music credit: Ben Howard – Depth Over Distance (iTunes)

If you’re interested in the FILM show before this year’s season airs, I recommend you watch last year’s season. Signing up is free.

http://framednetwork.com/

Today’s wedding was also featured on Oncewed. Check out more details there.

VSCO Film 1,2 and 3 are presets for Lightroom and Photoshop. The three packs have a number of presets made to mimic different film stocks. I use all three packs, which presets I use generally depends on my own mood, i have used and use pretty much all of the presets, but I rarely use more than one colour and one black and white preset per wedding or shoot.

Pack 1 has the most classic looks, pack 2 have a few more dramatic looks and pack 3 are presets made to look like instant film (polaroid).

Not only has VSCO helped me speed up my processing immensly, it has made me happy with my processing. I generally don’t  have to tweak my images at all after I’ve applied the different presets and for someone who shoots as much as i do, that’s amazing.

I also use another product from VSCO called VSCO Keys. VSCO Film cut my editing time in half, when I started using VSCO Keys, my editing time was cut in half again. In short VSCO Keys are keyboard shortcuts for Lightroom and using it has helped me speed things up dramatically.

My favourite presets are Fuji 400, Fuji 800Z, T-Max 3200 ++, Ilford Delta 3200 ++, Superia 100 and Portra 400 NC ++. I use the presets in pack 3 for flavour and mainly on individual shots.

You can buy all film packs and VSCO Keys here.

These images were processed with VSCO Film Pack 01 

These images were edited with VSCO Film Pack 2.

These images were processed with VSCO Film Pack 3

Material Connection Disclosure

A Greater Story is a photography workshop, but you will walk away with more important things than settings and photoshop tricks, hopefully inspired to run a meaningful business and live the life you’ve always wanted.

Over the two days we will discuss a range of different subjects. I will share my story and show you how it affects everything I do. I have built a business and body of work completely based on who I am and the needs I have and I will try to push and challenge you to do the same. We will discuss how inspiration works, how to push through creative blocks and how telling a good story can change your business dramatically.

We will discuss – in detail – how storytelling impacts everything from branding to client interaction, pricing and sales.

I have in a very short amount of time built a highly successful photography business, but I’ve also made mistakes and I will take you through both the good and the bad. Today I’m one of the most booked destination wedding photographers in the world and we’ll talk about that aspect of my business too, the choices I’ve made to get to where I am today.

We will go through gear, software, workflow and post processing. We will also talk about your role as an artist, finding your voice (you already have one), social media, how to get published and a bunch of other things.

After the two days you will hopefully walk away inspired and reassured that you have what it takes to move your business – and your life – in the direction it needs.

WHEN: Paris, France (venue still to be confirmed) 25-26 June 2013

WHAT: Two day workshop, meet and greet drinks the night before the workshop, drinks, snacks and lunch both days and a dinner out on the town at the end of day two. You will also receive a number of discounts from suppliers I work with as well as books and inspiration material.

PRICE: $1950 AUD

HOW: To secure a spot, send an email with the subject “PARIS WORKSHOP” to mail [at] jonaspeterson.com. We will answer the emails in order and to secure your spot you will need to pay a non-refundable retainer of $1000 AUD. First come, first served. You can pay by credit card or paypal. The number of seats are limited to 15.

A Greater Story is a two day workshop I’ve been working on for the last year.

It’s in some ways a photography workshop, but you will walk away with more important things than settings and photoshop tricks, hopefully inspired to run a meaningful business and live the life you’ve always wanted.

But it’s time to take it further. For the first time we’re going to make it THREE days. And all inclusive. And it’s time to do it in a place very, very dear to me, the place I spent all my childhood summers – Gotland, Sweden. A place so magical you will never want to leave, I promise you.

Over the three days we will discuss a range of different subjects. I will share my story and show you how it affects everything I do. I have built a business and body of work completely based on who I am and the needs I have and I will try to push and challenge you to do the same. We will discuss how inspiration works, how to push through creative blocks and how telling a good story can change your business dramatically.

We will discuss – in detail – how storytelling impacts everything from branding to client interaction, pricing and sales. I have in a very short amount of time built a highly successful photography business, but I’ve also made mistakes and I will take you through both the good and the bad. Today I’m one of the most booked destination wedding photographers in the world and we’ll talk about that aspect of my business too, the choices I’ve made to get to where I am today.

We will go through gear, software, workflow and post processing too, don’t worry.

I will conduct a live shoot and you will be able to shoot too.

