Episode 5 - Carlo O’Brien

Episode 5 of Curiosity Unpacked welcomes Carlo O’Brien to the podcast.

Carlo is a professional photographer who has grown his business into a powerhouse based on wedding photography and transition into the go-to guy for all things content. We delve into how his journey started and worked through how his passion has grown into so much success. The podcast did also turn into a session of nerding over Japan.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Curiosity unpacked. Conversations beyond the surface, exploring the moments, decisions, and experiences that shape who we are, not just what we do. Honest stories, deeper questions, and the journeys behind it all. Episode five welcomes Carlo O'Brien. Carlo is a photographer who has built a business from wedding photography that has been built into a powerhouse where he creates incredible content in any situation. This career has allowed him to be a part of many amazing moments that was created from a joy of every step of the process. Alrighty, welcome to episode five of Curiosity Unpacked. Thank you so much for listening. Today we've got Carlo. Welcome, Carlo. Thank you so much for being here.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Thank you, man. Thanks for having me. I'm excited. I've actually never been on a podcast. I have been on the other side of a podcast.

SPEAKER_03 0:51

Love it. It'll be pretty relaxed. So yeah, it'll be a good chat for us. And um yeah, as I said, I recorded a little bit of an intro to who you are and uh what you do. Um but this one's a pretty cool one because you were actually the photographer from my um my wife's wedding a couple of years ago. So elotement? Yeah, let's call it an elopement.

SPEAKER_02 1:11

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Um dude, that was how long ago was that?

SPEAKER_03 1:14

Four years. Is it? Yeah, January 2022. Far out. Yeah. Yeah four years, nearly five now, yeah. Yeah, insane. Insane. But um, yeah, so obviously that made it a little bit easier to to find you and get you on because I knew you. But um, yeah, I thought it'd be pretty cool because obviously I've got actual connection to what you do, and um, yeah, I thought it'd be good just to have you on for a chat about your journey and um how it all came about.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

So well, I've got a connection now with you with all your NBA stuff that we just talked about. So yeah, that's cool, man. Yeah, um yeah. Yeah, yeah. Hey, how are you? Like how I honestly haven't seen you since your wedding. Yeah, like we've chatted a little bit, like you know, a few things on Instagram and stuff like that. So um I know this is about me, but I want to know where your honeymoon was.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Yeah, so I I don't know if I ended up telling you or not. I think maybe I did, but we um tested positive for COVID a couple of days after the ceremony. Um was that what when was your wedding in?

SPEAKER_01 2:10

January.

SPEAKER_03 2:11

Yeah, January 2022.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Um was that really both of you?

SPEAKER_03 2:15

Yeah. Oh wow, yeah, yeah, it was a couple of days after, so I'm assuming we must have had it before the wedding. Did you wait to go? Yeah, we were meant to go to Cannes.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Um you couldn't really travel, oh no, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

So it was all a little bit weird, and then um, yeah, in hindsight, it's probably good that we didn't go because it probably would have been quite uncomfortable up there in the middle of January. But um you didn't get me sick, so I'm glad about that. Um, so yeah, we were meant to go for 10 days or something, so had to cancel that. Um, because back then you had to isolate for seven days until you didn't have symptoms anymore, and um rough couple of days, and then we ended up booking a trip to Melbourne for the second week because we already had the two weeks' annual leave uh booked anyway. So we did get a chance to go away and do something at least, so we don't wasting that time. But um dude, I've completely forgotten about that time period of the world.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Like when you brought it up, I was like, I can't believe like that was I couldn't I didn't remember that until you just mentioned it.

SPEAKER_03 3:13

Yeah, absolutely insane. So at least we'll remember it forever because it was so close to the wedding that we got COVID for the first time. But um, but yeah, no, it's been a been a great journey. Obviously, we're still together, which is good. So um and we celebrated 10 years together. Yeah, right. This year, yeah, nice. Congrats, man. Yeah, so awesome. Um yeah, we're going really well. It's been yeah, a really special journey. And good, cool. Yeah, sorry to cut you off.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

You can you can ask me, you can ask me your question.

SPEAKER_03 3:37

No, that's all right. Um, so yeah, I think the way that I've started it with every guest is just to go right back to the beginning. Um, I think it's a really good opportunity to reflect on the journey that you've had. And um, so yeah, take me back right to the beginning when you first started your photography journey and how it all came about.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Um I was actually thinking about this a couple of months ago, and then when you um asked me to be on the podcast, I thought about it again because um, yeah, I I I like to think that like I've always been creative, but I don't think I think I was more um curious about like um making things or creating things. Yeah, I was I don't think I was like this creative person or anything like that. Like when I was really, really young, I remember like downloading this DJ program, and I wasn't making music, I was just like changing the song a little bit, like making it a little bit faster, making it a little bit slower, mixing songs together, um yeah, things like that. I and I'm not saying like that was where my creativeness came from, but I would always just like do stuff like that, but then after about two months, three months, I'd just get over it and never like keep going with it. I just um yeah, and but for photography, honestly, I didn't even pick up a camera. I'm 36 now. I did not pick up a camera until I was about 27. Yeah wow, and um yeah, I I only picked it up because I went um traveling and I was like, oh I want to take some photos um next time I go traveling. And then um but I I still was like I've got an iPhone, I I don't really need to buy camera, like but I bought one anyway, like this uh Sony, it was like a $700, it wasn't like a real pro camera, it was just like a point and shoot Sony, it was like $700, but yeah, that broke and before I even like went traveling, yeah. And um, yeah, basically what happened was is like I re I bought it on finance at JV HiFi because I bought like a laptop or bought some other stuff, so I didn't have any money back then, so I had to like finance it, yeah, after pay, I guess. And then um when I broke it, I returned it, and um they like oh we'll give you the money back, you know. Um so yeah, I had this voucher and I was like, don't know what to do with it. And I ran into a friend that at the time I only knew him as a wedding photographer, yeah. Like because back then I didn't know the creative side of being a photographer or a videographer, yeah. I just uh knew this guy. Uh he's actually my best man at my wedding. Oh wow, I've known him since we were young, like eight, eight years old. Yeah, um, his name's Mitch Lally, and um I only knew him as a wedding photographer though at the time, and he's like, You should buy another camera. Let's like like let's take photos. I'll teach you like photography and stuff. And um I was like, Oh, yeah, okay. Like, so I bought this other this Nikon camera, and the first time we went out, we went out at nighttime taking photos um of Brisbane City at nighttime, and we always laugh at this because none of us like taking nighttime photos. Yeah, but his first um lesson for me was a nighttime photography lesson, yeah. And to this day, since then, we've never taken nighttime photos, and we hate it. We put we always say make this joke when the sun goes down, we put the cameras away. But we always like say this. Um, but yeah, then I the way that evolved was I just started taking photos of friends and um put what people were wearing and stuff like that, um, fashion, and uh eventually went to like taking portraits of people, um, which is really really cool. But honestly, even back then when I was 27, I only picked up a camera, I only started taking photos just because I was just interested in like posting stuff on Instagram, yeah. Like that's basically it. Like and I was like, oh, I can take a photo, I can do this, and I can do that with the photo. Um but I didn't like think I honestly thought that I'm just gonna work for the rest of my life, take photos on the weekend, and that was it. And never should be a hobby, yeah. Never shoot a wedding, I didn't think you can make money as a photographer. I didn't think I was like a wedding photographer. Uh I didn't think um my photos were good. Um I just like posting my stuff. Yeah. And I guess we live in an age now, even back then, where like people get to see your work, whether it's shit, whether it's good, whether it, whether you like it, whether you know, like art is art, right? Like it's um subjective. So like I was just posting for the sake of it. Yeah. I honestly reckon if I picked up a camera and there was no Instagram or no social media, yeah, I probably wouldn't be where I am today.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

Yeah, wow.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

I think social media really put a bit of drive in me to like it was a good feeling to see like people liking my stuff, you know, like get the validation from it. Yeah, yeah, I was like really liking it, and then that's when like after years and years and years of like shooting, I'd like start to like learn how to take a photo like this and how to take a photo like that, how to edit, yeah, how to talk to people um with like uh their posing. Yeah, um, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:08

How long uh how long did it take before you sort of made that switch that you know maybe it was something you could pursue that little bit further?

