Latest / The MOOD Podcast / Laura BC’s Journey: Charting a Path from the Naysayers to Artistic Autonomy, E030

Transcript

Laura BC’s Journey: Charting a Path from the Naysayers to Artistic Autonomy, E030 · The MOOD Podcast

• 0:01
  Laura BC: I cried a lot.
• 0:02
  Laura BC: I was homeless.
• 0:02
  Laura BC: For a while I was sleeping in a hostel room with 15 people.
• 0:05
  Laura BC: How much do you want it?
• 0:08
  Matt Jacob: How would you normally describe yourself?
• 0:09
  Matt Jacob: Wow, how do you evolve as an artist?
• 0:12
  Matt Jacob: When did YouTube come in?
• 0:14
  Matt Jacob: Oh, this is interesting.
• 0:15
  Matt Jacob: How can you impart advice, then, to beginners who are who need to pay the bills?
• 0:20
  Matt Jacob: Every beginner has the same problem, so do you believe that anyone can do it?
• 0:27
  Matt Jacob: Today was a conversation with Laura BC.
• 0:28
  Matt Jacob: Again, like many of my guests, I'm unable to pronounce her last name, so I won't do her the disservice of trying, and she likes to go by her online name anyway.
• 0:35
  Matt Jacob: Laura is from Spain, but moved away from her home country purely in the pursuit of a freelance photography career at a time when she had very little other than her camera and a backpack.
• 0:48
  Matt Jacob: After some years of hustling in London, laura started getting some more frequent jobs and it was a real pleasure to hear her story of how she went from basically nothing into a self-sustaining photography business.
• 1:02
  Matt Jacob: We also chatted about her digital profiles, especially her growing success on YouTube, her equipment, her passions and her methods, not to mention her recent life-changing move to Bali.
• 1:14
  Matt Jacob: Laura has an infectious attitude and zest for her photography life, and it's hard to be around her and not become positively energized with her attitude.
• 1:25
  Matt Jacob: She's such an inspiration and a real joy to talk with, so I hope you find this podcast also enjoyable.
• 1:32
  Matt Jacob: So here is Laura BC.
• 1:33
  Matt Jacob: Laura BC yes, I'm not going to try and pronounce your last name, but you are known as Laura BC yeah.
• 1:46
  Matt Jacob: Very warm welcome to the Mupok us.
• 1:48
  Laura BC: Thank you.
• 1:49
  Matt Jacob: I've been trying to hound you for a few weeks now since you moved to Bali.
• 1:52
  Laura BC: So apologies for that, but I'm really happy that you came on.
• 1:54
  Matt Jacob: So thank you.
• 1:55
  Matt Jacob: I'm going to start kind of as an introductory question which we're going to start with.
• 2:00
  Matt Jacob: I'm going to start kind of as an introductory question which will help you just kind of tell everyone who you are and what you do.
• 2:08
  Matt Jacob: Essentially, the question is how would you normally describe yourself?
• 2:14
  Laura BC: That's very hard.
• 2:14
  Laura BC: Well, I'm a photographer.
• 2:17
  Laura BC: Obviously it started everything as a hobby, I think, like all of us, but then I moved to London and I started to grow as a photographer there.
• 2:26
  Laura BC: And how I describe myself?
• 2:29
  Laura BC: Maybe as a versatile human being because, yeah, I went to London just pursuing photography and then I started to grow as a photographer there, finding my niche and trying different photography categories, different jobs, obviously to pay my bills in London.
• 2:45
  Laura BC: Well, I was doing photography on a site and I went through everything till I found out my niche.
• 2:51
  Laura BC: Now I can describe myself, I guess, as an artist photographer.
• 2:54
  Laura BC: I love taking pre-shot from music artists, but I still do other kind of photography, for example, why I came to Bali as well to pursue travel photography and creative portrait photography by Nature, because I was shooting a lot in the studio.
• 3:07
  Laura BC: So, yeah, I guess I describe myself as an artist photographer and creative director as well.
• 3:16
  Matt Jacob: Cool.
• 3:16
  Matt Jacob: Well, if you could be known for one thing, what?
• 3:20
  Laura BC: would that be?
• 3:21
  Matt Jacob: And that's a horrible question because I'm going to pigeonhole you yeah what would that be, what is your biggest passion?
• 3:31
  Laura BC: Wow, creativity and freedom.
• 3:33
  Laura BC: Freedom for me is very related to photography as well.
• 3:37
  Laura BC: It's one of the reasons why I came here, because I was stuck creatively in London, because I was doing one thing all the time that I love shooting with artists, but for me, photography and creativity goes further than that.
• 3:50
  Laura BC: So, yeah, I need to feel free creatively to be able to do other things and expand my creativity.
• 3:57
  Laura BC: Love it so yeah.
• 4:00
  Matt Jacob: Okay, Rewind.
• 4:01
  Matt Jacob: Why photography?
• 4:02
  Matt Jacob: What were you doing before and then?
• 4:05
  Matt Jacob: What was the thing that triggered this passion.
• 4:10
  Laura BC: That's crazy, actually, because I started 15 years ago.
• 4:14
  Laura BC: My parents love photography as a hobby, so they do it as a hobby and they were telling me I'm not going to take photos, I'm not going to take photos.
• 4:22
  Laura BC: I didn't feel attraction for photography and it's like I come with us, come with us, come with us.
• 4:27
  Laura BC: So once I went to the beach in Sopelana, basque Country, to take surf photography action shots of people surfing there and I had a very bad camera.
• 4:36
  Laura BC: But then my dad offered me his camera, a Canon 30D, and I was very lazy to change lenses.
• 4:41
  Laura BC: It's like, no, I will never get into photography, I'm very lazy to change lenses and stuff.
• 4:45
  Laura BC: But in the end I bought a compact camera.
• 4:48
  Laura BC: It's like, okay, I'm going to start shooting because I like surf photography.
• 4:51
  Laura BC: I lasted one week with a compact camera and I said to my mom it's like, I want a DSLR.
• 4:56
  Laura BC: And my mom I told you, you threw the money away, blah, blah, blah.
• 5:00
  Laura BC: And then I got addicted to photography.
• 5:02
  Laura BC: And there is something when you shoot and then you want to improve that photo.
• 5:07
  Laura BC: I don't know, it was weird.
• 5:08
  Laura BC: I wasn't attracted.
• 5:09
  Laura BC: But then I took some photos and they weren't bad.
• 5:12
  Laura BC: And then I wanted to get better.
• 5:14
  Laura BC: So I got competitive with myself and that's how I started and I was doing surf photography.
• 5:18
  Laura BC: I was going every morning to see people surfing action shots.
• 5:22
  Laura BC: And then, yeah, that's how everything started Just being competitive with myself and get better at photography.
• 5:28
  Laura BC: But at the beginning I wasn't attracted to it.
• 5:29
  Laura BC: My mom was like pushing me ah, try, try, try.
• 5:32
  Laura BC: And then now I'm a professional photographer and my parents they barely do it now.
• 5:38
  Matt Jacob: What do they think of it?
• 5:39
  Matt Jacob: I mean, they must be very proud, obviously.
• 5:41
  Laura BC: Wow, this is a very long story.
• 5:43
  Laura BC: This is a very long story.
• 5:45
  Laura BC: Now they are proud because I made it, but they gave me so much crap for 11 years for pursuing photography.
• 5:53
  Matt Jacob: For 11 years.
• 5:54
  Laura BC: Yeah, only 11 years in London.
• 5:56
  Laura BC: They never believed on me as a photographer because obviously in Spain it's very hard to get photography jobs unless you live in Madrid or Barcelona, in a more creative place.
• 6:06
  Laura BC: So for them, photography is a hobby.
• 6:08
  Laura BC: That's it.
• 6:10
  Laura BC: You cannot make a living out of photography, so they hated me for that.
• 6:14
  Laura BC: I know it's not in a bad way.
• 6:15
  Laura BC: They love me and they want me to have a job and have a home in the future, so they didn't do it in a bad way.
• 6:21
  Laura BC: But yeah, it was very, very, very hard to push through because I didn't have their support.
• 6:27
  Laura BC: I don't hate them for that.
• 6:30
  Laura BC: I told them about this topic today.
• 6:33
  Laura BC: But it was very hard, to be honest, and they were the ones putting me in photography as a hobby.
• 6:37
  Laura BC: They never thought I would love it so much that I would leave home.
• 6:41
  Laura BC: That's why they hated me, obviously in a selfish way, because they love me and they don't want me far away.
• 6:45
  Laura BC: So I was the only one in the family who left my country to pursue my dreams as a photographer and they were the ones putting me in photography.
• 6:52
  Laura BC: But they never expected that I wanted to pursue it professionally, because I actually studied graphic design.
• 6:58
  Laura BC: So I was meant to be a graphic designer, and my parents wanted me to be a graphic designer because this is what I studied, and then, for me, photography was more fulfilling, so, yeah, amazing.
• 7:10
  Matt Jacob: Well, what an inspiration Do you think that?
• 7:13
  Matt Jacob: Probably, I mean obviously I don't know your parents, but essentially that lack of support do you think that drove you even more to succeed?
• 7:23
  Laura BC: Yes, yes, yes, I was so angry in a way I cried a lot.
• 7:29
  Laura BC: London was very hard.
• 7:30
  Laura BC: I mean, I left Spain.
• 7:32
  Laura BC: Yeah, I left Spain.
• 7:33
  Laura BC: I didn't have money.
• 7:34
  Laura BC: I didn't know anyone in London.
• 7:36
  Laura BC: I was sleeping in a hostel room with 15 people.
• 7:38
  Laura BC: I couldn't speak English.
• 7:40
  Laura BC: I was taking notes to call the bank to open an account because I had no idea about anything.
• 7:45
  Laura BC: So I wanted to do it but was terrified and my parents didn't support me either.
• 7:49
  Laura BC: So it's like I need a bit of support from someone, because obviously I'm alone on this, you know, but I never had it.
• 7:56
  Laura BC: Obviously, I know if something happened, my parents are there.
• 7:59
  Laura BC: Out of ego and pride, I never asked them anything and I love that because, to be honest, it made me stronger.
• 8:07
  Laura BC: But I know my parents are there if I need it.
• 8:09
  Laura BC: They are not bad, just the opposite.
• 8:10
  Laura BC: Do you need anything?
• 8:11
  Laura BC: But if I need something, it's giving them the reason.
• 8:14
  Laura BC: So I'm just like, no, I'm fine.
• 8:16
  Laura BC: So, yeah, it did help me, but it was very hard as well on me, because it's a very lonely road when you are creative and you don't have people around you.
• 8:24
  Laura BC: Who is fighting for the same thing.
• 8:26
  Laura BC: I was very lonely with that.
• 8:29
  Laura BC: It's like nobody believed on me, just myself.
• 8:31
  Laura BC: I was trying to make it.
• 8:32
  Laura BC: To make it to make it working on a site when I was having a full-time job in London, tremendously exhausting as well.
• 8:38
  Laura BC: So many problems.
• 8:39
  Laura BC: I was homeless for a while in London.
• 8:41
  Laura BC: So many things happened and I kept pushing, pushing, pushing and yeah, and I never have this moral support from anyone till I met my friends in London.
• 8:50
  Laura BC: They are like my family and they cherish me every single day, which is amazing.
• 8:54
  Laura BC: But the beginning, when I was more lonely, it was very hard because I didn't have the support.
• 9:00
  Laura BC: But, yeah, out of pride, it did help me, because now I'm going to show you that I can do it.
• 9:06
  Laura BC: And even when I was making it happen, they would be still like, ah, we have a site in Spanish, pamparaoy, hambre para mañana, which means bread for today.
• 9:18
  Laura BC: You will be starving tomorrow.
• 9:21
  Laura BC: Like freelance, right, you can have a lot of income one month, and the month after you have no clients.
• 9:25
  Laura BC: That's the beauty of it as well.
• 9:27
  Laura BC: But yeah, they are very old school.
• 9:30
  Laura BC: It's normal In Spain.
• 9:31
  Laura BC: Everyone has a job nine to five.
• 9:33
  Laura BC: You make your money.
• 9:34
  Laura BC: You retire at 65.
• 9:35
  Laura BC: You know, it's a very common way of living in Europe in general.
• 9:41
  Laura BC: So I don't blame them at all.
• 9:44
  Laura BC: It's normal, it's what they know.
• 9:45
  Laura BC: They were just scared of me not being able to have an income in the future.
• 9:49
  Laura BC: Now they are very happy with me and they support me and they watch all my YouTube videos and they press like and comment.
• 9:55
  Laura BC: Now they love it, you know, and they're proud because it's like we didn't support you, like we didn't believe, and look at you now in fricking Bali.
• 10:03
  Laura BC: So yeah, by West Card.
• 10:05
  Laura BC: It was very hard and they should be very proud.
• 10:08
  Matt Jacob: I feel like that is actually quite a common occurrence, where the older generation trying to understand something that's more of a newer generation.
• 10:16
  Matt Jacob: Certainly, when you throw in social media, YouTube, vlogging, all that kind of stuff it's so difficult for them to understand.
• 10:22
  Matt Jacob: I'm a little bit surprised with that, I guess.
• 10:24
  Matt Jacob: But what is not normal or normal but not you don't hear about as much is someone like yourself who doesn't speak English going from one European country to London and throwing yourself quite literally in the deep end.
• 10:40
  Matt Jacob: What was it about London?
• 10:43
  Matt Jacob: Why go to London?
• 10:45
  Matt Jacob: What was that little process?
• 10:48
  Laura BC: It's very funny.
• 10:48
  Laura BC: That's why I don't know.
• 10:49
  Laura BC: My life has been crazy, because actually I knew when I was 18 years old I wanted to live my country, just out of the blue.
• 10:57
  Laura BC: It's like I want to learn English.
• 10:58
  Laura BC: I want to be able to speak English because it's international language.
• 11:01
  Laura BC: I want adventures in my life.
• 11:04
  Laura BC: I don't want to conform myself being in this box in a small town and that's it.
• 11:08
  Laura BC: I wanted to know more, but I always say to myself I will never live in a place with no sea, because I love the ocean.
• 11:15
  Laura BC: I need it.
• 11:16
  Laura BC: So it's like I'm going to go to California yes, california.
• 11:21
  Matt Jacob: Sorry, how old were you at this point?
• 11:22
  Laura BC: I was 18 years old, but I came way later to London.
• 11:26
  Laura BC: I think I was 24 or something.
