Shae Estella on Gen Z Wedding Trends and Destination Wedding Photography

Known for her breathtaking work in wedding photography across Europe and Australia, Shae Estella offers unique insight into what modern couples desire on their special day.

In this episode, she joins Clyde to dissect the  impact of Gen Z on the wedding industry. They analyse the business and logistics of destination wedding photography and explore how to navigate trends being reshaped by this new generation of couples. From the demand for candid, documentary-style moments to the evolving nature of the client experience, they dive deep into the realities of building a successful brand, the art of authentic client connection, and the strategies for staying creative in a dynamic market.

Join us every Tuesday for the latest conversations, plus follow us at @SonyAlpha.ANZ where you can submit your questions and give your feedback.

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Transcript

In This Episode of The Full Frame

Shae 0:00

You know what? There's a point where you go, yeah, I can still do what up my style is. And this is the whole idea of like having your core style, but sprinkling the trends on top. It's like 80% consistent, beautiful imagery, 20% trend. Especially this day and age with Gen Z brides and grooms coming through. It's a whole other um type of generation, you know, from us millennials. Um, because I know, you know, they this this new generation have grown up on social media.

Introducing Shae Estelle (@estellaphoto)

Clyde 0:26

What's like top three tips if someone wanted to get into wedding photography? Oh, I think Hello and welcome back to the Full Frame podcast presented by Sony in the studio today with Shay.

Shae 0:37

Hello.

Clyde 0:38

How are you?

Shae 0:38

I'm good, I'm great. It's um how was the flight in? It was good. It was it was very smooth and uh not too long, which is great.

Clyde 0:45

Yeah, you said the taxi ride here was longer than the flight.

Shae 0:47

The taxi ride here was longer than the flight because I came from Canberra. I was there for the weekend. So okay.

Clyde 0:51

Uh working down there?

Shae 0:52

Uh I I did a site visit for a wedding coming up. Um, but then I was also there just to visiting friends. So yeah, which is really nice to kind of combine both those things. I haven't got many kind of I haven't got much time off coming up, so I try and get into busy seasons. Yeah, so I just try and you know see my friends as much as I can, you know, and then I disappear for about three months and they never hear from me. And then I re-emerge at Christmas or something and they're like, oh, where were you?

Clyde 1:17

Yeah. But for people that don't know you, you're based on the Sunshine Coast.

Shae 1:21

Yeah, I live on the Sunshine Coast and um I I I work primarily about 50% in Southeast Queensland, but then um the other 50% is um interstate and overseas.

Clyde 1:32

So Yeah, okay. And for those of you who don't know, Shay, uh, you're a wedding photographer. I am. But so much more than that as well.

Discussing Wedding Seasons and Managing Workload

Shae 1:39

Oh yeah. Yeah, I I've been shooting weddings now for about 13 years. Um, I also shoot some fashion and portraiture, and I have a couple of commercial contracts um that I'm exclusively with these companies, and uh that keeps me all very busy. So it's great. Yeah, yeah.

Clyde 1:56

You already mentioned that you have like a a busy season because down here in Sydney, because the weather's kind of relatively good all year round, we ha it feels like I shoot weddings all year. Like, you know, January rolls around, I've probably got three or four, and then it just builds up and up and up. But do you have a season up there? Because I can imagine, you know, it gets hot in Queensland.

Shae 2:16

It gets so hot, and it's it's funny, you know. I used to live uh down this way, and so you know, you would have time off in winter, whereas in Queensland it's it's is that go time up there because the weather's better. It's fantastic, and then every so often you'll have a client that'll be like, Oh, it's too cold in Queensland for a winter wedding, and you're like, What? It's like 24 degrees. Beautiful, and it's like there's no there's no rain anywhere, and it's fantastic. But yeah, um January, February is generally uh the quiet time. Um, I might get a couple of sporadic weddings through that time, but to be honest, I really like having that time off. Um, I try and purposely take time off because I think you know, when you work in this, um, especially in this niche full time, you know, you're working nearly every weekend of the year, having eight weeks off in January, February kind of is all your weekends just joined together.

Clyde 3:04

Yeah, I like I like thinking about it.

Shae 3:06

And it's nice, I think it's just nice to have a reset because you can get really creatively burnt out. And um, it's just nice to have that time to kind of reset, remember who you are, remember what you know what you're passionate about, and also look at kind of okay, what what the year is bringing ahead and what's currently happening in the industry that people want and kind of getting your head around that and and you know it's I think it's good. Like, you know, I feel I feel what I feel we put too much emphasis sometimes on on working non-stop and saying I shoot 60 or 80 weddings a year, and it's like how many do you shoot if you don't mind me? At the moment, I I aim to shoot maybe 25 max. Okay, yeah. So I I remember the days where you were shooting 60 weddings a year or 70 weddings or whatever the the crazy amount is, and I don't know how I did it. Um, and I was charging less. So I, you know, it was just go, go, go, and I I feel like now I have a really nice balance of of 25 and I'm really happy with that, you know.

Clyde 4:06

It's it's to give the client a better experience as well because you have so much more mental energy and time to be able to kind of like meet their needs.

Overcoming Creative Ruts and Setting Challenges

Shae 4:14

Yeah, exactly. And I feel like the, you know, when you when you go through this um industry and you kind of get into the point where you're starting to shoot weddings that are are more high-end, you know, the the the couples deserve and also need a bit more attention as well. And you can't be shooting 60 weddings um a year, you know, when you've got that kind of clientele. And um it's it's really nice to have that balance because you feel like you're good, you're doing a good job at the end of the day. So yeah.

Clyde 4:42

You mentioned about the burnout. One thing that I noticed very early on is like you develop a really good relationship with, you know, a specific planner or a wedding venue, and then you end up shooting the same venue over and over. And I felt like you definitely get into like a bit of a creative rut because uh you know, every couple's different, but shooting the same venue sometimes it does get a little repetitive.

Shae 5:03

It it does. And you know, I've I'm very lucky I have um uh amazing array of venues on, especially in Southeast Queensland and on the Sunshine Coast that do recommend me. And I'm really thankful for that because the support they give me and the support I give them in marketing material and knowing that they they will have couples that are well looked after by me, that arrive on time, that you know, all those things, there's a really nice relationship there. And you do end up shooting at at the same place quite a lot. Uh, but at the same time, every time I shoot there, and especially at the start of the year, I'm always thinking, what can I do differently? You know, how can I change this up? What what what can we change so it doesn't look the same or it doesn't look anything like the venue, you know? So people go, where is that? And you're like, oh, it's a it's this venue, which I always shoot at. And I think like that's also a really fun aspect to the job, that challenge. Yeah.

The Value of Workshops and Mentorship in an Unregulated Industry

Clyde 5:55

Yeah, I think you've got to you've got to make your own challenges for wedding photography. Not that there's not enough already, there's already enough challenges, but definitely like, yeah, trying something new or or even like what you're doing with uh branching more into like uh larger scale workshops because a lot of people get a lot of value from wedding workshops specifically because it's such a hard niche to break into if you don't have the portfolio and you don't have the connections, like how do you even book a couple? Like, yeah, exactly.

Shae 6:20

And I think um, you know, so I I run workshops through Sony scene, and the thing I really enjoy about them is because you know, photograp wedding photography as a career, there's no bachelor degree in it. There's no, you know, you don't go to tape. Well, you can do tape courses and bachelor degrees in in fine art and photography, but there's nothing for wedding photography. It's so unregulated. It is, it is, and and it I can and it, you know, it's a double-edged sword because it it allows you the freedom and creativity to discover who you are and your style, but at the same time, it's severely it's in some ways, it's unregulated. And and the only way for us to learn is by, you know, um putting our energy into it and and doing it. And there's, you know, a lot of people who go into the industry who pick up a camera who just kind of go into it with no understanding of art, no understanding of photography, uh, not understanding how to use their gear. And so to provide these beautiful workshops where people can come along and you know, it's not just like a quick grab of of images for their portfolio, but it's a mentor session prior. It's it's kind of preparing them, okay. Each part of the, you know, each part of the workshop we're going to focus on this aspect to photography. And I go through, you know, the settings that you need and what to look out for at a certain part of the day of um, you know, of a wedding and and practice that and have that time to practice it before they go into it. It's so valuable. And I just see so many attendees who come along, they're just ecstatic because they've learned something new, they're inspired, and they just feel more confident. And um, I feel like, you know, workshops and I content shoots can get a bad name because they can be a quick grab for content with not much substance behind it. So I hope whenever I do my workshops, like there is a lot of substance behind it. So people actually are educated.

Clyde 8:14

So I mean, even just knowing where to stand. Like some people will go into a wedding. If it's their first wedding, you're kind of like, all right, well, the ceremony's happening. Do I just stay in the middle? Like, what do I do? Whereas, like, once you understand the flow and you've shot enough, you know exactly where to stand, exactly what part of the ceremony becomes like a formula that you can just rinse and repeat and know that you're gonna be able to get the sh the kind of images that the couple wants.

Shae 8:39

Exactly. And I think, you know, um uh workshops that are just like the quick grabs of the content, you know, to show a beautiful image, that's great. But what if you get um a a drunk couple on a stormy wedding day in a ceremony that's outside, they're insistent on like, you know, nothing can prepare you for that. And and having, you know, 10, 14, 15 years experience gives you like this this very nuanced kind of um experience that comes with time and to be able to kind of be able to pass on that information to people up and coming so that at least they're prepared in those situations and not just get the pretty photo but get all the other photos that are really important on the day. It's um yeah, it's it's a really interesting thing, and I I absolutely love it.

