From Family Snapshots to Captivating Photography with Mario Martinez

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Mario Martinez (00:00):
I would like for them to say they feel almost
like they were there.
Like if it's a couple that'slaughing, I would love to see
what happened there?
Like why are they laughing kindof deal.
Something good must havehappened.
Like, I want that feeling to beevoked through the pictures,
through the editing, the waythat I capture it, the way that

(00:22):
I use light, and I want it tofeel like it belongs in somebody
else's memory, if that makessense.
I want my images to feel like amemory no matter who's looking
at it.

Raymond Hatfield (00:37):
Hey, welcome to the Beginner Photography
Podcast.
I'm your host, Raymond Hatfield,and today we're chatting with
community member Mario Martinezabout chasing the images he
visualizes in his head.
First, the Beginner PhotographyPodcast is brought to you by
Cloud Spot.
Impress your clients with abeautiful gallery that is easy
to view, share and download onany device.

(00:58):
Control image size at awatermark, and even download
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You can grab your free foreveraccount today
over@deliverphotos.com and onlyupgrade when you are ready.
Today's guest, Mario has notonly been a member of the
Beginner Photography podcastcommunity for years.
He's consistently been one ofthe top contributors of the
group according to Facebook.

(01:20):
Now, how Mario uses the grouphas helped him grow his skills
faster and further, honestlythan I would say 99% of
everybody else in the community.
See when Mario posts somethingin the group, he doesn't just
say, here's a photo that Icaptured today.
What do you think?
What Mario does is he shares theimage, what he was aiming for in

(01:42):
the images, whether it's, afocus on capturing a specific
emotion or a new use of light.
And then he asks, Hey, what didI do that works here and what
specifically about my lightingor timing could I improve next
time?
And that is a game changing movethat everybody should implement.

(02:03):
And I have to say, when talkingto him today, after years of
interacting with him in thegroup, it was exactly how I
imagined.
He's curious.
He wants to learn and he wantsto be the best version of a
photographer that he can.
So in today's interview, we talka lot about visualization.
Coming up with the idea forphotos in your head.
We talk about how you have to bea selfish photographer to be a

(02:24):
generous photographer, and wetalk about how photography acts
as a second or external memoryfor your life.
And as I said earlier, Mario isin the beginner photography
podcast community where he'sable to learn and grow his
skills as a photographer.
And I would love to invite youto join Mario, myself, and the

(02:44):
others in the group as well.
So why don't you come join us.
Just head over to beginner photopod.com/group to join us now.
It's free and honestly one ofthe safest places on the
internet for new photographerslike yourself.
So with that, let's go ahead andget on into today's interview
with Mario Martinez.
So, Mario, I'm just gonna jumpright into my first question for

(03:06):
you, which is, when did you knowthat photography was gonna play
an important role in your life?

I don't think I ever realized or thought it was
gonna play a big part in mylife.
I just kind of got a camera totake pictures of my family and
it just never stopped,

Really,

yeah, and it just, from there, it just
started growing and growing andgrowing, and it just turned into
something that I can't put downanymore.

But why did you get the camera in the first
place?

There was an instance where we, me and my
family went to go do, I believeit was a fundraiser, so I'm not
gonna chastise the person, butthe photos came back really bad.
I was really impressed'cause Ihad never seen a studio setup,
but they had like umbrellas anda backdrop and everything else,
and I was expecting somethinggrand and it turned out to be

(03:54):
very bad.

Hmm.

I said, I'm going to go ahead and just learn
how to take pictures so I couldtake pictures of my immediate
family for the holidays andstuff like that.

Is that kind of indicative of who you are as
a person.
Once you start to get intosomething, you just dive all the
way in.

No, this is the first time, like I am your
typical A DHD kid.

Uh.

I would pick something up and then I would go
do it again, and then drop it,and then go to the next and
next.
Like you see the guitar backthere.
It's been sitting there for solong and I've tried learn, but
I've just never stuck with it.

Dude, same.
I know.
Yeah.
It, it can be difficult.
So then what is it aboutphotography?

I dunno, to be honest.
It's just, it brings me into asense of my brain working in a
different way.

Mm-hmm.

So, I'm not gonna say I'm a very technical
kind of shooter.
Everything that I do is almostintuitive, and that's just in my
life I'm like, this feels right,this doesn't feel right.
And I don't technically go say,well if I put this here, it's
gonna go like this.
I'm like, ba So it's just very.
It just feels right, if thatmakes sense.

It does.
I've never been diagnosed with aDD or a DHD or anything, but I,
I would definitely.
Say that I have a lot oftendencies that would suggest
that that's a possibility forme.
And when I get started withsomething, I get so excited,
right?
Like whether it be, I got a baseover there in the corner that
I've attempted to learn how toplay, a hundred times throughout

(05:29):
my life.
And yet, it never happens.
or whatever it is, disc golf,brewing beer, lawn care, all of
these things I get so excitedfor in the beginning.
But then very quickly, I'll losethat amount of enthusiasm, going
forward with them.
So I think for me, when it comesto like photography, I think for

(05:50):
me, the thing that made me stickwith it was, it's.
I don't wanna say ease, but likethe ease of ability to capture,
because it's like withdrawing.
It could take hours with musicif you get, you know, it's so
hard to tell if you're good orbad.
It's the same with, brewing beeras well, but it's like with a
camera.
I don't have that same sort ofbarrier.

