Creating the Scene, Persistent with the Vision and Protecting Your Worth with Scoot and Mai

Creative momentum doesn’t come from perfect conditions. It comes from saying yes early, learning when to say no, and mastering the details that most people overlook—like how to rescue a high-noon ceremony or coax a genuine smile from a nervous couple. We sit down with two Hawaii-based photographers, Scoot and Mai, to unpack the real playbook for building trust, shaping light, and growing a career that actually lasts.

We start with the outreach game: why DMs get ignored, how to write messages that earn replies, and why meeting people in person changes everything. From there, we pull back the curtain on weddings that happen at the worst possible time for light and how pros adapt without ruining the vibe. Night shoots get love too—balancing flash with ambient warmth, asking clients if they prefer cool or warm tones, and using quick test shots to align on style before the big moments happen.

Editing and ethics take center stage. Mai explains her minimalist approach—remove distractions, protect real skin, and save heavy retouching for beauty images—while admitting the simple magic of a subtle face swap to fix blinking group shots. Scoot shares how fast, thoughtful in-camera color and JPEG delivery can win clients who need next-day turnarounds. We also talk shop about credits, watermarks, and contracts: set expectations in writing, ask for tags once, then move on and choose collaborators who respect the work.

Style threads through the whole episode. Scoot’s fashion revamps—spray paint, rhinestones, glow effects—turn rentals into head-turning looks for shoots and events, while Mai calls for intention over hype when it comes to gym fits and mall wear. Underneath the humor is a serious point: your choices signal your standards. That applies to clothes, edits, prices, and boundaries. Manifest goals, keep a visible mood board, and knock out weekly must-dos to beat procrastination. And remember the power of me time—those quiet hours that protect your mind and keep your craft sharp.

If you’re a creator—photographer, designer, or content maker—looking to navigate ghosted DMs, tough lighting, and the politics of credit without burning out, this conversation will feel like a deep breath. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review telling us the one boundary you plan to set this week.

• choosing guests and saying yes with intent
• moving from free shoots to knowing your worth
• why lighting beats gear and how to adapt
• weddings at midday and saving skin tones
• night shoots with flash and ambient warmth
• editing lightly, removing distractions, swapping faces
• posing with prompts and building comfort fast
• DM culture, follow-ups, and in-person trust
• referrals in Hawaii and growing a media team
• contracts, credits, and handling missing tags
• fashion revamps, rentals, and practical style
• mindset, goals, mood boards, and me time

Transcript

Meet The Guests And The “Yes”

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Welcome back to another episode of the Relationship Method Podcast with your boy Chris. Today I got a man I got a duo today. Um I got my boy Scoot, photographer, I got my uh influencer, content creator, all that jazz. Um appreciate y'all for coming on. Give it a round of applause. Hello yeah. How y'all doing today?

SPEAKER_02 0:30

Man.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Really good.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

Too good, man. You know good.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

Blessed, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Blessed to be alive, you know, to see another day and man, just to do what we want to do, you know.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

My yeah. Traffic.

SPEAKER_03 0:43

Oh my gosh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Traffic in there.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

Or what is it called? The rail. Uh-huh. But it's still good. I got I got parking. I was like waiting it out for sure.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

A lot of Filipinos down there, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:54

Some guy was like rabbing, he's like, see me. And I was like, what is that sound? It's like, oh, I'm blocking you. Let me get out.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

So before we get going, um, how did how did this happen? How did I get the yeses from both of y'all to come on, you know, this little thing?

SPEAKER_03 1:10

Oh, um, it's like you reached out, I think. Uh huh. And I was just like, I didn't know what it was. And I'm like, this year I was just like, I want to try stuff and say yes to whatever's and also like meet other people, and you're a creator. And I looked at your page and I was like, oh, that's so cool. I'm gonna go try it.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

Man, hell yeah. I appreciate you, Mike.

SPEAKER_03 1:27

I really like it.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Hell yeah. And then I've seen a few people on this podcast that you have done. And I'm I came here a couple times to do a couple shoots for a couple clients, and um, I don't know if I ran into you, but as soon as I seen you DM me, I was already like, like, hell yeah, let's do this, you know. And um, my goal is to do like over 25 podcasts this year. Uh-huh. So do you're going to be my first one of the year? And I'm really trying to like, you know, try to do this. It's really cool.

Shooting Your Shot And Handling DMs

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Dude, I appreciate y'all for coming on. And for everyone out there, man, shoot your shot. There's nothing wrong in shooting your shot. Because I know when I DM a lot of people, just like how I did y'all, it gets lost in that request folder. And it's like, oh, I passed you up several times. Because I remember I had a guest, and I don't know how it happened, but like nine, eight to nine months later, she finally saw my request, and she was like, Oh, I'm sorry, but you know, I get a lot of you know DMs from guys, you know, a lot of horny guys out there, and um, they try to, you know, shoot their shot, and she thought I was like one of them because you know, I'm doing it from my page, all it is is just my face. So it could be a scam, it could be whatever, but she was like, Oh man, my bad. I didn't know you were a real person. I was like, Yeah, I'm real baby. I'm pitching my shit. I hurt too, you know. I got feelings too, you know, you know what I'm saying? Um, skill, what's your nine to five, dog?

Freelance Paths And Wedding Work

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Man, my nine to five. I actually don't have a nine to five. I um I just go off all of my gifts that God gave me. I'm a photographer, um, designer, um, social media manager, and man, I just go off that, you know, and help people out with like my my one of my landlords, he does real estate, and I go around with my camera and just take community pictures of the community and stuff. And um, yeah, man, I'm just taking all type of jobs, you know? Okay. Still using my talent in my jobs that I got. How about you, Mai?

SPEAKER_03 3:30

I do wedding photography full time.

SPEAKER_02 3:32

Really? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:33

Well, like that, that's your nine to five. I'm sure you're like creative.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

You know what's crazy? I really want to do wedding photography, but I'm scared to get into it because I'm just gonna do it.

SPEAKER_03 3:42

Come with me, come with me. Okay, you can you can shadow. I think I scared this one girl though on a wedding, but it's like a story for nothing.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

What you do? You told her to do it.

SPEAKER_03 3:51

No, it was like a stressful wedding, it was a stressful wedding event. Yeah, but like for me, I thrive off of that. But you know, if you just like following around, she's like, I don't know how you dealt with that. I was like, Oh, it's okay, we got it.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Oh, Scorpio, I'm a cancer.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

We deal with anything, I'm telling you, you know? Water sign and is Scorpio a fire sign?

SPEAKER_01 4:08

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 4:09

We know Scorpio, but it's oh you're really not into astrology like that, huh? I think we I don't know. Let me not say the wrong word. Oh, you read it? Let me ask you, let me ask you this. Um, can you see your face right there, Maya? Are you are you good?

SPEAKER_03 4:19

Am I like out of the? I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Oh no, no, no, you're you're good. Can you um can you uh your chair so it could see your face a little bit more? Oh no, you're good, you're good. Oh, beautiful. Yeah, no, no, you're good, you're good, man. Man, you know, yeah, but you got insurance too. Let me get in order. So um, fuck, what was I talking about? Um do you remember? Oh, the Zodiac, Zodiac. You read, right? You read it. Do you do you follow it? Or is it like, is it spot on when you're reading your, I guess, horoscope for today? Are you like, oh my gosh, this is me? No, this is me right now.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

It really is.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Is it really?

SPEAKER_03 4:56

It's so funny. They'll they're like stuff like like you're loyal, or you like get angry, like I'm not an angry person. Like it'll take me like a while to get there, but then like everything else that it describes everything it describes, it really does. I'm just like, oh, that's cool. But the ones I'll read like daily, well not daily, but like you know, the pops up is like the um like what your day is gonna be like kind of things.

unknown 5:19

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Affirmations? Is it that an affirmation?

SPEAKER_03 5:22

No, like it tells you like what your day is gonna be like, are they future like?

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Oh, really? I don't follow those.

SPEAKER_03 5:27

I don't follow those or something.

SPEAKER_00 5:29

Really? You'd be reading?

SPEAKER_02 5:32

I I'll be I go off that, you know, it'd be true, it'd be true sometimes. Uh-huh. It depends on what's going on throughout the day, but most of the time it's true, bro.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Really? I swear it's true. I'd be like, what the fuck? So astrological, like say meanings, it's it's 50-50. Or could you say it's 75-25?

