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
We look back on 2023 - our highlights, our favourite images and what we hope Santa brings us!
As another 2023 draws to a close and we prepare to announce the Flash Masters Photographer of the Year for 2023, we look back on the past 12 months and talk about our personal highlights, our favourite photographs, our favourite purchases and what we hope Santa brings us on Christmas morning!
Tidings of comfort, joy, and a good flash! As the festive lights twinkle, we're sending out a colossal thank you wrapped in seasonal cheer to our Flash Masters community. Whether you've tuned in as a listener, engaged as a member, or participated in our awards, your support has been the heartbeat of our journey. We invite you to stay connected as we march into 2024 with the promise of enthralling content and the unwavering passion for photography you have come to expect. So, raise your glasses (and your cameras) to a year of cherished memories and the anticipation of creating many more. Merry Christmas to all and - keeeeeep flashing!
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 Flash Masters podcast. I'm Chuck from CG Weddings and I'm proud to be a member of Flash Masters community.
Helen Williams:Flash masters recognizes and celebrates the best flash photography through awards education and community and to join us visit flashmastersco.
Neil Redfern:Here are your hosts, Helen Williams and Neil Redfern. Hi everybody, welcome to a very festive and Christmasy edition of the Flash Masters podcast with me, neil Noel Redfern. Oh, I didn't know how to prepare anything. No, I threw you under the bus. I didn't tell you I was going to do that, so I thought you don't know how to go with anything. No, let's do it now, helen.
Helen Williams:Hark the Herald Angels saying Williams Very good.
Neil Redfern:So yeah, in today's episode in say podcast even, we're going to be looking back on the last 12 months, because this will be our final podcast of 2023. So we thought it'd be nice just to look back on the year from a Flash Masters perspective, but also from a personal perspective as well, and what we've done in our wedding photography. So one sentence Helen how has your year been Manic? Yes, that's very, very true, but also good, I'm hoping.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's been a fantastic year. I think. Obviously we know we're all still kind of recovering and catching up from that dreaded seaward God we're one minute in and you've gone negative again, just to resound to the best, so it's been very busy. However, I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
Neil Redfern:Good. I'm just hoping that next year brings a little bit more calm, I think it definitely will, because I've been looking at our diaries next year we've nowhere near as you say, manic, as this year's been, so it's bound to be better. The balance will be better next year, definitely.
Helen Williams:It's been brilliantly bonkers, good. I like it.
Neil Redfern:I like it. As the regular listeners of the podcast will know as well, like in the middle of wedding season, we moved house, which can't be underestimated. How difficult and time consuming that is, and I think that's what's really thrown us, hasn't it? We've achieved a lot over the past couple of years, but moving house when we still have so many weddings to edit and the queue was big as it was, was difficult.
Helen Williams:Yeah, moving in August, it's absolutely mental.
Neil Redfern:Well, that's done now, so I think we can start to finally breathe and think oh, next year now can be a real year like balance, I think, which I'm really looking forward to.
Helen Williams:I'm crazy excited. Yeah, I've been in a really sort of jolly happy mood today.
Neil Redfern:I know I've seen it You've got a spring in your step.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I feel like I've kind of closed the doors for Christmas somewhat with my business. I've still got a wedding to shoot on New Year's Eve, as do you.
Neil Redfern:Yes, we're both shooting on Christmas Eve, which, sorry. New Year's Eve. Yes, new Year's Eve, yes.
Helen Williams:Until midnight in different weddings.
Neil Redfern:I'll definitely be there until midnight. I can't imagine shooting a wedding on New Year's Eve and then at like what time would I normally finish Half 10, 11 o'clock thing? Okay, I'm off now in one hour to go to one of the biggest like minutes moments of your wedding day. I'm gonna leave now. So, yeah, I'll definitely be there, hopefully probably leave about half midnight, I reckon.
Helen Williams:Yeah, well, I wasn't booked until, to say, until midnight, but if you were home then maybe I would come back, but you're not, so I'm gonna go down to shoot until 12 o'clock, but you know what we like after a wedding, we come back just backing up cars, just want to do nothing, just eating chocolate, and that would be our midnight.
Neil Redfern:Happy New Year, might as well say at the wedding and get some hopefully good stuff. So I'm really looking forward to it. Actually, I've never shot a wedding on New Year's Eve before.
Helen Williams:Oh, I have actually that might have been. I think it was the first wedding where I had naked bums or bare bums.
Neil Redfern:Well, hope you get that again. Yeah, it was just after midnight A little festive treat for you and the groom and all his groomsmen requested they were.
Helen Williams:Yeah, some of them were wearing kilt, some not, but they wanted to pull a moony. The next morning, when I sent a little sneak peek, the first image I sent was of, and I was like here you go, bride, and she thought it was brilliant.
Neil Redfern:I can't think of a better way for a Helen Williams year to start than look at a load of bums. Yes, so in this podcast is look back on, as I said at the beginning, the past 12 months and talk about a few of our flashmasters highlights and our personal highlights. So what I thought we'd do first of all is just have a little bit of a recap about what we've achieved within flashmasters Now, I'm not talking about here, because I don't have the listing front to be, but all the amazing images that have been submitted to our awards, and of one award, because they are being countless of those. So what we'll do is maybe talk about those in the next episode. For what reason, helen?
Helen Williams:I don't know.
Neil Redfern:Because by the next episode, what will have happened?
Helen Williams:Oh yes, we'll have our photographer of the year finally announced, and that is another reason why I'm super excited at the minute.
