What an incredible afternoon we had for our April Sip & Snap.
It was so great to see a mix of familiar and new faces, witnessing everyone have a blast, make friends and capture some incredible images!
May is sold out but the next dates are available in the Shop.
See you next month guys!
Amanda & Bel x
Our first ever “Build your Business” Workshop was a success!
Our attendees had a fun and very informative day learning both mindset and practical tips to start building or creating their Businesses.
They are fired up and ready to go - we can’t wait to see you all blossom over the coming months!
Amanda and Bel x
For our first Sip and Snap of 2023 we headed out to Ocean View Estate Winery. Such a Beautiful Venue and the weather held out for us too! (BONUS)
Our sold out event was a success, and it’s always so great seeing the photography community involved together. Our Models absolutely smashed it with having so many of us around them taking snaps. (Gold Medal!)
Starting off in the vineyard we all captured some super sweet shots of the couples amongst the vines and ended down in the lake for sunset. Yes that’s right, IN THE LAKE!
So many laughs and so much fun was had. The attendees captured some incredible photos too - scroll down to see a few of those shared, you can find more on our Instagram.
See you at the next one!
Amanda & Bel
It’s no surprise that leading into the new year is the time most of us think about the year that was and our goals for the next year. Personally, we don’t like to call these goals “resolutions” we believe measurable goals with a plan to achieve is what leads to success. There’s no point setting a resolution with no plan on how to get there. It’s like driving blindfolded really, how do you plan to get to your destination?
There will be several areas of your life which you would like to make improvements/ goals for. Try and keep your goals in alignment with your values. What truly feels in alignment with who you are, what you stand for and the type of person you want to be.
As an example try breaking them down into categories such as:
BUSINESS
FINANCIAL
HEALTH
MINDSET/SELF CARE
FAMILY
Now, you don’t want to overwhelm yourself with ALL of the things you dream and desire to achieve in 2023. This doesn’t mean you won’t or can’t achieve them, but a key to success is building momentum. To build momentum you need to start with a smaller bite or “snowball” and let that momentum roll into a bigger Snowball.
Tips for setting a “SMART” goal:
Specific: Write down your goal with as much detail as possible.
Measurable: Brainstorm incremental targets that help you achieve the bigger goal.
Attainable: Make sure it’s possible to achieve the desired result.
Realistic: Think about all of the restraints or complications that may effect you achieving your goal.
Time-Limited: Give yourself deadlines for each little goal or task.
Yes this will take you a little time, but taking this short amount of time to plan will make your chances of achieving the life you desire to have in 2023 much higher!
Click here to download a simple template for writing down and displaying your goals at home. Having a visual reminder helps to keep you on track too!
Amanda and Bel x
Who can believe it? Here we are in the middle of December 2022. How did that even happen?! It’s true what our parents and grandparents used to say, each year goes quicker and quicker!
I think especially in the Photography Industry as well, because we are always booking, planning and thinking months and even years ahead with Photoshoots and Weddings.
Before we prepare for our 2023 and set meaningful and achievable intentions I think it’s a great opportunity first to reflect on this year.
Here are some questions to think about, write out and answer for yourself.
The power of reflection is often underestimated. Writing things down and reflecting helps you to understand yourself and situations better. This is powerful in helping you set and achieve new goals in 2023.
Stay tuned for the 2023 goal setting post out next week with your 2023 goal setting freebie.
Bel and Amanda x
Our last event for the year was such a good time!
The weather turned it on for us with gorgeous light and a beautiful sunset. It’s been so nice seeing people in the photography community get together and help each other learn whether established or a beginner.
Until next time team! New dates are available in the store to purchase tickets. :)
-Amanda and Bel x
“Had such a great afternoon at Bel and Amanda’s Sip and Snap event. It was so beautifully organised, relaxing and super fun meeting other fellow photographers. Weather turned it on and had some good laughs! Would love to join another event in the future, but until then, thanks girls! Highly recommend!”
We held our first Beginner Workshop on the weekend and it was such a success!
A full day of education, our attendees (and us) had such a great day together from early morning until sunset!
“I attended the Light Havens first beginners workshop and it was amazing, loved it and learnt so much from them. Amanda and Bel are great teachers and photographers, they both offer so much help, support and guidance.
I highly recommend attending their workshops and their Snack and Snaps too.”
“I have attended the ‘snack and snap’, and beginners workshop and both were so fun and informative. The workshop was such an amazing experience and well put together from getting to know my gear, the onset shoots and post production. I learned so much in one day! Bel and Amanda were so helpful in sharing their knowledge and photography expertise, and really took the time to help each person individually. Thankyou ladies this has helped me so much :) “
“I attended the beginner workshop and wow! So much great information delivered in a clear, easy to understand format. For myself I am very much a beginner. From not understanding how to use my camera properly to having an understanding of the settings by the end of the day was amazing. I had such a great day with the whole group. Thank you to Amanda and Bel, the workshop is huge success and I think I can say for everyone we appreciate you sharing your knowledge.”
Aside from knowing and understanding the essentials of how your camera works. The biggest key to success in Photography is learning about lighting. Lighting can make or break your images. If you get to a location at the right time of the day when the sun is in the right place, you’ll feel like a genius. But if the lighting is off and you don’t have the knowledge, you will feel anxious and nervous about how to make it look good.
