Carla Coulson, harpers bazaar, portrait photographer, lifestyle photography, justin hemmed, kate fowler, the hermitage, slim aarons, pool, wooden boat, white bedroom, swimming pool
June 27, 2018
in Fashion Icons, Get Published, Going Pro, Mentoring, Photography Tips, Published Work, Workshops
by Carla
0 Comments

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 Over the years I have looked at hundreds of thousands of images, films and historical references and its in these moments they serve me.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

Read More
Carla Coulson, Carla Coulson Photography,Carla Coulson Coaching
June 11, 2018
in Films, Mentoring, Photography Tips, Published Work, Travel Photography, Uncategorized
by Carla
0 Comments

When Do Your Photos Become Valuable?

Dear Folks,

The easy answer for this is the moment you take them. They are our memories, the proof of our lives, where we have been and what we found along the way.

The longer answer goes something like this.

So many of the photos I have taken during the last eighteen years were for pure pleasure on my travels or holidays and today I have 100,000’s of thousands of photos on numerous discs and negatives.

When I first started taking photos the concept of them being valuable didn’t enter my mind. I was so excited to take them and then rush out and take some more, like a wonderful addiction to life.

I was terrible with them, in such a hurry to print them and see them appear in the darkroom that I would hastily discard one negative for the next and often put them back in the wrong packet.

 

Carla Coulson, Carla Coulson Photography,Carla Coulson Coaching

 

Hence if someone today asks me for a copy of a photo in my first years, I will go into hot sweats and do anything to avoid promising that photo because I could lose a day looking for it. I would rather NOT find it or sell it than go looking for it.

When I started my blog back in 2008 I put up the photos I loved with little SEO tags of when and where I took them and now I have a steady stream of magazines, publications and interior designers asking me for my photos from my travels.

Coupled with the photos I continue to take, I have come to realize that our archives have an enormous value and they should be treasured, catalogued and easy to find.

So dear photographers, I beg you to look after your images and no matter where you are on your journey start improving your system today.

 

Carla Coulson, Carla Coulson Photography,Carla Coulson Coaching

 

Here are my top 5 tips:

  1. Right now today make sure you always have two discs of any series of images. One being an exact backup disc and mirror of the original disc and make sure they AREN’T stored together
  2. Number, date and name your discs and make sure they are marked clearly on the outside
  3. Categorise each shoot by date first, month and then name your project, person and place for each search reference. When you open your disc you should see a series of folders with specific jobs, subjects or travels.
  4. If you are super-organized start a file with the disc names and then sub folders on that disc. You could also do a hard copy reference book just for this for easy searching so if you are looking for ‘2013 Sifnos’ you know it is on disc 13 etc..
  5. Always keep your ‘hero’s’ in a 3rd place such as the cloud so if all things go belly up you have the best photos of your career in high resolution version.

 

I know so many of you are creating magic on a daily basis, look after your beautiful images as one day they will have an incredible emotional, historical and economical value.

 

Happy snapping!

Carla

 

If you want to learn how to take/create your body of work and sell it online, join my Free Training by clicking here.

Read More
Carla Coulson, Carla Coulson Photography, Workshops, Paris, Australia, Get Published, Publishing, Photography, Education, Learn, Class
October 4, 2017
in Get Published, Workshops
by Carla
1 Comment

Get Published – Save The Date December 10th 2017

Dear Photographers,

If you have ever wondered how to break into the magazine or publishing industries to work with your favourite magazines and/or publish a book then save this date – 10th December 2017.

Due to popular demand Get Published, a one-day Workshop in Sydney is back in a new revised, updated 2017 version with exciting special guest speakers (superstars) from the magazine and book publishing industry who will guide you through the best way to have your images published in your dream publications.