Neil Redfern:Exactly so, for transparency, we're actually recording this podcast on Friday, the 22nd December, and, all being well, I'm going to just put it out straight away, so you'll hopefully be hearing this not long after we've actually recorded it, but at the time of speaking. In six days time, we will be announcing the flashmasters photographer of the year for 2023. We know who it is, we do and I'm like out no, that's not to say anything, we don't I'll say anything. But yeah, we're really, really excited to announce not just the winner but also the full collection. Because I have to just say, when we were looking through, I don't normally look at the entries.
Neil Redfern:Helen has been amazing. She always looks after the whole process of the awards, from the entry side and then working with the judges. But I did look over your shoulder and I have to say I'm not just saying this for saying it's sake, the standard this round, full transparency. Again, you were flicking through images and I assume that you were looking through the winning set of images. I said what an amazing set. And you said, no, these haven't one.
Helen Williams:Yeah.
Neil Redfern:It was what? Yeah, I was. I'm genuinely so overwhelmed with the talent in our community. It was especially just looking over your shoulder then. It was incredible. So I can't wait to share this collection.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I do wish that we could just give out a million awards, or there's so many deserving winners and everyone who's made it into the selected collection is so well deserved. But I will say there are many, many entries who I know in future collections will be picking up awards. The standard across the board was insane.
Neil Redfern:It really was. I can't stress enough and we'll talk about this same one in the next podcast. But please, if you don't win an award, do not stop entering, because I looked at images that have not won that I would convince were already award winners. I couldn't believe that they weren't. So, yeah, do not be put off if you don't happen to win. That is no indication on your work. It just means that on this occasion you didn't win, but I was so impressed. So, yeah, we do know the winner now, but we're not going to say anything more about that.
Helen Williams:There's no wonder I'm still bouncing. I can't keep secrets. Yet I know who's won, and yet I'm still trying to hide and not tell you about your Christmas presents too. Yeah, you can. You've got this. You've got this.
Neil Redfern:It's so hard. What I do want to do, though, is talk about some of the live streams that we've done in flash passes this year, because there are many, so we've done 20 live, over 20 live streams this year. What so? Just to go through them very, very quickly. We started the year with the Destination Weddings live stream with Ralsei Garlic and Jos and Tree Woodsmith. We then had Enphoto on to introduce their products. We then had a big community Zoom chat with all the members, which was really nice. We then had Pick Time on. These are all separate streams. Pick Time then joined us to tell about what they can offer. You then held an incredible live stream to celebrate International Women's Day. That doesn't even see that this year.
Helen Williams:God, yeah, but it was.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, that was brilliant. You had lots of guests in that stream. We were then joined by Tanya Parada. We then held two Introduction to Off-Camera Flash live streams, which I hosted. They total six hours, so they are in two parts Introduction to Off-Camera Flash, part One and Introduction to Off-Camera Flash Part Two. All these streams are where, we should say are there for you to watch in the member zone as soon as you join Flashmasters. We've now got almost 30 live streams in there and I think that one. If you are new to Flash, I'd like to think you know. Obviously I'm gonna be a little bit biased because I did this, but I cover everything.
Helen Williams:You really do.
Neil Redfern:From the very, very basics through to a little bit more complex setups. But yeah, if you're new to Off-Camera Flash, I would really encourage you to watch those streams. Everything I knew went into those streams. Basically, we then had, in sandwich in between those two streams, we had a critique stream where we were joined by Jesse Amorella Plant. We then had a live stream where we joined by Ellie Bagueno, chico. We then had another critique stream where we're joined by Australian bassist we have a photographer Ben Connolly. We were then joined by another stream by Estaban Gill, another one by Kristin Cardona. We had our whole first birthday live stream where we announced which was a huge highlight new sponsors Aftershoot and Canon you may have heard of them and then we had another live stream where we're joined by Marlies Hartman. We then had another live stream where we're joined by Tim Kampinen and then finally, a few weeks ago, we were joined by Alex and Dali. So that has been a bumper year.
Helen Williams:I can't believe that was all in the last 12 months.
Neil Redfern:All in the last 12 months and all available again to re-watch. That's in addition to all the previous streams we did the year before, so there is now a huge library of live streams with some of the best off-camera flash photographers in the world to watch as soon as you join.
Helen Williams:Oh, I see I'm gobsmacked. You wrote down that list. I haven't seen it and there's no way. I would have thought that we did all that in the last year.
Neil Redfern:I know, I know I'm very proud of what we've achieved and it doesn't feel like they're all within the same 12 months period.
Helen Williams:No, not at all.
Neil Redfern:I mean they will total 40 hours, I would say, and we hope you've enjoyed them all, because we've certainly enjoyed hosting them.
Helen Williams:Oh, we really haven't learnt so much.
Neil Redfern:Okay, we're going off tangent here, but I know that both of our work this year has been massively influenced by the work that we've seen from not just the ambassadors that have joined on the live stream, but the community as well, in particular, obviously, your composite group shots that you start doing now. I've done lots of portraits in composite form now as well, by getting the Magbox in and then taking it out, and all that sort of stuff, which has all been hugely, hugely influenced by the work that we've seen in the FlashMasters community.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I think we've done quite well.
Neil Redfern:And thank you, huge, huge thank you to everybody who has joined those live streams, not just the actual guests themselves, who have shared so much, but also all the members who join us on the streams live and make it such a fun experience and they're really interactive and the members can ask questions and I feel like we've got a really good sort of hardcore audience now who like to join and making friends on the streams and asking questions. I love those streams.