(06:13):
I can look at it and kind ofsubjectively say yes or no.
It's good or bad, and then keepgoing from there.
Would you say that it's similarfor you?
Is that right?
I.

Yes, and it's just, I guess you could say that
for the longest time I've wantedto like capture what I've seen
in my head because I would see,I.
by where I used to work inOxnard, there's, you know, you
go through the pass and you'reup high and you come down and
you see the mountains and thelandscape and there's clouds and

(06:43):
they're low and everything else.
And I was like, I wanna capturethat.
I've never been able to Istarted shooting on my camera.

Hmm.

And so it's just always been that I want to be
able to see if I can replicatewhat I see in my head

Hmm.

it's, it's beautiful.
It's like people, sceneries andstuff like that.
I can't do landscape.
I just don't know how but itnever comes out how I want to.
And so it like, that just bringsme a sense of almost like an
achievement,

Yeah.

like I did that.

Okay, so, let's lay the groundwork here
first.
What style of photography areyou most drawn to right now?
You said it was, it wasportraits.
Would you go deeper into that?

I think it's just, I would say human
interaction.

Mm-hmm.

So, I like seeing people and the way that
they behave.
I like giving as of lately, I'mnot gonna say at the beginning,
'cause I hated that I wanted tobe a, a street photographer
first, because I don't have tointeract with people.
I could just hide in the shadow,take pictures, nobody notices,
and then you move on.
But it's just, Human psychology,I guess like people just

(07:55):
interest me.
The way that they work, the waythat they think, the where they
come from and the expressionsthat they have and those kind of
things.
It's what caused me to takingpictures of people because you
could say something that'llevoke something and you get to
see that person and understandthem a little bit more.

Yeah.
you started off doing streetphotography, is that right?

Yes, because, and my kids and that kind of
stuff.
So it was just always and shoot,like just see what happens and
just react to it.
And there was no, the sun is toobright or this is other here it
was just go out and shoot andjust capture whatever I was
seeing as I see it without anyintention behind it.

Why did you not stick with street
photography?

I just don't have the time.
Like I'm

Hmm.

working.
I work seven nights a week, soit's just, I wake up, go to
work, come home, go with thekids, and then if I have time
to, I'll do something here atthe house, but I'm never, I
don't feel like I'm anywhereclose to where I could be to go
do street photography.

I see, I see.
Yeah.
Street photography is one ofthose things that's like I've
shared this before.
I don't live in Indianapolis.
I live in a suburb ofIndianapolis, but it's like the
town that I live in is smallenough to where if I were to
just go out on the streets, itcould be a while until somebody
shows up.
You know?
Like it's not, it could justtake time.
Whereas, if I'm at home, I got adog, I got kids, I got, my

(09:26):
family who I could photographhere.
Was that the natural progressionfor you to just start
photographing, your family?

Yeah, that was always 100% the goal, and it was
my, especially my oldest son,he's been my test subject for
everything and anything thatI've ever done or tried from
trying to figure out exposurefrom just laying in my bed and
using my camera to take picturesfrom my bed to where he was and
that kind of stuff,

Mm-hmm.

I was standing at.
then from there it justprogressed to my girlfriend and
then, her kids that are now mykids.
And so our kids, and it's justbeen an ongoing evolution of
like, I want to have somethingfor me, I was gonna say for my
family to pass down, but it's,it's for me.

Hmm.

have something to remember my family by,
because I didn't give any valueto photography before.
Like, it didn't make sense tome, like why people care so much
about photography until custodyof my oldest son.

Explain to me a little bit more about the
difference between shooting forthem and shooting for yourself.

So I guess you could say I'm just selfish in
that sense.

I don't think that's what it is.

yeah.
Well, for me it is, it's more ofa, I want something for me.
Like it's nice for me to shootand to have these memories.
I don't know if they'llappreciate'em the way that I do,
but you know, I have of my momplaying soccer with all the
grandkids and as they're gettingolder, I didn't understand what
it was to say, have a finitetime with somebody.

(11:01):
I went from having a kid to, hewasn't there one day and then I
got him back again,

Hmm.

so I never realized how quickly things can
change.
Whether it's a good thing or abad thing.
So now that I have thatforesight, I guess I want to be
able to capture the memories ofus doing stuff like going to
Disneyland, my kids playingsports, my family during
Christmas, that and Thanksgivingthat we like to dress up and

(11:28):
stuff like that.
So those are all just for me tohave, and if they like him,
good, but if not, hey, I havesomething.

