We are now sponsored by Canon + Aftershoot!

In this episode of the Flash Masters podcast we discuss about our recent 1st Birthday live stream and talk about the huge announcements which we made on that stream - including how we are now sponsored by two of the most widely recognised and respected brands in the photography industry - Canon and Aftershoot! We are so proud and honoured to have the support of these two incredible companies.

Plus, we talk about the new Flash Masters Business School - a 12-month business school program starting in 2024 to help you level up your photography business. This is a huge project we are developing with our new Flash Masters team member - Matt Trott. 

We round off the episode with some well-deserved kudos. We highlight the transformative power of Aftershoot's AI editing, which has completely revolutionized our workflow, and the inspiring success story of Christian Cardona in the photography industry and our upcoming stream with the amazing Marlies Hartmann. 

Lastly, we extend an invitation to you to join the Flash Masters Community and gain access to valuable resources. So tune in, get inspired, and remember, keep on flashing!

Sanjay Jogia, Canon Ambassador: https://www.eyejogia.com/
Christian Cardona: https://christiancardona.co/en/
Marlies Hartmann: https://mhartphoto.com/

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/

Transcript

Intro: 0:01

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 flashmastersco. Here are your hosts, Helen Williams and Neil Redfern.

Helen Williams: 0:27

Hi there and welcome to another episode of the Flash masters podcast with me, Helen Williams and me, Neil Redfern. And in today's podcast we have got a lot of things to discuss and catch up on.

Neil Redfern: 0:39

A big catch up episode actually, because we've not done a podcast for three weeks. Yeah, apologies everyone, we've not been being lazy. No, but the past month or so has just been so incredibly busy for us, unfortunately, we've just not had time to record a podcast. I mean, we've been shooting every single weekend at least one wedding each, haven't we?

Neil Redfern: 1:01

Yes, Like it's only last week I shot an Indian wedding which included three events on the bounce. We're recording today, after you just shot two weddings on the bounce. Yeah, so it's been crazy busy. I'm also preparing for my workshops which are happening next week. I've got two three day workshops coming up in October which I can't wait for. But again, that's been a lot of prep as well, so it's been really big and we're still only a few weeks into moving house.

Helen Williams: 1:27

Yes, it's definitely been mad. And in the meantime, since our last episode as well, we've also had, obviously, the official announcements for the Flash masters first birthday, including two new sponsors, a new member of the Flash masters team and a brand new initiative that we teased about last episode. But today we can finally give you all the gossip and details.

Neil Redfern: 1:51

Yes, definitely. So we'll get into that. But again apologies for the brief gap, but we think we're back on track now. So, all being well, we'll go back now to our weekly schedule. You look like you're not happy about this.

Helen Williams: 2:04

I know I'm very pleased. I'm just very, very tired today. Oh energy, sorry, pretend you're at a wedding. I'm here.

Neil Redfern: 2:11

First of all, you say hello. Let's recap what we announced on the Flash masters first birthday live stream, which went really well. We did that on YouTube, didn't we? And they're always a little bit nerve wracking, I think, especially on YouTube, when we've never been live on the Flash masters YouTube channel before.

Neil Redfern: 2:28

So I was a bit nervous, thinking, oh, I hope the algorithm's kind to us and people actually watch. But we did really really well for viewers and, yeah, I'm so pleased with how it went. It did seem like a lot of pressure, but very, very pleased with it and, as you say, we made some big announcements on there. So she'll we do a recap for everybody who maybe didn't watch the live stream. We won't shower you, but why don't you watch? But for those that didn't watch the live stream, you can actually watch it back on the Flash masters YouTube channel now. But for those that didn't watch, shall we recap what we talked about.

Helen Williams: 3:00

I was going to say, though, if you're going to watch it back, just beware, because apparently my voice on my lap is very annoying and fake.

Neil Redfern: 3:07

Oh yeah, we had a troll comment.

Helen Williams: 3:10

I know I got I have my first YouTube troll, which, to be fair, I was quite excited about. So, yeah, I know I've got a dead annoying laugh. Is it fake? Though I couldn't be fake if I tried, but yeah, apparently. Yeah, some person watched it and the only thing he had to say about it was that my laugh was fake and annoying. So I will say to all of the listeners who have actually listened to these podcast episodes thank you so much for still doing so. I'm putting up with my fake, annoying laugh.