SPEAKER_00 9:17

Well, um, yeah, I would honestly just take photos every weekend. Like I used to work in uh in a insurance company, um, health insurance company, full-time Monday to Friday. On the weekends, I'd meet up with other photographers and we'd take photos. We'd either walk around the city, we would even sometimes fly down to Sydney or Melbourne and take photos. Like just take photos like for the weekend. Um, we'd meet up with like um like some models to take portraits of. And even then, like I didn't I was excited about it, but I didn't think this is gonna last forever. I just thought it was just fun hanging out with some mates, taking photos, whether it's like going to the beach, um, waking up at like 4 a.m. in the morning, driving all the way to Byron just to take a sunrise photo of the surfer. Yeah, like I was like, this is sick. Like, I don't care about making money, like just comes from the enjoyment of it. Yeah, I was like really in love with it. Yeah, like I think that was where um it started to grow, or like for me, it was like I was I I was like thinking, I I'm really in love with like I'm I'm really in love with like making and taking and editing photos and showing people. I I I even think to this day, I personally think if there was like back before Instagram, uh like I said, I was like, I don't think I'll pursue this because like there was no but when I fell in love with it, I was like thinking if even if there was no Instagram, I would still I'd post my photos like in a gallery somewhere. Yeah, like I'd make my own galleries, just find a way to better. Yeah, find a way to show people because I was like really loving the process of the whole thing, yeah. But for weddings or like even making money, um uh basically working full-time at this insurance company, and every now and then my friend Mitch that I was talking about who shoots weddings, he would message me and be like, Hey man, like do you want me to help help me out on this wedding? Um blah blah blah. And I was like, Yeah, I'll help you. But I didn't think I was like gonna be a wedding photographer or wedding industry, yeah. I just helped him, you know, and he's like, I'll give you like 200 bucks just for the whole day, you know, just to help out. Yeah, and um yeah, and when I went home from that, I didn't think of it again. I wasn't like, oh, I I want to do this. I just didn't think of it. I was just helping him mate. Uh, and I just happened to know how to like take photos. And then one day I quit my full-time job at the health insurance company, and this other company, a travel insurance company, hit me up and they were like, hey, we need we we want you to work for us, um, but it's only four days a week, ten hour days, four days a week, and it's a six-week rotating roster. So basically, you can work two days, have two days off, work three days, have one day off, work one day, have four days off. Like it was like this crazy roster, and I was like, well, four days in a row off I could have in like a six-week period, and then I can work, yeah. I was I was really liking this. I was like, done. Yeah, I'm gonna work at this travel insurance company. Started working there, and um COVID happened. Uh after being there for I think it was about 11 months, exactly 11 months. Um, we all got made redundant. The whole, the whole company, yeah. Yeah, because like there's no travel. Yeah, literally no trouble. Their full income is reliable, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and I actually got like this really cool like um redundancy payout. Um, and I've only been there for like literally 11 months. Like, I didn't even make a year, yeah. And I made uh the redundancy, I was like, oh, I've got enough money in my savings, and I've got enough money from this redundancy to like at least live for the next three months. Yeah, and um, so I I was like, you know what, I'm gonna like this is a sign, I'm gonna do photography. I'm like really gonna like really get into it, try and make money and stuff like that. And uh I was so this Mitch guy that I'm talking about, he's a full-time photographer at the time, still is. Yeah, and so I would hang out with him all the time. We'd be taking photos every day, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. We'd be doing everything, like taking photos, and then I forgot to focus on like making a career out of it, like getting money. Yeah, anyway, the three months, two months go by, I'm like, man, I'm running out of money here, like I need to find. I actually went back to my um old job health insurance company. I went back to them because they had this work work from home thing. Yeah, so I'm like working from home, and my mate messaged me and he's like, um, man, you need to quit your job, bro. And I'm like, Oh, why is that? And he's like, I'm bored with I'm bored, man, because like you know, you're my only friend that like um wasn't working at the time, so we could hang out, we could take photos, yeah. And it like really clicked to me at that moment, like I was like, um, whoa, it was fun, like it was good. Like, I I know like I need money to eat and pay rent and stuff like that, but like um it was like a I don't know if it's sliding doors moment or like a a switch in me where I was like maybe if I really do focus on um photography and really focus on getting money out of photography, which I really love photography, um, then I can like um hang out with my mates more, yeah, you know, like and even then, even though it was through COVID, like we'd still like go down to Sydney for a bit every now and then if we can, and went down to Melbourne if we could. Um during that whole period, you know. Like, I know like there was like times where it was real hectic lockdowns and stuff, but there was periods where we could like go some places, yeah. Yeah, and um, so I I stayed at the health insurance company for maybe another six to eight months, and then fully quit there. And I had a mate that was working for a clothing company, and I asked him, Does his warehouse need anyone? Like the warehouse of the company, and he's like, Yeah, I'll I'll ask. And they had like a role there working in the warehouse for three days a week, and I was like, sweet, I'll work in the warehouse three days a week, I'll focus on the winning company. Yeah, and um, yeah, basically, I just I messaged people that were couples. I was like messaging people that were already married, people that were engaged, people that have only been together for a month, and I'll be like, Do you guys need photos of you two? Yeah, I'll do it for free. Like, don't stress, I'll do the whole thing for free. I'll um if you know anyone getting married, tell them I'll do it for cheap. I'll do it for dirt cheap. Like, I'd I did one wedding at the beginning for 10 hours for $300. Yeah, wow. And I gave them like a thousand edited photos. Yeah, wow. And like um if that's a big like at that time for me, I was like, 300 bucks to shoot a wedding, this is sick. Like now, if I ever charge that, just because it's like my life, my life, I guess, like my income. I always think back, I'm like, can't believe like I did that. Yeah, and um, yeah, it's uh yeah, I was just messaging anyone and everyone, like people even if they've already been married, I'd be like, Do you want more photos? You want like and people I would say 95% of people were like, Yeah, cool. Um people like that I knew, even people I was like, Does your friend like I'd have a friend and be like, oh your your friend um that you know that just got engaged? Do you reckon if I message him like yeah, blah blah like this and that? And that built my portfolio for like weddings, yeah. And um I I actually got really, really, really lucky because there was a mate of mine that started a wedding photography company, and um he needed some help, so like I shot a few weddings for him. Um just shooting, I didn't edit or anything, I just shot. Um, and that kind of helped me learn the wedding industry a lot more, shooting more weddings, and um yeah, I guess building a portfolio really helped. It made people you can be the best photographer in the world, but if you've never shot a wedding, they won't hire you. The couple will not hire you. You could be the best, yeah. But they weren't that people need to see that you what what they want, you do.

SPEAKER_03 17:11

Yeah. Um that's where it comes from. The, like you said, the offer of doing it for free, right? Or doing it for a lot lower than what a lot of people are. It's like my apprentice apprentice saw the value of being able to have, you know, selfishly having that content as in your portfolio to be able to show it on social media, you realised how much value that was gonna have for you moving forward. That yeah, you know, it's one little thing that I think a lot of people would probably go, oh yeah, as you said, you quit your job, got no money coming in now, you need income, so you you probably can get a little bit caught up going, I need this amount of money to be able to survive for the next period of time, right? But maybe if I take a step back and do it for less or do it for free because I enjoy it, but that's gonna have a further impact moving forward.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Yeah, I think where a lot of people might um I mean, each everyone's different, but I would say majority of people that go wrong with like wanting to quit their job and going after their dream or like going after something a bit different in their life is I think they think that like when they quit their job and they start this new thing, they're gonna get money straight away.

SPEAKER_03 18:14

Um because you've got the time automatically, yeah, just gonna open up.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

Yeah, yeah. And I would say the best way to whatever you want to do, it doesn't have to be photography, it could be making candles. Like, I think you need to quit your job or find a job that gives you less hours, yeah, allows you the flexibility. Yeah, you need to like gradually it's like an apprenticeship, right? You uh get paid really bad at the start, but you're learning a lot. Yeah, and after X amount of years, you've learned so much that you're now your value now has made you go, Oh sweet, I'm not an apprentice anymore. Now I can actually run my own company or I can actually work for like a higher amount because I've got the runs on the board, you know.

