Jules Ingall is a professional photographer with a diverse career spanning multiple genres, from motorsport to tourism and portraiture. Stephen Finkel is a freelance photographer with a love of street and travel photography and a podcast producer for Photomission’s Exposure, Focus podcasts, and the Meet the Maker Australia podcast. Together, they are Community Managers for the Canon Collective Facebook group. We met with Stephen and Jules, who shared a little about their individual starts in photography and a wealth of photographic knowledge and advice.
Both Jules and Stephen found photography at a young age. For Jules, it was taking photos of her brother, who was really into motorsports. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to pursue motorsport photography as a career. The work took her all across the world before she eventually settled back in Australia and transitioned into working with tourism boards, doing landscape photography and product and portrait work in the studio.
Stephen was developing rolls of film in his father’s home darkroom early on. He became hooked at the age of seven when his dad showed him some trick photography with forced perspective. These days, Stephen enjoys teaching and helping aspiring photographers understand and learn about photography. He draws particular fulfilment from seeing the joy on their faces when things begin to click, and they start creating, so he has found the Canon Collective to be a perfect fit for him.
‘I went to the very second event and instantly loved the camaraderie. It was just a fantastic group, so I tried to get to as many as possible.’ - Stephen Finkel.
As a member of the Collective Facebook group long before becoming a Community Manager, Stephen noticed there wasn't a lot of exchanging ideas within the group. To drive involvement and get members talking, he started posting a question every Saturday, such as ‘If you had a time machine and could go back in time to shoot for one hour somewhere in the world, where would you go?’ His Saturday questions have proven very popular and have been going on for five years now.
Jules and Stephen are currently in their second year as Community Managers of the group and have introduced several popular initiatives in that time. Each week, they spotlight a different community member, from professionals to hobbyists. The goal is for people to share a bit of their story so others in the group may learn and draw inspiration if going through similar challenges.
Another idea the pair implemented is a Wednesday Challenge, which aims to motivate members to develop new skills. An example of a photographic technique and a step-by-step guide on achieving the result is posted to the group every Wednesday. Members are then encouraged to try the process and share their results with the group.
Arguably the most significant initiative they've introduced is the Clique Awards. Jules and Stephen explain that they wanted to create an opportunity for people to gain genuine and constructive feedback from industry professionals without feeling intimidated. Of course, the prizes are great, but they both point out that the people least likely to win benefit most from entering because they receive practical feedback on what they’re doing well and suggested areas of improvement.
‘It's really encouraging when we see photographers get their momentum from the group. People who started very early and they just build their confidence, that's great!’ - Stephen Finkel.
Stephen and Jules offer some valuable advice for those looking to start a photography business. They stress the importance of sorting out the bookkeeping and operational side of things from the outset. Taking the time to provide quotes and invoices and not trying to fudge around those things is imperative if you want to be taken seriously as a professional. And networking! Although digital photography and smartphone advancements have lowered the barrier of entry into photography, there's also more work than ever up for grabs. So develop networks, foster relationships, and always be as professional as possible.
‘I think a lot of photographers are quite introverted, real loners. But you also have to be really good with people in the commercial sense. So it's kind of a contradiction.’ - Jules Ingall.
When it comes to gear, both are Canon shooters and have been since the beginning. Now shooting with the Canon EOS R5, Jules has two RF lenses, her favourite of which is the RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L which she loves and uses for her portrait work. She also enjoys shooting with her EF 100mm f/2.8 L macro, which she uses on her R5 with the EF to RF adapter. Despite being an outstanding macro lens, she uses it more for her product and portrait work than anything macro.
Like Jules, Stephen has also transitioned into mirrorless and has the R5. He loves using it for street photography together with the RF 24-105mm f/4 L lens. Another favourite lens is the ever-popular RF 50mm f/1.2 L, but the lens he has been most surprised by is the RF 600mm f/11, an excellent option for people who love to photograph wildlife. Stephen also shoots with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV which he typically pairs with the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L.
‘We've both got the new R5 cameras, and with their focusing and tracking technology, you almost feel like you're cheating because it just makes it so easy.’ - Jules Ingall.
For budding photographers looking for advice on settings, Stephen explains that overexposing is a common mistake many new photographers make when starting. He explains that it’s generally better to shoot slightly under to ensure you're preserving the highlights. Stephen points out that when highlights blow out, they effectively become white pixels, and the information is lost. But you can pull an incredible amount of detail out of the shadows.
Jules encourages all beginner photographers to break out of auto mode and start shooting in manual and raw as quickly as possible. When the camera makes the decisions, it’s harder to understand the effect each setting has on your images. You quickly begin to work out what’s happening when you're in full manual and dialling in the changes yourself. Both Stephen and Jules encourage new photographers to explore settings. Try taking the same photo with different aperture and shutter speed combinations and compare the results.
‘We're living in a really blessed time for photography. When I started shooting, if I messed up a roll of film, I messed up a roll of film. These days people can safely experiment. I say to people when they first get their camera to just take it down the back paddock or wherever they are and shoot. Just try different things because they're digital files; it’s not costing you anything other than time.’ - Stephen Finkel.
To improve composition, Stephen says spending time in art galleries is a great way to get an idea of how design elements work together. Jules is a big believer in not getting caught up in composition rules and instead trusting one’s artistic instincts to create a unique style. Although Jules does express one pet hate, a crooked horizon line, she insists that's one rule worth keeping in mind.
Maintaining inspiration is a hot topic on the Collective page. Members regularly reach out when feeling a little flat and ask the group for advice on working through it. Jules and Stephen remind us that everyone hits that point where they lose their mojo, and it's ok to take breaks and put your camera down for a week or two. But to work through it, try challenging yourself with a new subject, genre or technique. Passion projects and shooting subjects you love are great for developing skills and keeping creatively energised.
‘That's what we try and do with the Collective with the challenges and questions; always trying to challenge people so that they keep that spark alive.’ - Jules Ingall.
The Canon Collective Facebook group is a welcoming space open to photographers of all skill levels using any camera brand. It's a fantastic resource for working through photographic problems with peers and a terrific platform for learning, bouncing off one another and staying inspired.
To find out more about Stephen, Jules, and the Canon Collective, check out the whole conversation here.
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