• 11:27
  Laura BC: So it's like I want to go to California.
• 11:29
  Laura BC: It's sunny all year, I can learn English there, but obviously it's super difficult because you need to get a visa, blah, blah, blah.
• 11:36
  Laura BC: And my mom told me La Laura, you don't even know how to speak English, don't go to California, come closer and you try.
• 11:43
  Laura BC: And then, who knows?
• 11:43
  Laura BC: And then just out of the blue, I chose London, just because it was close enough.
• 11:48
  Laura BC: London.
• 11:49
  Laura BC: Obviously there is a lot of creative.
• 11:50
  Laura BC: So, yes, I chose London, but I've never been there before, so I never even went as a tourist.
• 11:57
  Laura BC: I just appeared there.
• 11:58
  Laura BC: That's insane.
• 11:58
  Laura BC: Yeah, with my camera back, two suitcases going to King's Cross, to a hostel, and that's it.
• 12:04
  Laura BC: It's like my first time in London, I'm moving here, so it was crazy.
• 12:09
  Matt Jacob: That's unbelievable.
• 12:10
  Matt Jacob: Had you had a job before then, I was 24.
• 12:13
  Matt Jacob: So I guess you'd been working before then.
• 12:15
  Laura BC: Yeah, I was working in the bus country for the bus government.
• 12:17
  Laura BC: Okay, do you have some?
• 12:18
  Laura BC: Savings, at least that you took with you, or some type of I had literally I don't mind to talk about money I had literally, I think, and I will tell you why I had that money.
• 12:26
  Laura BC: I had literally like 4000 euros saved, wow, which is not much to be in.
• 12:32
  Matt Jacob: London?
• 12:32
  Matt Jacob: Obviously no goodness, no way.
• 12:34
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, I was very positive.
• 12:35
  Matt Jacob: That's like two coffees.
• 12:36
  Laura BC: Yes, in London, yes, nowadays, yeah.
• 12:39
  Laura BC: So yeah, the money was because I had a car accident.
• 12:42
  Laura BC: It wasn't my fault, a truck didn't see me and it hit me and, yeah, it was very messy.
• 12:46
  Laura BC: So they gave me some money and it's like, okay, the universe is providing something at least.
• 12:51
  Laura BC: So I got that.
• 12:51
  Laura BC: But, to be honest, I really trusted my capabilities to find a job, because I didn't mind to work in hospitality or whatever, I just needed a job and that's it.
• 12:59
  Laura BC: And I was working in Pretta Manjar at the beginning.
• 13:02
  Laura BC: Oh, cool, yeah, after three weeks I found a job.
• 13:05
  Laura BC: I couldn't speak a word.
• 13:05
  Laura BC: It was the worst job I've ever had.
• 13:08
  Laura BC: Oh, less, no, because of what I was doing, because I don't mind to, you know, to make whatever I had to do.
• 13:14
  Laura BC: But people were very rough with me and I couldn't defend myself because I couldn't speak English.
• 13:19
  Matt Jacob: Well, London is not exactly the most friendly city.
• 13:21
  Laura BC: It was bad.
• 13:22
  Laura BC: It's like, plus everyone who was taking the piss, they were foreigners as well.
• 13:25
  Laura BC: It's like why are you so mean to me when you started the safe way, you know, but I couldn't defend myself, so it was.
• 13:32
  Matt Jacob: It was in South London where you first moved to.
• 13:35
  Laura BC: No, I was in Bethnal Green in East London and I was working in Kentistown and I was waking up at three in the morning every day in freaking winter.
• 13:44
  Matt Jacob: From Bethnal Green to Kensington.
• 13:45
  Laura BC: To Kentistown.
• 13:46
  Matt Jacob: Kentistown.
• 13:48
  Laura BC: So there was no tube at that time.
• 13:50
  Laura BC: So I got to take the bus at three in the morning to make it at five in the morning in Kentistown every single day.
• 13:55
  Laura BC: It was so cold in the middle of winter.
• 13:58
  Laura BC: I was like what the hell am I doing here For those of you watching and listening?
• 14:02
  Matt Jacob: don't know.
• 14:03
  Matt Jacob: Haven't been to London or just the UK generally At this time of the year.
• 14:07
  Matt Jacob: It gets dark at four, four, fifteen.
• 14:09
  Matt Jacob: It's obviously very cold, very wet very gray and pretty miserable.
• 14:13
  Matt Jacob: I was miserable, it's a vast country where it's a little bit nicer.
• 14:17
  Matt Jacob: So yeah, the world needs more people like you, who, I think, are willing to just throw themselves in and just do whatever it takes.
• 14:26
  Matt Jacob: Tell us a little bit about your beginnings there in London, and photography specifically.
• 14:30
  Matt Jacob: So your first kind of jobs, how you started hustling, what kind of jobs you had and kind of how that evolved over the first year, two years.
• 14:38
  Laura BC: Yeah, so when I arrived, obviously it was everything about paying bills, because London it's crazy, so I was just having different jobs.
• 14:46
  Laura BC: I was in Pretzelmanier.
• 14:46
  Laura BC: Then I put myself into fashion, so I was working as a fashion stylist and I was very ambitious already because it's like, okay, I'm working in this shop, which is more like high street, and then I went to the luxury sector, which was very good.
• 14:58
  Laura BC: I enjoyed it because I love fashion.
• 15:00
  Laura BC: And then I started to work on a site as a photographer and everything started actually because I love music, the music industry, and I love going out and have fun and, obviously, run away from my crazy life in London.
• 15:13
  Laura BC: It was very stressful and I started to go out a lot and meet people.
• 15:16
  Laura BC: So then I started to shoot in events, so in parties and stuff in clubs.
• 15:20
  Laura BC: So I was shooting at events.
• 15:22
  Laura BC: And then I started to meet a lot of promoters and DJs and I started with portrait photography a little bit.
• 15:29
  Laura BC: So then people started to ask me for press shots for artists.
• 15:33
  Laura BC: It's like, okay, and that's a bit how I started, because I knew I love portrait photography but I never thought about shooting with artists.
• 15:41
  Laura BC: And then, yeah, I love the music, as in, I love shooting with artists and that's how I started to shoot with artists, because I was shooting in events.
• 15:49
  Laura BC: And then I put myself as well into fashion photography because, being the fashion industry for so long, I met people and they needed photo shoots for the independent brands.
• 15:56
  Laura BC: So I was doing fashion shoots.
• 15:58
  Laura BC: I was doing product photography as well.
• 15:59
  Laura BC: I was doing a bit of everything, because when you start, you don't have enough clients.
• 16:04
  Laura BC: I was still working in retail full time, so in my spare time I was doing my best charging peanuts, because for me it's like, hey, it's my hobby, it's good enough.
• 16:13
  Laura BC: Till then it's like no, if I want to make it happen, I have to start charging.
• 16:17
  Laura BC: And yeah, I just started to grow and find my niche that way.
• 16:23
  Laura BC: And actually one of the reasons why I love shooting with artists of any kind is because of the story I told you about how I started, because I really admired every creative who pursued their dreams, regardless of external voices.
• 16:37
  Laura BC: Like everyone has that in the family, I want to become a photographer or a dancer, a writer.
• 16:43
  Laura BC: People tell you you cannot make it, it's very hard.
• 16:44
  Laura BC: So people making it happen.
• 16:46
  Laura BC: That's why I love shooting with artists, because I feel proud of them, like I feel proud of myself for not listening and making it happen.
• 16:53
  Laura BC: So, yeah, I shoot a lot with music artists or actors, singers, writers.
• 16:57
  Laura BC: I love shooting with creatives in general, and now it's what I love the most doing, and I don't do much of product photography or even fashion shoots around that much anymore.
• 17:07
  Laura BC: I don't know that much anymore.
• 17:08
  Matt Jacob: So it sounds like the portrait photography, and specifically with artists, is because you want you almost like have an empathetic voice with that subject.
• 17:17
  Laura BC: Yeah, a lot and I love it and I love music obviously.
• 17:21
  Laura BC: So for me, the challenge when I shoot with artists not talents, but the creativity I find there is actually listening to the music, because I love music so much, so I really listen.
• 17:34
  Laura BC: It's like, okay, it's colorful music or summer vibes music or dark music, and I try with lighting and the way I shoot with them to represent their music and I love it and I love it.
• 17:46
  Laura BC: They tell me, maybe roughly, what they want, but normally they come to me and they tell me I love your work because you play with shadows, with RGB lights, colors, and for artists it's perfect the style of photography.
• 17:56
  Laura BC: So yeah, I think that's why I love it, because creatively it gives me so much, rather than just shooting a headshot, for instance, like I don't know under market shot.
• 18:04
  Laura BC: For me it's boring, I don't enjoy that because it's just technicality, that's it.
• 18:08
  Laura BC: But when you can be creative and they tell you, because it's always like this, the DJ comes and it's like, okay, I want this, I prepare a mood board and stuff, and for me it's so much creativity, I can do whatever I want.
• 18:18
  Laura BC: So yeah, it's amazing.
• 18:22
  Matt Jacob: Can you offer some like I know we don't talk too much about technical stuff, but some specific tips when you're connecting let's say you, like you said and that's really interesting to me you listen to some music or you listen to an artist that you know you're going to shoot.
• 18:34
  Matt Jacob: How do you play with the technical aspects of creative portrait, like lighting or settings on a camera, composition, all that stuff in terms of relating it to a specific style or type of music?
• 18:46
  Matt Jacob: If it's dark, then would you focus on something like shadows a lot, or can?
• 18:51
  Matt Jacob: You, can you give the viewers maybe an example of what you might do.
• 18:55
  Laura BC: Yeah, so okay, there is.
• 18:57
  Laura BC: I mean, I shot so many different artists like very I don't know commercial music or even a Latin Grammy our winning composer, he works with Kylie Minogue, and so very different artists.
• 19:08
  Laura BC: But I listen to the music and many times maybe I don't know a DJ and producer.
• 19:13
  Laura BC: He produced something very minimal and what I consider a bit dark.
• 19:15
  Laura BC: So I like to play a lot with shadows, maybe hiding half of the face, black backdrop.
• 19:21
  Laura BC: I play with clothing a lot, for me super important, it helps, like I was a stylist.
• 19:25
  Laura BC: So I always ask them to bring this, this and that because, depending on the lighting, I need them to wear something else and I like moody portrait photography for dark music, for instance.
• 19:36
  Laura BC: So I play a lot with shadows.
• 19:38
  Laura BC: They are wearing dark clothing.
• 19:39
  Laura BC: I kind of hide their identity a little bit.
• 19:43
  Laura BC: Sometimes I play with light as well, maybe harsh lights like red when it's dark, and then for more commercial music, for instance, one of the last artists I was shooting for he does this kind of pop, ambient music, which is very different.
• 19:56
  Laura BC: So I bought a projector and I projected some mappings, very colorful ones, in the wall with white backdrop, because it's more light.
• 20:04
  Laura BC: It has to be.
• 20:05
  Laura BC: You know he I love dark but I cannot put.
• 20:08
  Laura BC: You know, I cannot shoot in a dark way with him because his music is very light.
• 20:12
  Laura BC: So I bought a projector and I was using mappings on him, very colorful ones, and I use white, I also use black, but always using a lot of colors and the projection, the mappings, because they move.
• 20:24
  Laura BC: I always try to stop the mappings in the colors.
• 20:26
  Laura BC: I think it matches the music.
• 20:30
  Laura BC: It's so weird, I don't know.
• 20:31
  Laura BC: I think so many years in the music industry in London, I really no hope to listen to music, I mean in my own way.
• 20:37
  Laura BC: But normally artists they are very happy with what I do.
• 20:40
  Laura BC: It's like, yeah, like you exactly did it how I wanted, like very colorful and very light, because my music is light and that was challenging for me because I love dark and black backdrop and shadows.
• 20:51
  Laura BC: But this artist was the completely opposite, but he was very happy with the photos.
• 20:55
  Matt Jacob: Why do you think you love dark I?
• 20:57
  Laura BC: don't know, maybe I have a dark side.
• 21:00
  Matt Jacob: I don't know.
• 21:02
  Laura BC: I just feel like so.
• 21:05
  Matt Jacob: I do as well.
• 21:05
  Matt Jacob: By the way, I'm not judging it.
• 21:06
  Matt Jacob: I love that style.
• 21:07
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, there's got to be something in here that emanates that.
• 21:12
  Laura BC: Yeah, I think the reason as well I love shooting with artists is because obviously you can play with darkness, with shadows and everything.
• 21:20
  Laura BC: And then I was seeing in London, like other photographers shooting with artists, and I didn't like the photos.
• 21:25
  Laura BC: They weren't like normal headshots or very bright or very cheesy, which it's fine, it's their style, but it's like I don't like that Like an artist.
• 21:36
  Laura BC: For me it has to be when you look at the portrait, has to be impactful and actually artists come to me.
• 21:40
  Laura BC: It's like all the photos you have from artists.
• 21:43
  Laura BC: They look like such a big artist because they are posing very serious profiles.
• 21:47
  Laura BC: You play with the shadows and I really like to show the power of a person, the strong side of a person.
• 21:54
  Laura BC: For example, you shoot an artist and it's laughing and grabbing the neckline or these kind of cheesy poses Like that's a nice, I love it.
• 22:01
  Laura BC: Yeah, it's like it doesn't match the music.
• 22:03
  Laura BC: You're not going to pose a techno DJ or minimal DJ like doing that.
• 22:07
  Laura BC: I like seriousness, like represent the artistic side of the person and look serious.
• 22:12
  Laura BC: So I don't know.
• 22:14
  Laura BC: Since then, I don't know.
• 22:15
  Laura BC: I just like playing with shadows because shadows allow me to represent that side.
• 22:21
  Laura BC: If it's very light, it's harder to represent a serious photo.
• 22:24
  Laura BC: But when you play with shadows and you hide parts and you insinuate because many times as well, I shoot with artists and in some photos you don't even see the artist.
• 22:32
  Laura BC: It's maybe a profile and it's or maybe the back with a hoodie, and I love that Like people can see.
• 22:40
  Laura BC: If people know the artist, people know which artist it is.
• 22:43
  Laura BC: You don't need to show the whole face.
• 22:45
  Laura BC: Yeah, I don't know, I just love it.
• 22:47
  Matt Jacob: I love it too.
• 22:48
  Matt Jacob: For me, shadows, playing with shadows gives you more depth.