Neil Redfern: 3:36

You say that you're over it, but you immediately gone straight to it. It's like it's seared into your brain.

Helen Williams: 3:43

Oh, no, well, it didn't make me cry, all right, you know I can't change the way that I speak, so it didn't like massively upset me, but it's the first time I've had something mean said about me to my face online.

Neil Redfern: 3:55

Means that you've made it.

Helen Williams: 3:56

Yeah.

Neil Redfern: 3:57

In the meantime as well, like in the past week, I put out a YouTube video. I had a funny comment as well, but I've had loads and loads over the years. What was it? Oh, my equipment was acceptable or something. Yeah, my equipment was unnecessarily expensive which it's really not, I was using a five year old camera.

Neil Redfern: 4:17

What was the other comment? Oh, also, but now bear in mind that my YouTube channel is mainly about off-camera flash and helping people with off-camera flash, teaching off-camera flash and showing off-camera flash techniques to try and make the whole processing achievable. I was told that I was complicating the shoot. It should have been doing. Natural light Sort of defeats the object, but I always think comments like that, you know, it's always good for interaction, it's good for the algorithm, and you just got to ignore it. Yours was a bit different, though, because yours was a bit more personal.

Helen Williams: 4:47

It was just a bit mean. Really, I can't really change my laugh. So, yeah, I do apologize to anyone who does find my laugh annoying and fake, but I'm not going to change it. So if you're still here then you've put up with it long enough and hopefully you're used to it by now.

Neil Redfern: 5:01

But on that fake stream that we did, we made some very, very exciting announcements. First of all, we were joined by a special guest well, three special guests throughout the whole live stream.

Helen Williams: 5:11

We were.

Neil Redfern: 5:12

The first one, though, is the newest member of the Flash masters team. Over to you, Helen. Who is it? What's it all about?

Helen Williams: 5:20

So our first guest was our new Flash masters team member, who we've given him the very fancy title of business development manager.

Neil Redfern: 5:29

We haven't, you have. I've got a terrible name, why it sounds so boring and dull. I used to work in business development for a law firm and it was like even telling that to people. People said, what's your job title? And I say, oh, business development. I'd be like I'm almost fall asleep even saying it. So, apologies, man. I didn't know that that was your job title until Helen announced it on the live stream.

Helen Williams: 5:54

Well, I just thought it sounded fancy and important.

Neil Redfern: 5:56

Is it best a manager of call?

Helen Williams: 5:59

Let's go with that then.

Neil Redfern: 6:00

No, no, you kind of changed it.

Helen Williams: 6:01

We already have the business cards made.

Neil Redfern: 6:02

What do you have?

Helen Williams: 6:03

now, ha ha, the business cards. Yeah, so yes, matt Trott is our newest team member. He will be helping both Neil and I in terms of the running of the business side of Flash Masters.

Neil Redfern: 6:14

Director of Super Awesomeness.

Helen Williams: 6:16

Yes, or the guy who kicks our ass when we haven't done half the things we said we were going to do, and that is needed.

Neil Redfern: 6:22

That is needed. We've done the whole of Flash Masters the two of us based and the agency. But yeah, we do need someone to keep us in check a little bit, I think, and Matt will be very good at that.

Helen Williams: 6:31

Yeah, so we've kind of appointed him as our chief kicker at the arse. Maybe that could be arse kicker, chief arse kicker.

Neil Redfern: 6:38

Okay, cool.

Helen Williams: 6:38

Cool. So not only will Matt be kicking our arses, we're also going to allow him to kick the arses of all of our members and along with his announcement, we will be starting in January 2024, a brand new exciting adventure called Put in a drum roll the Flash Masters Business School.

Neil Redfern: 7:00

This is really key actually to speak about this, because the reason that this initiative what you want to call it like new projects or something that we hope is going to be in massive value to the Flash Masters members has come about because of the survey that actually you and Matt instigated. So do you want to talk about that survey and what the outcome of that was?

Helen Williams: 7:19

Yes, well, when we brought Matt on board, obviously we've brought him on board for quite selfish reasons as well and to help us to grow the Flash Masters brand and reach as many photographers as possible.

