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
Welcoming our newest Ambassador ...Henry of Big H Studios!
We're shaking off the dust from our hiatus with exciting tales and heartfelt apologies - consider it our quirky way of saying we've missed you deeply! (Can you tell that these descriptions are written by AI?!)
Our latest episode might just tickle your funny bone as we recount how ChatGPT sent us on a wild goose chase with "The Flash," and no, not the kind we capture with our cameras.
But it's not all fun and games, as we also introduce a new shining star in our community, our newest Ambassador, Henry of Big H studios in Nigeria. His awe-inspiring photography is already setting our creative souls ablaze, and we can't wait for you to hear how our paths crossed in a fateful and photogenic twist of Instagram fate.
Prepare to be swept off your feet as we introduce Henry, who's capturing more than just photographs—he's capturing hearts across the globe. His passion for the craft is infectious, and his stories of tackling imposter syndrome, developing a personal style and staying true to his vision are the motivational boost we all need. Through laughter and profound insights, we explore how Henry's magnetic energy and genuine communication transforms his work into a treasure trove of memories, proving that behind every great photographer is an even greater personality.
You can watch our full live stream with Henry, for free, on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/aFAZkebkZyE
Follow Henry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bighstudios/
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 recognizes 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 flashmastersco. Here are your hosts, helen Williams and Neil Redfern .
Neil Redfern:Hi everybody, welcome to episode 67 of the Flash masters podcast with me, neil Redfern, and me, helen Williams. Again, we need to apologise. It's been a long time since the last podcast. We're very, very sorry, but we can't tell you why. We don't want to be too clickbaity, but we have been busy. Things will be revealed in the future. We promise that we are not tell you why. We don't want to be too clickbaity, but we have been busy. Things will be revealed in the future. We promise that we are not just doing nothing. We've been, in fact, busier than we ever probably have been when it comes to Flash masters, but that's for another day.
Helen Williams:It is Well, it's not clickbaity, but yeah, there's lots going on.
Neil Redfern:But yeah, just please, please, trust us that we are very, very busy to make Flash masters better. Let's just say that. Anyway, for this podcast, I must admit I personally was struggling with an idea, a subject. So I referred to our old friend and I should just say Helen has got a subject. So you saved the day. But, unbeknownst to me, whilst we were talking about this, helen at that point didn't have a subject. I didn't, so I referred to our friend, chat GPT. Now, we've used chat GPT before to come up with subjects we can talk about on the podcast, but what I thought I'd ask it to do this time is ask it to write a complete flash masters podcast episode for us. So this is going to be easy for us. So I have literally, helen, just sent you over on whatsapp yeah, script for a complete flash masters podcast episode. So I would like you you've not read this before to read. You're the host and I'm the co-host. Let's just go for it, right? So welcome everyone to the flashmasters podcast.
Helen Williams:Oh wait, I haven't even opened it yet, okay, so yeah, just to warn everyone, I have not seen no, she hasn't. No, I promise you oh goodness, lord knows right. Okay, so I'm host you are okay, ready, go. Welcome. Speedsters and listeners alike, speed right. Okay, let me do this again, and I won't question what's on earth never, never question chat gpt right, okay, just roll with it. Okay, welcome speedsters.
Neil Redfern:You've got to take your time. Oh, welcome, just say what you want to say. It's a way you said roll with it. It's all right, it's an oasis joke. If you're with us, you'll get it.
Helen Williams:Why are you?
Neil Redfern:interrupting me. I don't time. You've got to say oh, I'm with you Anyway. Sorry, speedsters.
Helen Williams:Where is it Speedsters? I don't know where that's come from. Anyway, welcome, speedsters and listeners alike, to another electrifying episode of the Flash masters podcast. I'm your host, barry Allen, aka the Flash, and today we're diving deep into the multiverse, the Flash universe. Whether you're a seasoned speedster or just discovering the speed force, you're in for a wild ride.
Neil Redfern:Then it says theme music fades out.
Helen Williams:I'm Barry Allen Brilliant, okay, sorry. So joining me today is a special guest who knows a thing or two about navigating the twists and turns of the speed force. Why, where's the speed force come from? Go with it. You gotta roll with it, okay, please welcome cisco ramon, also known as vibe.
Neil Redfern:Hey, barry, it's great to be here, ready to vibe out with all our listeners cisco, let's kick things off by talking about the latest speedster showdown in Central City.
Helen Williams:What can you tell us about the epic battle? Oh, it makes sense now.
Neil Redfern:Is this the flash?
Helen Williams:This is the flash.
Neil Redfern:Oh I have no idea.
Helen Williams:Okay, yeah, sorry, I'm with it. Now, what can you tell us about the epic battle between the flash and reverse flash?
Neil Redfern:Oh man, barry, that showdown was off the charts. The Flash and Reverse Flash went head-to-head in a high-speed chase through the streets of Central City, leaving a trail of lightning in their wake. It was like something out of a speedster's dream or nightmare, depending on which side you're on Absolutely.
Helen Williams:And they put my word in They've got everything else wrong, absolutely.
Neil Redfern:Absolutely the Flash and Reverse.
Helen Williams:Flash are Absolutely. Hey, they put my word in. They've got everything else wrong Absolutely, absolutely. The Flash and Reverse Flash are two of the fastest beings in the multiverse and when they say clash, you can bet it's going to be a lightning fast spectacle. But let's shift gears for a moment and talk about the latest tech upgrades at Star Labs, cisco. What's new in the world of speedster gadgets?