• 22:52
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, and humans are extremely deep and complex characters, whether you're shooting for as an artist, commercially or you're shooting on a personal you know, just a friend or a client for a personal photo, yeah, Like if you're going to represent that.
• 23:07
  Matt Jacob: Obviously everyone has their style, but you have to be able to go deeper into it yeah.
• 23:11
  Matt Jacob: I love it, and that's why lighting is amazing.
• 23:13
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, and you can do photography because you can literally express emotions just through lighting and then all the rest of it as well.
• 23:20
  Matt Jacob: But yeah, get the light right.
• 23:21
  Laura BC: The light.
• 23:23
  Matt Jacob: Shadows, light contrast.
• 23:24
  Matt Jacob: Essentially, Then it's everything.
• 23:25
  Laura BC: Yeah, it's crazy.
• 23:26
  Matt Jacob: So when you first started in London living in a hostel, are you able to share, like, how much kind of monthly overheads you had to cover in terms of jobs?
• 23:35
  Matt Jacob: A few hundred pounds, a few thousand pounds?
• 23:37
  Laura BC: Wow, I can't even remember, because it was very messy, because I was in a hostel with 15 people.
• 23:42
  Laura BC: It was very cheap, actually.
• 23:44
  Laura BC: I don't know if it was 20 quid per night or something.
• 23:46
  Laura BC: It was extremely cheap because it was like a backpacker's hostel and this was 11 years ago when London was a bit cheaper in that time.
• 23:53
  Laura BC: So I was in a hostel room with 15 people to don't pay mats and then I was sitting flat.
• 23:58
  Laura BC: This is the most normal thing in London.
• 24:00
  Laura BC: It's impossible to afford a flat for yourself.
• 24:02
  Laura BC: Apartments, yeah, yeah.
• 24:04
  Laura BC: So I can't remember how much I was spending mats because I was very careful.
• 24:07
  Laura BC: I didn't have a job at the beginning, the first few weeks, so I was just covering the hostel room, food enough to survive, because I didn't know when I would get a job and I didn't want to come back to Spain and say to my parents ah, you were right, didn't?
• 24:20
  Matt Jacob: you get any free food at Prada, imogia Exactly.
• 24:22
  Laura BC: Yeah, they did.
• 24:23
  Laura BC: So I was very happy I was having free meals.
• 24:26
  Laura BC: I was putting on weight a lot because sandwiches and a lot of carbs.
• 24:29
  Laura BC: It's like, okay, I need to get out of here, but I was very careful with my expenses.
• 24:34
  Laura BC: And then I found a flat but to save more money I was sharing the room with another guy, a Spanish guy, I didn't even know, Obviously different beds and stuff, and it wasn't a bad experience, but obviously he was playing PlayStation until one in the morning and I had to wake up at three in the morning to go all the way to Kentistown.
• 24:52
  Laura BC: So I wasn't paying too much because the room I think it was like 500 quid and obviously between two 250.
• 24:58
  Laura BC: So it was pretty expensive.
• 25:02
  Laura BC: Yeah, I was trying to survive and then when I was having more income I run for myself.
• 25:06
  Laura BC: Then another flat, Like I was going, because the flats in London are insane.
• 25:11
  Matt Jacob: Oh my God, so bad.
• 25:12
  Matt Jacob: Electric utilities, transport, food, everything.
• 25:17
  Laura BC: Till I made it to live alone.
• 25:18
  Laura BC: It took me a while.
• 25:20
  Matt Jacob: How long?
• 25:22
  Laura BC: To live alone I think six years or so, wow.
• 25:24
  Laura BC: So I was sharing flats all the time, grinding for that long A lot and obviously you know when you're a creative you really appreciate solitude.
• 25:31
  Laura BC: And for me, serving flat it was terrible.
• 25:34
  Laura BC: I mean, I didn't have very bad experiences, to be honest, but obviously you don't have privacy.
• 25:39
  Laura BC: Then I had like a living room where I started to shoot with music artists that was bringing people to my place and asking permission to my flatmates and stuff to be able to shoot there.
• 25:48
  Laura BC: That's where I started.
• 25:49
  Laura BC: I was shooting in a room in a flat chair, so you couldn't afford anything in London.
• 25:54
  Laura BC: I didn't have the money.
• 25:57
  Matt Jacob: So when did I mean because I found you on YouTube originally probably about a year ago.
• 26:01
  Matt Jacob: When did that come into the I guess, the business portfolio?
• 26:05
  Matt Jacob: Or did that just start as a hobby as well?
• 26:08
  Matt Jacob: Or was it like, okay, this is going to be part of my job now.
• 26:12
  Matt Jacob: Yeah.
• 26:13
  Laura BC: So at the beginning, well, I knew I wanted to be a photographer, but, as a, every beginner has the same problem you don't know which niche you want to shoot.
• 26:22
  Laura BC: So I was just experimenting.
• 26:24
  Laura BC: As you said, it was a hobby.
• 26:26
  Laura BC: I was charging very little and actually people started to come to me on parties.
• 26:30
  Laura BC: It's like, ah, your photos are amazing because we never believe in our work.
• 26:34
  Laura BC: So I was very critical.
• 26:37
  Laura BC: I never thought I could start or start more.
• 26:39
  Laura BC: But then I started to believe it when everyone was telling me your photography is amazing.
• 26:43
  Laura BC: Ah, thank you.
• 26:44
  Laura BC: And I was so humbled because for me it was a hobby and it was very hard to make it.
• 26:47
  Laura BC: But then I started to have more clients and I was charging, as I told you, very little, and this happened.
• 26:53
  Laura BC: This is when I opened my eyes.
• 26:54
  Laura BC: One of my clients, who is a huge DJ, now a producer, like he's doing very well.
• 26:58
  Laura BC: I remember he told me it's like Laura, this other DJ.
• 27:02
  Laura BC: He paid, I think it was like three grand for his press shots and it's like Laura, your photograph is better than that photographer.
• 27:11
  Laura BC: And you are charging me I don't mind to talk about money and you are charging me 250 quid when a client tells you like you are charging peanuts, that's a problem.
• 27:19
  Laura BC: And since then I got so upset with myself yeah, it's like, oh my God, like actually there are photographers and I saw the photographer is like his photography is very average and he's charging three grand and I'm charging 250 quid.
• 27:31
  Laura BC: So then is when I was like more proud of my work is like, if I want to make it happen, is I'm going to charge double.
• 27:37
  Laura BC: And actually when I started to charge double, people started to respect me more because people can smell, Can smell your need to make money with photography.
• 27:47
  Laura BC: And when I was trying to 150, I would get still clients telling me I can you do for 150?
• 27:53
  Laura BC: And I was like, maybe you know, because obviously you want to make it.
• 27:56
  Laura BC: But then I realized no, you want to make it, you have to charge more.
• 27:59
  Laura BC: And I started to charge more.
• 28:01
  Laura BC: And now my clients are, okay, it's maybe expensive or I cannot afford it, but I'm going to save money and come back to you.
• 28:08
  Laura BC: And that's the goal as a photographer, people who want to shoot with you, Not someone who is, ah, charge me 150.
• 28:16
  Laura BC: The first thing about your gear, your editing software, is so many expenses, and travel expenses in London as well.
• 28:21
  Laura BC: I will be losing money if I charge 150 quid.
• 28:25
  Laura BC: So, yes, since then I realized if I want to make it, I have to charge more.
• 28:27
  Laura BC: And actually because I was having a lot of bookings with artists and I loved it so much because I have creative freedom, it's like, okay, I'm going to pursue this and yeah, and then I started to grow and then, when I was charging more, people were respecting it because by then, because I was shooting out with artists, I already had a portfolio.
• 28:45
  Laura BC: So I had my website and then people could see it and I didn't do too much marketing either.
• 28:51
  Laura BC: By then I didn't even know how to do it.
• 28:53
  Laura BC: People would come to me.
• 28:54
  Laura BC: I did a lot of network going out because people knew me and so it was very easy for me.
• 28:58
  Laura BC: And people came to me because they like my work, which makes things easier because you don't have problems with clients.
• 29:04
  Laura BC: People come I love your work Great.
• 29:06
  Laura BC: And since then I enjoy working for myself because I know people allow me to do whatever I want and they are happy with it.
• 29:14
  Matt Jacob: So when did YouTube come in with that?
• 29:18
  Laura BC: Oh, this is interesting as well.
• 29:20
  Matt Jacob: Okay.
• 29:21
  Laura BC: Yeah, so this was during the pandemic the YouTube channel.
• 29:23
  Laura BC: So I was with my ex and I left London.
• 29:27
  Laura BC: I was living outside London, close to Derby, derby, yeah, in Madlock, like in the middle of nowhere, Love right, and I was super worried.
• 29:37
  Laura BC: It's like, oh, I'm going to make money now here, and he was like, ah, we'll take you to London, blah, blah, blah.
• 29:41
  Laura BC: Didn't happen too often.
• 29:43
  Laura BC: So, yeah, then the pandemic hit and I was pretty sad there, like I was struggling with my mental health because I complain about London, but London gave me so much and I love the craziness, I'm extremes.
• 29:53
  Laura BC: So the pandemic hit and I was like, okay, who I'm going to make money now.
• 29:58
  Laura BC: Because I broke up with him and then I came back to London and he's like who I'm going to make money now?
• 30:01
  Laura BC: That I cannot shoot with people because of the quarantines, the lockdowns and everything.
• 30:05
  Laura BC: So it's when I started to do product photography to be able to have an income.
• 30:08
  Laura BC: People will send me the products and stuff.
• 30:10
  Laura BC: But, yeah, I started my channel.
• 30:13
  Laura BC: It's like I wanted freedom.
• 30:15
  Laura BC: That's the reason why I made it and I'm here now because I realized, depending on client work, I would struggle and I didn't want to struggle.
• 30:23
  Laura BC: And during the pandemic.
• 30:24
  Laura BC: It's like I want to be able to earn money and that's it with my camera.
• 30:30
  Laura BC: But now, with my camera, I can make money if I have clients and I couldn't have clients.
• 30:34
  Laura BC: So it's like, okay, how I'm going to monetize my skills online to be able to pursue that freedom?
• 30:41
  Laura BC: And I always thought about that YouTube channel years and years and years ago and I didn't want to put myself in front of a camera ever.
• 30:47
  Laura BC: And suddenly I don't know something clicked.
• 30:49
  Laura BC: I know I need to do something.
• 30:50
  Laura BC: When I was still outside of London and I just started the channel there and I didn't have views, like it was so much work, no views, but every single week, every single week, every single week, educating and sharing my story as a beginner, how I started in London.
• 31:03
  Laura BC: And, yeah, the channel started to grow, but everything started because of the pandemic and how I saw myself lacking clients.
• 31:11
  Laura BC: It's like how I'm going to shoot portrait photography if we are in a lockdown?
• 31:14
  Laura BC: I realized how powerless I was with my camera.
• 31:17
  Laura BC: So it's like, okay, let's do YouTube, let's try to grow it.
• 31:20
  Laura BC: So then, as well, this is a big thing, I wanted to have a YouTube channel so then I can choose my clients Because, creatively time ago I used to take so many jobs no, food photography even I did Like I don't enjoy it, but it was money, so now I can afford to be okay.
• 31:41
  Laura BC: I just shoot with artists, which is what I love the most doing.
• 31:43
  Laura BC: I don't need to do this gig because I have the income online and creatively.
• 31:48
  Laura BC: Super important Because as a photographer, I'm sure you know like if you are forced to do something you don't like to do, even if it's with a camera, it kills your creativity a little bit.
• 31:57
  Laura BC: It's very dangerous.
• 32:00
  Laura BC: It's very dangerous because when it becomes your job, it's very dangerous.
• 32:05
  Laura BC: You have to be careful of what you shoot to, don't you know?
• 32:09
  Matt Jacob: How can you impart advice, then, to beginners who are you need to pay the bills, right?
• 32:14
  Matt Jacob: I mean, it's such a difficult trade-off.
• 32:16
  Matt Jacob: I've got to pay the bills, but I don't want to lose the passion for what I'm doing.
• 32:20
  Laura BC: And.
• 32:20
  Matt Jacob: I want to do my own stuff and I want to do my own photos and projects and stuff.
• 32:25
  Matt Jacob: I mean, where do you start as a beginner?
• 32:27
  Matt Jacob: I mean, how do you balance that?
• 32:29
  Laura BC: You don't balance it.
• 32:31
  Laura BC: I was all over the place.
• 32:32
  Laura BC: I was photography, product photography, one event at night on a Friday in a club somewhere in the middle of nowhere, everything and on my channel actually encourage everyone to do everything, because having versatility is going to save you as a photographer, because at the beginning you don't have maybe people don't know you, you don't have enough bookings or what you want.
• 32:50
  Laura BC: So don't be picky.
• 32:51
  Laura BC: Just take on board everything that comes your way, because you're going to learn a lot, because I did that way, for example, during the pandemic, because I couldn't make money on my YouTube channel it was a baby channel.
• 33:01
  Laura BC: By then I started to shoot product photography.
• 33:03
  Laura BC: So if I wouldn't have known how to shoot product, I wouldn't have survived in London when I came back in the middle of the lockdowns.
• 33:10
  Laura BC: So people were sending me the products and I was shooting that.
• 33:13
  Laura BC: If I would have been a star born and I would be no, I just shoot portraits I would be like, okay, yeah, how do you make money now?
• 33:21
  Laura BC: So I encourage everyone as a beginner, to try every single niche and try to be versatile, because that's the way you're going to find your niche as well by trying many of them, and always is going to be one when you want to be like oh my God, I love this photo, I want to get better at this, and it happens naturally.
• 33:36
  Laura BC: I think, at the beginning, when you're a beginner, you struggle a lot to try and to find your niche.
• 33:41
  Laura BC: But you cannot decide a niche till you shoot within many.
• 33:45
  Laura BC: And I did.
• 33:46
  Laura BC: I did travel, I did product, I did events, I did food photography, I touch everything and you learn a lot and then you find your way without even realizing it.
• 33:55
  Laura BC: I think it's great.
• 33:57
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, a lot of people, I think, will worry so much and we talked about this off air but worry so much about what style should I have and what niche should I go into, and you know it's kind of overwhelming.
• 34:09
  Laura BC: Overthinking as well.
• 34:10
  Matt Jacob: I mean, is that the most popular question you get?
• 34:12
  Laura BC: Yeah, and I can relate completely.