Neil Redfern: 7:28

Yes.

Helen Williams: 7:29

And whilst we were doing that, matt said obviously well, have you asked your members what they're scared about, what they want? Just to make sure that we're doing everything that we can to provide amazing value to everyone who's joined Flash Masters and really listen to what they need to help them grow their business, not just learning about Flash.

Neil Redfern: 7:48

Sorry, helen, I'm going to be very rude, just to interrupt. We should actually just introduce Matt a little bit. So firstly, matt is primary. He's a wedding photographer. Yes, he is an incredibly successful wedding photographer. He's only been full time, I think, like three, four years now, and two of those are a pandemic Exactly yes. But in that time he has grown his business to a point where he's shooting 60, 70 weddings a year of a really good standard not just his photography but also the budget that he's charging. So as a business he is absolutely smashing. His work is incredible as well. He was also a member of Flash Masters before we even asked him to be involved, and he's won numerous Flash Masters awards. So first, let's just say Matt is a very, very talented photographer and he's an incredibly talented and astute business person as well he really is.

Neil Redfern: 8:38

He absolutely smashed both sides of the business and that's one of the things that we were really attracted. And also it helps that he is such a nice guy and of course you'd be like, oh, you would say that, wouldn't you? But Matt has been helping us behind the scenes with Flash Masters Since before we even launched, and the reason is because we've reached out to Matt. We so trust and value his opinion and he's really been helping us with lots of things. Lots of decisions we've made about Flash Masters. Matt has known about and has guided us in the background. So this is just like really confirming his position in the team rather than just being someone that we just refer to. So that's a little bit more about Matt, and Matt is extremely analytical.

Helen Williams: 9:19

Oh, he is.

Neil Redfern: 9:20

I'd like to think that I am quite a decent creative person. I am not an analytical person.

Helen Williams: 9:26

No.

Neil Redfern: 9:26

And neither are you really.

Helen Williams: 9:27

No, not at all.

Neil Redfern: 9:28

So we have these blind spots in our skill set, if you like. You know if he's fine for a lot of things, but when you're trying to actually build a brand and build a business, then obviously we don't know what we're doing really as well as Matt does. So we reached out to Matt to ask him to help us and before he'd even would do that, he wants to know more about the Flash Masters community what, who our members are, where are they based, what struggles are they having, what problems are they having? And that's where the survey was born out of.

Helen Williams: 9:57

Yeah, he's certainly filling in a lot of the blind spots Blind spots will say certain areas of business. Both of us are just like I got no clue or I've not even thought about that. So, yes, we did a fantastic survey amongst our members and non-members, so we reached an awful lot of people and one of the questions was what do you think currently is the biggest challenge for you in your business? And we had so many replies and, considering we were chatting to photographers from all over the world, we had people fill in the survey who were still hobbyists, we had people who were two years in and those who were 20 plus years in, so we really had a fantastic sort of broad spectrum of people responding. And we're going to use all of those different topics and struggles that people are experiencing from a business point of view and from that we are developing a 12 month business school program targeting the key areas that people would really like help and support the most.

Neil Redfern: 10:55

Yeah, it's going to be absolutely brilliant. So, firstly, thank you to Matt for coming up with that idea, because it wouldn't have happened were it not for the survey, and the survey would certainly not have happened were it not for Matt suggesting it, and it was really enlightening. I mean, it's sort of surprised because we, you know, we are very integrated into the community, especially in the UK, especially with me and my Patreon. I'm always speaking to photographers, so I've got my ear to the ground and I'm very aware, as I'm sure many of the people listening to me, that the biggest issue facing many of us at the moment is that it's tough out there. You know we are in a cost of living crisis. People don't want to spend money if they don't have to, and wedding photography and weddings in general could be seen as being a bit of a luxury right now. So it's hard. It's very, very hard out there.

Neil Redfern: 11:40

So it was really important to us that, as people who run a photography brand like Flashmasters, that we want to help our members, not just with the obvious this is how you take a really cool, creative, off-camera flash photograph, or this how you use off-camera flash.

