Today’s guest is an internationally acclaimed wedding and fashion photographer. A graduate from the Gallatin school at NYU, she is the Winner of Rangefinder Magazine’s Grand Prize in Wedding Photography and photographer of the 2017 The Knot Dream Wedding. She has been featured in over 50 publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides Magazine, The Knot, People Magazine, Grace Ormonde, and more. Her passion for education lies in helping people create stronger photographs by changing the way people see imagery at its core. So welcome to the podcast, Rebecca Yale!
WHAT YOU WILL HEAR ON THIS PODCAST:
- The importance of getting feedback in wedding photography workshops
- The process of course creation
- Mistakes on her personal journey
- Common mistakes in the industry
The importance of getting feedback in wedding photography workshops
One thing Rebecca had noticed was that photography workshop attendees would often leave a workshop without any understanding of how to replicate what had been taught. They would shoot the same pretty images during the course, though nothing was being truly absorbed. There is a feedback loop between learning and producing that’s missing in the field of shooting weddings, and it can be effectively achieved through portfolio reviews. By emphasizing reviews and critiques, Rebecca saw the opportunity to change the way people think about how they shoot and create lessons that last far longer than the actual classes.
The process of course creation
Rebecca created her first course More Than Pretty Tones to teach others about creating stronger and more dynamic images. The in-person course became popular after advertising on Facebook and Instagram—so popular that people were contacting her who were interested in the class but couldn’t attend in person. After seeing the need for putting the course online, Rebecca wrote and recorded a script to go with her slides and began offering the e-course.
Rebecca’s second course is Flat Lay Styling Course. With the feedback loop in mind, she wanted to emphasize the portfolio review as part of the workshop. Detail styling allows her to close the feedback loop in an inexpensive and small scale way. She found this course was getting the same positive feedback and demand for an online option, so Rebecca offers an e-course as well.
Mistakes on her personal journey
The biggest mistake Rebecca made early on was arrogance. Early successes and awards in school gave her a strong sense of confidence, though she wasn’t taking in critiques in a constructive way. A harsh portfolio review with National Geographic led her to reevaluate the merit of other people’s opinions. After the initial shock of the critique, she reached out to her reviewer and asked her how she can improve, and the reviewer ended up becoming a valuable mentor for years to come. Rebecca learned the importance in the balance of being confident in your work and being humble enough to know you have more to learn.
Common mistakes in the industry
A common mistake in the wedding photography industry is an emphasis placed on on creating pretty images over creating meaningful images. Images should be used to further a story, to establish a color story or a narrative, and to add to story– not to change it. One example is including gardening sheers in a ballroom setting for the sole purpose of making the image pretty and interesting. These kind of details are inauthentic and go against the purpose of the important part of photography: documenting memories. Keep styling props thoughtful and in line with the wedding day, and balance the styled details with photos of authentic emotional moments.
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