Astrology, Compatibility, And Relationships

SPEAKER_02 5:53

Man, I I really said 75-25 when you really got when you really look at it, yeah and think about it. Yeah, that's just true. True. And a lot of people don't a lot of people don't believe it at all. But I'm one of those guys. I know. Yeah. Like I know, but like some people that don't believe it, and if they look at their relationship and stuff, and and read their partner, then read you and see.

SPEAKER_00 6:20

You're like, oh.

SPEAKER_02 6:21

There they can be like, damn, I don't get along. We don't get along. Because like, look, read that shit, you know? Um, my girlfriend is Scorpio, so it really said that. That's why I said that, game. It really uh it really it really true, bro. My mom is a um Sag, my grandma is Sag. All the women that I grew up in my life was just Sag, you know, but close to Scorpios. And um, I don't know, something about them, they just like I don't know, I can't explain it, bro. Yeah. Until you really until one of them, you know. I don't know, it's crazy. Oh, yeah. It's like crazy shit. You go through stuff and be like, they'll be there, you know, and they'll be telling you all type of stuff, and it'd be really true. And then you just be like, I can't listen to you, you know, because it's just like you trying to be yourself.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:14

But at the end of the day, back at back of their mind and your mind, like they really somebody for you. And if you just read your partner, and if they for you, they they for you, bro. They for you, they for you. If they for you, they for you. Like, which what's your man's oddiax on? Yeah, I was gonna ask that. I'm telling. It's muted, guys.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

April's in April, so what's that?

SPEAKER_02 7:36

He's a Pisce. No, not a Piscey. He's the Virgo? I think he's the Virgo, I think that's Virgo.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Yeah, let's go. Let's let's Google. Let's Google that.

SPEAKER_02 7:45

I think we own Virgo.

SPEAKER_00 7:47

You know, uh Chat GPT. I know, I use that all the time. Uh April's April, right? Uh, what's the number? Four. April for zodiac sign.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

I think he's a Virgo.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Aries. Oh, Aries. We're you know, both wrong. Both wrong. Uh natural leader, competitive, passionate and expressive, and low tolerance for boredom. Does that match your hub? I mean, they both they both they don't they both like that.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

Yeah, I'm pretty competitive.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 8:17

But not like the mean competitive, just like I'll be like, I'll like, if we're on a team, they're gonna be like so hyped up for us.

SPEAKER_02 8:24

I'll call us cow. Yeah, yeah. Even if I'm bad at it. They team players for sure. Yeah. And you need that on your team. I don't care. You need you need a team player, you know?

Support, Jealousy, And Booking Guests

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Oh, someone like like a supportive back. Oh, let me tell you this. Like, when I started this pod, my I can't speak for my wife, but I got that feeling where my wife was like not supportive, like not 100% with it because of the guests that was coming on. And it was because like I reached out to guys, but majority of them earlier on was women and there were models. And I think it's because you know, they they want that clout too, they want to be like on camera. So, because of that, my wife was like, Why are you having all these women on? I'm like, yo, I reach out to guys too. Well, I give her my phone, check my messages. It's like you see guys, I'm left on red, or it's like, oh, it's not for me, or is it harder for guys?

SPEAKER_02 9:22

I don't know. Like Scoot, Scoot said yeah. I'm going through the same stuff. Look, you're going through that with that. I'm a photographer. Uh-huh. So me shooting all these models, women, I reach out to guys all the time as well. Never get apply. Like, what is that too?

SPEAKER_03 9:38

Well, when I was starting out, like, because you know you have to build a part you want to be creative.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:42

Everyone says no until like you show them like your work. Yeah. Okay, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

So when you're when you're collabing my um, you're reaching out to uh both women and men and men. What's what's your ratio of yeses from you know men and women?

SPEAKER_03 9:57

Um almost 100% girl.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

So so with that, school, why why do you think you know like men are saying like like no a lot? No, because I'm I'm reaching out, you know, to men. Like my ratio to asking men is like three to one. Like I ask a model and then I would shoot out like to two guys, but it's like I'm left on red or just crickets, right? But then the women would like a day two later, it's like, oh yeah, I'm down, or let me check my schedule, but I get a response. Why do you think that is?

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Well, I I really like it's my girl. I feel like if my girl, she gives me that energy and they know I have a girl and my hair is colorful, probably think I'm gay.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

Uh huh.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

So that's that's what it probably really is. Until they meet me in person, then they're like, oh bro, come on, please hurry up. Let's book a shoot now, you know. It's um the social media. Sometimes people don't they they read messages or they see stuff and be like, nah, just off because what they judging. Yeah. Until they really see you and meet you in person, it's it's totally different. So I really don't know, bro. That's why I keep my cards and I try to go talk to more men that's in style. And then those the guys, I'd be like, hey, they like, bro, I love your clothes. And I hit them with I can make you an outfit, bro. Let's do a shoot. And that's how I I get more guys like that to shoot with me. When I DM them, they don't reply. Nothing, huh? I'll be like, damn. Or they'd be like, yeah, let's shoot. And then never happens.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

The follow-up's not there, huh? Nope. When you're reaching out to guys, like if it's like, are you left on red or do they give you some like formal excuse or BS excuse?

SPEAKER_03 11:35

Well, I always do research on people.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

I reach out, so it's like 50-50. Um, I haven't done that in a while, but when I did do it, a lot of times they would say yes, sometimes they would say no. But like I would always give like all this information so that like, you know, because you have to build a trust because they don't know you for that. So they'll be like, okay, I just did your word, but I don't know like if I like my photos or how you're gonna be like, if you're reading it or not, you know, you can't really tell. I'll be like, this is where it's gonna be, this is what time I'm like expecting, and this is like how you're gonna what you can expect from So majority time I get I guess, but majority for that, like maybe like 30 minutes.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

Really?

SPEAKER_03 12:21

Yeah, just because they'll be like, oh, I'm not like a model. I'm like, you don't have to be. I'm like, that's the whole thing of the collab. Like, I will guide you.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:28

So just making people comfortable with who you are.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

Man, guys, y'all need to just stop and just reply, you know? Y'all ain't that cool. You know what I'm saying? You could always be like, oh no, thank you. Yeah. Like I will I would rather have a no thank you than be ghosted, you know? I hate that so, so much.

SPEAKER_03 12:45

I think that's the culture now, though.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Just don't just leave on red.

Why Men Ghost Collabs

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Yep. So disrespectful. At least we can take rejection. If you can't take that, then something wrong, you know. But do you get a lot of like like say now we know each other, right? Um do a lot of like people reach out to you because you shot their friends or their family?

SPEAKER_03 13:08

Yeah. Like Hawaii is more like a referral. Yeah. The more people you know, the more they'll refer you and stuff like that. Like they'll have like how many flocks are that?

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Yep. And I noticed that by shooting a lot of people, as soon as I start shooting the same group of friends, that's how you gain trust. Yeah, you gain trust by shooting families, like people that's really real. And they outside doing family things, you know? You'll be you'll be able to shoot with anybody. Um, I recently just got like a whole media crew. I never did this. I always want to be the only shooter. Literally, I they hit me up for a shoot. I'm the only one now. It's like um, I want to have a whole team so we can like really grow from each other and and really put something together for a lot of different events, like the carnivals, the expos. Um, those people need media all the time, you know. Um, I I just did one recently, and um, they asked me a couple months before the whole event, like, hey, we need a media team, we need a fashion designer to do a fashion show, da-da-da. Can you help me out with this? You just gotta they check they trusted me because I took so much content a long time ago for their family members or friends, you know? Yeah, so they appreciate it. And they appreciated that. So building building a relationship with business, with anything is is very important.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

Definitely. Let me ask you guys this then. Um both of you guys are photographers. Uh how do you say no to a project that you know that's not in your lane? Or like have you guys ever said no to someone? Because yeah, I mean, I could only imagine yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, could be super tiring and you know, time consuming and everything. So the no, like, do you feel bad afterwards? Like, how do you break it to them?