Neil Redfern: 11:55

But let's face it, you're, you can use those techniques if you've got weddings. If you've not got any weddings booked in, then it all sort of seems a little bit pointless. So we want to help our members not just with the creative side of their photography but also build their businesses, and Matt is the best person to help do that. And when we were actually talking about this, we spoke between ourselves, didn't we, about the business side of things. And how can we help people? There are photographers out there, or there's certainly people out there who will how to say it? Who profess to be able to help you build your brand, grow your business as six figures income and everything like that, and it's just those people walking the walk, you know what I mean, it sounds like a lot of the people out there we won't name names, but I'm sure you probably see their adverts on Facebook.

Neil Redfern: 12:45

It's almost like they are, I'm going to say, vultures who are preying on struggling photographers and their businesses are focused on selling to photographers who are struggling. But those people themselves, their primary business he's not photography and going out shooting weddings. Their primary business he's selling courses to photographers. So I was really like and we both agree that we don't want to try and get into one of those people because we want to ask someone who we know is literally smashing it in terms of their business and he's, as I say, walking the walk as well as talking the talk, and Matt is that person.

Helen Williams: 13:24

Yeah, and we're obviously going to have lots of different experts on and people to come to discuss and chat about all of the different sort of areas and topics that were being highlighted by our members that they want support on. But, yeah, we're definitely not going to necessarily be going and looking for those people who do sell a lot of photographers. We want everyone who comes on to the business school to deliver content, to be really open books not keeping secrets back and really providing the answers to questions that people are asking.

Neil Redfern: 13:54

But I just think who are out there in the field doing this stuff and succeeding at it. There's no point in just going through theory from someone who doesn't do it anymore yeah, you know. So that's why we will always urge to choose in people who we know are active photographers, who are out there with really successful businesses, not those who just have a business based on selling courses and workshops and things like that. So what that means for members is that next year there will be a whole series of live streams based purely around building your business. So not so much off coming off flashing itself based around building a photography business.

Helen Williams: 14:34

Yes, and of course we'll still have our usual monthly stream which will be more focused around the sort of the shooting elements as well. So, yeah, we're pretty much doubling the amount of content that we're throwing out there to our members, the lucky devils. So, yes, we're going to be hitting not just the creative side, but also the business side. So we're very, very excited about that, and welcome to the team, matt.

Neil Redfern: 14:55

Yes, thank you, matt.

Helen Williams: 14:56

And we announced not one, but two new sponsors Say what I know two. It was very, very exciting to reveal these live on on the YouTube stream.

Neil Redfern: 15:08

It was because we'd asked people in the, we'd asked our members in the flashmatt of Facebook to guess and we had people guessing each one, but not together.

Helen Williams: 15:17

Yes, and no one won the hoodie you know that was a class class prize we had there for anyone who got both right. And yeah, nobody did.

Neil Redfern: 15:25

So the first, in fact. Do you want to announce one and I'll announce the other?

Helen Williams: 15:29

I'll go one then, so our first announcement and I still kind of like pinch myself moment is that we are now sponsored by Canon.

Neil Redfern: 15:40

That was me doing a Canon. Yeah, we are so proud to announce that Canon are sponsoring us. Canon are you don't point even describing who Canon are. Everybody who listens already knows. When it comes to photography, canon are synonymous with being one of the leading, best, most high profile, most recognized, most respected brands in the whole photography industry. So to have their support and backing of flashmatters is incredible.

Helen Williams: 16:11

Yeah, it was super exciting to be able to announce that, and I will say now thank you so much to Raj Keffer, who came live onto the stream as one of Canon's ambassadors oh, one of Canon's guru, sorry, he's like their tech guru and, I have to say, everybody who's on that stream, I think, was blown away by several things that Raj had to say in terms of certain hacks that you can put into your Canon cameras, because he is also, you know, a full-time photographer himself. He knew some tricks and things in the menus that Canon users were like what? I didn't know this. So yeah, for those who are shooting Canon, they found that very exciting.

Neil Redfern: 16:50

I think, at this stage as well, I think it's very important to say well one that we've been speaking to Canon in the background for literally a year.

Intro: 16:59

Yeah, probably more.