Helen Williams:Yeah, each time we do a stream, it just gets more and more entertaining, just. I don't know, just the in-jokes that we've got or really understanding the different personalities that we have in the community, the amount of banter that goes back and forth, as well as the learning yeah, I find them just as much fun as I do educational. So, yeah, I absolutely love the streams and can't wait to do loads more next year.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, without a doubt, and again just to say a huge thank to everybody who has joined us Ravsagarl, josandree Woodsmith, tanya Parada, jesse and Moira, leplan, elibagüeno, Chico, ben Connelly, esther Ban Gil, kristin Cardona, marlies, hartman, tim Campan, alex and Dali. Everyone who does these streams does it for nothing other than just to help. Yeah, and I will say they don't get anything from us. We don't give them anything. They just want to help and share and support the community and we can't thank them enough.
Helen Williams:Yes, and on a different tangent to that, we've had so many different podcast guests as well.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, I've not written them down.
Helen Williams:I know we haven't written them down, but let's just say because I'd imagine they will be listening to the podcast. If you've been on the podcast this year, Thank you so much. So many of you have rocked up to our house or even our old pokey flat that we used to live in, sat around You're right.
Helen Williams:you're right, yeah, With a brew again, not having any payment, not asking for anything, just wanting to get involved, and they've brought so much entertainment and we've covered so many different topics on this podcast. It's just been an absolute honor to meet so many amazing photographers.
Neil Redfern:I don't have the stats, but I think we've done over 40 podcasts this year and, like you say, I would say a quarter of those probably have guests on, so I can only back that up. Thank you to everybody who's joined us. We have such a laugh doing these because we save the technical oh how did you do that? What were your camera settings for all the member live streams Because we can show the images. We can't really do that on a podcast. So the podcasts are very different. We try to make them much more lighthearted, informal, and the guests have all got that and really played along. So, yeah, huge thank you to everybody who's joined us.
Helen Williams:Yeah, we had a nice little email the other day just sort of telling us that we've got listeners in Australia, Germany, Netherlands, uk.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, who's 70 odd countries. It's crazy, might be 79, 79 countries.
Helen Williams:People sit down and listen to us too.
Neil Redfern:waffle on it, I can't get me head around that, especially when we just do talking in the kitchen right now.
Helen Williams:Yeah, it's crazy so if you have listened.
Neil Redfern:Thank you so, so much. We really really appreciate it. So, helen, I thought we could talk about our personal photography highlights of the year.
Helen Williams:Oh, very exciting. I will say I've not really prepared anything for this. So Lord knows what I'm going to say.
Neil Redfern:What we're going to do is talk about the highlights of the year best purchase of the year, favorite photograph of the year and, finally, what photography present would you like Santa to bring? I remember last year I did Santa. Santa just appeared again. Well, I will be asking you what present you would like, but for now we'll talk. What's your highlight? I've only got one down, I'm not going into too much detail, but what's been your photography highlight of 2023?
Helen Williams:Mine definitely has to be not really wedding photography related as such, but it would be speaking at nine dots.
Neil Redfern:Oh, it's very much wedding photography related.
Helen Williams:Well it is, but I wasn't shooting a wedding. Instead, I was shooting some photographers in a brewery.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, well, if you tell it like that yeah, I thought that would be yours. Do you want to give a little bit of a recap on that?
Helen Williams:Yes, so in November this year I was invited to speak at an animal nine dots gathering which was in Leeds and it was held in a brewery. It was brilliant, but, yeah, within that I was able to give a talk and a live shoot. It is extra like crazy to think that out of all the photographers in the world they could have invited nine dots. They picked me and then to think that there was only two of us who actually did live shooting.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, and that's a whole level above. When you've got what, where you spoke in front of a hundred photography and total, but split over two groups of even two lots of 50 photographers and if you make a mistake they're all going to see, you take it.
Helen Williams:I know and all the other speakers were also there, including some of my idols the terms of Jesse and my room of plant and Fabio Morello, your place. To do it I said there were so many. To do that in front of you guys was so terrifying. But, yeah, to be invited was an absolute honor. So then we asked to live shoot was just next level crazy because there was only myself and the incredibly talented Jason Vincent who were given live shoots opportunities. So, yeah, to actually do that and live shooting in front of photographers although terrifying, when I set back and think about it, was a huge honor. I learned a lot from it. I will say I was terrified.
Helen Williams:I'm sure you've spoken about this in previous episodes. I was crying in the toilet the day before. I basically wanted to move to another country, but I absolutely loved every moment of it, the moment it came, and it was something that years ago, when I first went to my first nine dots, I was like I want to do this, I want to be on the stage. So, as terrifying as it was in the approach, as soon as I got on to there, I loved it and, yeah, I'd love to do more speaking gigs. So I'm hoping that that was the start of something greater for me and that hopefully there'll be more opportunities for me to live, shoot or give practical demonstrations or talks.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, I must just say we have spoken about this in our previous podcast, but you absolutely smashed it. Bear in mind how nervous you were and it is a big stage. Like you say, you're doing a live shoot. That is totally different to giving a talk, because you know that all lives are on you and you can't hide behind the best of, because you're producing work in front of everyone's eyes. And you did really, really well. And the funny thing is again, we spoke about this on a previous podcast, but I was expecting you to be nervous and you were a little bit. Certainly the day before you were nervous, but when it was like showtime, the nerves were very bizarre.
Helen Williams:It was crazy, honestly. The day before I felt sick, I wanted to move country and just hide. Finally enough. As soon as the morning came and it was time, it's like, well, it's time now I can't hide, I've got to do it.
Neil Redfern:You've got on your Britney Spears headset.
Helen Williams:I want to say, but it was, the funny thing was forget the headset. As soon as I strapped my cameras on to me and they were there. It was just like.
