In this episode we are joined by the stars of Neil's off camera flash workshops and many of his YouTube videos - models Demi Hughes and James Taylor! Join us as we celebrate James' birthday and learn more about the incredible Demi and James, who share everything from their unique modeling talents to their thoughts on ghosts! Discover Demi's spot-on goat impressions, James' didgeridoo skills, and their journey into the modeling industry.
We also dive into the challenges Demi faced when starting her modeling career and how the pair eventually ended up working with together. Hear about the amazing connection between Demi, James, and Neil, as they recount laughter-filled shots and dramatic moments. Learn how the team overcomes these obstacles and the dedication required to create stunning images.
Finally, don't miss out on valuable photography tips and funny stories from our own experiences, including posing techniques and the importance of communication during photoshoots. Demi and James offer their expertise on creating beautiful bridal portraits, making poses look effortless, and ensuring the groom feels included in the photos. Get ready for an entertaining and informative conversation with Demi and James that you won't want to miss!
Follow Demi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demihughes1x/
Follow James on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just_james_taylor/
Join us in the Flash Masters community:
Website: https://flashmasters.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashmasters/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flash-masters
Flash Masters is hosted by:
Helen Williams: https://www.instagram.com/helenwilliamsphotography/
Neil Redfern: https://www.instagram.com/neilredfern/
In this episode we are joined by the stars of Neil's off camera flash workshops and many of his YouTube videos - models Demi Hughes and James Taylor! Join us as we celebrate James' birthday and learn more about the incredible Demi and James, who share everything from their unique modeling talents to their thoughts on ghosts! Discover Demi's spot-on goat impressions, James' didgeridoo skills, and their journey into the modeling industry.
We also dive into the challenges Demi faced when starting her modeling career and how the pair eventually ended up working with together. Hear about the amazing connection between Demi, James, and Neil, as they recount laughter-filled shots and dramatic moments. Learn how the team overcomes these obstacles and the dedication required to create stunning images.
Finally, don't miss out on valuable photography tips and funny stories from our own experiences, including posing techniques and the importance of communication during photoshoots. Demi and James offer their expertise on creating beautiful bridal portraits, making poses look effortless, and ensuring the groom feels included in the photos. Get ready for an entertaining and informative conversation with Demi and James that you won't want to miss!
Follow Demi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demihughes1x/
Follow James on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just_james_taylor/
Join us in the Flash Masters community:
Website: https://flashmasters.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashmasters/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flash-masters
Flash Masters is hosted by:
Helen Williams: https://www.instagram.com/helenwilliamsphotography/
Neil Redfern: https://www.instagram.com/neilredfern/
Welcome to the Flash Masters podcast. Flash Masters recognizes and celebrates the best flash photography in the world through education, awards and community. To find out more and to join the Flash Masters community, visit flashmasters. co Here are your hosts, Helen Williams and Neil Redfern.
Neil Redfern:MUSIC. Hi everybody and welcome to the Flash Masters podcast with me, neil Redfern and me, Helen Williams.
Neil Redfern:I can't wait for today's podcast because we are joined by my my husband and wife team, Demi and James. Now, if you follow me on YouTube or you've been to one of my workshops, you will almost certainly know about Demi and James and know how amazing they are. They are two incredible models. I've worked with them for years now And, honestly, everything that I do when I work with them is a team and they are a massive, massive part of that team And I can't thank you both enough for everything you've done for me, Especially with the workshops. I see it as being a three-way team now And we're all. That sounds bad. Instantly, we've gone bad. I was trying.
Neil Redfern:I was trying to be genuinely nice. That sounds a fact, but no, it is a team and you two are massive parts of that. So thank you. You've been the stars of many of my videos, you're the stars of my workshops, and now you're going to be the stars of our podcast.
Demi Hughes:So thank you both for joining us. Thank you fair. Demi has never been quiet. Good now.
Neil Redfern:So we're going to get to know Demi and James a little bit in this podcast. So we're going to start by Oh, actually, no, no, i just opened up my notes. Firstly, happy birthday to James for yesterday. Thank you, you're going to sing to him Helen, no, oh, Helen always sings happy birthday in Welsh.
Helen Williams:Ben, that's been city. That'll do OK.
Neil Redfern:We'll trust that that was actual happy birthday, not just swearing at James.
Helen Williams:No, I promise that was happy birthday in Welsh.
James Taylor:But yeah happy birthday, james Oh thank you, thank you very much, so Thank you for the cake.
Neil Redfern:No, absolute pleasure. Yeah, we should just say we've just been doing a shoot today for YouTube and we've just finished two shoots and now we're doing this podcast. We are at Neil Ridley's studio in Lancashire today and, as you'll know if you listened to last week's podcast where Neil was a guest, we are still here and thank you to Neil for allowing us to use the studio for the shoot and also for using it as a now podcast space as well. So let's get to know Demi and James a little bit better with some random questions. Ok, we'll ask you, demi, first, what's the strangest talent or skill you possess that nobody would expect?
Demi Hughes:Oh, I feel like I've got to think about that.
James Taylor:I've got one for you. Oh, go for it. OK, go on. What is it? That's one of the games that we play at the workshop.
Demi Hughes:The goat noise.
James Taylor:Oh yeah, of course OK yeah, it's the goat noise.
Demi Hughes:I do probably the best impression that any human's ever done of a goat ever, to not be modest about it. It really is dead on. We know you need to hear it now, then I know It's actually probably not, as dead on, as what I'm giving it as That's it, clean it through, ah.
Neil Redfern:That is. That's a pop. We don't need any more. That's a podcast done. Thank you for joining us.
Demi Hughes:I can also change a light bulb. I feel like that's probably a skill that most people wouldn't know, oh, i can change a light bulb, and I know a lot about fixtures and fittings in kitchens as well.
Neil Redfern:Oh, oh, brandy them. You know about sofas as well. We've just been hearing Yeah, in terriers.
Demi Hughes:yeah, that's probably something that you'd expect. anyway, though, get into the in terriers.
Neil Redfern:OK, what about you, James?
James Taylor:You're going to be playing Homan Whistle at the same time.
Demi Hughes:What, what.
James Taylor:That can't be possible?
Neil Redfern:Is that?
James Taylor:a thing, that's like a didgeridoo.
Helen Williams:That's what I was going to say and then I realised, oh God, i realised I basically squealed all the way through James, his wonderful performance of his didgeridoo Homin' Whistle. Can we have it one more time please?
Neil Redfern:That is James Brown's We're learning things already. OK, Helen.
Helen Williams:Oh, this is going to be so random. I love it. So our second question for you, sademi Do you believe in ghosts?
Demi Hughes:I am like yeah, a bit, but not just like, Probably not as much as, Not as much as you're a British person.
Neil Redfern:I do, but I'm not. That's like get silly here.
Demi Hughes:I do believe in ghosts but I don't watch like most haunted and like get fully like into it. I'm not like as easily.
Neil Redfern:You've ever seen a ghost?
Demi Hughes:Convinced. No, no, i've never seen a ghost. I feel like I believe in like that. there are like spirits and like haunted places, but not so much that there's just random poltergeist-y like ghosts, yeah, not seeing like a woman in an eye.