Clyde 9:23

So having a good mentor is really good. Like James Day was mine, yeah. Um, and just having someone that, you know, when you can see that something's not working, you know, whether that's the couple or the venue or you know, that you're lagging behind in the timeline or anything, I you can see that person. So like for me it was James, but you can see whoever you're kind of like there's mentoring you or running the workshop, you can see them going through their little toolkit going, all right, well, if this has happened, I can lean on this. And if this has happened, I can lean on that. Yeah. Yeah, it is really cool being able to see like that level of experience and that you you know that all right, well, you know, say one partner just isn't into it. You're like, all right, I know how to compensate for that and still get the images that we want.

Shae 10:03

Yeah, it's it's and like I think the biggest skill that you learn on the job, but it's something you can kind of really um mentor people in is learning to read the room with people and quickly adapting to who they are and knowing when to step back and let things just happen versus stepping in and making, you know, positioning people maybe in a better light or something like that to get a better photo. It's that it's that real subtle reading of the people, which I think is like so interesting for niche.

Clyde 10:34

You can have someone who's an incredible wedding photographer that maybe uh you know uh doesn't follow all the nerdy tech stuff, and then you can have other photographers that are really switched in on the gear and the tech and stuff, but maybe lack some of the people skills. And it's the best wedding photographers that I know are the people that have like the a really good relationship with both, but I would say the soft skills with the people. Yeah, it's like you know, um, at what part of the day do you kind of like step back and just let the couple have their moment? And then what at what point do you need to like lean in and encourage a bit more energy?

Shae 11:07

Yeah.

Clyde 11:07

Especially when you're managing uh guests at reception and things like that, where you know, uh if you pull away, they kind of feel offended. Yeah. So you kind of got to lean in with the same energy. Yeah, yeah.

Shae 11:17

Yeah, you've you've got to go with the uncle that turns up and goes, Oh, I've got a I've got this camera and so and they start talking shop, and you can be like, you can just get on with them, they're just like, Oh, this is awesome.

Clyde 11:27

The more you get on board, the better the response.

Shae 11:29

Oh, 100%, 100%. And if I get my little five minutes of tech talk out, that's yeah, exactly.

Clyde 11:34

Yeah, but it's those photographers that that have really good people skills, yeah. But then they can uh like they they know that they've got the skills and the kind of they've got that formula in their tool belt so they know that they can, you know, if you get a rainy day or you something, you know, the weather's just not cooperating, you're like, oh we can still do this. I know how to, I know how to how to how we can work with it.

Shae 11:57

Yeah, yeah, exactly. So yeah, the workshops are good fun for that.

Top Three Tips for Aspiring Wedding Photographers

Clyde 12:00

Yeah, workshops are great. Yeah. What's your what's what's like top three tips if someone wanted to get into wedding photography?

Shae 12:39

Oh, I think definitely know your gear. Know your gear well. Yeah, know how to shoot manual, know how to shoot, like be okay with shooting after priority. Yeah. You know, it's it's you don't have to shoot everything manual, but knowing the gear well really helps. And especially when it comes to flash systems, off-camera flash, I feel like especially um currently, you know, off-camera flash is such a huge thing. And just knowing the inside outs of how to manually adjust your flash, manually adjust for certain settings, whether it be reception or during the day. Um, I think that's the biggest thing to learn. And it's the biggest thing I I see with attendees who come to my um workshops and who I mentor. Um, you know, it's the biggest thing once they understand that there's a whole level of confidence that comes with it because it's almost muscle memory. Um, I think having good processes as a business is really important from the get-go. Don't figure it out beforehand. Like set out a uh, you know, one of the things I talk a lot about is having a run through a timeline from start to finish, from the moment someone contacts you to the moment you say goodbye and and thank them for being a part of this journey after the after the galleries delivered. Have this beautiful timeline of what happens all the way through. So there's no part where they're wondering where you are or when the photos are coming or what's next or when will I hear from them before my wedding. Having that really nice timeline set out and have the email templates already set up so it it doesn't take time out of your day. I think that's really important to have business process with it.

Clyde 14:17

And also, yeah, even if your images are amazing, if the couple doesn't feel looked after, yeah, the experience just isn't going to uh resonate with you.

Shae 14:24

Exactly. And I I feel like especially this day and age with Gen Z brides and grooms coming through, it's a whole other um type of generation, you know, from us millennials. Um, because I know, you know, they this this new generation have grown up on social media, they've grown up on TikTok. So being a good person and having your personality and and knowing, you know, having a really nice process for your business, so it's really easy for them. I feel like they really gravitate to people that it's simple, it's clear, it's concise, and they know who you are as a person. Um, and then I third third thing is is developing a consistency with your work. Um, you know, it's it's and it's really hard when you're starting out to find your style of what you love to do. Do I like light and airy? Do I like dark and moody? Do I, you know?

Clyde 15:13

And there's there's obviously trends that kind of float around as well.

Shae 15:16

Yeah, I I feel like out of all the photography niches, wedding photography is so broad in what you can do. Yeah, there's so many trends that come and go. And not only that, then you've got also your own style that you love to do in terms of the way you like to capture people. So it's not even the editing trends, it's the it's the way you like to capture people. And then also on top of that, you've got so much social media influence coming through and couples feeling really pressured to follow certain colour trends and you know, the 2026 colour trends for the year, and then they change the next month. Yeah, and then and then you've got also then you've got pop culture, like you've got Taylor Swift getting married, and and what that will influence a whole gen. So there's just so much to think about, and I think um having a consistent style that you're confident with when you're starting out, and just trying to constantly, even though you've got all these external things influencing your style, knowing in your heart what you love to do and just whatever makes you happy, having that as a baseline and then sprinkling all these other things on top of that.

Clyde 16:24

I like that.

How the Industry Has Changed: Social Media Trend and Gen Z Couples

Shae 16:24

It's like the best of both worlds, and and I find that once you kind of stick with that style that you really love to do and not be too uh threatened by what social media is telling you you need to do or what Taylor Swift's doing, you know, if you like country backyard weddings kind of thing, like just do that because it what's it's what makes you happy and there's a pot for every lid. I feel like I always say there's a pot for every lid in terms of our couples, and it's I always I always think that what you're seeking is seeking you. Eventually you'll find the perfect couple that love what you do, and regardless of trends and regardless of everything. And so having that as a a third main point to kind of starting out and and focusing on that, it makes you also really happy to to do what you love and not be forced to shoot something that you don't like to shoot, you know.

Clyde 17:16

So yeah, that's a really good segue into kind of like what have you noticed, how has the industry changed in the last 13 years that you said you've been shooting? Yeah, it's because there's been a lot of changes.

Shae 17:27

There has, you know, even from the point of um uh where couples are spending their money and what's important to them. Um the, you know, for example, the access to shops, etc., like um from like at Temu and Sheen and how that kind of even like something like simple as that, you know, it does influence couples. And I think um I think I don't know, I reckon like 2016 to 2020 was the good old days.

Clyde 17:59

The good old days, okay.

Shae 18:00

There was no social media pressure, you could do what you really loved, and people really gravitated towards what you did more than and the images were the most important thing, yeah, rather than maybe say like the personality, yeah, or the or the trends that were out there. There was there was trends, but it wasn't it was much softer, um, diluted influence of trend um of big flower crowns and that kind of thing. Whereas now it's like the trends are changing every month, yeah.

Clyde 18:28

And it's it's probably less relevant now because we've been in it for a couple of years, but the the content creator on the wedding day.

Shae 18:35

Yeah, exactly. The content creators on the wedding day, and and you know, the pressure for people to have that, and you know, I feel like there is so much more pressure on us creatives and in the wedding industry in general, but I feel like there's also a lot of pressure on the couples, and um, it's it's trying to balance that all out to be okay with just having a fantastic day, which is in the end what you want. Yeah, yeah, and then the trends of going, Oh, do I need a content creator? Do I do I do I need this photo with a fancy, do I need a fancy car at my wedding? You know, and it and it whilst sometimes we think, yes, that stuff can be really stressful, some people just love it. Yeah, and they've got the money for it and then go for it, and they go for it, and I'm I'm there for that.

Clyde 19:20

Yeah. My only critique is that uh because of social media, I feel like there's a big trend now, less so in the wedding photography space, but in the video space where they're bringing like six people and the teams are getting bigger and bigger and bigger because they want to deliver something above and beyond. Yeah, but I feel like it's a lore of diminishing returns where at some point the day becomes a production and stops being a wedding day.

Shae 19:44

It does. I think um which is interesting too, because I'm uh in another way, I'm seeing a real shift towards much more candid photography. And, you know, maybe 10 years ago it was expected to go away for say two hours for portraits, whereas now the emphasis Yeah, it's 45 minutes, and now the emphasis is also on the couples getting more candid, loose editorial, cocktail hour photos, you know, where they want just to relax and just have a good time, but also like with their include their friends and family more. Because the thing is is that this new this new generation of kind of brides and grooms coming through, they've grown up with all their friends being able to take amazing photos of them on their phone, right? Yeah. So to hire a photographer who appeals to them, they want a photographer who cannot just take good shots, but can take better shots than their friends on their phone, edited with an editing program on their apps, you know. You know, they they want to pay for someone who can go above and beyond that and will end up magazine worthy. Yeah, and so that's the difference, is that you've got to try and it's it's not just two hours of hoping for the best of getting a couple of great shots. It's like 45 minutes, boom, every shot. And you have to make magic, you have to make magic really quickly. So I feel like, and and this is not all weddings, but this is definitely kind of I guess the the demographic of weddings I'm in. Um, it's it's a little bit more high pressure, but I love it. I I love that because if I was just doing the same thing I was doing 10 years ago, um, I don't know, I love the challenge. Yeah, I love the challenge of it. And I I love the okay, are we doing this now for a trench? Okay, cool. Let's yeah, sure, let's do Dutch angles again. Like, why not?