SPEAKER_03 18:54

Like, yeah, and even to that point, like I'm sure there's probably plenty of times where you go, I just want to be spending all my time doing this. Yeah, I want to be going to work, even if it is three days a week and at the insurance company, or what you know, I don't want to be doing that, I want to be able to do this all the time. Yeah, but yeah, sometimes it's about taking that step to work towards it.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

I think it's a lot of small goals instead of the big goal. Yeah. Um, once you do your small goal goals and in your you know, in your journey to like where you want to be, um, it actually helps you get to where you want to be. Or also the small goals can like once you tick them off, you start learning like, oh, actually, like maybe I don't want to do the big goal that I wanted to do. Maybe there's another goal I can do. Yeah. Um, you know, like, yeah, because sometimes the grass is not greener, you know, like oh, I quit my job. Now I'm gonna be the full-time this, I'm gonna do this, blah blah. Like, uh, yeah. Um the the best thing for me though, I think for where I am now is that um I work way harder than when I work for a company now. I I'm thinking about everything 24-7. I wake up in the morning, I'm thinking about weddings, I go to sleep at night, I'm thinking about weddings. I um yeah, I'm at a wedding, and if I get a like inquiry, like an email from a from someone saying, Hey, um, we're getting married, blah blah blah, we um how much are you and all this stuff and uh inquiring about us, I like I can't I can't stop thinking about it. Yeah, because I'm like, if I don't reply back to this person soon, they might be booking someone else. Yeah, um, so but the best thing is the harder I work and the more focus I put into my company, and um when I say my company, it's like me and my partner, like she she helps me a lot with weddings. Yeah, um I feel like I get more out of it, but when you work hard for like someone else, you can get something out of it. It depends on who your boss is and who the company is, but like majority of the time you're not you don't get much back um compared to what they get out of you. 100%.

SPEAKER_03 20:54

Yeah, so but a lot of it, like as you as you mentioned all the steps of it all, a lot of it just comes from that the passion for it, right? Like it's it's it sounds easy to go, okay. I'm just gonna reach out to people, I'm just gonna chase this inquiry, or I'm just gonna post these photos, or whatever it is, but it's much harder to do all of that if you don't have that strong passion for it, right? You mentioned like you just love it, you loved every step of the journey that it didn't matter what you were doing, as long as it was related to it, like everything, every part of it was what you enjoyed. That I'm sure that it gets hard at times, just like everything else. But when you come back to that passion for it, it just makes it so much easier to be able to do all those little things, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:33

Yeah, man. Yeah, I love um, especially with weddings, man. Like the biggest kick I get out of it is um when they see the photos, yeah. Or when like even when um when they post and I see like their comments like from their friends and family, yeah, like I I'm just like, yeah, this is I've done like because like for me with weddings, I actually think that like it's one industry where Um you can't you can't fuck it up like as a photographer, yeah. Like you gotta do your best, right? Because it's their it's their most important day of their life. Yeah, like I've shot a lot of other things for like other companies, like I've shot for gyms, I've shot for car companies and stuff like that. And if I get that wrong, I can say, hey, sweet, can we come back next week and we can redo it? I can't say that at a wedding. Yeah, um, so like yeah, it's very important for me to like see like the comments, see the feedback, um, you know, what the bride and groom, how they post, what photos they post too. I like to see what they like compared to what I like. Um, it's a it's a it's a whole system of um lots of highs, a little bit of lows, but like lots of highs for like the wedding industry and and and stuff like that. And that's what gets me really excited is is like creating these photos for people for their most important day of their life.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

I wanted to touch on that because I I think that that would be pretty special, at least from the way that I look at it, that you get to be a part of that moment for so many different people that forever they're gonna have those photos that you were the one to talk to them. Like that's gotta be pretty special, right?

SPEAKER_00 23:13

Yeah, that's um yeah, it's very special because like um some weddings, like before the wedding, you you get to know your couple and stuff like that, which is really, really normal, and then you you form like a bit of a bond with them and you you're with them the whole day too. You're like from the morning till like late at night, so you get to actually talk to them and hang out. I understand that like weddings have really really revolved around the photographer, yeah. Like, we're the main it yeah, so like um, yeah, it's it's really important for me to like talk to not only the bride and groom, but like I like to get to know like the parents, I like to get to know um their siblings, their groomsmen, the bridesmaids, even like guests at the wedding. I'll I'll literally go up to a guest and just be like, hey, like what side of the family are you on? Like I just talk to them. Um, yeah, weddings for me too, like as much as I love like creating the photos and seeing what they post and the um the outcome of the wedding and stuff like that. My importance too on the day is like building a connection with people at the wedding and getting to know people because like um with most wedding photographers, um, I would say most of our work is coming from word of mouth.

SPEAKER_03 24:26

Yeah. Um and like Yeah, you don't really I can't say I've ever really thought about that, but yeah, it's a good point about like you know the next steps beyond the day there, right?

SPEAKER_00 24:35

Well you can't you can't really sell yourself as a photographer because you're not really offering um a product. Like if you want to buy um something, like you want to buy a new couch, you go to the shop, you look around, oh yeah, that couch is nice, all right. We'll go to the next store. This you know, like with weddings, like I can't I can't just go up to someone on the street, right, and be like, Are you guys engaged? Yeah, and they're gonna be like, Oh yeah, yeah. And I'm like, well, I'll be your wedding photographer. Yeah, yeah. You know, like people like they look around for wedding photographers, um, or like sometimes they're just like, You shot my sister's wedding, I want you to shoot my wedding because they like who I am, and you know, they they thought the photos were half decent at least, you know. So yeah, you can't really see yourself and be like, hey guys, I'm a wedding photographer, book me. Yeah, people don't like that's just not really how like it works because we're not really selling a product, yeah. Um, so yeah, like even when you put ads out, like sometimes we put ads out and we might get a few inquiries, but they might not book, they'll just inquire. Yeah, you know, because they're like they're probably messaging like 20 other photographers and just seeing how it goes and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 25:42

On the um on the day, do you feel do you ever feel like you have pressure to turn that on? Like that ability to go, okay, I want to be present on in this moment for the people that I'm working for right now, but thinking about the the next steps of it all or the next one that might come up, do you ever feel that pressure of having to sort of be on as a business owner as well?

SPEAKER_00 26:03

Yeah, I think that I think because I am the owner, like even like some weddings I do for other companies, like sometimes we shoot for like another company that might need help. Yeah, yeah. Like they might not be able to do it, so like I can like help them out, I'll shoot it and stuff like that. Yeah, even at those weddings, even though they're not my it's not my wedding, not my company, and I'm not working for myself, I'm working for them. Yeah, uh, I I still talk to everyone and make sure that like everyone's happy and people like get to know people and stuff like that. Just I I'm a big I don't know if the best word is networking, but like I'm really big at like making sure that like um people uh we get to talk to each other and get to get to know people and I want people to be happy at the wedding.

SPEAKER_03 26:46

Um and you you probably don't want it to be transactional for you, right? Like that's gonna make it a lot harder. Yeah, you know, you don't want it to feel so much like work because of I guess the the enormity of the day as well.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

Well, I feel like I'm a bit of a people person, so like I think I said to you before, like, you can be the best photographer in the world, um, but like some photographers that are really awesome, like there's photographers out there that are way better than me, but they'll never be able to shoot a wedding. Yeah, not because they can't take the photo or they know what they're doing, yeah. It's just some people just do not want to be around 150 people and making sure that like 150 people are here at this time, um, controlling them to make sure that we're here for a big group photo. Yeah, um, some people just can't do that, yeah. Right, like um so for me, I I'm really comfortable with like telling people stand here, do this, blah blah blah. Like, make sure, you know, put your hand in your pocket. Um, flowers need to be this high, not this, you know, like um even telling people like I think this side looks a little bit better for you this way, or can you know, like um just telling people what to do and um controlling the environment in a way that everyone still feels comfortable, um joking around people too, like just having fun with people as well. I'm not serious on weddings at all. Like, like honestly, like some weddings I met this one groom and like he's a big Broncos fan, and I'm a big Broncos fan, and like I couldn't wait to just talk to him about the Broncos, even though like he was getting married. Yeah, like and I'm sure he was probably like, bro, I'm getting married, you know, like and I'm like, Oh, who's your favorite part? Like, and like yeah, I I I want to connect, connect with people and stuff like that. And the reason why I do that is is you don't know who's at weddings as well, you don't know who the guests are, um, you don't know who's getting married, who's about to get engaged. Yeah, um, and I think a lot of people really want to book a photographer that they've seen me at a wedding and they've seen me how I operate, and they're like, oh yeah, he's nice, he talks, he's blah blah like yeah, um he's not strict, he's not bossy, he's not like you know, he's very relaxed. Yeah, and um, I mean I can't book everyone, but I feel like if someone were to book me, I think that's a good reason to book me is I I like how he talks and he's friendly and well it's it's already a stressful enough day for people, right?