James Taylor:To just Yeah, just like random, like oh, this is a haunted place.
Demi Hughes:There's just a ghost that just randomly lives there. Probably not, but yeah, Yeah, I suppose I do.
James Taylor:What about you, james? Probably the same as Demi. Like I'm not, i wouldn't say that I don't believe in him. I'm skeptical of it. I'm skeptical of, maybe, the proof, but I'm also not narrow-minded enough to think that it couldn't. Yeah, no, I think that's fair enough, i'd probably be similar. I might get this completely wrong. so if anyone facts checks But our energy doesn't disappear so obviously when you're dying, stuff that goes somewhere. So if there's remnants of it that are part of your personality, it could be that that we see.
Helen Williams:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Demi Hughes:Deep. Yeah, I think that's where I went with that And that from a gentleman in Amsterdam, so Imagine what type of thinking he was doing.
Neil Redfern:He definitely was single. OK the next one. Well, shall I ask one of you? No, i think this would supposed to be mine, Demi. Then if you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Demi Hughes:Oh, this is hard. I want to feel like I think about this actually Like to me self on, like a quiet day. It'd be between flying or being invisible.
Neil Redfern:Two good ones.
Demi Hughes:Or do you know what? no, do you know if I could have a superpower? honestly, i think the superpower that I would have would be like I don't know if there's a name for it but I'd be able to control people's emotions and feelings. Oh, like a sort of like empath of tricks.
James Taylor:Yeah.
Demi Hughes:And then I can punish bad people for like bad things and like make people who are like downtrodden. Yeah, feel better.
Intro:Oh, Like re-emotionise them, Like re-emotionise the weird world.
Demi Hughes:yeah, yeah, that'd be it.
Neil Redfern:yeah, That's the nice one.
Demi Hughes:That's the new Marvel film everyone.
Neil Redfern:Oh, twenty-twenty nice. It doesn't surprise me that you're such a giving and caring person as well. I should just say that whenever we've done shoots even if it is terrible weather and we've done shoots like in a cave, in the middle of a road in the pouring rain you're always Are you sure you've got enough? Are you sure you've got enough? Even though you're literally shaking, you're always still thinking have you got what you want, though? Yeah, so yeah, you will always put others first. I think that's really lovely.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, i also feel like I'm committed to the job as well, you are, without a doubt, you are. Plus, i know that it's like your images are always amazing, so it's like I want to make sure that you've got the Ah, you too, cam.
Neil Redfern:Carry on, carry on, carry on.
Demi Hughes:To get everything. I also feel like YouTube will like justify this, but you always say like she's like, oh, do you want another one? Like it's my idea to be like Demi, let's clamber over here. and to like We can just clamber to the far edge of the cave like you're hanging off, but don't quite hang off, i know.
Neil Redfern:I Yeah, i'm always like trying to be nice, at the same time willing you to put your life at risk. It's like Dem. Can we just?
Demi Hughes:do this, and then, as soon as I'm in that position, it's like are you sure you're okay? Like I'm like, yeah, come on.
Neil Redfern:True, it is true. Oh, that's James. Yeah, James.
James Taylor:Super power. Nothing as thoughtful as that It might have been. is it telekinesis, where you can move stuff for your mind?
Intro:Oh, just to mess with people.
James Taylor:Oh, just to mess with people. Yeah, i think I'd make everyone think that there's ghosts.
Helen Williams:Amazing Dem. He's like I'm going to fix the world And James's like I'm going to f*** it up.
James Taylor:Yeah, oh, you swear.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, i put bleeps over the top.
James Taylor:Oh, fabia, that is the super name I don't know what Helen just said The Emotioniser in mind.
Neil Redfern:F*** Okay, helen. The last question to get to know Demi and James.
Helen Williams:Brilliant. From an ex-teacher, this is very important. What was your favourite subject at school?
Demi Hughes:You, look like you know your answer.
James Taylor:Well, i'm talking between two. My obvious one's drama Yes, it's the little gay boy that I am. My other one, though, was history, oh. I loved history. I still love it, And one of those nerds that on YouTube you can watch just like little 10 minute bites.
Helen Williams:Oh, from a battle or something. Love it, absolutely love it Oh a history buff.
James Taylor:That's why I went travelling, that's why a lot of it, why I went travelling and wanted to go and see these things.
Helen Williams:Obviously, party.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, it's why these questions are really good.
Demi Hughes:To be fair, that was exactly the same as mine Drama and history. Yeah, i did drama all the way through school and then to perform on art A level, so drama was my favourite because it was the subject that you could get up and move around in.
Neil Redfern:I feel like I was like half a dinner Helen's dancing here. She's like please.
Demi Hughes:I love drama. I love you. I'm still a teacher. Yeah, i feel like you bond better with drama teachers as well sometimes, because I feel like they're more like hands on. You get into it more.
Neil Redfern:You feel a bit more natured as well, really, It's just like how much you think you should have a personal win. Yeah, it's like history.
Helen Williams:I just thought my Debbie said oh drama teacher, just get hands on. I thought I'm sure Neil's going to put something rude in there.
James Taylor:No, i do feel like that Drama teachers are natured out like your creative side, like your little personality That makes you you as well My personality, your talent as well Your confidence, because if you see when you're struggling, It's the first place.
Demi Hughes:You get used to constructive criticism as well. Yeah, without taking it on the chin Like in a bad way. You just get used to being like it's constructive criticism, like build, yeah, for this sort of work especially, i suppose, like for the industry as well.
Neil Redfern:It does make sense. Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Demi Hughes:It would be like English lit. I suppose English lit was like my undergraduate degree, so like a lot of books and stuff as well. It's creed of drama, and English lit goes over the They do.
Helen Williams:I taught both and did both in uni too, yeah.
Intro:Look at me, my drama people.
Helen Williams:And then actually I'd like to know Neil what was your favorite in school?
Neil Redfern:Art, yeah, and drama. I hated drama.
Helen Williams:I don't even remember doing drama?
Neil Redfern:Don't even we even did drama. Yeah, anyway, let's now get into how you both got into modelling. As mentioned earlier, you're both amazing models. I love working with you. Some of my favorite shots that I've ever taken are of you two. How did you get into it? Is it something you want to do from a very young age?
Demi Hughes:Yeah, so I already know that we've both got the same foundations of why we love it anyway, because we talk about it as our favourite show all the time for America's Next Top.
James Taylor:Model was the original. Want to be off there, want to do that, yeah, seeing them on TV and going through it, and then I could do that. I could do that.
Intro:Smyzing at home in the mirror pulling up finding where all these muscles are up around your eyes and like can I control them?
Demi Hughes:Yeah, I can smolder, Okay so with the telly also seeing what the modelling industry was actually like. And then it's not just all glamour and super easy. There was challenging parts of it as well, like the girls really pushed to the limit. Makeover week. Yeah, okay, I don't want to do the makeover week. Part of real life, admittedly no.
Intro:Don't touch my hair.
Demi Hughes:So that was how I think originally started to see like, oh, that's what I want to do. And I think as well when you're younger than you you look at famous people like I used to love, like 90s supermodels, like I still do them. You saw the main inspiration like Cindy Crawford's, like sort of like number one for me.