Clyde 21:24

Yeah. I find on wedding days sometimes I try to get ahead of the timeline rather than just matching it. Yeah. Because then you get the kind of the nice moment of telling the couple, like, oh, you've got 15 minutes extra now to go spend with your guests. Yeah. So you're actually giving them back the time that they've spent. You know, people spend a lot of money on weddings and they're paying, you know, thousands of dollars for flowers, thousands of dollars for the venue, and you're kind of giving them back that time that unfortunately as a photographer, sometimes you have to take away.

Shae 21:51

Yeah, exactly. And I know I always try and think from the couple's perspectives that, you know, if I was holding a great party like this and I it was like such an amazing day, and I was marrying my husband, like I would kind of want to party and be with my guests too. So I think the expectation of say going off down the road half an hour to go to a field, like especially as I said, for mine, it's it's so different for every different kind of area in Australia and and you know, country weddings or city weddings, you know, I think people are happy just to get a couple of really nice, great photos um and and just go enjoy the party.

Clyde 22:26

Yeah, and then spend more time with friends and family. Especially because, you know, there's uh sometimes there's you know. Obviously, parents, grandparents, but then like guests are flying a lot more internationally now as well. So it's like they've come all this way. Like go spend some time with them. Yeah, exactly.

Shae 22:39

And it and it's it's really nice. Like, because then also you kind of don't have to just be sit in the portrait world of the wedding photography, but you can kind of go back into that more documentary journalistic field of photography for the rest of the part of the day, which is so much fun as well.

Clyde 22:54

Yeah, my favorite part of the day is uh getting some food and just sitting on a telly and getting those beautiful candidates at cocktail hour. That's the best bit. It's like the first time you get to relax in about eight hours. Yeah, exactly.

Shae 23:05

And just hydrate.

Clyde 23:06

Yeah, hydrate like great.

Shae 23:08

Hydrate, but it's you know, it's really enjoyable seeing that and get Granny dancing on the dance floor, having a great time. Like I feel like those shots are still something that will be timeless. And um, something I talk about a lot in my workshops and and mentoring is that you know, the the trendy photos that people want that are they wanting for their Instagram, they'll be fantastic for like the day after and the first weeks that you deliver the gallery. They'll post all those photos. But the photos that will really matter in 10 years' time won't necessarily be those ones. The ones that gain worth are the ones of grandma dancing, and the ones of the kids and the family photos. And the family photos. Those are the ones that are regardless of of trends that will gather more worth 10 years into the future. And so you've still got to like be really respectful to take those photos and and not get tied up so much into the trends as well.

Clyde 23:58

Yeah, because as much as it is about the couple, it's all of the guests are there for a reason. Yeah. And like they need to be included in the gallery. Yeah, they do.

Practical Challenges: Managing Timelines and Pinterest Boards

Shae 24:06

And and like I love, I mean, fashion these days is so great at weddings. Like everyone turns up dressed to the nines, and they're and everyone just looks amazing. So one of my favorite things is definitely like before the ceremony starts, is taking like really nice photos of couples. Um, you know, you go up to them and they're like, oh no, don't worry, and you're like, oh no, why are you fresh and sober? And they're like, oh well, actually, actually, yeah, let's get that photo now. Let's get that photo and then boom, like the the couple's got like a beautiful photo to give their friends, and it ends up on Insta and and everyone's happy, like and great way of getting business because you've already established this really nice connection through the guests as well, which is not you know what you were setting out.

Clyde 24:41

That's not the tactic, but it works well, but it works well, yeah. Definitely. Um, we used to do that a lot with like just using like the creator app because that way you can just transfer. Yeah. So James would keep shooting, I'd transfer a couple of rolls to my phone of uh, you know, he's like, Oh, you guys are getting engaged. Can I get a photo? Bang bang, take a couple of shots. Yeah. And then, you know, I'm quickly in Lightroom doing an edit and then and then just airdrop it to them, and then they have a great experience. Yeah. And you leave a really good ex uh impression on them as well, which is a win-win for the industry.

Shae 25:09

It is, yeah, yeah, definitely.

Clyde 25:10

Yeah. What kind of challenges do you find?

Shae 25:13

Like, do there more challenges now than when you started or um Yeah, I think uh I think with the challenges these days, I mean, I nothing scares me anymore. Um, it's not much that makes me nervous when going into a job. Um, I feel like if you prepare well going into a job, then a lot of the day works out really well. Um, you know, that includes looking at weather the day before, you know, any I I I guess like weather challenges are the biggest thing. And in not so much shooting, because we all know what to do in bad weather. We know how to get like okay photos or better photos in in different locations. I think what it is is managing expectations.

Clyde 25:53

Yeah, do you get a lot of um couples sending you like Pinterest boards or like poses that they want?

Shae 25:57

Do you get a lot of- and do you know what? I used to not like that, but the more I find the last few years that um their couples are influenced a lot by what um Instagram like is telling them to do for their wedding day, and they're taking more notice of of pop culture reference like influence into wedding and the wedding industry. Yeah, I actually don't mind a Pinterest gallery. Okay, which is really strange because some people hate it. I know, and you know what, I've hated it in the past too because I'm like, I'm gonna do what I do best. But you know what? There's a point where you go, yeah, I can still do what uh my style is. And this is the whole idea of like having your core style, but sprinkling the trends on top. It's like 80% consistent, beautiful imagery, 20% trend and um that you include into the gallery. And the the challenge is like managing expectations of that with the couples and um being okay to to be like, yeah, let me look at your Pinterest board. I want to know what you love. Yeah. Because you know what, they're paying us. Yeah, and there is incredible, and there's incredible and like whilst I seek what they seek, and so they want what my style is, but at the same time, I've got to seek like what they want as well to a degree. And I think that having, you know, there is incredible, technically brilliant wedding photographers out there at the moment that have been in the industry longer than me, and they've got so much more experience with me. They're technically incredible, but they might not be getting enough work because they're not evolving as much with the times of what current people are paying for sometimes. And it's so it's really important, I think, to always have your finger on the pulse of what is trending, what people want, what people will pay you for. Yeah, because they might be different things, they might be different things, and you've got to set your ego apart and you've got to set your oh, I'm not gonna do that because you know, that's so stupid, like slow motion shutter drag shops or something like that. You know, like you've you've got to be a little bit accepting of that because that's where the market's going, and that's what people want. Like people want um filmy looking photos, yeah, because sometimes but not everyone, not everyone, you know, but a lot of the uh the younger generation do. And so it's good to kind of have that and and managing expectations, like of okay, how can we create that? How can we, you know, combine what we both want together and create that for your day? And so I think the challenge is in, you know, style, managing expectations, time on the day, telling time on the day, I think is the biggest one for me.

Clyde 28:32

It's like uh if a couple's reviewed some of your work and they found like a hero image and they go, we want that, and you're like, like it if you look at the run shit and you're like that shot might even take me five minutes to set up because I need flash and a couple of other little key factors that have got to come into play. It's like we might just not have time for it.

Shae 28:49

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Clyde 28:50

My advice to everyone about the whole do you do you plan timelines with your couples?

Shae 28:54

Oh, definitely. And I I send them out when I send the booking form. Okay, cool.

Clyde 28:58

So I will go, you know, you want I would like this much time for this.

Shae 29:01

Yeah, so uh a lot of the time before they actually book me, I will book them in for a video chat. I really like having a video chat or an in-person chat with them before they even book me. Okay, because by that point I know if they're booking in a video chat or an in-person chat with me uh prior to booking, they're gonna book me anyway.

Clyde 29:17

So it's just a great and they're a bit more serious, hopefully. Yeah, yeah, definitely.

Shae 29:21

It's it's very rare. And I think like it's a great way to get to know each other and like ask them what they want. Um, but also I can kind of give them a bit of a light run through of how I work on the day just so they have an idea. And I go, hey, like I know this venue. If you want, I can send you, I'll send you like a little timeline of what I found worked really well in the past for other people. And I I say to them, you don't have to follow this. I could do that in five minutes if you really want me to.

Clyde 29:46

But but I prefer a little bit more time. Yeah, prefer a little bit more.

Shae 29:50

But uh, you know, it's more like if you want this quality and if you want this, I it won't take forever, but this is how much time I need.

Clyde 29:57

Yeah.

Shae 29:58

And having that from the get-go can influence pretty much the whole day when it comes to it, which is fantastic.

Clyde 30:03

So the the biggest issue I find on any uh wedding day is always family photos because that's the one that will always blow out the timeline. Yeah. Because you know, as a photographer, if you've only got five minutes for couples' portraits, you will just lock in and make it happen. Yeah. Whereas, like, that's the one that you can't control because guests disappear and you know Uncle Bob's gone away, and then you can't do this photo, or generally they they sent you a list of our family photos. I'm like, I don't know these people. Yeah, you know these people, you need someone on the day that knows everyone that can coordinate it because expecting a complete stranger to know Uncle Uncle Bob and Auntie Susan and like we don't know what they look like, we don't know where they are, we don't know what side of the family they're from, like all of those kind of issues come into play. That's like the number one time where I start to get stressed.

Shae 30:51

Yeah, and I I'll I'll say to them for family photos, you know, only go up to kind of extended family. And if you go to extended, like just big groups, like mum's, mum's, dad's side, you know, the the Johnsons and the Smiths, and then you know, and I say, Oh, you know, because there's always an auntie and uncle that are just like, I saw one little photo, and you're like, that's okay, but we'll we'll do it during cocktail hour, you know, let's do it in the morning.