• 34:15
  Laura BC: I used to journal a lot I will come back to it because I think it's very good and I was only time writing these questions.
• 34:22
  Laura BC: What niche should I choose?
• 34:24
  Laura BC: So what do I like to shoot the most?
• 34:26
  Laura BC: And then I have a massive list.
• 34:27
  Laura BC: I love travel photography.
• 34:28
  Laura BC: I love artist photography.
• 34:30
  Laura BC: I love so many niches.
• 34:31
  Laura BC: It's like why the hell I got to choose one.
• 34:33
  Laura BC: So.
• 34:34
  Laura BC: But then you see all the advices from big photographers Niche down, niche down.
• 34:37
  Laura BC: It's like how the fuck you want to niche down.
• 34:39
  Laura BC: So, yeah, I think it's better to do the number thing when you're a beginner and just find out by yourself, because social media is very damaging in that way, because you get influenced by many people and then you are not listening to yourself, you are listening to others.
• 34:54
  Laura BC: So many times in my videos I say it's like don't listen to me If your situation is different.
• 34:59
  Laura BC: I'm telling you my experience so it can help you to understand yours.
• 35:03
  Laura BC: But yeah, I struggle a lot with my niche because I just didn't want to focus on one.
• 35:07
  Laura BC: So, yeah, you will find it with your YouTube journey.
• 35:13
  Matt Jacob: Why the education side?
• 35:16
  Laura BC: Well, basically because of how much I struggle in London and how alone I was, what I told you before about my family I know how hard it is and how lonely it is when you want to pick a camera and you want to shoot and everyone is looking at you like what the hell are you doing?
• 35:31
  Laura BC: You know, like it's a hobby, like you're not going to make it.
• 35:34
  Laura BC: It's very hard.
• 35:34
  Laura BC: There are amazing photographers out there, like my dad.
• 35:36
  Laura BC: You're going to London.
• 35:37
  Laura BC: There are incredible photographers, blah, blah, blah, and it's true, but there is also a lot of work, you know.
• 35:43
  Laura BC: So there is a space for everyone.
• 35:45
  Laura BC: So I felt so alone and by then we didn't have YouTube or things like that.
• 35:49
  Laura BC: Like when I started 15 years ago, there was nothing, just me, my camera and messing up every time to learn.
• 35:54
  Laura BC: There was no Peter McKinnon and all these big photographers to teach you anything.
• 35:58
  Laura BC: So it's like I just want to teach what I know and share my experience and, in a way, try to support people, and this is something I do a lot because I didn't have the support, like even if I'm a stranger for them, because obviously they don't know me personally, but I receive so many messages and emails very thankful because, like you, really inspire me and motivate me, sharing your experience, because my husband is saying I'm too old for this or my kids are telling me I'm crazy.
• 36:24
  Laura BC: So many people have those voices there and I've been there.
• 36:28
  Laura BC: So for me it's like I want to educate people how I started in London and how you can make it happen, because I had nothing in London no, the language, no people, no job, like I didn't know anyone.
• 36:37
  Laura BC: I didn't go to the studio, I was shooting in my freaking bedroom.
• 36:40
  Laura BC: So it's like you can make it happen.
• 36:43
  Laura BC: Because people think, ok, I want to become a photographer.
• 36:45
  Laura BC: I had to rent a massive space, buy a million lights, and they see it's very impossible to achieve.
• 36:51
  Laura BC: But that's why it's my experience.
• 36:53
  Laura BC: It's like, guys, I started in a bedroom with one light, a very affordable one, and then you grow little by little.
• 37:01
  Laura BC: But people see these big photographers and they think like they have to jump right away to that state.
• 37:05
  Laura BC: So I don't know.
• 37:07
  Laura BC: Just because of that, I wanted to help other creatives because I didn't have any help and I know how hard it was for me.
• 37:13
  Matt Jacob: So do you believe that anyone can do it?
• 37:16
  Laura BC: No, I mean I would say, if you really want to, yes, sorry, like many people, so many people get stuck in their own head.
• 37:26
  Laura BC: Ah, because for you it's easy to say it's like no, it's not freaking easy to say Like.
• 37:31
  Laura BC: I didn't know even the language.
• 37:32
  Laura BC: When I arrived to London and I ended up being a creative director of a fashion company for a millionaire family in Chelsea, I started making sandwiches in Preta Manjera 3 in the morning.
• 37:42
  Matt Jacob: With no English, Great sandwiches by the way, yeah, exactly.
• 37:45
  Laura BC: So it's like I'm not saying, like I'm not saying this to be like, yeah, I'm proud of myself, but it's like, how much do you want it?
• 37:53
  Laura BC: You know, like I know, for some people it's easier than others, depending on which country are they living, but for me it's like, okay, I didn't have photography in Spain, I left to London.
• 38:03
  Laura BC: You know, for me it's like you have to find yourself.
• 38:07
  Laura BC: I don't know how to explain.
• 38:08
  Laura BC: If you are free, like, you can do whatever you want in life, and now it's so accessible for everyone.
• 38:14
  Matt Jacob: I think it's never been easier.
• 38:15
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, I think you have a phone now that you could start being a photographer on your phone and make money from it.
• 38:22
  Laura BC: Yeah, and you have free courses, YouTube like free, yeah, free.
• 38:26
  Laura BC: When I started, there was nothing free Like it's like.
• 38:30
  Matt Jacob: Now it's way easier than when I started, and if I made it, they can as well, but with that I think brings a lot of people who don't, who want it but don't like really fucking want it.
• 38:41
  Matt Jacob: I mean with you, it's obvious, Like you moved countries, learning you like and worked 24, seven.
• 38:47
  Matt Jacob: For how many?
• 38:48
  Matt Jacob: Years because you just wanted it.
• 38:50
  Matt Jacob: So I think that's important to provide context Like, yeah, I believe anyone can do it if they really want to do it.
• 38:57
  Laura BC: Right, and that's the same with a lot of things.
• 38:59
  Matt Jacob: But people do see people on social media, on YouTube go oh yeah, I can do that.
• 39:04
  Matt Jacob: Well, I want to do that, and then they you know a couple of months and they fall by the wayside, but you just got to really want to do it and want to enjoy that process.
• 39:14
  Laura BC: Yeah, otherwise you're never going to make it.
• 39:15
  Laura BC: It's like YouTube so many people.
• 39:17
  Laura BC: People think that you're going to post a video and it's going to go viral and you're going to make it happen.
• 39:21
  Laura BC: No, I've been posting videos every single week with no views and it's so much work and I didn't have views.
• 39:28
  Matt Jacob: I know that feeling.
• 39:29
  Laura BC: Yeah, all week working like crazy and then 10 views.
• 39:32
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, all that work and effort into the production, but at the same time you're learning about yourself how to do things.
• 39:38
  Laura BC: Exactly, you learn.
• 39:45
  Matt Jacob: Hi everyone.
• 39:46
  Matt Jacob: Before I let you continue with the podcast, just indulge me for a few minutes.
• 39:50
  Matt Jacob: I want to briefly talk to you about my new brand, yore.
• 39:53
  Matt Jacob: Founded with my business partner and photographic artist, finn Mattson, we are proud to bring you a new artisanal jewelry and specialty coffee brand, yep.
• 40:03
  Matt Jacob: What on earth do they have to do with anything?
• 40:05
  Matt Jacob: Well, they're both our passions and they've always been another artistic outlet for me, now for over a decade.
• 40:11
  Matt Jacob: For those that know me, coffee and jewelry have been my other obsession since I was young, and I am a qualified SCA coffee specialist.
• 40:19
  Matt Jacob: So when I met Finn, some of you might have listened to my podcast with him.
• 40:23
  Matt Jacob: When we barely knew each other, our love for art and jewelry had a home, and that home is Yore.
• 40:30
  Matt Jacob: Yore is about the art of intent for everything that we do.
• 40:33
  Matt Jacob: Our intention with the label was to add a touch of celestial elegance and artistic expression to our visual narratives.
• 40:40
  Matt Jacob: Every piece is a statement, a reflection of your unique story and purpose.
• 40:45
  Matt Jacob: It's not just jewelry, it's a wearable piece of art that speaks volumes.
• 40:49
  Matt Jacob: Picture this Silver or gold adorned with an actual piece of lunar meteorite, making every piece as unique as the moments we usually capture through our lenses.
• 40:59
  Matt Jacob: From limited edition lunar jewelry pieces to finely crafted 925 sterling, silver and gold rings, pendants and chains there's something for all of you in each of our unique designs.
• 41:13
  Matt Jacob: We're also committed to the environment as much as possible.
• 41:15
  Matt Jacob: Our coffee in our barley showroom is direct trade, organically produced and locally farmed, minimising impact on the environment as much as possible.
• 41:23
  Matt Jacob: Our packaging is all sustainable and our jewelry recycled other than the moonrock, of course Proudly eco-friendly.
• 41:31
  Matt Jacob: In both packaging and jewelry production.
• 41:33
  Matt Jacob: You can feel good about looking good.
• 41:35
  Matt Jacob: And to top it off, we offer worldwide shipping, ensuring that a piece of lunar beauty can grace your collection no matter where life takes you.
• 41:44
  Matt Jacob: And if you ever find yourself in barley, please come and visit our house of yore.
• 41:48
  Matt Jacob: Our cafe and community driven art house is a haven for creatives just like you.
• 41:53
  Matt Jacob: And before we head back into the podcast, please just take a moment to explore yore's collection.
• 41:58
  Matt Jacob: As a special treat for you, my wonderful audience, yore is offering an exclusive discount.
• 42:05
  Matt Jacob: So head over to our website and use the code in the description for a 10% discount of your jewelry purchase.
• 42:11
  Matt Jacob: The link in details are all in the description.
• 42:14
  Matt Jacob: So thanks so much for listening and I'll let you get back to the podcast now.
• 42:18
  Matt Jacob: Tell us how you have grown.
• 42:25
  Matt Jacob: I mean, you're nearly 100,000 subscribers, which is going to be amazing.
• 42:28
  Laura BC: I'm very happy.
• 42:30
  Matt Jacob: How have you grown, in your opinion?
• 42:32
  Matt Jacob: Why do people follow you?
• 42:33
  Matt Jacob: Why do people subscribe?
• 42:35
  Laura BC: to Laura BC.
• 42:36
  Laura BC: So at the beginning I was very bad on camera.
• 42:39
  Laura BC: I considered that People say, no, you were good.
• 42:41
  Laura BC: That was terrible.
• 42:42
  Laura BC: But then when I started to relax a little more and be more Genuine I guess because there are so many YouTubers, they are two states I teach ABC and that's it.
• 42:52
  Laura BC: But when I started to open up about my story we've been talking about now, people started to relate more.
• 42:58
  Laura BC: So people loved that I serve my beginnings.
• 43:03
  Laura BC: I think too many people are so imperfection on the time, so people can feel discolored.
• 43:07
  Laura BC: It's like, okay, how I get there?
• 43:09
  Laura BC: But I saw them actually during the pandemic.
• 43:12
  Laura BC: I did a video, super genuine.
• 43:15
  Laura BC: It's like, guys, I'm gonna show you how to do a comfort photography studio with an IKEA core temple and one backdrop and one light.
• 43:22
  Laura BC: And people started to subscribe a lot because that's how I started in London.
• 43:26
  Laura BC: Like in a mini studio I had, I did that hack and I started to shoot with artists there.
• 43:31
  Laura BC: So people started to see on me.
• 43:34
  Laura BC: It's like, okay, this is not trying to be like, oh, she's perfect.
• 43:37
  Laura BC: All the time I achieved this.
• 43:39
  Laura BC: I have this studio.
• 43:39
  Laura BC: No, it's like listen, guys, you're a beginner, this is how I started and I made it happen.
• 43:44
  Laura BC: You can too.
• 43:46
  Laura BC: So I think people subscribe to my channel, first of all, because I teach a lot of the things people don't teach, which is actually how you get your first client, how you lose the fear to shoot, because many people are so terrified of shooting portrait photography, which is normal Because you have to be a bit of an extrovert as well.
• 44:00
  Laura BC: So I talk about these things people don't cover.
• 44:03
  Laura BC: People are amazing out there, but they teach, maybe technicalities or which is great, but many people have other problems, which is like how I lead someone in a photo shoot, how I lose the fear, how much do I charge, or when do I start to charge.
• 44:18
  Laura BC: All these questions I had as a beginner is where I started to teach, and people are relating to me and actually teach this, because I never found that information anywhere.
• 44:27
  Laura BC: How much should I charge?
• 44:29
  Matt Jacob: Especially with the charging one, because I really struggled with that.
• 44:32
  Matt Jacob: No one could tell me a definitive answer.
• 44:35
  Laura BC: I know there's not definitive answer.
• 44:36
  Matt Jacob: It depends on so many things.
• 44:37
  Matt Jacob: Let's hone in on that quickly, because if there's any takeaway I think beginners can take away is where do I even begin with charging clients, photography, go.
• 44:52
  Laura BC: Wow, actually I'm working on a course.
• 44:54
  Matt Jacob: And I know you've got videos Okay.
• 44:55
  Matt Jacob: I'm working on a course I know you've got YouTube videos about it because I've watched them.
• 44:58
  Laura BC: I will say the main thing, obviously, because when people ask me, laura, how much do I charge?
• 45:03
  Laura BC: Just like, are you serious?
• 45:05
  Laura BC: Like how the hell am I going to price your words?
• 45:07
  Matt Jacob: Okay, so general bits of advice.
• 45:09
  Laura BC: Like there is a lot of points.
• 45:10
  Laura BC: That's why I was doing this course, because it's going to help many people, because I struggled with that.
• 45:14
  Laura BC: I thought how much do I charge?
• 45:15
  Laura BC: And then I was charging 150 pounds and you lose money charging that.
• 45:19
  Laura BC: So the main thing would be first of all, if you are a beginner, you're going to have to be realistic with the quality of your photography because otherwise you're never going to know how much to charge.
• 45:30
  Laura BC: Then another advice is check maybe people around you studios or other photographers how much do they charge?
• 45:37
  Laura BC: Because in London, for example, we get paid more than in Spain, so you always have to match the prices in your area.
• 45:44
  Laura BC: So I always give that advice.
• 45:46
  Laura BC: It's like, okay, maybe check photographers around how much they charge, check their quality and compare yourself to them a little bit.
• 45:52
  Laura BC: So be very objective and maybe ask familiar friends how your photography is if it matches the other photographer, and then charge accordingly.