Neil Redfern:Well, Barry, you know you're always pushing. We just stopped this.
Helen Williams:speedster gadgets well, barry, you know you're always put. Should we just stop this? I was gonna say how much, how much we have a whole episode.
Neil Redfern:We've got a whole episode between cisco and barry allen. Maybe we'll say that for another, maybe next week I like that.
Helen Williams:It signs off well. Thank you to tune into the flashmasters podcast. Catch you in the speed force.
Neil Redfern:I didn't know that was to do with. I don't. I've never seen the flash. I don't know about the flash do with. I've never seen the Flash. I don't know anything about the.
Helen Williams:Flash. I did actually watch like oh, no more than episodes, probably like one or two seasons of the Flash.
Neil Redfern:Oh, you probably enjoyed that then, but I thought that was funny for me because I thought it had no relation to anything and that you were called Barry Allen.
Helen Williams:I was going with that, but I just thought somewhere, you know the internet is very clever. I thought asking GPG asking that thing anyway to do the flash masters podcast that maybe it could search internet tinternet and find us and maybe have something photography related yeah, I didn't do that it did take me a while to actually realize this has nothing to do with photography no, but I do worry.
Neil Redfern:It's probably going to be better than what we actually do come up with, but anyway, anyway you do have a subject have a subject you like to talk about, though, don't you on today's episode?
Helen Williams:I don't know if it's a subject. It was just like a thought, like a meandering, like not even an idea, just something that swept into my brain earlier on when I was thinking what have we done since the last podcast? And it just sparked a thought within me. I'm not sure if it's a full theme. I apologise if it's a bit weak, but we'll go with it. Let's sell it. But before I start telling you about my meandering thoughts, what have you been doing since the last episode?
Neil Redfern:Well, apart from the things that we're not allowed to talk about, oh Shine, the Shine workshop happened.
Helen Williams:Let it shine, oh God, that was so the way we both said shine. That was not like harmonic, harmonic.
Neil Redfern:No, but I underneath this again, you don't know, because you don't edit it, you never listen back. I will put like a, oh nice, it'll sound good. So, yeah, it's all good, but no, it was really, really good. Thank you obviously again for your help. Amazing I know it sounds really cliche to bang on every time I talk about shine workshops. Oh, it's brilliant, it was amazing, but it genuinely was. It's my three-day wave photography workshop, which was a bit more flash heavy this time, but I loved it and it was so nice to see all the attendees we have 12 people staying over for three nights all getting on so well and, as I always do for the workshops, I tweet little bits, took things out, added things in, added in an extra model this time, and then on the last day, the last afternoon, which is where I asked the attendees to basically split up into teams and go and shoot models together. It was so nice just wandering around throughout those teams, we had what was it?
Neil Redfern:three groups of four yeah just working together so well and shooting together, helping each other, supporting each other, critiquing each other. That was my favorite part of it. But, as always, I love everything to do with it. The whole thing from the first night we get there wherever's a little bit nervous, to the shooting eating together, drinking together, having a laugh together together. It's so enjoyable. I mean very, very tiring, but I absolutely love it. It's also been so nice. Seeing the images come out of it afterwards and knowing how much people took from it has been basically very, very proud.
Neil Redfern:So thank you again for all your help, because you play a huge role at Shine, teaching and making sure everything runs fine.
Neil Redfern:And also thank you to Emma, your sister, who came along as an attendee but also made sure that everything in the background was running like clockwork, because Shine is held at a huge Airbnb.
Neil Redfern:I mean you wouldn't think it was an Airbnb when you look at it. It's a massive stately house in Wales that just looks like it would be lived in by Lord and Lady of the Manor. It's massive, but it is an Airbnb, so we have to do everything ourselves. That's including providing all the food, making sure that it's all cooked on time, the drinks everything, and Emma was brilliant at making sure all that happened on time. I know you were helping her as well, so thank you to both of you. But, yeah, and thank you to everybody who came, because a workshop like that a residential workshop is only ever really going to be as good as the people who attend and as good as they allow it to be, and everyone on there was just amazing at getting the vibe, at helping each other, at sharing, admitting their vulnerabilities and everything like that and um, I think there's a lot of learning and growing done there and it was yeah, it was really really amazing to be a part of it.
Helen Williams:Yeah, it was. And every time you know we sort of close the door and everyone else has departed and you know we both get in our separate cars to drive back, because we take literally everything.
Neil Redfern:Including a freezer.
Helen Williams:Literally a chest freezer we take with us so we have to take both vehicles to get everything there because we take so much with us. But nearly every time we sort of leave and everyone's gone and you just have that moment to stand on the driveway, look back at the house and sort of reflect. I honestly I drive down that drive with tears in my eyes every time, just firstly from being knackered but also, yeah, just reflecting on what fantastic time and feeling like we've created another little family yeah, definitely.