Clyde 31:14

Yeah, just come and grab us later.

Shae 31:15

Yeah, exactly. There's always time for that. And you know, I feel like one of the things that I I I love to believe in is that there's always time for one more photo at a wedding. You know, it's it's 9:30, you know, the dance floor's going off, and you go, you go to the couple to say, Oh, I'm heading off in 10 minutes. Is there any more photos? And then they go, Well, actually, there's like 10 more photos we want now. And okay, cool. You know, because in the end you're there for their day and you're there to create a story from start to finish and create a really nice rounded out story, and and those photos are important, and you know, it's it's no time lost on your on your side. So do you like the table dash? Yeah, I yeah, I do. I do. I try between the the photos prior to the ceremony of just like nice couples and group shots. And um I I don't find many of my couples do that so much for my weddings, but um, they do work well.

Gear Discussion: A Wedding Photographer's Kit

Clyde 32:08

Yeah, because I'm always like, oh, if I missed that one earlier, I'm like, oh sweet, I'm guaranteed to get it later. Yeah, yeah.

Shae 32:13

I've I've always got a I always ask them for a list of like, you know, must-have photos of people or if there's any VIPs there they want photographed, um, and that kind of thing. But I'll generally go throughout the day or with my second shooto go throughout the day and ask, you know, just go around to people and ask for photo nice photos. So at least most I'd say like 90% of the time for my weddings, everyone ends up with a photo in the gallery of like a group of whoever gets that.

Clyde 32:38

That's like the perfect result.

Shae 32:39

Yeah.

Clyde 32:40

Yeah.

Shae 32:40

Yeah, definitely.

Clyde 32:41

So yeah. Yeah. What's in your bag for weddings these days?

Shae 32:45

Yeah, it's it's kind of changed actually. Um, so I I was shooting on A7 IVs, two A7 IVs with a lot of primes. And then last year, for some reason, well, I the gr for a great reason, I got the A1 Mark II and the 28 to 70. Yeah. And you know, I've been a Prime Girl, prime girl through and through my whole life. I love it.

Clyde 33:07

But then what primes were you most using?

Shae 33:10

Uh 24, 35, 50, and 85. Yeah. I'd never go over that. So, but last year I shot a lot of my weddings on the A1 Mark II and the 28 to 70. Yeah. And then my poor little A74, A75 now my bag was screaming out to me, going, pick me up. And I went, I don't need to. So, but it's there. Um, so I was I was, yeah, 28 to 70, and then I would use a 24 prime or um just to get something a little wider? Yeah, just for mainly reception dance floor or photos or um getting ready shots. Yeah. But I just found like having that freedom of one camera, it makes you much more inconspicuous at a wedding, which is fantastic.

Clyde 33:53

And less I think more I don't know, I like wearing the sexy leather harness.

Shae 33:56

Oh, yeah, and it's funny because I uh you know, when I shoot quite quickly, sometimes I'll like throw it up and catch, you know, when you're swapping and people are like, ooh, yeah, you know, but it's like you just feel like you're in a Western movie. But um there's something I think really nice with shooting on one camera these days, and like the A1 Mark II is so reliable.

Clyde 34:17

Yeah, it's just so it's and you can always crop if you're on that 28 to 70, you can still crop a ton because you've got 50 megapixels.

Shae 34:23

Yeah, exactly, exactly. And it it's just a such a perfection of a camera, and you know, it makes you so I feel like way less intimidating to people who when you're trying to be a bit more sneaky with getting photos, having that one camera, um, it's fantastic. And I've always got the second, the A75 there, but it's it's um yeah, I really enjoy it. But sometimes I I'll turn up to weddings and be like, I just feel like shooting on primes today. So it really just depends. But also for travel, like because I travel so much.

Clyde 34:53

Would you travel with the 28 to 70? Because that way you just have one.

Shae 34:56

Yeah, I do. So I when I shoot, you know, interstate or overseas, I will have the A12, I still take the A75, you know, as backup. Um, but then I'll have a backup.

Clyde 35:05

Yeah, don't go into any kind of professional shooting without a backup because one day something will happen.

Shae 35:11

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And even lenses, like you know, the 28 to 70 is fantastic. But I once um had a wedding where you know I had my bag down on the ground and I had my 16 to 35 in it, and someone picked up my bag to move it, and the the lid was open, and the 16 to I just watched it in slow-mo, the 16 to 35 just drop, and then yeah, and then I was like, it's still good, it's still good. And I picked it up and it's like rattling on me. So I'm like, it's not good. It's not good. So, you know, it's good to have backup lenses too. Um, but the 28 to 70, and then I'll have the 24, and then most likely like an 85.

Clyde 35:44

Yeah, the GM2 or the G1. Yeah, the GM two. So good, yeah. So good.

Shae 35:48

So um, yeah, so that's kind of what I travel with when I work. So it's and I find that's enough, you know. I could I could probably even push it to just having a 28 to 70. Um, but um, you know, just having that bit of backup's good too.

Clyde 36:00

Yeah, there's there's a few other uh wedding shooters I know in the area that are moved across to the 28 to 70 and the 50-150, actually.

Shae 36:08

Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.

Clyde 36:10

It's just a bit bit chunkier.

Shae 36:11

It's a bit it's a bit chunky, but that's okay. I, you know, one of the things I really love about Sony gear is that it's so light, and I found like prior when I had DSLRs, um, I was getting a lot of elbow and and wrist issues, and that was in my 20s, you know.

Clyde 36:26

Especially if you're using two bodies, yeah, yeah.

Shae 36:28

And I was like, this isn't good. Like I've still got like another, hopefully like 25, 30 years of this business. So I was like, I need to move to something lighter, and that's what appealed to me so much with switching to Sony. Um, is that the gear was just so light, and you know, I even though these gym lenses are incredible, like even just the little the 55s and the little 35 non-GM lenses, fantastic because it's in the middle of the light.

Clyde 36:51

So yeah, it's they're great for travel, and you're not you're not losing much.

Shae 36:54

No, not at all, not at all. So yeah, it's um that's yeah, that's generally what's in my bag, and then I usually have a drone with me and obviously off-camera flash system and and that kind of thing.

Clyde 37:04

How much do you use the drone for stills?

Shae 37:06

Um, not too much, mainly for establishing shots and maybe for maybe some uh shots, say after the ceremony of everyone mingling, just kind of like bird's eye view, and then obviously like outdoor reception shots, that kind of thing.

Clyde 37:17

So yeah, okay. The only time I've ever seen people using them is like those really big weddings, like 400 guests. Yeah. And you're like, if I shoot this on a 16 mil, they have to stand on like a hill for me to be able to fit everyone in. So I see people put drones up. Yeah, yeah, and that's just the easiest way.

Shae 37:34

I hate getting up on those rickety like stepladders. Yeah. I'm like, let's make this quick, you know.

Clyde 37:39

That's why public liability exists. Yes, yes, it is.

Shae 37:42

So yeah, so um, yeah, drones are much easier for that.

Clyde 37:46

So yeah, okay. How much like are you just taking a backpack or do you have a little roller bag? Like, what's the kind of yeah?

Shae 37:51

I just I just take a backpack. Um, I find, especially when traveling internationally too, just I have a fantastic um bag that doesn't look like a camera bag. Um somehow looks tiny on my back but can fit everything. And that's good. You just hope to, you know, you just hope that like someone someone frail doesn't try and pull it down for you off a plane. Like, no, no, no. You know, because it's like 10 kilo and you hope no one weighs it. But um, you know, it's uh and then you end up putting like bodies in your jacket, you know, when they do weigh it because it's over. Yeah. Yeah. I usually take a trench coat where you open up like you know watches.

Clyde 38:27

It's just FZ100 batteries. Yeah, I know.

Shae 38:30

And it's funny because I I don't look very kind of presumptuously that kind of person, so it's kind of funny when I do go through security. Um, but yeah, so I try and keep it pretty small and light and really like you don't need too much. Yeah. You really don't. Like it's you could you could, you know.

Clyde 38:49

Yeah, but traveling for weddings is a it's it's a big undertaking because it the costs do add up like significantly. And I don't think couples always understand that if they want you and they want your look and your style and your personality, it's like, all right, well, that's you know, travel insurance, travel, accommodation, flights, like it adds up very quickly.

Shae 39:07

It it does, it does, and you've got to be really smart about that, especially if you want to get into more destination work.

Clyde 39:13

Yeah, because you've been doing stuff in Italy, I've seen.

Shae 39:15

Yeah, yeah. So I shoot a lot in Europe and I I shoot a lot kind of in New Zealand and um Fiji and and that kind of thing. And I, you know, we all want to do it. Like everyone wants to do it, right? It's it's pretty cool, but at the same time, it is still work. And in the end, especially if you're working full-time, you've still got to pay your own superannuation, your tax. You know, like you've got to you've got to think about those things. You've got to be smart about your business and and how you earn money. And it's really important to kind of make sure you cover yourself. Maybe it's great to do it just a couple of times here and there, but if it's something where you realize you're getting a lot of that work, like you don't want to shortchange yourself.

Clyde 39:51

Yeah.

Shae 39:51

Because what you do is good and you know, you you're there for work and you invest a lot into it. So you need to make sure you, you know, you safely cover yourself when you when you are kind of traveling, or even if it's interstate, you know, making sure that these are the charges, you know, accommodation and flights and and that kind of thing.

