At the end of last year the guys at
Profoto gave me a Profoto B10 to test out. I cannot begin to tell you just how much fun I had with this light. It was like the light in me was switched on again and all my creative inspiration surged! I started playing with my photography again and made a series of portraits which were an absolute pleasure and joy to create. When you are shooting constantly as a professional photographer it is easy to get tired and get into a rut. Using
Profoto got me even more excited about using strobe lighting as it is so lightweight and uncomplicated to use.
Next thing you know they asked me to be a brand ambassador! Wow! What a milestone that was.
I am now using the B10 and 2 A1’s along with various lighting adaptors and a trigger and I am loving them!
Image by: Tyrone Bradley
They recently asked me to answer the following 10 questions which I thought I would share on my blog.
1.When did your commercial photography career start, and what was your first commercial job?
I kinda fell into wedding photography about a decade ago, which is when my photography career seriously started. I did quite a few photography jobs in the years previous to this but I didn’t call my self a photographer. I studied Fine Art after school and then headed overseas. After many years of backpacking around the world I returned to South Africa and went back to Tech to study photography and get a more technical boost to my education. During this time I was also making mixed media art and having exhibitions. People started asking me to photograph weddings and because I have a creative background and approached weddings differently to what other photographers were doing at the time things took off really quickly for me. My initial plan was to use the wedding Photography to fund my art career but I haven’t picked up a paintbrush in a very long time as the weddings took over everything! Nowadays I also love photographing portraits and I’ve been doing some commercial work recently as well.
2.What camera did you use to shoot your very first commercial job with?
The very first time I got paid to do a photography job I was using a film camera, it was that long ago.
Image by: Tatum
3.Can you remember your first payday, and how much did you earn for that very first job?
I literally cannot remember!
4.Did you have any formal education in photography, and if so, where? If not, how did you learn your craft?
I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art majoring in Photography at Michaelis UCT – this degree was very much about “how to think and communicate ideas with images” rather than a technical degree so after traveling abroad for many years I returned to South Africa and did a Diploma in Photography from the Durban University of Technology. I also worked for free for a few different photographers and that REALLY helped me learn my craft.
5. Is there a genre in photography that is on your “bucket list” and something you still aspire to get involved with?
Yes I would love to do underwater photography, get back into my Fine Art work and also do some more documentary work with NGO’s.
6.How important is Tech in your career, referring to the latest and greatest that the manufacturers supply?
I believe good ideas, creativity and a thorough understanding of light and composition are more important than having the latest gear. That being said I was extremely excited and inspired with my new Profoto B10! It’s so easy to use and makes me sooooo happy!
7. In your world, what technological advancement or improvement made the biggest difference to your career
Learning how to use flash was a game changer for me.
8.If you could change just one thing about the greater industry, what would that be?
I wish that there was less ego. We are all just photographers on a journey. When we think we know everything we have lost the ability to grow!
9.How do you see the future of the photographic business in all segments of the market?
That’s a very tricky question to answer in the time of COVID-19 when we are unsure of anything but one thing is certain all businesses need content to build an online presence so we will be back! As for weddings and families, I think people are realising how important loved ones are during this time so hopefully this will mean that people will value beautiful images of their loved ones even more.
10. Do you have a single image from your commercial career that stands out as a personal favorite? Please share
I recently made a series of “lock-down portraits” which are deeply personal and have helped me move out of a difficult depression so whilst they aren’t commercial they have a lot of value to me.
If you would like to view the rest of my lockdown portrait series, click here
11.What do you see as your biggest challenge in the next 24 months?
As a wedding photographer most of my clients are postponing their weddings to 2021, which means that there will be a knock on effect as it will be hard to juggle these dates and the need to get new business.
I am also going through huge shifts and reconnecting with my artist’s heart so I feel change is in the air for Jax. I wont stop shooting though. I feel alive when I have a camera in my hand!
12.If you had R100 000 today to blow on hardware, what would you buy?
Can I make it R250 000 and buy the Sony A9 and some lenses?? Pretty please J
13.How do you feel about attending workshops to better your skills, and how would you like to see workshops in general being formulated?
I attended the Two Mann Wedding photography workshop in Spain in 2016 and it was an incredible experience. Besides attending conferences and photography expos this is actually the only workshop I have attended.
I think I could’ve really jump started my technical and business knowledge and saved myself a lot of time and made a lot less frustrating mistakes had I done a few workshops right at the beginning of my career.
I’ve been running my own workshops over the past couple of years and really do delight in seeing my students grow and thrive. These are called the Unstuck Yourself Creative photography workshops and I made them for photographers who want to learn to think outside of the box, develop their own style, find their ideal clients and make friends with their flash along with a bunch of other things.
14.Who is you biggest Icon in the photographic world, past or present?
Annie Leibovitz blows my mind away! I just love her portraiture.
15. If you were given a choice, and could only choose one, would you shoot in colour or B&W for the rest of your life?
Definitely colour!!!! I am all about the colour, I love black and white but colour makes my world go round!