Neil Redfern:I think my favorite part as it was last time actually, I think is when we're outside shooting way, way into the night. So shine runs from Monday to Thursday and on the Tuesday it's basically a full day of shooting and we go into the evening, into the very, very late evening I think. Last year we almost maybe got to midnight before we stopped shooting. It was exactly the same this time. Should just say a massive thank you to all the models, to demi, phil, darcy, matt and clee. They were all absolutely incredible. We have a lot of models there so that everyone can be shooting a lot and have more variety in what they're shooting as well. And on a Tuesday, demi, darcy and Matt were there and we were shooting until nearly midnight and Darcy and Matt bless them were doing champagne shots for us. And how many champagne bottles did we get, say champagne? It wasn't champagne.
Neil Redfern:It was the cheapest Prosecco. I don't know if there's any alcohol content in it, but it was very, very sprayy Great. The cheapest Prosecco. I don't know if there's any alcohol content in it, but it was very, very sprayy Great for spraying. Yeah, maybe even the cheaper, the better I don't know.
Helen Williams:Yeah, top tip actually. Yeah, aldi, no secco three pound a bottle Brilliant.
Neil Redfern:For those in the UK anyway, yeah.
Helen Williams:Yeah, but we took 21 bottles with us. And 21 bottles were sprayed, so doing that in the cold of nearly midnight I think took its toll a little bit on poor matt's fingers and thumbs his thumb, yeah.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, his hands were numb. But again, that's so fun though. Being outside doing all that whilst we're all drinking together and having a laugh, it's just brilliant. I, I love that. Anyway, I'll stop banging about it now, but, yeah, thank you to you, thank you to emma, thank you to the models, thank you to every single person who attended and made it what it was. It was really special and if anybody is interested, I will look to do another one, just one, I think in October of this year. So as soon as I know details, I'll let everybody in the Flashmasters and my Patreon groups know, so you get a chance to decide whether you want to come and maybe give you a couple of weeks notice of when they're going to be made available, because, again, the places will also be very limited to 12 people. But I will do one more, I think, and it should hopefully be October excellent fantastic.
Neil Redfern:So what have you been up to, helen? Lots of secret stuff that we can't talk about yeah, you've been doing a lot of work in the garden.
Helen Williams:I painted the fence and after doing one panel, I thought, hmm, this wasn't the colour that I was expecting it to be.
Neil Redfern:It's a nice colour.
Helen Williams:Yeah, but then I was an idiot.
Neil Redfern:Turquoise.
Helen Williams:After painting one fence panel, I'm going do you know what? This isn't the colour that I really wanted. I was then stupid enough to continue and do the rest panels for another one and a half days we're actually talking about painting.
Neil Redfern:This is literally talking about watching paint dry.
Helen Williams:I want barry allen back well, that is what I've been doing. I've been painting the fence and I'm very pleased. Well, although the color's growing on me now, I'm very pleased with my accomplishments. So there you go. But apart from painting the fence, um, I have shot a wedding since the last one you have.
Neil Redfern:I think we're gonna be touching on that, aren't we shortly? Touching it touching on the subject touching on the subject. Yes, we will be chatting about that wedding before we get into that, though, helen, do we have any flash masters news?
Helen Williams:news. Well, as always, we've done a million live streams since the last we have, we've sat down. It's been a long time so yeah, I'm sure nobody really needs to know about all of them. And let's just cut to the chase of our biggest news that we can share and that's already out in the stratosphere, and that is that we have a brand new ambassador we do, and who is that person? It's big h or henry
Neil Redfern:yes, thank you so much, henry, for accepting our invitation to be an ambassador. Genuinely, genuinely, I adore Henry's work. I think it's always just interesting to tell everybody listening a little bit about how this came about, because I'll hold my hands up I think Henry's probably one of my favourite photographers in the world. Now, yeah, but, being completely transparent, two months ago I wasn't aware of him or his studio, and what happened was, as regular listeners and Flash masters members will know, the incredible Christian Cardona is coming over to the UK in September to deliver his two-day workshop, which Flash masters are hosting. So if you do want to come to that there are still a few tickets left then you can purchase your ticket in the Flash masters member zone of the website. Just go into the website, click on offers and discounts and you'll find a link there to buy a ticket to Christian Cardona's workshop. That's going to be amazing, and when we announced that on our Instagram, we got quite a lot of interaction.
Neil Redfern:There was a lot of buzz about it and we got quite a lot of new followers and I tended to just, every now and again, just click on, you know, one or two of the people who had followed us to see, to see who they were and see if anything like stood out, and I clicked on this particular person who's like whoa, who is this? And I was like these are incredible. I can remember we were sat on the sofa downstairs. I said to you, helen, like look at this person who's just followed us. How good are these images?
Neil Redfern:so I slid into Henry's DMs you're such a flirty pants yeah and just said I just wanted to thank you for following us and to say I absolutely love your work. If you'd be interested in joining us in the community, then please let me know, because we are huge fans. And then we started chatting between us. Henry replied, you know, really politely, really quickly, and said that he was interested. And hell, and I was just thinking this person is way too accomplished for us not to think about. You know, invite him to be an ambassador, especially because, again, he's based in nigeria and we have no presence in nigeria or africa that we know of and we would love to learn more about African photographers and what's going on there in terms of the photography that's being made.
Neil Redfern:So we invited Henry onto a Zoom chat and when we spoke to him, like wow, if you ever want to be inspired by someone, speak to Henry or listen to Henry talk we were just in awe, weren't we, of the way that he was speaking. I mean, we were only saying hello to him, but just his words were inspirational. His passion for photography was jumping through the screen and we were just like wow, this person, if we can somehow get them in the community and they can spread this message and the passion, the inspiration, just the drive that they have to become better at photography, then then the whole community will be lifted and thankfully Henry did accept and since that day we've had Henry on a flashmatters live stream and it was insanely good it was on our YouTube channel.