• 46:02
  Laura BC: But then there are so many factors Like, for example, the client.
• 46:07
  Laura BC: I don't charge the same to every client Because, for example, as I said, I'm an empath and more with artists.
• 46:13
  Laura BC: So when it's a local artist, like a young artist, you know, like they don't have much budget or stuff like I don't mind to go a bit lower, but when it's a huge artist it's like, okay, I'm gonna charge my normal fee, so it always depends on the client.
• 46:27
  Laura BC: I work a lot as well with independent brands, fashion brands and I charge them less than to big brands because I like to help people as well.
• 46:34
  Laura BC: So there are so many factors, but the main one would be taking your area how much more or less is the photography?
• 46:41
  Laura BC: And then be honest with your level of photography and maybe go lower than that.
• 46:46
  Matt Jacob: That's a really, really good point actually to be able to, and that this kind of ties in with critique and accepting feedbacks Like you have as a beginner.
• 46:53
  Matt Jacob: You have, and it's really difficult I found it very difficult.
• 46:57
  Laura BC: I mean, would you give me a photo of this shit?
• 46:58
  Laura BC: I'll look back them now.
• 46:59
  Laura BC: Yeah, they were fucking shit.
• 47:01
  Matt Jacob: So to be able to receive that feedback from either professionals, friends or family like.
• 47:06
  Matt Jacob: I said that is like stepping stone number one, because then you can kind of place yourself within the industry somewhat and then you can start comparing and then you can start looking at what other kind of similar level photographers do.
• 47:20
  Matt Jacob: Right, but do you charge on per project or per hour?
• 47:24
  Laura BC: I like per project.
• 47:25
  Laura BC: Many people yeah, you know this like many people charge per photo, per project or hours, like for me.
• 47:31
  Laura BC: I like to over deliver and this is great because all the clients I have I don't look for them.
• 47:37
  Laura BC: I was very busy with my YouTube channel.
• 47:39
  Laura BC: My private community is like right now I don't want clients because I'm already struggling and clients would come to me word of mouth.
• 47:45
  Laura BC: So when you over deliver, people come to you.
• 47:47
  Laura BC: So what I do is transfer project, maybe a press shot package, I charge whatever, but then I don't limit the hours of the photo shoot.
• 47:54
  Laura BC: I know it's gonna take maybe two hours, but I tell them if it takes three or four, I don't mind, because it's gonna be my portfolio as well.
• 48:00
  Laura BC: I want good shots of you.
• 48:01
  Laura BC: I don't limit the outfits.
• 48:03
  Laura BC: In London, many people, two outfits, no, I want creative freedom.
• 48:07
  Laura BC: Bring a lot of outfits and we try so people can see I love photography.
• 48:10
  Laura BC: So I charge by project and then sometimes I over deliver and it works better because you're gonna be more comfortable.
• 48:16
  Laura BC: The model artist or whoever is not gonna feel pressured.
• 48:21
  Laura BC: So when you say two outfits, two hours, I'm sorry, I cannot work that way and the other person is gonna feel like, okay, I have to pose, I have to get it right, because you know the time is gonna run out, so I like to charge for projects.
• 48:33
  Laura BC: I totally agree.
• 48:34
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, it's everyone.
• 48:36
  Matt Jacob: And a bit more of an ease the set price, off we go.
• 48:38
  Matt Jacob: If it takes eight hours, 10 hours, it takes two hours.
• 48:41
  Laura BC: Enjoy shooting, and you're gonna be enjoying the whole way.
• 48:43
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, get in the flow.
• 48:44
  Matt Jacob: And then, while you're shooting, you think oh, I thought of something else and we'll play with this.
• 48:47
  Laura BC: Yeah, same.
• 48:49
  Matt Jacob: Well, I think talking about over delivering, because many photographers I sit across from they always say that, like with projects, with client projects, over deliver because A you might just have something in the back pocket.
• 49:01
  Laura BC: If they want more, you go.
• 49:02
  Laura BC: Oh, actually I got more here you go.
• 49:04
  Matt Jacob: Or you just over deliver.
• 49:04
  Matt Jacob: Anyway, they're impressed and they will work with you again.
• 49:07
  Matt Jacob: I think you over deliver on YouTube as well, I mean your videos like they're so full of.
• 49:12
  Matt Jacob: They're just full and production quality is excellent.
• 49:15
  Laura BC: You get so many points across and it's fucking free.
• 49:18
  Laura BC: Yeah, you know, yes, I know it's insane, but that's just the world we live in now, people.
• 49:24
  Matt Jacob: Well, what do you mean?
• 49:25
  Matt Jacob: It's not free.
• 49:25
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, you know when an ad comes up.
• 49:27
  Laura BC: I've got to watch an ad yeah.
• 49:30
  Matt Jacob: Oh my.
• 49:30
  Laura BC: God, I find that so annoying.
• 49:31
  Laura BC: It's like are you serious?
• 49:32
  Laura BC: Yeah, Like you complain because I put an ad that you can skip in two seconds.
• 49:36
  Laura BC: Yeah, and I give you the value of a course of 3,000 pounds.
• 49:39
  Laura BC: Yeah.
• 49:40
  Laura BC: It's like are you serious?
• 49:41
  Laura BC: You're not going to support me even watching a freaking ad of two seconds.
• 49:44
  Matt Jacob: Yeah.
• 49:45
  Laura BC: It's so unfair because I would love them to see them.
• 49:47
  Laura BC: 15 years ago, when I started, we didn't have anything.
• 49:50
  Laura BC: It's crazy, yeah, that's crazy.
• 49:53
  Matt Jacob: What is the biggest critique you've had?
• 49:56
  Matt Jacob: Let's think about YouTube specifically, I mean you must get lots of comments.
• 49:59
  Matt Jacob: I haven't read all your comments, but there must be some kind of, certainly when you first started.
• 50:04
  Matt Jacob: Maybe some comments in there, like you know, negative comments, or is there anything that come to mind that may have actually helped you in the long run?
• 50:13
  Matt Jacob: Not off the cuff, shitty comments, but maybe some constructive negative comments that have helped you, or that you've been proud of, to absorb.
• 50:23
  Laura BC: Yeah, to be honest, I'm very lucky because I was expecting yeah.
• 50:28
  Laura BC: I was expecting, like more haters, because they always say, no, how do you know you made it on YouTube.
• 50:34
  Laura BC: When you have haters always yeah, I have a few, but they don't bother me, but they never know.
• 50:40
  Laura BC: They're also happy with what I do.
• 50:42
  Laura BC: Just many people tell me I speak too fast.
• 50:44
  Laura BC: That's something I absorb because I know I do that but I cannot change it.
• 50:48
  Laura BC: So I tell them, because you can actually slow down on YouTube the speed of the video.
• 50:53
  Laura BC: So, yeah, you can actually put it to play for two or minus two.
• 50:59
  Laura BC: So then, people can put me to talk slower, so you are speaking like this.
• 51:04
  Laura BC: Yes, I tell them that this is who I am.
• 51:07
  Laura BC: In Spanish I speak even faster.
• 51:09
  Laura BC: It's like it's very hard for me because in the moment I don't script.
• 51:12
  Laura BC: I script my videos a little bit, but I don't have a teleprompter.
• 51:15
  Laura BC: So basically I had to pretend, yeah, I had to pretend the camera is a human being, which is hard enough already, and then I had to remember every single point because it's educational right.
• 51:26
  Laura BC: So I don't want to miss any point.
• 51:27
  Laura BC: So while I'm explaining something, I'm already thinking in the next point to don't forget.
• 51:32
  Laura BC: So for me it's hard enough to focus on that, to actually think as well about my speed when I talk.
• 51:38
  Laura BC: But that's a very good comment actually, because I had to pay attention to that, but it's very hard for me to so?
• 51:44
  Matt Jacob: do you memorize the basic construct of the script and then add lib around that?
• 51:48
  Matt Jacob: Basically?
• 51:49
  Laura BC: Yeah, I struggle so much.
• 51:53
  Matt Jacob: You're an actor essentially, in that respect, right, you're acting to the camera.
• 51:57
  Laura BC: Yeah, so I struggle.
• 51:58
  Laura BC: Some People don't tell all my videos, but maybe a video of 10 minutes I take two hours to record.
• 52:04
  Matt Jacob: Oh, tell me about it and I go, oh my God that shit and they send that.
• 52:07
  Laura BC: I get so angry and I procrastinate about my videos because I literally suffer in front of the camera.
• 52:13
  Laura BC: I would love to have a person and talk like I'm talking to you, but when it's the camera, the moment you are looking to an object, it's very hard to be normal.
• 52:22
  Matt Jacob: It's really weird.
• 52:23
  Laura BC: You know that I still struggle with it.
• 52:25
  Laura BC: Yeah.
• 52:26
  Matt Jacob: Probably why I don't do so many of the longer form tips and tricks videos.
• 52:29
  Laura BC: Yeah, I struggle as well with the camera.
• 52:31
  Matt Jacob: I just I mean fees in here a lot of the time helping me, so it helps.
• 52:36
  Laura BC: Okay, yeah.
• 52:37
  Matt Jacob: But when I'm on my own, like looking at the camera, it's just weird.
• 52:39
  Laura BC: It's so weird I don't know who I'm talking to.
• 52:41
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, I guess eventually you get used to sounds like you haven't yet, but I haven't.
• 52:47
  Laura BC: I mean, I guess I'm better.
• 52:48
  Laura BC: Everyone says that, but no, I used to struggle so much and I suffer so much when I record.
• 52:52
  Matt Jacob: Did you style yourself on anyone Like you were going to photography in a minute, but YouTube wise, where the inspirations that you looked at and go?
• 52:59
  Matt Jacob: Oh, you know, I want to build my videos a bit like this, I want to look like this.
• 53:03
  Matt Jacob: Was there any inspirations with that?
• 53:05
  Laura BC: To be honest, no, specifically.
• 53:07
  Laura BC: Obviously, I've learned from the big ones Peter McKinnon and all these people but I didn't want to be, for example.
• 53:12
  Laura BC: A big mistake of many new YouTubers is copying, and it's very common.
• 53:17
  Laura BC: No, because you think.
• 53:17
  Laura BC: Okay, he made it or she made it.
• 53:19
  Matt Jacob: He or she's done well yeah.
• 53:20
  Laura BC: So they copy.
• 53:21
  Laura BC: You see that a lot.
• 53:22
  Laura BC: For me it was like no, I just want to humbly teach what I know and try to help and see what happens.
• 53:28
  Laura BC: Obviously, I really wanted to improve my filmmaking skills, be role, this, that.
• 53:32
  Laura BC: So I was watching a lot of tutorials.
• 53:34
  Laura BC: So I always wanted to, because obviously educational can be quite boring as well, because it's just talking, head, talking, talking, talking, and I hate editing that because I find myself boring, even though the other person is taking.
• 53:46
  Laura BC: Value for me is freaking boring, it's just me talking.
• 53:48
  Laura BC: So I always try to record B-roll, to try to put B-roll on top.
• 53:53
  Laura BC: So, it's more digestible.
• 53:54
  Matt Jacob: Stock footage.
• 53:56
  Laura BC: Yeah, yeah, it's like I'm trying to do something different.
• 53:59
  Laura BC: I'm still finding my style.
• 54:00
  Laura BC: That's why now I'm in Bali and I'm going to have more creative room, because in London I was recording my studio all the time studio studio and I'm recording my studio in my studio every day.
• 54:10
  Laura BC: I'm still recording my studio every day, so I cannot go out there to do yeah, it's like I cannot do anything.
• 54:16
  Laura BC: I cannot do so fucking different.
• 54:17
  Laura BC: Yes, it's like I cannot go outdoors to shoot with a model and making it more dynamic.
• 54:22
  Laura BC: So it's like in Bali, it's going to be amazing because I can do creative photography in a rice field somewhere and, you know, bring more fun to the tunnel.
• 54:30
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, if you were to narrow down on one thing that's contributed most to your growth on YouTube.
• 54:37
  Laura BC: To grow when I was a beginner and nobody knew me make searchable content on YouTube.
• 54:43
  Matt Jacob: Searchable content.
• 54:44
  Laura BC: Searchable searchable things that people can search.
• 54:46
  Matt Jacob: Because YouTube is like Google.
• 54:47
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, it's a search engine.
• 54:49
  Laura BC: Yeah, exactly, so you put how to do this, how to do that, how to create a home photography studio.
• 54:54
  Laura BC: That one made me grow a lot, so I was playing with that.
• 54:57
  Laura BC: It's like, where can I teach that I know people are searching for.
• 55:00
  Laura BC: So it's like, okay, I know about this and people may be searching for that.
• 55:03
  Laura BC: So I did searchable content and educational content, because people look for that.
• 55:08
  Laura BC: So I was doing a lot of how to do this, how to blah, blah, blah, how to like this, how to use one light.
• 55:12
  Laura BC: So that's how I grew.
• 55:14
  Laura BC: But then what made people mistake is just sharing generally how I am and how I grew in London and my struggles, because many people made a mistake of showing perfection on the time in social media and people don't like that because it's like we all have problems, we all struggle.
• 55:31
  Laura BC: If you see someone perfect all the time, you don't relate that much to that person.
• 55:34
  Laura BC: But when I started to show my struggles and how I grew in London and how I had nothing, people related to that Because we are all humans and we all struggle.
• 55:42
  Laura BC: So that's why people stick to my channel and, yeah, I think that made me grow.
• 55:46
  Laura BC: People just want authenticity.
• 55:47
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, exactly I think we're past the stage of social media, where people just want to see perfection.
• 55:52
  Laura BC: Now we're through that and it's kind of like we want to see the imperfection.
• 55:55
  Matt Jacob: That's why TikTok is so popular because they see the real lives.
• 55:59
  Matt Jacob: I don't want to talk about TikTok, yeah, good.
• 56:02
  Matt Jacob: So photography in terms of inspirations, who did you look up to when you began?
• 56:08
  Matt Jacob: Who do you look up to now?
• 56:09
  Matt Jacob: Who do you kind of refer back to for that kind of that soul and that inspiration?
• 56:15
  Laura BC: This is weird because for me it's like I look at a photo and I don't necessarily look even the name of the photographer Like, I have my inspirations.
• 56:24
  Laura BC: I will tell you in a minute but since I started that was just myself, my camera, what I wanted to do and explore what I liked.