SPEAKER_02 15:10

It's it's it's the um like I said, it's the relationship. Uh huh. Who the person is, how are how are they like yeah, how are they treating you when you come do work for them? How genuine is it? I I love going off straight genuinely. If people man, I did a lot of free jobs because they were so damn genuine. But me doing that free job got me a lot of gigs booked up just because they were so like that, and I was the same, you know? So I don't know, bro. It's just um I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

So you've never said you never said no.

SPEAKER_02 15:46

I never I never really say no until like Oh, okay. I never Yeah, I never really say no until like I see I now I know my worth, you know? Uh-huh. If they can't pay, if they always asking for some free stuff, then it's always uh it's always gonna be a no. Because now they see my worth, you know? Yeah. Like recently I just did the expo, so all these people hitting me up. I'm not I'm not doing stuff free no more. Like you guys see what we can what I can do, you know? I can put on a whole show. So it's gonna be a lot of no's now.

SPEAKER_00 16:18

Yeah?

unknown 16:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Out of boy. How about you mind? Yeah, because I saw because I saw you're like, yeah, I said no's like.

Referrals, Community, And Media Teams

SPEAKER_03 16:24

Yeah, I I used to like just be like yes to everybody. Yeah, you just wanna like get out there and everything. And like you said, like afterwards, you kind of burn yourself. Yeah. And then it tends to go towards other things. So like the type of wedding photography, it would be other events. I'm like, yeah, I'll do it with the course, but then your own work it just kind of wears you down. So I've had to think like I'll always like my number, like the reason. I'll try to be very professional. Yeah. And be like, you know, if it more aligns with what I like, but like what like promoting my work as well. Yeah, like if it's a bold collab, like I'm down for it. But if it's just like always for them, then them. And I'm like, it doesn't do anything for me except work me off like a course.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

So there's a give and take.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

Yeah. For me, I feel like that's in business too. Like, oh yeah, especially with my friends, I'm like, we give and take. And like I would love I'll help you drop a hat.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:22

But then like if you're doing all the time, you're gonna just work yourself out.

SPEAKER_00 17:26

Yeah. As photographers, what is the most challenging thing um when you're doing a you know, a shoot indoors or outdoors? Like, yeah, because I'm I'm trying to Oh god, that's all I was about to say.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

Lighting, bro.

SPEAKER_00 17:41

Like you're lighting. Okay, because I'm learning from you know my boy Gavin. Like, I told Gavin and Ellie that I want to, you know, I want to try photography, but I am not doing it outdoors. There's no way in hell. Because I one, I'm not educated with the landscape out here, therefore I'm kind of intimidated by it. And two, it's like for photography, I'm not seeing myself doing it as a profession. I just want to do it for fun. Like, like if one of my bosses want to do like a photo shoot for his baby, I'm like, yo, I got a studio, come roll through. Can I like mess with y'all, you know? And then, but yeah, that's that's that. So yeah, what's the challenging parts in in y'all's definitely lighting is like the biggest thing.

SPEAKER_03 18:21

Really, like this, like this is so controlled, but this is also hard. Like for me, I don't do a lot of studios because then like you have to light everything, you have to make sure like certain shadows are there. It depends on like look as well. Like if you put that over here, it's more cinematic or something like that. Yeah, and then outdoors, the light changes with the clouds.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Yeah, you're rolling with God at this point, right?

SPEAKER_03 18:42

Yeah, so it's always like, oh my gosh, it's supposed to be sunny and now it's cloudy. So, how am I gonna do this? Or like you have to face them a certain way, and then like depending on like their faces, they'll be shadows or not. Okay, it's like number one, it's just lighting.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Lighting is the most challenging.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

Yeah, like working in Hawaii. I lost a lot of money, bro, because people want to book outside shoots. They'd be like, hey bro, let's shoot next week. Okay, they have paid deposit. Then the weather weather comes all. I'm like, bro, we can't even shoot today, gang. So I gotta send the deposit back, and then it's just all bad. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

So do you with that situation, do you reschedule, or is it one of those you lost a client?

SPEAKER_02 19:30

Sometimes uh sometimes I lose a client because they're tourists, they're not they're not here.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

Oh, okay, okay. See, I've never thought of it.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

I'm not just trying to shoot, like, you know, everybody that live here, you try to gang for people that's not here, you know, so they can go out and talk talk about your work and stuff, and and that's just how you see it, you know. And um, I don't know, it's just crazy. Lighting and weather is a bitch, and traffic, um yeah, I can't is a is a damage because yeah, if you book a studio, we're here for 12 to 1. Gotta be here 12 to 1.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

And if you're in traffic still at 12, yeah, you're losing money. And then energy, energy's losing. You're gonna come like, damn, bro, I'm mad, or or something. But yeah, it's a lot of um a lot of outside stuff, gang.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

As an outdoor photographer, uh, what is like the best time? Like, what's the perfect setting for y'all to like get the job done? Like, what's the isn't there like a witching hour? I mean, not a witching hour. Oh, what's it called? Um golden hour, yeah.

Knowing Your Worth And Saying No

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Well, I don't really shoot during golden hour because weddings happen like midday, which is like the worst wedding.

SPEAKER_02 20:44

Yeah, two o'clock is the worst.

SPEAKER_03 20:46

Oh my gosh, like I had one and they were having their summer at 3 p.m. And the light was just like right there, smacked out, so it's about to go down blown out, and then I'm like, I'm I can't use flashes, it'll like disturb people. So I was just like, oh, we're gonna do this, like tone it all down and then lighten it up and go. So I was just like having it outdoors is kind of like a challenge. I mean you just roll with it. A lot of people shoot only a certain time, like no photography wants to work.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:19

And mine I was like, oh, like natural light. I have to show the light. This is the whole gallery. It's gonna like lit exactly how you see it.

SPEAKER_01 21:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:30

In daylight and nighttime.

SPEAKER_02 21:37

I'm thinking I'm thinking from like ten thirty a.m. to one. Because after two o'clock, they hitting you with this face.

SPEAKER_03 21:52

I'm like recording at night time.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

I can't see the sun is really bad. Two o'clock. Okay. Two o'clock.

SPEAKER_03 22:02

Or after like now in Hawaii. Summertime after I think like 10.

unknown 22:08

Light.

SPEAKER_00 22:08

Yeah. Oh, how about the night shoots? Like, have you have you folks? I love I love night shoots. Night shoots. Flash. Do you have one of these setups to like to bring outside?

SPEAKER_03 22:20

No, that's what I was saying. I wanted I was like looking at your day.

SPEAKER_02 22:23

I have this, I have a soft light, and I have one that's a flash. Uh huh. I have the whole little production when I come outside.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

What's the challenging things of doing a night shoot compared to day? Um well I guess the day is like the squinting and everything, but night shoots, I could only imagine there's like difficulties and obstacles as well.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

Well, when you got a good camera, you know, I have a Sony A7 um R3.

SPEAKER_00 22:48

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 22:49

So when I use my camera, I have a portrait lens, and um I take about five photos. I asked them, hey, do you guys like your photos warm? Um cool, dark. Like, what do you got? How you guys like, bro, all my models or anybody I shoot, they always say warm. So it's kind of like it's already outside warm. It's like, you know, the lights, you just dim them down, and I just take a couple shots and show them. Like, you guys like this. Okay. So I go off with the models like, you know. And then, bro, most of the time, I can show you some, but most of the time it's dark, but they they still look, they still look bright. Like they still look good, you know. Um, I don't know. I love night shoots. It's kind of cool. I don't have a challenge.

SPEAKER_03 23:38

I don't mind them. I just ever since I use a flash that's always gonna be like Yeah, yeah, yeah. So for me, it's like what I've never done. Like I bought myself like a second flash, uh huh. Like I'll have like you know, like an off-cover flash now.

SPEAKER_00 23:53

Ooh, go ahead, guys. So with with these uh photos, are touch-ups done. You guys go on to like Adobe and touch up these photos.

SPEAKER_03 24:08

I don't touch up just the background or like take out the distractions if they get like important.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 24:14

But I always tell them like straight up, I'm like, you're gonna be you, but I will take it in like the way that you look the most beautiful. So we like always have like a bunch of conversations about securities and how they want to be.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:28

So that on the day everything's happening, we have to like be able to know how to put how to like go around them to get that shot that they would like.

SPEAKER_00 24:38

Oh, I don't edit.

