Weddings In India

Arjun Kartha views his success as a photographer pursuing weddings in India to more than being at the right place and at the right time. While his journey began as an engineer, he then pivoted into advertising and marketing. It was there that he saw first hand how photographers worked; how they dealt with clients and presented their work.

Arjun and his wife Praerna are wedding photographers based in Delhi, India.

Arjun will be speaking at SILK INSPIRE, India's premier wedding photography festival, from October 6th through October 10th, in Goa, India. While he hasn't nailed down his topic, he promises to share his experiences as a wedding photographer from the Indian context.

What's important, for Arjun, is that Indian wedding photographers adapt the information they glean from speakers or teachers, either at the wedding festival or through online courses, to their own situation in India.

The Interview

Register To Attend SILK INSPIRE

Want to find out more about their approach to weddings in India? Register and come to SILK INSPIRE, in October of this year.

Finally, who else is speaking at SILK INSPIRE 2017? Here's who: Andrea Corsi, Jen Huang, Jeff Newsom, Sergey Ivanov, Juya Gentil, Zack Arias, Brian Callaway, Sephi Bergerson and me!

Success Comes With Work

Listen folks, Arjun Kartha Photography on Facebook has nearly 200,000 likes! How did Arjun and Praerna do it? Seems like their solid work ethic, being the founder of the Wedding Photographers Association of India, knowledge of SEO and an engaging and inquisitive personality all played a part in their success.

For more about Arjun, be sure to visit the SILK INSPIRE blog as well.

The following words are by Xavier Vega, an alumnus of Avon Old Farms School, an all-boys college preparatory school in Avon, Connecticut. He delivered them on May 19th, at the opening and dedication of Ordway Gallery on that school's campus:

It is always the path of the artist to have to create his or her own. Never is an artist given anything in this world but their talent – rarely do any of us truly possess it naturally. In a world where hard work is equated to physical labor, artists live in a perpetual limbo of social acceptance. When one decides that one will draw, sing, dance, paint, sculpt, or pursue any other vein of art, they are immediately undercut by the social pressures that so consume their peers.

“Oh, you’re going to school for graphic design? … That’s great! … So are you going to minor in business.”

“You’re an artist. So what is it you REALLY do, you know? Like what’s your job-job?”

It is always the path of the artist to have to create his or her own. I hate to burst any bubbles, but Avon Old Farms School is no different. And this is no fault of the administration or the educational staff, but the blame lies instead in our culture. It lies on the way we treat young men in society. To many, our life should culminate in some hyper-masculine expression of what is thought to be a success: work on a railroad, go to Wall Street, join the military, and the list goes on.

Let me assure you that I do not seek to discredit how valuable physical labor is – physical laborers and corporate workers are the very backbones of this country. Nonetheless, not every man is fated to pursue such a path. Once again, not every man is fated to pursue such a path. For those of us who refuse to do so, we often turn to art, and this will breach the very subject of why I make this speech. For young men like myself or the incredibly talented Graham Deckers, the jungle of success has an artery to its core cut with a machete of deeply-felt emotion, hours and hours of time, and most importantly, inward faith. We must believe in ourselves 101% because our peers often do not do so.

As a young Puerto Rican man from a very humble background, I realize that paramount to my success was my ability to believe in myself when nobody but my amazing family did. For them to even take the risk of believing in me is a huge cultural and social step in a positive direction, and I’m eternally grateful. When your son is the art kid, I imagine it can be terrifying – Who makes a living off of painting? How do you make a living off of painting? All questions reasonably created by our social climate, and that are no more than a reflection of our attitude towards artists.

So then, if you take anything away from this talk: support artists. Be a patron, buy that painting, because what most artists need is simply that – support. Never tell a young man that art is out of his grasp. Condition the young people around you in such a way that they appreciate the arts, understand how difficult they are, or even feel comfortable enough to pursue them. The change starts with the people in this crowd, who I know are intelligent enough to help destroy the wall that keeps boys from pursuing art. You and only you can assist in cutting a path for the next young man who decides to pursue a career or have a passion for art.

I want to thank Mrs. Pinton for being the catalyst to my career as an artist and for accepting this original work in such a space. I also want to thank my parents for being my biggest supporters, and want to thank my little sister, Brianna Vega, for reminding me that there is always tomorrow, and that balance is the key to success in all that you do. Thank you for your time and please enjoy the show.

*Please note that while Xavier's emphasis is on young men, be assured that his message is equally applicable to young women who are interested in pursuing a life in the arts.

