so excited. I think we've got a really, really well-rounded workshop and, yeah, it's just something that I just think is going to be amazing and I can't see me wanting to go back to one day workshops after this.
Helen Williams:No, I don't think you ever will.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, thank you again to everyone who's booked on. I can't wait to meet you all in October.
Helen Williams:And I will say because you're very, very modest and don't like to big yourself up but the amount of spots that you've failed so quickly just within your Patreon group is absolutely incredible. And I do know there's lots more wanted to book on, but sort of time constraints or just not the right dates for them. So I think you should be insanely proud.
Neil Redfern:Thank you. No, I know I am. It's like feeling proud, but also then you get the fear that I'm thinking I've got to now act.
Helen Williams:You know what I mean.
Neil Redfern:I've got to now repay all these people and all this trust.
Helen Williams:Oh, I know that you will.
Neil Redfern:I'm determined to. I can't, honestly, I can't wait.
Helen Williams:And I think this is something you also won't say yourself because of the person that you are we still do have a handful of places left that are available to Patreon members. How do people go about joining your Patreon if they possibly want to stay?
Neil Redfern:at the place. If they left, patreoncom, slash Neil Reffern. Anyway, do we have any other news?
Helen Williams:I don't know. Yes, you're just like sneaky McSneaky pants. Sat over there, you have been working on a top secret special project.
Neil Redfern:Oh, yes, oh, I forgot about this. So we were going to mention, or no, we weren't, we did not mention it last week. You asked me about it last week.
Helen Williams:I could not tell you. I could not tell you, can you?
Neil Redfern:tell us this week. I can tell you, although I need to keep your voice down because at the time of recording I can't tell you but hopefully by the time this is released, if all go into plan MagMod will have released their new MagMod XL modifiers.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, so, I had a lot of fun using them for the first time and if you go to my YouTube channel, which is youtubecom slash at Neil Redfern, I believe, then you'll see the first of the videos that I've made using the MagMod XL modifiers, and they were really great to use because, basically, for those that aren't aware, which will be everyone.
Neil Redfern:Well, no people will be aware of MagMod very much aware. Especially people who are members of FlashMasters will know who MagMod are. But they basically made a lot of their popular modifiers, such as the MagSphere grids, much, much bigger and they are now suitable to use on strobes. Strobes, if you're not aware, is basically bigger speed lights, so speed lights are very small. They emit a decent amount of light, but not that much. Strobes are much more powerful, so gives you a lot more power. That means that you now have the ability to use MagMod modifiers in much brighter ambient conditions because we have more power to overpower those ambient conditions.
Neil Redfern:And that's what I did in my video and it was really fun. So I used the MagSphere XL on a Godox AD400. And I could use that then in bright sunlight in the middle of the day, as you can see. If you watch the video, you'll see that I was overpowering the sun now in the harshest of lights, and I could do that using the AD400, which before I wouldn't have been able to use MagMod with the AD400 because the modifiers didn't exist. Now they do. So that's very exciting.
Helen Williams:Yeah, it's fantastic. It's opened a whole new world of opportunities for photographers, particularly those who are working in sunny acclimes, Must say. In the UK it's usually pretty miserable.
Intro:We don't always need a lot of flash power.
Helen Williams:But for those of you living in the part of the world where you do often have bright sunshine to contend with and you wanna fill in shadows, et cetera, the ability to now have the portability and ease of use of the MagMod system on location. And just imagine as well for people who sometimes do headshots or things like that, working in a small studio space, you can now have the beautiful soft light that we really have come to love with the MagSphere and take it indoors without needing to use large softboxes.
Neil Redfern:Exactly yeah. So it's very, very exciting. And I will just say if you are interested in finding out more about MagMod XL, then go to magnetmodcom, and if you want to buy it, then if you put Neil Redfern into the discount code box, then you'll get a cheeky little discount.
Intro:Neil.
Neil Redfern:Redfern. Anyway, so excellent. Well done, MagMod. I hope it's gonna be a massive success for you.
Helen Williams:And well done on your fantastic video and images that went along with them.
Neil Redfern:Thank you, that's very kind of. Thank you for your help with them.
Helen Williams:All the thank yous. You're very welcome.
Neil Redfern:So, helen, let's get into the meat of today's episode. Finally, finally, you have put your new website online and I have to say genuinely, it's brilliant. It is really good. We had conversations, didn't we, beforehand about how you go about. In fact, what was it? Let's just ask you to describe what your, what was the dilemma you had beforehand and I don't mean technical in terms of actually writing the website what was the more stylistic debate you were having with yourself?