I wouldn't consider that selfish at all.
In fact, I would consider thatextremely generous.
'cause I have found that as aphotographer, when I'm trying to
create something for others,

Mm-hmm.

I'm not that other person, right?
So it's hard for me.
I just have to make assumptionsof what it is that they want and
how it is that they want that.
Whereas if I'm photographing formyself.
I know what I want.
I know, how to stylisticallycapture that, and I'm able to
produce what I think is a betterproduct.
And when I'm happier as aphotographer, I then shoot more.

(12:12):
And when I shoot more, I havemore stuff to share.
So it's like if I were to justphotograph for my family, like,
not even for myself, just myfamily, I think it'd be really
easy to get burnt out and then Iwould just stop taking photos.
Whereas if I photograph, quoteunquote for myself.
I fulfill myself more as aphotographer to allow myself to
now be taking more photos.

(12:33):
And then in the end, there'sjust more photos for the kids to
have.
And if they want a certainsomething, I'd be happy to teach
them how they can, use thistool.
But it's like, yeah, I don'tknow.
does that make sense?

Yeah, because you know, at the end of the day,
that is my goal for somebody tohave something.

Mm-hmm.

I just, like I said, I want to take the
pictures that I want to take

Yeah.

the day,

Yeah.

I want to shoot the way that I think I that I
can do it and not in, like ifsomebody, if my kid comes, like,
there's been a couple pictureswhere he's like, Hey, can you
make me look like an anime?
And I was like, okay, ghosttrails, let's go.

Yeah.

know, like we do the whole shutter drag and I'll
put some lights and there'strails coming off of him.
And while he's doing his thingand.
I like challenging myself, andyou can say that was for him.
But I have that memory of himnow that he's into this because
right now he's getting ready todo a tournament for boxing I

(13:38):
don't think anybody else isgonna have pictures of their
kids doing these things forboxing

Right, right.
Yeah.

but

That all.
And you do, and that all stemmedfrom you wanting to capture it
the way that you wanna captureit.
So I wouldn't consider that,that selfish at all.
I think again, that's a verygenerous thing.
So, I like that.
Let me ask, just so that we canget kind of an idea, because as,
as you know, I mean, you're inthe Facebook group, there's a
wide range of skill.

(14:07):
People with different skills,right?
Within the Facebook group,people who are brand new to
photography.
I think I saw somebody todayjust say that they got their
first camera last week.
And as you know, yourselfincluded, there's people who
have been shooting for years.
So, how would you describe your,current skill level and your
confidence behind the camera?

I am comfortable behind the camera and I'm also
very ignorant behind the camera,There's a lot that I don't know
about photography.
So that kind of opens up a lotof possibilities as towards what
I can do because like I don'tknow this lighting technique,

(14:47):
but I also don't know, How to doit properly.
So there's technically not awrong way for me to do
something.
So for me it's like my ignoranceis my greatest asset at the same
time.

Yeah.

like I don't know what good lighting good
lighting is'cause you know, it,it is just the way that what I
know how to do right now.
And, but you know, I'm not aLindsay Adler or a Seth Miranda
and or Chris Knight and thosekind of people that, they're
pros, but I know how to do whatI know how to do, and I know

(15:23):
that there's still a lot morethat I need to learn.

I think that's always gonna be the case though,
right?

I hope so.

You Right.
Okay.

Like I don't, I don't want to tap out and be
like, oh, there's nothing leftfor me to learn.
What do I do now?
Like, I guess I'll go play withmy kids now.

I know, like how, sad is it to think, it's so
funny'cause it's like when youfirst get into photography, you
think I wanna know everythingabout photography.
And then is, you get deeper intothis journey, you think to
yourself, I hope that I neverlearn everything about
photography because, at leastfor me, that joy of discovery,

Mm-hmm.

of trying new things is, is what I'm after
these days.
You know, it's like, it's not somuch the end result, but it's.
Well, I guess it's the journey.

It's,

the journey.
Yeah.

yeah.

I love that.
Okay, so, you feel confidentbehind the camera, so, let's go
back to the beginning a littlebit.
What camera did you start withand, what was the most
challenging element ofphotography for you to learn
when you first got your camera?

Well, my first and only camera has been my
Nikon Z.

Oh, really?
Okay.

Yeah.
Yeah.
So that was four years ago.
I bought it on, Valentine's Day,actually,

Huh?

I'm never gonna forget that day.
But yeah, so I bought thatcamera I still don't think that
I ever felt like there's beenanything hard or complicated
about photography.
Per se.
So it's just been constantlytrying and learning and doing
stuff with the camera becauseagain, when you're ignorant and

(16:53):
you're like, oh, well I've neverhad a camera.
This is the best camera I'veever had.
So I don't, the first picture Itook was the best picture I ever
took because there's beennothing else like it before it.
So I, I don't know what else tocompare it to.
So the journey has just beenlike, okay, let's try this.
Let's go here, let's go there.

(17:13):
And just constantly learning toattach myself to the camera, I
guess.
'cause that's what you alwaystold us.