Neil Redfern: 16:59

This is not something that's just been happening in the past couple of weeks. But we realized when we first started speaking to Canon that we were dealing with one of the biggest brands and companies in the whole industry and whereas with the other sponsors, who we absolutely love and adore, they're smaller companies and we can often speak to the decision makers very, very quickly and easily and everything's very, you know, reactive. Canon is not that. Canon is a huge beast of a company. So it's taken a lot of behind the scenes work and meetings and conversations to come to this point. So that's the first thing that this has been in the pipeline for a long, long time. Secondly, I'd like to thank personally our Flashmasters member and our personal friend, chuck yes, chuck Groves as well, who has been instrumental in helping this happen. He works for Canon and he's very kindly being sort of oiling the wheels, if you like, of this sponsorship for quite a long time now. So thank you so much, chuck, for all your help. And the third thing is, helen, we don't shoot Canon.

Neil Redfern: 18:05

So I think it's important to say that one of the things that I've been really, really impressed with is that Canon wanted to support Flashmasters for the Flashmasters brand. Not anything to do with trying to make us change who we shoot with. No, so we've obviously. You know he's not been a surprise to them that we don't shoot Canon. You know I've been very vocal in the past about, like, how we both shoot with Sony. If anybody's got just watched my YouTube channel, you'll know that I've for four years now five years I've been shooting with Sony, and before Sony I was shooting with Nikon as well, so I've never actually shot with Canon, but that didn't bother them.

Neil Redfern: 18:41

From our point of view, it was very important to let them know that we're not just suddenly start saying, oh Canon, this Canon, that Canon are amazing when we don't use them, because that would just be really disingenuous, not authentic. But that was fine. What we do know is how amazing Canon are and yes, I think it's fair to say that they've. Maybe when the whole mirrorless revolution happened they were a little bit slower out the blocks, but I know they've caught up massively now and in recent surveys the majority of wedding talk was actually do shoot Canon. But yeah, it was important for it is important for us to let you know in the Flashmasters community that Canon have been amazing behind the scenes. They've not they've not asked us to change, they've not asked us to say anything about them. They've just wanted to support us and Flashmasters, and we're very, very grateful for that. They just want to help the brand and I think that's amazing. So a special thank you to Canon for that approach as well.

Helen Williams: 19:37

Yeah, it's absolutely mind blowing to think that such you know a huge corporation, a fantastic massive company, would just look at little old us too, and we're currently just sat at our kitchen table podcasting and have such faith in what we're growing. And it's been really, really nice to go through that process and through those conversations with so many different people at different stages and different departments at Canon and to almost have like that sort of interview process or to go through the strict checks that they have, because Canon aren't going to put their names to absolutely anything. This is huge for us. So, yeah, it was such a massive compliment when they finally said yes, we would like to sponsor you, and I just think that is one of our greatest achievements to be able to say that we have Canon on board.

Neil Redfern: 20:25

Yeah, it's amazing. It's absolutely like incredible for us. And again thank you to everyone who's been involved behind the scenes, everybody at Canon, and to Chuck again for his help with that. So that wasn't the only sponsor we announced.

Helen Williams: 20:39

No, it wasn't actually before. We quickly move on. For those of you who are listening or are Flashmasters members and may have missed it somehow, we have an amazing competition running this month in the Flashmasters members group and any member can enter. All you need to do is take a selfie or take a photo of yourself, or it can't be a selfie, because you must use off-camera flash because we have a fantastic opportunity for a one-to-one review session and a one-to-one critique of your work with Canon Ambassador Sanjay Jogia from iJogia Photography, and Sanjay's work is absolutely exquisite. His use of off-camera flash is incredible. So, yeah, we're really, really pleased that one of our Flashmasters members will be having a one-to-one with Sanjay.

Neil Redfern: 21:26

Yeah, I'm very, very excited to see who's going to win that. So how do you enter then, Helen?

Helen Williams: 21:31

All you need to do is take, like I said, a self-portrait using off-camera flash. You post it in the Flashmasters members group with the hashtag Sanjay Selfie.

Neil Redfern: 21:41

Excellent, love it. And then how are we gonna choose the winner?

Helen Williams: 21:44

Oh, everyone's just going into a random name generator, okay, I literally don't know the answer to this.

Neil Redfern: 21:50

I am not setting this up, I don't know.