Helen Williams:Yeah, yeah, free to watch. Yes, it's been. It was insanely good. It was on our YouTube channel. Yeah, yeah, free to watch.
Neil Redfern:Yes, it was really well attended. Henry has back in him an army of loyal fans, followers, photographers, whatever you want to call them, but the love that they give Henry is so nice, it's like a wave. Whatever Henry does, the support that's behind him is is incredible, and on that live shoot, it's just non-stop comments coming through of just professing their love for Henry, his teaching, his words, his passion everything was just amazing and that is completely free to watch. If you want to go and have a look at this on our YouTube channel, as Helen's just said, and please, please do, because not only, I would say, is it a masterclass in photography and image making, but it's also incredible at the lessons in life I think that Henry talks about. You know, we talked about a lot of things like imposter syndrome, about personal projects, about the importance of not listening to external noise when you're working, and lots of things that were going far deeper than just simply camera settings, and I think if you only watch that stream for those lessons, it is more than worth it.
Neil Redfern:So, yeah, I'm just in awe of Henry and I say at the beginning of that, of that live stream, I'm sure, and whenever I talk about Henry, I always think that although he is a photographer, his work go beyond photographs. His work I see as being pieces of art that belong in the gallery. And when you understand the thought process that Henry puts into his work because we should just say Henry is not simply a wedding photographer, he is really a portrait photographer and his work is very ethereal. It goes a little bit into what we would call, probably, digital art, but the thought process and the, the amount of attention to detail that Henry puts into what he wants those images to look like and the deeper messages that his work is conveying, almost like an artist would do with a painting it's just mind-blowing and some of the examples that he was talking through on that live stream were just absolutely sublime. And yeah, I I can't talk highly enough of him.
Helen Williams:he's an incredible person, incredible photographer and to have him as an ambassador is a dream literally, if we were filming this, I would be applying just all these love hearts, just coming out of your head and your eyes and like those googly like heart eyes are just but what I'm saying there is is how Henry does make you feel it is oh, I totally agree with everything, and but there was no point me interrupting you because you were just on the Henry love train and I will say that that love train is genuine because, oh my goodness, liz, exactly.
Helen Williams:Yeah, the whole yeah from meeting him, and you talked about his passion for photography, but the thing that also struck me was his passion for education and passing on his knowledge and skills and being so open. And the other thing that really struck us was someone who's so accomplished you know, he's photographed kings and queens in Africa?
Neil Redfern:Yeah, exactly.
Helen Williams:His work's just oh yeah, as Neil said, is stunning, belongs in galleries. It's art. It's just, unlike things we've seen before, the thing that really stuck with his passion for education, how much he wants to pass on this knowledge and also, despite the fact that he has a lot of this knowledge himself, that he's constantly, constantly learning himself too.
Neil Redfern:And the reason we found him is because he's coming to Manchester to attend Christian's workshop in September. Great point. Sorry, I went off on my Henry love train Choo-choo, but the point of all this being is exactly that I went off on my yeah, my Henry love train Choo-choo.
Neil Redfern:Have a train, but the point of all this being is exactly that that he started following Flashmasters because he's seen the post we made about Christian Cardona's workshop and he was so keen to come and learn himself. And I know that Christian has seen that and actually put a message on Instagram himself saying, oh no the pressure. Because Christian then looked at Henry's work and thought this guy's been to my workshop and we look at Christian and think that it just shows you that all these incredible photographers, you know, still are intent on learning and developing themselves. And yeah, I mean that's just another feather in Henry's cap that we look at him as being like, oh wow, like you know, in awe, and there he is wanting to come to Manchester and learn off somebody else, yeah, to fly all the way from Nigeria to the UK to still continue his own professional development.
Helen Williams:And if I think there's any message that should just be just sent out to the world, not even just photographers no matter how much people regard you or think you're top of your game I think even Henry said that on his stream there will always be someone who's better than you.
Neil Redfern:Yeah he's got such a drive to help others. He offers his own education in Nigeria, where he's always trying to lift up the local photography industry and improve them. Such an amazing experience to speak to somebody like that and to say, please, please, please, do watch that stream. It's completely free to watch on the youtube channel and I promise you you will be inspired just from henry's words, let alone the images yeah, yeah, I'm on the love train too.
Helen Williams:Uh, it was absolutely inspiring and if there's one thing we all have to remember is, regardless of when we look at these photographers, or when we look at photographers who we think us, you know, or see to be gods and super accomplished, like they didn't get there on their own, they're learning, they're developing, and we found Henry, because he is still looking to learn and develop himself, as well as develop and lift up others, and I think we could not have found a better ambassador for Flashmasters. And he really, in terms of what we're trying to do as a brand, in terms of raising the standard of photography across the industry and supporting each other and inspiring each other, you know he is all of that package into one person.