Neil Redfern:Game time.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I don't know that. For me, just that click of the belt I've put in my cameras on was like this is what I do. And suddenly the nerves went, Like I said my Britney might go put on, and I thought, right, I've just got to do what I do. And all the nerves just completely went away and I loved it.
Neil Redfern:It was the equivalent of you being Superman. Clark Kent walked into the phone box, came out cameras strapped to your hip, ready to go.
Helen Williams:Yes, that's what I was. Yes, that's the perfect example.
Neil Redfern:Not quite fighting crime, but fighting.
Helen Williams:Bad light. Yes, I like it, I like it.
Neil Redfern:Excellent. Yeah, you did really well. I was very proud of you and you should be very, very proud of yourself and I hope because also this year and it was actually on that little recap thing that we were sent from Buzzsprout the second most listened to podcast, kind of what number one was Can't remember it was Jens of AI, as ours is gonna kill.
Helen Williams:Oh, was it Clickbait. Yeah, that will always do it. Clickbait works.
Neil Redfern:But yeah, I think number two was your Impostor Syndrome podcast it was. I'd like to think that doing something like that which was huge, talking in front of 100 photographers, doing a live shoot in front of 100 photographers has maybe helped you to see your worth more and believe in yourself a little bit more. I know what I've got rid of. It obviously not, but it's probably a lifelong challenge. But hopefully it's gone some way to helping you feel a bit more confident.
Helen Williams:It certainly helped me to fight it, to realize and acknowledge that it's there, but the fears that I have, the voices that I have that tell me that nobody cares, or I'm not good enough, or I'm not ready, that I've just got to fight on past them and not give that voice the control of me and to hold myself back. So actually, I'm gonna add one extra highlight onto that which always, every day, every time I start feeling nervous about something, or can I or can't I do. It was my birthday gift from you last year which I did this year, and that was jumping out to playing at 15,000 feet.
Neil Redfern:Oh yeah, that was this year as well. Yeah, and every time I think that something scares me.
Helen Williams:It's like you've literally been thrown out of a plane at 15,000 feet and you loved it. So I keep trying to tell myself these things that absolutely terrify me. Generally, when I've taken the leap and I've done them, I've really enjoyed them.
Neil Redfern:That's a really good point, and it's always true that anything that you know feels scary, you know. On the other side comes euphoria and satisfaction, just that proud feeling that you have. I can't remember what the exact saying is, but it's like everything you want to achieve is on the other side of fear, I think that's right.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, exactly. So if you're not, if you're feeling fear, it just means that the prize is bigger. If you don't feel fear, you're complacent, you're not that bothered and it's not with that worthwhile. So fear is a good thing to feel.
Helen Williams:So, yeah, I definitely still say that I do have those negative thoughts. The imposter syndrome hasn't gone anywhere. However, I just look back at the things that terrified me and how much I actually enjoyed them when I did it. So I will still say I've stopped posting to Instagram again, but I think that's just general overwhelm.
Helen Williams:That's craziness, yeah, just general overwhelm and I know come January I'll be back on there and I'll push back through it again. But yeah, there's lots of thoughts that obviously I used to allow when there's been times where I've allowed it to kind of consume me and hold myself back for fear of what others believe. But now I just go. But if you do it, are you gonna die? And if you're not, then like I said, if I could throw myself out of a plane, if I could stand up and live shoot in front of these people, including so many of my idols, there's not really much I can't do now.
Neil Redfern:Exactly. You should be very, very proud of yourself.
Helen Williams:Thank you, I am. It's quite nice doing this little recap, but it's not all about me. So what about you, mr Edfern? What was your personal highlight?
Neil Redfern:It's hard again because it sounds very cheesy, but you think of particular weddings that you've shot and they really stand out. I've done really cool things with YouTube again this year. The patrons gone really, really well. There's loads of cool live streams in that as well, had lots of guests on and I feel so proud of all that. But if I was gonna think of one well, I can't actually do just one.
Neil Redfern:I think I have to recap something you've already mentioned in this podcast for Flashmasters, I think, announcing Canon and Aftershooter sponsors. Although not a personal thing, yeah, obviously it's a group effort, flashmasters, but that was amazing. Having two brands that were just so proud to have join us and be so enthusiastic in join us as well was amazing. But if I was gonna choose just one thing from my own personal wedding photography business, it would be Shine, my two three day workshops, which I loved. Again, we spoke about these on previous podcasts.
Neil Redfern:I don't wanna go into it in too much detail, but hosting two workshops that lasted three days each was amazing. The fact that people want to come on them was incredible. But I just feel as though you feel very different on a workshop that lasted three days the bonds that are made between the attendees are better. You can see relationships forming, you can cover more, you have more downtime when you're still learning, but you're all just coming together and joining in and having a laugh. Staying up late into the night chatting about photography was brilliant. Doing shoots at midnight was brilliant. Darcy and Matt being outside in the growing it down rain with an amazing rainbow behind them and just laughing their heads off.
Neil Redfern:Shooting outside in rain with Demi, again like 11 o'clock at night these are just the brilliant things. And everyone joining in and everyone enjoying themselves and laughing and smiling, but also knowing that they were getting good stuff and learning, and then seeing that people have then used what they've took away from Shine at their own weddings has just been incredible. I can't ever see myself just once in a one day workshop anymore because I just think it's not doesn't give me self enough time to cover everything that I would want to cover and also as well, it's not just as all encompassing, as an experience, and I didn't realize how much I would enjoy having three days and I say having that extra time to see every bond and share and learn together. How much I would just enjoy it. They were brilliant, brilliant events and I'm I'm I'm very proud of them. Thank you again for all the help you did.