Neil Redfern:So were you approached or did you put together your own portfolio and I was.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, i was approached from like a younger. I think you'd all approach me younger than you, jenny. I feel like a lot of models are scouted in like the teen years. So I wasn't actually allowed to do it Like I got scouted a lot when I was a teenager. My mum and mum would never let me do it half the time because I was always with my mum and me and I'm, you know, like in the city centre. It does seem a bit dodgy, yet in the Trafford censored and stuff And.
Demi Hughes:I get approached and these are pretty much always think it was a scam or, like you know, something up or a bit dodgy. Like you know, you're not getting into that. Like you know, you do hear stories about like the seasy side of like, like the world of like the industry of the bad people who are like predators, like in that sort of context, Maybe that Also.
Demi Hughes:I went to like a school called Maricourt and it had like links with a show called Hollyoaks And there was a lot of people in our school who did Hollyoaks. And when you did Hollyoaks I can't remember how many days off school you got, but you'd have like a special sort of note And me mum and dad really pushed me into being academic And that was an absolute no chance, Like I was never going to be allowed, Like I wasn't allowed to sick day. I was about to have soared me own leg off in the morning.
Demi Hughes:I think I've been like there's no way of getting to school like if I wanted to die off. So it was like, oh, you're not doing it. But to be fair, as like once I was actually in the modeling industry, like I remember getting scouted by genuine agencies that, like I know, still exist now, so it wasn't like it was all oh yeah, it won't all be dodgy.
Neil Redfern:No, it just seems a bit strange.
Demi Hughes:Especially like in the traffic, because you've got, like all the road you know big thing up, but I suppose it's it's something that you'd have to really work on, isn't it? And like, push yourself into it. It's not just like, oh, you can just go through a little, like you know, start your portfolio and then get into it for that, but it's like you've got to keep putting time into it, like sometimes money's got to go into it to build your portfolio as well.
Intro:Like depends how it goes, especially if you're younger.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, I felt like at one time I wanted to own a care company because I felt like a lot of like elderly people in the community weren't being looked after properly.
Helen Williams:So I was like oh, okay.
Demi Hughes:So once the work for care companies and see what it was actually like. So I did that And a lot of the, just a lot of them would tell you all the time, oh, you should be a model and stuff. And then I think one day I was just like oh, do you know what? I'm just gonna try and have like a shoot. Like I'd been scouted the same week by an agency that I still work with now called Pulse and Liverpool.
Demi Hughes:You're from Liverpool. This happens all the time. No one ever gets that off my hand. And now and they're actually, to be honest, i got the scouts as a known for like speaking quite fast, and I don't really talk fast either, so it doesn't really fit.
Neil Redfern:I never knew this.
Demi Hughes:But yeah, i just messaged the photographer and then did like a like it was called as tree foreshoots. Like you know, no one was like paying me or just like shading time.
Intro:Too foppy, so like he get, yeah, he get the images.
Demi Hughes:I get the images And then off that I used those images to apply for like a few agencies and put the feelers out there on like freelance sort of stuff as well, and then it sort of booms. Then I think as well, i think it does like new face sort of modeling can be like the biggest time of work as well, anyway, so like that was it?
Demi Hughes:That was September 2017. Yeah, September 2017. And then it is a lot in the rest of that year. And then I met you in the beginning of I don't know I think it was like.
Neil Redfern:I think it was like.
Demi Hughes:March 2018.
Neil Redfern:That seems about right.
Demi Hughes:I would say yeah, and then it was from there, yeah.
Neil Redfern:Because the very first workshops I did, in fact I was working with Jay. I've worked with you before, yeah.
Demi Hughes:Oh yeah, yeah, There was another woman There were many other women.
James Taylor:Yeah, there were many, many Serial bigamist. Well, I remember before we bring it.
Neil Redfern:We asked James how he started. I can remember like I had a real problem finding good male models. I used to use couples from real couples from our weddings, but I don't think people understand how difficult it is to pose for maybe six hours, seven hours, with cameras on you all the time. It's not easy. So I would find that real couples will be able to do it for half an hour, an hour. Then they started to like one of them, usually if it was a male and a female, usually the groom's a bit like oh, getting a bit bored, and stuff like that. So I then started reaching out to models. I remember having two models in particular who I don't know if anything had gone on between them in the past or something, but they would. They were really like not wanting to get that close together. So when I found you, james, it's like oh, brilliant, i think I've used you forever more since and you've been amazing. So, yeah, how did you then get into modeling yourself, james?
James Taylor:Man was to acting at first. So again like watching next top model when I was younger. But I was watching these gorgeous women doing it And I thought, well, there's no place for me doing that. I just never registered that like, oh, I could go and do male modeling. Yeah, Oh, that's obviously like the women's world. It's just what I like to watch. But then, through acting, I then was trying to pursue a like a start of an acting career in my teens And they needed a headshots And I went and got my headshots done And the woman who took the picture, she was very complimentary.
James Taylor:Said that I took direction. Well, all these like really like, really lovely things that she said. And then she was like, if you're not considered getting into modeling, and then I kind of just took it from there like use the headshots. Obviously there were very raw actor headshots versus what model ones look like, but that was all part of my education, like education, modeling, like all the different versions, the different looks, the different styles, yeah, and it kind of like took off from there. I used to book like nice earning gigs, but they were few and far between because I was an editorial model, being such a skinny tall right.
James Taylor:Commercial modeling for guys is both guys right, You just pick up stuff for, like GDR, i don't really know any of this. That's where the regular work comes in Any of your online shopping. If you go into ASOS, those models, they work all the time because they're just flying through.
Demi Hughes:Got pretty little thing. Asos misguided loads of other companies.
Neil Redfern:Imagine it's pretty secure as well, isn't it That sort of work?
Demi Hughes:I've got a couple next week. To be fair with those, because you get booked quite quickly and it's not a selective, i suppose to an extent. Not that it's not selective, it is selective. But with an editorial You are an editorial model. You'd still be gorgeous and be e-commerce as well, But I suppose it's like you pull off the most like high fashion sort of locks as well, because the gorgeous the stuff and everything.
James Taylor:They carry on.
Neil Redfern:True.
Demi Hughes:It's like a lock. I think that's what that's really interesting thing about the modeling industry as well. Like you get a lot of advice sometimes when you go through agencies, it's not like a thing of, i suppose even what I was thought as a teenager. Like you're gonna line all the girls up and it's gonna go in order from the prettiest to the least prettiest and the prettiest is gonna get them into work. That's just not how it works. It's more of like watch your luck and this is where you're suited to work wise, and I always get suited to a lot of lifestyley sort of things as well, like some equities.
James Taylor:I do as well. Yeah, they're more. I would say that they come through more for them acting rather than luck, because you've got to just kind of like what we do at the workshops, like we've got to pretend that we're married, a couple that's just got married, so it's like the happiest.
Neil Redfern:Oh, we're gonna be shattering illusions here, as well, because people who come on workshops often do think that you are a real couple.
Demi Hughes:We're not actually a real couple, oh no.
Intro:Jesus, oh my God.
James Taylor:This is an intervention I'm telling you today.
Demi Hughes:I feel like that's like a fair time I've done this. I think I did this twice at workshops, once when he's mentioned it in front of attendees, he clearly also didn't know.