SPEAKER_03 24:40

Unless it's like a beauty shot, yeah. Then I'll be like, okay, we're gonna really like do though.

SPEAKER_00 24:45

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 24:49

Do you have a challenge um opposing people?

SPEAKER_03 24:52

No, I actually like specialize in that because I really kind of model that's always like some photographers would hit me up and so I would be like, okay. And I had this one guy, I love him, he's like my best friend. Um his name is Elliot, so his name is like OGSA.

SPEAKER_02 25:08

OG Sa?

SPEAKER_03 25:08

Ojiheard? He does a lot of bikini models, but he is so nice. Like I would stand there, and as a model, sometimes you have photographers taking a photo, and then they're like not saying anything. So awkward.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

I just stand there, I'm like also it's all up to you to make these poses. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 25:26

So, like, as a photographer, I learned before I became a wedding professor from him that like guiding them and like just showing them how to like pose and stuff like that. I'll do like small prompt pose.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

I might need to call you up, man, on on speed dial. Like, yo, sis, I can't pose this girl. She got me the ass out. I can't even do it, you know. Yeah, I call you, you know, you help me out.

SPEAKER_03 25:50

Practice in the mirror too, because like if I do it in the mirror, then I know how to move them.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

I do a lot of like motion into a post. I ain't got no bottoms. I ain't got no bottoms there. You like bro, you look like a chicken. But it's hard posing it. It's like for me, because I'm a guy. Posing men is really kind of dope. But posing girls, I post okay, I do a lot of emo shoots.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:15

Posing them is easy. They like doing weird stuff. Like they they're just they just do weird stuff, and it's easy. But girls, I just want to do nice. It's hard for me. Is it really? I swear, I can't, because I don't like to touch you, so it's like people all the time.

SPEAKER_03 26:31

They touch you and I'm already touching.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

Let me move your arm.

SPEAKER_02 26:34

I can't do it.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

Oh. But do you be doing touch-ups as well? Like after the shoot? Only a little bit, brother. A little bit.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

I I just like because I have a portrait lens. It's already kind of and I shoot.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

It's already good.

SPEAKER_02 26:47

Yeah, and I'm shooting in um, I shoot in JPEG. I'm supposed to shoot in raw. But when I'm doing a client and and I do first day deliveries, one-day deliveries, so I shoot in JPEG on my portrait lens. So when I take the photo, it already looks like I fucking touched it up. You know, I just gotta do a little bit of the lighting on the outside or on a skin. It'd be good.

SPEAKER_00 27:10

Is it extra if you're touching everything up for the client?

SPEAKER_03 27:14

No, I give like 2,000 photos sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

Seriously? 2,000.

SPEAKER_03 27:18

I do candid documentaries, so it's literally they want all the moments. So I'll go through everything. I think my favorite thing is just swapping faces sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 27:27

Just like, you know, fresh. Just like see if they notice it.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

Wait, wait, hold on, wait a minute.

SPEAKER_03 27:31

Closing their eyes, I'm like, I learned how to swap faces now.

SPEAKER_02 27:34

You can swap the face.

SPEAKER_03 27:36

It's so fun.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

On Adobe?

SPEAKER_03 27:38

Photoshop.

SPEAKER_00 27:39

Photoshop.

SPEAKER_03 27:40

You just have to have like one photo of them, same kind of photo. Where they're one per one of them, they have their eyes open. So you take that copy it based.

SPEAKER_01 27:49

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 27:50

So easy. It's really fun too. I did it first on a baby because the mom they were such a sweet family. I was just like, My, I really love this photo. But I said, Her face is closed. I was like, let me go see her. And so I learned.

SPEAKER_00 28:05

You opened it up.

Midday Weddings, Golden Hour Myths

SPEAKER_03 28:06

Yeah, so like I opened it and I was like, okay, there's like a way of her face like this, so maybe I'll just like copy this part of her face. And then like paste. And then it looked just like I was like, oh, that's cool. So I've been doing that with family photos because family photos were like the worst for me, like the family group photos after the wedding.

SPEAKER_00 28:22

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 28:23

Everyone's like everywhere. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:25

Everyone's drunk. And now I never worry.

SPEAKER_03 28:27

I'm just like, eyes shutterspeed. Shh. I'm like, everybody, eyes open.

SPEAKER_02 28:32

How is it shooting drunk people?

SPEAKER_03 28:34

Fun.

SPEAKER_00 28:35

What?

SPEAKER_03 28:36

I love drunk people at a wedding.

SPEAKER_00 28:38

Oh, because they're so loose and they're like so loose and they are giving care.

SPEAKER_03 28:43

No, they don't even care because you know, I have a long zoom lens during cocktail hours and service because people don't like that they're being photographed. Like automatically they see a camera pointed at you them and they'll be like, uh-huh. Like, no, look at me, or just do what you're doing. Like, don't pay attention. So now I have to like stand 20 feet back, zoom in. Oh, okay. So like I get their reaction, but drop people. They're so funny. And they don't even mind you taking like the pictures. And it goes to the couple, so nobody else can see it. I had this one where this guy like got drunk. He was like on the floor, had the drink on his head, flat out laid, and people are like dancing over him like a little limited. I like those pictures. I was like, those are fun. I like those candid pictures. Yeah. My bride was like, I send that to him every single birthday. I was like, that's nice.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

That's like an automatic card right there.

SPEAKER_03 29:27

Right. I was like, it's so fun.

SPEAKER_00 29:29

Hell yeah. All right. Ready for these questions? Yep, come on. And I filtered out for y'all. Yep. All right. Here's one from a person. Uh what's one challenge early in your career that almost stopped you and how did you push through it?

SPEAKER_02 29:45

Um, I ain't gonna cap. I uh started like I'm a photographer, right? And I meet a lot of models that um that do like OnlyFans stuff, you know? So I was like taking a lot of photos of girls that does that do that, and it messed me up for regular clients. And um, yeah, I didn't know what to freaking do. I'm like, uh I kind of already like expose, I'm taking photos of all these models that want to do that. Yeah. It's literally people not gonna want to work with me at all. I don't care what it is or what I can say or the change until I just started practicing not doing it no more. Not taking those photos for those clients, just doing regular stuff, getting to events, going to market, excuse me, going to markets, and just building a better portfolio for myself. Oh. And eventually just left and now I'm good. No, no more, no more of that.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

No, no more OF. No more OF. No more OF. How about you, Maya?

SPEAKER_03 30:50

I think it's the same thing. Like when you're starting out, the hardest challenge is like just the beginning because you don't know where you're gonna do, like how to even build your portfolio. Nobody trusts you.

SPEAKER_02 30:59

Nobody trust you.

SPEAKER_03 31:00

You know, so like it's just overcoming that fear of like, oh my god, how am I gonna do it? Just like figuring out okay, like doing it on your own, gather gathering like your friends or whoever to just like just pose for me and take it. Yeah, like show people something.

Night Shoots, Gear, And Style Choices

SPEAKER_00 31:15

Oh, yeah. I think one of the biggest challenges for this was getting a lot of no's because when I started out, I didn't know no one in Hawaii. So it was like getting that trust from people, and then uh like once I got that yes, I started getting more yeses, right? But then statistics say that people quit their pot, you know, their podcast like after the third and fourth episode because they don't see the result what they're looking for. Me, I was just like, I don't care, I'm just gonna keep on going, right? But yeah, the no's like totally got me because I was like, damn, why doesn't anyone be on? But then I'd click that realization button and was like, oh, because no one knows you. Yeah, like I'm still a fresh face out here on the island, no one knows about this. Like all everyone that listened to me was all like on the mainland military, so it's like, yeah, so that was like my little my little kill to conquer and shit. But yeah, good good answers, good answers. Next question is uh uh what mind sh what mindset shift helped you level up the most?

SPEAKER_03 32:25

Probably that like you can do it.

SPEAKER_00 32:27

You can do it.