• 56:33
  Laura BC: And then maybe obviously you see in social media photos or you see some inspiration out there, but I didn't feel like I had a photographer that inspired me in particular.
• 56:43
  Laura BC: I do have my favorite ones.
• 56:44
  Laura BC: So, for example, vivian Mayer we were talking about this before.
• 56:47
  Laura BC: I love her.
• 56:49
  Laura BC: Roness.
• 56:50
  Laura BC: She was a street photographer and nobody knew her work till she died.
• 56:54
  Laura BC: And so one phone, all that's kind of common thing, yeah, posthumous popularity.
• 57:00
  Laura BC: After people died, people found out that she had so many films and developed and then she became famous.
• 57:06
  Matt Jacob: She's amazing.
• 57:07
  Laura BC: Yeah, and it's like raw documentary photography street photography in New York and Chicago, and I love that kind of photography.
• 57:13
  Laura BC: But then, for example, I studied creative direction for fashion in London, so we studied a lot of fashion photographers and I started to don't like fashion photography too much because I see fashion photographers and they are very big and I look at them.
• 57:27
  Laura BC: This is a very unpopular opinion.
• 57:28
  Laura BC: People may jump on it.
• 57:30
  Matt Jacob: It's gonna be in the highlights go.
• 57:31
  Laura BC: Yeah, because people are like I love fashion photography or this fashion photographer is amazing and they have so many followers and I look at the photos and I'm like what is creative about this photo?
• 57:41
  Laura BC: It's just a beautiful model.
• 57:42
  Laura BC: There is nothing apart of a beautiful model.
• 57:45
  Laura BC: So I was like I was a bit disappointed with fashion photography when I went to London and it's all about having contacts.
• 57:51
  Laura BC: I don't like the industry at all.
• 57:53
  Matt Jacob: Also, can I just jump in there, the model, the stylist, you already like 80% of the way there Just press a shutter button, nothing.
• 58:04
  Laura BC: I saw big photographers on set because I was actually recording a video for Ben Sherman and it's like, okay, like there is not much you can do, I prefer the BTS shots I did from the artist I was shooting than actually the tutorial shoot they shot because it's nothing creative about that.
• 58:22
  Matt Jacob: But then we're gonna get loads of comments now from people.
• 58:24
  Matt Jacob: Yeah.
• 58:25
  Laura BC: What are you talking about?
• 58:26
  Laura BC: What are you talking?
• 58:27
  Matt Jacob: about.
• 58:27
  Matt Jacob: Well, you know what you're talking about.
• 58:28
  Matt Jacob: You've done it.
• 58:29
  Laura BC: Yeah, and I wanted to be there as well.
• 58:31
  Laura BC: I wanted to do fashion.
• 58:32
  Laura BC: But then I saw how dirty is the industry.
• 58:35
  Laura BC: Like I've been published in Vogue magazine for free, Nobody paid you.
• 58:41
  Laura BC: Like people are literally dropping photos for free for the tutorials to take it for free.
• 58:44
  Laura BC: It's like there is no merit.
• 58:45
  Laura BC: There is no merit whatsoever because they're not even booking you.
• 58:48
  Laura BC: You are throwing free photos.
• 58:50
  Laura BC: I was very disappointed when I saw this thing a little bit.
• 58:54
  Matt Jacob: But one of your inspirations is fashion photography.
• 58:57
  Laura BC: Yeah, mario Sorrenti is called, is Italian American and yeah, I was doing this course, so we were doing research from various fashion photographers and they all were like, okay, celebrity models like beautiful photos, studio, amazing dresses, as you say, it's all about the stylist.
• 59:14
  Laura BC: But then Mario Sorrenti was the only photographer I saw.
• 59:18
  Laura BC: Of course there are many more 100%.
• 59:20
  Laura BC: That played with creativity a lot.
• 59:23
  Laura BC: So I saw shots from him like using architecture and the post like super weird posters of the model to frame.
• 59:30
  Laura BC: I don't know how to explain.
• 59:31
  Laura BC: Like it was very creative.
• 59:33
  Laura BC: It was okay, maybe the dress, but then the way he was leading the model to pose to match with the architecture of the background he used to fill the frame.
• 59:42
  Laura BC: It was very structural, very abstract.
• 59:45
  Laura BC: And actually in the class we all had a project to expose our favorite photo.
• 59:49
  Laura BC: Everyone looked at me weird because the photo is selected.
• 59:52
  Laura BC: It was so freaking weird.
• 59:53
  Laura BC: Everyone is like why you selected that so abstract?
• 59:56
  Laura BC: You couldn't even see the model.
• 59:57
  Laura BC: It was a crazy dress.
• 59:58
  Laura BC: You couldn't even see the face of the model, Very weird pose and nobody understood.
• 1:00:04
  Laura BC: It's like for me this is amazing Because I kind of can't see what is going on in his head.
• 1:00:09
  Laura BC: It's like I see why he was doing that.
• 1:00:12
  Laura BC: I don't know.
• 1:00:13
  Laura BC: I always think the way you shoot, the way you lead the model, the way you lead it talks a bit about what you have in your head, and I don't know.
• 1:00:22
  Laura BC: I love the way he shoots because he always do weird poses with the models and I find it very different to other fashion photographers.
• 1:00:28
  Matt Jacob: There's a skill in the direction, isn't there?
• 1:00:30
  Laura BC: As part of a photographer if you're doing both at the same time, yeah.
• 1:00:34
  Matt Jacob: And your third inspiration.
• 1:00:35
  Laura BC: So I forgot the surname because I'm not good to pronounce it George.
• 1:00:38
  Matt Jacob: George Hammond yeah.
• 1:00:41
  Laura BC: I mean, I've been looking for a long time on Instagram.
• 1:00:42
  Laura BC: That's what I told you.
• 1:00:43
  Laura BC: Like there are huge photographers well known worldwide.
• 1:00:47
  Laura BC: But for me, now I appreciate talents like him.
• 1:00:51
  Laura BC: Like okay, he's big in social media but it's like I don't know how to explain.
• 1:00:55
  Laura BC: I see so many photos I love and it's from photographers.
• 1:00:59
  Laura BC: They are not recognized and I feel that is so unfair.
• 1:01:01
  Laura BC: It's like that's why I don't look at big photographers.
• 1:01:05
  Laura BC: I look what I see and if I like a photo, you may be my favorite photographer and George the photos.
• 1:01:10
  Laura BC: It's crazy.
• 1:01:11
  Laura BC: I keep something because my mom knows photography as well and I saw her because it's not that into social media.
• 1:01:16
  Laura BC: My mom like, oh my God, how did he do that?
• 1:01:18
  Laura BC: And I enjoy so much and it's crazy, his photos, the drone photography, he does it's crazy.
• 1:01:24
  Laura BC: And the way he edits it's crazy.
• 1:01:27
  Matt Jacob: There's a lot in the edits.
• 1:01:28
  Matt Jacob: But there's a whole skill in itself.
• 1:01:31
  Laura BC: Yes, this is crazy For me.
• 1:01:32
  Laura BC: When people tell me I salute in the edit, it doesn't matter, it's part of the skill.
• 1:01:36
  Laura BC: Yes you have to edit the photo.
• 1:01:39
  Laura BC: I'm sorry.
• 1:01:39
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, I used to get a lot of stick from people with that.
• 1:01:43
  Matt Jacob: You know they could tell either.
• 1:01:45
  Matt Jacob: My photo was set up or you know obviously used.
• 1:01:48
  Matt Jacob: Yours are amazing Like they are like perfect.
• 1:01:52
  Matt Jacob: Your work is amazing, yeah, yeah.
• 1:01:54
  Laura BC: Plus, you do something very different.
• 1:01:55
  Laura BC: Yeah, and you don't see photographers doing that anymore Many years ago maybe, but now what you do like showing the culture and portraying people, but like it states like preparing the light and you're gonna tell a story I don't think there is many people doing that.
• 1:02:11
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, it's very good.
• 1:02:12
  Matt Jacob: I don't know.
• 1:02:13
  Matt Jacob: That's why I'm still doing it.
• 1:02:14
  Laura BC: Because like you.
• 1:02:15
  Matt Jacob: I love all photography, Maybe not product photography and maybe not fashion photography either.
• 1:02:21
  Matt Jacob: But pretty much every other niche, every other style, sub-niche, whatever you want to label them as, but that's a strength I love all of it.
• 1:02:28
  Matt Jacob: But so I've always doubted, like which path do I want to go down?
• 1:02:32
  Matt Jacob: What do I just always come back to?
• 1:02:34
  Matt Jacob: And it was always that.
• 1:02:36
  Matt Jacob: Plus, I didn't see many other people doing it, so there's a lot of people that don't like it, but those people do really like it.
• 1:02:43
  Laura BC: And that's enough for me.
• 1:02:44
  Laura BC: You have to stick to it Like.
• 1:02:45
  Matt Jacob: I used to get a lot of stuff oh, you edit.
• 1:02:47
  Matt Jacob: You know you shouldn't be editing.
• 1:02:49
  Matt Jacob: What are you talking about?
• 1:02:50
  Laura BC: You have a people.
• 1:02:51
  Laura BC: Oh my God.
• 1:02:51
  Matt Jacob: Integrated in photography.
• 1:02:52
  Matt Jacob: You're editing as soon as you pick up the camera, because you're choosing what goes in that frame.
• 1:02:58
  Laura BC: Yeah, exactly, but you have to edit the photos.
• 1:03:00
  Laura BC: That's part of the art.
• 1:03:01
  Matt Jacob: Even if you film, you're editing the photo Exactly.
• 1:03:03
  Laura BC: Yeah, and everyone does like documentary travel photography.
• 1:03:07
  Laura BC: You know, like I love that doing that, but many people do it.
• 1:03:10
  Laura BC: But what you do is literally know, I want to portray this person, I'm going to tell the story and I'm going to make the photo the best I can make it.
• 1:03:16
  Laura BC: And yeah, there is no people doing that and it's great yeah.
• 1:03:22
  Matt Jacob: Couple of kind of more educational questions.
• 1:03:24
  Matt Jacob: I think, because certainly with you so good at educating and providing your story and I think that's one reason, by the way, why you are growing so well on YouTube is that you encompass your story in the education side of it?
• 1:03:36
  Laura BC: I guess yeah, Because it's so easy.
• 1:03:38
  Matt Jacob: I really struggle with it.
• 1:03:39
  Matt Jacob: Oh, you know three tips for this, and you should do that, but because you live and breathe it and the way you produce your videos is a story from start to finish.
• 1:03:48
  Laura BC: Yeah, thank you, that's amazing.
• 1:03:51
  Matt Jacob: But let's get boring for a little bit.
• 1:03:52
  Matt Jacob: Give me a couple of tips and tricks.
• 1:03:55
  Matt Jacob: Do you think no one really talks about that much?
• 1:03:59
  Laura BC: The first one is related to what I said before, because everyone talks about Technicism, code to Edit the basic knowledge, but the first one is to don't listen to anyone unless they are supporting you in your path.
• 1:04:13
  Matt Jacob: OK.
• 1:04:14
  Laura BC: Yes, and this is something.
• 1:04:15
  Laura BC: When I say it on my channel, people is like thank you for saying that, because actually my husband says I'm too old for this.
• 1:04:21
  Laura BC: My kids say this, you know, and that actually really limits you.
• 1:04:25
  Laura BC: Yeah, because for me, obviously I pushed through, but it was very hard to push through when you didn't have anyone that believed on you.
• 1:04:32
  Laura BC: So don't listen to people who tells you you cannot make it.
• 1:04:35
  Laura BC: Just push through regardless, because many people feel overwhelmed already with the fact that they had to take a camera and learn it.
• 1:04:41
  Laura BC: If, on top of that, people around you is telling you ah, why are you going to bother?
• 1:04:44
  Laura BC: There are so many good photographers out there they don't want to take the camera.
• 1:04:47
  Laura BC: You know it happens.
• 1:04:48
  Laura BC: I see all my subscribers struggling with that and nobody talks about this and is psychological basically.
• 1:04:53
  Laura BC: So that would be one tip Just don't listen to anyone unless they are supporting you, and if they are not supporting you, that's fine.
• 1:04:59
  Laura BC: Take your camera and go out there and shoot and keep learning.
• 1:05:02
  Laura BC: Fuck them all, yeah, fuck them all, literally like literally, and the more they're going to give you shit like, the more you have to pursue what you want to.
• 1:05:12
  Laura BC: You know to show them, because there is a space for everyone in the photography industry.
• 1:05:15
  Laura BC: I was terrified as well.
• 1:05:16
  Laura BC: Yeah, it's like London is like oh, london, you have so many jobs, yeah, but the competition is crazy.
• 1:05:21
  Laura BC: The photographers in London are insane, but then you have a lot of work as well.
• 1:05:25
  Laura BC: So I encourage everyone to do it and don't listen to voices, because it's overwhelming already to learn photography enough to also listen to the people ah, you cannot make it, it's just a hobby.
• 1:05:35
  Laura BC: Blah, blah, blah.
• 1:05:35
  Laura BC: So that would be one tip, and another tip this is regarding portrait photography would be because I have so many introverts asking me this.
• 1:05:45
  Laura BC: It's like I'm an introvert, how I'm going to become a portrait photographer?
• 1:05:48
  Laura BC: And I think you can make it, because I'm not an introvert, I'm an extrovert.
• 1:05:53
  Laura BC: I think everyone can tell.
• 1:05:54
  Laura BC: But yeah, like at the beginning, I was terrified to shoot with people as well, because I didn't have the knowledge enough.
• 1:06:00
  Laura BC: I was scared to feel stuck in the studio and the client would see that the awkward yeah.
• 1:06:05
  Laura BC: You have to feel confident and it's fake it till you make it in the studio.
• 1:06:09
  Laura BC: So I feel always like confident, even if you messed up.
• 1:06:13
  Laura BC: Don't be nervous, don't be quiet or we talk like practice, because everyone tells me everyone struggles with this.
• 1:06:19
  Laura BC: How do I make a portfolio?
• 1:06:21
  Laura BC: I'm terrified to shoot with people because they want to jump start to shoot with clients.
• 1:06:25
  Laura BC: Don't do that.
• 1:06:25
  Laura BC: Shoot with your sister, your brother, with family friends, because when you are shooting with them you're going to learn how to lead someone.
• 1:06:32
  Laura BC: You're going to see maybe problems you can solve later.
• 1:06:35
  Laura BC: So shoot, start shooting with friends and family also to get a portfolio or collaborations with models.