Yeah,

your camera, go outside, get used to having it
with you, even if you feelweird.
And it does feel very weirdstill

it does feel weird.

Yeah.
So I still don't make eyecontact with people when I'm out
shooting and I just feel like,oh, they caught me.

Well, that's the thing.
I feel like if you do make eyecontact, then there's more of
that question in their mind oflike, were they looking at me
with that camera?
Yeah.
No, I try to do that same thing.

it just feels awkward, like, no,

Yeah.

don't do it.

Well, it's funny, I just looked right now
in the group and you joinedMarch 10th, 2021, so you must
have joined.
Less than a month after gettingyour first camera

Yes.

after getting your camera.
Wow.
That's wild.
Okay, so then tell me, first,how did you find the podcast?
How did you find the group?

Well, first I would had the idea of buying the
camera.
And then it was me realizing Idon't know how to use a camera,

I.

how am I gonna learn this?
So then it was just, let's findout whatever I could do with, a
podcast.
I had never really learned orlistened to podcasts until I
started listening to yours.
Like I had just heard like oneor two and I was like, eh,
podcasts aren't for me.
I'm usually listening to music.
So I started listening in 2020,and so I could figure out how to
use a camera before I got it.
And then I got the camera andthen like just kept going.

(18:39):
And now it's like is a podcast.

Ev, everything is a podcast.

like so many different, podcasts for
photography like yours isbecause yours is almost more
like I guess.

Hmm.

cause it's, you know, it's a story.
It's, behind the scene.
How did you get here?
It's very heartfelt, I guess youcan say.
It just makes me feel like Iwant to understand how people
shoot so I could learn how to dothat because photography means
something to me it meanssomething to somebody else.
And so it just grew from there.

(19:16):
And then, there's business,podcasts and different people
that I listen to and a bunch ofdifferent things in between.

First of all, lemme say thank you for that,
description.
I love how you're able to, topull that out of a podcast
because it's, it's one of thosethings.
It's funny'cause I was, lookingback at some of the earliest
episodes of the podcast as I gothrough and I try to update
them, like some of those firstepisodes were like about how to
use Snapchat for photographers,and then there was an episode
with Brian Capi on like aclubhouse.

(19:43):
And it's like, there, there aresome things that change, you
know?
And I don't want to be thepodcast where all of the
information is topical rightnow.
Only right now.
and I would, I do strive to, tocreate more of an inspirational,
podcast episode.
So, hearing you say that, Ireally appreciate that.

(20:05):
'cause I think that theinspiration is something that
can last much longer than likeany social app or, tip or trend
of the day.
So that's cool to hear from you,man.
I really appreciate that.
Wait, did we get into thebiggest challenge that you had,
when learning?

you did ask me, but I don't think I ever saw
anything as a challenge.
It's just that I didn't knowanything like,

Hmm

I mean, literally nothing because the
first thing that I looked at waslike, oh, what's the largest
aperture that my camera canhave?

mm-hmm.

that it came from a

The lens.

So, yeah, so I had to learn all of that, the,
you know, through podcasts andthrough, articles and, whatever
I could find on Facebook andanything else.
So it's just been, I guess youcould say the biggest challenge
has just been learning whatphotography is in general, so
much as the technical, as thevision I guess,

Yeah.

photography.
The art, there you go.
The art of photography.
'cause it's, you could be atechnical person and just I'm
gonna take a picture of my dogthat's laying down there.
You can't see him, but he'sright there.
and call it a day.
And then it's gathering all ofthe information of, okay, I just
want to have his nose in focus.

(21:18):
That means I gotta get closer.
I have to have a shallow depthfield, and, and just gathering
the information, I guess, wasthe most challenging part, and
figuring how to create the imagethat I see in my head.

Mm.
Because you don't know what youdon't know.

exactly.

Yeah.

is just always been like, chasing, chasing,
chasing, chasing, chasing.
it, I guess that has been themost challenging part, trying to
get the image in my head outinto reality.

So let's talk more about that vision that you
have in your head because it,it's funny'cause when I look at,
your work, like if somebody wereto tell me like, Hey, Mario just
posted something in the group.
I would have like nopreconceived idea of what it
might be like.
It could be, uh, photos of yourson, like boxing.
It could be, plants.
It could be, double exposures.
It could be the shutter drag, itcould be, your trip to

(22:07):
Disneyland.
Like it could be the familyrollerblading.
It could be so many things.
and that's one of the thingsthat I, I love most is how
versatile you are in what it is,that you're able to shoot.
But, even concert photography.
you shared some photos like of aconcert that, that you had went
to.
Talk to me then about I don'twanna say talk to me about your
vision, but like, it seems to melike you have a way of seeing

(22:32):
the world, You have a directconnection with your camera to
be able to capture it in such away that it, I can tell that
you're reaching for the visionthat you have, that you're
reaching for the, the creative,idea in your head that it's not
just a snap, it's not asnapshot, it's not
unintentional, but you'reactively going for it.

