I Can’t Appear To Cease – Immersing Myself In Photography

Hi, and welcome to my weblog, the place I doc my life as a photographer, author, educator, podcast host, father or mother, accomplice, lover, fighter….Sorry, I bought carried away. I hope that wherever you might be studying this from, you might be secure and nicely. Photography, pictures, pictures! July has been an extremely busy month, what with all of the pictures stuff I’ve been concerned in. Or maybe a greater time period is ‘immersing myself in’. I selected to put in writing this weblog to not boast of all of the artistic issues I’m engaged on, however extra as a file of probably the greatest and busiest months of artistic output I’ve ever skilled. So, on this weblog, pricey reader, I need to speak about among the occasions, tasks, and day-to-day work I do this feed my artistic spirit and assist the broader photographic group. July has confirmed to be an enormous month for our humble podcast as we proceed to ship twice-weekly reside long-form reveals on to YouTube. Plus, we’re a part of the media staff for the upcoming Bright Festival of Photography and have put our podcasting expertise and platform to good use to assist the pageant. In different information, I’ve launched my Street Level Photography workshops and have been out and about as a lot as I can to doc the world round me. And these are only a few highlights amongst many! Aside from the artistic pleasure I’ve skilled, I haven’t felt this busy since my days in a company gig. Many, a few years in the past. So be part of me as I unpack July. Beyond that, I discover myself eager about pictures continuously…and I can’t appear to cease.

Street Level Photography Workshops

Let’s begin off with the planning and launch of my first official Street Level Photography Workshops. Organising and operating group avenue pictures walks isn’t a brand new journey for me. I’ve organised small and huge teams of photographers to affix me on a stroll via the streets of Melbourne for years. As a part of my reference to the FujiXAus Facebook group, I’ve led quite a few avenue pictures walks. And the identical goes for among the digital camera golf equipment I’ve related myself with. Large-group avenue walks are difficult, however there’s rather a lot to be stated for taking a conscious stroll with a bunch of visible creatives to see how every individual approaches the expertise. I’ve invested lots of time in organising and eventually launching these workshops to raise my enterprise, problem myself to tackle significant work, and assist fellow photographers. I’ve learnt rather a lot in regards to the course of, admin, and enterprise necessities concerned in creating a brand new arm to my work. I’ve additionally learnt a lot about my limitations and figuring out areas of the method the place I would like assist. I’m happy with myself for making this step.

As a part of my preparation for my first official workshop in August, I caught up with an in depth buddy in Melbourne final Saturday for a trial Street Level Photography Workshop. We met up at Flinders Street Railway Station in Melbourne’s CBD, and I spent the following three hours operating via my workshop plan whereas remaining open to suggestions and doable different approaches. It was such an excellent avenue stroll as we made our means from the station via Federation Square, Chinatown, Bourke Street Mall, and the labyrinth that’s Melbourne’s superb laneways and aspect streets. I obtained lots of useful suggestions from that preliminary trial and have since been refining my plan and method. A few areas I’ve recognized and am looking for assist with embrace optimising my social media output and utilizing socials to run efficient adverts. I’ve had a reserving and a handful of enquiries, which is superb and extremely satisfying. The subsequent step is to get extra eyes on my workshops and let extra individuals know what I’ve to supply. I’ve additionally been engaged on some accompanying merchandise to additional assist workshop attendees and their artistic pursuits throughout and after the workshop. It’s a piece in progress, however I’ve frolicked nearly each day this month investing within the new enterprise. You can try extra about Street Level Photography Workshops right here.