Helen Williams:I was very much struggling that at the moment in the UK and I know it's very similar in other parts of the world, especially having spoken to our ambassadors we're obviously going through a cost of living crisis. There seems to be money. We don't have as much as we used to and I would say that here in the UK I target the top of the middle, shall we say so, the middle classes. A lot of my couples or teachers or doctors or lawyers they're very much middle class, but sort of towards the top end. I'm towards the top of the middle for photographers. I'm not with the elite. I don't have many like huge budget, extravagant weddings, but I shoot very, very nice weddings. However, being at the top of that range at this particular moment is quite difficult because I feel there are a lot of my couples who would be my target couples on maybe having panics about budget and maybe pulling back their budget with regards to weddings. So I will say that inquiries have been down.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, I think they have for virtually everyone Worldwide. We know that he's going on. And yeah, I speak to a lot of photographers on an almost daily basis, with the patron especially, and I don't think that there are many photographers who are just like flying at the moment. A lot of people are worried. A lot of people's bookings are down, including mine as well.
Helen Williams:Yeah.
Neil Redfern:You know, including yours. We'll be very honest about that, like last year, for both of us was the busiest year we've each had. Yeah, this year one of the slowest yeah.
Helen Williams:Crazy the contrast. It really is. So where I was thinking, you know I'm going to put time and money and investment into this and you know it's a big decision on which way I go, the decision was do I stay very hellen, very loud, very colorful, etc. In terms of my branding, which I will say when looking back to my previous website, my website did not reflect my price point at all.
Neil Redfern:No, I think you said this yourself, but your website was poor. Yeah, the other thing is the more that we're immersed in the photography community, we look at a lot of people's websites.
Intro:Yeah.
Neil Redfern:And it seems that even people who are just starting out maybe you don't need, just, maybe you don't need just got a website. Their websites are all singing, all dancing, whereas yours just looks like it was made in 2008 or something.
Helen Williams:Well, yeah, it was made after that, but yeah, it was absolutely awful Very static, very dull Key thing.
Neil Redfern:your image is excellent, but it just looked very safe. That does not reflect your personality.
Helen Williams:No, but going back to the dilemma, it was like well, at the moment things are struggling at the top of the middle, as I would describe it. So I do, I stick with it, hold my nerve, be even more bolder and more me to hopefully target the brides that I really want and hope that they will continue to stretch and make sure that they cover. You know my costume and what I charge for a wedding day, or do I flip this on on its head?
Helen Williams:Do I rebrand as something that looks much more classy, with some classy fonts and maybe some gold script somewhere and go the opposite put my prices up instead of down or remaining the same and trying to get in with wedding planners or really try to give my brand a high end look. So then I can start to. You know, maybe appeal a little bit more to those who have the unlimited budgets, etc.
Neil Redfern:We call the option B. That feels like quite risky, but at the same time, it sort of makes sense as well, doesn't it? Because you think there are people out there who are probably pretty immune to the cost of living crisis because the nature of their financial situation, and those people will still probably book at a higher price, which you're not actually in that, neither am I, but if you did go to it, the perception would be that you're worth more blah, blah, blah, and it might be that, if they're immune, you actually get bookings that way. But I agree, to do that you would have to change your branding from what it was, because your website your previous website, so they didn't reflect a photographer who would be worth maybe double what you're actually charging. So it felt risky and you'd also be alienating a lot of your word of mouth referrals as well.
Helen Williams:Yeah, because they wouldn't then be passing on referrals. Who are expecting to pay? I don't know, maybe £5,000 a day, which you know in the UK is a lot of money for a wedding photographer.
Neil Redfern:It is. I do think, though, if anybody's listened to this, he's, like you know, in a similar situation. I don't think that's an outlandish decision to make. No, you know it feels scary, but you'd also be needing to only book half the weddings as well. But I thought the bigger thing, that wouldn't be you being the authentic you if you went down that very stylish, very classy looking website.
Intro:And then you're on your own inquiry meeting and you're like talk about your smelly farts.
Neil Redfern:Whatever it is you talk about, you say I'm like a bad fart, don't you?
Helen Williams:Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I walk into a room on the wedding day.
Neil Redfern:I am literally the bad fart in the room, but I can just imagine like a footballer's wife doing an inquiry meeting in a big home in Cheshire, looking to book Helen for five grand with this really stylish, classy website and then you're like I'm like a bad fart on the wedding day and thinking, yeah, I don't think that's going to work. I don't think it's going to work.