(22:55):
And I can tell that from everysingle one of your photos.
So talk to me about thatcreative process for you from
when does this vision for aphoto start, and then how do you
get to the point to where youpress the shutter and you
achieve it?
That's a giant question.
So take your time.

a very, very big question.
Hold on.
gonna need like half an hour toprocess this.
Uh,

I got time.

It's weird or funny that you say that because
I don't, put as much thoughtinto it as it might seem.
It's just more of observing theworld for a second and just,
slowing down, just observing.
Like if I am at a, like you saidat a concert.
I see the person, and if I'veseen them before, sometimes I

(23:43):
know exactly what they're gonnado.
Like, there's a band called TheLytes.
I just shot them and we wanna gowatch'em.
And it's almost like everysingle show that they have is
the same thing.
So you kind of know what toexpect, what they're gonna do,
how they act, and stuff likethat.
But it's.
You're like, I see the lightsand I see the things, and it's
almost like trying to create amovie poster, if that makes

(24:07):
sense.
Because a lot of everything inmy images, like a lot of the
visual elements.
Come from being raised on TV andmovies.
And so, used to call me Bobbyfrom Bobby's World.
'cause that was just me justliving in my head, just
constantly, imagination runningwild and like, let's go on an
adventure.
All right, let's go.
And so

Wait real quick.
Did you have that big wheel,that same big wheel that Bobby
had?

uh, God, I wish I did.
I was too busy being on askateboard.

Gotcha.

Yeah.
But, um, it's my A DHD thatmakes me hyper aware of the
world.
That is just a small instance.
Like you have a small window tosee something that you're never
gonna see again.

Hmm.

ever.
so I've been seeing those thingsin my head for such a long time
that now my camera is justallowing me to create that image
for me.
If I'm doing something like Ithink that's the best way that I
could explain it, if

Uh,

sense.

It does make sense.
Is this something that you thinkhas developed over time since,
since using your camera, or didyou have the same ability

no,

day one.

no.
Well, I've had the same abilityin my head since as far as I
could remember.

Mm

been certain moments in my life I wish I
could forget and moments that Iam glad that I have in my head,

mm.

and, uh, moving around and doing a bunch of
different things since I was akid and living in places like
Mexico City, it was just you.
You see a lot of things in thebest and in the worst ways, and
my brain works almost like asponge still.
I have so much informationaccumulated in my head that it's
just all mental images of stuffthat has happened in my head.

How does the camera fit in there?
If you're keeping these memoriesin your head, why even get a
camera?

because I don't know if you, this is normal or
if you've ever felt this, butsometimes I have memories in my
head that almost feel like adream, like did it actually
happen?

Hmm.

And I wanna know that it did happen.

Hmm.

So that that's where the camera comes in for me
to know that, okay, this didhappen I have this as proof, and
I almost validate myself withthat and I get to make it look
kind of cool.
I.

You definitely are able to make it look, pretty
cool.
So then, one thing I've noticed,with you over the past few
months, uh, year or so, somelights, set up.

(26:56):
You've been doing outdoorportraits, you've been doing
more creative portraits as well.
So, when we think about these,remembering moments in time, as
though they actually happened,talk to me about fitting these
ideas of more creative uses oflight, which we wouldn't
normally see with our eyes, butwe're able to create with a
camera.
And being able to do that.

(27:19):
Is for you because again, as Isaid, like you've gone deep into
the world of flash photographyand it's been amazing to see.
But yeah, sometimes we createimages that are not, not based
on, the reality in which oureyes see, but it's a world in
which we're creating, within ourhead.
Does that make sense?

Yes.
So, well, it's your fault firstof all.

You're welcome.

Yeah, so thanks.
But you were, you pushed a lotof people in the group, or I'm
just gonna say you pushed, flashphotography out just as a means
to enhance a picture, but for meit was a flash.
The pictures don't feel what Iwant to capture.

(28:06):
So there was always somethingmissing without the addition of
flash.

Mm-hmm.

And once I started using flash, it was not
necessarily, I don't think of itas creative, or at least not
yet, because I think thatthere's different kind of people
when it comes to photography.

Mm-hmm.

the natural light users and they're happy to
be like that.
There's the people that useflash and I, I think I'm in
like, in the middle group of my,don't know how I segment people
it's, I know how to use thelight to enhance what I see.

Mm-hmm.

Then I think that there's other people like
Lindsay Adler and other peoplethat create something, that,
they create a stage, they createan ambience, they create a scene
the light and with props andwith everything else.
And I, am not creative in thatsense, I know that without

(29:04):
light, I can't bring the visionthat I have in my head into
reality.
If that makes sense.

Mm-hmm.
I would say that I'm similar aswell.
When I create images, I don'tuse light to create a new world.

Mm-hmm.

and I know that I want more than just
what's available naturally.
so yeah, I would say that I'mright there in the middle, with
you.
So, was there a moment that youthought to yourself, I'm not
happy with my images, I need tostart learning flash?
or what was it that got you intoit specifically?