Get Published – Save The Date December 10th 2017 Carla Coulson, Carla Coulson Photography, Workshops, Paris, Australia, Get Published, Publishing, Photography, Education, Learn, Class 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

I share my formula on how I managed to publish two stories in Marie Claire straight out of photography school and how you can too and how that lead to publishing and collaborating on 8 illustrated books and the guest speakers will talk on everything from how to pitch to a magazine and how to have our photographs published in a book. Stand back it’s going to be bigger and brighter than ever.

If you would like to be first on our list email us here at workshops@carlacoulson.com

*update* tickets can be purchased HERE

Stay tuned for full details next week and announcement of special guests.

Sending love

signature

 

 

Related Post: Get Published – Sydney 10th December 2017

Read More
September 4, 2017
in Uncategorized
by Carla
4 Comments

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

Read More
August 7, 2014
in France, Portrait Inspiration, Portraiture Tips, travel, Travel Photography, Workshops
by Carla
23 Comments

What is your dream photography job?… Check out one of mine..

Harpers Bazaar Carla Coulson0001

All photos copyright Carla Coulson for Harper’s Bazaar

Gawd… After sunshine and blue skies on a Greek Island it’s hard to fly back into Paris to rain and 22 degrees but coming home to this story published in this months Australian Harper’s Bazaar made it all ok.

Have you ever asked yourself what your dream photography job (or one of them) would be? What ingredients you would throw into the recipe to make it just the way you wanted? Would it be fashion? Would it be portraiture? Would it be travel or a fabulous interior? Would their be dancing dogs and fairy floss?

Harpers Bazaar Carla Coulson0003

All photos copyright Carla Coulson for Harper’s Bazaar

I have asked myself this question often. Recently the phone rang with a fairy on the end of it (Harper’s Bazaar) and asked me whether I wanted to do one of my dream jobs?? I figured they must have hacked into my mind’s c-drive and pulled out all those delicious ingredients I had dreamed of, rolled them all together to form Carla’s dream job.

Harpers Bazaar Carla Coulson0004

All photos copyright Carla Coulson for Harper’s Bazaar

There would be a ramshackled Chateau, crumbling with paint peeling and faded ballrooms. A gorgeous woman and handsome hubby, there would be a stunning daughter and super cute son and BIG FROCKS with tulle and stuff! And there would be fashion pics and portraiture, interiors and exteriors and kookiness if I wanted it.

Harpers Bazaar Carla Coulson0005

All photos copyright Carla Coulson for Harper’s Bazaar

The reality turned out to be just like the dream. Everything they promised was there. The gorgeous Karina Waters of Chateau Gudanes  is not only a beauty but one of the nicest women I know and giggles a lot (bonus).  She and her hubby fell in love with this gorgeous pile in the midi-pyrenees and are in the process of renovating it.

Peeling wall paper still clings to the walls, hand-painted frescoes and beautiful balustrades guard the stairs and the music room is still adorned with gold. There were old tapestries waiting to go on the walls one day, glamorous French beds and pretty pink chairs.

Harpers Bazaar Carla Coulson0006

All photos copyright Carla Coulson for Harper’s Bazaar

So although I have been spoilt with jobs through out the years including many fashion jobs I truly loved with the heavenly Marta Innocenti Ciulli, this was another one to pop in my favourite memories hat. A favourite because I had the chance to use all the skills I have learnt throughout the years in fashion and interiors. Kind of like gobbling a whole box of Laduree macaroons out the front of the shop.

Another of my dream jobs will be sharing the skills I have learnt in fashion and portraiture this January 5,6,7,8  in Sydney at the Picture This Workshop where I will show you how to create emotion packed portraits with a fashion twist just like on these pages. All details here .

So if you are feeling stuck, trapped in a job you don’t like and want to acquire the skills to take your portraiture to the next step this workshop is designed to do exactly that.

What would your dream photography job be? What ingredients would you stir into it if you had the choice? I would love to hear your thoughts and dreams..

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman

signature

 

 

PS: Please share with other dreamers

Check out my Portrait Lightroom Presets here.

Read More