SPEAKER_03 32:29

Your biggest challenge is yourself because you're always like, oh, like putting yourself down, like you're your biggest critic. This is true, Mai. This is true. I'm not like I'm a realist and my husband's like the positive time.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 32:40

He'll always be like, oh my god, I can't do it. Oh, it looked uh it doesn't look good. Nobody will like my photos. And my husband's like, oh you got it, or people like compliment me. I was like, I don't drive off of compliments because like even if somebody says something good, it's like you yourself will criticize because I definitely think it's like you're all thinking you can do it.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Oh you scoop. Um well I am a I'm very, very positive, so I've manifest a lot and everything I'm doing now, I literally prayed and manifested it um so long ago. And um, I don't know, I just see everything I'm doing good right now is gonna go to the past. And um I literally um I don't know where I'm gonna go, but I know it's gonna be really good, bro. Yeah, yeah. Oh hell yeah. I literally pray for everything that's going on right now. So I'm always thinking positive, always thinking about something new, something good, something just to change my mind on some better stuff, you know? And that's either it's gonna help me or my friend or my neighbor or my dog, cats, whatever. Just try to help somebody do something good. And you're always gonna be in that positive mindset.

SPEAKER_00 33:51

Oh, I like I like that too. To cut to caveat off um that, uh, what habits or routines keep you grounded and focused?

SPEAKER_02 33:59

Um not doing bad habits. That's that's what's gonna keep you grounded, keep that's what keeps me grounded, not going back to the stuff that, like I said, um the clients that were just giving me away from my good clients, that's gonna give me, bring me in money, you know. Um just practice on doing good things for your life, your future. That's that's how I go.

SPEAKER_00 34:24

How much do you mind? So into your answer, like, what habits or routines keep you grounded and focused?

SPEAKER_03 34:32

Oh, oh well setting goals, like he was saying. Like, I definitely have to set goals for myself. Like, I'll keep it like a little paper. I see it all the time. I'm like, this is the goal. I want to get here by this. I want to do this by things, I want to like finish this website, I want to do this.

SPEAKER_00 34:51

Do you have a dream board?

SPEAKER_03 34:52

I do. I never had a dream. Is it a focus board or is it one of the just like one of those you know, mood board or something?

SPEAKER_00 34:58

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh-huh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:01

So like I had to make myself one because sometimes like, you know, if you make one and you look at it like it's like manifesting, and it'll come true. And I was like, oh, then you can also see like your progress. Because then sometimes we feel like, oh, we didn't do anything, like we're like we didn't like succeed in anything, and then you look back and like, actually we did.

SPEAKER_01 35:19

Uh huh.

SPEAKER_03 35:19

This is what we would set our goals. We finished it, and now we got a new one.

SPEAKER_00 35:24

Do you have a moo board scoop?

Editing Philosophy And Client Expectations

SPEAKER_02 35:26

Or do you have some type of like, yeah, I actually do, and I have a I have it's better in my head, but I do write down the most important things that I'm gonna do out that week. Yeah. And um, I make sure I get them done. Because procrastination is really, really, really happening. And uh it it is really it hits you really hard and really fast if you continue letting it happen to you. Uh-huh. So things more goals you see, the faster you can get it done.

SPEAKER_00 35:56

I think my mood board is. Do you remember the brainstorm bubble that you did in elementary school where you write the thing in the middle and then you you have like little lines and then circles and then lines? That's my mood board, I guess, dream board, mood board, whatever. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I took a thank you, Mr. Stammon, for teaching me that, for teaching me that fifth grade. Thank you. I remember that. Yeah, like yeah, that's how I mean that's how I come up with like my little my concept comedy skits, and that's how like I trickle down to like writing the scripts and everything with that little that little brainstorm bubble. My wife does hers different, like she gets pictures and everything. My daughters, she does it different. Mine's just just writing, right? But they they cut clips or they print clips and then you know they cut them out. Yeah, so I'm just like, ugh. I'm like, oh man, that's that looks like it looks um ah, what's that word? It it's it's all over the place. Oh, yeah. Like it doesn't con like when I'm looking at it, it connects it with them. But with me, I'm just like, dude, how does this connect with that?

SPEAKER_03 37:02

Yeah, you need structure. Girls are like, our minds are everywhere. We just pretty.

SPEAKER_00 37:08

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:09

But it's like graffiti. Only graffiti, like people that can read graffiti, like I can't read, but people that write, like do art and stuff, you can read that shit.

SPEAKER_00 37:17

Oh, like that tag it up. Tags? If you're a graffiti artist, you could see you're like, oh.

SPEAKER_02 37:22

But if you're not, you're gonna be like, well, what does it what does that say, right? How did you get W and make it look like it's a C? But the way they got it, it just they understand.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Yeah. Oh yeah. Certain things for certain minds, yeah. Oh yeah. Next question is uh, what's something you wish you learned sooner in the industry that you uh folks are in?

SPEAKER_02 37:47

Not being so sensitive. Um not being um what's the word? Not being so sensitive and and and not um the other word, bro. Um sorry for sensitive and not being so like emotional. Because being emotional, bro, you can lose so much clients and so much, you can lose yourself. Uh you can lose so much being sensitive and emotional.

SPEAKER_00 38:14

So those are two things right there. So you gotta be more logical.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

Yeah, you gotta be more, you gotta be more like um tough in this industry.

SPEAKER_00 38:25

How about you, Mai?

SPEAKER_03 38:27

Things like learning to take retract.

SPEAKER_00 38:29

Yeah. So the no's.

SPEAKER_03 38:31

Yeah. When I first first started out, I was just like, no, no, no, no. And I was like, well, I'll make that a yes.

SPEAKER_00 38:36

Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 38:37

So just like that. And then also just the relationships with other people that you can't get anywhere by yourself.

SPEAKER_00 38:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:44

So just like you have to build those relationships. And then it becomes like your work randomly.

SPEAKER_00 38:49

Let me ask y'all this then the no's that you got earlier on. In the future, do they become yeses? Yep.

Posing People And Photographer Etiquette

SPEAKER_03 38:57

Yeah. Some people actually, oh, I wish I had said like I would have taken you, because then like, oh, I would have been better and I love my work and stuff. It's like, oh, it's okay.

unknown 39:05

I'm not gonna work better.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

Yep. And I'll I'll like I'll probably DM a model a couple times just so I can like because you people they get DMs all damn year.

SPEAKER_00 39:16

Yeah, I can only I could only imagine.

SPEAKER_02 39:17

So it's like, you know, you just remind a model, like, hey, if you're still interested, let me know. Follow up. And literally, I had a few models hit me up back months later, like, oh, I'm sorry, I'm I was so busy, had a lot of shoots going on, but now I can get to you. When can we book? Stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 39:34

That happened with me several times where I got the no right, but then uh just like you, they never they didn't uh I never got in contact with them again until they followed up like months later, like, oh, same reason. I'm sorry, I'm busy, da-da-da. When can we do this thing? And I'm like, shoot, I totally forgot. I mean, I I forgot, you know, like I didn't, man, you just you know, like life moves forward. Like I kept on going. And yeah, like back of my mind, I was like, dude, I had to go like scroll up and reread the text, like, oh man, I did hit her up. She just never hit it, you know, hit me back up. And I was like, oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 40:12

At least you have it. I like delete things after a few weeks.

SPEAKER_00 40:15

Are you like that with your text messaging?

SPEAKER_03 40:19

Like, I I take BTS and configuration for weddings, so my phone is always full until like the next wedding. And I'm like, please download it so I can like use my phone.

SPEAKER_00 40:28

Oh girl, you better get that 256 phone. You better get that you better get the iCloud, the 250s. Yeah, I better add that 299 to your plan.

SPEAKER_03 40:37

Like, if you have an answer back within like five weeks, I think that's like a good reasonable thing to be like, okay, if I send like I'll send I'll send follow-ups at least like two or three times after the turn. I'm like, okay, well, thank you so much. Bye.

SPEAKER_00 40:48

Oh, let me ask y'all this then. Um, this is like totally out of photography and like what we were talking about. Um, you said five weeks, you delete. In your home closet, how long is it until you start throwing away items or clothing?

SPEAKER_03 41:05

Oh, that's easy. One year.

SPEAKER_00 41:07

One year. You keep them, scoot.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

I revamp everything. You revamp, so you don't throw anything. Yeah, I don't uh I never throw away our giveaway. I give away it.

SPEAKER_03 41:19

Or like I'll give it to my grandma.