I don't think it was, I needed flash.
I just felt that there wassomething always missing from my
pictures.
I didn't know what it was.
And then, like I said, youmentioned it and I went and
bought the gear that, I don'tknow if you still have it up on
the website, but it was like,the young Nu

Mm-hmm.

and I think it was like a newer or a Gods like
a, I think it was like.

Like a soft box or something?

like a square soft box.

Yeah.

a tiny little soft box.
So I went and I invested in thatand I got a light stand it was,
okay, this is, is closer, butit's not what I see yet.

Mm-hmm.

so it's just been building and building and
building and building and tryingto figure out, I.
More, not the light, but theshadows because don't think that
I see light as light.
I just see light for shadows,and that's what helps me guide
my images and what I want to seein them.

Oh, that is cool.
Is that something that youdeveloped just by working with
light is realizing that it's theshadows that, uh, stand out to
you.

I don't know if it was working with the lights.
I just remember noticingshadows.

Yeah.

an image that I took of my, I'm not gonna call
him ex, but my father-in-law,but he passed away and a couple
years ago.

Hmm.

there's a picture that I kind of show it
to you.

Yeah,

Let me grab it really

yeah, of course.

picture,

Ooh.

lemme get rid of the glare.

Oh wow.

the shadows of the blinds and this is like
maybe a month after I grabbed mycamera.

Mm-hmm.

And so I just.

what?
You captured this photo just amonth into photography?

Something like that.

Yeah.

that.
That's, like I said, it's thewhat I see in my head, and it
wasn't so much that I saw.
Just him.
It's just that we were sittingdown at the table and I was
literally sitting across fromhim the sun was coming in from
the side and I saw the shadowsfrom the blinds and I was like,
sit there.
Just keep talking to me.
And I just shot a bunch ofpictures of him and you know,

(31:40):
the exposure went up, exposurewent down to try to create the
shadows, and then editing wentinto it and like that.
But I didn't know what I wasdoing.
It was just.
liked what I saw

Mm-hmm.

also a lot of the first validations of, I was
doing a good job, I guess, and

Hmm.

I took his to heart a lot.
So,

Do you have that photo on Instagram or
something?

I

Trying to figure, trying to figure out if
there's a way to put it in theshow notes, would you be able to
send it to me and I can put itin the show notes?

I could send it that to you later, but yeah, but
that was like one of the veryfirst pictures that I took and
still to date a lot of peoplecomplimented me on it and I
don't, never thought a lot ofit, my girlfriend makes a lot
more about it because for herit's those were her memories of
him, like just

Yeah.

down and having conversations with him and she
was like, and you just capturedthat image.
And that's all that I rememberof my dad is just sitting down
and having conversations withhim.
Yeah, so he gave me a lot ofencouragement and pushing and
started noticing things in mebefore I even can say I loved
photography, so it.

That is nice, it's always good to get an
encouraging word, especially insomething so subjective as
photography.
Everybody has their own opinionson, on work and there's, there's
work that gets a lot of praisethat I don't see why it's giving
a lot of praise.
And then there's stuff that Ithink people hate and I

(33:09):
absolutely love it.
So, yeah, to hear that yourstuff, that somebody likes your
stuff, that it's resonating withsomebody, that it means
something to somebody.
it does feel good.
It does feel good.
So, I want to go a little bitdeeper into that because I think
you said something there thatwas really interesting and that
was, you know, your girlfriendsaid like, this is what I
remember of my dad.
This is truly who he is.

(33:29):
And I think when I look at yourimages, I see two different
things.
I do see a, opposed the look,right?
And that's typically coming fromlike the kids.
And I can tell it's like, okay,this is something that you set
up.
This is something that you'retesting, this is something that
you're looking to achieve.
But then also when you're out,when you are on a family
adventure, when you're allrollerblading together, when

(33:51):
you're doing, you know,whatever, there's something
about those images that feels sogenuine and so pure and not, put
together or anything like that.
So, I guess let me ask you, areyou trying to keep the two
separate because they're twoseparate things, or would you
say that you're trying to getcloser to one version or

(34:13):
another?

I think I am working to getting closer to
things, not looking so Posy, Iguess, like,

Oh, okay.
I gotcha.

I think that there's a time and place for
everything.

Yep.

And so if I am doing an engagement shoot, like
in my head, I know that they'regonna want some of the, Hey,
let's look at the camera, let'shold, let's pose, let's do this.
But at the same time, it's like,can you get them to act
themselves out in public?

Mm.

And not feel awkward in front of the camera
kind of deal

Yes.

still want them, like if they're walking, I want
them to feel like they're justwalking and hanging out with
themselves.
And at the same time, if they'rekissing each other, I want it to
look like they're just kissingdoing something else.
But at the same time, I want it,to incorporate the background
into whatever it is that I'mshooting to make it look like
they belong in that scene, inthat environment, if that makes

(35:13):
sense.