Neil Redfern:Well, honestly, the biggest compliment anybody can give you really is that because you are like you say, you are acting a role on those workshops and people not fall for it sounds right wrong but people believe it so much And they'll say at the end like, oh, are they a real couple? She and I are a real couple And obviously you know it shows you how good you are.
Demi Hughes:Do you know what I suppose with all like laughing ones, the odd old, genuinely like laughing even if Yeah, yeah, you would never get that with a real couple.
James Taylor:If anyone's like listening, No you wouldn't.
Neil Redfern:Because one of the best thing that working with you two is there are a lot. again I've come back to workshops. there are large parts of the workshop where I'm and waffling on to people about how I set certain shots up And you're just in the background And you could be in that same position, sometimes then for 45 minutes, like just stood together facing each other. Sometimes I'm not, you know, even with a ear shot. when I walk close to you, you're just laughing your heads off. And that's so good, because I can't imagine how horrible that would be if you didn't get on with the other person.
Demi Hughes:That must be a nightmare. It'd be awkward more than anything, I think.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, because you are. you are physically so close together, like literally, like yeah. I'm right round each other, bodies next to each other, for maybe an hour.
James Taylor:We've had moments like I could probably say there was a model without naming names that I worked with. I could tell I don't think she was like a working model.
Intro:Right.
James Taylor:She might have just picked it up for maybe a favor or something. I don't know like she's just more of a real girl. Yeah, couldn't really get into it, but she was finding it real and comfortable. I don't know, i think it was just the being close to us all the cameras pointing at you. You've got a lot of people. You're trying to listen to it.
Neil Redfern:It's like a strange moment. It would be so weird.
James Taylor:But she opened up, though, definitely towards the end, like she kind of warmed up to it and then obviously got all the laughing shots.
Intro:Yeah.
James Taylor:I was making my aim Yeah.
Demi Hughes:I think as well. When we first did, we didn't like talk much before. We'd only talk for five minutes before we started to do the together you dressed up.
Neil Redfern:This is when you've got to understand how weird that is.
Demi Hughes:You're just meeting someone and then I suppose I wouldn't put feeling awkward above the shot, So I wouldn't care if the person hated me. It'd be like I am not going to let you get in the way of me making this shot really good, no, so I think we're both like that, we're both.
James Taylor:We understand what we're there for Professionals.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, we're both there to deliver And then it's like you're in such close proximity anyway that you make friends in a much quicker time frame. Maybe they kind of live in our halls. You make friends with people so quickly because And then it's just that, not gassing you up or nothing. But obviously we are best friends now And I love it.
Neil Redfern:That makes me so happy to know how well you get on And you can feel it. You see, when you both see each other after a while, it's really nice.
Demi Hughes:We do say it like we're like stars. We'd always be friends and other lifetimes.
James Taylor:Aww.
Demi Hughes:That's the last nice thing we're saying to each other for the day.
James Taylor:This is beautiful. We're at a limit.
Neil Redfern:But it comes across it really does with you two. You can see I say with it's been a bit of a gap, or with not the workshop, while when you do come together you are just like bang in that moment and just chatting away.
Demi Hughes:We see each other, aren't we as well?
James Taylor:Hopped on the message to them and be like so excited As people and as friends at the same time, which I think what makes it easier for us, too, when we're working together is that, like you said, we know what we're here for. We know that we've got a workshop. We've got people that are there for your business, like representing you as well.
Neil Redfern:Oh yeah, and that's So we've got all that locked in.
James Taylor:But then obviously we enjoy ourselves around it then a bit as well.
Demi Hughes:And I suppose, as time's gone on, we used to stop like all laughing when we You know, like when you're setting up, because sometimes, when It depends on every different workshop, sometimes you're explaining for five minutes, sometimes you're explaining for 50, and you don't know, like, how long you're going to.
Intro:Shut up, Neil.
Demi Hughes:No, i mean like you don't know what's going to go wrong with the like, the weather, or like something's going to happen or like where has that gone, or something's been moved Or things just happened, don't they Like these, like life just happens on these days, so it'll depend on, like the different setups, like on different days. That is one thing that I feel like. even I'll admit that, because I like really got that snapping back into it.
Neil Redfern:Oh, you really.
Helen Williams:We see that today didn't we Yeah, yeah, literally you can be like laughing or joking or doing something with it As soon as I lift the camera up. Honestly, it's crazy. Like behind the scenes just to literally watch as soon as Neil lifts his camera. It's instantly like posed. It's incredible.
Demi Hughes:But like we used to stop.
James Taylor:Check out the video on YouTube, by the way, guys.
Demi Hughes:I think we used to stop doing that. And we'd stop all like one of us had nudged the other one, or we'd be like, oh, hang on. And like we wouldn't even like go, like hang on. It'd be like through, like, use our jaws. We'd be like hang on, like with our mouth fed still. Yeah, like ventralocus, I know we posed, but then we realised that everyone was actually like loving the laughing shots.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, people do, yeah, yeah.
Demi Hughes:But then I do have the fake laugh that I do to make it like Oh, The pretty thing Ha.
Neil Redfern:But I can't hear that without then laughing afterwards.
Helen Williams:Oh, laughter. So what I'd like to know because you guys obviously have an amazing connection, so many incredible memories with Neil. You've both worked with him for like an awful long time And I think we could literally do a three-hour podcast on just Neil's workshops and experiences there But what I'd like to know because we could talk, obviously, a lot about the nice things you have with Neil let's go to like the modelling disasters. I want like the goss, like maybe what was the worst job or something memorable that just wasn't great. Actually, if it involves Neil, even better, laughter.
Demi Hughes:I haven't got a single bad experience with Neil. Oh that's good, you know, oh that's nice.
Neil Redfern:I mean he did the point you were going to talk about. He did the point where we wanted some drama and dirt.
Demi Hughes:but like it's good Any drama and all of that involves You at all with any of that like oh, I think hell most wants what means from anyone.
Helen Williams:There is.
Neil Redfern:Like you said before. You know what I mean is. Oh, there is always that thing where I know that like I'm getting really good. I'm thinking of that one that we did with my friend mark in Bolton and it was peeing down. Yeah and it was real and you were literally shaking. I could send.
Demi Hughes:I call that the view shoot. That's what I know that as a, we had. Now that's the most viewed video of all time as well.
Neil Redfern:So yeah, thank you for that. But yeah, I remember then like I finished and I was getting really good stuff, I thought I don't want to stop yet and you were literally No.
Demi Hughes:I said to you do you want to? I, because I could see it in your face. I was like do you want me to stop? do you want me to carry on a minute? and you were like Yeah, i can see it in your face. You think that you feel like like, really like. Oh yeah, i'm scared to watch, but like you, do this sort of like quiet, like it's always, like I don't explain it, it's like you know, like on a carty and show off something.
Intro:The walker back and forth, talking to themselves.
Demi Hughes:It's like shut up, and I'm like, oh, i feel like you're not quite done, because normally, when you're done, it's like right, great, we're all wrapped up in everything, like I can see you a hover and I was like, no, i'm not yeah, just gonna do one more.
Neil Redfern:What? it's the mantra of every photographer. Just one more, just one more.