SPEAKER_02 41:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:21

So growing up, I I had a typical um Filipino dad, and my home growing up was cluttered. So I hate clutter. So I'm throwing away, like me and my wife, we came to a compromise. The five-year rule, the three to five-year rule. If it hasn't been touched for three to five years, I'm tossing it or I'm giving just like y'all, I'm giving it away. This is including toys, and it hurts me because my kids want to like go back to them be like, hey, this this dinosaur was pretty badass. You know, like as a kid, I grew up on Voltron. I grew up on like all these old school toys, like you know, Power Rangers. I wish I never threw away because now it's like it's worth money. Pokemon. Pokemon. Oh my gosh. Like I have Pokemon cards still, comic cards, like baseball, football. Yeah, like I didn't throw those away, but clothes I did, and I wish I still had them. Because I don't know, for me, it's like it's motivation to where, like, damn, I used to fit this. I'm gonna work on myself so I can fit this shirt again, you know. But like revamping your stuff, like, how long does it take like the process of you revamping it into like something new?

SPEAKER_02 42:27

Man, I work so fast, bro. I can probably make a whole outfit in an hour.

SPEAKER_00 42:31

Oh, really?

Candid Moments, Drunk Guests, And Lenses

SPEAKER_02 42:32

Yeah, I have done before. Uh like I have done outfits in an hour. Like I did a girl birthday outfit yesterday. She said she's on a plane at nine. I guess she can text on a plane. And she said, I'm getting off at 12:30. Can you be at my house at one? I started on her outfit literally at like 10, 10 something. I was done by 12. Really? And I made a whole, like, it was a whole short dress with a cutout in the back. And what I do is I I am I do spray paint, rhinestones, cuts into your one piece, you know? Um, what I did was I spray painted it baby blue on both sides, and I cut it all up so it's like the the shirts and stuff is all shringy down in the design. And you see my X's. I just I put like fucking 20, 20 different X's all over the whole dress so it can shine. And um, I spray painted clear, glow-in-the-dark spray on it. So when she in the club, that would be um yeah. So I have like a lot of clothes people can rent for their birthday. They can rent for shows. Um yeah, bro, and everything is revamped.

SPEAKER_00 43:47

Oh, snap. Why with you? Like you give 'em away. Like, what's your rule with like your household goods?

SPEAKER_03 43:54

Well, I don't really like buy clothes.

SPEAKER_00 43:56

Well, they're giving or you make them or extras?

SPEAKER_03 43:59

No. No, I just like buy my clothes when I need it and then I kind of just use it. So if you've known me for like 10 years, you'd probably see like the same shirt I've worn or whatever. Like I'm very comfortable. I'll wear things to the hole. They're hole.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

Girl, I'm the same way. My wife hates me for it. Me too. Oh my god. I'm like that with like okay, my socks and my underwear, right? Because I've had them for years. I broke them in. I have holes in them. But it's well not like my underwear. I'm just saying, as a guy, it's like I stretch them out, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 44:28

That's that real lingerie.

SPEAKER_00 44:30

For real. And mom's like, no, I think it's time. I was like, no, man. Dog, it's just because it's holy, it's it's a sign from God, you know. I'm saying it's like it's because it's holy. But I'm like that with you know my stuff too. Like, even though there's like a little hole, it's still good. I don't care, you know. Oh man.

SPEAKER_03 44:47

Because it's comfortable, you know.

SPEAKER_00 44:49

Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 44:55

Uh huh. I try to dress up, I'll have like a few dresses, but I'm like, at the same time, if I'm uncomfortable, I'll just end up coming and seeing you in like a short and a shirt.

SPEAKER_00 45:05

Oh man. Scoot, let me ask you this. What's up? With the fashion, you know, fashion that's happening nowadays. Um, what's a big fashion no no? Or is there even a fashion no-no?

SPEAKER_02 45:18

Uh I can't say that. Uh I don't know, gang. Everything's fashion. Literally. Everything. Um a no-no?

unknown 45:31

Faux.

SPEAKER_00 45:32

What's a full ball?

unknown 45:33

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 45:35

It's like a fashion photo.

SPEAKER_00 45:36

I uh cause I had a model on here, and she said for guys, a fashion no no is just wearing um uh what's it called? A wife beater. Just a wife, a wife beater in jeans, a wife beater, whatever.

SPEAKER_02 45:48

So you saying like what not to wear? What not to wear, yeah. Um we're at though, like where are you going? Oh, okay. Um is on like okay, we're in Hawaii. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:59

We're we're we're going out to Target.

Mindset Shifts, Manifesting, And Goals

SPEAKER_02 46:02

All right. Well, I'm gonna put me out of it, but if I see anybody in like uh um what I say, I don't know Target, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:14

Okay, okay, okay, okay. Not Target.

SPEAKER_02 46:16

We're going we're going to the mall. Say we're going to the fashion. Let's change it. We're going to the mall. Um, I think going to the mall, um, men, if they wear if they say they wear fashion, you shouldn't wear um you shouldn't wear them short shorts. Like, you know them draw shorts?

SPEAKER_00 46:33

Military shorts, like the marine shorts that go up here and you gotta see the package. You got a few pair of I thought that was your army ones, they come like to me to the thigh. Yeah, but Marines, they come up to the crotch where you could see like I don't know. I I honestly don't know.

SPEAKER_02 46:50

No, I'm they like you cover.

SPEAKER_00 46:53

Right.

SPEAKER_02 46:54

They be having like shorts, like they're like draws, but they shorts. Yeah. Um, a lot of surfers wear them. Um really, I thought they were board shorts, not not the one that the boards shorts are shorter now, right? Really? They make them shorter now. Yeah, I'm like, I'm like, what's going on? Yeah, yeah. They wearing draws, but they just like shorts. It's kind of crazy. But that's a note. I see guys wearing that in the mall, like they'll go to the mall and that. I'm like, damn, bro, are you about to buy some clothes or something? Um, I see guys in the club, they be wearing all black, regular t-shirt, but pants. Bro, you're not finna pull nothing in that. What are you doing? You're not finna pull her. I come step next to you. They like, they gonna look like it be stuck, not looking at him because he just got regular fit on. Yeah. So I feel like some people should up their game on um fashion because we're not in 2000s no more.

SPEAKER_00 47:53

Okay, how about you mind? For as a woman, what is a a fashion no-no?

SPEAKER_03 48:02

Are we talking about like their mall?

SPEAKER_00 48:03

Yeah, let's go to the mall, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:07

Underwear as in like the thong or like the like underwear as their clothing. Like bralettes are fine and stuff like that. Uh huh. But I think when it's an actual bra and then they try to make it like fashionable.

unknown 48:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:20

I mean, like maybe cover it up and make it look like a blazer as well. But then they'll just wear it and I'm like, ah, that that's just like the same idea.

SPEAKER_00 48:28

Do you feel the same way with um women that wear like the gym clothing? Are you are you like, do you feel the same way too?

SPEAKER_03 48:35

As long as they're comfortable, but like if they're trying to be fashionable and like showing up with a bronze jeans, it's like, ugh, like something.

SPEAKER_02 48:42

And it's not even that. Okay, the gym clothes budge. Let's go. We're talking about we're talking about those shorts that literally lift your butt up. Like, yes, those shouldn't be in the in the gym. I'm sorry. You're trying to lift your ass. You got you got spandex. You gotta pull it up. They make them where they get a butt lift already on it without even working out. So I'm like, you ain't gotta wear those. Like I can poke the booty. I feel like it's about to pop. I'm like, yo, why did you wear those? So I feel like, yeah. Well, me and my girl, we went to the gym and she she got a shape, she got some little shorts on. She's gonna come get me. Babe, he's looking at me. I'm done. It's like, what do you want me to do? Your peaches is out. He won a cobbler. Like, uh huh. Nothing I can do with that, you know? So I feel like they should cover up. Or just wear, just wear fully tights, man. No legs showing.

SPEAKER_00 49:54

Yeah. Because I I tell my friends all the time, I was like, these women that wear that stuff, they know what they're doing. They know. Like they're conscious, they consciously know what they're wearing, especially when their men, their man is with them, or even with their woman. Like, they know. When they're on the Stairmaster, they know.

Mood Boards, Procrastination, And Process

SPEAKER_03 50:09

I think that's why they make the clothes like that. I didn't know that, like I said, it actually doesn't make your butt pop. But I my friend told me they actually pull it up in the back to where you have like this horrendous leggie.