Clyde 40:09

So yeah. Um, I did a costing for a wedding to shoot in Portugal. I didn't end up getting the booking, but the cost, because it was a video, so you know, I'm minimum taking three bodies, two tripods, plus audio gear, the cost to get all of that gear there was going to be more expensive than the wedding quote.

Shae 40:28

Yeah.

Clyde 40:28

And I was like, that's crazy.

Shae 40:31

Yeah, it's it it is. It and like the extra weight does, and you end up taking like one change of clothes without anything else in it.

Clyde 40:40

Yeah. But it's because it's more important that I have an 85 Prime than having a spare pair of socks. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

Shae 40:48

And and you know, sometimes, especially like the European weddings, because a lot of my reception work, I um my flash is not on my camera at all. I'll set up on stands, so I'm getting really nice and controlled ambient light.

Clyde 40:59

What flash are you using?

Shae 41:00

Uh just Sony flash. So yeah, yeah. But um, I have it all off camera, so I have the old Sony trigger that triggers everything. Yeah. And um so I will take light stands now, like the little Monfrodo light stands, the really light quality ones.

Clyde 41:15

I mean, better than trying to take an assistant or something like that, especially for those big uh overseas ones.

Predictions for Future Wedding Trends

Shae 41:21

Yeah, and usually you can just set them up and be fairly stationary, but I still like to have that kind of ambient um light sometimes. Well, you know, direct flash is very popular these days as well, but I still like having that kind of that more inconspicuous lighting source coming through for some weddings and especially receptions. So yeah, I still end up taking like a light stand.

Clyde 41:42

I mean, even when I'm doing dance floor stuff, like I could just put the flash on the camera, yeah, but even just like putting the trigger on and then offsetting it by even like a meter, like that, even just that makes such a difference. Yeah, and people don't really understand like how much of a difference that makes. Yeah, it's everything just looks so much better.

Shae 41:59

And it and it's very it's very in trend right now with fashion photography, you know, influencing a lot of the wedding industry and the wedding photography world. So yeah, yeah.

Clyde 42:09

What do you what are you what's your prediction for 2026 wedding-wise?

Shae 42:13

Who knows? I I think I I I somehow feel that Taylor Swift is going to influence us a little bit, yeah, okay, whether we like it or not. I feel like there's a lot of people waiting out for for that um for what she's gonna do. Yeah. Um, you know, it's it's really interesting because I think that uh editing-wise, people are leaning in two directions. They're either going for the really cinematic kind of edit, or they're going for the really clean.

Clyde 42:42

Almost m closer to true to life. Because there was a very yellow phase.

Shae 42:46

There was a very yellow phase, and there was a very like no yellow phase. Like, you know, um, where I feel like it's either one of those two things, it's kind of a bit more darker cinematic, or it's going more clean fashion photography, what you'd see in magazines, you know, high fashion magazines, that kind of thing. So I feel like those two things are are really trending, but at the same time, again, it comes back to just doing what you love and the first and foremost. Yeah. Um, but just you know, keeping an eye on those things, it's it's exciting because it teaches you something new or it adds it just adds something extra to your skill set when trends come and then sometimes go.

Clyde 43:22

So that's a question I have for you. Why why do so many wedding photographers have beef with the color green?

Shae 43:29

Oh, I I don't know. I don't know.

Clyde 43:32

See like I love a soft muted green, yeah, but like occasionally you see something where it's like there's no green, and it's like they've booked this beautiful venue with like a maze and a beautiful garden, and it's not green.

Shae 43:44

And and the thing is too, is that vendors, especially florists and stylists and planners who like plan these beautiful weddings that have certain colour schemes, etc., they will want photos showing that green for their work. So it's it's you know, you can unless it's like so stylized that that's what you're known for, and people love that, it's like it's worth just bringing that HSL yellow slider up just a little bit.

Clyde 44:10

Because yeah, I I I like a slightly softer green, which is like kind of the beginning to be a bit more of a trend now. Yeah. Whereas like I think I I just think about maybe five, six years ago, it was like green does not exist.

Shae 44:21

No, everything's dead. Yeah, everything looks dead. Bring El Nino back.

Clyde 44:25

Yeah.

Shae 44:28

The fires have just rolled through. That's that's great. No. It's um, yeah, it's it's it's interesting, but I think also the differences is that we're so heavily influenced too by the whole Italy wedding thing that you know, over there the colours of the greens are more blue, like they're more blue-based green, they're not kind of like a yellow kind of neon, yeah. And especially in Queensland, everything's neon.

Clyde 44:52

How do you which colour palette do you like the most? Sunshine Coast or New Zealand?

Shae 44:57

Oh, much more New Zealand. It's just such a softer blue green, it's very it works well with skin tones, it doesn't reflect strongly onto the skin if you're saying standing under a neon green tree or a neon green grass, you know, in the tropics. Um, so I think that's the difference is that we try and get rid of that neon green, but we we and we've just got to try and keep that little bit of like that beautiful blue green in it. So, and I think that's what influences people now is that they're starting to bring green back.

Clyde 45:24

Yeah, bring green back. Yeah. Any other predictions for the year?

Shae 45:30

Oh.

Clyde 45:31

What what is the rest of your year looking like?

Shae 45:34

It's busy. Yeah, it's busy. Um, every second year I I try and do less overseas work just to be at home. Um, I find also you can get into a rut of if you if you get too much overseas work, you lose the rolling momentum of local work. So it's really important to balance that out. Yeah, everyone thinks you're gone. You know, people stop recommending you because they're like, oh, I think she's like overhearing. She's off doing something. She's off doing something, like gallivanting around. So I think it's really important to make sure you kind of keep both markets very equal.

Clyde 46:04

Yeah.

Shae 46:04

And so this year I've only got um the start of this year, or the next kind of two months, three months, I'm New Zealand, Tassie, North Queensland, uh Victoria, and then back to Italy. Yeah. And then after that, I'm just back home, which is I'm actually really excited for. So yeah.

Clyde 46:21

And then I'll be back at the end of the year.

Shae 46:23

Yeah, yeah. And then next year's kind of booking up again, um, New Zealand and Italy and how far ahead do you like to book?

Clyde 46:30

Uh I know some people that try to book two, three years ahead. I like to book six months, eight months ahead, because I don't know what I want to do in an eight months' time. I don't even know what I want to do tomorrow.

Shae 46:41

Like I'm I'm I'm the least spontaneous person. Because I I book when I book and sometimes it might be two years ahead if that's when they want to book me. I I don't have my open books, closed books. I know that works as a really great marketing tool sometimes because or if people don't know what they're doing in two years' time, so they want to keep their books closed, so to speak, and then they say my books are open for 2028, for example.

Clyde 47:05

And then you get a big influx.

Shae 47:07

Yeah, because you have people waiting at the door for you, and that's really great. Whereas for me, I just I book when I book, and I I generally find I book out 12 to 14 months in advance. So if I do want to plan any travel for myself or otherwise, um most of my international bookings book me at least a year and a half out.

Clyde 47:25

Yeah, okay.

Shae 47:25

So, which is fine, you know. But it it's strange, I think people are booking much sooner uh like much later. Yeah. So I'm you know, I'm still getting in the last like month I've had two bookings for May.

Clyde 47:38

That's close.

Shae 47:38

And then last week I've had two bookings for July.

Clyde 47:41

Yeah, okay.

Shae 47:41

And you know, my July, my July, because I'm only shooting 20 to 25 weddings, my July was pretty free. And I was like, okay, I'll go on holiday. But now I'm like, oh, I've got like three bookings in the last week for July. I'm like, I can't, yeah. That wasn't happening five, ten years ago, you know, especially during COVID. But that wasn't happening 10 years ago. People were booking 12 to 14 months out in advance. So I definitely think there's a shift there, which can make wedding photographers very nervous that they're not getting work, but you kind of have to just wait till the year that you're in it and you won't know what your uh turnover is gonna be.

Clyde 48:11

Yeah, exactly.

Shae 48:12

When and it's a bit more like the commercial world where people are used to that, you know. Yeah. But um, I that I don't think that was happening so much, you know, eight to ten years ago. Yeah. So it's I feel like that is definitely a shift. And I I don't know what's caused that, but um, you know, it's it's it's you know, I think eventually you just gotta believe that things will fill up and and work and work and put yourself out there and and it will come, you know. Whatever you put energy into, it'll come back at you.

Clyde 48:40

Yeah.

Shae 48:41

Um, so if you sit back and do nothing and go, I'm not gonna get any work, it's like, well, yeah.

The Business Side: Competition, Pricing, and Community

Clyde 48:46

But there's also lots of opportunity. I feel like we've spoken we've spoken tons on this podcast about AI, and luckily weddings is a category that's safe from that. Yeah. But um, yeah, there's so much work out there, like it's a it's an industry that will be around for a very, very, very, very, very long time. Um and you know, there's so many opportunities to second shoot. Like, I probably don't really book that much anymore. I just second shoot for people because it's reliable, it's easy, yeah, and it's a it's a win-win for both businesses.

Shae 49:15

Yeah, exactly. And you can shoot as much as you want, and yeah, I'm not that person, but yeah. When you get a second shooter that's like brrrrr and you're like, whoa, whoa, settle down then, cowboy.

Clyde 49:24

No. Um, from a business side, do you find that the market is getting tougher because of competition? Because I've noticed recently that like especially you can see it on scene. It's like when attendees come to a workshop and you're asking, Oh, what genre do you shoot, or like what are you interested in shooting? Uh, even a year ago it was portraits, portraits, automotive, or like now it's like, oh, I want to shoot weddings. Yeah. And I think one, because it's a pretty healthy market. Yeah. Um, and people see it as a can can be lucrative if if you if you're a particularly good photographer and very business savvy. Um, and I think a lot of people want to tap into that.