Chris Knight is a photographer based in New York City. We sat down to talk about his upcoming book, The Dramatic Portrait.

He combines his unconditional love of art history with his conditional love of technology, topping it off with a flare for the cinematic and an uncompromising eye for detail.

Chris also has a full blown workshop via RGGEDU.com called Dramatic Portraiture & Lighting With Chris Knight.

Use the code: TIFFINBOX (to get 15% off for a very limited time)

The Interview

The questions I asked Chris:

1) I love reading biographies on photographer's websites and yours stands out a bit.

Speaking of yourself you say: “He combines his unconditional love of art history with his conditional love of technology, topping it off with a flare for the cinematic and an uncompromising eye for detail.”

Where did you acquire that kind of discipline?

2) Your photographs remind me of paintings that one would see in a museum. Is that your end goal?

3) Why is drama so important to you in portraits?

4) You give light and shadow almost equal value in telling a story. Most of your photographs don't draw attention to the use of artificial light. Is that a skill that was taught to you or is it something that you have honed yourself?

5) Let's talk about your book, The Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Crafting Light and Shadow. What prompted you to write this book and who is it for?

6) Most photography books about portraits jump right into loop lighting or Rembrandt lighting. You spend nearly 40 pages describing the history of portraiture? Why do you believe this is important?

7) You say: “The hows and whys are inextricably entangled in a successful photograph, and hitting both of those points shows mastery of the technical medium.” Can you explain that briefly?

8) What does it mean to you to have a published book? Does it open more doors for you to teach?

9) What can we expect from you next?

10) How can people find you and your work online?

The Dramatic Portrait

Buy Chris Knight's book now or buy the PROEDU.com tutorial today. For a limited time, PROEDU.com is including the book with the purchase of the tutorial.

Do you prefer to buy The Dramatic Portrait on Amazon?

You can also catch Chris Knight teaching at CreativeLive in these online workshops:

Exploring Low Key Portraiture

Creating Advanced Masks

How To Work Faster In Adobe Photoshop CC

Feel free to use this affiliate link for CreativeLive when you browse through Chris Knight's courses.

The Portrait Portfolio

Here's a small sample of Chris' portrait photography. I urge you to visit his website and bookmark it. It's absolutely stunning work!

The Food Photographer

Simi Jois, started as a marketing and branding professional but transitioned to becoming a food photographer. Now based in Chicago, Illinois, her food photography has been featured on MSN, Fox News Magazine, Better Homes, and theKitchn. She is a frequent contributor on the Daily Meal.

Raised in an art-emphasized home subconsciously trained her mind to engage creatively with color, texture, light, shadow and composition. Simi uses photographic images as her canvas and the lens as her brush. She did not have to look far for a subject – her passion for creating flavors provided her with infinite permutations of expression. Painting with ingredients, pairing exotic spices for mutual enhancement and richness of flavor, Simi narrates her stories through the play of light and bold strokes of color.

The Interview

A few weeks back, we sat down to chat about her journey as a food photographer:

Interview Highlights

You will learn that:

1) Simi's parents, both artists, inspired her
2) Her becoming a mom was the catalyst for taking up photography
3) She loves to cook
4) Finding comfort in the ingredients, aroma, and texture motivate her to try different set-ups
5) Her other inspiration are painters from the Renaissance period
6) Simi is creatively challenged to produce photographs that don't look overly styled
7) How the power of observation in day-to-day events and places can help your photography
8) She loves to play with light and uses speed lights, reflectors, and Nikon cameras
9) She is intrigued by shadows just as much as the light
10) How a simple garnish of mint on blueberries can create a punchy image

Simi Jois' Food Photography

Additional Resources

Check out Simi's tutorial on painting prop boards.

Do you want to learn more about food photography? Check out the CreativeLive courses offered here.

Lastly, Don Giannatti is offering a spectacular 8-week food photography course that you simply can't pass up. For $75, it is a no-brainer and in my opinion, there is no better photography instructor to guide you through this wonderful genre of photography.

Conference Season Is Upon Us

It's photography conference season, if you haven't noticed. Imaging USA, produced by PPA is on right now. WPPI‘s annual meeting and expo has apparently moved to a new space and will run in early February.

As I have said before, those are conferences that you should go to … at least once.

But if you prefer something more intimate and intellectually stimulating, check out Inspire Photo Retreats. It is coming up quickly. This year, like last year, it will be held in Newport, Rhode Island, from February 27 through March 1. Please visit and register for it here.