Helen Williams:Cause.
Neil Redfern:I literally could not have done it without you being there, cause, well, the thing that comes with three day workshops is a lot more admin, a lot more timekeeping is needed or the background stuff, and, yeah, it is an awful lot that goes into it, but it's a lovely challenge and I'm very, very grateful to everybody who attended, all the amazing feedback that I've had, and that would definitely be my personal highlight and I look forward to holding at least another one this year. I know we have some other next year.
Helen Williams:I was going to say it's going to be very short noted this year.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, I also like which is a very bizarre thing to say that the word shine is just stuck with people and now people don't refer to it as a workshop, it's all. Oh, it's going to be another shine. Oh, I went on shine. I learned this at shine and I'm just really proud of that as well.
Helen Williams:Oh, as much as I took the rick out of you when you first announced the name, I was like that's cheesy.
Neil Redfern:It is cheesy, but it's also cool. Let it shine.
Helen Williams:Indeed yeah.
Neil Redfern:So that was my personal highlight, definitely. So, yeah, excellent, okay. So the next question for you, helen what has been your best purchase of 2023? Photography related.
Helen Williams:Hands down. Oh easy After shoot.
Neil Redfern:Wow, well done to Justin and the team.
Helen Williams:Yes, thank you very much, justin, and that was this year, this seems crazy.
Neil Redfern:That was when again this would be way before after shoot joined other sponsors.
Neil Redfern:We both do remember that day when the announcement was made of their founders deal and I don't know if it's had a shout out for a while, but I think it's time to shout out Martin Chung and or and or Alex Buckley I can't remember who it was but basically I remember waking up and somebody had messaged me, or it was in my Patreon group. Word was playing like wildfire after shoot of an ounce of founders deal. You've got to get on it now. Now, the only limited numbers.
Neil Redfern:I remember jumping out of bed and I wasn't even sure what I was even buying. But it's like Martin says that this is really one to the light and you got to jump on this now, so bought it, told you you bought it as well. It was like buying tickets for Oasis and yeah, it was really exciting. As I say, the weird thing is spending that money and not known really what I was buying. But the thing is, martin says it's worth it. Then it's worth it. Oh, also shout out to Martin's own podcast that he started this year, which is called wedding photography unveiled. It's brilliant. Go and listen to that, available on all the usual podcast platforms. Yeah, martin, love your podcast, but yeah, that was in a crazy, crazy morning.
Helen Williams:It really was. I think we had a live stream, like there was unplanned.
Neil Redfern:Oh yeah, I went, let's just jump on zoom and let's just talk about aftershoots. Everybody just went wild and just don't know anything about this Because, yeah, this was before I even knew Justin at all and before that even spoke to us about flashmasters, but it was just crazy and obviously, well, you talk about why you enjoy it.
Helen Williams:Well, it's just saved me a heck of a lot of time. I, I use the culling and obviously the editing is saving me a huge amount of time. I'm still behind, but I'm going to blame other AI features for that, such as masking.
Neil Redfern:That's open this year as well. Generative fill or the lightroom updates.
Helen Williams:Oh, honestly. So all of the time that aftershoots has saved me, I'm now spending the extra time doing extra editing. Adding in masks to the people are lowering the background or picking up the sky or selecting an object and generative filling, and it's definitely now in it.
Neil Redfern:The better technology gets and our images become better for it, the longer it takes.
Helen Williams:I know. So, yeah, I can you imagine all of these extra things that have come in if I didn't then have aftershoots helping me save so much time?
Neil Redfern:I can only back up what you say, and I have to use aftershoots, as you know, for everything that I do as well Editing wise. I still can't get on board with the culling, but that's one of my jobs for next year.
Helen Williams:You will get it and you will love it Exactly.
Neil Redfern:But the editing just gets you so far into the process that I can't imagine now just putting in my images into a gallery, raw, almost as it were. We just you preset on and then I think we're just the white balance all the time and stuff like that. So it's a great shout out aftershoots. It's been amazing.
Helen Williams:Yeah, it really really has. So, yeah, thank you to Justin and the team. Like I said, we bought into aftershoots before Justin even knew who we were, and this is important, but Rob will always be transparent.
Neil Redfern:We have Canon as sponsors. Helen and I don't shoot Canon, we shoot Sony aftershoots. We spoke about have joined the sponsor which was so proud of our, but we bought into aftershoots way, way before we even started speaking to them with our own cash as wedding photography businesses.
Helen Williams:I'm not wanting to talk down anyone else, but aftershoots also save me a ton of money. So as well as the time, the money to spend just one payment a year to have so much help on the culling and the editing is absolutely incredible, and I know that myself, as well as so many other photographers, will literally have saved thousands, thousands of pounds by using aftershoots.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, definitely Big shout out to aftershoots.
Helen Williams:Yeah, and to all the geniuses behind Justin, who I'm sure does all the technical things, all the unicorns. Yes, the unicorns, thank you, yes, thank you to the unicorns.
Neil Redfern:You're the best. Yeah, exactly yeah.
Helen Williams:So enough of the aftershoots unicorns. I've already taken that off the table, so you're going to have to think of something else, neil.
Neil Redfern:That what it was in my list, but I do have another two things. Oh, one is the Sony 50 mil 1.2. Shout out again to Alex Buckland, who convinced me to buy this lens, and I've really enjoyed it. It's. It's a funny one because I don't have a specific job for it at a wedding as such, but I just love using it. I think it's great for portraits. It's still also really nice with documentary as well. But it's just a beautiful lens and be able to shoot at 1.2 is incredible.
