In this introduction Tec will regale you with the “unimpressive tales” of his early days and share what it took for him to progress from where he was to where he is now. As Tec says, “there’s no magic secret to making it”. We’ll let him tell you his story.
It took years of grunt work and hustle for Tec to make it as a wedding photography. Even now, he’s still pushing the limits and learning lessons; lessons he wants to share with you. In this chapter we’ll give the the roadmap for what’s to come in this course. It will be like you’re sitting on Tec’s front porch, listening to him tell you stories of his experiences in photography. Before we dive into shooting, you’ll watch a short video to learn what’s inside Tec’s camera bag.
We’ll cover how Tec captures engagement sessions and more specifically, how he shoots people. We’ll talk about location scouting, styling, encouraging natural interaction and movement between a couple, and most importantly storytelling. Tec also shares his thoughts on how to use engagement sessions as opportunities for growing your portfolio. At the end, you’ll watch a video of Tec shooting a real couple’s session in Mexico, followed by the final layout and full Pixieset gallery.
In this chapter, Tec goes over how he approaches a wedding from the time it’s booked to the moment the “just married” getaway car drives off into the night. We’ll explore things like his booking process and how he prepares for an event, location scouting, and the details of how he shoots the different parts of a wedding day such as getting ready shots, details, first look and couple portraits, family portraits, the ceremony, and finally—the reception. At the end you’ll watch a video of Tec shooting these various scenes, and see the final layout and full Pixieset gallery.
Hear Tec describe his editing process and how he’s learnt to save hours of time in post-production. You’ll then hear from Richard Photo Lab. They’ll share what they do at the lab, how light and color work in an image, what a Color PAC is, the ins and outs of rating and metering, how a photographer can go about building a relationship with a lab, and the importance of refining your craft. You’ll hear them describe the techniques behind what makes Tec’s images stand out the way they do.
Running a business isn’t easy! Tec has learnt alot along the way, and he bares all with you in this chapter. He’ll tell you what’s worked for him in his business, how he shaped his brand and attracted his ideal clients, tips for building relationships with other vendors, how he structures his packages and when he knew it was time to start raising his prices.
In this chapter, we’ll talk about the fun stuff—camera gear and what makes an image beautiful. Tec says knowing how best to use his gear is what allows him to create beautiful imagery in the first place; the technical and artistic aspects of shooting film rely on one another. We’ll outline everything that’s in Tec’s camera bag and when he uses each piece, and hear him describe what he’s looking for to create a compelling visual story.
There are a lot of strategies out there—steps to grow your business, methods to broaden your reach. There are creative tips for days, and trends that come and go. But what sticks around through all of it is you. Instead of rattling off his “top ten tips for success” Tec will give you a chance to tell your story. To give you a place to start, he’ll outline some questions to consider before encouraging you to develop your own action plan.
New to film or looking to brush up on your film knowledge? This cheat sheet has you covered. We’ll give you a quick rundown on all the film terminology you might come across in this course, including metering, rating, film stock, pushing, pulling, exposure, color PACs and more.
Each webinar will be hosted live by If I Made and Tec, and run for about 1 hour. Dates will be scheduled starting early January, giving you time to read the course and prepare your questions for Tec to answer.
Webinar 1: Real Wedding Case StudyJoin Tec for a step-by-step walkthrough of how he photographs a wedding, from initial client inquiry through to delivering the finished images. Using a Real Wedding as an example, you’ll hear Tec share what’s going through his mind at each point as he photographs a wedding day. This webinar will be an extension of the Weddings chapter included in the course, and provide an opportunity for you to gain answers to any questions you might have come across in your reading. We recommend having completed the course before joining this webinar. Replay links will be provided if you are unable to join live on the scheduled date. (Date TBC). Webinar 2: Shooting + Directing Couples for Natural ImageryYou’ll hear Tec describe his approach to shooting and directing couples at numerous points throughout the written course. This webinar is an opportunity for you to extend on this learning and ask Tec any further questions you’re still unsure of and need support with. We recommend having completed the course before joining this webinar. Replay links will be provided if you are unable to join live on the scheduled date. (Date TBC). Webinar 3: Q + A Follow-Up WebinarJoin Tec for a Q + A follow-up webinar where you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have come across in your complete reading of the course, as well as any other queries you have about the world of wedding photography. We recommend having completed the course before joining this webinar. Replay links will be provided if you are unable to join live on the scheduled date. (Date TBC).
Hear Tec talk about his (less-than-desirable) early days, and what it took for him to progress from where he was to where he is now. As Tec says, “there’s no magic secret to making it”. We’ll let him tell you his story.
We’ll give you the roadmap for what’s to come in this course, hitting on the major commercial projects to be discussed in the coming chapters. It will be like you’re sitting on Tec’s front porch, listening to him tell you stories of his experiences in photography.
Tec shares his experience of being on the job at a commercial shoot; what it feels like, how the day is usually run, what gear Tec has with him, and all the other details and lessons he’s learnt along the way. Once we’ve discussed the ins and outs of what it’s like to be on the job at a commercial shoot, you’ll watch a video tutorial of Tec explaining his set-up and what it’s like in real-time.
Read the story of how Tec got started working with Kinfolk—one of the few commercial clients he shoots in film for. We’ll go behind the scenes of the projects he’s done with them in Copenhagen and London, and hear some of the important learning points Tec’s gained along the way.
Far from the laid-back vibe of Kinfolk, see what it’s like to work on a large-scale commercial shoot with high production and high expectations. From booking the gig to pulling it off, working with Joules has been an intensive yet rewarding process for Tec. He’ll walk you through that process one step at a time to give you a picture of what working with a big name commercial client might look like.
Tec answers the big question: Can you make money as a travel photographer? Hear about the work he has done for clients such as Airbnb and Afar Magazine, as well as for humanitarian projects. Hear why Tec says travel photography has afforded him the greatest inspiration of all the genres of his craft. Finally, Tec will share a behind-the-scenes video of a test shoot he did in Mexico with a couple at a pretty incredible resort.
Tec’s photography is often described as “effortless”. He’s known for the way he makes every image feel easy, comfortable and natural for all involved. So how does he do it and how did this become his signature? In this chapter Tec shares his insights on developing your own voice, being consistent with your brand, and staying inspired as a photographer.
So far we’ve learnt from Tec’s experiences in the commercial world, but we also want you to learn how the industry works from the inside out, so we spoke with an established commercial agent in New York City. With 10+ years experience, he gave us the inside scoop on what it takes to get picked up by an agent, the challenges you could face, and how to give yourself the best chance of success.
Join Tec for a Q + A follow-up webinar where you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have come across in reading the course, as well as any other queries you have about the world of commercial photography.