Shae 49:59

Yeah, they do. And I think I think what people realize during COVID is that it provides a bit of freedom from working in an office, you know, working for yourself. Um, and it can be hard to tap into that full time and kind of get there because I feel like the the period of time of like, say, the first five years of business can be quite tough to get that ball rolling. But once you get that ball rolling, it's kind of like, okay, you're you've got work coming in, kind of thing. But I f I feel like it can be quite tough. I'm seeing it quite tough for the people in the first five years because a lot of people started during COVID and they're all like some people are amazing at photography and they just started, you know, there's so many like ambassadors and advocates with Sony who are, you know, yeah, like speaking to Kate, yeah.

Clyde 50:43

She said she'd only been shooting for six or seven years.

Shae 50:45

She's incredible, and she's like she's incredible, like she's shooting for some huge projects, and you know, so you've got these naturally talented people because they grew up with a camera in their hand. Um, and then you've got maybe some people who have changed careers and seen that it might be a bit better and it might be a little bit tougher for them because they haven't grown up with a camera in their hand.

Clyde 51:04

And so you you're competing with all different types of people with different types of skills, and it is competitive too, because the the more people doing it, it does sometimes unfortunately become a race to the bottom.

Shae 51:13

Yeah, and yeah, and it cheapen, and a lot of people have you know, the amount of people I see their work is incredible. And I'm like, you need to charge more for what you're worth because and it's not we're not trying to take money from people, it's it's not that it's it's the fact that you are putting so much time and effort into your work that you are worth earning a living that most other people who go to an office job worth, you know, earn type thing, and it and it's okay to to charge what you're worth, you know, and and it's just the sheer amount of energy and input, but also it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing that's not repeatable.

Clyde 51:49

Yeah you're putting so much trust in that person that there has to be some kind of uh uh equivalence there.

Shae 51:56

Yeah, exactly, exactly. And I and like all careers where you you have pay rises as you go through your career of 10 years or 15 years, you know, we don't get sick leave. Well, some of us do, like depends on how you set up your business. But you know, when you're a sole trader or you're working for yourself or a freelance photographer, like we don't have sick leave. Like the amount of times I've turned up to a wedding with an ear infection, you know, it's like you still got to do it. And and so you've got to kind of recognize that you know, being cheaper than someone else will not get you work.

Clyde 52:25

Yeah, I've noticed that. Not always.

Shae 52:26

It's it's that's not what people and that you don't want the couples that book you just because you're cheaper. You want couples who believe in you and love what you do, yeah. You know, and and want that. That's why you want to book them because they're your p ideal clients and that's what will grow your business more than trying to undercut someone in terms of pricing.

Clyde 52:46

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, because it's it's a at least out in Sydney here, like biggest city in Australia, it's it's a very competitive market. Like I can't even I I could probably name 10 brands, but there'd be a hundred more that show out that I wouldn't even have heard of.

Shae 53:01

Yeah.

Clyde 53:01

Yeah.

Shae 53:02

Yeah. Yeah. And there's so many and everyone deserves the work, you know. Everyone, everyone who is willing to put in the effort to learn and get good at what they do and is really passionate about what they do, um, 100% deserves it. But it's it's kind of like you want you want to book people on your credentials and your skill rather than your price point.

Clyde 53:20

Yeah. Um, there's a few wedding brands that I work with, but I really love that as it's it, even though the market itself is competitive, it feels like it's like, oh, well, you know, I need a a shooter to cover this for me, and you recommend work to each other, and you know, oh, I haven't booked this date. Are you free this date? And you'll pass on just as much work as you receive.

Shae 53:39

Yeah, exactly. And like having that community around you in the wedding industry, rather like seeing people not as competition, but as people who can we all support, you know, we we can all support each other.

Clyde 53:50

Yeah.

Shae 53:50

Um, that's what grows rather than not, you know. I think when you when you first start out, you're so intimidated by people. Like I I remember I look at the grates of who I loved back then, and I was so intimidated, I was jealous, and I was like, wow, I want to be like that. But what I've realized, I think, in hindsight over 12, 14 years is that the only people that you're in competition with is yourself the year before.

Clyde 54:16

Yeah.

Shae 54:16

And you go into the new year going, what can I do better? Because that's what gets you more work, more than going, oh, that person's doing this. Oh, maybe I should be doing loose editorial when I don't really like loose editorial photography. Oh, you know, like, oh, why am I not being featured in magazines? You know, it's like that doesn't matter. It doesn't. It's what you focusing on yourself and bettering yourself wherever you are in that journey of your career, whether you be the second year or the tenth year and you're you're intimidated or struggling with work, you know, that's all it comes down to is like how can you out better yourself from the year before? Yeah. And it's just such a relief to have that type of pressure on you rather than focusing on what other people do. Yeah, 100%. 100%.

Clyde 54:59

The biggest compliment I think you can get as a wedding photographer is having another wedding photographer ask you to shoot their wedding. Oh, yeah. I feel like that's more than like that's like that's the pinnacle. You're like, all right, sweet, sweet. Yeah, yeah. Someone that does what I do trusts me to do it for them. Yeah, yeah.

Shae 55:14

Yeah, and like me when I turn up to a wedding, I'm not kind of yelling at everyone to sit down. Yeah, exactly. Like they actually think I'm nice, but it's fun to be around for the day.

Clyde 55:23

So that's a big part of it. It's like, um, and I tell that to couples too, like, I'm gonna be spending more time with you than any of your guests. Yeah. Probably more than your um than your significant other, because I'll be there shooting you, getting ready before you go and see them. Yeah. Which is crazy when you think about it.

Shae 55:41

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. So yeah, I think like, yeah, the the challenges of that, but there's so many that if you have that mindset, you can overcome those kind of intimidations and and grow and flourish, you know, and and it's exciting to see that when I yeah, mentor run workshops and and that kind of thing.

Clyde 56:00

So yeah, and it's a it's a business where like your personal brand is like so important. Like it's your body of work speaks for itself. Yeah. But you know, they're hiring you for who you are and you're a real human being. They're not just hiring a anonymous business to come and shoot something for them.

Shae 56:17

Yeah, exactly. And you know, like I I don't, you know, the way I advertise my business, I don't, um, it's not about my face and like who I am so much. It's definitely more about my work. But I find that I get recommended through couples more because of the way they loved working with me more than mouth, 100%.

Clyde 56:37

That's significantly better than any kind of like cold email or ad or anything.

Shae 56:42

Yeah, and I love it. And then sometimes you'll you'll turn up to a wedding where there's like another couple that you've already shot their wedding and they're the friends, and you're like, oh, you know, it just makes us such a great experience because you know your your couple that you're shooting trust you.

Clyde 56:55

Yeah.

Shae 56:55

Which is like more than anything, you know. I've I've second shot for businesses where it's a purely a business transaction job for them. And it's such a different kind of interaction that you have with couples in those businesses, and and that's okay because maybe the couples are okay with that, you know. So I'm not dissing it, it's just a different type of business structure and approach to wedding photography. But I do notice that the couples will give me much more direction with what they want.

Clyde 57:19

Yeah.

Shae 57:20

And they'll be like, Oh, can we go over here and do that? And I'll be like, oh, okay, like that's not my, you know, what I do, but I more than happy to do that, you know. But it's um, it's I do notice a difference um between that, and I it always makes me fall back into kind of why I do what I do and be like, Oh, I love it. Yeah, I love it because I get the couples that just love and trust me. So yeah.

Clyde 57:39

Yeah, like some some couples are just stoked you're even there, and you're like, No, I'm you're paid to be here. Like, of course I'm gonna be here, but they're just stoked.

Shae 57:46

Yeah, they're like, have a drink, have you had food, yeah, some oysters, you know? They're like, Oh, it's okay, I'm working.

Clyde 57:52

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so you mentioned that you were shooting on DSLR and then you switched to Sony. Uh, how long ago was that? What was that process?

Shae 58:00

That was that was just when the A7 III came out. So I jumped on it because uh, you know, it was so small and light, and the obviously the autofocus was a huge given with swapping to the A7 III.

Clyde 58:13

Yeah.

Shae 58:13

Um, and to be honest, it was more about how much gear I was carrying overseas back in 27, 2018. I I I think 2018 I I've went overseas six times. Okay, like back and forth.

Clyde 58:26

Yeah.

How Shae got involved with Sony & Running Photography Workshops

Shae 58:26

And but a lot like by the third time, I was like, there's so much gear that I'm I'm just so over carrying this much gear and how how weighty it is in my bag. And so being able to swap over to um Sony and and not only have a fantastic, you know, focus system which didn't back focus ever, and I could trust the shots, but also having that lightweight gear, it made such a huge difference. And um yeah, ever since then it's just been such a uh a growth with you know the gear that I've had. And you know, even swapping over to Sony and having like the editing difference, I still found like the presets that I use and it still worked perfectly. So it was in it was an easy decision.

Clyde 59:07

And then how did you get involved with Sony? That's the next question.

Shae 59:10

Yeah, well, it came uh education is something that I've always loved to do. I have a performing arts background. Um, so I studied photography first and I went into performing arts and I taught um at dance schools um to children for a little while, and then I realized like my passion really did lie in photography. Um, but I really loved that um mentoring aspect and the community aspect of what we do because it's such a lonely job in any creative field that you know, especially especially with wedding photography, because we don't mix with wedding photographers that much.

Clyde 59:44

Yeah, yeah. Because if you're at a wedding, then another wedding photographer isn't.

Shae 59:48

Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly.