Neil Redfern:He's absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to, yeah, to meet him at the airport and give him a massive hug in september yeah, exactly exactly, and it just makes me feel so proud I know you'll feel exactly the same of the photographers that we now have in the community. So the people I'm going to read out now are our ambassadors, but they are also members of the Flashmasters community, as we all are. And the list of names now I just can't get my head around it. So we've now got Jesse Moreau-LaPlante, henry of Big H Studios, jason Vincent, amber, henry, ben Connolly, christian Cardona, arnold Brown, tanya Parada, rocio Vega, scott Jones-White, ralph Sigalic, eli Beguino-Chico, andre Brown, marlies Hartman and Joss and Tree Woodsmith.
Neil Redfern:I mean, that's crazy. And I will just say before we move on, because we know we've been talking about this quite a while now. I promise to anybody listening every single one of those people behind the scenes is as supportive and as helpful to us as you would hope they ever could be. They just want to help and it's so nice. And, and if we can ever, you know, repay those people by talking about them on this podcast, then we should, because they are all amazing and we're very proud to have them yeah, very humbled, very blessed, very, very lucky.
Helen Williams:But yeah, what a fantastic community we have exactly anyway.
Neil Redfern:So to move on on the subject of us being inspired by henry and big h, you mentioned, helen, that there was something you thought of as a subject for this podcast off the back of that, so over to you yes, going back.
Helen Williams:I have barry right. Thank you, I can't remember your name cisco, cisco.
Neil Redfern:Oh yes, cisco.
Helen Williams:Thank you, cisco. Um yeah, so since the last podcast, I shot a wedding, really fantastic wedding, sort of a british slash colombian slash ital Italian wedding. That was absolutely phenomenal. First things first. I do need to say again us Brits on the dance floor, my goodness, we're dull.
Neil Redfern:Unless we've had like 15 Stellars. Yeah, yeah, and then it's just a horrible, weird. Well, I don't know what you'd even describe it as Well, you're dancing, you just kind of just tend to jump around, don't you?
Helen Williams:But anyway, we can't say that all people dance like you and I love it when you let loose and dance.
Neil Redfern:but it is just pretty much dancing on the spot.
Helen Williams:But my goodness, the Italians Woo, snake hips. They know how to move. And this has got nothing to do with the podcast, but I was just in awe.
Neil Redfern:It's a shame it's not visual.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I want to get Neil some like salsa lessons, like I think.
Neil Redfern:Neil should learn to dance. Italians don't do salsa. Oh, do they not? No, what do they?
Helen Williams:do Latin.
Neil Redfern:I don't know. I don't know.
Helen Williams:Well, I don't know either, but either way, whatever dance that they were doing, it was brilliant. I, I would. Yeah, it was incredible. And, to be fair, during the day it was, you know, a very refined, really nice day, and I thought, oh, is it going to kick off at night? Are we going to get these dance floor photos? And, my goodness, as soon as the first dance was cleared, the dance floor did not stop, particularly with our Italian contingents, and lots of them couldn't even speak very much English.
Helen Williams:But we got on so well, they were so much fun and I remember taking uh carlos the groom off with his bride louise, just for some sunset portraits. We had a nice little bit of golden hour and it was quite hard getting them off the dance floor. It took me quite a bit of convincing to uh to get them out and off it. But when I took them out I was like the dancing in there is amazing. And just car Carlos was randomly explaining that he was like when you grow up in Italy and you don't have much money, your mum teaches you to dance. She's like if you want a good wife, you need to know how to dance. And it was just. It was brilliant just to see all the different generations all dancing together. I don't know. This has nothing to do with what I was meant to be talking about on the podcast.
Helen Williams:I mean mean, I'm joining enthusiasm, but I'm just wondering where is this going.
Neil Redfern:I don't know, but they just danced really nice and I enjoyed it. You told me it was going to be about again. This is probably edited out, but we'll move on to the next bit. Oh, you know the next bit. Okay, the next bit.
Helen Williams:But I just got a little sidetracked.
Neil Redfern:No, I enjoyed the enthusiasm thanks, and the chair dancing was very impressive. Sorry to everybody listening, you won't be able to see that, but just actually you don't want to see this, so go on.
Helen Williams:My hips don't lie, I was Shakira-ing then my hips were going Anyway, right. So the whole point of like one thing I thought about today was that wedding I shot with my sister, who also came on Shine, and this was just before Shine. So far we, two weddings together and my sister.
Neil Redfern:There's two of you there is literally, she is so much like me, it's, it's quite scary she is, yes, she is.
Helen Williams:So we're both hyperactive, very chatty, very enthusiastic talks, a million miles an hour and just full of energy on a wedding day, and it's been a real pleasure to to work with my sister.
Neil Redfern:So for those that aren't aware, your sister is just getting into wedding photography now, isn't she? So what's her background in photography?
Helen Williams:Very briefly for those listening, Well, originally her degree is in fine art from back in the day, so she is someone who understands light and has studied art to degree level. And then she's been studying photography in college part time while she's been raising her two gorgeous children, who I love very much. But yes, she's been studying part-time in college for maybe two or three years, maybe a little bit longer than that, and she's now sort of new into wedding photography. Previously done a little bit of commercial, done some family work etc. But looking to start her own wedding photography business.
