rowe timson photography » rowe timson photography ~ commercial photographer and family portraits. sydney, brisbane, gold coast.

{if you havent read fridays post – the post before this one - its probably best to go read that first, then come back and read this post}

so i had decided to photograph my family more and to use my film cameras so i didnt have to edit my personal images.  initially the idea was met with such enthusiasm and excitement so i wondered why after a few months passed, i hadnt taken a single photo on film…  im not sure why exactly but i suspect i had gotten a little lazy…  id become accustom to instant gratification, to be able to look on the back of the camera and know id nailed a shoot was a good feeling! i think maybe i was also a little scared…  like perhaps i had forgotten how to take a photo on my film cameras…  how crazy is that!

i knew i needed to feel inspired…  i needed to do something just for me!

in december, just before xmas, i contacted a photographer who i have loved for sometime.  his name is jonathan canlas.  if you dont know him…  go check out his work now.  you will love how he captures people in such a true and authentic way, his beautiful soft colours and creamy skin tones – he is amazing and shoots film 100% of the time!

anyway, i wrote him to see if he had any workshops coming up in the usa in february because i would be there then for wppi conference. to my surprise, jonathon was coming to australia in january, melbourne to be exact.  he had one place left in his workshop and i figured it was meant to be – that place was for me!

the workshop was everything i hoped for and more!  jonathan is so real.  his motto is no secrets…  there is no question he wont answer because he is so open and willing to share!  did i mention he is so technically capable, its ridiculous?  he knows everything there is to know about a camera, light and film and i mean everything…  ive never met someone who knows their camera settings like he does!

jonathan loves film and his excitement is contagious! he is encouraging and supportive…  he just rocks and thats that!

i went off to the workshop hoping to leave with a rekindled love for film and the confidence i once had to get out there and actually shoot personal work and that is exactly what i got!  i also met some really amazing photographers…  what a super talented bunch of people i got to hang out with for 3 days…  i want to show them some love so ill link here so you can go check out their work!

tavis johnson…  jonathans side kick…  funny and charming and i cant believe you love coke a cola more than i do!

jonas peterson…  talented beyond words but ever so humble and grounded…  you rock my friend!

samm blake…  you take beautiful photos and your all kinds of lovely!  i hope know your living your dream…

lea kua…  you have the biggest heart…  your soft and sweet and mega talented too!

tealily photography…  trish, your as cute as a button and you take the dreamiest of pictures!

beata english…  dearest sweetest beata…  your just awesome my gorgeous friend!

fiona anderson…  one of my most favourite kiwis…  so bubbly and full of life!

liz arcus…  i feel so blessed to have met you…  such a gentle, loving soul!

emma jay…  one of the kindest, most caring friends…  so encouraging and supportive!

janine kaye…  what a beautiful person…  be sure to shine my dear sweet friend.  you deserve it!

jodi mcdonald…  i still giggle when i think of you…  your beyond funny…  such a positive person and so much fun!

helena sofia…  such a sweetheart…  im looking forward to seeing your business grow!

angela higgins…  it was super nice to meet you…  hope the wedding was all kinds of wonderful!

nicole spears…  i loved getting to know you a little over yummy italian!

adrian tuazon…  your just so damn clever…  i love your work!

as if learning from the master of film and hanging out with the coolest bunch of photographers ever isnt enough…  when the workshop was over, its wasnt really over at all…  you are forever part of an online forum of past FIND workshop attendees and a very active and supportive facebook group!  jonathan is on the forum and facebook commenting on everything and sharing inspiring links…  he just loves photography. he loves film and loves encouraging others to get out there and shoot it!

you might be wondering how this is relevant to you, if you are a digital photographer and love everything about digital – why would you want to shoot film? why would you learn to shoot film if you dont want to incorporate that into your business model, if you have no intention of offering it to your clients?  well… im not saying everyone should shoot film on a daily basis (although im sure you might want to after you spend a little time slowing down and learning the craft).  im saying that i think learning how to shoot film, will change the way you shoot digital and you just might become a better photographer in the process!

if at anytime in the future, its possible for you to go to a FIND workshop, do it… you will be forever thankful!!!