Clyde 59:50

Yeah.

Shae 59:51

Um, and that's why I'm really grateful for my my videographer pals because it's just like so nice to work like with someone that can you can geek out with sometimes too. Um, but then I came onto Sony because I really wanted to be involved in the community and I love the gear and I wanted to have that educational aspect which I could provide to to people as well through experiences I've that I've had. I feel like I could write a book over the last 14 years of all the crazy things that have happened and all the different types of people that I've interacted with, and um, to be able to provide that occasionally is fantastic. So um, you know, and to have that opportunity to run amazing workshops both in Australia and overseas that, you know, people from all over the world fly to and just get so much out of is just it's so rewarding.

Clyde 1:00:39

So can you talk us through one of these workshops? Like what does it look like for someone who uh maybe someone who isn't in the wedding sphere? Yeah. Or even if they are, like what does a workshop like that look like?

Shae 1:00:49

Well, there's two types of workshop. Well, there's two main types of workshops that I work with. So one of them is a one-day workshop where basically I will find a beautiful wedding venue. I will hire agency models, so beautiful models. Um, I will hire, I will get dress designers, I will get florists in doing incredible wedding, you know, to the point where it's like most people turn up and go, I've never seen florals like this at the jobs that I shoot. So it it's pretty extra.

Clyde 1:01:15

Yeah.

Shae 1:01:16

And um, with this, it's a beautiful content day of photographing and we run through each part of the day.

Clyde 1:01:22

And I So you do you do a prep, fake ceremony?

Shae 1:01:26

Fake ceremony, um, portraits, and then we do some nighttime flash shot to kind of emulate, you know, the important parts of a reception. Yeah. Um, but it's not a con I I never go into these things as a content grab, just where people can shoot weddings and then just chuck it on their website and that's it.

Clyde 1:01:41

Yeah. And everything's a bit of controversy over there is and not a lot, but I see a little bit online being like, well, you know, you can't say that you can shoot a wedding when you haven't actually shot a wedding and it's only been a content day. And like, yeah, yeah, like it is interesting that some people have a real hard take. Yeah.

Shae 1:01:57

And I and I agree to it to some, you know, so to some degree, I completely agree and I totally see where they're at. And I've I've thought like that before. So I'm like, well, how do I do this in a way that's actually got a little bit of gr like foundational, you know, education behind it? So my workshops are are made for the per people in the first five years of business who are still kind of just like finding their style or that maybe they're getting on the right foot. They're made for, you know, we walk through each each part of the day and I talk about, you know, where I shoot here and then why I would shoot here at a ceremony and what I focus on and how I kind of get both things if I'm shooting by myself, you know. So we have like um online sessions prior to the day, so people are really prepared. I go through settings so people can turn up knowing what settings to use for each part of the day. So I feel like it just gets gives them a little bit more than just a photo, yeah, you know, yeah, which is the main thing because I don't want people going away with these incredible photos of these incredible set-ups that I make. Yeah, because also I just love planning this stuff. Like in my creative brain, I'm like, yeah, let's do this colours and that like I it's I I really enjoy putting the the scenes together, but I don't want them going away with just like a photo and that's it.

Clyde 1:03:06

And then because it means it's not repeatable, yeah.

Shae 1:03:09

And then brides and groups are looking at their portfolios, going, oh wow, like they are shooting at this rent this fancy place, and wow, they must be like amazing and have all this experience when they don't. So it's like, how can you push some education into that so it kind of gets them up there? Yeah, which is I think way more exciting than just turning on and freaking out because you're shooting with 30 other people. Like my workshop's only a maximum, like generally 10 people, so really small group. We break it up into small groups, there's different stations, so people aren't on top of each other. So that that's my one-day ones, and I've got two coming up in Italy, which is really exciting. Um, I've I've had a few, I've got a few weddings over there, so I was like, why not? You know, yeah. I was laying in bed at night. You're already there. Yeah, I was like, I was laying in bed at night and going, why not? Why why don't we just like hire a castle?

Clyde 1:03:59

Yeah.

Shae 1:04:00

When am I gonna do that? So I've hired this incredible castle. Um you're doing two days like back then. I'm doing two days. So one is at more, uh one is just north of Florence and it's more um English cottage garden, very Romeo and Juliet looking villa. And the other one is a full-blown castle on a little fortress town um south of Florence. And we have an incredible team. Um, we've got some people flying over to set it up. The florist is flying over, um, the stylist is flying over. I've got incredible hair and makeup artists, the models are incredible professional models, but also a couple.

Clyde 1:04:34

So it's always better when it's a real couple.

Shae 1:04:36

Yeah, yeah. Oh, 100%. But also, like it just helps like for people when they're investing so much into these workshops, especially the overseas ones, that they've got a couple that know, feel comfortable in front of the camera too. Yeah. So it's good to have that. Um, so those are gonna be amazing. So they're they're the one type of workshops, and then I also run three-day retreats, and these retreats are for people who are a bit more established in the industry. They might just work their butt off during the year and shoot lots of weddings and never do anything for themselves, and maybe their families are sick of hearing them talk about photography and they want three days away where they can just talk shop for three days in a beautiful location. So I ran one last year with a co-host um in New Zealand, and it was three days in Queenstown in this mansion that we all stayed in, and we we we had guest speakers fly in. Um, and the highlight for that was we did a heli uh heli wedding kind of shoot where we had yeah, so we had there was 12 people in tow flying up to the top of the remarkables, yeah, yeah, which is incredible because most people I swear I could hear them screaming from the other helicopter, like so excited.

Clyde 1:05:40

These but those helicopter elopements, I see so many of them now. They look amazing.

Shae 1:05:45

I feel like they come in, I feel like the the like the mountain elotements sliding back in there back in the you know, in the day when Icelandic elotements were the thing, where they were really popular, yeah, yeah. And I used, you know, went to Iceland, did that, and like I feel like they're starting to come back a little bit, which is great because it's fun. Um, but yeah, so we had like a helicopter elopement, but it was great because we had only six people come up in the helicopter at one time, so we split the group into two, and then we had two sets of models, so only three people per couple, and and they had you know, like forty five minutes up there per couple to shoot. So they had heaps of time and it made it worthwhile, and and the couples we had were amazing.

Clyde 1:06:24

Um Yeah, because people don't understand that in order to book that kind of work, you need the portfolio of that kind of work. Like I See so many people and they're like, Oh, I'd love to shoot uh uh such and such. Like, I'm shooting a bunch of sport at the moment because I want to transition into sport, yeah. But doing like a lot of free work because it's like well, you've got to build the portfolio, like you can't expect to get booked for something that you can't even demonstrate that you can do.

Shae 1:06:50

And it and it's and it's so true, even for destination weddings, because shooting weddings in Europe are so different to Australia. Yeah, I mean you you're working with uh a different language, you know. Most people are speaking Italian or French.

Clyde 1:07:02

And a lot of the other vendors will then also be speaking another language, yeah, exactly.

Shae 1:07:06

And they can speak English and and they're very accepting, but it's it's also like it's a very different culture. Um, and time-wise, sometimes things are a little bit different, and so having that knowledge before you go over and to reassure the couple this is what will probably happen, and also their expectations, you know, and just you know, a lot of them are Australian couples that go over, and so to say them like it's slightly different, but don't worry, it works out, you know. Um it's it's it's good to have that kind of experience.

Clyde 1:07:31

Yeah, um big cultural weddings are also like harder, like I've shot I've shot some like a ton of Vietnamese, Cambodian, yeah, um, and like those weddings, like the format is just so different, and without any experience, like me going into that, I was like, okay, like I don't really know what's coming next because that things are so different and it's so fun being a part of that new experience. Yeah, but it is scary going in because you're like, do they do you know, you're in a ceremony and like do they do the kiss before the rings or like the rings happening after? Like, when's this happening? Are there even rings?

Shae 1:08:02

Like Catholic weddings, they don't even tell them to kiss, so you've just got to be ready to go, like and know when that's gonna happen. Like, and yeah, in cultural weddings, and we you know, we get them in Queensland, but not so much. But when I was working down here, I had a lot of those like Greek weddings, Lebanese, and um all the different traditions that you'd have. It's so interesting.

Clyde 1:08:20

But yeah, and it's like so fun being invited into that space.

Shae 1:08:23

Yeah, and I think you know, for photographers who maybe have never done it before, but they maybe get asked to do it by a friend or they get hired to do it, it's really worthwhile maybe second shooting at someone who's already doing those quite a lot just to kind of get the the the lay of the land of what happens throughout the day because there are many traditions that in you know an Australian kind of culture that we don't have.

Clyde 1:08:48

Yeah. Yeah.

Shae 1:08:49

I mean, uh it makes our Aussie weddings look really boring sometimes.

Clyde 1:08:52

Yeah, like some some of the uh like big, large wedding venues are like really big on fireworks, like at for the entrances. Yeah. And if you like you said earlier, like don't be afraid to shoot in aperture priority. Yeah. Because more often than not, like you're exposing for the doors to open. Yeah. And then you're waiting for the couple, you're ready, you're all locked in, or your flash is locked in, and then the fireworks kick off. And if you're in manual, you're just not gonna be able to roll that ISO back fast enough. Yeah. And so, like, yeah, like little things like that that you just have to be so prepared for.

Shae 1:09:20

I shoot a lot in AV. Yeah. A lot. Yeah. Most of the day. Because do you know it's also it means that you can focus on the people more than the settings. Yeah. And you can focus on your composition more than the settings. And I feel like those things are more important, you know, when you've got such great cameras who can figure it out themselves. Yeah. Um, you know, receptions are shoe manual a lot of the time, but like for most part of the day, I'm happy to. It doesn't hurt my ego. Yeah. I I'd rather be able to talk and not even look through my camera and just know that, you know, when you're on the dance floor and you don't even have a look at what the camera's focusing on because you know it'll find an eye somewhere. Yeah.

