SPEAKERS

The Aussie "O²" Tour
Rocco Ancora & Tero Sade

Visionaries-UK and Albums Australia are proud to present 2 of Australia's best wedding/portrait photographers.

ROCCO ANCORA
 
By Peter Skinner...

Given the adage about classic images being timeless, people will be enjoying the work of Australia's tree-time Wedding Photographer of the Year, Rocco Ancora for years to come. Being awarded a prestigious accolade such as the Australian Institute of Professional Photography's Wedding Photographer of the Year once in a career is meritorious; to receive the award three times in a four year span is a ringing endorsement of the high regard in which his peers hold Rocco's craftsmanship.

Rocco, whos thriving studio 'Images by Rocco' is based in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and photographs about 50 weddings a year, approximately 60 portrait sessions and some additional commercial and fashion shoots. The majority of his work, approximately 80 percent, is on location, with the balance shot in the studio. "I love teaching and sharing what I do with other photographers".

At writing, Images by Rocco employs four staff - two full-time and two part-time - and Rocco said that he always works with assistants on a wedding shoot but he is the only one capturing images, "I feel it is important that the story of the day is captured for the bride and groom as seen through my eyes, so I do all the photography." he said.

That he has become one of Australia's preeminent wedding and portrait photographers is a tribute to Rocco's inherent creative talents and his ability to master and harness the potential of technical aspects of photography. Although blessed with natural ability in art and design - he excelled in those disciplines at school - Rocco did not set out to become a photographer, He stumbled into photography while studying architecture, a profession that seemed ideal given his interest and talent in design.

Learning on the job in traditionl photography was excellent training for adapting to and excelling in a technology not yet in vogue when Rocco cut his teeth on film - digital photography. While emphasising that digital photography is no less demanding in technical know-how and artistry, Rocco recognises the immense value of those early years as an assistant shooting in film. "I believe that one of the reasons I do what I do is because of the solid ground training (that I got) in traditional photography methods. Shooting film was a very different beast. It required knowledge and craftsmanship in order to create a masterpiece on a blank canvas called a negative," he said.

For the record, Rocco went digital in 2001 and currently uses Canon 1Ds Mk III and 5D cameras with lenses ranging from 16mm to 200mm and always captures RAW files. "I nail the exposure and colour balance in the camera - it means fewer headaches later - and use the ExpoDisc white balance filter to make sure of that," he said.

Being located in an affluent suburb of Melbourne ensures most of Rocco's clients are in that metropolitan area but he has photographed weddings in other parts of Australia, including Sydney, and also a few in Italy, pointing out that he does enjoy destination weddings.

Many of Rocco's images are classical and romantic, exquisitely imbued with distinctive and evocative lighting and composition similar to that found in numerous wonderfully-crafted movies from the 1940s and '50s. It's a look and feeling that Rocco strives for. Complementing this artistry is that special ability common to all great people photogrphers - being able to connect with the subjects so they interact comfortably with the photographer, at ease in front of the camera.

Rocco sums up this aspect of his work: "For me a good photograph has to be full of emotion, mood and atmosphere. Taking great wedding photographs isn't about me or winning awards, it is about the people I am photographing - my clients. I like people and am genuinely interested in finding out what makes them tick. When shooting at weddings, I look for moments that make me feel good inside and these are usually the same moments that make the bride and groom feel good. We're all made up of life experiences and by being in tune with our own, we can then be in tune with theirs. Connecting with people is easy if they feel comfortable around you."

Getting to the point where the client feels comfortable and ralaxed does not just happen. It requires research, planning and open lines of communication. In Rocco's case, he likes to meet with the client three or four times prior to a wedding so mutual trust is developed. In the process he can determine the client's expectations and thus can tailor his shooting style for the day - photojournalistic or otherwise. "By talking to my clients I tune into what they are interested in and I adjust my shooing style based on their feedback, There's no point shooting fashion style photos if they want a stylised album. You have to be in tune with what your clients want, " he said. "This is why when interviewing clients it's very important to listen. In fact, I do very little talking, Once they start telling me what the day means to them, trust develops and they open up. By the time the wedding day arrives, you're not just the photographer, you're an invited guest."

Rocco's distinctive and expertly controlled lighting sets the mood and almost without exception the viewer's eye is immediately drawn into the image as a direct result. Many of his photographs have strong directional ambient light streaming through windows or doors and creating a spotlight effect. Others are illuminated with beautiful, soft diffused light. The direction of light - whether side or back - and its quality combine to produce stunning images of people and their environment. The delicate textures of bridal gowns and veils are beautifully revealed. And throug all of this - the lighting, the composition, the backgrounds and environment - the essence of the wedding is warmly and sensitively conveyed. The human connection of emotion, love, intimacy and humour is captured and portrayed through the eyes of a master photographer.