SPEAKER_03 29:05

So to be able to have that thing to go, especially for a lot of people that like even me, like I don't necessarily like getting my photo taken. Oh, dude, not super comfortable with it. I hate it. I would say 90% of people are probably like that, right? Um especially grooms, I'd imagine. So being able to have sort of have that person that you can connect with that little bit more, like you said, have a chat about the Broncos, like that probably relaxed him enough. Yeah, all right, I can get through this now, sort of thing.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

So and I and just getting to know them, I feel like relaxes people on the day. Like one thing I notice about weddings is when you're with the boys, there's usually one guy out of the group that doesn't want to be there. Yeah, not in not in a way where he doesn't want to be there because he doesn't want to be at the wedding. Yeah, he just he's not into photos, he's uh bit bit shy, maybe, or he might be a bit um what do you call it, nonchalant. Yeah, you know, he might he just one of these guys that just doesn't want to be involved. Yeah, um, he might not want to smile and stuff like that. And so even sometimes the groom, sometimes, like sometimes I tell grooms I'm like, hey man, um, this is the first and last day you ever have to do this. Yeah, and as soon as I say that, they switch. Yeah, they're on, they're like, Yep, let's get photos, they love it. On the other hand, with bridesmaids, it's usually one that would be she wants to be really helpful, but she's too helpful. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She'll be like suggesting things. Um, so like you just gotta like people let people be who they are, yeah. Um, and um sometimes you just gotta like uh listen to them, make sure that they're they're okay, ask them what they like as well, and what they do for work, and yeah, I think when you kind of like familiar with someone, even just like a little bit, it like tends to like relax everyone, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:48

You know, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and then like and as you mentioned, um, just to pivot a little bit, but um you know, you're working with your fiance as well on that. It's how's that journey, I guess, between the two of you?

SPEAKER_00 31:00

Yeah, it's good, man. We've been doing it now. She still works a little bit um for a company, but yeah, we've been doing it now together for about three nearly four years, but she's good, man. She she's very bubbly, so she's really good with talking to people just like me. Yeah, um, yeah, it's funny though, like I know that like we did this one wedding and like we're together the whole day, blah blah blah. And then at the end of the night when we were leaving, one of the bridesmaids came up to like both of us, and she's like, um, we were all wondering, are you guys together? You know, like and they're like, we had bets on it. Like um, and I was like, oh man, do we look too serious? Or you know, do we are we not like are we not hugging or or anything enough? Like, are we not professional or too professional? Like stuff like that. So no, it's good, man. Like, I like having her there. She she helps with like poses. Um, sometimes when I'm a bit like um behind in poses, I guess I'm like trying to figure out what's a good pose, she like helps. Yeah, she takes photos, she also um does the iPhone content stuff for the um she does a bit of videography on the day as well. So like um, yeah, she's good. She talks to the clients, she's really good with the boys and the girls, yeah. Um, which is good. Um that's another thing with weddings is um whether you're a male or female, like working at a wedding, like you really gotta be good with both males and females. You can't just be good with the fake females, you can't just be good with the males. Yeah. Um, yeah, you gotta make sure that like everyone is like this equal bunch of of people that like you can talk to and and hang out with. And you kind of like on the day, really, the way I explain the wedding is like imagine wherever you went, your friend was there taking photos of you, but you didn't have to worry that you wanted your friend in the photo too.

SPEAKER_03 32:45

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 32:46

You were just like, Yeah, sweet, we're just taking photos, that's it, like candid stuff, like documentary documenting the day. Yeah. Um, but yeah, the wedding industry is a it's a it's a fun industry. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:56

Yeah, no, I love it. Um, I guess pivoting away from the wedding stuff a little bit. Um I wanted to talk to you about Japan. Yeah, yeah, it's it's Grace and I have been three years in a row. Yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

So when was the last time you were there?

SPEAKER_03 33:10

This year. So we went in March. Um hot? Uh no, cold. Cold. It was probably about 10 each day, I'd say.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Were you wearing thermals?

SPEAKER_03 33:20

No. Just enough for like a jacket. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, not too bad. It's probably pretty good because it's hot here. So it was.

SPEAKER_00 33:26

I've never been in in March. So we've been every year since like we'll be we we're able to go from COVID. Yeah, right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:32

So we've got yeah, three years in a row, February, February, the first two times, and then March this time. So um, yeah, I want to talk to you about Japan because obviously it's selfishly, it's it's one of our favourite places. We love it.

SPEAKER_00 33:44

It's the best place for photos, man.

SPEAKER_03 33:46

Yeah, and you've obviously had the chance to go a lot of times as well. And yeah, talk to me about sort of being able to travel and and be able to go do that.

SPEAKER_00 33:54

And that's pretty cool. Um yeah, well, because we shoot weddings and stuff like that, like, you know, at the moment we're up to like 60 to 70 weddings a year. Um, but it's good because like we get to like, all right, this month we're not like we're not booking anything, or if we do book something, like we're just gonna make sure it's like not in the dates that we want to go anywhere. Um I I also and Amanda, my fiance, both have uh YouTube channels. So like that helps us with a little bit of income, you know, because we I mine hers is about like makeup and like fashion and like um vlogging style. Mine's more about like camera gear and like um what lenses are good for this, or you know, shooting with a model and and what cameras I use. I'm not too technical or anything like that. It's just more like this is what I have, this is what it's gonna look like. You make your mind up if you if you like it or not, you know. So but most of my content is us in Japan, um, just because I think it is one of the best places for photographer. Yeah, like um, so yeah, first time we went there, we were actually there for like I was there for eight weeks, and Amanda was there for five. And we traveled to Hokkaido. I mean, I did went to Hokkaido with the boys when she left. Yeah, but Amanda and I we went to Fuji, Osaka, Kyoto, uh, and Tokyo. Um yeah, and like I'd been there before, before that, um, but this trip really just made me fall in love with Japan. This this particular trip just it was just also that at this time, because it was right after COVID, some of these hotels that we're staying at, no, no joke, we're staying at like four and a half, five-star hotels for like $50 a night.

SPEAKER_03 35:34

Yeah, wow.

SPEAKER_00 35:35

Yeah, and now when you look at these places, like some of them were like $300 a night, the same places that we're at. Like, because I guess you know, no one was traveling there and they needed like to start it off. Like, this is one hotel in Kyoto that we love called the Gate Hotel. Yeah, they have one in Tokyo as well, but this one we set in Kyoto was literally $55 a night. Yeah, and it was a five-star hotel. How good. And I at the time I was like, I didn't, I was like, these are the prices are sick, like, oh how good, blah blah blah. We went back a year later, prices went the same. Yeah, like they creep crept. I was like, oh, this place is expensive now. Yeah, even when I booked it at the start, uh at whatever it was, $50 a night. I didn't I actually didn't look at it as a five-star hotel. I just booked it, and then when I look back and I try to book it now, I'm like, I know why this is a five-star hotel. This place is absolutely amazing, yeah. But I don't think like um, like you've obviously been there heaps of times, like I don't think there's much of a difference between a four-star hotel there and a two-star hotel.

SPEAKER_03 36:37

No, like no, I think they just do things so well there across the board, right? Like, I just think you know the quality of everything just in general is so high that um yeah, like we stay, we've stayed in this one in in Tokyo all three times. Uh it's just very, very basic. It's a tiny little room, just like that's where you get in Tokyo, it's just the way that it goes. But um, yeah, just everything's so clean, like nothing's stained, nothing's broken. Like it's not like and you know, I get it. It it's it's hard. There's such a huge range of hotels everywhere you go to, right? But um it's just yeah, they just do everything the right way, I think is probably the best way to put it. So it's like you don't even really need to stay anywhere that good because they're all just a certain level that's actually pretty high.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

I would say like the only difference between maybe a two-star and a four-star hotel over there would probably be like the size, maybe.

SPEAKER_03 37:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:28

Is that you think that's probably it?

SPEAKER_03 37:29

Yeah, I mean, it's hard to because I think in Tokyo, I'm imagining that most places are just all almost exactly the same. Like, even when I was looking the first time, like you're looking at it and they're all very small. It's all very small. When we went, we stayed in Kyoto as well. Um, our second time, and the room was a lot bigger there. And I'm like, well, that probably makes a lot a lot more sense because it's a smaller city, right? So I just think they do obviously a good job of trying to cram as many people into the smaller space as possible.

SPEAKER_00 37:56

Heaps of free stuff in the hotel, like you know when like in the lobby with like the toothpaste and toothbrush and stuff, like all this free stuff. I'm like, this is like a three-star hotel.