SPEAKER_00 50:21

Yeah, oh no, no.

SPEAKER_03 50:22

How do you? Because those lines, the lines to make the butt like that. It's actually like I have like right here. I was like, this does not look like anything. How you have to pull it up to worry, it's so uncomfortable. And if you like bend, it's rubbing you raw. So I was just like, this is not meant to make you look like a booty. No, make it look like that.

SPEAKER_00 50:43

Imagine a guy wearing stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 50:45

They want them to. Who's they? Oh my god, no way. Go to the gym and then you just I don't know. I don't like the gym no more. I got I got fiberglasses with the gym. I'm good.

SPEAKER_00 51:04

I think we could help. Yeah, but we we got on the DJI. Okay, that's why hey man, still guys. That's why I gotta backup to the backup, you know. We still here, guys. Oh, but yeah, who's the who? You never answer that. Who's the who that I'm not saying that?

SPEAKER_02 51:18

I'm not saying that. No, it's just some like no way.

SPEAKER_03 51:21

Does that make you guys uncomfortable when you see girls right now?

SPEAKER_00 51:24

I do at the gym? Yes, yeah, because I'm there for a workout. I'm not there to like gawk. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:29

You know, like I'm I'm running on a treadmill. It's a girl in front of me, just bending down. I'm like, yo, you don't even supposed to be down there that long.

SPEAKER_00 51:36

Yeah, something. What are you doing? And it's like, oh man, I gotta look up because now if I make eye contact with that female, it's like, oh, why are you checking me out? It's like, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not. It's you're just in my peripherals. Like, I'm not trying to check you out.

SPEAKER_02 51:49

What about the mega glasses? What about those in the gym?

SPEAKER_03 51:52

Oh no, I don't think I don't think I think you should only wear that when you're working, or if it's can you guys tell if it's yeah, because the light is on.

SPEAKER_00 52:00

Oh, shut up. Yeah, the light. I've never I've never had one, so I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 52:04

The light comes on when you're when it's filming. Like when you're taking it.

SPEAKER_00 52:08

Is it a blue light or is it a white light? So when you're and it's a white light, you're recording.

SPEAKER_03 52:13

And it when the light's off, you're not.

SPEAKER_02 52:16

It's kind of weird. Now that's weird. I don't have a pair, and I don't want a pair.

SPEAKER_03 52:20

It's just because it's like Yeah, I only use it for weddings to get my point of view, and then I put it away. I can see that.

SPEAKER_00 52:26

I can see that, yeah. VTS is good. Yeah, it's real good.

SPEAKER_02 52:28

That's why if you don't have nobody with you, please have stuff like that. But I have a lot, I have I'm always having somebody with me. So I'm like, that's okay.

unknown 52:37

You're lucky I don't think that's why happened.

SPEAKER_02 52:39

Well now I gotta call you. I'm like, hey sis, I got a gig today. You trying to come, you know? I give you some good clients.

SPEAKER_03 52:45

Yeah, that's the only reason I got one. But I would not. If somebody was in the gym with it and that light was on, I'd be like, bruh.

SPEAKER_00 52:53

What do you you have a pair? What what do you see in the lenses? Like, does it show like the weather or scores or whatever?

SPEAKER_03 53:01

Nothing, it's just like I got the clear lens. It's like a fake lens because I can't have like the sunglasses when I'm like looking through my camera. Like it's just a clear one, and when it's not when I'm not using it, I'll put it on top of my head and then like I'll put it away.

SPEAKER_00 53:14

But I'll only use it like during the ceremonies and then glasses is is used for just recording.

Decluttering Vs Revamping Fashion

SPEAKER_03 53:23

Yeah, recording and taking pictures, but you can also listen to like your music. Shut up, like Yeah, so they're like earplugs. So like sometimes I'll like be playing music if I'm waiting for something to happen. Nobody nobody knows what I'm like waiting for something.

SPEAKER_00 53:38

So you're just like this. Yeah, I did not I did not know that.

SPEAKER_03 53:42

That's the cool part. So as long as that light's not on, then it's okay. But I do know that like that it might be turned on by someone outside. I'm like, okay, well I'll just take it on top of the head.

SPEAKER_00 53:57

Can I let me ask you this before before we get out? Um photographers has have you ever came across someone that took y'all's photos and drives it out of there? Has that ever happened?

SPEAKER_02 54:15

Always so you you have to put watermarks, right? Oh yeah, watermarks. But I did run into a couple photographers. Okay, I don't know if you got photography beef, but it's a lot it'd be a lot of photography beef. But long story short, I would share your photo just to share your work. And they think I shared your photo to say that's my photo.

SPEAKER_03 54:38

Yeah, I see that a lot. I'm like, it's their mood board, it's not their photo. It's an inspo.

SPEAKER_02 54:44

It's me sharing your shit. Yeah, but it's a compliment. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 54:48

I'm like nobody said it was their photo.

SPEAKER_02 54:50

And I'll be getting DMs, like, bro, take my photo off. I'm like, bro, I just shared it on my story so you can get clients, but okay.

SPEAKER_00 54:56

Why do people why do you think people are like that? To where I think because they want it coming from them.

SPEAKER_03 55:05

Yeah, I understand it.

SPEAKER_02 55:07

But anybody can screenshot and literally just post any where uh I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 55:15

I only had it happen with like my regular my webinar. A photo of mine was taken. Who gave you the permission to do that? And I'm like, that's weird.

SPEAKER_00 55:28

I remember you telling me that.

SPEAKER_03 55:29

So I was like, like, I don't mind people taking my photos or whatever. But I was just like, you don't know where they end up.

SPEAKER_00 55:34

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 55:35

You know? But as a photographer, like people ask me, do you want to put watermarks? I was like, no, but I'm like, it is on the if you want, you know, but if you're making money off of it, throw me some, right?

SPEAKER_02 55:50

Yeah, throw contracts. Do you do contracts?

SPEAKER_03 55:53

Yeah, I always do contracts. Just like to keep it friendly and professional so we both know like what's happening.

SPEAKER_00 55:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:58

Because if you never have a contract, then like it's free game, yeah. I could take your shit and never like tag you. I like to give people the credit that they deserve. Like, if you did work on here, I'm gonna make sure I tag you, whatever. It doesn't have to be her, but you get tagged, you get mentioned. Your work is shown. It's not all me.

SPEAKER_02 56:15

Yeah, I met a lot of models that would never tag.

SPEAKER_03 56:19

Yeah.

Rapid Dress Design And Rentals

SPEAKER_02 56:20

And I don't know why. I'm like, how do you feel about that, Scoot? Like I feel like people I feel like it's kind of some hater shit to me. I feel like that's some hater aid. Um they like some models, like, I pay for my photos, so I don't think I should tag you. I don't have to tag. I'm like, okay, I guess. Would you work with this model again? Um they didn't tag you. You know what's crazy? I mentioned it, I'd be mentioning it to people, like to the models, and they all of a sudden wanna like I'll be like, I'm not shooting with you no more. And then they'd be like, Well, I got more money for you. Can we shoot this time? And I done it, and they pay more. They bought more clients, they bought more clients, paid more, and then now they're tagging and collabing. Just because I said something about it. Oh. I'm like, you're missing out. You you're tagging the photographer, collab with the photographer. Excuse me. Everybody's looking at my page, you know. Everybody, all these models, they want to see the work. So if they if they like the way I took your photos, you might get another photographer hit you up just to shoot with you. That's why I'd be telling them. I'm like, you guys missing the point of this. I am a photographer. A lot of people looking at my page, either they want to use you as a model in the videos, and and and something. If you don't tag or uh collab with me, you might miss something, you know? And that's either likes clients or something. I don't know. I don't like it, but I'm good to work with anybody that's just just genuine to talk about it, like why they didn't do it or something. Yeah, it might be a boyfriend, might that's what it'll be. They have boyfriends and stuff. Oh they don't want to, you know. So that's what sometimes would it be.

SPEAKER_00 58:08

How much you mind?

SPEAKER_03 58:09

I think I used to get sensitive about it, especially my work and I'm like so proud of it.