Helen Williams:Yeah, it would have required a total Helen overhaul and not just an overhaul of my brand. So yeah, Elecution lessons. I'm perfectly eloquent and never on cooth at all. So yeah, I think it's a bit obvious and people would guess which route.
Neil Redfern:So what was actually? You're not actually described really, what option A was.
Helen Williams:Oh, it was just to proper go balls out full on, helen.
Neil Redfern:Full Helen yeah.
Helen Williams:Full on, helen, and that's exactly what I did.
Neil Redfern:And you've done so really, really well. In particular, if you actually go to Helen's website, which is Helenwilliamsphotographycouk, just have a look at the first image, the first thing you see. What is it, helen?
Helen Williams:It's a naked groom and his bear eye Exactly. I should, let's say, bottom. There's a big bottom on my website as soon as you go in, with the words and we were chatting about this before. We'd done the design and we were talking about how I do well, at wedding phase and you will have heard from previous episodes.
Helen Williams:If you haven't heard it, go back and scroll through for wedding phase but at my wedding phase, I attract my clients by having this particular photo open on one of my albums and instead of going, and when couples are walking around these wedding phase and everyone's going, so are you getting married, have you got a venue? And things like that, I literally say to them so you're going to get your kit off for me? And I thought, well, if that's what I say to people at wedding phase, and there I attract my couples, and there's always a brilliant reaction. Most couples don't get naked for me, by the way, it's a talking point.
Neil Redfern:It's a talking point and it's different.
Helen Williams:I was like well, if it works for me in person at wedding phase, this is exactly what I should be trying to put on my website.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, there's a huge disconnect between and I noticed this from coming to wedding phase with you a huge disconnect between the you at a wedding fair and your personality, and what you're projecting at a wedding fair compared to what you're projecting on your website. The two are very, very far apart, and it became obvious that if it's working for your wedding phase, why would it not work for you in a website, which is where I think you've taken definitely, I think, the right decision.
Helen Williams:Well, it seems so it's only been live a couple of days. But yeah, the last two inquiries that I've had, one has already come back wanting to book without even a zoom call, and the other person was like she hasn't even booked a date yet and wanted to know my availability so that she could book a date because she wanted me. Now I think that that's not necessarily down to the new website, but I know that when I'm authentic, that I attract couples who are like I have to have you, and that's what I've had twice this week and that's really good. Yeah, so to be able to properly have that now communicated the moment someone goes on to my website is just very, very exciting.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, and I think, as a broader point, it's always interesting to think, isn't it, that we are almost scared to market ourselves outside of what feels safe. Yes, so, for example, if you go into most photographers' websites I'm going to say including mine as well you'll see a lot of the same words, a lot of the same style of website, a lot of the same images, sometimes even and it feels like safe. So you think, well, I'm not going to outlandish, so that should do well for me. The problem becomes, when you do that, that you're in a pool then with lots of other photographers. So what is the differentiator when it comes to websites? It's tricky, it's really difficult.
Neil Redfern:So when we were talking, it was like well, does it really matter if you do put off half your couples? You know, with your homepage image now being first, if you open up on mobile, you just basically big backside, so that's the first thing you see. That will put off half your couples. Let's just say not half your couples, half the couples that visit your website. But does that matter if the remaining half are like oh, this is different, not seen this before, and it makes them intrigued? Or even if we say it puts off 80% of couples, if the remaining 20, you're like whoa, what's this? And then you've got their attention. Then you've got them. And then you bind yourself that few more seconds on a website to scroll down and you're hitting them with the more, not as outlandish, but just with really good images. I think it's well worth trying that.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I was interesting. I was having a conversation with one of our Flashmasters members yesterday, Madison Picture, and I don't think Nicol might be saying he's obsessed with presets and I've never known anyone tinker with presets as much or send me over like which one do you prefer? Which edit do you prefer more than Nic does? And half the time I can't see the difference between them. But he's just he's micro, he's just obsessed with with presets and how things look.
Neil Redfern:Well, what I would say to Nic is go to neilreffencom, slash presets for all your preset needs Joking.
Helen Williams:Only a little bit, but yeah, I think he does have a preset.