• 1:06:40
  Laura BC: Don't charge and so you don't have the pressure.
• 1:06:43
  Laura BC: And then, when you trust more of your abilities, you're going to feel less nervous.
• 1:06:47
  Laura BC: To shoot with someone who is paying you Because you already know you feel stuck and what you have to do, because you already experienced that A beginning mistake is jumping.
• 1:06:55
  Laura BC: I want to work with clients.
• 1:06:56
  Laura BC: No Like.
• 1:06:57
  Laura BC: First you have to shoot with people you feel comfortable with, because I understand it's very intimidating.
• 1:07:03
  Laura BC: I never wanted to be a portrait photographer Is the niche I didn't want to touch when I was doing self photography because I thought it was very difficult.
• 1:07:11
  Laura BC: I don't want to shoot with people so hard, making them pose and making them look good Like never in my life.
• 1:07:17
  Laura BC: I would think I would be a portrait photographer, and now it's what I enjoy the most doing.
• 1:07:21
  Matt Jacob: So, yeah, practicing a lot, I think in what you were talking about which I would just kind of add.
• 1:07:27
  Matt Jacob: But make the same point I see a lot of portrait photographers certainly starting out not managing expectations of the subject.
• 1:07:36
  Matt Jacob: So if you're using friends and family, definitely start with friends and family, even self portraits, just so you kind of know the flow of being in this room.
• 1:07:49
  Matt Jacob: Do a self portrait in the same room that you would do a portrait with a client or a friend and family, but also practice learning how to explain to them what's going.
• 1:08:00
  Matt Jacob: You said don't not talk, right?
• 1:08:04
  Laura BC: Always talk.
• 1:08:04
  Laura BC: Silence is not good and it's awkward for them.
• 1:08:08
  Laura BC: So if you're constantly, talking.
• 1:08:09
  Matt Jacob: That just puts you to talk about fucking anything.
• 1:08:12
  Matt Jacob: There's my fee, my wife she's brilliant at that because it allows me to focus a little bit more on the creative, what I want to get, and fees, kind of the icebreaker, and yeah, that's good.
• 1:08:23
  Matt Jacob: But obviously a lot of people don't have that luxury but that and managing the expectations.
• 1:08:27
  Matt Jacob: So saying to that person definitely if you go from friends and family to models, who there's always models out there that want photos- yes, exactly, and you just have a collaboration for it.
• 1:08:37
  Matt Jacob: So you can practice.
• 1:08:37
  Matt Jacob: But when they come and say I'm just practicing, I can't promise you anything amazing, but like, just let me practice on you and hopefully you can get a few good shots.
• 1:08:45
  Matt Jacob: So their expectations are not like exactly.
• 1:08:48
  Matt Jacob: You know this is going to be a top professional shoot, but just if they know that you're a beginner and that you're just trying and testing it's fine, everyone's OK with it.
• 1:08:55
  Matt Jacob: But again, it's just that.
• 1:08:56
  Matt Jacob: Managing expectations, yeah.
• 1:08:58
  Matt Jacob: Third tip Do you have a third tip?
• 1:09:01
  Laura BC: Yeah, you mentioned self portrait photography.
• 1:09:03
  Laura BC: Yeah, and this is for me.
• 1:09:05
  Laura BC: Oh my God, I don't even know how many times I say it on my channel and many people ah yeah, but you look good in your self portrait.
• 1:09:11
  Laura BC: It's like I post my self portraits but you don't need to learn with self portrait photography.
• 1:09:16
  Laura BC: I learned portrait photography with myself.
• 1:09:18
  Laura BC: I didn't even know I wanted to get into self portrait photography because for me it was OK, I don't have a model.
• 1:09:23
  Laura BC: I was still in Spain, and when I learn portrait photography and I don't have a model, it's like OK, I'm going to practice with myself.
• 1:09:28
  Laura BC: And then I fell in love with self portrait photography to express myself.
• 1:09:32
  Laura BC: But self portrait photography, you can learn a lot.
• 1:09:36
  Laura BC: Many people feel intimidated with studio lighting.
• 1:09:38
  Laura BC: It's like do self portrait photography?
• 1:09:39
  Laura BC: I still before every photo shoot.
• 1:09:42
  Laura BC: Many times when I want to try something new, I experiment with myself.
• 1:09:45
  Laura BC: I put the camera there, I put the light and I'm thinking about and then I start to shoot.
• 1:09:48
  Laura BC: Yeah, so then the day after is like OK, this idea, I know, is going to work.
• 1:09:51
  Laura BC: Practice with yourself Like this is the best tip ever.
• 1:09:55
  Laura BC: Nobody's watching.
• 1:09:56
  Laura BC: So even if you mess up a million times, nobody's watching you and then you're going to be able to learn about lighting.
• 1:10:01
  Laura BC: It's like, ok, if I put the light here, let's see how it looks.
• 1:10:03
  Laura BC: Ok, I don't like it.
• 1:10:04
  Laura BC: You learn by yourself.
• 1:10:05
  Laura BC: You don't need a model, you don't need to practice with someone else or bother into finding a model.
• 1:10:10
  Laura BC: I always say this many subscribers is like ah, but you know, I'm not photogenic.
• 1:10:15
  Laura BC: Who cares?
• 1:10:16
  Laura BC: Nobody's going to watch the photo, just yourself.
• 1:10:17
  Laura BC: Just post it and that's it.
• 1:10:19
  Laura BC: But I think it's amazing.
• 1:10:21
  Laura BC: It's how I learn portrait photography with myself.
• 1:10:24
  Matt Jacob: Wonderful Great tips.
• 1:10:25
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, yeah, definitely agree with all of that.
• 1:10:28
  Matt Jacob: What equipment do you use?
• 1:10:31
  Matt Jacob: Touch up on it.
• 1:10:32
  Matt Jacob: I know you changed Sony this year.
• 1:10:34
  Laura BC: Yeah.
• 1:10:35
  Matt Jacob: People see a lot of your equipment setups on YouTube and stuff which I think is amazing, because some photographers don't like to kind of share that stuff but give it to people.
• 1:10:45
  Laura BC: People love it.
• 1:10:45
  Matt Jacob: Give us a quick insight into what you use now in terms of your back, your gear.
• 1:10:51
  Laura BC: Yeah, so I mean I love Canon.
• 1:10:53
  Laura BC: Like people make this competition within Canon and Sony is like I moved to Sony.
• 1:10:58
  Laura BC: I have videos about this for some reasons because now I do video as well and I think the Sony cameras are incredibly versatile and very easy to change between programs and stuff to shoot video, photo Like.
• 1:11:10
  Laura BC: It's very quick.
• 1:11:10
  Laura BC: So versatility that's why I tend to Sony by love Canon as well, and people get stuck into which brand is better.
• 1:11:17
  Laura BC: They are all freaking amazing regardless of which one you choose.
• 1:11:21
  Laura BC: Yeah.
• 1:11:21
  Laura BC: So when people people got even upset with me oh my God, canon is better, it's like, don't be that way.
• 1:11:26
  Laura BC: Like I didn't change Canon because I didn't like it.
• 1:11:29
  Laura BC: I love Canon.
• 1:11:30
  Laura BC: I didn't want to leave Canon.
• 1:11:31
  Laura BC: But then it's like, ok, I'm going to take Sony because actually I have the Sony a seven or five and it has everything I need for my YouTube videos, for photography.
• 1:11:40
  Laura BC: I need versatility.
• 1:11:41
  Laura BC: So if I wouldn't have a YouTube channel, probably I would be still with my 5D Mark 4 on his a DSLR.
• 1:11:46
  Laura BC: I was very happy with it.
• 1:11:47
  Laura BC: I love that camera because it's big and heavy and I love it.
• 1:11:50
  Laura BC: So I didn't want to say it necessarily, but I use now the Sony a seven or five as my main photography camera.
• 1:11:57
  Laura BC: And then I have my blogging camera, which is the Sony a seven C, which is quite tiny, ok, so it's easier to blog around.
• 1:12:03
  Laura BC: Sometimes I use the Sony a seven or five to blog and stuff.
• 1:12:07
  Laura BC: The Sony a seven C is perfect.
• 1:12:09
  Laura BC: Those are my go to cameras.
• 1:12:10
  Laura BC: Then I have obviously the drone, the GoPro, blah, blah, blah.
• 1:12:13
  Matt Jacob: Lighting Sorry, lighting.
• 1:12:15
  Laura BC: Poof lighting.
• 1:12:16
  Laura BC: I don't even have lighting anymore, because I came here.
• 1:12:21
  Matt Jacob: OK.
• 1:12:21
  Laura BC: Yeah, I brought the brand.
• 1:12:23
  Laura BC: I don't know if you know is written Z June.
• 1:12:28
  Laura BC: It's like a Japanese brand because I started to collaborate with them for YouTube and I love the brand.
• 1:12:34
  Laura BC: It works and it's affordable.
• 1:12:35
  Laura BC: So I'm not like very fancy about lighting and I was using Godox affordable as well, yeah.
• 1:12:41
  Laura BC: And then then I have to talk about Elin Chrome, because I do have a reflector from Elin Chrome and at the beginning, when I was a beginner, I thought it wouldn't make a difference, Like I can have something affordable on that set.
• 1:12:53
  Laura BC: But then when I came back to London I have to rebuy all my stuff because I have dispensable stuff in Spain and it was very expensive to send it to London because of Brexit.
• 1:13:02
  Laura BC: Now you have to pay a lot of taxes.
• 1:13:03
  Matt Jacob: Of course yeah.
• 1:13:04
  Laura BC: So it's like, ok, I'm going to rebuy stuff, but the cheap version because I already have dispensable stuff in Spain.
• 1:13:09
  Laura BC: But then when I came back to Spain and recorded a video with Elin Chrome, I mean it's amazing because now I was using new wear.
• 1:13:16
  Laura BC: Ok, like very affordable Amazon purchase as a reflector.
• 1:13:20
  Laura BC: It does the job.
• 1:13:21
  Laura BC: So my subscribers love that advice because they don't need to spend a lot of money to start.
• 1:13:26
  Laura BC: But there is a massive difference within good gear and bad gear and in reflectors.
• 1:13:31
  Laura BC: I invest on Elin Chrome.
• 1:13:34
  Laura BC: For me it's amazing.
• 1:13:35
  Laura BC: I have a huge one is one meter diameter and the one is a deep octa box and it's crazy how it soothes the skin and everything like it makes the difference.
• 1:13:44
  Laura BC: Good gear, yeah.
• 1:13:47
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, I don't think the the lights themselves are that important.
• 1:13:52
  Laura BC: Yeah, but the soft box is that diffuses, yeah, light.
• 1:13:56
  Laura BC: I'm not bothered.
• 1:13:56
  Laura BC: Which brand do you use for light?
• 1:13:57
  Matt Jacob: It depends how the light is spread, how soft you can get it, and some are just better than others.
• 1:14:01
  Matt Jacob: Yeah Well, these are Godox, but I usually have a photo.
• 1:14:05
  Laura BC: No, I don't, yeah, well, I have two pro photo lights.
• 1:14:09
  Matt Jacob: One I take is kind of my on location light because it's I saw.
• 1:14:13
  Matt Jacob: Smallish, it's good, and I have a 135 cm soft box which just about fits into everything when.
• 1:14:20
  Matt Jacob: I travel and most rooms for intimate portraits.
• 1:14:23
  Laura BC: No, lighting is so affordable.
• 1:14:24
  Laura BC: Years ago you had to spend a grand to on a light.
• 1:14:27
  Laura BC: Now, with Godox and these small brands, as you say, you don't know the touch much difference.
• 1:14:32
  Laura BC: It's better to buy a good diffuser.
• 1:14:34
  Matt Jacob: SD cards are more expensive.
• 1:14:35
  Laura BC: Sorry, sd cards are more expensive than I thought oh my God, almost 400, quid I paid for mine.
• 1:14:39
  Matt Jacob: I just broke a 512 gigabyte one yesterday.
• 1:14:42
  Matt Jacob: Oh my God, that's crazy.
• 1:14:44
  Laura BC: They're so expensive and it hurts to buy SD cards and SSDs Hard drives yeah.
• 1:14:49
  Laura BC: Because you don't feel the reward.
• 1:14:50
  Laura BC: What is a camera?
• 1:14:51
  Laura BC: You're excited.
• 1:14:52
  Matt Jacob: Just storage, but when you?
• 1:14:53
  Laura BC: buy it.
• 1:14:54
  Laura BC: It's like, oh my God, I said 400 quid on this.
• 1:14:56
  Laura BC: It's very expensive.
• 1:14:58
  Laura BC: And now recording videos 4K.
• 1:15:00
  Laura BC: You need capacity A lot of storage.
• 1:15:03
  Matt Jacob: Why are we not evolving in that space yet?
• 1:15:05
  Laura BC: Why are?
• 1:15:05
  Matt Jacob: we not just basically got an SD card?
• 1:15:08
  Matt Jacob: That's that big and an SSD that's that big.
• 1:15:11
  Laura BC: That's tiny 3,000 terabytes and traveling.
• 1:15:13
  Laura BC: You travel a lot as well to travel with all the hard drives and SSDs and SD cards.
• 1:15:18
  Laura BC: It's crazy, I'm cool guys.
• 1:15:20
  Matt Jacob: Speaking of evolution, what does the future look like for you?
• 1:15:23
  Matt Jacob: How do you evolve as an artist?
• 1:15:26
  Matt Jacob: What is your idea of evolution as an artist of?
• 1:15:29
  Laura BC: photography.
• 1:15:30
  Laura BC: The idea of evolution is just keep experimenting.
• 1:15:33
  Laura BC: So this is one of the reasons I came to Bali as well, because I was feeling stuck.
• 1:15:37
  Laura BC: In London I was doing creative portrait photography.
• 1:15:40
  Laura BC: I could get fashion shoots, but I love traveling, I love landscape photography and it's like OK, maybe I can combine landscape photography with also creative portrait photography by outdoors, in nature, rather than in a city like I was doing.
• 1:15:55
  Laura BC: So for me, evolving is experimenting.
• 1:15:58
  Laura BC: I'm learning every single day, like every time I'm like I'm productive, I'm not doing something.
• 1:16:03
  Laura BC: I like to watch tutorials to improve my videos.
• 1:16:06
  Laura BC: Because I love filmmaking, I want to get more into it.
