Raph Nogal is one of our incredible SLR Lounge Educational Ambassadors, offering his professional wedding photography experience and business tips to our ‘Master the Business of Photography’ Facebook Group. Aside from being on our all-star Ambassador team, Raph represents companies such as Profoto Canada, MagMod, Spider Holster, and Vision Art – Fine Art Books. You can follow more of his work on his Instagram and Website.
Before you jump in, here’s a video of Raph introducing himself!
Your clients hire you for your specific vision. How would you define that vision or approach to your photography?
“My vision of wedding photography is made up of two things: 1. it has to be in-tune with the day and the moments that unfold before the lens and 2. there needs to be an artistic flair to the way the story of the couple is told. I always define my vision as a mixture of raw photojournalism fused with editorial and artistic imagery. Photojournalism has to be there. I will sacrifice the perfect composition and the perfect light for a beautiful moment, no matter what. It’s my job to be there at the right place at the right time, not only reacting, but also anticipating. With a background in visual arts, I can’t help but remember artists such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt, their works are engraved in my mind. I often find the need for artistic expression and that’s what photography provides for me.”
What’s one tool you use (software, app, etc) that helps you daily in managing your business?
“My business would be in complete chaos without Sprout Studio. This is a tool I use every single day and it helps me organize my day, my month, my year and beyond when it comes to running my photography business. It reminds me of due dates, it reminds me of tasks that need to be completed based on the workflows I’ve created, it links to my calendar, runs business reports, connects to client online galleries & so much more. It plays an integral part of the customer journey that I provide to every single client. Sprout Studio keeps me in tune and on top of things. As a boutique photography studio, I want to provide an exceptional service to my clients and make them feel like they are my number one priority – which they are. Sprout Studio is my lifesaver.”
Do you have a favorite place for inspiration/education?
“I often find myself learning from my five-year-old son, even something that seems basic, such as patience, teaches me a lesson. Sometimes seeing things through his eyes will open up a different point of view, or the ability to see something I couldn’t see before. He inspires me. I’m inspired by my wife who is in extremely determined and one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. Her perseverance and goal-driven attitude is something I admire. I find myself creatively getting inspired by the old masters – both my in visual arts and also in photography: Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Herb Ritz, and so many others. In terms of education, I find that there are conferences out there that offer little nuggets of information when I’ve done in-person workshops I found those to be useful as well – as long as you do the work afterward. In terms of online education, the SLR lounge educational workshop and content has been incredible. The wealth of information on there is like no other, they’ve got in-depth workshops about starting and running a photography business, workshops about posing, workshops about lighting, and so much more. They also offer Facebook groups where you can get direct help from peers and educational ambassadors.”
Why Does Education Matter To You?
“Life is about learning. Education is one of the most powerful tools we have. It challenges our minds, our bodies, and our abilities. Education allows us to learn new skills, improve ourselves and empower others. As a community, we can all grow together by sharing our ideas, successes, and failures, so that we can learn from them.”
Join the Master the Business of Photography Facebook Group to get to know and learn from Raph and our 11 other incredible Business Educational Ambassadors! The group is guided by our best-selling Business Photography Training System designed to help you build the photography business of your dreams!