i have been shooting film a little since the workshop.  i have so many rolls of 35mm and medium format film ready to be developed…  i was planning to wait and write this post when i had some film images to share but ive been in bed sick for the last week and i thought it seemed like the perfect time to share.

ill be sharing photos soon but for today, instead of images of my own, i thought id leave you with some links.  a few of my favourite film photographers… some have been shooting film forever and ive loved them for that long!  some who shoot both digital and film and seem to be shooting film more and more.  a couple i have only recently discovered so im going to link to a fave post from each of them rather than just their blog or website…  you can always click on their home pages to explore their work more!

jonathan canlas (of course) ~

i love this family and their story…  the images are just beautiful!

i really love that jonathan shoots so much personal work…  it was his personal images taken with the G2 that made me keep coming back to his blog to see more – i have that camera so i found it inspiring to hear someone love it so much!  another cute family here too.

becky earl ~

this has to be the most gorgeous session ever…  so much sparkle and personality captured.  soft and dreamy…  so precious!

ive loved beckys work for sometime and she used to only shoot digital so i have loved watching her transition into shooting film 100% of the time!

elizabeth messina ~

this is beyond beautiful…  elizabeth takes super pretty pictures!  that was a kind of short blog post so here is another favourite and another…

oh just one more!

jose villa ~

oh my…  this wedding makes me want to move to the country and get married in a field…  jose is one of my most favourite wedding photographers…  he is amazing at what he does!

how pretty is this session of amelia too!

diana palmer (yan photo) ~

yan posted these images today and im crazy about them…  it has to be one of the most gorgeous engagement sessions!

i love this shoot too…  a dancer, flowers and a soft creamy colour palette…  its oh so pretty!  diana doesnt shooting film 100% of the time so some of this shoot was shot on digital.  i like seeing the difference between the two mediums.  i love her work no matter what!

jen haung ~

jen shoots both digital and film but everything she photographs is just beautiful…

i really do love her personal work and how sweet is this engagement session!

clary pfeiffer ~

i so love everything about this shoot!  the light is golden and the connections captured are so sincere…  its a sweet family portrait!

i have so many more that i love but that should keep you all busy for a while!

 

VIDEOS INTERVIEWS…

before i go, i want share a couple of videos links too…

jimmy fontaine…  im in love with his fashion images so be sure to check them out!  i  love so much of what had to say in this interview

(warning: some mild language)…

i especially liked these two quotes…

‘its really important to get your a___ kicked in a sense, because thats when you learn the most.’

‘to really create a moving iconic photograph, its so much more than the equipment you use.’

while your at camerabag.tv check out the interviews with the other photographers because there is so much good stuff over there!!!

diana palmer and becky earl were featured on framed show a few months back so thats fun to watch!  while there, check out the ryan muirhead feature cause he’d awesome!

leave a comment with links of other film photographers you know and love – even if its your own link – so i can add them to my favourites…  i would LOVE that!

p.s.  you know i cant do a post without a photo…  i thought it was fitting to include these photos of me, taken by jonathan canlas at the melbourne FIND workshop!

those of you who know me, know that i love film…  for those of you who dont know that about me, here is a little about my photography journey so far!

my love for photography started with a canon AE1 in high school and many hours spent in the darkroom in year 11 and 12 (sorry mum…  i know i was meant to be attending other subjects!).

i later invested in a contax G2 with 3 lenses and a flash.  i loved that camera more than you can imagine…  what amazing photos it takes!

not long after that, i found myself dreaming of owning a medium format camera so i went out and bought the mamiya 645AFD.  it felt so lovely in my hands. and i could switch from 120 to 220 to polaroid…  it just doesnt get much better than that…  i was in heaven!

ive done various photography jobs throughout my adult life.

ive photographed the mundane – think golf courses…  i photographed golf courses in nz, malaysia and the usa for a cd rom publication.  im sure taking photos of golf courses would be an exciting job for someone…  someone who loves golf or shooting landscapes probably but thats just not me…

ive had photography jobs i liked an awful lot – i was a location scout in the film and television industry.  my bosses were amazing and it was a super fun and positive place to work.

