CA Workshop
The Crew
Rachel Veltri
Home: Colorado, USA
Gear: Canon Mark IV, Fujifilm X-T2, 70-200mm, 16-35mm, 35mm, 85mm, 50mm, GoPro Hero7.
Experience: I got my first DSLR as a gift the day I graduated college in 2014. I honestly feel like I’ve been taking photos my whole life. But professionally, this is my 4th year. I am a wedding photographer based in Denver, but am getting burnt out in the creative realm of the industry. I want to keep nurturing the creative fire that burns inside of me to make awesome shit. On a personal level that somehow seeps into my business passions.
I also took a 16 week program when I first started out at the Denver School of Photography to master my equipment + learn all I could about other aspects of photography. I’ve been to a few badass workshops too that have really helped the growth of my business.
Best Work: This is a gallery from the last workshop I attended. I am proud of these images because I poured my heart + soul into this three day workshop. I had never seen the ocean before this day. I cried when I saw the Redwood forest for the first time. It was an experience I’ll never forget + somehow I managed to take the best photos [in my heart + mind] that I’ve ever taken. I also got to work alongside some legends in the wedding photography community + that blew my freaking mind. I learned so much.
https://rachelveltriphotography.pixieset.com/g/unravel/
Greatest Strength: My ability to connect to my people. I stay true to my brand. Which is just my quirky, redheaded, weird self. I would also say another strength is where I’ve curated my photos to look aesthetically pleasing on Instagram.
Improvement Points: I want to improve on my storytelling. I want to also learn how to mix my world of photos with videos. I am not asking to have you guys teach me all you wizardry ways, but even just knowing how to apply the basics of video into how I tell stories for my clients with photos.
Technically, I’d like to learn more on how to optimize my SEO presences on the internet if you guys have any wisdom you can shed in that realm. I use Sqaurespace now to run my website, but have made the switch to FloThemes + am working relentlessly to launch my new website hopefully by March.
Inspiration: My kids Dell + Audrey, Ansel Adams, in the wedding photography world: Laurken Kendall, Chuy Jesus Rodriguez, Phil Chester, in your jumping-outta-planes-wild-style world: Rory Kramer, Kyler Holland
Learns by: Mostly step-by-step instruction, but I also like being challenged + constructively critiqued.
Struggles: The pace in which I’m growing. I have just this year hired a team of people to start running the backend of my “stuff” but it’s still like the checklists are never ending. I want to know how to manage all of this. But right now I don’t even have a blog on my website because in my head I can’t justify the time to keep up with it all. I have 2 kids, one 5yr old + a 3yr old, so life is a whirlwind most days. If I could just learn how to manage my success at the pace it’s going, while still living a healthy life… Idk does this exist?!
Manuel Carillo
Home: Venezuela and Hollywood
Gear: Sony Alpha a6000 with 16-50mm & 35mm lenses
Experience: 1 year
Best Work: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqbWa-aAoZM/
Greatest Strength: I love and really enjoy ALL phases of the creation process. From prepping, to shooting/creating and finally editing. I'm also proficient in multiple programs (mainly Photoshop, Lightroom & Final Cut Pro) allowing me to create both images & video.
Improvement Points: Confidence in my talent and the use of my gear, a more defined style & the steps to make this a full-time career with income.
Inspirations: @samkolder @asenseofhuber @mikevisuals @nolanomura @tommylundberg
Learns By: Step-by-step instructions at first, but then being challenged and critiqued works well for me.
Struggles: Lack of confidence in my work/style, fear of not making a decent income, landing my first client.
OSKAR EHRENSVARD
Home: California, Sweden
Gear: DJI magic Pro drone, Panasonic GH5, Canon T6i, 100mm macro, a sigma 17-50mm lens, and a 50mm prime lens, GoPro hero5, DJI mobile Osmo 2, rode mic for DSLR camera, gorilla pod.
Experience: I got a disposable camera from my grandmother as a Christmas present when I was eight (24 now) about four years ago I started with film.
Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVFCl8vhXUc&t=116s
Greatest Strength: When I put my mind to something, I become unstoppable. I love documenting when I'm facing a fear/struggle of mine and sharing it with other people.
Improvement Points: It would either be editing or cinematography. I feel pretty confident with the storytelling, but that's also something that I want to get better at.
Inspirations: Rory Kramer. Fun fact I actually sent him a message the other day on IG first congratulating him for his massive success and his style of filmmaking. Then I thanked him for his message that he's trying to share with the world. Living life to the fullest, being optimistic about life, facing your fears and to RUN IT. When he replied, I got starstruck, but it also reinforced the idea that anything is possible and that if you don't ask you won't know.
Learns By: Trial and error. I'm a very practical person, so I learn best by doing. If I don't do a good job, I want to hear how I can improve because that's going to help me grow and push me to get better.
Struggles: I'm currently both studying advertising (focusing on art direction) while also working part-time as an art director. Although I'm having a blast with both my job and education, I realized what my dream job is a few weeks ago "To inspire and work with other people to overcome their mental hurdles." I'm obsessed with the mindset.
Having minor cerebral palsy has taught me to look forward and to focus on the present and be optimistic about the future. Yes, I may have some limitations in my body but not in my mind.