The Camera Life Podcast

For these not within the know, I co-host a reside pictures podcast on YouTube twice every week. The Camera Life Podcast is the brainchild of Lucky Straps founder Justin Castles. While the podcast has existed for shut to 3 years, I joined the staff two years in the past and have liked each minute of it. Our podcasts aren’t pre-recorded; we stream reside to YouTube for each episode. We jokingly say we don’t edit our movies earlier than sharing them, as Justin is a lazy video editor and I wouldn’t know the place to start. But the truth is that internet hosting a reside pictures podcast permits our viewers to be concerned within the dialog. Every Monday night time (7:30pm AEST/AEDT), we host a Random Photography Show to debate the previous week’s trade information, main trade matters, and the photographs our viewers have submitted. We invite viewers to our reveals to construct a group and a secure area for like-minded folks to immerse themselves on the earth of pictures. And then each Thursday morning (9am AEST/AEDT), we stream a reside, long-form interview with unimaginable picture makers from Australia and across the globe. In July alone, we now have interviewed unimaginable visible creatives reminiscent of Jerry Ghionis (thought-about one of many prime 5 wedding ceremony photographers on the earth), Steve Parish (Aussie legendary wildlife and nature photographer), and David Imel (movie photographer, author, videographer, and co-producer of Marques Brownlee’s MKBHD YouTube channel and podcasts with over 20 million subs).

Justin has been away for the previous week as he’s presently in Africa chasing BFOP creator Matt Krumins whereas he takes friends on a dream pictures journey to {photograph} African wildlife. Justin is there to create video and still-image content material for Matt’s future workshop choices. I’m actually happy with him for taking this chance, and I do know he may have a blast and do a wonderful job. However, even with Justin away, the present should go on, and I’ve known as upon our group and associates to fill the co-host seat. Adam Edwards, Denis Smith, Lucinda Goodwin, and fellow podcast/Lucky Straps staff member Jim Aldersey have supported me and our group whereas the boss is away. By this Thursday, we may have produced 10 reside podcasts over the month, averaging round 3 hours every. One of my roles with the podcast is to find, join with, and invite all these superb creatives to be friends on the present. It’s a humbling expertise speaking to photographers who’ve mastered their craft and had such unimaginable careers and experiences in consequence. We love what we do, and it’s an honour to work alongside such folks.

Bright Festival Of Photography

At the time of scripting this weblog, there are solely 70 days till the 2026 Bright Festival Of Photography (BFOP) kicks off. BFOP is an annual in-person pictures pageant held within the Alpine Region township of Bright, Victoria. While I’ve identified about BFOP for a few years, I by no means totally understood what the attraction was or what the large deal was. And then, in 2024, Justin and I travelled to Bright and attended our first BFOP expertise. I gained’t go into element about what makes BFOP, BFOP. But it’s truthful to say that from that first go to, we have been impressed to develop into extra concerned within the pageant in no matter means we might. Then once more, final 12 months, for BFOP 2025, Justin, Jim, and I returned to immerse ourselves even deeper in that world. We created particular podcast episodes within the lead-up to BFOP 2025, and each morning of the pageant we might host a reside BFOP podcast from our rental lodging. With the morning podcast out of the way in which, we might rush over to BFOP HQ – the Bright Community Centre – and assist our prospects and group with Lucky Straps on the market. We have been completely blown away by the connections we made and the general success we loved at BFOP.

I’m stoked to report that The Camera Life Podcast / Lucky Straps staff can be rolling into BFOP 2026 to as soon as once more livestream our podcast each day of the pageant and assist Lucky Straps prospects at HQ. Of course, even when we weren’t contributing to the pageant with these components, we might nonetheless attend and immerse ourselves within the insanity and magic that’s BFOP. Given that we’re a part of the BFOP media staff, we now have spent July working with Matt, Nick, and CJ (BFOP Admin/Operators) to create short-form interviews with each BFOP workshop teacher. At the time of writing, we now have accomplished over 35 interviews, and I’ve an additional six to do in the present day. It’s a problem to maintain each interview feeling distinctive, utilizing a spread of questions and prompts to get one of the best out of every one. Those unedited interviews are being loaded to YouTube in order that BFOP ticket holders can get to know the instructors and embrace that information of their workshop choice course of. It’s been a busy time, however getting to sit down and chat with among the nation’s finest photographers and workshop educators is extremely humbling. And, as Justin has been in Africa, I’ve carried out the interviews solo – that man holds me again anyway….

Once the interviews are full, the following section of our involvement is to plan and conduct special-edition reside, long-form podcasts about BFOP. Stay tuned for extra particulars.