Neil Redfern:Someone like me, especially because I love to shoot through things. I love foreground bokeh, I love background bokeh, so 1.2 is amazing. It's the only 1.2 lens that I own. Hopefully, one day Sony will bring out the 85 1.2. But for now, yeah, the 50 is the only 1.2 that I own, but I really, really like it. I've never regretted buying that lens either. Sometimes I try and use it on a wedding day just so I can have it in my hands, even if I think, well, it's not going to offer me anything over the 35, but I still want to use it. Just kind of enjoy using it. Yeah, I definitely recommend that lens to anybody who shoots Sony and doesn't have it already.
Helen Williams:Yeah, and I will say you bought that, and then I used it for one shoot and then I was like oh darn it, I need one too.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, because we tried to for a while to if you could just use it whenever you wanted, but then we had weddings on the same day and then yeah and as soon as upset If I had to take it back.
Helen Williams:Yeah, so I had to spend the money. That says a lot about a lens when you've got so many different lenses in your kit bag. The thought, though, of going to a wedding without that 51.2 was like no, I'm spending the money and getting one too, so a great choice.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, and the other one quickly for me. It's a bit of a silly one, but it's actually my desk. Oh, we probably spoke on the podcast before. We both lived in a very small flat before we moved this year and it was really nice just to have a bit more space this year once we moved in and I bought a desk that now has. It's just a set up that I'm really I really enjoy using. So I now have two screens, my laptop. I've got the mic to hand. I have a better webcam. Now I'm using a Sony ZV one as a webcam, so it looks much better. But having a desk with much more space on it to really like have everything on there that I wanted is, I feel, as well as maybe more productive, and I enjoy sitting at that desk as well, like new chair as well. So, yeah, that's just been a really nice thing for me personally.
Helen Williams:But very dull at the same time.
Neil Redfern:No, well, you know, your work environment is very, very important it is it really really is, and it's been really nice to have a bit of a nice environment use your words for the past few months.
Helen Williams:So yeah, I don't think I'm ever going to have a nice environment. I think we could go off and do a whole podcast on on desks and desk set ups.
Neil Redfern:I can't work on an untidy desk.
Helen Williams:You thrive I thrive in the chaos.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, everything I need.
Helen Williams:Everything I could ever need is to hand.
Neil Redfern:Just you don't know where it is.
Helen Williams:I kind of which area it's on the desk, somewhere underneath something. Yes, yes.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, we have very different desk management strategies. I think it's fair to say.
Helen Williams:I have no management.
Neil Redfern:OK, next question Favorite photograph of the year. That's very, very hard, and I've used the word favorite for this, not best, because often they're two very, very different questions, so let's forget best what's your favorite photograph of the year that you have taken.
Helen Williams:In terms of a moment or a photo that just makes me feel just pure joy.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, that's good.
Helen Williams:And that would be the wedding of Alice and Julie that I shot earlier this year, and Alice and Julie are the most gorgeous couple who I've been. Is it the older ladies?
Neil Redfern:Yes, oh, yes, that's a. Really I'm pleased you've chosen that one. Yes, that photograph. For those that are listening here, we will post the photographs that we're talking about in the Facebook group, the Flashbusters members Facebook group, so you can see but yeah, this is a beautiful photographs. I'll take it away.
Helen Williams:Yeah, it made the homepage of my website and I know it's called tellomilliamsphotographyco at UK, then in that case, yeah, it's definitely on the homepage, I think, as you scroll down.
Helen Williams:But yeah, alice and Julie have been together for over 25 years as a couple and that wedding was just pure joy and love. And yeah, there's a few weddings this year who I've got quite teary and emotional at, but that particular one just really got me. It didn't just get me, it got the registrar, who's conducting the ceremony, everyone. It was just a pure celebration of love and their connection. Oh yeah, now I love same sex weddings because I do feel that they're more about you know, celebrating that love and there's a real sort of I feel, like you know, with same sex marriages, that they've come through a hardship.
Neil Redfern:Yes, so it almost feels like they'll say more of a celebration, but they, because they've come through what it's clearly been very difficult times in their life, but they've come through all that and that they're just celebrating with the family and friends and everyone that they love is just feels a bit different.
Helen Williams:It does. So yeah, particularly for Alice and Julie to think that when they first got together they legally wouldn't have been able to get married Because they're more mature in their years. Yes, I believe they're late sixties.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, and that makes it even more special. I don't know, even know why. The fact that they'll see same sex as well, I think, makes you think God, when they were growing up in a very different world.
Helen Williams:Yes.
Neil Redfern:And thankfully, the world is a very, very different place now. You know, I'd like to think for much, much more, for the better as well in that regard, but they would have faced some really hard challenges when they were growing up, I'm sure.
Helen Williams:Yes, so to see them, yeah. The particular photo, though, is just as they're about to walk back down the aisle. They stood, obviously, and they just turned to face me at the back to walk on out, and they'd selected and I can remember very clearly, they selected you Come, the Girls.
Neil Redfern:It's not so cool.
Helen Williams:As they sort of exit on you come the girls Girls. And literally the look of absolute she had joy on their faces and they've got their dog in between them and they're like, so just about to walk down the aisle, and that just encapsulates for me everything that weddings should be, and they should be fun and celebrate, to eat and just fill with love. And that, just that one image just gives me feels and joy and I love it.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, Really really good choice.
Helen Williams:Can I have a second one though?
Neil Redfern:Oh go on.
Helen Williams:So my second one otherwise is going to be an 18 person composite that I did.
Neil Redfern:Oh yeah, so very, very different, yes, equally an amazing shot.