SPEAKER_03 38:03

Like, I like I don't need to bring like my toothbrush or toothpaste basically for the trip, you know, like and like this the most recent trip we went on because it was um we went for our 10-year anniversary and it was booked a little bit later than what the other ones were. Normally book a year, and it's all close to this one. It's like a couple of months, so it ended up being more expensive. But even then, it was like you know, it's two stops away from Shinjuku Station and it's like a hundred and thirty dollars a night, and it's like this is just insane that it's one of the biggest cities in the world that now so many people travel to.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

Dude, it's I every week there's someone I know, like someone like someone that's on my Instagram that I follow is there, yeah. Like it's it's crazy, yeah. And I don't know, like I don't think too, I don't I can't see it becoming like Bali. You know how like Bali, like everyone goes to Bali, and like and there's a reason why people go to Bali, yeah. And like I just don't um I know it's a lot of Aussie tourists there. Um I'm pretty sure that's why they built that Jet Star terminal in Narito, is like literally the deal with the Australian government probably like yeah, we'll get Jet Star over here and fly everyone over, but like I I I just there's something about the place I think too that it's it's like an adult Disneyland, the whole place, yeah, you know, and as well as like a normal Disneyland for kids, like yeah, it's very safe for people. 100%. Um have you ever like had this experience where you go into Japan, right? And someone said someone's messaged you, well, I've had this where they've said, like, oh, why don't you go to another country? Yeah, right? And I'm like, dude, like I love this place, like blah blah blah. But I've always noticed that the person that has said to me, go to another country has never been to Japan. 100%. Yeah, but people that are like, fuck yeah, man, Japan, how good, enjoy it. They've always been in Japan. Exactly right. Like, it's always a person that's never been in Japan that's like, why don't you go somewhere else?

SPEAKER_03 40:01

Yeah, 100%. Like, I was yeah, people that I know would take the piss out of me a little bit, going, Oh, you're going again, yeah, gone again. And I'm like, well, this is the thing, like I'm still very much a creature of habit. Like, that's you know, I enjoy it, so I'm gonna go, but like it's that good when you can go that many times. Like, I wouldn't waste my money if I didn't want to keep going.

SPEAKER_00 40:20

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, I I can understand the thing with Japan is like if you went to Hawaii every year, I would say you would probably get a very similar experience.

SPEAKER_03 40:30

Yeah, but isn't Bali the exact same thing and people still go there, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:36

Yeah, no, it's the same, yeah. Like, I get it. Like, um, I can't talk about Europe because I've never been to Europe, so like I won't put like put myself in saying like, oh, Europe's better than Japan or Japan's better than Europe or anything like that. But like with Japan, I've just noticed every time I've been there, even if I go to Tokyo, every time I go to Tokyo, I always find there's something different I see or experience, and I've never gone out to look for experiences either. Yeah, it just happens, yeah, 100%. Whether it's shopping, where it's food, where it's like walking around, and you're just like, well, I didn't know this was here, or this is new or didn't notice it the last time, but exactly. Yeah, and I think too, as an Australian person, like everything's ground level in Australia. So when you walk anywhere, right, or go anywhere, like, oh, there's a shop there, shop, everything's ground level. In Japan, you really need to look up, yeah. Like, so you're like, Oh, I didn't know on the ninth level of this building. Yeah, there's like something crazy here. Like, there's so much to see, you don't it's not all ground level, yeah. 100%. Yeah, um, yeah, I um I love it. There's a camera store in Shinjuku called Kitamura that like I absolutely I I can go there every day. Yeah, like yeah, um and and and I'll buy something from there and Amanda's like just follow me around, like looking at look at watching me like look at all these cameras that I can't afford. They're like, Yeah, yeah, uh there's just something about it. There's a feeling about Japan.

SPEAKER_03 42:01

100%. That's what I was gonna say. Like, there's it I definitely had the moment, like yeah, generally the way that you fly there is you leave the morning from Brisbane and then you get there about six or seven o'clock. Like that's just usually the standard flight. And I remember when we got there the first time, um, we flew into Narita and then got the train into I don't know, wherever it might have been Ueno station or whatever it was, that and then you're getting out there to then get the subway out to where we were staying, and you're probably a little bit tired because you've just been traveling all day. But I'm I was legit standing there like frozen, like just the feeling of being there. You can see it all like you see it on the movies, like I remember Tokyo Drift, for example, like I remember seeing it there, and just to be there, like it's more than what I've you know, haven't been too many places, but you know, I've been to all the major cities in in America, for example. And even more than that, just standing there going, like it's insane that you're there, like it was just a weird feeling. And then to your point, that there's just a feeling when you're there, like it's just this excitement, but it's the comfortability, like it's it's just special that you can't describe that. And not everyone might experience it when they go there, but you you can't put a price or you can't put a word on what it feels when you're there, like even like trying to explain to someone that's never been there about the vending machines or the convenience store, right?

SPEAKER_00 43:15

Like I told a friend that lives in Sydney and I was like, Oh, if you go to Japan, man, like the convenience stores are ridiculous. And and he was like, We got like petrol stations here too, like we got like convenience stores here too. Yeah, and I was just like, yo, I I know, but like this, you know, like when you're in Japan, right? Like you have dinner, yeah, and you're pretty full, you'll still go to like a lawsuit and be like, yeah, let's let's get more, like, let's get something else. I I don't know what it is. Yeah, I don't know. Here in Australia, if I have dinner, I can't wait to get home. I'm full, I can't eat another thing. Like over there, it's just like, you know what, like I'll just get another ice cream. I'll in fact, I'll even get something that I didn't need to eat. Like, I'll get it doesn't even have to be a dessert. Like, I'll go and get like um, I'll get a drink, I'll get a beer, yeah, and I'm like, I don't need this. But like, I don't know. I've never I'm never full in Japan. I'm always satisfied.

SPEAKER_03 44:03

Yeah, but everything is so good that you're like, I just need to try more because I know that it's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_00 44:08

Yeah, exactly. Everything's good, like the the quality over there of everything is really good. Yeah, like to tell someone oh convenience store, you can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner there, and they're like, what the hell? No. And I'm like, yes, you can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner from a convenience store, and that day, if you had breakfast, lunch, and dinner there, you'd probably only spend about 30 bucks. 100%.

SPEAKER_03 44:26

Like that's the big thing. Like to your point, I I don't think it'll turn into barley just because it is it is still that little bit more expensive to fly, and you're probably still looking at on average at least a thousand bucks per person, sort of things, better with a jet star having a bad bags and whatever. But so I still I still think there'll be a certain crew of people that won't want to go because of that. But the when every time I speak to anyone about it, it's it's cheap once you're there. You don't actually need to do anything. You can just walk around and look at things, it doesn't cost money, like everything's cheap and good quality, like it's not shitty, like you know, potentially you get in Bali.

SPEAKER_01 44:59

Yeah, yeah, it's not the dollar markets, yeah. Yeah, it's not the bar to markets or anything.

SPEAKER_03 45:02

So it's like, yeah, you might be spending $2,000 plus on flights to go with your partner, but once you're there, you don't actually have to spend a lot of money. It doesn't have to be an expensive trip. You can get so much value out of it, and I think that probably is part of it that drags me there a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00 45:17

And I love it too that like you don't have to be like in the um like so um I'm getting married in in in two weeks, and I um our honeymoon is not till January. Yeah, so um we're getting married in June, and and we love winter in Japan, so that's why we're waiting, uh, and also we don't have any money to go on a honeymoon straight away. Yeah, yeah. So like we're waiting until January to to to go on our honeymoon. And um the one thing I love about especially Tokyo, is we're actually spending three weeks just in Tokyo. Yeah, we're gonna. So our honeymoon's gonna be about five weeks, five, six weeks. But we're we're staying, we've booked a place that's about an hour outside of Tokyo, like this um uh hotel. And I was like telling Amanda, oh, the best thing about Japan is, and and especially Tokyo, is that we can book a hotel one hour outside of Tokyo, um, like a train, one hour train, and we'll still see awesome things. But if you came to Australia, and let's say you wanted to go to like Movie World on the Gold Coast, right? It's not on the Gold Coast, yeah. And imagine you booked a hotel for a week in Pimperman, or like, you know, imagine you book and you're like, sweet, we're right near Movie World, we're right near this, this is gonna be awesome. And you're like, there's fuck all out here. I can't do anything else. Yeah, like we only yeah, it you don't get that in Japan, you know, like 100%. It's um you you want to go to Movie World, you have to stay in Surface Paradise, yeah, and then you've got to get a bus or a car to come out to Movie World. Yeah, like Yeah, it's a great point.