SPEAKER_01 58:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 58:18

But at the same time, I'm like, oh, I can't expect everybody to do it. It's in the contract, like they have to do it, but at the same time, I'm like, I don't care. Yeah, like it helps me like to know like to like get known more as a tag and like to get more work with that. But then putting it in Hawaii and stuff, but I mean it'd be nice.

SPEAKER_01 58:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 58:41

But at the same time, I give up. Like you appreciate it, you would know.

SPEAKER_02 58:48

And that's what I was talking about, the emotions. You can't be emotional in this game. It's like you're getting cheated on every day. If they don't fucking tag you and stuff like that. But you just keep working, you keep going, and um the the right person are gonna tag and collab, and that's all that matters. There it is, yeah. You know, you just stick to those type of people. Yeah. And you reach out, hey, you wanna shoot this, you wanna shoot sometime? All the genuine people just keep collecting them, and then they eventually gonna always want to shoot. It's a holiday coming up almost every month. Yeah. So we have a lot of holidays here.

Fashion No-Nos For Men And Women

SPEAKER_00 59:23

All right. So to caveat off, you know, your answer and stuff. Um, for a person that's aspiring to be content creator, um, fashion designer, photographer, what's one tip that you could give them? And then I'm talking about like a per like a freshman in high school to a person that's like finally finding what he or she likes to do at the age of like 45-50.

SPEAKER_02 59:49

So I was like my whole family, they from California, LA, Compton, um, Louisiana, Mississippi, Atlanta. They've all been about fashion, all have been about um putting stuff up on the high pedestal and looking good, you know. So I grew up in it. And um in high school, I was uh I took yearbook, I took photography from seventh to twelfth grade. I had, I still have my camera that I have since high school. It's a Nikon D5000, and um I just kept practicing every single day. It was a class. Had to go outside, talk to um talk to randoms, you know, and interview them and take photos of them and yeah, and and learn this, you know, and I literally practicing all my life, you know, in fashion, making clothes, watching my grandma sew stuff so we can go at go to church in an outfit all together and do a dance for the for the whole choir and stuff, you know. Um I literally watched it. So like now that I like grew up and moved to Hawaii and um and and really into fashion here, um, I just thought about what I was doing in school, thought about my mom, my grandma, how they used to always make clothes, and it gave me a lot of motivation where um I just put stuff on and I go outside. People be like, bro, that's dope. That looked cool. Who made that? And then I just started making a lot of more clothes and then meeting the right people, going, putting my clothes on and taking photos of events, and bro, just that's all I kept doing, just photos, um my fashion, and and it gave me a whole world now. Now I have like I do a lot with this fashion, and it gives me a lot of motivation, keep me happy. Um when I'm mad or something, I go make a shirt or a jacket. You know, it's a good therapy, it's um something that can set you free if you're hiding from something. Um you can make other people happy, you make other people believe, and they can just have the confidence just to put it on. Um Bro, it's it's amazing what God can do for you. And um, you just stay true to yourself and don't judge nobody, you know, and um just be who you want to be and who you are, and you see your stars one day, you know, and you start with your first star, and that's you, yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:21

So, how about you mine? It's like it's hard to follow up from that motherfucker. Um what was the question? Um, advice for a person that's wanting to be in this profession, starting from like, let's say uh beginning of high school to someone that finally found you know his or her passion at like age of 50.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:44

Try it. Like everything.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:45

Try everything.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:46

Whatever you like, like when I was going to college and high school, I didn't know what it was. I'm being Filipino, it's like do nursing, do nursing, do nursing. And I did it.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:55

It's not my dream, huh? She still did it. She still did it, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:02

You gotta try it. You gotta try it to the end.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:04

Yeah, yeah. I was like, I'm not gonna. At least she finished, y'all. She didn't finish. She didn't quit mid-semester, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:12

So I was like, I was a nurse eight, and then I was like, the doors kept shutting for getting into nursing program, and then the door opened for like photography. I was helping a friend. And after that, mom, I was just like, you know, as a kid, I was always the one in the friend group or the family having photos, just taking all like all the random photos, videos of every little random like so much stuff. People were like, Oh, you know, when did you start photography? Actually, it's like back then, because that's the one thing I really loved doing. Like, nobody could pay me to do it because I would do it for free. And like even now, I probably would do it for next day. But I was just like, it's something that you would do, so like anything you find that you like to do, just keep doing it. Because you could probably make like a whole career out of it. And a lot of people nowadays they do like they'll make a career out of what they do. I feel like for me getting older, I want to make me happy. It's hard to find it.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:18

Hell yeah. Just just like the famous dory quote, just keep on swimming.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:22

Yeah.

Glasses Cams, Privacy, And BTS

SPEAKER_00 1:04:22

Keep on swimming. So you were like doing all this other stuff until like you're yeah, uh yeah, it's very therapeutic. Yeah, it's just therapeutic.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:30

How many how many people you killed?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:34

Like what?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:35

Lyrically?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:36

Man, shut up. Kill nobody. Couple, several.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:42

No, military is is it really, really like, do it traumatize? Like for real? Like they say it?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:49

It is. That's why I'm scared of it, bro. I'm like, it it's really it it's something that it's like no choice. It's something's gonna change, you know. What you mean? In mindset-wise, when you see stuff, oh yeah, trigger. Do stuff, yeah. Like that shit is just always in your mind. Like, you see a bad accident outside, you're gonna always see that accident outside.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:12

Yeah, yeah. Um, I think one of my biggest PS PTSDs from the military is like I till this day I'm still waking up at like 2, 2.30 in the morning. Because of the hey, we gotta get up, we gotta go. You know? So change go. I'm information. That habit of like Yeah, the habit of like waking up and like not getting a full night's sleep. You know, because it's like in the military, we we end late.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:38

So, and then we just from a from a call, we have to be up and ready to defend. Sometimes we don't defend, sometimes we just they're standing by, you know, on hours on end. But yeah, because of that, but on a positive note, I do get a lot of me time in that mornings because my kids are asleep, my wife. Asleep, so I'm not bothering nobody. So it's just me and my dog. And then you know, thank God for 24-hour fitness. I just go to 24-hour, everyone's still asleep. And yeah, so I really take advantage of that me time because from you know, from like say eight to five, I'm at work, from five till the kids go to bed, it's kids' time, you know, wife, and then from bedtime till whenever I fall asleep, it's the wife time. So that me time, that's like a real good time for me to like decompress and just you know, just be me. Yeah, yeah. So I think that's like real important. Like your me time is very important, and you could do it like creatively, you could do it just sitting down. Um, what's it called? Uh doing yoga or whatnot. Anything that just settles your mind and puts your mind like at ease, that's that's real good me time. You know, it could be just watching ESPN to like going to the gym and just pushing it at pushing all that like inside aggression out. At least you'll be like so tired to where he's like, oh man, why am I even mad? Yeah, you know, like it's clarity, you get that clarity feeling. And I think that's one thing that thank you, military, for like teaching me to like put those, yeah, like finding outlets to do things. So yeah. But Scoot and my that that was fun. Uh do y'all have any shouts or anything? Or um, where can these people find you at? Scoot?

Watermarks, Credits, And Contracts

SPEAKER_02 1:07:26

Um, I want to shout out to um HNLX by Dre. That's my salon that be doing my hair, making me look really good. Um, without you guys, I probably wouldn't have the confidence just to come out and be on camera just to be who I am. Um shout out to God, shout out to my friends, you guys for coming and inviting me to be a guest. Thank you, Chris. Um you guys can find me on Instagram at scoot22 flashy. That's scoot22 flashy. F-L-A-S-H-I-I. And um, yeah, I'll be doing a lot and you'll love it, you'll love my Instagram.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:18

My you can find me at my waking a for my wedding photography, and we just um like on my own personal mywaking day. It's really fun. Um thank you so much for inviting me. Oh no, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:35

Um sorry, they were scared that it would be horny, but it wasn't on it wasn't a horny stash. It was discussion, discussion, discussion. Hell yeah. Uh with that being said, KO Studios, thank you for the lovely home. Rafi Bye, always my man. Thank you for the lovely beat. I'm Chris.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:51

Scoot too flashy.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:53

Bye, and we out this bitch. Peace.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:55

Peace.

unknown 1:08:57

How was that, y'all?