1. Use Broad Source Lighting
A broad source of lighting as an example would be anything outdoors and in the open. Your subject (person) facing away from any obstacle or building to avoid harsh light and unflattering shadows.
In front of a building facing outwards.
In front of a tree with the sun behind them.
Indoors facing towards a large open window or glass doors.
2. Strategically Place Your Subject
If the lighting isn’t soft on your subjects faces and is creating harsh shadows it will be much less flattering for any lines/ wrinkles/ imperfections they have. (Those pesky eye bags we tend to get will look much more prominent too)
- If outdoors have the sun behind your subject.
- When indoors have your subject on a 90 degree angle to the window or door
- In a building or city environment have you subject face away from the building where the light is most even on their face and not shadowed on one side.
3. Flash Lighting
For our style of photography we shoot natural light as often as possible. There are some situations however when we would need to use a flash such as a Wedding Reception or Event Photography. When we use a flash, we use an external speedlight attached to our camera with a diffuser. Most will come with a diffuser filter but an extra level of softening the light is to use a dome diffuser.
4. Neutral Colours for Indoor Shoots
When setting up a room to take some photos, use neutral colours on your walls that won’t bounce back any colours onto your image. If don’t use rooms that may have heavy colours like reds or greens that will reflect into your shot to interfere with the colour balance of your image or subjects face.
If you decide to dedicate the room to photography, get a roller and paint the walls with the same light neutral colour/ white is probable best. Cheap white backdrops can be found on Amazon or Ebay if you aren’t able to paint the walls.
5. Light from the Side for Landscapes
For landscapes, shadows are wanted to bring out textures within. Lighting from the side will give better emphasis for textures such as trees, buildings, and rocks - helping to provide more of a 3-D look.
The more you can learn about lighting, the better. What’s really great is that you can read about what we use and how we light an image in our beginner workshops. The best way to see this work and improve – get out your camera and practice, practice, practice!
- Amanda and Bel x
Our second Snack & Snap event was held at the beautiful S.K.H.Q event space in North Lakes and it was such a wonderful morning spent mingling and photographing some adorable little bubbas!
”Yesterday I got the amazing opportunity to attend a Snap and Snack event with The Light Haven, hosted by the amazing Amanda and Bel. This was a great chance to get together with other photographers, chat about all things photography, eat some delicious snacks and capture beautiful images of our beautiful models. Loved attending this event and love the images I captured” - Photos by Cazza
”What an amazing morning at the Snack and Snap. Lots of learning, connecting and chatting with amazing local photographers. Thank you to Belinda and Amanda from The Light Haven for creating these fantastic events.” - Amy Perren Photography
If you enjoy taking photos, what could be more exciting and rewarding than doing it for a living?
Just think of how wonderful it could be to be a paid invite to endless weddings and parties a year, to capture joyful family memories, to watch children grow up, or even to just to experience others smile everyday of your career.
With photography you can do just that.
You know what else is great about the Photography Industry? There is more than enough work for the freelance/work-at-home Photographer.
To get started you need to get the right equipment. This will require you to decide exactly how far you want to take your Business. If you have a room in your home that you could set up as an office you might want to look into setting up a backdrop and lighting equipment.
If a studio isn’t on your cards, or perhaps you don’t have the space in your house don’t let this discourage you. You can still join the Photography world without this. One of the greatest things about having a work from home Photography Business is that you can offer most of the same services that the Photography studios offer without the overhead costs. Beautiful on location lifestyle sessions or in-home sessions are stunning. You really just need to focus on delivering quality photos and customer service.
Fortunately, delivering quality photos now days could not be easier thanks to the ability to learn mostly anything online. Joining a community just like ours where you can learn online and from each other holds endless value to you and your Photography Career.
If you have a lower budget you can easily get started with a personal computer, digital camera and a lens such as 50mm.
After you have decided what equipment is essential to starting your business you need to start selling yourself. The great thing about photography is if you belong to a local club, church, etc there are always people in need of your services. Also, don’t forget your family since they can be powerful with putting the word out there. More than likely you will get most of your business through referrals. In this case customer satisfaction and experience is so important.
Word will spread like wildfire if your services aren’t great. So remember whether your taking photos for free at your nephews wedding, or your getting paid to take photos at your local school always put your best foot forward. In fact one of the easiest ways to start building your portfolio is to start taking free or low cost pictures of friends and family.
Last, if your hobby business really gets rolling you might want to consider registering your business. Taking care of legalities gives your customers a sense of security. It lets them know that you mean business. Also, at this point you may want to start advertising on social media that way people can easily see and share your beautiful work. The internet can be a powerful resource these days!
You can do it! Make a plan and stick to it!
Remember, this is something you love.
Treat your job like you love it and your job will love you!
Our first Snack & Snap event was just a few weeks ago and it was such a great success!
We are so grateful to the incredible women who joined us!
This is the first of many of these events and is the start of the vision that we have for The Light Haven - A community where we can bring people together who love photography. We had experienced and beginner photographers who all got along so well and had such a great time!
We are so excited for our next event in just a few weeks time!
”I had the most wonderful morning meeting fellow photographers who are now friends and learning lots with @thelighthaven_ can’t wait for the next one” - Carlie Wheeler Images
”I’ve had an amazing morning getting to know some local photographers and hanging with some that are now friends. Thank you so much to Belinda and Amanda from @thelighthaven_ for putting together such an amazing morning. I can’t wait for the next one” - Dreamy Fields Photography