Helen Williams:And one thing that I noticed, just knowing that when I first started, thank you to Chris Acarpa, edm photography, who I always just throw under the bus and love having a good rant at and picking on him. Um, but he took me under his wing when I was starting and I always remember him saying to me oh, it's almost annoying when I leave a wedding day because I've worked really, really hard, but everyone's thanking you because of the energy that I brought, getting involved in the wedding days and sort of get just getting stuck in and enjoying myself with the guests. I always say, oh, it's really annoying because you could do like a lap of honor and everyone would applaud you because of what I brought to the wedding day and it's been like really amazing to kind of see that from his side and sort of point of view as well. So, obviously, when you're lead, shooting a wedding can be really stressful, you know, and I still like to think I'm still a bit of a nut job myself during a wedding day and you know I enjoy it and get involved.
Helen Williams:However, there's a certain amount of pressure and times that you need to, you know, make sure the things get done. But it's been fantastic to step back and watch my sister almost take my spot as a second shooter, who's got a little bit more time, who's there building relationships, who's having fun, who's interacting with the guests, who's helping, you know, the, the groomsmen get ready and just, you know, generally being there as a hype woman on the wedding day and she, she was that hype person and it was just fantastic to really see that. And and whenever I'm leaving now, when she's done only two weddings with me, but each time I've left the amount of people also giving huge hugs to my sister, really sort of embracing and thanking her for what she did on a wedding day, and it's been really interesting to sort of see that through a different sort of pair of eyes almost, and recognize the importance of how we present ourselves on a wedding day and how the energy that we give so can have a huge impact on how people sort of look back at you.
Helen Williams:And I always think on one of my favorite quotes and this also links back to big h or henry, because he said the same thing not that this is my favorite quote, but I love maya angelou's quote of people forget what you said.
Helen Williams:People will forget what you did, but they'll never forget the way you made them feel yes, it's, very true as well it just resonates to me and it's just been fantastic to see that, like I said, from a different perspective or a different set of eyes, and to see how the impact my sister's had on these weddings, because she's bringing the energy and getting involved. But yeah, big H said exactly the same thing and about how you communicate with people is so important. I've even noted down people will forget your work, but not your personality, and you need to understand communication, and I think that was him talking about how he makes his clients comfortable on shoot, how he deals with his own nerves on a shoot, and being able to communicate effectively with people and make them feel good is almost like the key to you've got the keys to the castle if you're able to do that.
Neil Redfern:I totally agree, yeah, and it's actually, firstly, just really nice to hear you talking so lovingly and with such respect about your sister as well.
Helen Williams:Oh, she's my hero.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, and I agree. I mean we should say as well you said you thanked Chris there. Chris also should be publicly thanked as well in relation to this.
Helen Williams:Yes, so I'll let you say why. So my sister came and shot that wedding with me just before Shine.
Neil Redfern:Because your sister lives what three, three and a half hours away from us.
Helen Williams:Yes, yeah. So because she was coming to Shine and I had a wedding the day before, she shot the wedding with me. Then did she did a full Shine workshop.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, this was intense. Emma did very well to get through this.
Helen Williams:So yeah did a full three-day workshop, whilst also helping with all of the food, making sure the people had drinks, and taking care of everyone and learning and taking it all in and practising. And then she had one day off, I believe, and then she went and shot two weddings with Chris.
Neil Redfern:On the bounce.
Helen Williams:Yes. So I will say, obviously, chris, like I said, said he did. He took me under his wing when I first started. I didn't know anyone in the industry, I didn't know any other photographers, and he was so kind to speak to me at a wedding fair and allow me to start coming to his weddings and, yeah, he kind of, yeah, he solidified himself as a true gent and top person, because not only has he done that for me but he did that for my sister too. So, thank you so much, chris, and I'm I'm sure, like it must have sent him back to back like 10 years when he first sort of took me under his wing and I was all practically you know.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, like gremlins, they've multiplied. There's another one.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I don't think people actually believe that like there could be two of me, but the reality is there is.
Neil Redfern:No, and I will say it was nice because after one of those, the second of those weddings, chris brought Emma back to the house and we were chatting with him for a bit and I was also say thank you, chris, it's so nice that you did this for Emma. And he was saying about the things that Emma had said and done at that wedding which had brought about moments. Now, obviously there's very different approaches and mindsets to should you be that fly on the wall, tyler working type photo journalist who doesn't get involved, or should you just go full Griffiths girl and make things happen, like make oh, what's it called the human wheelbarrow thing?
Helen Williams:Oh, she did a wheelbarrow race.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, make that sort of thing happen and everything like that. And there's no right or wrong answer. Remember, with photography, subjective, wedding is objective. How you approach wedding is different, is unique to you. But I think chris really liked that your sister was bringing these things, this energy to the wedding, making things happen, making moments happen, and he could then shoot those moments, because that's exactly what I would be like. My personality doesn't lend itself to saying let's start a wheelbarrow race over there, but if your sister was there and she did that, I would be the first on the floor shooting it. Yeah, oh, brilliant. You know I'd be like you can't really make these things happen by the rules of photography, but now that you have, I'd love it. So you know, you've got. I think you've got to lean into your own personality type, but chris seemed to really, I think, love the fact that emma was making these things happen yeah, and I've done that too and that's the fun thing.
Helen Williams:When she came back and chris was like, oh god, it was like, yeah, having helen back from like 2015 or something, and I would I've done real barry races previously. I think on that particular wedding she had the groomsman proper throwing the groom up in the air. When she did her first wedding with me she started a dance off. So, yeah, it's definitely an interesting discussion in terms of, you know, we do have the Tyler Workins don't get involved. I know there's photographers who literally don't speak to people on a wedding day at all or will try to. You know, know, really be that fly on the wall and not interfere at all. But I do think that, yeah, if you've got the personality, then I don't necessarily see as interfering.