Tamron Super Zoom

As the title suggests, I lately had the chance to check and overview an unimaginable Tamron zoom lens. But first, let me add some context. A few months again, I used to be invited to the Tamron Australia workplace right here in Melbourne to be interviewed by videographer, content material creator, and producer Joe Orchard (Joe has additionally been on our TCL YouTube channel) and inform the story of my artistic journey. You can check out that video here. Tamron is a Japanese lens firm that develops high-quality optics for all of the main digital camera manufacturers, together with Fujifilm X mount. I’ve by no means used a Tamron lens with my Fujifilm system and was interested in a few the brand new lenses they’ve on provide. Long story brief, one among my pictures mates and sorcerer-level picture maker, Glynn Lavender, is an official Tamron ambassador, and he hooked me up with the Tamron staff to play with a monolithic tremendous zoom. Glynn can also be a TCL podcast visitor and BFOP workshop teacher – the connections preserve forming. Tamron’s 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD telephoto zoom lens for Fujifilm X-mount is a beast of a lens, ideally suited to sports activities, wildlife, and birding. Due to the crop issue of the Fujifilm APSC picture sensor, the Tamron zoom successfully delivers a 225-750mm full-frame-equivalent focal size. I’m engaged on a long-form overview that can reside on the Lucky Straps weblog web page. So what did I do with an ideal wildlife-and-sports lens? I took it out for some avenue pictures, after all.

Street Walks For Me

While July has confirmed to be an extremely busy month, and one of the crucial rewarding I’ve had in latest occasions, I’ve gotten out and about as a lot as I can to hunt the sunshine. Aside from testing out the Tamron 150-500mm, I’ve additionally pushed myself to shoot avenue pictures with as a lot of my Fujifilm lenses as doable. I’ve taken out the broad XF 16mm F2.8 R WR compact prime and liked the dynamic perspective and extra context in my avenue scenes. I’ve additionally taken out the XF 27mm F2.8 pancake prime, in addition to the equally compact however light-weight XF 50mm F2 and XF 23mm F2. It’s been lots of enjoyable working with various focal lengths and seeing what I can create with every. Since selecting up the pro-grade Fujifilm XF 23mm F1.4 R LM WR, it has just about stayed on my digital camera. And I really like the efficiency and output of that premium little bit of glass. So getting reacquainted with a few of my different lenses has been lots of enjoyable – particularly that 16mm F2.8. Should the gods of glass smile on us, I might like to see Fujifilm substitute their OG XF 16mm F1.4 (one of many first Fujifilm lenses I purchased) with an up to date LM (linear Motor) model and enhanced optics for the newer 40MP Fujifilm our bodies. No information on that thus far, however a (Fujifilm Fan) boy can dream. Oh, and if you happen to haven’t learn it but, I additionally caught up with my mate Samantha Ohlsen for a light-weight searching session when she was in Melbourne this month. You can test that out right here!

Wrapping Up July 2026

It’s the final day of July, and I finish the month as I began it, immersing myself in pictures as soon as once more. As talked about, I’ve six BFOP Workshop Instructor interviews to file in the present day. There are nonetheless a number of stragglers who haven’t sat down with us for his or her interviews, however a few of these of us are abroad operating workshops. So we are going to catch them individually within the first week or so of August. While July has been an extremely busy month, it’s additionally been monumentally rewarding. I’ve made optimistic steps with my new enterprise enterprise, supported our group via the podcast, and had superb conversations with the BFOP instructors (a number of of whom I think about my pictures heroes). Plus, I’ve walked the streets of South Yarra, Carlton, and Melbourne as usually as doable, searching the sunshine. It has been a month of whole photographic immersion, and it’s near-impossible to cease now that the ball is rolling. Plus, the optimistic impacts on my psychological well being have been large. I lastly really feel at peace with calling myself an artist. It’s been an enormous awakening for me after years of telling myself my work wasn’t value as a lot because it really is. That loud imposter-syndrome voice quietens at occasions like these. Be secure on the market. G

PS. Here’s a number of extra photos of our cats. G