The other day I signed up for 10k run happening May 5th and although I don't like to run I am convinced that I'm going to succeed. This run is scary, but I know it's something I have to do in order to grow as a person.
Inspiring and helping others gives me a feeling that is so fulfilling. It gives me a sense of purpose and makes me feel so alive. I've seen many people sabotaging their own lives once they're in a negative spiral, it can go really go downhill. I've been there and I know how it feels. But now I'm not there anymore and I feel that my gift is the ability to inspire others to shift their energy and focus on all positive things happening in their lives. We find it easy to focus on what we do not have and difficult to see everything we have. I'm a firm believer that your thoughts dictate your life. Ever since I started adopting 'law of attraction' to my life magical things has been happening almost every day so I don't plan to quit anytime soon. Creating my Instagram account was a step was towards this goal.
Robbie Hernandez
Home: Arizona, USA
Gear: Sony Alpha a7sii with a sony 24-70 lens, a DJI Mavic Air, and a GoPro hero 7, macbook pro in Final Cut Pro X.
Experience: 1 year
Work: https://vimeo.com/312313095
Greatest Strength:I think my greatest strength in content creation is always wanting to learn new techniques in both camera operation and post production. I hate feeling like I'm taking the same shots over and over, or using the same types of transitions, and I always am trying to learn new ways to make my videos stand out for my clients. so to put it short, I'm hungry to learn.
Improvement Points: I want to improve my skills behind the camera, and also my post production workflow. I didn't go to school or take classes on anything videography, so I feel like I still have SO much to learn about cameras and final cut pro. In post, specifically, I'd like to improve my workflow, learn new things about final cut, and possibly learn how to make my own transitions or effects. In camera, I'd like to learn a lot about in camera transitions you can do to diversify the videos and make them interesting, I'd like to learn a little about how you guys create a story before you even shoot, and the best techniques for shooting. honestly if I can come out of the workshop knowing at least a couple of these things I'd be stoked haha. Also I'd like to get some tips on how to start moving into shooting with brands and other types of clients.
Inspirations: I get a lot of inspiration from a lot of different places. In the wedding industry, there are a few people that I look up to for inspiration - @thebrothersmartens, @chrisandruth, @wildlightfilms just to name a couple. but my style is a little different and I get inspo from a lot of other people like Sam Potter (@captainpotter), Nainoa Langer (@nainolanger), Jackson Averett (@jacksonaverett), and a lot more
Learns By: I learn best with a mixture of all of those I think. I like to see people perform whatever task it is, just so I know what I'm trying to do, and then I love to give it a shot and then receive more instruction/critiquing. I'm always down to try new things.
Struggles: So right now, my wife (@oliviamarkle) and I market ourselves as a photo/video team for weddings. and its pretty sweet. I really like it. but I also want to explore a lot of other creative outlets with video and I know that I can make even more money by adding new skills and types of video to my repertoire. My wife has been doing photography for a long time and is KILLING the wedding industry and we make great money, especially now that we added video to the package. I love that but I also really want to get into brands/travel/promo and whatever other kinds of stuff possible. but i have yet to do anything like that so I'd love to learn how to get my foot in the door.
Paul Shaw
Home: Florida, USA
Gear: 1Dxmkii, 24-70, 70-200 and probably a prime 50 by the time of the workshop) as well as a phantom 4, Ronin M and 3-4 GoPros.
Experience: 5 years.
Work: https://www.facebook.com/CampWiggi/videos/654045458127481/
Greatest Strength: I'm not afraid to take risks for my personal wellbeing(unless snakes are involved). I really like sitting down and planning everything out so people know what to expect and what we'll try and get in the time we are given.
Improvement Points: Overall improve my style and technique and learn to let my creativity flow better and more open.
Inspirations: Jay Alverez, Riley Harper(lifeof_riley), Jon Olson, Justin Escalona, Taunvisser, Sam Evans, Peter Mckinnon, Alex Hayes, Rory Kramer
Learns By: I'm more of a learn as we go type of person with the very basics explained in a classroom dynamics but then everything is shown and then tweaked and critiqued in real time. So like a mix of the three different ways that you learned. But I honestly think that I learn best when you throw me in. Learned how to swim that way so I feel like I've embraced that learning style.
Struggles: I don't know how to start which is ironic because I'm interning at a talent/management agency. I think its I don't know how to reach out to brands myself that fit in with the content that I make and that I struggle to find people to be creative with as those I used to shoot with on a consistent basis are all still on the East Coast in NYC. I don't know how to reach out to brands that I want to work with or brands that would like the type of content that I enjoy making. So I'd say it's getting the basis of content to develop a portfolio that I feel proud of to show to brands so that they want to work with me. I lack knowing people in LA that are super creative (Ironic I know) or that fit my style of shooting and or have the balls to sneak into places after they close or just explore with no set plan. ( I'm in grad school so everyone is super academic and like to plan this, plan that, and then there's me whose like yeah last minute planning!!! IE they write 10-12 pages and I write 2-3 and want to talk about it). So honestly I think this workshop will be worth it with just the networking and meeting more creative people.