Helen Williams:Yeah, so the first photo was the one that gave me all the feels. The second one is because technically there was a lot of technical challenges to lighting 18 different people who were quite drunk at a wedding and when I was still very new to doing these kinds of composite group shots and it's the only reel I've ever made. I was that pleased I did a behind the scenes reel.
Neil Redfern:For real. Yeah, oh real. That shows you how much you liked it. If you actually did a reel, I really yeah, I did.
Helen Williams:I still haven't done another one. Well next year? No, I think that's a great choice.
Neil Redfern:Well, not only is it a great image, but it's also, I think, indicative of how you've changed your style slightly this year as well, which is cool, it's certainly a challenge.
Helen Williams:You know it was something very different. You know, for me it's quite difficult to do composites because I kind of forget the process or I get a bit excited.
Neil Redfern:You move the camera use a tripod.
Helen Williams:And then I move the camera or I haven't done one without the flash going off, and so for me to have sat there in such, you know, lots of people watching and so many people being involved in the photo, it can be quite a stressful thing to do, but I did it, I did it well and I'm so darn proud of myself. So that's going to be a favorite, because I accomplished something that for me and my particular kind of special brain, I find really challenging. But yeah, that was a highlight for me because I just I'm very proud Cool, excellent. So I'm going to throw it back over to you then, neil, what's your favorite image?
Neil Redfern:I was struggling to think about this because I've done. I do a lot of different things, you know, like this year I've done a shoot at Tank Space, for example, where I'm shooting.
Helen Williams:Oh, that was a good one yeah.
Neil Redfern:Halo underwater also Gwyn. So Paul Flanagan, who came on the last podcast and is a Flashmasters member, crazy talented photographer. His wife, gwyn, does cosplay and she dressed up as Laura Croft Laura Croft.
Helen Williams:Every time.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, and got into the tank and you know things like that. You're completely different to weddings and I love that shoot. Yes, and he's one shot in particular of Halo. Again, Kyfe and Tank Space is a Flashmasters member, but Halo, who is the studio manager at Tank Space, is incredible, not just as a photographer but also as a model who gets into the tank. He's one particular shot I love of her which I'm very, very proud of. When I think about favorite images from weddings, it's not the shots that I think are my best. It's where I feel like there's been an experience there and I've remembered certain things.
Helen Williams:Yeah.
Neil Redfern:So there's lots to choose from. Like a little shout out to my couple, katie and Tristan I love doing an engagement shoot and I love there's a particular portrait of those where Katie is cracking up laughing. I can't think what I would have said, but I just love that Cause I love them too. They were the best couple to work with and that means a lot to me, just cause I remember what it was like taking those shots. But if I was going to choose just one and obviously I haven't chosen just one, cause I just mentioned a few there but if I was to narrow it down to just one, like you, it goes on a shot that is full of happiness and joy.
Neil Redfern:I think I actually stood two or three feet to my left when I took this. It was from Paisley and Ben's wedding. Now they had a Jewish wedding and it's actually a shot of Paisley's mum being thrown into the air during the Israeli dancing, which is again. If you've not experienced this as a wedding photographer, it's incredible. It's just crazy, crazy party dances where people are twirling them around, they're doing games in the middle, jumping over, skipping ropes. It's incredible. It's like being in a mosh pit at a concert, literally.
Helen Williams:And at one point but with thousands of pounds where it's a photography gear. Is that?
Neil Redfern:true, yeah, and you just got to get in the middle. Shoot away, shoot the b**** out of it, basically.
Helen Williams:I'm praying.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, and just hope that you're getting good stuff. Get a wide lens on, go really wide and just get as close as you can and hope for the best. Basically, and within all this madness, paisley's mum and unfortunately I can't remember her name, I apologize was in the middle and there was this big flag unfurled. She'd lay on it and they were literally throwing her up into the air. She almost hit the ceiling a few times. But within all this, just one particular shot and again I will post this in the Flashmasters member group, where she's just laughing away.
Neil Redfern:And because it's so wide, I shot them at 16.35, at 16. You can see all the guests around holding up the flag and they're all looking at her laughing. I don't wanna get on a high horse. There's no phones looking at it, it's just people enjoying the moment and the look on Paisley's mum's face. He's just brilliant. And there is a lot of luck to get in a shot like this, because there would be 10 shots either side of the one where it just doesn't work. So I would have been stood there with my quick stick, using the buckling method, which is a speed light, on a pole, shooting wide and hoping for the best, and it's just one in particular that I think really like encapsulates that dancing and the joy and the happiness and all that excitement that goes into that part of the day, so I would choose that one.
Helen Williams:Oh, that's a really good choice, thank you, thank you.
Neil Redfern:It is very hard though, because you always feel bad as well for shots from other weddings, that you feel bad for them, that you've not mentioned them, but it is a case of there's so many amazing moments at all weddings and it just goes down to really, I think, how you felt in that moment, and if I was gonna shoot a Jewish wedding, I'd be looking forward to that Israeli dancing for days and days before.
Neil Redfern:So, I knew that I was looking forward to that and I think that adds to it, but I have to say as well, I love what you've chosen.
Helen Williams:Oh see, we're a bit soppy, really, aren't we?
Neil Redfern:Yeah, oh, what's that? Can you hear it? I can hear sleigh bells. Oh, ho, ho, ho, oh God. I was just like what it's, not a breaking in it's Father Christmas. Oh, dear Lord, I'm going to grant you one present, helen. First of all, have you been a good girl this year? Oh my God, have you.
Helen Williams:Oh, I wish we should be filming this. The faces that you pull whilst we're Santa.