Neil Redfern:Can it be taught?
Helen Williams:Probably not, actually, I don't know, can it?
Neil Redfern:I think oh, it's really hard. I don't think you can change your personality types. You can't instantly just become your sister or you. If you're a quiet, introverted person, I, that's who I am by default. However, I do believe that you can train yourself to come out of your shell for a certain amount of time to become somebody else, act a role, and that role can be someone who does make these moments happen.
Neil Redfern:And then as soon as you walk away from that wedding, as soon as you're in the car driving home, you then turn that person off and you just go back to default.
Neil Redfern:I think you can do that yeah because I'm a believer that I am a very introverted person. If, if you would say to me now, you know, can you host a live stream, can you do a youtube video, can you cajole 150 people on a wedding day and get people laughing and everything like that and get the moments out of couples and people on a wedding day, I'd be like the default me would be like, well, no way I can do that. That'd be awful. It's not me at all, but I've learned to do it. It's a learned behavior, but it's not my default behavior. So I do think it is an act to a degree. Yeah, you know, even you know I say when I'm, if I'm, hosting a live stream, I'll try and always bring a bit more umph and energy. You know, we can be sat down, can't we, before hosting one of our streams, eating tea downstairs, downstairs, and we might be like, oh, you know, it's been so hard today. Like, oh, you know, we've not stopped.
Neil Redfern:Oh, I've got to go and do a live stream now, but yet on that live stream, no one would know that we feel a bit tired and it is all real when you're on that then because your adrenaline kicks in and then it lifts you up, and I think it's the same on a wedding day. So I don't think you can change your default personality, but I do think you can train yourself to know what to do and what to say on that day for a few hours to bring moments.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I will say that all of this comes you know so many. I'm terrible. I'll wink at uncles or like I am someone who'll get myself involved and, like I said, try to create moments. If nothing's happening, then I'm there trying to stir the pot so that something does. But like it gives me an extra respect then for those who are purely documentary and the patience that it must take. But it makes me think about in terms of how difficult or easy our job is. Surely, if you're involved in a wedding day, if you've brought a lot of fun and laughter, that you've got involved and you know, I know that most weddings, or 99.9% of weddings, even if I didn't deliver my personal best work, I still think my couples will love it because of the experience and when they say that, that quote, they'll forget what you said, forgot what you did, but remember how you made them feel.
Helen Williams:If you're someone who's getting involved on a wedding day, if you're making someone feel beautiful or special or giving compliments I compliment so many people on a wedding day- whether it's their outfit. I love to give compliments, not from me. Oh yeah, you look a bit sweaty and stressed, babe.
Neil Redfern:But no, you do, you do. I've said this before on probably one of the very, very early podcasts. One of the things that I always remember from an early wedding that I shot with you is how that particular bridesmaid, if you remember, at the end I mean she'd had a few drinks, admittedly, but wanted you to shoot her wedding, even though she'd already booked her wedding photographer. She was getting married you you know, in a few months time and she was like, oh, I really want you to do it now. And that's because of how you made her feel and the bridesmaids feel on that day. She hadn't even seen any of your work. You know who you were. She'd never seen the back of your camera, she'd not seen your portfolio. She would have literally just known you were the photographer on that day she was on the, on the verge of tears, wasn't she?
Neil Redfern:Yeah, she wanted to book you, yeah, even though she'd already got somebody, and I think that is very, very powerful. And I've never had that on the wedding day. I don't think I've probably had the love and the adoration from people who are not the bride and groom on a wedding day that you do receive, and that is because of what you bring, and the same is clearly what Emma brings as well, and I do get jealous. Really I'd like to be more like that, but I'd say I don't think you can just change it overnight to be that way, but it's brilliant when you can.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, and I'm not even sure what the whole point of this I think the it's the importance of communication and not to forget the importance of how you conduct yourself on a wedding day does bleed into the photographs that we take. Now, even if we take away, we're talking a lot about moments, documentary, you know that sort of thing. But one of the things that and we will be talking about on a live stream, I think the 5th of June in the flashmatters community and there's a couple of things I would like to talk about in that live stream, because what we spoke about here is very much bringing moments to documentary and just shooting natural moments of guests and other people at the wedding. But one of the things that is very common when we look at the entries to the Flashmasters Awards as you'll know, helen and I never judged the awards we don't really get involved at all, other than just Helen very kindly runs the back end of the awards. She will liaise with the judges and everything like that. But we do see the entries. Helen sees them all Sometimes I'll just look over her shoulder and one of the biggest frustrations I always feel is we can see certain images that are technically perfect or amazing, compositionally incredible, but the couple just look static and bored and it's that injection of moment that people really forget about, I think.
Neil Redfern:And training yourself to bring the energy. And we think let's think of, like just to pull a name out of the hat Jeff Tisman's work. Like we love Jeff's work and if I'm going to picture now in my head a typical Jeff Tisman shot, my God, that couple are it's electric, isn't it?