then there are the photography jobs i really loved…  i love to shoot people and i love fashion so needless to say, working in the fashion industry with some really creative and inspiring people was amazing!  it was extremely exciting to see my work published in some of my favourite magazines like oyster!

note : before digital and online portfolios, photographers showed their work in books…  mine was an 11×14 leather book full of photos and tear sheets.  it now gathers dust in a box in our garage but we are just about to move so ill dig it up when we are settled and scan a few of my favourite tear sheets to share them with you here.

between my various photography jobs ive worked in childcare and hospitality…  i love children.  i love people.  obviously both of those jobs are a really good fit for me.

in 2008 i started to study at nature care college in sydney to become a nutritionalist.  i get asked a lot, how did that come about?  i dare say its a whole different blog post cause its such a complex issue…  in a nutshell, audrey has loads of allergies and i have dedicated hours and hours researching and worked hard for many years on healing her tummy and strengthening her immune system through diet, vitamins and lots of alternative treatments…  because of our experiences and knowing how hard it can be, i really wanted to help other mums heal their children, so i began down a new and exciting path.

your probably wondering, why im not a nutritionalist now, why im not working in childcare or hospitality.  why im here writing about photography?  when i was studying nutrition, i started to get restless as i always did when i was doing something that wasnt photography.  i dreamt of being a photographer…  i talked about it to anybody who would listen…  then one day, i started to listen to myself.  to realise that photography makes my heart sing and i knew that i wanted nothing more than to be a photographer so here we are!  im doing what i love and i couldnt be happier!  everyday i think how lucky i am that i followed my heart and didnt take a different path…  everything happens for a reason…

that being said, getting to this point was not an easy journey…  the most difficult time came in 2005 when i decided it was time to move into the world of digital photography.  i packed away my film camera and i bought a canon eos 20D.  i had to learn a new way of shooting.  i had to learn how to use a computer and editing software. how to save, store and share my work with potential clients online.  from a professional point of view, i think most of the changes in the industry are awesome but it did take me sometime to get my head around it all…  dont laugh…  im technically challenged so learning new computer skills doesnt come as easy to me as one might think it should!

last year i found myself looking through old film photos with a heavy heart…  i wished for those days where shooting was simple.  where you turn up to a job and you take photos.  you go to your favourite lab to drop off the film.  you tell the technician you want poppy colours and lots of contrast. then comes the waiting…  a feeling of anticipation, hoping you got something you love!  the wait was almost unbearable but its also one of things i love and miss the most!

when you get back that envelope filled with photos the waiting was worth every minute…  the feeling of textured paper in your hands.  seeing an image that you captured that is perfect in every way – you cant crop it or do a curves layer, no colour adjustments or warming it up… knowing you got it right in camera. loving it just the way you captured it…  the image being exactly as you imagined without you doing a thing to it.  there is something quiet magical about that!

anyway, in 2010 i was thinking how little i photographed my own family which made me feel sad…  i hadnt been taking personal photos because my work load was keeping me busy and i couldnt stand the thought of having personal images to sort and edit on top of my clients work which always takes priority…  i was thinking i wanted to photograph audrey more and i wanted to take photos on film again so i decided that i would try and shoot all my personal work on film!  i was sure shooting film would encourage me to take more photos of my family and i would be shooting film again!

i was so excited!  i got out my film cameras (thank goodness i never sold them because there were times when i considered it!), i bought film (that was difficult because all the films i remember loving were no longer being made!).  i popped them on my tv unit in my room thinking if i had them sitting there, where i could see them, i would use them.  december came and i realised i hadnt taken any photos, not even one single frame!

im pretty sure this is the longest post ive ever done…  perhaps cause ive been sick the last week and im beyond bored.  or maybe i just have so much to say…  anyway, for that reason, im going to make this story into 2 posts…

{part 2 is coming soon…}

rowe x

p.s. because i cant do a post without a photo, here is a photo of me with my beloved contax G2 taken by renee from nfe designs.  this was taken in february this year at a jesh concert in the las vegas desert at sunrise.  we were there attending the wppi conference (wedding and portrait photographers international conference)…  wppi was amazing but that too, is another blog post, for another day!