• 1:16:08
  Laura BC: I want to be able to merge photography and video in both, maybe for BTS on my channel, like do a nice B roll of the model in a beautiful landscape and then take amazing pictures.
• 1:16:19
  Laura BC: So all this combination.
• 1:16:21
  Laura BC: I couldn't do it in London.
• 1:16:22
  Laura BC: So for me, evolving is keep changing countries.
• 1:16:27
  Laura BC: It's like everyone is like oh my god, you left Spain for London, now London for Bali, what's next?
• 1:16:31
  Laura BC: But now I can do it, right?
• 1:16:33
  Laura BC: I don't have any attachments, so I'm just pursuing my creativity and what it fulfills me.
• 1:16:38
  Laura BC: So, yeah, I think you have to change your creativity.
• 1:16:41
  Laura BC: And evolving is that it's experimenting, because many people would say to evolve is become better at what you are doing.
• 1:16:48
  Laura BC: And for me, it's not necessarily that.
• 1:16:50
  Laura BC: I think it's experimenting other things, because when you're a creative, I mean the possibilities are endless.
• 1:16:56
  Laura BC: So it's experimenting.
• 1:16:57
  Laura BC: Maybe you don't like it, but at least you tried it.
• 1:16:59
  Laura BC: And evolving is trying different things.
• 1:17:01
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, yeah, that's a good way of putting it.
• 1:17:02
  Matt Jacob: Yeah, is there a path towards such a thing as success and if so, how do you define success?
• 1:17:12
  Laura BC: Oh, this is something very interesting for me, because when I arrived to London London, I mean, it's proper matrix Everyone status and do this, and what do you do for a living Status?
• 1:17:24
  Matt Jacob: games all the time.
• 1:17:26
  Laura BC: It's all about that.
• 1:17:26
  Laura BC: I was a creative director.
• 1:17:28
  Matt Jacob: How have you got and how big is your house?
• 1:17:30
  Laura BC: Yes.
• 1:17:30
  Laura BC: So success when I was living in Spain, it would be working for a huge company.
• 1:17:35
  Laura BC: Okay, for my parents success is that, and it was for me because it's what I knew.
• 1:17:39
  Laura BC: I worked for a big company or, you know, in the field of photography, maybe become a big photographer to be published in this magazine.
• 1:17:46
  Laura BC: But then, when I arrived to London, I think that is so freaking overrated.
• 1:17:50
  Laura BC: It's like success is not that because I became a creative director and I was very proud I'm a creative director.
• 1:17:57
  Laura BC: I hated it.
• 1:17:58
  Laura BC: I was in shooting, I was leading the photographers, I was hiding the photographers, I wasn't shooting.
• 1:18:03
  Laura BC: And then, on top of that, I was working for a company.
• 1:18:05
  Laura BC: So the CEO of the company was telling me how she wanted the things to be done.
• 1:18:09
  Laura BC: I didn't want that Creatively.
• 1:18:11
  Laura BC: It was a killer because I didn't like the way she was doing things.
• 1:18:14
  Laura BC: I wanted to do them in another way, but I couldn't.
• 1:18:16
  Laura BC: And then I was impressed in the shutter.
• 1:18:18
  Laura BC: So it's like status is nothing, it's not being successful, even if I'm earning a lot of money.
• 1:18:23
  Laura BC: I quit that job and my parents were like crazy, oh my God, you are quitting that job.
• 1:18:27
  Laura BC: The salary blah, blah, blah.
• 1:18:29
  Laura BC: People think success is a good salary and working as a creative director in a good company, for instance.
• 1:18:35
  Laura BC: For me.
• 1:18:36
  Laura BC: No, I quit that job.
• 1:18:38
  Laura BC: I went solo traveling to South America to kind of put my shit together and when I came back I'm going to put myself with the pressure of making it as a freelancer and with the pressure of not having money to pay my rent, to move my ass, to get clients and become a freelancer.
• 1:18:55
  Laura BC: And, yes, some months I was doing amazing and some months I was struggling, but for me that was success.
• 1:19:02
  Laura BC: I had less money.
• 1:19:03
  Laura BC: It was a roller coaster.
• 1:19:05
  Laura BC: I was struggling sometimes, sometimes I was very good, but for me that was more success than being a creative director, because I was doing what I wanted, I was having the clients I wanted, I had creative freedom and I was my own boss.
• 1:19:16
  Laura BC: So I decided when I wake up, I decided when I go to bed.
• 1:19:19
  Laura BC: So for me, freedom is success.
• 1:19:21
  Laura BC: Doing something you love is success.
• 1:19:23
  Laura BC: It's not working for a big company or having a lot of money.
• 1:19:26
  Laura BC: I was like having way less money after being a creative director and I was way happier, because success is whatever makes you happy and freedom.
• 1:19:36
  Laura BC: For me it's super important.
• 1:19:38
  Matt Jacob: Emphasize on freedom.
• 1:19:38
  Matt Jacob: Last two questions I guess as we wrap up.
• 1:19:44
  Matt Jacob: One is from our previous podcast guest.
• 1:19:48
  Matt Jacob: So we kind of copy a tradition from Steven Bartlett.
• 1:19:52
  Laura BC: Yeah, I love the Diary of a Sea.
• 1:19:53
  Laura BC: That is just such a good idea.
• 1:19:55
  Laura BC: I love that podcast.
• 1:19:57
  Matt Jacob: So Miquel's question, our last podcast guest.
• 1:20:00
  Laura BC: he asked I'm scared now.
• 1:20:04
  Matt Jacob: It depends how kind of deep you want to go here.
• 1:20:06
  Matt Jacob: What was your lowest point and what did you learn from it?
• 1:20:13
  Laura BC: Oh wow, Personally, or my career.
• 1:20:17
  Matt Jacob: Anything you want.
• 1:20:18
  Laura BC: Well, my career would be what I just said, so I'm not going to repeat myself Would be becoming a creative director and then realize I didn't want that.
• 1:20:25
  Laura BC: I would go to Ecuador, travel in solo and put my shit together and become a photographer for real, and then, personally, it was a breakup.
• 1:20:33
  Laura BC: Obviously, in London many years ago it was very hard because, yeah, I was living with some friends and it was friends of my ex-boyfriend as well.
• 1:20:46
  Matt Jacob: Oh.
• 1:20:46
  Laura BC: Yeah, so it was very complicated because I would go at home and he would be there, my ex, with my friends.
• 1:20:51
  Laura BC: So it was a very toxic relationship.
• 1:20:54
  Laura BC: So I needed to break up with him because it was toxic but I was still in love, so it was very hard.
• 1:21:00
  Laura BC: But, yeah, for me it was one of the darkest periods in my life in London.
• 1:21:05
  Laura BC: I had to break up with him, loving him, move flat with the strangers and leaving my friends behind, because I couldn't break up with someone I love if I have him in place all the time.
• 1:21:14
  Laura BC: So, yeah, it changed job.
• 1:21:15
  Laura BC: I changed flat to go to live with the strangers in London and I broke up with my ex after two years, almost three years, and that was very bad for me emotionally.
• 1:21:24
  Laura BC: But then, yeah, it made me stronger.
• 1:21:28
  Laura BC: I was so bad and so miserable that I broke free of my ex, my house, my job and then I cannot reborn.
• 1:21:35
  Laura BC: It made me stronger.
• 1:21:36
  Laura BC: I was so miserable.
• 1:21:38
  Laura BC: I was like I don't want to be like this and I always say when you are going through a bad period in your life, there is always a reason for it, always, always, always.
• 1:21:48
  Laura BC: And I've been very bad, like in very bad situations and I don't regret, because thanks to that now I can stand more things in my life.
• 1:21:56
  Laura BC: So I learned a lot from that.
• 1:21:58
  Laura BC: Sometimes you have to break with everything to reborn and, yeah, since then I started to grow a lot, so, yeah, Good for you.
• 1:22:05
  Matt Jacob: What advice can you give photographers and videographers specifically?
• 1:22:08
  Matt Jacob: Let's call them creatives to maintain a decent level of mental health.
• 1:22:15
  Laura BC: This is very complicated.
• 1:22:17
  Matt Jacob: Maybe just some kind of little practices, maybe routines that you do or something that we found help to you.
• 1:22:23
  Laura BC: Okay, stop scrolling.
• 1:22:25
  Laura BC: This is the best advice.
• 1:22:28
  Matt Jacob: Brilliant advice.
• 1:22:29
  Laura BC: I keep doing it myself and but it's not like I keep doing it because you're not in a toxic way anymore.
• 1:22:36
  Laura BC: You know when I was a beginner it's very toxic.
• 1:22:37
  Laura BC: When you're a beginner, don't spend time consuming content and scrolling and compare it to yourself, to others.
• 1:22:43
  Laura BC: You're going to be so confused and so discolored With.
• 1:22:45
  Matt Jacob: the intent is different, depending what your intention is with that scrolling?
• 1:22:49
  Laura BC: Yes, am I getting inspired.
• 1:22:50
  Laura BC: Or am I?
• 1:22:51
  Matt Jacob: comparing and resenting 100%.
• 1:22:54
  Laura BC: I say that in a video exactly what you say right now Because many people go there and they just punish themselves or they just find it as an excuse to don't pick up camera.
• 1:23:02
  Laura BC: And you see so many photographers.
• 1:23:03
  Laura BC: They're very good already.
• 1:23:05
  Laura BC: No, if you're going to feel inspired, go for it.
• 1:23:07
  Laura BC: I do that constantly but then if you're going to compare yourself to others and it's going to put you down, don't do it.
• 1:23:14
  Laura BC: I think social media can be a blessing or a course.
• 1:23:16
  Laura BC: It's crazy.
• 1:23:18
  Laura BC: Yeah, social media for mental health.
• 1:23:20
  Laura BC: Don't compare yourself to others.
• 1:23:22
  Laura BC: Stop scrolling unless it's too far an inspiration in a healthy way, and do what you love.
• 1:23:28
  Laura BC: Don't be conditioned by people telling you because maybe even someone may be supporting you.
• 1:23:33
  Laura BC: Don't do this kind of photography because there are not too many jobs, about this niche, for instance, don't listen to that.
• 1:23:41
  Laura BC: Or if you listen to that because you want to make profit obviously we all need to eat.
• 1:23:44
  Laura BC: If so, you always do something creatively that you like, because otherwise you will end up hating it, hating photography, and that's not the goal.
• 1:23:55
  Matt Jacob: Wonderful, wonderful advice.
• 1:23:57
  Matt Jacob: Totally agree with everything.
• 1:23:57
  Matt Jacob: We're going to end with another diary of a CEO tradition we're going to do a lucky dip Okay.
• 1:24:04
  Matt Jacob: Tradition, but we're going to do a lucky dip of these conversation cards.
• 1:24:08
  Matt Jacob: So if you just pull out anyone and hand it to me and I'll ask you a question.
• 1:24:13
  Laura BC: I'm scared.
• 1:24:16
  Matt Jacob: Okay, I'm going to rephrase this a little bit and give you more of a chance.
• 1:24:19
  Matt Jacob: The original question is what five entrepreneurs that are alive would you have for dinner?
• 1:24:23
  Matt Jacob: But let's say, what three photographers that are alive would you have for dinner?
• 1:24:28
  Laura BC: Wow, have dinner with them, like hang out.
• 1:24:32
  Laura BC: I don't know, this is so hard.
• 1:24:35
  Laura BC: Wow, I don't know.
• 1:24:43
  Matt Jacob: Actually that's probably a difficult question, because we've already talked about your three inspirations.
• 1:24:48
  Laura BC: Yeah, exactly so like them, that's it.
• 1:24:50
  Laura BC: No, but it's what I said before Many times.
• 1:24:55
  Laura BC: I mean, this is going to be very polemic as well.
• 1:24:58
  Laura BC: So many times big photographers you don't learn that much from big photographers.
• 1:25:02
  Laura BC: This is what I think, because I work with very big photographers in London and it's as you say all they do is press in the center.
• 1:25:11
  Laura BC: They have the light technicians, the stylist.
• 1:25:13
  Laura BC: You are looking and you don't learn that much.
• 1:25:15
  Laura BC: You learn more from the light technicians than from the photographer.
• 1:25:18
  Laura BC: So is what I say I admire more like photographers like George Kyle and these people, because, you know, it's like I feel them like at my level, like we are just people who love traveling, who love taking photos and that's it.
• 1:25:34
  Laura BC: We don't intend to.
• 1:25:35
  Laura BC: Of course, we are growing as a photographer, but we don't intend to appear in a magazine.
• 1:25:38
  Laura BC: We don't have big teams behind us to you know.
• 1:25:42
  Laura BC: So I guess you know any photographer really who loves yeah, who loves what I do for a living, and we are hustling together, like I think that's the best inspiration.
• 1:25:52
  Laura BC: It inspired me more to see someone that is hustling like me than someone who has it all already and has a whole team behind.
• 1:25:59
  Laura BC: Of course, it's great as well.
• 1:26:00
  Laura BC: I'm not going to say no, but yeah, just people, simple people like us, like we came here to Bali to try to make it happen and pursue our dreams.
• 1:26:08
  Matt Jacob: We're hustling with the podcast.
• 1:26:10
  Laura BC: So thanks so much for coming on.
• 1:26:11
  Laura BC: Thank you for having me.
• 1:26:12
  Laura BC: I'm very happy.
• 1:26:13
  Matt Jacob: It's been an inspiration more than anything.
• 1:26:15
  Laura BC: Thank you.
• 1:26:16
  Matt Jacob: And I've certainly taken a lot from it, and I'm 100% sure that all of our audiences will be able to take so much away.
• 1:26:23
  Matt Jacob: So thank you for your time.
• 1:26:24
  Matt Jacob: I know you're really busy at the moment.
• 1:26:26
  Laura BC: It's crazy.
• 1:26:26
  Matt Jacob: I really appreciate you yeah.
• 1:26:29
  Laura BC: Thank you for having me, because nobody asked me questions like this before, so it really helps me to understand my work and my career and myself.
• 1:26:36
  Laura BC: It's like a therapy creative therapy.
• 1:26:39
  Laura BC: So thank you so much, it was great.
• 1:26:40
  Laura BC: Thanks so much, and we look forward to welcoming you back here if it's for a shoot, just for a coffee, or the second episode of the podcast.
• 1:26:48
  Laura BC: There's so much more we can talk about, but for now, until next time, thank you so much.
• 1:26:52
  Laura BC: Thank you so much, thank you.