Neil Redfern:Yeah, they are bringing so much energy, they're almost screaming at times. And you look at that image and obviously compositionally fantastic, edited, perfectly, shot, the lighting, it's all there. But by God, the couple there are bringing so much energy into that photograph that you just think, whoa, look at that and it's totally different to what we're normally looking at. Now compare that to a photograph which is has all those good elements except for the couple's energy and they're maybe just stood there as a penguin pose. There is a huge difference in emotion that we, the viewer, feel when we look at those two examples and it's important to remember that.
Helen Williams:Yeah, and I think in general, as human beings we kind of reflect. We tend to reflect the energy and the kind of. You know we're chameleons, a lot of people are chameleons, and if you're someone who puts out a high energy, you're going to receive a high energy back.
Neil Redfern:So, um, yeah, it's so. Yeah, the couple get that. You know, jeff, I've never seen jeff working, unfortunately, but I can guarantee that jeff, couples are not just doing that without jeff bringing it himself. Yeah, jeff must be prompting them, riling them up like like a, I'm doing like a clockwork thing with like a, like a children's toy, you know, and it's like, and you have to wind it up and then you let it go.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, yeah, exactly yeah, jeff will be getting his couple so pumped that and it's like now bring it, and then they're going crazy. That is the job of the photographer as well, and I talk about this a lot at shine what we spoke about the shine before and sometimes you can just look at an image and think I know that the photographer has probably been really quiet there when, again, this is in relation to portraits, you know, and sometimes I'll see it, I'll see it at workshops, and I stress the importance of communicating with the couple, with the models that you're working with. I think one of my slides at Shine has said that there should never be for me anyway, there should never really be a period of more than five to ten seconds of silence if you're wanting a shot where you've got energy between you and the couple. Otherwise it gets really awkward. But it is on the photographer for that, I believe yeah, we did a lot of communicate, communicate, all right.
Neil Redfern:I was walking around as shy and just going talk to them and one of the reasons that we know this is important is that when we modeled last year for Jason and for Jesse and Moira because that was a workshop there was times where they were taking our photograph and then someone would ask them a question. They would then obviously start, turn around, answer that question and we're still in the pose and then you'll feel really awkward yeah, well, what should we be doing exactly?
Neil Redfern:obviously that's a very fake scenario. You know, none of those photographers would let that happen on a real shoot. But it shows you the importance of not letting the couple feel awkward, and silence does breed awkwardness.
Helen Williams:Yeah, we've gone off on so many different tangents.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, we have I don't know what the point of all this was but well done, Emma.
Helen Williams:I do think yeah, well done, nema. Like well done it's so hard, nema?
Neil Redfern:You have to explain why you said Nema.
Helen Williams:Oh, because her nickname's Nems. But don ask me why it's NEMS. It's been that long since she's been calling NEMS. I can't even tell you why we call her that.
Neil Redfern:NEM is nice, though I like it.
Helen Williams:NEM, NEM, NEM, NEMS. So yeah well done to my sister, like well done to everyone who's still like early on in their journey, and I just think that the more energy and the more you put out into the world, this is all like bleh, isn't it?
Helen Williams:get back yeah, we have. We've been henried. I could almost have a look back through and all my notes of all his amazing things to do as well. He spoke so much about ego and obviously not having that, and about life is evolving and I am learning and I just think we, we just all have to do that. But yeah, go watch his dream yeah, definitely.
Neil Redfern:No, do watch it, and I'll link to it in the description as well. And just before we finish the podcast, I would also say what I really respect about your sister as well is that when she got back from Noah's wedding, she spent so long downloading and editing the images and going through and critiquing herself. Yes.
Neil Redfern:You know, there was a couple of times I won't bring up why and things but she was being quite hard on herself about things that she wished that she would have done slightly differently. And I was saying that is so good that you've done that. You've not just come back and then thought I'll download the cards in a few days, because she was second shooting or anything like that. She's downloaded them straight away. She did the same after Shine as well, when we had that day in between where I was just out of it. The last thing I was going to do on that day was download anything or even work. But your sister was there with us on the sofa downloading on a laptop, going through her images and thinking if only I would have done this.
Neil Redfern:And there was something that she didn't want to chrissy's wedding, where I know that she was saying, oh, if only. And that was so healthy because I said you're critiquing yourself now. The next time you're in that situation, you will do it differently. That is the process. You're in that situation. You will do it differently. That is the process you're going through of learning and developing. And I just thought it was brilliant. One to the enthusiasm, but two to see her commitment to critiquing herself, I thought, yeah, fair play, that's brilliant.
Helen Williams:So my main learning points, to summarize, is that even the best, the people at the top of their game, are still learning. They understand that they're still learning. And another thing that I've written down here as a key quote from them from Henry is that you need to be dissatisfied with your work and obviously that's what pushes you on. So I don't know, from all this, bring energy, what you put out. You get back, critique yourself, keep learning and go smash it.
Neil Redfern:I'm sure somewhere in all this there are very solid lessons, just a bit of a mismashy way.
Helen Williams:Yeah, I don't really. Yeah, there's many, but there's that.
Neil Redfern:This is what happens when you don't do a podcast for a month. Anyway, thank you so much, everyone, for listening. If you would like to join us in the Flashmasters community, you can do so at flashmastersco. You in the next one.
Helen Williams:Oh, it's been a while since I've done this, hasn't it? So don't forget to keep flashing.
Neil Redfern:Well done, barry. Speak to you all soon, bye.
