It’s undeniable that the lockdown and COVID-19 regulations have been incredibly challenging not only for the industry but photographers alike. We chatted to Brett Florens, a market leader in the wedding industry, about his photography business and how he expanded into fashion photography to ensure the survival of his business.
- Since starting with video, has your love for photography shifted to video or do you still prefer good old photography?
Stills photography will always be my passion, but being able to create multimedia content for my clients has expanded my repertoire of content I can offer my clients. There is so much to learn about video and I am at the beginning of my journey, I like the learning process, but also enjoy the comfort zone of being so experienced with stills. It’s the best of both. Video is also fantastic for creating engaging behind the scenes content. It shows so much more than stills, it gives my followers the opportunity to see how I work on set, how I engage with the crew and subject. - Which Z series features do you like the most and how do you feel it has impacted your shift from wedding to fashion photography?
The built-in VR is fantastic as it allows any FX lens to become a lens with VR (Vibration reduction) in conjunction with the FTZ adapter. Being able to use my 105 f1.4 lens with VR is a bonus! The eye-detection AF function is accurate and focus is one less thing I have to worry about when shooting. All I need to focus on is connecting with the model. The electronic viewfinder is amazing, really bright and natural to look through, it is pretty close to looking at the scene through an SLR camera. I like the ability to playback the image in the viewfinder. This is brilliant for checking exposure without reflections or external interference. The ability to switch to video so quickly is a game-changer, I literally don’t have to take the camera away from my eye. - What advice can you offer to young photographers starting out in fashion photography?
Practice all your techniques on friends or models that are happy to let you practice. It will give you more confidence knowing that you have achieved the results you envisaged before shooting for a paying client. Don’t practice on clients. Watch FTV (Fashion TV) there are some many great BTS videos and shoots that are very inspirational. Connect with make-up artists and stylist in the industry – the will be your allies on a shoot and building good relationships within the industry is key to your success.
Image credit: Brett Florens