Helen Williams:Yeah, but yeah, we were having this discussion. He was talking about how certain venues and just everywhere you're seeing this very like Vogue-esque, like muted tones, direct flash blown highlights, all the things that generally a lot of us flash photographers are like oh, I don't want to blow the sky, Where's the color and you know. But that seems to be very trendy at the minute and I think he was just having a bit of a confidence. No, a crisis confidence, I'll go with that.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, actually going slightly off tangent. It's normal, especially when we are going through a period, like we touched upon before, of I don't know a quiet spell when it comes to bookings and inquiries. You know they're still out there and thankfully we've we've both done okay recently, haven't we? But notwithstanding the fact that this is hugely different to last year, I'm shooting what like a third of the weddings that I did last year, so it's much, much more quieter, and I think it's always important to say now Satanic, and to be listening. If you're not getting inquiries right now and not getting bookings, that does not mean necessarily you're doing anything wrong or you've got a weak spot. It just means that the market is so deflated.
Neil Redfern:Yeah you know. But I think it's always important to remember that because the temptation can think I'm not getting inquiries, I'm not at a booking for a while, what am I doing wrong? And it might be you're not doing anything wrong.
Helen Williams:No, and we were discussing, you know how Instagram, in particular, is a wash with a certain style of photography, and I was like no. He was like yeah, well, you change. And I was like not a cat in house yeah, always be authentic. I was like I'll go bankrupt, I'll go broke, before I change my style to fit a certain trend.
Neil Redfern:That really, really isn't me at all, because the whole point is that that trend will obviously go out of vogue as well. Pardon the pun at some point.
Helen Williams:Yeah, and then what do you do? Yeah, change it again.
Neil Redfern:It's yeah, you're not being authentic as well If you just change in your style all the time. It also means you're not going to enjoy your work as much. You're not going to like what you're doing. Yeah, so it's a dodgy path and, nick, it's not. Your work is amazing. It is incredible, it's just hard times right now.
Helen Williams:It is. But yeah, I think in these difficult times we have to do everything that we can to differentiate, to stand out, I agree.
Helen Williams:Because we are in an oversaturated market. We do. It does look like wedding numbers are lower. Excuse me whether, if that's only in the short term, etc. But times are tough right now, and I think the more that we do to try and follow a particular trend or blend in or do what everything is showing online, you've just got an even bigger pool of people to stand out against, then, and I'm sure that staying authentic and really being yourself is one of the best ways to weather this storm and get yourself out the other side.
Neil Redfern:I just think that it's always important to follow your own path and be unique to yourself. If you think of any famous artists, they have a style. They're not trying to just appeal to the masses, they're creating work that is reflective of what they love personally. I think that's what we should do, and anything that differentiates you, I would say, try and put that within your branding and your marketing, like Helen does in terms of the the naked groom and trying to be. You know, helen's a big part of a wedding day. She's very vocal on a wedding day. She's at the bride's best friend, she does have a drink of Prosecco and stuff like that, and you just have a good laugh with everyone. And that's why I was saying like you just need to try and get that across somehow in your website, and I think you've done that because you are putting people off. Yeah, it's almost provocative. Yes, in terms of like. If you don't like this, then look away now.
Helen Williams:Yeah, that's how I completely start the text on my website, and I will say that I've pretty much kept the same text as my old website and when couples did find my old website, although it looked dated, they very much enjoyed reading it. So I have kept, you know, a lot, very much the same as my old one. It's just packaged a little bit better, I think, than previously. But, yeah, my first, my first paragraph, is basically telling people to go away if they want a certain type of photographer that isn't me. So, yeah, just go back. Yeah, click back on your Google search bar or head on back.
Intro:I'm not a photographer for you.
Helen Williams:So I've started basically telling everyone that I don't want a book to go away.
Neil Redfern:I think that's great. It's like what one of the conversations we had beforehand. I was saying a wedding fair, it would be interesting where you've got a lot of photographers. At wedding fairs, what it seems like photographers are like the, the high proportion when it comes to suppliers. It'd be interesting if you had a huge stand that just says do not book me to be your wedding photographer. People about what? And it would create such a big amount of interest. And then when people come over, you say, yeah, don't book me, because I will get you out in the rain, I will be partying with you, I will be getting you to do all sorts of crazy stuff.
Helen Williams:You can lie down in the fields. I'll be drinking your prosecco. I'll be drinking your brand, dad, Exactly, yeah.
Neil Redfern:And people are like people. That sounds good. Oh, in that case, then you passed the test Again. It's like that just makes you stand out, because the moment that you try and just appeal to everyone, you're diluting every aspect of your branding and you just become so wishy washy that people forget about you, and I'm guilty of this as well. For me, anyway, I try and stand out through my images, but certainly not through my words, because that's not me either. I wouldn't be being authentic. I couldn't have the naked groom on my website, for example, because I wouldn't do that on a wedding day. So you need to be authentic to who you are, but just try anything you can to stand out, and I think that's really important.