Clyde 1:09:59

I I talk about this in workshops as well, but like relying on the eye autofocus to the extent that I can like have eye contact with you. If I was shooting you, say, like, you know, you're shooting the couple, you can ask them, Oh, what are you guys doing? Um, like, what are you excited for? What's coming up? Are you going away for your honeymoon? Like that kind of stuff, and you're not hidden behind the camera because you can have the camera here, yeah, and you're just trusting that it's doing its job.

Shae 1:10:20

Yeah.

Clyde 1:10:21

It's so much better with working with couples.

Shae 1:10:22

Yeah, exactly. So yeah, don't be afraid to don't be afraid to shoot an B.

Clyde 1:10:26

You heard it here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think people get uh think about the settings too much. And I I I see it a lot, especially with not necessarily junior photographers, but people that are really like invested in their own education. But they'll ask you, like, what settings are you using? And my answer is always, well, what's the light doing? Yeah. It depends. Like, if you can't just copy and paste, someone says, Oh, shoot this at F4 at ISO 100 at one sixteenth hundredth of a second. Yeah. Well, that works for the day that they shot it, but it's not going to work for the cloudy day or the sunny day that you're shooting it.

Shae 1:11:05

Yeah. And I it circles back to that whole kind of you know, point one of the three points that are most important is learning to use your gear. And so if you've got that base knowledge, you can learn to break the rules a little bit.

Clyde 1:11:19

Yeah.

Shae 1:11:19

But know that you've got that there, you know. So it's kind of like relying on complete like pee, like complete auto. Mmm, I know you do that. But you know, like having that knowledge behind you and then knowing when you can break the rules a little bit, especially in such a um artistic kind of genre of wedding photography where we can we can do anything we want. You know, we could follow the rules, we can completely not follow the rules, and it still ends up in a magazine. You you just never know. And you know, and the people that are booking you, they might like to have a non-rule follower photographer, you know, and and that's okay, but it's like still know it because it's that just reminded me of another question. Yeah.

Clyde 1:11:59

How much are you shooting horizontal versus vertical?

Shae 1:12:02

I shoot a lot vertical in portrait mode. Um, mainly because Is that a change that you've noticed?

Clyde 1:12:07

Because 13 years is kind of like pretty much phones became the number one image making platform in that period.

Shae 1:12:14

Yeah, 100%. And I think um because my wedding photography style is very much influenced by fashion photography and that's generally vertical, yeah, and and my brides and grooms love, you know, that my my ideal client is someone who is interested in fashion and interested in arts, and a lot of that is vertical. So that's a reason why. But I also think it comes down to like the lens choice. So, you know, I don't pick up a 50, or I pick up a 50 bit, but 85, mmm, not so much for portraits. Yeah, I'm shooting a lot in 24, 35.

Clyde 1:12:48

Yeah, because they complement a vertical frame slightly better, I would say.

Shae 1:12:51

And it's and it's more fashion and younger couples these days who are who are kind of fashion savvy um and like that kind of artistic style of that editorial style, they've grown up shooting 0.5 selfies on their phone.

Clyde 1:13:05

Yeah, okay.

Shae 1:13:06

And so they much prefer that aspect and that kind of um lens choice of like a 24 or a 35 or even a 20, you know, they like that. Yeah.

Clyde 1:13:17

Um it's also like how they're going to display and view those pictures. Yeah. Like if you were printing a fine art album, yeah. I love the idea of a landscape. But uh yeah, if the majority of couples are probably looking at their galleries on a phone.

Shae 1:13:30

Yeah, exactly.

Clyde 1:13:31

Which is crazy.

Shae 1:13:32

Yeah, which is crazy. So a lot of it is is vertical and and um, you know, obviously establishing shots and group shots, horizontal, that's fine, but portraits, very rarely.

Clyde 1:13:42

Yeah, I just thought that was interesting because I th I think that would be something that you could track across I don't know if you could filter by light in Lightroom by as by aspect ratio, but it would be interesting to look at anyone's body of work and see like when Instagram boomed and then everything started shooting vertical. Yeah, I just think it's interesting.

Shae 1:14:00

Yeah, and I I do think that um the way lenses are trending, like what people like, they much prefer yeah, the 24, 35, yeah, the environmental portraits for in terms of getting because they're used to that, they're looking at it on their phone in the 0.5 or one times or whatever.

Clyde 1:14:17

One times or one times is a 28 mil, so right at the front of the 28 to 70.

Shae 1:14:21

Yeah, exactly. And people love it, so and yeah, I think that's where it's going. Gone of the date. Well, I mean, you still get beautiful close-ups, and again, it comes down to like your what you love to do, and like, you know, the beautiful close-ups of the eyes, or like, you know, people love that stuff too, but majority of the gallery is not that. No, exactly. Yeah, yeah. We're just a slave to trends.

Clyde 1:14:45

Yeah, but you said obviously earlier, like you can buck the trends a little bit. Yeah, yeah.

Shae 1:14:50

Oh, yeah. 80% consistent, beautiful, what you love to do, 20% sprinkle those trends like crazy.

Clyde 1:14:55

Yeah.

Shae 1:14:55

Yeah. And enjoy and enjoy them coming and going. Yeah.

Clyde 1:14:59

Have you got any shots that are kind of like on your list of like you would just love to capture something like that? Because I know for a lot of photographers it might be doing uh some cultural weddings, especially like with the coloured powder. Yeah, um, for some of like, you know, Southeast Asian weddings. Yeah. Um, or Indian, Pakistani weddings. Yeah. Like any of those ones that have like really vibrant colours, they're really exciting.

Shae 1:15:19

They are, they are. And I think like, you know, we could get caught up in these whole trends and all that kind of stuff, but it comes down to the people experience. I I the thing I love about wedding photography is the human experience of it all. It's getting it's like a diving into a life, a fishbowl of someone's life and seeing all those beautiful cultural aspects or something like that. So I never have a particular thing I want to do. I feel like I've achieved a lot of the things that I've wanted to do. Um, you know, shooting overseas, the ice land trend. I love that, you know, like climbing on mountaintops with couples. I've you know, I always try and achieve what I I want to do, but I think it just comes down to working with I know it sounds really basic, but working with really lovely people who just, you know, have a great time and I can see the beautiful connection they have with friends and family. I think that's like what's most important.

Clyde 1:16:10

Yeah, definitely.

Shae 1:16:11

You you know, as I said, you can treat this as much as of a business as you want. And I'm very lucky that I get paid to do what I love, but that's what it comes down to that gives me the most joy and this something that I always go into a wedding thinking I hope they're not too caught up in what they think they have to do versus what they want to do.

Clyde 1:16:30

Yeah, yeah. I like it when they change their mind on the day, they're like, actually, we we want to do this, and you're like, Okay, cool, and just roll with it.

Shae 1:16:36

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I'm pretty I'm pretty happy to just roll with the bunches, whatever comes along on the day. So yeah. Um, yeah, I can't think of anything as kind of bucket listy. I'm pretty happy where I'm at. That's good, that's a good thing.

Clyde 1:16:52

That's a very good thing. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So you've got uh a couple more workshops coming up this year.

Shae 1:16:58

Yeah, I do. So I've got the two Italy workshops. Um, I'm running uh a really fun portrait workshop, um, which will be more um on the commercial fashion branding, lifestyle, e-commerce uh type thing, and we're we're focusing on the new A75 for that, which is really exciting. We're gonna have a bunch of A75 there for people to play with. Uh, that's in March. And then I've got the two workshops in Italy in April, which I've only got two tickets left for, um, which is making it subtle plug. Subtle plug. But we've got a lot of Aussies coming over, so yeah, they're coming all the way to Italy for them. And a lot of them, a lot of the attendees that are coming have been to my past workshops, including my three-day retreat in New Zealand. Um, so that was that's super exciting. They know that it'll be good and they they're in they're investing in it for themselves, but they know they can trust me with a great workshop. Um, and then yeah, I'm working where we're going to be releasing more information about Mountain Mews 2.0, which is our New Zealand three-day retreat, uh, which will be next year in February. So I'm going to be releasing more information about that very soon, um, which is really exciting.

Closing & Where to Find Shae

Clyde 1:18:01

So cool, cool, cool. Thanks so much for coming in and joining us in the studio and kind of chatting all things weddings, trends, gear, travel, everything.

Shae 1:18:10

It's really fun. It's so good. It's like a little goth session of the industry. And and I the wedding industry is such a fascinating, moving, constantly changing genre of photography that it's exciting and and to embrace it and to to talk about these things, like it's not scary, it's exciting.

Clyde 1:18:29

Yeah, there's always something to talk about.

Shae 1:18:30

It is, and there's always like plenty of opportunity to kind of get on board what's happening next and and improve and grow. And I love encouraging people. So thank you for having me.

Clyde 1:18:39

Oh, no problem. Uh, if you'd like to see Shay's work, do you want to just drop your Insta and a few other little things?

Shae 1:18:44

Yeah, sure. So my Insta is Estella Photo, so E-S-T-E-L-L-A photo, P H O H O. And uh you can find me on there, it's where I post the most, and then my website, Shay Estellaphoto.com as well, and then also on Sony Sane for my for my workshops and mentoring.

Clyde 1:19:00

So perfect. Yeah. All right, thanks for tuning in. That was another episode of the Full Frame Podcast presented by Sony. See you next week.