Helen Williams:I'm sure you're the same when you wedding, oh yeah, sometimes I literally will, on my wedding day, set a timer on my phone. And I've had guys I know pain in the earth, i'll get over, excited and then I'll think the shoots all about me. So I'm literally going to and I will, i'll set a timer on my phone. I'd be like when that's done, we're done, come back in. If you pissed off before then you're like, i'm done, helen, let me know we can go back in. But yeah, i have to set time as otherwise, just so I don't go over too much. Did no modeling disasters to to recount with?
Demi Hughes:With Neil. Now I'm wondering how. The same thing. I mean obviously we mentioned it before there can be See the sides, the industry, how I'm trying to think how much I can actually like, say, on the podcast, disaster's and it's like.
James Taylor:You just end up in situation sometimes where it's like I. Have a limit as to like I don't mind doing like, especially like, say, even with editorial ones, like you, usually most editorial looking him in any magazine. I got a vogue they're gonna be naked at some point, yeah, but they don't always show everything. So I don't mind posing to that limit, but I'd rather hide my.
Demi Hughes:You start now the way you start being asked and that you just get a vibe. Once you're there, you just feel like, yeah, for me there was a shoot and it was literally like I would.
James Taylor:I was, butt-naked, hunched over, doing like it shapes with my body, because to me that's a more interesting image. Yes good and then it just at one point It was just a question of like, and can we move the leg over? So obviously it was gonna be full-frontal. I was like nope.
Intro:But then when I?
James Taylor:refused it. it just got awkward. It got so awkward I was like this is just, i need this to end.
Helen Williams:Yeah, that's a really yeah.
James Taylor:There's always a balance to there's no, and the ones stood there naked and it's awkward.
Demi Hughes:Imagine I've never been like Naked with it, like any, and like that happens to be fair, i didn't think I've ever posed naked. Anyway, i think yours is more editorial if you're naked. I think that's like the male physique and you've got that very much. I'm like what's that famous like figure thing called the famous one, like the classic? It's like a Michelangelo sort of thing, isn't it like the do the body where it's like the guys stood and it comes off in all the different Oh, the wheel oh, why don't you mean?
Demi Hughes:Like you've got the slender grief, like got body styles, more if anything, disaster wise. It's like if you know the sets, like not like if you know the way the photos being taken, the way the Lighteners and the set up go right and they're like yeah, this is gonna be great and you're thinking it's, it's absolutely not gonna be.
James Taylor:But as models that pay attention, like it's obviously when we come, like what were you guys like a special workshops? I'm listening to stuff all the time.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, you're very both of you, very good at this.
James Taylor:But I'm listening to also understand what we're doing to create an image. Yeah, so sometimes, like I've been in studios and I can see someone trying to use the flash I think that they're a bit further along the road photographer, and some of the stuff that I've learned from you. I'm like have you tried this? That's it, i'm like right now I can understand that we're actually gonna get a decent image out of the front flash. It's not good.
Neil Redfern:That's why I went back to before saying how it's like you're a team, because you also know what looks good And you know when they're not getting it as well. I think it's invaluable. It's invaluable in a workshop, especially because people want to come on those workshops for images as well.
James Taylor:You're really gonna make you always make sure they get them as well. Yeah, you're picking up on, like if anyone's a little shy that might not want to say too much, and then you're always like pointing me. They're in the direction, neil, or you do you? yeah, do you want another? do another couple.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, like they look a bit shy to ask for another one, or it's like time to wrap up and they haven't quite got it And they look all flustered and I'm like it's okay, like we can stand here like a little bit longer.
Demi Hughes:They also think I think sometimes it's like you know you're such a big deal One of these people haven't like met you before. They see it as like the more like celebrity, status, figure of life. You and I think they think like I don't know if they think you're gonna bite the head off or if they just shite and ask you. But I don't think they know you the way like we know you and they look nervous to ask you. And I'm just like Neil.
Neil Redfern:But it's so good, though, because, one thing, we won't go into too many details, but we afterwards will have a little bit of a debrief and then and you'll pick up on things that I didn't even know Oh yeah, that person did this. That person said that I have no idea of this.
Demi Hughes:Oh yeah.
Neil Redfern:So you're always listening aren't you And know what each other's got, know what that person's got, that person's not got it, that sort of thing.
Demi Hughes:Yeah as well. Yeah, I suppose as well. I know everyone's there to get different stuff, and sometimes it's just yeah, it's a bit of a mix then, isn't it everyone? sometimes on the outside shots, it can be a bit of a like a fight.
Neil Redfern:Oh, that's where that's. Yeah, I mean that's fair enough.
Demi Hughes:I don't think that's necessarily always You want that sensor.
Neil Redfern:It's that you know the the time is literally by the minute and the winds blowing at that rate time and everyone's wanting to like, and you can see as well, because especially when it comes to those outdoor shots Which we do at the end of the workshop, where the lights going down, the lights on the building, and, as James said, it's about that. The symmetry is one shot and one point really where you want to be, but when, like you two are together, that fails point. Everybody wants it at that moment And it's like we've been really kind throughout the whole day.
Demi Hughes:But now I want that one, i want that one, yeah, and everyone's sort of like we need each other's, because it's like we'll all go one at a time, and then it's just like Because everyone's.
Neil Redfern:Can't keep up. I always feel about that because at that point it's not me dark, it's windy. Sometimes could we do these in the winter, if everybody's not aware? So it's usually quite bad weather or cold. Anyway, you're both probably freezing, especially you, demi, with just just your dress on and act, mom, we think, kate, we've got to go in a minute, we've got to go in a minute. Okay, can just get this, just get this. Is all that's when I do feel bad.
Demi Hughes:We mentally prepare for that bit. If anything and we just get.
James Taylor:There's a shot before it, where we stood quite still inside, and it's like that's the time for us Like build up anyone that we can.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah, was like you in the suit in a heatwave, was like me in the wedding dress. Yeah, that was like, but I draw be cold than hot, so To be fair, I draw the way I can freeze and some temperatures like black pull we did, which you always remember, i think. I love the Shoot of like that was the face, that was The face. Was it like the face?
Neil Redfern:it was one of the first one YouTube shoot was yeah, it was, it was, but that was a lot. I think that might be one of the first times I've met you. Icon a location.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, it was a little bit. Oh, no, it wasn't through. The Chatham's was a little bit. That was then. That was the second shoot. We guess you asked me for Chatham's, and then it was the black girl, and then that was the first time realized.
Neil Redfern:Yet Demi will really go the extra mile because it was so windy on this beach. And yeah, you would. You were brilliant.
Demi Hughes:I mean, that was our second shoes. I think he could have been like can you just swim to? fleet wasn't come back. Yeah, definitely.
Neil Redfern:Do you mind you can say no, you don't have to do it, but.
Demi Hughes:Honestly, we've got to the point now if we go, like, near a water feature or something I'm like I'm getting a.
Neil Redfern:That we took in doing a shoot outside for another YouTube video. It's a 10 minute challenge. It might be out when this podcast is out, so it's a time challenge. There was no time for you to like, think or anything. I said, demi, you might not like this. Can I shit's lie down this dirty car park floor with your head on the floor? and you just do it.