We will also talk about your role as an artist, finding your voice (you already have one, surprise, surprise), social media, how to get published and a bunch of other things. The main focus of the workshop is for you to walk away with inspiration and a newfound focus, ready to step things up in a serious way. After the three days you will hopefully walk away inspired and reassured that you have what it takes to move your business – and your life – in the direction it needs. If this doesn’t happen, I have failed (and that’s not going to happen).

For the first time we’re making this all inclusive, all meals, accommodation and transport to and from Visby airport will be included in the price. I want us all to be able to stay together as a group, live, share and have fun outside teaching hours. Often this is when you learn the most anyway. The food will be prepared by a private chef (oh-la-la!)

WHEN: Burs, Gotland, Sweden  22-24 July 2013, meet and greet July 21.

WHAT: Three day workshop (in English), meet and greet drinks the night before the workshop, all meals, accommodation and transport included. You will also receive a number of discounts from suppliers I work with as well as books and inspiration material.

PRICE: $2500 AUD

HOW: To secure a spot, send an email IN ENGLISH with the subject “GOTLAND WORKSHOP II” to mail [at] jonaspeterson.com. We will answer the emails in order and to secure your spot you will need to pay a non-refundable retainer of $1000 AUD. First come, first served. You can pay by credit card or paypal. The number of seats are limited to 20.

Download audio file (2czwhxfbyc09z130isws.mp3)

Download audio file (fmg5hdu4xdnkpl2dlmp6.mp3)

I’ve resisted the label storyteller for the longest time, but the truth is that is what I am. What I’ve always been. People invite me into their stories, be it for a moment, and I try and re-tell them my way. Often the stories tell themselves, they lead me by the hand and all I do is listen to what I’m given.

But this time.

Man.

I really don’t even know where to begin. The story I’m about to tell is more complex than any other, yet it’s as simple as breathing. A couple of years ago, Jacqui and I went to Ubud in Bali for the first time. Serendipity lead us on winding roads to the small village of Sayan. We rented a beautiful house for a week, overlooking the Sayan Gorge and as soon as we arrived there, my whole body reacted in a way it never had before. I have never felt more in tune with a place, it felt like the world and I were finally breathing in sync. When we had to leave Sayan, I knew I had to come back one day.

When Elora and Rajiv contacted me about their Bali wedding, they never mentioned where in Bali they were getting married, but from their first contact, I knew I had to shoot it. I was meant to shoot it. It took me months to understand why. As it turns out, Elora grew up in the house next to where we had been staying that time in Sayan. As a girl she had been playing in the rice paddies of the Sayan Gorge dreaming that she’d one day would marry her prince charming there.

Elora’s father, John Hardy, raised his family in the heart of Bali, and once you visit Sayan, you will understand why.

Elora met Rajiv in NYC. There he was, the prince of her dreams. Because that he is, a very, very charming prince. I ramble now, and I realise I will never to explain everything about this wedding to you, all the ins and outs, so I’m just going to present it to you. I need to explain a few things though. The wedding took place over three days. The first day John took the guests of a wondrous hike, explaining how the Balinese irrigation system works, showing us all how the farmers grow and harvest rice. It was hot, wet and extremely humid, but i still felt a strange connection with everything I saw, my senses turned on the max, the hairs on my arms tingling. After the hike we finished up with lunch down by the river before people took a soothing dip in the spring pouring over the cliff from the Hardy residence.

Later that night, all the guests met up at Bambu Indah for the first celebration, an Indian ceremony and the craziest dance party I’ve ever seen.

Day two started early. Elora’s dress was made from fresh Jasmine flowers and she was later sewn into it. A bridge had been made from bambu and on that Elora and her father walked across the river to the ceremony. Later we shot the portraits in the rice paddies where Elora had played as a little girl before me met up with the guests in a village close by for the reception. And here I know my images can’t show you the glory of what I saw. The reception that night took place under a large Banyan tree, I have never seen anything like it before. As you’ll notice, there aren’t too many traditional wedding details in this post and that’s because Bali itself is the detail, the fabric of these days, and that’s why the images can’t show you what it was like.

Day three. Elora and Rajiv were blessed in a local ceremony before they invited the locals to a feast under the stars. About 500 people were fed and several times I had to remind myself to shoot the magic in front of me. It was just so much to take in.

I know these images can’t tell you the whole story, there’s no way they can explain it to you, but hopefully they will give you an idea.

All I can give you is a glimpse, show you a fraction of what I saw, a taste of what we all felt.

The week before the wedding Elora sent me an email with a  photo of herself.

It simply said,

It will be just like this.

Download audio file (m24jrfcm57koa27lf3mc.mp3)

Today’s wedding is today featured on Oncewed here and here and was also published in American Vogue last month.

music credit: Balmorhea - We Will Rebuild With Smooth Stones (iTunes)