Helen Williams:So yeah, it's been a cheeky little project of mine, and I will say cheeky because there's multiple bums on there. So, yeah, I remember we've had so many conversations about how to approach this website and taking everyone on a journey, et cetera. So, yeah, if you do log on and have a little look, the button that then takes you from my homepage over to my new portfolio page basically says show me the bums.
Neil Redfern:Which is brilliant. What are some of your ponds?
Helen Williams:It might be on my contact form, Something about butts and I was like see what I did there. And bottoms and cheeky and I'm just trying to get in and they still work to do. I will say I'm very pleased with it but I still have some. You know there's some things to tweak and master, but yeah.
Intro:I want a few more.
Helen Williams:I need some more bum references. I've splattered through so many different bum photos that I've picked up over the years in my portfolio page. That's just a little bit different.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, exactly. And again, just to reiterate, we I say we, it's obviously Helen's website are very aware this will put off a large amount of people, but that's good, because the people it doesn't put off have no option. Then If they want this sort of personality, it's going to be interesting speaking to Helen, because nobody else, to our knowledge, I'm sure nobody else is doing this, so you instantly become memorable.
Helen Williams:Yeah.
Neil Redfern:That's the key takeaway, I think.
Helen Williams:Yeah, the first image or the images that I've used for myself. You know I've gone very anti photographer because it apologies to probably a lot of people who are listening going. Oh, oh, I've got one of those who have their profile photo Like cheesy smiling whilst holding a camera on an angle Like oh, I'm so relatable.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, I would just say yeah. If you're a photographer and people go into your website, they know that you're a photographer. It's normally pretty clear by the heading, so you don't need to stand there holding a camera.
Helen Williams:Yeah, but yeah instead of that. For me, my first photo is me jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet.
Neil Redfern:Exactly, again, personality driven. It's going to be just really interesting to see how it goes, because one thing I'm playing this to you now, helen, don't despair, we are still in a quiet period, yes, but I just think that is so much more potential than the old one does.
Helen Williams:Thank you so much Did rather oh a big thank you is needed as well. I was about to say, I feel a bit feels a bit cheating to be taking sort of credit for it, because I know that you know I did purchase the flow themes, templates and I don't think we talked about that on the previous podcast when I first purchased it and I was like, yes, I'm going to have my website done in two weeks or three weeks. And then you were like how's the website?
Neil Redfern:And then you just started working straight away. It's like, oh well, you're flying and then just stalled.
Helen Williams:Yes, and that's my very special brain that loves being creative, but the moment something doesn't go right, particularly with technology like this toys out of the pram fits being thrown. I'm like I'm done, I can't do it. So yes, I didn't do it myself. I did have a lot of help and I have to give like the biggest shout out and thank you to Martin Chung of Martin Chung Photography. He is a Flashmasters member. I think he gets a shout out nearly every week generally cause he makes us spend money on new equipment. He absolutely loves buying things and then convinces everyone else they're brilliant and then we all buy them too.
Intro:Yeah, that's.
Helen Williams:Martin, but we completely trust him. But but he is a fantastic and very talented web designer too and he does have a separate website for that. So I believe I haven't brought it out.
Neil Redfern:I've got it here, have you. It is webmartinschung, that's M-A-R-T-I-N-C-H-E-U-N-Gcouk Perfect.
Helen Williams:So, again.
Neil Redfern:Webmartinschungcouk, yes, and if you don't put the web in front.
Helen Williams:You can check out his photography website then. But yes, martin's a fantastic photographer, a brilliant friend and an absolutely fantastic website designer, who made this process so insanely easy that I want to just hit myself around the head, cause, first of all, I started so well. I completely stopped, I then gave up and, if I'm being honest, it was like, oh my God, wedding fairs are fast approaching again and here I am, months down the line. I haven't done anything. So, yeah, reaching out to Martin was just brilliant from day one, because he basically took all the technical worries away, didn't he?
Neil Redfern:Yes, You're not. Neither am I great technically when it comes to word press and stuff.