SPEAKER_03 46:52

They're their ability to plan things, I think, is probably a really good point there. Like everything just makes sense that you know, it probably doesn't in a lot of other places, it just makes it so much easier. Like we went to when we went out to Man Fuji and like obviously those little sort of villages in and around it. Like, that is something that I'd love to do. Is yeah, I could go to Tokyo every single time, like, and still be able to see more and do more. But I'd love to be able to go tour the countryside and go to these little small places that have got like it's I honestly my favorite place is probably Kyoto, yeah, just because it's got that little bit more traditional, yeah, and it's it's different to here. Whereas you know, Tokyo obviously is is every city here on steroids, but you know, it it makes sense to what you know about it, whereas like you go to Kyoto and it's just this smaller sort of or big village, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 47:39

Well, the buildings aren't like taller than 800.

SPEAKER_03 47:41

100%, but it's just so it's got all the history and it's beautiful and you feel relaxed or tranquil, like it's um yeah, just having that chance to go to some of those small other places is what I'd love to do as well.

SPEAKER_01 47:51

Are you guys going again next year?

SPEAKER_03 47:53

At this stage, no. We've got an America trip. Oh, nice America in South America um in August. Um, we were meant to go to Europe, but we've pivoted because of everything going on. So we're probably gonna go try and go to Europe that yeah later on next year. Um have you been to Korea? No, we were on the second trip. We were originally planning to add Korea to it, um, but we weren't probably going for long enough where it made sense to fly over there for a couple of days or whatever, but it's definitely on the list as well.

SPEAKER_00 48:22

I reckon Korea might be like I've noticed probably in the last two years a lot of people going to Japan um for their first time. Yeah, and I know that like when people go to Japan for their first time, they tend to like go again. Like, like you don't really go, I don't I cannot see anyone going to Japan and be like, all right, I'm never coming back again. Like, but I actually feel like um Seoul is going to be not the next Japan, but I think because it's close to Japan, it's very similar to Japan, yeah. I think it's gonna be the next like hot spot. Um we went twice two years ago in the one year, and um it is I believe Korea or Seoul is the best place for a girls' trip. Yeah, wow, okay. It's got all the uh cafes, yeah. Like if you think Japan's got cafes, yeah, so trust me, Seoul has got ten times more cafes. Yeah, wow. Like on the block wheel staying on an Airbnb, yeah. Like I I counted 11 cafes. Yeah, wow. And these weren't just like shitty ones, these were really aesthetically pleasing ones, like really nice ones you want to go into. Instagram friendly. Yeah, Instagram, like and then also they have photo booths everywhere. Yeah, like um the ones where like you know, they're in the arcades, like those type of photo booths. Yeah, yeah. But these ones were just like every single street had a photo booth. Yeah, wow. And uh also skincare. Yeah, yeah. There's a brand there called like Olive Young, which is like not in my alley, but my partner showed me it. And it is the McDonald's of skincare over there, it's everywhere. Every street, there's an Olive Young. It's like imagine every street here had a Terry White chemist. Yeah, that's what it's like. Yeah, right. And I just was telling him man, I was like, if you ever do a girl's trip, you should go to Korea. Like, that is girl trip central, like it's fun, it's shopping, cafes, like it's not hard to get around, it's very like Japan. Um, but the people over there are very I think Korea is what people think Japan is before they've gone to Japan.

SPEAKER_03 50:14

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 50:15

It's very westernized, yeah. So people like make eye contact with you, they um like I know cabbies over there, like they'll say no to you. Yeah, right, okay. Yeah, they'll be like, no, I'm not taking you.

SPEAKER_03 50:24

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:25

Over in Japan, like they they don't say yes, they just do it. Like they're just like, yep, yeah, I don't care if it's a two-minute drive, I'll take you. Yeah, yeah. Korea, if it's a two-minute drive, they're like, no, I'm not driving, you can walk that mate. Like, yeah, yeah, I love it. Yeah, so it's a it's a fun place, man. But yeah, I I'm still I hope I don't get over it, but I'm still obsessed with Japan, man. Like, I reckon it's one of the best places for everyone and anyone. It's not just like um Vegas, where it's like you go, you know why if you go to Vegas, you know what I mean? You know why you go to New Orleans or like you know, yeah, yeah, you're like no, I agree.

SPEAKER_03 50:56

Yeah, it's it's definitely got something for everyone, and like anytime anyone speaks to me about it or asks recommendations or whatever, like I'll just go on for hours talking about it. I could not recommend it more. And I'm not talking about somewhere that's this tiny, secluded place that no one knows about, but it's just yeah, it's just it's so good.

SPEAKER_00 51:12

Yeah, I I don't know, like I went um we went last November, just me and the boys, it was like for like a little bit of a box party. We went to Okinawa. Oh yeah, which is like the Hawaii. It's still my list, yeah. Yeah, and um um not to spoil it for anyone else, but it wasn't I thought it was gonna be the best place to take photos, and it wasn't my favorite place to take photos. Yeah, okay. I never took the photo that I was like, I can't wait to post this. Yeah, right. Um maybe it was where we were, where we were staying, maybe it was because there was eight of us boys. Yeah, yeah, you know. Um, cool thing is our Airbnb had a pickle pickleball court at our Airbnb. So basically maybe that's why we're playing pickleball the whole time all there. Instead of taking photos. Yeah, instead of taking photos, but I do want to go back just because the food is amazing over there. Um, it's very more relaxed. Yeah, it's is it more like what Hawaii would be like? Yeah, well the cat, you know, like the cabbies on mainland are like wearing suits. Yeah. There, they're wearing Hawaiian ships. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, there's more, there's a lot of Americans, yeah. Um, because of the military bases and stuff like that. Yeah, yeah. Like we went to um, have you been to like Coca-Curry? Like the curry, yeah. Um so we went to one in Okinawa, and the whole place was full. Every single table is full with Americans. Yeah, wow. Like, because they're all from the military, there must have been a base nearby. But I've never seen a coco curry full, even in Tokyo. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And this one was full, full of Americans talking loud, like it was kind of a nice change, like, because in Japan, right, most places are very quiet, like relaxed, like there's no no one's talking.

SPEAKER_02 52:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:48

Um, this one, like this these everyone was talking, and we were all like eight of us Aussie boys were there, like, so we were talking shit too. So like, yeah, it was kind of nice to like see that. Um, we had some of the best Hawaiian food over there, yeah. Yeah, um, but yeah, it is a very nice place. I would probably go in summer. We went in November, yeah. Okay, so it was like start of like winter kind of, but we still swam in the ocean. It was really nice, it wasn't hot, it wasn't cold, too bad. Probably really, really nice. But yeah um I would say if you were going to Okinawa, I would stay in a resort. Yeah. Because there is resorts all on the coastline there. So if you go there, stay at a resort because um it's a driving place too. There's no trains or anything. You gotta drive from like if you want to go anywhere, you have to drive. Get a cab, you have to hire a car. Um, I definitely will go back to Okinawa. Um, but it wasn't like my favorite place to take photos. Yeah, okay. Yeah, it wasn't like wasn't like um I mean maybe we went to the wrong places, but I I honestly didn't capture anything that I was frothing to place or anything or like show anyone. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, made a few YouTube videos about it, but um, yeah, it was cool. It was a really, really cool place. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:54

Well, that was a really good tangent, honestly, away from the photography stuff and a lot more in the travel, which is good. There was one more thing I wanted to ask her. Um, and it's probably something that I've thought a lot about. Like um, my wife Grace does social media um personally and in her career. So she's very much a taking photos person when we're on holidays, and it's probably something that I've probably wrestled with on because I'm not someone who takes photos necessarily, like the last 20 photos on my phone are probably from the last 18 months, for example. So I probably more lean towards that. I want to be able to see it and live in the moment of it. And one thing I wanted to ask you, was interested in is like, how do you go when you travel in in balancing that? Like, is it something where you feel like I need to get photos of this for my work, I need to get photos of this because I want to? How do you sort of stay present in in that of you know maybe you are the type of person that wants to be able to get photos and be able to look back on them and remember them as well because of what you do? But how do you sort of I guess navigate that when you when you travel and balancing the work and the personal of it all?