After a weding, Rocco presents the clients with a book or album from which additional orders can be made, The bulk of printing is outsourced with only fine art prints done in-hourse. "With every wedding I like to produce a series of fine art prints persoanlly sighend by me for the bride and groom," he said.

As with wedding photography in other countries, competition is growing but for photographers wishing to rise above the masses, Rocco proffers this advice. "It's important to educate your clients on why and how you do what you do. Never try and compete on price by discounting your work. This devalues your worth. It all begins with the client's experience from the moment they walk into your studio. In photography, we stimulate the sense of sight, but in professional photography we must stimulate all the senses, including sound and smell, and this is where hospitality is very important. The way you make people feel makes a big difference to the final outcome and how they, in turn, feel about you and your work."

In recent years, and as evidenced by the success of Australian photographers in WPPI competitions, there has been a great deal of interest in the work of photographers from Down Under. While acknowledging this trend, Rocco is emphatic that creativity is a personal trait that can be honed by your own efforts, not by where you call home. "It really has no bearing on what country you are from. Creativity requires the courage to go beyond your comfort zone. Push the boundaries and experiment. The sheer thirll of creating something new every time I shoot is what drives me," he said.

If there is one overarching aspect to Rocco Ancora's philosophy of being involved with his peers it's sharing knowledge. "I think that the sharing of knowledge is important for personal growth and paramount to success. It's really up to the individual what doors in their creative mind that new learned technique will open. Im my seminars I am not afraid of sharing with my peers what I do because it's not only the technical aspects that create an image - it's how your eyes and your heart see the world. A photograph is a combination of all three elements: technical, vision, emotion. We are all made up of life experiences and therefore we are all different and unique," he said.

"To grow as a photographer I believe that you must always have a thirst for knowledge and, to some extent, never be fully satisfied with what you are doing today. I like to think that tomorrow I will create that tultimate image."

To see more of Rocco's work: www.imagesbyrocco.com.au

 TERO SADE

With a career spanning nearly 25 years and 30,000 shoots, portrait photographer Tero Sade has successfully worked in every level of the market from mass volume mobile shopping mall portraits, itinerant glamour to high end boutique portrait and weddings.

Together with wife Julie, they have shared a roller coaster ride of successes and failures managing to build up one of Australia's leading portrait studios employing a team of 12 and occupying a 400 square metre state of the art facility in Brisbane, Queensland. The 12 staff are employed in various duties including 3 photographers, digital post production staff, sales staff, production and call centre (incoming calls only, no telemarketing).

The basis of their success has always been Tero's unique view of the portrait market and innovative approach to marketing.

Tero's view is that we work in  a speculative market, and based on a set of assumptions and observations of human nature you can create steps and systems for a successful portrait business. It' one thing to generate portrait sessions but then what do you do with them?How do you maximise your return? Tero likens the portrait procedure to a journey and has systems in place for every stage of the journey from lead generation, how to handle the enquiry, the planning session, the shoot and sales appointment. Even the price list is part of the system. The theory goes that the sales process starts before the client even phones the studio and if you put the steps into place, nurture the relationship, you will maximise the return and create a very happy client.

Having the steps in place is on part of it, then you need to get the phone to ring and this is where lead generation programs come in. Tero and Julie have fine-tuned Third Party Marketing to the point that they can confidently achieve a conversion rate to the tune of 20%. "It's a great way to predict and control your workflow" says Tero. Instead of running a few advertisements and hoping for the best, you are out there being proactive and making the phone ring.

The second highly successful form of marketing Tero undertakes is the 'Book' program his studio initially launched in 2002. The concept evolved around a wish to achieve three goals...one was to obvioulsy generate work for the studio, the second was to raise funds for a charity that Tero is very fond of, the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Thirdly to strengthen the Tero brand within the community.

The result was the birth of the 'Kids Of' book program. With an initial goal to produce one book, photograph several hundred children and raise $10,000 for charity, the project very quickly grew a life of its own. To date Tero has photographed thousands of children, produced 9 coffe table books, been responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities and personally gererated in excess of $4,500,000 in portrait sales since 2002.

In late 2003, having achieved extraordinary succcess, ticking off nearly every goal that Tero had set for himself and faced with a personal health crisis, Tero and Julie decided to re-evaluate their business and personal lifestyle and made some major changes. They sold their Brisbane business to move to the beautiful island state of Tasmania. Today they run a highly successful studio in a state with a population of just over 400,000 people. The business is based around lifestyle, photographing four days per week; 40 weeks per year, they achieve portrait sales above $500,000 per year.

Tero has become one of Australia's most successful photographers and business operators. Known for his innovative (some say aggressive) marketing, he has promoted successfully in practically every market segment there is, from mass shopping centre portraits, itinerant glamour shoots, to high-end boutique portrait and weddings.

To see Tero's work: www.tero.com.au