Helen Williams:No, he just allowed me to be very me and creative and write my words and spring up random ideas and go I need another bum there and I want like a bum reference here or can this bit fly in. And it just allowed me to go to town and keep my creative brainwiring and he just made it happen. And it was just the easiest experience. And I will say before well, you'll know, you were here with me the night before. We were really meant to sort of get things moving on this and he said how do you feel about it? I was really nervous. I was just nervous and terrified that maybe what I wanted wasn't achievable or I wouldn't be able to communicate it properly so that it wouldn't look as I wanted or that I'd get frustrated and I'd changed my mind halfway through. But Martin, just he supported me so well and I'm sure I'm not going to be the only photographer out there with a proper like scatterbrain approach to life. It's fantastic that he's creative but also very methodical and knows how to make things work.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, you were amazing, Martin. So if you are listening to this and you are interested in updating or having a new website designed for you, then we certainly wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend Martin. He's brilliant and it's just the commitment he has to making sure that you're happy as well.
Helen Williams:Yeah, the whole process was incredible. So thank you so so much, martin. I'm getting so many compliments and great feedback and I'm like I don't really feel like I did very much. It was down to Martin and without him I probably would still be doing the Flash Bracers podcast this time next year with a really rubbish website.
Neil Redfern:So again, webmartinschung, c-h-e-u-n-gcomuk, but Martin's going to be very disappointed in you, in us.
Helen Williams:Why.
Neil Redfern:Oh, I don't know, I don't know what to say.
Helen Williams:I'm panicking now. I don't know what to say.
Neil Redfern:Well, I've got Martin's website open in front of me.
Helen Williams:Yeah.
Neil Redfern:Martin's got a profile picture with him holding a camera. Ah, ha, ha ha ha.
Helen Williams:Sorry, martin, oh we love you, martin. Is that at all cheesy or cliche? Well, to be fair, we've probably, you know alienated or upset probably 80% of listeners today by saying don't have a profile picture with you holding a camera.
Neil Redfern:Or if you do just hold it in an unusual way. I don't know what that would be, but something like that. But before we leave this, I also want to say that you have a new page on your website as well, helen, which you wouldn't speak about, but I want to.
Neil Redfern:You have a new education page because I've been trying to encourage Helen to restart the education side of your business, because you're doing that anyway within Flashmasters in a way that is more for you, more personal to you, and you've thankfully now got HelenWilliamsphotographycouk slash flash hyphen training, where you've now got a main list that you've started to build, which is brilliant. So well done. I know you're a bit nervous and this way you're imposter syndrome kicks in and everything. But you're such a good educator People will even listen to the podcast. We'll be able to tell Especially your passion for photography and how good your knowledge of branding is, even if we take away all the flash stuff that you do, but just how you do it on the nail. I think your branding now is and I think you totally get the importance of personal branding and personality branding. Yeah, well done on sat in that page. So you've got the main list up there, but you're also now and again you wouldn't mention this I see bespoke monthly online mentoring.
Helen Williams:Ah, I honestly thought I got away with it. So I was like, yeah, it was closed in the podcast and I don't have to then speak about it.
Neil Redfern:No, I should mention it earlier. So again, if you're interested in speaking to Helen one on one and don't listen to what Helen says, she's exceptionally talented and very astute when it comes to marketing and branding. She's built an amazing wedding photography business. She's built half of flashmasters. She's integral to everything that we do within flashmasters. In fact, helen probably does more than I do. Then please at least go and sign up to Helen's main list at Helenwilliamsphotographycouk. Slash flash hyphen train. God, you are elder. Such a pain in the backside Just go to Helen for talk.
Helen Williams:Go to my website, just go to.
Neil Redfern:Helenlouisphotographycouk and click on education. You can sign up to her main list then and Helen will get in touch with you. But yes, she is now offering online mentoring. I know you don't got much time so you won't have many of those available, but yes, it is there and available.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I'm really looking forward to getting those moving again, and I looked at my last education page and I was actually advertising a workshop that was in 2019.
Neil Redfern:Well, there you go.
Helen Williams:So, yeah, it's now all up to date and yeah, it's time to get back on the train, because I was regularly doing all the education and doing one-to-ones and things like that before the world stopped. But since the world started again, I haven't stopped in any other area of business. I've not had a chance to really pick that back up again. So, yeah, now is the time.
Neil Redfern:Yep, so there we go. So again. Thank you so much, Martin, on behalf of Helen, for everything you did for her website. You did an amazing job. I'm now jealous, so I think I'll be getting in touch soon as well. But yes, thank you so much to this and everyone. I hope you've enjoyed this podcast, as always. If you'd like to join us in the Flashmasters community, you can do so at flashmastersco. Thank you very much again for listening and we will see you next time.
Helen Williams:Don't forget to keep flashing, even on your website. Very good that was a good one.