Demi Hughes:But we joked, you couldn't hear us. Actually we were approaching. You were like, oh, debbie, i don't know if you like this bit and I went to James.
Intro:Fixing the exhaust pipes.
Demi Hughes:Like on the shutters. Debbie, can you just sit on those shutters over there?
Neil Redfern:I don't mind. You can say no, To be honest.
Demi Hughes:I was like the most, i suppose, like the shots where I get like the most, like unkept and dirty, like on the fields where I have to lie down. It's like complete, like willed, and I said, like you're lying in like the middle of all the insects, like I always go for them because they always end up being like the best.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, that is very kind.
Demi Hughes:I feel like I completely get over the fact that I hate flies and bugs in me here as well, when we're doing these things like It doesn't bother me at all. And then the second like we step off the path, i'm like yeah, I threw me hair over my head and I'm like shaking on me hair, well, like smacking like all my arms down making sure there's no flying on me. Do you remember?
Neil Redfern:we did the shooting, the cave and we walked through a lot of cows. You weren't a fan of that, were you?
Demi Hughes:No, I like the cows. I think we were joking on the way up there because if they were like approaching us way and I think I was slightly more Weirdy than you were. Where did she were like, let's just get to the location good for the content. Yeah, Because I can't like a cow could like run at you. Yeah, i'm like, do you some serious?
Helen Williams:Yeah.
Demi Hughes:So I think I was away, but I feel like you would. You didn't think that a cow was?
Helen Williams:He was like the lights coming, lady, let's move Days brutal, like when it didn't work. Well, watch out like he just wants to get his shot.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, i can remember doing the shoot We did in the middle of a road, that one in Liverpool, with the blossom trees. It's fair to say, demi, that sometimes you're not always quite on the On time, but I remember on that one thing, all the lights going and then you arriving and then the thing is like I'm thinking, oh, we've only got a few minutes, but you will turn it on like that can't click me, things like that and it's like Got it now. That's what's always so good about working with you. You think, oh, like we're not going to have long, and then it's in as soon as you get into work mode, you just nail it straight away. And that was one, because one of the shots from there was one of my favorite ever ones, like shooting through the blossom. I remember thinking, oh, we've done it now.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, i think it's always. You're always surprised because we're always done before you think we're going to keep doing as well, because you've got everything that you want. So it's rich. I like as well. It feels like a job well done. Plus I love the images as well. It's very like. It's a nice part of modeling where you get to enjoy the images as well. Like the braids, plus me. Like you know, family like looking at them.
Demi Hughes:Like me, grandad loves seeing the braids all the ones and stuff Not really interesting, like you know, like editorial, like mad makeup ones and stuff, or like the millinery stuff that I did quite a lot of that when I started modeling. You know, like all the mad hats and stuff or people were like like chelting and everything, so you just be a bit like that's a bit of a mad hat, but with the braids, all the ones he's like oh, you look like a princess, oh, that's nice.
Helen Williams:Yeah, bring in joy to Debbie's grandad, almost monthly basis, neil as Debbie kind.
Intro:That's good.
Helen Williams:If you don't mind, i've just got a question that I'm going to direct just to James because, first of all, we've not had models on the podcast before And I think that obviously I think a lot of photographers, if they do book models, you either have a couple or usually a female, and I would say that when you come into wedding photography there's a lot more around posing braids But there's not so much around posing grooms, and I think that lots of photographers can sometimes feel a little bit more awkward And generally grooms don't want to pose as much. Or if you're going to get a bit more pushback on a wedding day from someone not wanting their photo taken, it's usually more the groom. So I'm wondering, since you're often modeling as a groom, do you have any tips that maybe you could give photographers to help that part go sort of smoothly?
James Taylor:One of the easiest ones, i would say, is the guy is studying a suit. You can do so much with a suit, even just as simple as getting to the mess room. It doesn't need to be wearing cufflinks, but getting to just touch the bottom of his sleeve looks like you're doing something. It gives the image purpose rather than a guy stood there who has probably never stood in front of a camera before, feeling really awkward And just like. Then.
James Taylor:It's up to you then to probably try and get a crack, a laugh with them or whatever else, but even just a serious face getting looking off into the distance somewhere. But you've got a tie. Give that a little fiddle and a wiggle. Or even like pockets as well. But I would say, if you're going to put the hands in the pockets, just try and keep it close to the body so it's not like ballooning the legs and things like that, because guys do not know what to do with their hands. They're always big shovels in the pictures, so even used to it.
James Taylor:But even I bet there's people who understand that They'll have gone through some of your images in your car and they'll just be like big hand doing nothing in the image. But especially when you've got the groom and the bride together. The groom has got someone. I think it's a bit safety. Just get the arms around the bride, relax into it then And then you probably find your moment. Like you pose the bride, tell them I stand Literally as you do on the workshop. Now the groom comes in, stands behind arms around the front And then her looking over. She's naturally going to want to look over to see the husband while they're talking.
James Taylor:There's your shot. And they all look comfortable then, like they're anchored as well. They just don't have to think about what he's doing. He just stands there until he gets sold. He can go back to the bar.
Neil Redfern:The other thing that I think is really important is always like to especially when you're shooting a couple, to be as a photographer. this is to be communicating all the time and speaking, Because do you ever find it weird? if you've, maybe you're being shot by a photographer and they're not saying anything?
Demi Hughes:Yeah, i've had that weird. It's completely like quiet, not for like a brides or sheep, but like I've done shoots mostly in like London for like I suppose like they used to work in like models every day, like it's an everyday job. They do like book cover shoots, like campaigns for like big designers. Sometimes you just work through it, but if you've got like a straight face, sometimes the photographer like it doesn't ask, photographer, if you've got a straight face as a person anyway, or like what a lot of people would call like resting bitch face, and you're not saying like whether you like them or you don't like them. You either don't know. It's like you're either killing it or you're not, or I'm somewhere in between, like are we? and then, like I've asked on like some of these, like is it good? and they're like yeah, no, it's amazing, it's great, like otherwise.
Neil Redfern:I don't have to have no feedback.
Demi Hughes:So I can like keep going the way I'm going. Otherwise it's like I can change something I'm doing.
James Taylor:Create an energy between you, don't you? Yeah, like you just said, am I killing it? I don't know.
Demi Hughes:Hype up the model as well, because they would be told you keep, you keep going then and like it's great And it's because I think like we're the same way We won't.
James Taylor:If you've just taken a picture of me, i'll give you that again, but then I'll start to move slightly and then you can start breaking away. But I try and do it as like a guesswork of like if someone, if I start in a position and then I start moving, if they want me to stay in that position, they'll tell me. So I'm like right now I know that we're staying still.
James Taylor:Otherwise, if I start moving and then you hear like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, right now I know that I can start like bending, doing this, doing that, doing whatever, it might be.
Demi Hughes:I feel like you move more until you're told like stay there or something, because you feel like they're trying to find the shot, that maybe they're like imagining the head, so you keep like flowing through.
James Taylor:Yeah, because they could be working on the lighting. They could be working on the pose with the image.
Demi Hughes:I didn't actually mind them being quiet once if they said like I've had like people as well. they say like, oh, i'm like half concentrating, like sorry if I'm like, and I'm like, that's completely fine.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, because like if.