Helen Williams: 21:52

Yeah, so they're going into a random name generator because, well, I decided that I want every member of Flashmasters to be able to access this prize.

Intro: 22:00

Yeah, love it.

Helen Williams: 22:01

And they not necessarily go to the person with the most wow photographs. So for those of you you know our members who are two years in on quite his experience, they have just an equal chance of winning, as does everyone else.

Neil Redfern: 22:14

Yeah, that's brilliant. Yeah, I totally agree with that. And what an opportunity as well to have a critique session with a Canon ambassador.

Helen Williams: 22:21

Yeah.

Neil Redfern: 22:22

And I will put a link to Sanjay's website in the description of the podcast. So if you've not heard of him before, not aware of his work, please check out the link in the description. His work, as Helen said, is insanely good, so you're gonna learn so much from that critique session.

Helen Williams: 22:37

Yes, the members. If you haven't got your selfies or your self portraits done yet, make sure you get those in by the end of the month, and all of the details are in the Facebook group.

Neil Redfern: 22:46

Yes, and, as I say, that wasn't the only sponsor that we announced on the live stream. We were also incredibly excited to announce that in another drum roll, we are now as well sponsored by Aftershoot. Woo hoo, yeah, love Aftershoot. The whole team Aftershoot have been amazing. And, again, full transparency. People may be aware that when we first launched Flashmasters, we were actually sponsored by another AI editing company. Yes, to be honest, imagine and we were really honored to have their support. But again, full transparency. That was really important. They were always fully transparent behind the scenes. Helen and I did buy into the Aftershoot founders deal earlier this year. I don't remember when that was. Will that be at March, april? I'm not sure.

Helen Williams: 23:40

It was before wedding season had really kicked off Definitely early spring.

Neil Redfern: 23:43

Yeah, and for those that aren't aware, so Aftershoot, let's just introduce them Again. If you're listening to podcasts, you already know about Aftershoot. Aftershoot, for a few years now, have been offering AI culling and that's been massive for them and that's what. That was their main thing, and I know a lot of members have been using that for quite a while now. I've always been a little bit oh, I can't understand, I can't. Something just doesn't work in my head in terms of how that can possibly work. So I've always been a little bit hesitant to use AI culling. But I did always really like AI editing, which is what Imagine were offering, say, a year ago, before we launched Flashmasters. So I was using well, both of us were using Imagine and everything was fine.

Neil Redfern: 24:27

Then, earlier this year, aftershoot announced that they were going to offer AI editing as well. So it was like, oh, this is interesting, but Aftershoot were gonna offer it in a slightly different way, whereas Imagine and again, this isn't like they're wrong, they're right or choosing size or anything but it's fair to say that one of the big reasons that we both decided to buy into the Aftershoot deal is that, with Aftershoot and their AI options, you don't pay per image. When it comes to editing, you pay just a yearly subscription for unlimited editing. So if you are like Helen and I the past few months, especially like a wedding photographer in particular who is shooting quite a high number of weddings, then it certainly worked out cost wise to go with an offering like Aftershoot, because you're paying one fee per year rather than per image. Now if you are shooting less weddings, then the decision might be much more difficult.

Neil Redfern: 25:28

But if you are shooting I don't know what the number would be, but say for people like us who are what we deliver in 700 images, 700, 800 per wedding and you're shooting, I would say, five to 10 weddings at least a year, then it's probably gonna work out more beneficial to go with a company that offers one fixed fee per year and that's what we were interested in. So Helen and I both bought into the Founder's deal. This was before we'd even spoken to Aftershoot behind the scenes and I remember when I first used it it's like, oh, this is really really good, you know, as imagine was, but we weren't paying per image anymore and it was like, oh, this really really seems impressive. And since then I think it's fair to say we've both just used aftershoots. Again, I will always be transparent and honest. I still haven't dared and it is the right word to use dare to use their culling you have. I know?

Helen Williams: 26:23

Oh, I do, yeah, I send all my work through the culling.

Neil Redfern: 26:26

But I do love the editing and I don't think I could edit now from scratch. It would seem really strange. What I did you offer is AI culling within Lightroom Now. At the moment that it's just the base sliders, if you like. There's no selective editing, but what it means is that when you first then open your catalog in Lightroom, you get and you get go with your actual editing. The white balance is bang on, the exposure is bang on and it just makes it so much easier. And oftentimes now, when I open up my catalog, it's like, yep, that's fine, yeah, and I'm just scrolling through rather than thinking I've got to make adjustments to everything. So it's been amazing, such a time saver.