Four things dictate a photography conference's level of success:

1) Personal experience

Does your personal experience motivate you to keep coming back?

I can't recall attending any other annual photography get together more times than Inspire Photo Retreats. There is a vibe that is both positive and uplifting to me. This conference couldn't come at a better time in the year when I am starting to plan out the year and consider how my business will be shaped. When I attend, I can be sure of meeting amazing people and having a memorable experience. The conference is topped off at 250 participants and continues to foster a sense of community and fellowship that the larger conferences simply cannot provide. If this is what you are looking for, you are in the right place.

So the answer is, yes, I would love to go back to Inspire again and again.

2) Organizers

Is the conference organized and efficient? And are the organizers open to suggestions for change?

Eric Foley, Enna Grazier and Mark Higgins are all busy photographers. But every year, for the last several years, they have dedicated themselves to producing a phenomenal event that is rich in quality content. It's no easy matter to put this photography conference on, but they do so with the help of great volunteers and a hotel staff that is now well-tuned to their needs. I give Eric, Enna and Mark full credit for elevating their conference game each year. They provide a safe space for everyone to express themselves, in a format that truly feels like you are at a retreat. Year after year, they make it a point to send out a survey after the conference to see how they can improve the overall experience for everyone.

High marks for the trio on this one because I have seen this conference grow, not so much in size thankfully, but in quality.

3) Speaker Lineup

Are the speakers simply dumping information or are they teaching you a skill?

Sean D'Souza of Psychotactics has a great metric for workshops and conferences. If they are simply an information dump, he gives them a failing grade. What makes his own workshops stand out is the fact that you will never leave without learning a skill – a skill you can put to use right away.

The speakers at Inspire Photo Retreats do the same thing. There is information, for sure. But the skills that they teach are actionable. While there is some overlap, year to year, the organizers go to great lengths to find speakers who will add value to those who attend.

I spoke with six speakers (see below), but there are 19 speakers in all, over the course of three days. From my experience, every speaker prepares to wow with information that is actionable. I'm willing to bet I won't find a seat again when Spencer Lum speaks. Or, how about Sarah Dugan who will be teaching us to work with cyanotype and produce salt prints. Did you want to learn how to market using video? Kate McElwee is set to teach you just that. Wendell Fernandes, whom I haven't met, will help you hone in on creating and sustaining client relationships. Want to learn about the lucrative and colorful world of multicultural weddings? Petronella Lugemwa is the right person to do it. And there are others, each bringing their A game to a conference that they love.

4) Wonderful Vendors

How engaged are the vendors? Is the trade show only an opportunity for vendors to sell to us or for us to get to know them and their products?

What's a conference without a trade show, right? Well, again, the trade show at Inspire Photo Retreats feels different. Thanks to the limited number of participants, there is more time and more opportunities to sit down and talk with the vendors who will support you through the year. I recall having a wonderful time speaking with Kate Kauffman of Fundy Designer, Joel Wiebner of Perfect Image, Colin Breece of ShootProof and Kyu Don Kwak of Pictobooks.

I found pockets of time to steal away and speak with the vendors. ShootDotEdit, with Jared Bauman's leadership, really set the tone for what vendors can expect at Inspire Photo Retreats. As Bauman told me a few years ago, “We are in it for the long haul.” I believe every vendor understands and accepts this paradigm; you come year after year, not so much to sell but to see how to help photographers problem-solve.

Interviews With Speakers

I was asked to speak with six presenters – Dani Diamond, Andrew Funderburg, Jen Rozenbaum, The Scobeys, Vanessa Joy and Huy Nguyen – and record their aspirations for this conference.

Dani Diamond

The Scobeys

Andrew Funderburg

Jen Rozenbaum

Vanessa Joy

Huy Nguyen

You'll agree it's a diverse group of speakers. Do look at the full line up of speakers at Inspire Photo Retreats this year.

Community, The Common Theme

Whether it is on TiffinboxTV or here on the blog, I've talked about stepping away from your business to recharge your creative batteries. There is no better conference than Inspire Photo Retreats that will help you do just that.

Think of what you will learn, think of who you will speak with, think of the networking opportunities, think of just being away from home for a few days and think of the community you will begin building.

Whether you are a portrait or wedding photographer, there is a speaker who is meant just for you. So hop off of that fence and register now.

Join me at Inspire Photo Retreats this year!