Demi Hughes:I'm working through something especially, i think, as well as models, that doesn't matter because it's like everyone's there to work, so it's fine. I don't know if it matters as well, like, for I mean, i've never actually been married. I don't know if it's like what it'd be like. So don't you want to be the talk for us and speak to you like at all I am, but I imagine it could be like a little bit awkward.
James Taylor:Do you remember the video shoot that we did? Oh which?
Demi Hughes:one.
James Taylor:Is it Adam Wing Wingle? Oh, Adam Wing's.
Neil Redfern:Adam Wing's. I like Wing. Yeah, yeah, but yeah, it's a new nickname. So this is Adam Wing's workshop, which part of that the attendees got to shoot you both. Basically, Yeah, putting video form this time.
James Taylor:Which was somewhat a bit different to what we usually used to see, and you're talking about the pose and we didn't know it was.
Demi Hughes:What were you when you went? Go on.
Neil Redfern:What I remember, this is where the beat. There was a bee's nest at this shoot, wasn't it? I think A wasp, yeah, A wasp, yeah. Adam in the eye.
James Taylor:Yeah, oh, oh yeah, because I was stood up on some hay barrels and. I was like dodgy, I could just say buzzing behind me, but I was like let's just get the shot done, Let's Yeah, But obviously for video videoing you've got to create like a moment It's fluid, so it's more like an actual acting piece then.
Intro:Yeah So we were.
James Taylor:I hadn't seen you when you'd gotten ready because you were doing bridal stuff in the makeup area. Yeah, and then I was stood as, like the groom, waiting at the top of the aisle.
Demi Hughes:Is this the tragedy bit?
James Taylor:Oh, I like this, but when you? Because obviously we know each other, but we've never had to do this before.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, you've never actually gotten married, it's never been a ceremony.
Intro:No.
James Taylor:I was stood at the Well, i'm stood at the altar and then I turn around but they started playing music and everything And I burst out laughing at them all. Yeah.
Demi Hughes:And then we did, Because you do it so many times, because obviously that's like one of the main bits of like the video. I mean to be fair, I love that because we. Everyone edited the videos, so we had like We had all those And I saved this And it was really good.
James Taylor:We were really good Yeah.
Demi Hughes:And like same with like all the attendees from workshops, like I'll see them. If you put like Tagos and I see them, I'll like save them all for like future and I'll save them all there.
Intro:Yeah, I love them.
Demi Hughes:But on one of the takes of coming down the aisle bit, I think I had said to her, just as I was like they were like would everybody just do it again? But I could run in heels, So I think I was sort of like teasing her back So it was quicker for everyone, and then spinning around And I was like, oh, I'm going to do this take. Like I said to her, I was like, oh, you obviously know steps, And he was like obviously, And I was like I'm going to do this take like tragedy and stuff. But the bit where H was waiting at the bottom of the aisle for Lisa.
Intro:But like the gay, best make vibes.
Demi Hughes:So I was like that's what we're doing, and like I didn't realise that people were like filming the exact moment, so I didn't think they were going to pick the exact moment, but somebody from the workshop used the exact moment that I got to the bottom And we look at each other exactly the way that Lisa and H looked at each other, But the tragedy made me go and it's the least like real couple of these things we've ever done.
Neil Redfern:I want to watch that music video now. I've not seen it.
Demi Hughes:She gets to the bottom of the aisle and it's meant to be like a husband waiting for her, but it's H and these are like really traumatic, like camp smiles to each other Like it's you, and then we died laughing And I think that's what they were like like, oh, this is so good because you're laughing. That's like another thing as well. There are a lot of people like it's not just like what, like faking the couple thing, like your wedding day is not like all sultry, like sort of like steamy couple photos. A lot of it's like it's your soulmate, isn't it? So it's all like these laughing like pretty moments.
Demi Hughes:So I think as well like actually best meeting real life. It's like that sort of like joy comes through a bit anyway, it's just like half the time what we'll laugh at night. It's just not for a herring.
Neil Redfern:No, no, no, no, it's not it's not what people think you're laughing at off you, Is it? No?
James Taylor:no, Making all these soft cute images and it's like built an absolute lies But yeah that was the H bit.
Demi Hughes:It's probably one of my favorite moments because it was so. it was so dead on I actually I'm glad that someone filmed actually, so we can have it forever. I need to find that film. I need to see it. I've got it saved on me. Instagram saves. I will send it to you.
Neil Redfern:Oh, brilliant. So, Demi, just following on from that, james has mentioned what the advice he's had for, say, groomed. Do you have any advice that you would say for photographers when posing brides?
Demi Hughes:Yeah, i'd probably say like gas them up, like honestly, gas them up, if you think about like how long she's spent getting ready.
Demi Hughes:I've never spent that long getting ready in my life for anything like. It doesn't take that long to get ready for shoots. Even if you're in here to make up and like wardrobe, you end up getting dragged through like the end bit of the here in the wardrobe because they come on like you know, call time started Like let's get her out there. For like a Wednesday You've picked your makeup artist, gone for a makeup trial, had the makeup done at least twice, looked on Instagram God knows how many times to choose your makeup artist that you're here done, had several people helping you and to address that's all about you, that you got away for one day And it's literally like it's all about you. Yeah, gas them up.
Demi Hughes:I probably like if it was me doing it, i'd be like you may as well Like if I would say, if anything, it's more to like to bride, so photographers to see the bride, so you may as well just go for it, because you're only going to do it the once. Anyway, you've put all this effort in. You look amazing Like. You may as well like show off the dress and show off like the hair Suppose as well. If you're like as a photographer, if you're looking at the bride and you think that it's best if she shows off like this dress or like the hair or the veil or it's like you know she's got like a really nice smile, so it's like let's get a big smiley. It's like, oh, you're gorgeous.
Demi Hughes:I think it's about like show it off, like gas them up. I suppose it's the way like I gas the girls off when it's like I'm getting photos or we're having like pre-drinks or something, and take show it off as well. I probably say to photographers to say to brides what I'd say It doesn't feel natural anyway. So don't feel nervous doing the bridal pose, because there's nothing about it that feels like super easy and natural, like it does to me now, because I feel like I've gone into it so much. But like I do, i don't even know how many photos she's like we've done together. I don't know myself.
Demi Hughes:And on top of that I've done like obviously other brides or she's.
Neil Redfern:But it is a lot I reckon we must be look, if you include the workshops, i think we're going to 40, 50.
Demi Hughes:I think it's over 50.
Neil Redfern:And I won't be able to because it's been from like 2018.
Demi Hughes:And then it was.
Neil Redfern:it's probably consistent Some years we've done eight, 10 workshops, yeah, and then all the YouTube on style shoots before YouTube.
Demi Hughes:It's an awful lot And then, like other ones that we've done with other people as well, aim for the photographers. When I'm doing like the vial throws, i feel like I kind of know.
Neil Redfern:That is your special move as well. That Demi and a veil, they are a dream. It's a dream combo.
Demi Hughes:Dream combo, i think, because I try and envision it like honestly, like me in space, for that is very Cinderella on the cover of the original, like Cartoon, like film, like not the film, yeah, very like light and very, very The pose around I've done the Demi pose on holiday, actually thinking on it.
