Home Agencies 8Elite Models 2019 Newsletter

2019 Newsletter

01/01/2020

476

And just like that, 2019 is over.

If you follow this blog you already know in 2019 I photographed over 500 faces. Not only that, but I also had the opportunity to mentor some photographers and meet so many others in my workshops and photowalks. On top of that, the year started with me moving house so I had to build a new studio from the ground up!

Photowalks

These events allowed me to connect with so many amazing people whilst giving photographers the opportunity to practice their skills with professional experienced models for a very low price.

So here are a few numbers from our 2019 photowalks:
– 19th May 2019, first photowalk, Brisbane CBD: 6 models and 32 photographers;
– 21st July 2019, Newstead/Fortitude Valley: 6 models and 36 photographers;
– 21st September 2019, South Brisbane/West End: 6 models, 4 cosplayers, 41 photographers;
– 4th December 2019, night photowalk, Brisbane Riverside: 3 models, 26 photographers.

Thank you so much to all the models and photographers making these events possible, I can’t wait for the weather to cool down a bit so we can start again!

If you would like more information about the photowalks, please visit the oficial Brisbane Photowalk website!

Workshops

I haven’t had as many workshops as I would like to this year. The photowalks kept me busy on that front so organising and advertising workshops was a bit hard. I do hope to run more workshops in 2020 (the difference between a photowalk and a workshop is that in a workshop I show how I shoot to a much smaller group).

Headshots

Agency 888

My work with Agency 888 is what keeps me busy the most. I’ve been their official photographer since September 2017 and each year we grow together! Out of the 540 people I photographed this year, 420 I did it over there.

If you don’t know 888, they’re a talent agency based in Brisbane and with presence also in the Gold Coast.

The 888 Inc. group is divided in a few different areas:

888: is the mother agency, they manage actors and all other areas are under the 888’s umbrella;
8Elite Models: the modelling agency, where all the models for the photowalks are sourced from;
MEC: Movie Extras Club, the guys sending LOTS of people on set as extras for film and TV;
PIA: Positive Impact Academy, where they coach and teach talents.

I cannot thank them enough for welcoming in their family. Being part of a team always beats being on your own all the time.

Private Headshots Clients

I do of course have private clients for headshots, not just actors but business people. It doesn’t compare to the amount of people I shoot with at the agency, obviously.

Model Portfolios and Coaching

Coaching models so they become the best possible professionals they can be is my biggest passion. This also takes a big chunk of my time but when photographers ask me how to get into it, I always say “don’t do it”. There is no money in it unless you are on a whole different level in your career, and even then you’ll probably be shooting for almost nothing.

We see, unfortunately, many photographers claiming to be experts in portfolios and believing they can “coach” a model. Trust me, coaching a model is not what you think it is.

Anyway, this is the subject for a whole article, probably, but this year I shot over 50 portfolios or creative concepts, and that helps me stay sane and keep the creative juices flowing!

Editorial and Commercial

That’s the main goal for most photographers in the fashion industry. In 2019, sadly, I didn’t focus enough on that. I haven’t had many commissions for magazine editorials (no, I don’t submit my work for free to magazines, I only shoot for magazines if I’m commissioned to do so) and definitely not enough commercial work.

I am, though, excited for the future as I started shooting ecommerce and editorial for a local Brisbane activewear brand, so fingers crossed for that in 2020 (already have a job booked with them on my first week back).

Building Community

It is no secret that another one of my passions is bringing people together, and if I had to pick one area where I really achieved in 2019, that would be it!

Being part of the team that tries to bring our group of photographers, models, makeup artists, stylists, designers, etc, together to socialize and network once a month was great!

Starting a Community group online for people to share and learn from each other was also great.

But nothing was greater than the photowalks and workshops! These events are so amazing I have no words to describe. When I was preparing the first walk I was not expecting these events to become what they became. The last one – the first happening at night – showed me how amazing this community I helped create is: lots of photographers sharing equipment, knowledge, helping each other.

So thank you, all of you, for trusting me with this.

Some Extra Highlights

Studio

Angelika Catharina Dybendal Kristiansen, Model

In early February 2019 I moved to a new house and started building a new studio. It’s a small space but it’s where I create all the studio images you see in my portfolio.

Having my own space that is dedicated to shooting allows me to keep my prices competitive and helps me save when I want to create my own content, as I don’t need to hire a place. It also keeps everything professional as the space is not used to anything else (except when there’s a storm coming so I cover the floors and put my car inside, just to be safe).

Assistant / Apprentice

Isabelle Rickards, Photographer and Videographer

2019 was also the year I finally took someone “under my wing”. Isabelle is amazing and you’ll see much, much more of our work together in the coming year!

In Front of the Lens

Jess May, Model
Fujifilm Acros 100, Medium Format

I also tried some different things this year: I was a guest at Josh’s YouTube channel again, twice (last one is not out yet) and even worked as an extra on a feature film – although my scenes were cut out of the final release.

You can check the YouTube video below:

Frames Per Second Ep 70

You can check the one we filmed in 2018 here, and I’ll update the post when the last one we filmed is out!

2020

Left to right: Jess Thomas, Sen Shao, Annaliese McGuire, Bruno Domingues, Elle Steiner, Bella Murray, Isobella McShane
Photo by Michael Moshe Arenson

So what’s next? Well, we’ll have to wait and see. I can tell you we’ll have more and more meetups, photowalks and workshops, for sure! And I hope you enjoy every single one of these events, keep evolving in your craft and meeting new amazing people.

One thing I started in 2019 and will continue in 2020 is to show my face more. You probably noticed this year I posted lots of photos of myself (mostly selfies with my models and clients, really, but also behind the scenes of the walks, workshops and events) and you can expect more of that. I know, you probably want to see the models, not me, but this was a way I found to make my business more personable.

I also plan to blog A LOT more, so keep an eye out for that!

And if you would like to see some of my favourite images from lots of different shoots I did in 2019, please read my previous post here.

Please feel free to invite your friends that are or want to be in this industry, no matter what they want to do (photography, modelling, acting, styling, etc) to join our community. All links needed are below!

I hope to see you all very soon!

THANK YOU!
Bruno