Neil Redfern:I don't know what you mean. I'm Father Christmas.
Helen Williams:Oh right, okay, what was the question again? Have I been good?
Neil Redfern:Neil's gone to the toilet. I know he's been a very, very good boy this year, but have you been a good girl? Of course, santa. Okay, then, in that case, I grant you one single present. Oh, thank you, Santa, it has to be photographer related, because this is a photography podcast, I believe. Oh right, so if you can only choose one present, what would it?
Helen Williams:be Easy peasy, please make it cheap and light.
Neil Redfern:The sleigh is already very, very heavy. Sorry to have made you say this. This is awkward. It's the faces you pull.
Helen Williams:Oh ho ho, your beard's getting more white each year as well. I think we found your new profession going forward. You're going to be Santa. Ho, ho ho, you'd be a great Santa. Anyway, santa Claus, I would really like a Sony A93.
Neil Redfern:Don't they cost $6,000? I think you need to lower your expectations.
Helen Williams:But I've been very, very good.
Neil Redfern:Maybe you could ask Sony for a complimentary version.
Helen Williams:Yeah, if someone knows someone a Sony, they'll send them away.
Neil Redfern:The elves are not very technical. They can't make one. Sorry, I've just come back. Sorry, I just didn't get out there. What did you choose?
Helen Williams:Oh, my cheeks are hurting what did you choose? I chose a Sony A93.
Neil Redfern:It's very cold in here. Windscreen down the chimney.
Helen Williams:A Sony.
Neil Redfern:A93.
Helen Williams:It is yeah.
Neil Redfern:Wow, that's a good choice to be fair. That's what I would choose.
Helen Williams:Oh, my cheeks are hurting now.
Neil Redfern:No it's a good choice. It's not gonna happen this year for Chris or anything.
Helen Williams:No.
Neil Redfern:But yeah, I'm very, very excited about that camera. I will say and again, this is not for this podcast, it's for a future podcast I was very, very lucky and privileged recently that Nikon actually sent me out there Nikon Z8, nikon Z8 with a load of lenses the 85 1.2, the 135 1.8, which has been released, the 51.2, loads and loads of lenses, and I have made some videos on that and maybe we'll talk about that in a future podcast. But one of the features of the Z8 is it does not have a mechanical shutter.
Neil Redfern:So, as you know, because you very kindly helped me when I made those videos shooting off camera flash where you don't hear anything from the camera. All you hear is the pop of the flash Whoa, that is amazing.
Helen Williams:Yeah, it really was. Yeah, imagine that during ceremonies. And obviously the new Sony with the global shutter, et cetera, and I'm talking about it now, aren't I?
Neil Redfern:No, that's right, that's the A93. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but the A1 has been able to have this for a while.
Helen Williams:We don't have an A1. No, we don't have an A1.
Neil Redfern:So it's not. You know, this technology is not like new. As of now, it's been in the A1, but still incredible.
Helen Williams:Yeah, especially when shooting ceremonies. For someone like myself who likes to use flash as well to also have the advantage of still being, you know, silent, and just having that sort of small pop of flash going off makes it even more inconspicuous.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, yeah, I like one.
Helen Williams:So please, Sony.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, exactly.
Helen Williams:So yeah, were you gonna go for the A93 or did you have anything?
Neil Redfern:else. Yeah, actually I had to be fair, I was. So, it really took the wind out of my sails.
Helen Williams:I'd just say the.
Neil Redfern:A1 instead.
Helen Williams:That would be, but you don't want an.
Neil Redfern:A1. Not really, but I haven't got anything else. It's a shame, actually, because once you get to a point as a photographer that you have everything you feel like you need, it's a bit of a shame in a way, isn't it? Because I like buying new lenses. I really love like getting new shiny things. It's always exciting and when you have everything you feel like you need and there's nothing else that you think, oh, I really want that. It's like. Oh, I wish there was. I get more excited now by like weird lenses or things that I can point in front of the lens. Like early this year I did a video where I used a oh, what's it called Like a blip-diopter, it's called and it has like a gap down the middle and it creates this really cool effect. I get more excited by that than a new lens that I'm not gonna use, although I would like. I did enjoy using the Nikon 85 1.2. So if Sony were to release that, then I'd choose that.
Helen Williams:Very good.
Neil Redfern:Yeah.
Helen Williams:So I think, if we covered everything we have, we have.
Neil Redfern:All that's left to say is we wish everybody who's listened to the podcast this year, everyone who's in the flashmash of community, the members, the ambassadors, everybody who's played a part whether it's just watching a YouTube video of ours, whether it's liking a photo on Instagram, whether it's entering the award, whether it's winning an award, whether it's joining us on a live stream, don't know. Whatever you've done, we wish you a very happy Christmas and we thank you for everything you've done to help with the flashmash of community. We appreciate all of you.
Helen Williams:We really, really do, so I think we should wrap this one up then.
Neil Redfern:Well, I'll leave you to actually do the ending, but I would like to say, on a personal note again thank you everyone. We wish you a very, very happy Christmas, have a great new year and we look forward to speaking to you in 2024.
Helen Williams:Before I start shaking my boobies, can we add in some Jingle Bells effects?
Neil Redfern:Yes, and also, if you'd like to join us in the flashmash of community, you can do so. I'll just keep on Helen hanging she's actually dancing at the moment. You can do so at flashmastersco. We would love to have you as a member. So, helen, for the final time in 2023, over to you.
Helen Williams:Don't forget to keep flashing.
Neil Redfern:Very good Merry Christmas everyone.
Helen Williams:Merry Christmas.
