Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

Start With A Vision

 

Dear Folks,

Many people ask me how do I translate an idea into photography reality. So often we have glamorous, cool or moody ideas of what we would like yet our outcome is something else. Anybody seen the Life of Pi client expectations and budget floating around on the net!

Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

Sometimes photos that look so simple are in reality a ‘battle’ to get the outcome you would like and others are gifts to you. This shoot was one of those gifts!

When I am working on a shoot my starting point is a vision.

I liken photography to any goal in life, if you can’t see it, how can you get there? 

When I was shooting this story for Harper’s Bazaar of the beautiful Kate Fowler and Justin Hemmes my vision for these photos started long before I picked up the camera.

Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

What Was My Vision?

  1. When I scouted the place I noticed lots of opportunities to shoot from different perspectives 
  2. When I stood on the property flashbacks to famous photos, photographers and cool folk started my inspiration process 
  3. I allowed my body to help me. Spaces that excited me such as the pool area and the staircase allowed my imagination to run wild and so much of photography is about imagination
  4. Over the years I have looked at hundreds of thousands of images, films and historical references and its in these moments they serve me. They come to me as inspiration
  5. Give yourself permission to photograph the things you love and the way you want

 

As this was a big shoot my vision started kicking in days before and often an idea would come to me driving, swimming or in the middle of the night. Yes, my shoots keep me awake at night.

So by the day of the shoot I had plenty of ideas of where I could shoot and what I was trying to achieve. 

Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool

But how do I get a final result that is as good as the image in my head? This is something I will be teaching this October in Puglia on the Heartland – People and Spaces Workshop. How to take a vision and make it happen and not walk away from it when it isn’t working out. 

We have ONE PLACE available if you would love to take great people and spaces pics in a place close to heaven. You can read full details HERE.

Light and love

Carla x

Heidi Middleton in Harpers Bazaar

Carla Coulson Harpers Bazaar Heidi Middleton in Harper's Bazaar Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography

Dear Friends and Photographers,

I know many of you purchased the recent copy of Harpers Bazaar in Australia and have seen this shoot but I wanted to share this beautiful fairytale with those who haven’t.

People often ask me after 17 years of photography do I still love it or do I get excited and inspired? Well folks, the answer is YES, YES, YES!!

I had the chance to photograph Heidi for Gourmet Traveller last year and had an instant girl crush, I adored everything about her, her warm generous spirit, being so very present and her beautiful fashion.

Carla Coulson Harpers Bazaar Heidi Middleton in Harper's Bazaar Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography

So for me doing this Harpers shoot was like the night before Christmas, I knew Heidi would have all the elements that make photographs magic but she certainly exceeded my photographer’s dream.

There were her daughters (arrrrrr) you just wanted to hug them on first sight, the house, the calm, the clothes and of course the magic Heidi. And I had the good fortune to have the world’s best folk working with us, Eliza O’Hare and partner from Harpers, Veronique Marot and Loc Boyle and Kellie Hush and the team that put this magic together!
Carla Coulson Harpers Bazaar Heidi Middleton in Harper's Bazaar Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography

This shoot and the good times and memories will be in the memory bank of shoots for the rest of my times and I can’t express how fortunate I feel to have had the chance to spend a day with people so clear, warm, generous and loving as Heidi, her family and the creative team on the day.

Carla Coulson Harpers Bazaar Heidi Middleton in Harper's Bazaar Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography

 

Carla Coulson Harpers Bazaar Heidi Middleton in Harper's Bazaar Black and white photography, photography workshop, italian photography workshop, travel photography workshop, travel photography workshop italy, portraiture, fashion portrait, movement, carla coulson, creative coach, creative entrepreneur, photographer, photographers life, italy, photography workshop puglia, beginners travel photography workshop, photography

In case you don’t believe, creative dreams do come true! You can follow Heidi Middleton on Instagram HERE

Sending love

Carla x

Ps: There were a lot of ladders involved and holding big cameras and balancing like a trapeze artist at the same time trying not to fall off..

Related Post: Backstage Secrets to this Harpers Bazaar Shoot