Helen Williams:I have video evidence and Neil trying to Demi pose. I know I'm on the beach. The savers coming in.
Neil Redfern:The ad is random Hawaiian. Look at the fingers. Look at the fingers.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, i remember you showing me the fingers. Yeah, i think I've put. I mean, i suppose the amount that I've done like everything goes into it. I'm like may as well commit like 110% every time, but to get it the way it looks it uses like muscles that don't feel like naturally, feels more natural if you're going to throw the vial, like the way I do most photos, to let like your shoulder come off and your elbow would be down, because that's not like straining your arm, but like the prettiest way to make it look is like the elbows up, the shoulders are slightly dropped down, almost like a dancer. For oh, i know, i know this anyway, from being like this is the professional dance to like coming through, if you imagine that you're holding a big beach ball on either side of your body.
Demi Hughes:At all times when you're doing the veil throws or anything, or when you like, pose with the veils if you want them sort of like drawn out bits and then that way your arms are never coming like lower than where they need to be And also your shoulders doesn't need to come up anymore because you're just balancing a beach ball under your arms. Oh, that's good, so the elbow stays up, the shoulder stays down and it shows off all your frame then as well.
Demi Hughes:You're not like, you're not going like shy into yourself, pulling yourself in, because I think half the time you'd be a little bit upset with those photos because you'd think, oh, like, that's not how I felt, like I looked on the day and it probably wasn't. it was probably just that you were shy, so you're like recluse it in a little bit when you didn't need to Probably just say like the gas it up, and then pop your elbow back, pop your shoulder down like go for it, or or imagine, like you imagine, that you're a disney princess. I'm like a disney princess, like that works, i think, as well.
Neil Redfern:One thing that there is, i think unfortunately maybe it's a stereotype where people think, oh, modeling, that's easy. But I think it's just your description there of how much you're thinking about even like throwing the veil is crazy, and there is so much talented because when I've worked with maybe other models, or certainly like real brides, who you don't expect to be able to do what you do, but the difference is massive, like the difference between having you two in front of a camera no, i was gonna say you no, but just like we have to work obviously much harder, don't we? when we're on a real wedding day with a bride and groom, as you'd expect? yeah, because they don't know how to pose, but it shows you the talent and the skill that goes into what you two do.
Neil Redfern:Yeah, because you can't just do that and you can tell the difference when you're looking down the camera lens as well yeah, you really can yeah, and and it's just mad to think when you're talking about how you throw in the veil there, demi, like what goes into that, rather because you would just think, oh, anybody can throw a veil, let's do that oh, yeah, no, because it looks horrible.
Demi Hughes:Yeah, it looks exactly.
Neil Redfern:It looks exactly that you could always do workshops of how to do the both of you, how to pose.
Demi Hughes:I suppose as well, even when I'm saying that and you know as well from doing it yourself. That's not the only thing, it's literally from like toe to the tip of like your head, every muscle, like in your body is engaged and you're thinking about the way everyone's positioned. It just gets easier with time because you become so experienced with them that you know your body's not so memory.
Intro:Yeah, it's like driving.
Demi Hughes:You just start to get used to.
James Taylor:This is what you do for this, but it's like you guys just said that we can just snap into it, oh you know, that is it, we just actually I'm also memory and it's like like for me, like it's like chest goes up, start jawline, do do, do like I do all these little bits, and I just know that straight away and when people move around, also when you move us slightly, that makes me and our posture has changed slightly like where you position your leg, your arm, everything because, you
James Taylor:know that the light and the difference or the angles different yeah, looking at the cameras, thinking of, like, where our legs are positioned. Am I gonna have one or can I have two?
Demi Hughes:like you'd have to stuff like you're standing, and now we've got a thing of like we try and not cover other like limbs of each other's as well, because it's not complementary for one or another sometimes this is so, to my know wasting a certain way and certain dresses, because if you hide it, i'm like you hide and like all of your shape, like a look, like a potato now, well, like if I'm completely in this way like yeah.
Demi Hughes:I was sure I'm like no, because I'm hiding James's jawline and it was sharp and by the gods themselves.
Neil Redfern:So yeah, i love that. I also learned from you two as well, like these things that I see that you two will do all these the poses you'll get yourself into that I've literally tried to then emulate on a wedding day. So it does work both ways. That's one of the reasons I'd always encourage people, if someone's out there, to work with professional models if you haven't done so before, because you will learn from them as well.
Demi Hughes:Like it definitely works both ways just maybe not as much as us.
Neil Redfern:I mean, you're cute before we wrap up, at first of all, i'd say, please go and follow both Demi and James on Instagram, two separate accounts. James is at just underscore, james underscore Taylor, and Demi is at Demi Hughes 1x. And yeah, thank you both so much. I've loved speaking to you both. It's been amazing, and thank you both again for everything you've done for me. I say you've been the stars of probably half my videos, i would say, on YouTube. You've been amazing, absolutely incredible on the workshops that I've done and, as, just to reiterate again, it is a team and you two are thirds of that team as well, so thank you for that and thank you for coming on the podcast as well.
Helen Williams:I say it's just been really nice. I've been quite quiet this podcast. I've just sat back just watching the connection and chemistry that you all have and it's, um, yeah, it's really special to see how closely you guys have become over the years and it's, yeah, it's just been really nice to sit back and watch you guys reminisce about sort of what you've done together. So, yeah, it's been really really lovely to have you yeah, thank you, it's been a pleasure.
Neil Redfern:Thank you for joining us. I know it's a bit of a strange thing for you to do this, but you've both been amazing have?
Helen Williams:we popped your podcast, cherry.
James Taylor:Yes, amazing oh, thank you back at you as well on the all right we've had amazing, the workshops being like we've had so much fun on every single one part of both of our lives, like you've definitely made like a huge mark, like these are memories that, like we'll remember, like so fondly as well, like you, know being old, but you know that sometimes, when you're doing it and like we've met each other, like we've met you.
Demi Hughes:We're all like good friends.
James Taylor:It's nice getting us extra work some other places. That's our first matter. Hello, yeah, it was actually of course, yeah.
Helen Williams:I forgot about this, my workshops, and that was because I was like Neil who's that model? yeah, he's good. Why didn't you use demi?
Intro:that was the first workshop was pre demi.
Demi Hughes:I'm sure it was. There was two models before me, wasn't that James used to model?
James Taylor:with. Yeah, more regular ones, yeah, yeah there was yeah.
Demi Hughes:I'm sure although wife, now though Demi, i think it was like once we started shooting and you were happy, like with the results, which was obviously the huger's compliment to me you started oh yeah, you are.
Neil Redfern:I know it's how cheesy and cliche, but you are a dream to work with. Well, you prove that over the years.
Demi Hughes:Honestly, you're saying thank you now and he's gonna have to go lie down the dark room. No, it is all true with the white noise from me? no, not at all. I love it.
Neil Redfern:No, thank you so. So much. So if you'd like to join us in the flash Masters community, you can do so at flashmasters. co Thank you both. So much again. We've loved having you on. It's been amazing. Thank you for listening and we will see you in the next one so don't forget to keep flashing boom yeah, perfect.
Demi Hughes:Oh, i love that. That's your like. End someone, that's such a you thing.