Helen Williams: 27:03

It's just crazy how quickly our business flows or our workflows have changed thanks to AI, and yeah, we're very, very excited to have Aftershoot on board. They definitely have revolutionized quite a few of our processes since we started using them.

Neil Redfern: 27:17

Yeah. So again, just to reiterate, like we did have a conversation with Imagine, we were always very, very grateful for their support. They have no issue with them whatsoever. They offer a fantastic service. It's just for us, helen and I, as working wedding photographers, we felt that Aftershoot was more beneficial for our businesses. Thank you to Aftershoot, to Justin, to Veronica, to Michelle. You've been amazing behind the scenes and we're very, very proud and honored to have your logo as well on the Flashbusters website. So that's Canon and Aftershoot, our two new sponsors.

Helen Williams: 27:51

Yes, we're so excited to have both on board and feeling very, very privileged. And, yeah, it's a very exciting thing to have.

Neil Redfern: 28:00

It is, and as well, just in conjunction with that, just to add, aftershoot will be joining us. We've not got a date for this yet, but Justin will be coming on to a live stream For those that aren't aware of Aftershoot to introduce Aftershoot and explain how Aftershoot can, as Helen said before, revolutionize your photography business, and it will do that. I can't imagine not using Aftershoot now, so, yeah, he will be coming on to introduce it.

Helen Williams: 28:23

Yeah, I think it will be fantastic as well. I think he's got different hacks and tips and tricks and it'll just be great for all of our members who are currently using them. If there anything like me, I don't read instructions. I just kind of just go from scratch and make it up as I go along so it'll be really great to have him live on stream and be able to ask him questions and see if I'm doing it. I could be saving more time by doing things correctly rather than making it up.

Neil Redfern: 28:46

And they also know as well that on that live stream, if we just twist Justin's arm a little bit, I think there may be special offers for members of the FlashMasters community.

Intro: 28:55

So yeah, make sure I say make sure you shoot in.

Neil Redfern: 28:58

We haven't even actually announced it yet, but that stream will be happening I think it's fair to say before the end of the year.

Intro: 29:03

So keep your eyes peeled.

Neil Redfern: 29:05

So, while it's on the subject of live streams, we should say a huge thank you to Kristin Cardona, who joined us for a live stream. I can't remember when. That was Now a couple of weeks ago. That live stream as always, as with all the live streams we did is now available to rewatch in the FlashMasters community.

Helen Williams: 29:21

Oh, take a breath.

Neil Redfern: 29:23

Yes, but yeah, that was brilliant and you conducted that, Conducted that's very formal. Yeah, you spoke to Kristin. How was that Helen?

Helen Williams: 29:30

I loved it, Absolutely loved it. My mind was blown, I know. Before we did the live stream chatting to other ambassadors, yeah, Jesse and I were a plant who do workshops for Kristin and were like he will just make you feel incredibly lazy. We haven't met anyone who works as hard in this industry as Kristin does. And yeah, sitting down with him was like an absolute masterclass. And, yeah, I did feel very lazy because I still have very little idea how he manages to operate such an incredible business focusing on weddings and school photography as well.

Neil Redfern: 30:06

His senior portrait sessions are out of this world I know, so inspiring to watch.

Helen Williams: 30:11

Yeah, definitely made me think and I've said this, I don't know how many times and still haven't actioned it but really how much benefit there can be when you're really taking your time to shoot creatively, or when you're a wedding photographer, shooting other genres of photography and doing portraits or senior sessions and things like that, where you have a little bit more time to get creative than you would do on a wedding day, and how both of those can just help you overall as a photographer.

Neil Redfern: 30:39

Oh, without a doubt, I totally agree. And, yeah, that live stream was brilliant. Kristin, for me is I know we say a lot of people what he is he is one of the best in the world. I mean I put him top five. I mean that's how highly I regard him, His work, he's stunning and, again, it's an honor to have him help us and help the community. It was so good.