I love that.
Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah, so I think I'm just trying to get closer to
how can I make things look theway that I want them to and feel
natural at the same time.

How are you working towards that?
Because I just, real quick, Iremember your engagement
session, one of the ones thatyou posted, and I thought that
you, you nailed it with that.
I thought that it looked verynatural.
So maybe some of the images thatI'm thinking of where it feels a
little bit more posed.
You know, again, I get it withkids, like my kids do it too,
even today.
Like I, I, I get it.
Maybe some of those are olderimages.
but with your engagement stuff,you've been killing it.

(35:48):
And I definitely think that ithas that feel.
So how are you, practicing toget closer to making your
couples or your subjects feelmore comfortable in front of the
camera so that their genuineself comes out?

Talking.
That's one of the biggest thingsthat I found out, like even when
I'm taking pictures of my kids.
Like I said, it's just waitingfor that one moment because I
could be talking to my kids andI could just tell, especially my
teenager, I could just, if Iwant him to smile, I'll talk to
him like, Hey, what's going onwith schools?
And then I'll just blurt outboobs and then he'll be like,
ah.
he'll start laughing and becausehe's

Kids.
Yeah.

Yeah.
And it's just waiting for thatsmall moment to, for something
to happen.
And it's the same thing with myother kids, of course, you know.
My daughter, perfect princess.
She does whatever I ask her to.
She always wants to cooperate,and girls I feel are easier than
boys.
are always just stiff.
So it's just been, trying tofigure out how to talk to

(36:45):
different people so that theycan react the way that I want
them to, I guess you could say.

Are you saying that you are just trying to
distract them from the fact thatthere's a camera in front of
them?

Yes.
like Peter Hurley, like let'sjust for say like one of his
things when I was doing a photoshoot with some models and we
were doing like a group meetupthing.
remember I used one of his linesand I was like, okay, now turn
your nose a little more righttowards, or Ryan's belt.
And then she just looked at me.
She was like, what?
And I was, but that was justenough to get her out of, I'm a
model.

Yeah.
Yeah.

just a genuine smile.
She relaxed and then we justkept shooting and, but you know,
it is just trying to figure outthose little things of how you
can distract people enough toforget that they're taking a
picture.

Oh, that's so huge.
That's so huge.
It's funny'cause it's like we asa society take more photos of
ourselves than ever before, andyet I feel like there's also so
much more, trepidation totaking, to getting your
photograph taken.
Right.
And I don't know if it's becausewe've just seen ourselves more

(37:57):
so an image means less.
I, I don't know what the answeris, but, I think it's
fascinating that, that that'swhat we do.
You know?
And, and, but it, I can tell youit works like obviously it's
working.
I've seen it in your images.
and I would just say.
keep it up.
'cause I like what you're doingand it makes sense, like from a
psychology perspective, takesomebody's mind off of the

(38:17):
camera.
They're gonna act more natural,you're gonna be able to get
better photos.
So that, that's great.
well, let me ask, because we'regetting to the end of our time
here, One of the things that Ithink of in photography, I don't
really talk about it often, butit, it is, it's legacy, right?
And I'm only bringing this up'cause you kind of brought it up
earlier in, in the form of,these images are for my kids,

(38:38):
but I'm doing it for myself.
And I'm the same way.
I take photos for myself, but Iwant the kids to have stuff to
look at, in the future.
So if you were to think, ahundred years in the future,
people are looking at yourphotos, not even your kids.
it's a hundred years from now.
What would you want those peopleto say about your work?

I would like for them to say like, they feel
almost like they were there.
just in a sense, like, not justnecessarily per se, they just
wish they were at Disneyland perse.
Like if it's a couple that'slaughing, I would love to see

(39:24):
what would, what happened there?
Like why are they laughing?
Kind of deal.
Something good must havehappened.
Like, I want that feeling to beevoked through the pictures,
through, the editing, the waythat I capture it, the way that
I use light, and I want it tofeel like it belongs in somebody
else's memory, if that makessense.
I know it sounds very weird and,you know, but that, that's just

(39:48):
how I feel.
Like it, just like, I want myimages to feel like a memory no
matter who's looking at it.

Oh, I kind of sent chills down my spine.
I love that idea.
Because again, like photographyisn't necessarily just about a
document of something right infront of you, but when you use
the camera the right way, you'reable to bring emotion into an
image, right?
Like that intention right thereis what makes an image more than

(40:18):
just a snapshot and for you tosay like, that's the thing that
I'm chasing, tells me thatyou're never gonna have a
problem, taking photos no matterwhat camera it is, whether it's
your iPhone or a point andshoot, or your camera.
you're always gonna be able totake photos that are going to
mean something to others.
So, I appreciate you sayingthat, but

Not with a phone though.
I stopped using my phone.
I don't

oh, completely, really?

I completely like it.
images I get from my phone nevercorrelate to what I see in my
head.
I could never get what I see inmy head onto my phone.
Like as hard as I tried andtried using different range or
zoom modes and different things,like I could just never, that's
why I picked up the camera and Itake it everywhere I go.

