PHOTOS WITH A PURPOSE
My personal purpose is to help open up the world of martial arts to people as it’s been an invaluable element of my life for the last 25 or so years. My means to achieving this is by educating and helping martial arts academies achieve a high quality visual profile on all platforms. Your competition is not the other martial arts school down the road. It is everything else, someone could choose to do (including going to the pub)!
Here are a few points as to why I think I’m your go-to girl when it comes to anything martial arts photography 😉
. Understanding the need of a martial arts business
A background in business & marketing means that I don’t just take “cool action photos” but photos that have a purpose. And the purpose is to attract new prospects to your academy! I’m very passionate about opening up the world of martial arts to others and I’ll work with you to achieve just that. I’ll make sure that I (and you) understand your brand and your communication before we shoot. In some cases I can even help you build or refine your branding and your visual identity.
Having worked within a martial arts academy environment (my partner runs a Silat school in Melbourne), I understand the challenges, needs & clients which allows me to provide you with a service and product that will suit your needs.
You can book a complimentary “Dojo Diagnostics” Session here. This will give you more clarity as to how I might be able to help you and gives us a chance to have a no strings attached chat!
. Trained Martial Artist and Martial Arts Instructor
I’ve been training martial arts for about 25 years and therefore understand the movements and etiquette specific to our arts. I am comfortable on the mats and can easily move in and around ongoing classes while blending in.
After working with more than 70 martial arts schools worldwide, I can usually anticipate quite well where I have to be to capture a certain action. The basic training patterns are very similar no matter what school and style. I always send a checklist prior to my very popular Candid shoot to make sure we (including your instructors) feel prepared and comfortable on the day.
. Familiarity with Dojo etiquette
After more than 20 years on mats, carpets & concrete (China) I am familiar and comfortable with dojo etiquette.
Someone who is new on the mats will first have to find their footing whereas I’m completely at ease in a training and martial arts environment. This allows me to fully concentrate and absorb what is going on around me.
This is most likely the biggest distinction between myself and a regular sports photographer who might struggle within a dojo environment.
. Martial Arts specific movement, timing & energy
At it’s core, movement is quite simple: There is a start, a middle and a finish. An extraction and a retraction. If you add a combative element, there’s timing, distance and cadence / pace which makes it more challenging to follow especially if you are not used to it.
This is the main reason, many photographers struggle to capture martial arts properly. Not only do you need to be very intuitive in following the action, you also need impeccable timing. If there’s too much thinking involved, the photos will look ok but will lack the energy and flow that is very typical to the arts (no matter what style). Needless to say, I’m at a point where my martial arts and photographer brain merge and I’m just in the moment.
What this means for you are photos that really absorb and reflect the energy of your classes and the natural flow of your style’s movements.
. Professional photographer
The combination of speed of movement and available light is the biggest challenge in martial arts photography. Without the right equipment and technical knowledge you’d be hard pressed to get bright, crisp and sharp results in those circumstances. My gear allows me to deliver the quality you need.
A point I want to make here: The camera doesn’t take the photo. The photographer does. So even with professional gear, there’s way more to it than just clicking a button and hoping for the best.
If you are thinking of buying a camera or updating your smartphone, let’s have a chat as I can teach yourself and your team.