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Ryan Schembri - The story behind the tour - part 2 of 1 2

Published 01/04/2008

My Background

It is for this that people pay professionals! We can see the light and connect our subjects to where we are photographing them. By refining this process every time I am shooting a wedding it enables me to continue to photograph as many weddings that I do without feeling board or lifeless. If I where someone that went to the same spot and did the same thing every weekend I would be very tempted to jump straight of this wharf!

My passion for refinement, especially with the amazing tools we have available (Photoshop, Capture One etc.) it is this one thing can easily distract me and take up a lot of my time. For me it is my escape from the real world, seeing beyond the actual image presented in front of me and converting it into art, what a world we live in!

A passion for education, as I write this the final touches are being put on the biggest tour I have done, and thanks to the SWPP I will be in Europe talking for a whole month!

Education is what pushes all of us further then we could ever imagine. Some people ask why I would go and share all my secrets with so many people? My answer: If I don't who's going to push me to find the next thing? Why hold back, if you hold back on sharing you are holding back on yourself, it is amazing when you open up to people how in turn they open up to you!

Let's see...at the moment life is good! I am happy; I have a business to grow and plenty of work to keep us all busy. My priorities in life at the moment lie in our core business with XSiGHT Photography & Video. Over the next 18 months, my aim is to find more great and talented people to surround myself with. I see this to be the next step in moving the business forward and will be an exciting time of growth and development for all.

With every leap and bound I take towards continued success there is always a price to pay in return. I have made plenty of mistakes and in reality will probably make a few more, but this is how we all grow and learn.

I could say that the last six months have been somewhat stressful and trying for me (and this would be a massive understatement)! With the help of my partner Jessica, who I owe a lot to, this period of pressure and stress has been greatly relieved! Jessica is not only one of the most well respected fashion photographers in the country, she keeps my head screwed on and always helps to point me in the right direction on a lot of important business decisions.

As far a 'business' goes there will be a lot of welcome and positive changes coming for 2008, and hopefully I can enjoy the ride! As far as photography goes, I feel a new wave is fast approaching, with our clients from the 'Generation Y', we are now expected to lift the bar once again. These expectations will come in several different forms. I believe one of the biggest expectations from our clients will be in the tools we use to create their treasured memories.

In around two weeks time, I will almost take a step back 15 years to how my father was used to shoot, equipment wise anyway! (Let's hope the 'heads in the wine glas's never sees the light of day again!) What I mean is I am taking a leap into new territory for most of us wedding photographers and taking a hint from some of the most highly respected landscape, fashion and editorial shooters in the world. I will be shooting predominantely with a medium-format digital camera, with only the reportage work being shot with DSLR. Why you may ask? Aren't the files we already work with good enough? Maybe! But at the next wedding you go to, look out for 'Uncle Bob' with his brand new, shiny Canon 1DS MkIII or flashy, brand spanking new Nikon D3!

Before you say it, yes I realise it's not only the tools you have that make us great photographers, it's what you do with those tools! I know, I know! In years gone by a photographer was hired because they had a camera that no one at the wedding would even know how to use, or could afford! It was a highly respected and cherished service to be able to have your wedding recorded in such a way. Do yourself a favour and look back at some of the work from 15 years ago, in fact please find an enlargement from that time, then tell me how good it still looks!

Our work needs to look amazing now and in 20 years' time. In this day and age anyone can purchase a reasonably good digital camera, whack it on setting 'P' for 'professional' and fire away. This again enforces why we all need to lift our game as professionals - as we did 20 years ago. Digital technology looks better and better with each new camera release and with each new finishing technique we apply.

So, what's around the corner from here?......who knows, the options are endless! I at least know what's on my wish list so far! With the release of the RED camera, we are now able to take the form of cinematographer and a photographer later in the process of finishing our files. Is this any good for the industry? Of course! Embrace what is available, make it yours, and the evolution will continue. Just don't hold back!]

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1st Published 01/04/2008
last update 09/12/2022 14:58:41

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