Wow.
Okay.
So, I mix a lot.
I take photos with my Fujicameras.
I take photos with my, you know,a GoPro.
I take photos with my iPhone.
So let me ask you, having theknowledge that you have now,
just knowing how cameras workand I.
The whole process ofphotography, why do you think
that you're not able to achievewhat's in your head with a cell

(41:24):
phone?

Because I think it, it does too much thinking.

The camera does too much thinking.

go.
Yeah.
So like with a phone, like Imight be able to do something
more with like, say a point andshoe camera than I probably
could with everything that aphone does.
don't get me wrong, I stillthink that phones take great
pictures.
They're great quality.
I will still stand by GooglePixel.
I still think they have the bestcamera.
But it just, It never representswhat I show, what I have in my

(41:54):
head.
Like I could look at my dog andtake a picture with my phone and
I won't be happy with itbecause, not enough detail.
The, it decided that there'sgonna let more light in from the
background than I wanted to, orsomething like that.
So my phone for when I don'thave another option.
So, like, say if I go to aconcert, I can't bring my camera

(42:14):
in, so my phone will do.
And there has been some, like,there's some pictures on my from
when I saw, say, Ferris, andthat that was all done with my
phone.
Anything that's concert relatedis done on my phone'cause I
can't take my camera.
but if I, if I could ditch mycamera on my phone and just

(42:34):
carry my designated camera, Iwould do that all the time.

I love it.
Well, Mario, I gotta ask my lastquestion for you here is, this
is geared to help the people whoare currently in the group who
are struggling, to really makeany progress with our
photography.
And that is if you were torewind the clock, the four years
to shortly after you first gotyour camera.
You have all the knowledge thatyou have now, right?
What's the one thing that youwould tell that version of

(43:01):
yourself about photography toeither make it easier or just
more enjoyable?

Don't stop being curious.
Because that, that for me hasbeen

I.

everything, like the curiosity of what can I see
with my camera.
Like I posted the picture of atiny little spider that was
literally the size of myfingertip,

I hated that by the way.
Thanks.
No more spider photos, please.

know, anytime I got some more, um, I have it
frozen in my, in my deepfreezer.

The spider.

yeah.
So I put

What?

and it was already dead.
So I put it in a baggie topreserve it and I put it in my
deep freezer in case I wanna trysomething else with it again.
Um,'cause when am I gonna findanother spider like that again?

Hopefully never.

uh, that would be great.
But you know, it is just thatcuriosity of wanting to figure
out what you can see with yourcamera.
As long as you can keep chasingthat, I don't think that there's
ever gonna be anything difficultthat comes with it until you
start a business, then that's acompletely different story.
But in terms of just learningyour camera, just that of

(44:08):
saying.
What happens, what can I do?
What can I see, what can I add?
Then it's just, it, it creates alot of possibilities and it
never ends.

Hopefully, yeah, hopefully it never, never
ends.

I don't

Well, well, Mario, again man, we're at the
end of our time.
I appreciate you so much.
I know that you are in thegroup, you share photos
constantly.
You are, according to Facebook,one of our top contributors.
So I appreciate you for that.

I will keep annoying everybody.

But for those, who want to follow you in the
group and they wanna follow yououtside, where's the best place
to see some of your work online?

Uh, I would say probably the best place would be
Instagram, but I haven't updatedthat thing in like six, seven
months because I don't, I refuseto, I just don't like social
media.
But, that would probably thebest place.
And I just started my website,so that has more of my recent
work.
Everything is under Mario'screative imagery, if you guys

(45:09):
look for that, then you can findit.

Remember if you have any follow up
questions, Mario is in thecommunity.
So if you got a question to askor you just wanna start sharing
your photos and getting feedbackon your work, then join him,
myself, and the thousands ofothers who are looking to learn
and grow their skills inphotography by heading over to
beginner photo pod.com/group nowto join us.

(45:33):
Today's action item, meaning theone thing that if you implement
it today, will move the needleforward in your photography is
this take your camera with youeverywhere.
Mario talked about taking hiscamera everywhere with him, and
by forcing himself not to usehis cell phone, he's been able
to not only capture more andhigher quality images of his

(45:55):
life than what he would with acell phone, but also it gives
him a huge advantage of simplyspending more time with the
tool, and capturing more images.
So I encourage you.
Take a camera with youeverywhere, whether you gotta
buy a comfortable shoulderstrap, a padded pocket for like
a purse or a backpack, or awrist strap, or honestly, just
do what I do and just kind ofthrow your camera around.

(46:17):
And I don't mean like throw yourcamera around, but I will tell
you that cameras are not asfragile as you think that they
are.
So like, you don't have toprotect it as if it's some
fragile egg or something likethat.
Just take it with you.
Capture more photos.
Take your camera more places,photograph more things, get
better.

(46:37):
That was it for today.

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