SPEAKER_00 54:54

Yeah, I think um even with like anything in life, I think do what you initially think that you want to do. Yeah. Um, and what I mean by that is so when we went for that long period of time, the first time when they first opened the borders up, uh, we went for like that two-month period. I literally brought every single camera I owned. I brought I brought uh two digital cameras, I brought a film camera, I brought like six lenses, I um brought a vlogging camera, um, I bought a special lens just to vlog with this lens. Um I even brought my audio stuff because I thought I was gonna record like sounds, yeah. Um like the streets and all that stuff, blah blah blah. Yeah. I like brought everything and I was carrying around every day. I had a backpack that was bigger than my head, like bigger than my back, like literally the biggest backpack. It was crazy. I would never even carry this around in a wedding. Yeah, like but I was like going to Japan, I've got to capture it. Take advantage of the opportunity, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And I made like honestly, I made like 26 episodes on YouTube about that, about that trip. And um, I loved every moment of it, I loved doing it, but I used only one camera the whole time, I used about three lenses the whole time. I didn't I didn't use even like 30% of the stuff I brought, like it was crazy. Like, and it didn't ruin the trip, but I just was like, next time I come here, I'm not bringing all this crap, yeah. Like I'm not bringing all this stuff that I thought, like, but for me to get to that moment where the next time we went, I didn't bring too many things. Is I had to go the first time and bring all the stuff. Yeah, yeah. Like I think you learn from like um what you like doing, what you don't like doing. Same with weddings. Like, I started off shooting weddings one way, now to this now, like I don't shoot weddings like I used to. Like, I'm I'm very different because you learn, you learn like what you like, what you don't like, how much stuff to bring, how much what's what's the best thing to bring, um, what's don't even think about bringing this one thing because you know it's useless, you know, like stuff like that. So but when we go traveling now, like um, I take maybe one camera, I take about two lenses, um, I bring a vlogging camera now, and I don't bring the audio stuff, I don't do any of that stuff, like I keep it very simple. Um, and like we went to uh like I like I was saying before, we went to Japan in November with the boys, but earlier that year in February uh last year, we went with Amanda's parents. So it was just me, Amanda, and her mom and dad, and it was their first time in Japan, and I brought one camera, like that was it. That's all I brought was one camera, and oh I brought the vlogging camera as well, like this Osmo Pocket. Yeah, yeah. So I brought that, but I literally just brought one camera and one lens, and that's all I used the whole trip. And I wanted to be present like with Amanda's parents, but like they don't they know who I am, yeah. So there's some days where I was like, I'm gonna go like take some photos for about an hour, like I'll meet up with you guys. Um, and then there was some days where I didn't bring the camera at all, I just used my iPhone if I wanted to take some photos. Um, yeah, so I think the it's who you're with can really help your experience with photos or taking photos while you're traveling. Yeah, um, because some people, if you go traveling with someone that doesn't take photos and doesn't know anything about photography, um then you kind of feel um responsible for like you're like walking around and go, Hey, I'm gonna take photos of this, and they're just waiting for you, and you're like, I don't want them to wait for me. Like, I don't want to be responsible for them like missing out on something because I see something that I I like.

SPEAKER_02 58:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 58:33

Um, or like I don't want people to come with us and I'm like, hey, let's go to this place because I want to take photos there, and they're like, We we don't want to go there, or you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 58:41

Like conscious of not, I guess, inconveniencing.

SPEAKER_00 58:44

Yeah, yeah, I don't want to inconvenience other people, but also we do live in a day and age too now that everyone is taking photos, everyone's on their iPhone, everyone's creating content, whether it's for themselves, whether it's for family, whether it's for a job. Like, they're always like the other day I did a job for uh this big uh book company, um, and they had a content person there. Like, that's all they did, you know. So, like it's in everyday life, so I don't think yeah um people are angry about it anymore, you know. Like even like five, ten, five, ten years ago, if you brought a camera out, people would look at you now. Like you have a camera out, no one really looks twice anymore, no one cares, you know. Like exactly right, yeah. So um, but yeah, that trip when we went to Japan was quite good with Amanda's parents, they were chill. Like, I wasn't worried. I honestly I was just taking photos wherever they wanted to go to. I wasn't like telling them let's go over here like because I want to take photos. Yeah, like they went to places where I would never ever go to, and I was like taking photos of it. Like um, even when we went down to Hiroshima, we went to the museum there. I don't have you ever been to that. No, I haven't, no. Um, dude, one of the best museums, it's eerie, yeah. Um, it's it's a sad story, but um, it's one of the best museums I've been I've ever been to, and I'm not a museum guy, yeah. And like the whole time I was engaged, I was like looking at everything, reading stuff, like like learning about all this stuff, and I never would have I've been to Hiroshima before, but I would never have gone to the museum if it wasn't for a man and dad who wanted to like look at it, you know. Yeah, and I was happy with like taking photos and and stuff like that too. So I've been so many times to Japan too, like I don't really care what I take photos of anymore. I've taken like my the best photos already, I guess, or like the places I've really w wanted to go to already, you know. Like um, yeah, I think we live in a world now where it doesn't really matter who you're with, like they should they should be happy with if you want to take iPhone photos, if you want to take photos with a pro like a professional camera, yeah, or anything like that. I think everyone's pretty used to it now.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:43

And I think it's probably a situation where everyone around you knows that you're passionate about it too, and you do it because you enjoy it, not just because it's your job. Yeah, yeah. So I think that probably makes it easier.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:52

Yeah, yeah. Well, yeah, when I was telling them, I was like, oh, I've got like um I'm gonna make a couple YouTube chat videos and stuff like that. They understand, you know, like but I put the camera away when like you know, like I just have the camera on my hip.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:04

Yeah, like it's not like it's not like it's all you're always on.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:07

Yeah, I'm not always on it, you know. Like it's not like I think there's a big difference with taking photos and like someone just sits on the phone scrolling. Yeah, for sure. You know, like yeah, so like um yeah, they they understand. And they I see them, they're you know, they're like over their 50s and like they're taking photos on their iPhone. It's not like I'm not looking at them like, I'm on, yeah, you know, you're ruining my lunch, like you know what I mean? Like exactly right. Yeah, like it's it's it's pretty normal now, man. Like, um, and they and they understand too, like this is this is what I do for work, um, and stuff like that. They never once said anything to me. Like, if they wanted to go eat lunch somewhere, I was like, let's go, I'll put the camera away, let's I'll figure out where we can go, yeah, have lunch and stuff like that. And it was kind of nice like going to Japan and being with people that have never been before. Yeah, yeah. It was like kind of like getting to see like I would love to go to Japan again for the first time ever. Yeah, you know what I mean? And just have that feeling again, like and stuff like that. Yeah, definitely, definitely. No, it's cool, man. It's a good place.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:02

Cool, alrighty. Well, I've got uh three questions that I finish off on. So I do this every episode. Um, I didn't tell you what they were, but they are pretty relaxed. Same three questions every episode. Um just a nice chance to sort of relax to finish off the episode. So uh the first one is um, outside of potentially things that you've mentioned, what makes you happy?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:22

What makes me happy? I know um like being around my friends and and and stuff like that and and my family, like um, especially Amanda's family. I I um I love being around them. They're they're really um they're really nice to be around, like it's like proper conversations and um I like just being at home with Amanda, just relaxing. Uh just because we have like quite a hectic schedule with weddings and stuff like that. So like being at home is quite important um uh for me and just just hanging yeah, just being able to like hang out with Amanda, go like traveling together for as long as we want to or wherever we want to is is really nice. But yeah, talking to talking to my friends and family, hanging out with the boys and stuff like that's pretty important for me, like making sure that like I don't lose the connection with them, yeah. Because we all have busy lives now, man. Like people getting married, people having kids, you know, like and it's hard too, like when people have kids, it's hard to hang out with people that don't have kids.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:29

Yeah, automatically creates that distance as well.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:32

Yeah, like they want to be around other mums so they can, you know, like it's it's normal, and you know, yeah, like they're they can relate to each other, yeah. You know, like one of my mates just had a kid, like and we we can still relate, but like it's a bit different to like he's he's probably like oh, I want to hang out with someone else that has a kid too, because like then we can talk about like that type of stuff, yeah. For sure. Me, I'm like, yeah, well, I'm gonna play Fortnite this week, you know. Like I'm playing Fortnite, I'm gonna watch NBA, you know, I'm gonna watch the Broncos on Friday night, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:58

Exactly right, yeah. Second one is what's the best advice you've ever received?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:06

Best advice. Um, I remember one time my dad said to me, um, we're not really religious, but he just said it in these words. He was like, God does not help those who do not help themselves. Yeah, and um, and I'm an only child, so um I really hate when people know that I'm an only child and automatically be like, Oh, you must have been spoiled, or yeah, you must have got whatever you wanted, or you know, and it wasn't the case when I was growing up. I mean, when it was my birthday, I if I asked for a PlayStation, I got it, I get it. If Christmas, if I wanted this toy, I got it. Like my parents, like when you have three kids, like I can understand that you can't just give your kid what they want. But I can understand my parents being able to buy me something for my birthday, but I wasn't getting something because it was Tuesday, yeah. Yeah, you know, like it was just for my birthday and Christmas, like so um when he told me that I would have been maybe like 16 or 17, and I really was like, even to this day, I I like I asked for some help from people, but like I think it's when people annoy me when they like ask for the same help over and over again, and like I'm like, oh I helped you the first or second time, yeah. You know, like um yeah, it's like even one of my friends who was teaching me how to make YouTube videos, he helped me for the first two videos, and the third one, I was like, I was like waiting for him to help me, yeah. And he's like, No, no, you can do this now, yeah. And like, and I I always think about that, like, yeah, of course, like yeah, why would you know if I can't do this, then I'm not really helping myself, yeah. Yeah, for the long run. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:44