Helen Williams: 31:01

My mind's just constantly blown that we have these incredible, like I said, world class, greatest of all time like flash photographers on our stream, and how open they are. And then he's not a dick.

Neil Redfern: 31:13

They ask for nothing back. No, they just want nothing in return.

Helen Williams: 31:17

No, literally they've not asked for anything, and Kristin and everyone else who's been on these live streams just answer every question. There's no secrets, there's no oh. Buck onto this and I'll show you how I did that. They literally just tell you everything that we ask. And for someone of his caliber, who has done so many workshops around the world, who obviously operates part of his business in instructing and educating, as many of our ambassadors do, it's just really, really nice of them to not want anything and just freely give this information just for the greater good of the photography community. Yeah, he was so lovely.

Neil Redfern: 31:54

Yeah, he was. And on the subjects of live streams, we also, on the day that this comes out, will be having a live stream with another one of our incredible ambassadors, marlise Hartman Woo. It sounds like a broken record because I'm going to say oh, marlise, you're one of the but these people are. They are Marlise's work. Again, if you're not familiar, a link to her website will be in the description. But Marlise's work is beautiful. She's an ambassador for lots of brands from MagMod.

Neil Redfern: 32:26

This is completely true as well. To reinforce just how highly I regard Marlise and which I love her work. When I first set my Patreon three and a half years ago, she was the first non-UK wedding photographer that I had on as a guest on a live stream, and that's because I was always been so blown away with her work. So, yeah, she was the first person that I reached out to because I was like, oh, if I can get Marlise on, that'll really set this Patreon going with a bang. And she said yes, and again, she was an open book on that stream. So when we set flashmatters up, she was again one of the first people that we reached out to Because she's just an amazing person. She's an incredible photographer, an amazing educator. She's got so much to share and her work is beautiful.

Helen Williams: 33:12

Oh, it just stands out, doesn't it? And I will say I'm interrupting you here, but it's like I don't know. I don't want to be like or putting people into gender boxes, but as a female like, oh, her work is just exquisite her posing, her lighting, it's so soft and romantic and classic and where with off-camera flash often we're used to seeing really punchy edicts, lots of bright colors and things being bam. We've seen and you know, marley's is able to do that, but she is also so good at balancing her ambient. So many of your images are just that little pop of flash that just completely elevate it and it just has a slightly different feel to a lot of what we see with off-camera flash instead, and it's just very soft, very timeless, incredibly romantic, and I'm just waffling now, but I am just a massive, massive fan.

Neil Redfern: 34:06

Yeah, so can't wait for that one. So that livestream will be taking place on Wednesday, the 4th of October, but, as always, that will always be available to rewatch, along with every livestream we've ever done in the Flashmasters community. You can just log on to the website into the member zone and all the videos are there. There will be, as we often do, a much shorter version of that interview on YouTube, on the Flashmasters YouTube channel, so you can watch that. But if you want all the good stuff, the full stream, then you can rewatch that in the Flashmasters community, right? I think actually, helen, we're gonna draw a line under this podcast, because this was supposed to be a little bit of a catching up on the Flashmasters announcements and we've managed to go for well over half an hour, whoopsie.

Neil Redfern: 34:52

So I think what we'll do is we'll we'll let's speak about our recent weddings in the next episode of the Flashmasters podcast. So, thank you so much for listening. We hope you've enjoyed this. Again, this was just a recap of the live stream announcements that we made on our Flashmasters YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago, but we couldn't do an episode without mentioning all these things because, again, these are huge Flashmasters.

Neil Redfern: 35:15

Having Matt on board to help us behind the scenes, having him on board to help us instigate and start up business school which is gonna start in 2024, is massive, and we think that's gonna offer so much value to members of the Flashmasters community. And, of course, announcing Canon and Attisiu is massive for us. So we couldn't just let that pass. We wanted to let you know, in case you weren't aware, because these are incredible brands who are gonna help us so much in the future. So, yeah, thank you again for this and we hope you've enjoyed this episode, as always. If you'd like to join us in the Flashmasters community, you can do so at flashmastersco. And why not? Because there is so much value to be had in the group now and we would love to have you there. So, yeah, thank you for listening and we will see you next time and, as always, don't forget to keep flashing.