Cool, like it. Last one a little bit more relaxed than the first two, but uh, what would your death row meal be?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:50

So the last meal on earth. Is it a um like I've had this conversation before, though I've had this and if it's If it's how I want it, it's literally going to be soft tacos. Yeah, wow, okay. Like just I'll have my record is nine. Yeah, I've had nine tacos. Like that's my record. Yeah. And I froth. Oh man, like dude, even when we go overseas, like we went in Korea, we went to this one restaurant, and it was a taco restaurant in Korea, Mexican restaurant. Bro, we went there like three times in the in the week. We were there because it was like the best. I was froth and I was like, I love, I don't know if I love Mexican food. Yeah. I just love tacos or burritos. Like I love like Yeah, gotcha. Yeah, and uh even in Tokyo, in in Kyoto too, man. We went, we found I've don't worry, I've got a list on my phone of like Mexican restaurants.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:42

This is what I love, it brings out this in people.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:44

Yeah, yeah, like um, yeah, if that was that was that would be my death rows, like yeah, tacos. Uh I don't need anything else. Like, I don't need like fries, I don't need like corn chips, it's just tacos, yeah, the mints, salsa, the whole thing. Like, that's that's my that's my goal.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:59

The reason I like this question too is because like you mentioned that the amount is your record. Like it's a death row meal, so it doesn't it you don't have to be restricted on anything, you don't have to worry about how it's gonna make you feel the next day or the last thing, so you can go to the next one.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:11

Dude, I don't know if I want to like if I want to dive with like full of stomach, like dude. I after like after any meal, sometimes I'm just like man, I'm I can't move. Like, yeah, I don't know, like, but yeah, tacos, yeah. I love it. Um, yeah, tacos. Can I ask you a question? Yeah, shoot. What's your most overrated food? Like, what do you think? Like, when I say overrated, not taste, because I think taste is a bit different. I'm thinking, like, what food do you think is overrated? Like too much hype.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:44

Oh, that's hard because I eat a lot of different things.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:48

Um can I give you like an example? Yeah, but this is not mine, but this is what I've heard. Yeah, someone said ramen is overrated.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:57

You see, this is the thing, like Grace absolutely froths it, and I love it too, but I'm not a big soup guy, like I'm not a big liquid guy.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:06

Um, like yeah, I need my ramen like a thick, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:10

Like, so I love it and when I have it, it's always good, right? Like, even here it's great. And obviously in Japan it was amazing. So that's probably I would maybe put that on there. I would say maybe pasta is probably the answer that I would give. Over added. Yeah, yeah. Like I I don't eat spaghetti bolognese. Like, I don't ever since I was a kid, like I just don't love traumatized or something. Yeah, well, it's just you always have it a lot when you're a kid, I feel like. But um, I just don't like the combination of the tomato sauce with the mince just doesn't I just can't do it. Like, I I can eat it, but I don't want to eat it. Okay. Um, so like probably comes from that. Like, I eat pasta, but like people frost pasta. Like, if I'm going to an Italian place, I'm always getting pizza. Like, I will never go for a pasta. So maybe that's my answer.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:54

You're gonna hate my answer though, right? My overrated food is gourmet pizza. Yeah, okay. The only reason why is it tastes good. Don't get me wrong, like I've had gourmet pizza where it tastes good. I just hate that what I pay for is more than what I pay at Domino's, and the topping falls off.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:12

Yes, yeah. See, this is I can agree with this. Um, like I don't I don't love having to eat it with a knife and fork because I can't pick it up. Yeah, whereas like to your point with dominoes, like it's easy. Yeah, the base is probably not as good quality, but it's always pick it up with two fingers, you know. Like, yeah, and probably like I love like prosciutto and birata. Like I love prosciutto and birata on a pizza, fantastic. But more as time gone on, like each time I get it, I probably do get a little bit like that where I go, this is a bit annoying.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:39

Yeah, and it's a thin, it's a thin pizza, it's never like a big thicky from thought.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:43

Growing up, I used to always get D-Pan from so that was like a big adjustment too. Like, um, but yeah, I had one the other day just from like a normal takeaway pizza joint down the road, and it was crispy on the like thin but crispy, and it was like had it that consistency and that integrity, and even then I was like, oh, this is pretty good. Like, yeah, so I mean I can agree with that. Like, I I love flavour of it, like I you know, I'm okay to pay 35 bucks for a pizza because it's good quality and that sort of stuff, but yeah, the the fact that I can't pick it up does.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:12

I don't know if your um your if Grace is gonna like not like this. Uh I know Amanda doesn't, but like I heard someone say like they they reckon Marches are eroded. Do you have it? Do you ever I don't. Um I have a sip of it, but I have a sip.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:31

Yeah, I always try it whenever Grace has it. She absolutely frots it.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:34

Even in Japan, I've never had one where I'm like the sweet ones are I can go to the sweet ones because it's so. But then I'm like, but isn't that defeat the questions a little bit?

SPEAKER_03 1:10:42

Like we did go to a matcha making class this most recent trip. Uji? Yeah. In Uji? Yeah, well, no, we went to Uji as well, but this one was in um just in Tokyo. So we had a chance. We did a Marcha Making class too. Yeah. Um, so that was probably a bit different because I don't know, you probably get a bit of a different sensation when you're making yourself a little bit fresher or whatever. But no, I'm never having it and going, oh, this is the best thing I've ever had in my life. Um I've never hated it though. I've never been like this is a good thing. No, no, I'm not carrying out like what other people do where they go, oh, it tastes like grass. Like it's bitter a lot of the time, especially if it doesn't have you know the added flavourings in it or whatever. But um, yeah, I don't like I wouldn't I would never choose to go buy it myself. Like I always have a coffee over the top of it, but yeah, I have had some where I'm like, oh, that flavour combination is good, like mango.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:26

Yeah, I get it, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:27

But um, yeah, no, she absolutely loves that too.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:30

Yeah, yeah, Amanda, like yeah. When I went last night, she was like, buy this, buy this, buy this brand, yeah, yeah, all this stuff. And I'm like, oh okay, you know, like and every time we go out for a coffee, she gets a mastra. So like, yeah, yeah, I get it. Like, I've never had a bad one, but I like I know like a lot of people, like you said, they just like oh it tastes like grass. Like, but you want me to get your mastra, I'll just get some, I'll get the lawnmower out. Like, I'll get you.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:51

No, I'm not carrying on, it's definitely not that bad, but it's um, yeah, probably not as enjoyable to me anyway that people make it out to be. But um, yeah, I mean when you do go to Japan and you hear about it, and you sort of, you know, when we went to the classes, talk talk about how it's like this relaxing ceremony thing, and it's like, you know, when you have people over, you'll give it to them. Like that all makes a lot more sense to me, I think. And you can understand why people enjoy it because of stuff like that as well, yeah. Um as opposed to just being like, oh, this is just a drink that you have.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:19

But yeah, there must be a lot of like it looks good too. Like it looks like an it's like there's something about it too. I get like why people answer it, like yeah, and there's so many different styles you can make out of macho, I guess. So like coffee's just coffee, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:12:31

Like, I think it's gonna be better for plump some people, exactly right. Yeah, I get it from that perspective.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:36

But cool, awesome. Hopefully, uh I um answered your questions.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:41

No, that's good. It's good. I think it's um, yeah, I just wanted to have something at the end of each episode that you know could be unique to every person, and it's it's a nice way to sort of have just a general, relaxed chat about some things too. And yeah, um, yeah, I like the idea of the being able to be reflective a little bit. It's kind of the point of the podcast, but reflect on sort of stopping what makes you happy and um you know, some good advice and that sort of stuff as well, which I think is cool. So um, but yeah, thank you so much for doing this. No worries, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:08

Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:09

Now, over an hour chat, I think it's um oh dude, I reckon if we kept talking about Japan, this would be like a whole episode next time we can just do a Japan episode. Exactly right, exactly right. Yeah, like a tourism advice episode. Yeah, that'll be awesome. I love it. Awesome. Thank you, brother. I appreciate it, man. Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:26

No worries at all, thank you.