Virginia Y 0:16
Hello, photography lovers and Happy Wednesday because we should celebrate Wednesday!

Because every Wednesday, we’re here with a guest, and we’re discussing how your work can become even more amazing. And every other Friday, I’m here to give you some tips and tricks on the same topic, there is something else that I have to share with you today. And there is a good and a bad side to it. And the bad side is that it’s our final episode with the guest Yossi-Michaeli. The good side is that in this podcast, we prepare for you some very useful topics. To give you a short recap on today’s podcast, one of the things that will be talking about is beauty shoots. And Yossi will is actually giving us some great ideas on poses slide and also anything on our thing that we’re really going to is a short analysis on how his photos and portfolio got so many different aspects and also how you can turn you work into really diverse one, one of the suggestions is to get out of your comfort zone. And after the suggestion, we went to whole topic of how getting out of your comfort zone, and also of your style can bring in new clients. Were also discussing how to handle bat models, or unhappy clients.

I think everybody should know how to react in a situation like this! So I don’t want to waste your time, so let’s start with the podcast.

Virginia Y:
How did you meet those people? And what was so amazing about them? Did you clicked from the very first moment?

Yossi Michaeli: 
Nowadays, it’s always people that I work with the work with other people can work with a stylus that you already worked with this hair or makeup in daylight them and let’s say the makeup or hair guy that I want is not available or maybe I want to try somebody new so I trust my stylist or my makeup artist or I trust that that person that recommends the other person to come and said So usually I trust him because you know work with him a lot of time so they bring the new people either it’s hair makeup or styling on set. And then you see if you get along or not usually I do you usually you know like when I trust members of my team to bring other members to the set we usually works out because they know what I like. I don’t like when let’s say hair or makeup or stylist is always on the phone. And I paid attention to what we’re shooting for instance, which you know used to happen in the past, or I don’t like when people too much gossip on said I like it when everybody’s just having fun. And it’s just happy and putting our music and everybody’s paying attention and everybody wants to get the right results. Each person fixes whatever he needs to fix. That said I don’t think it’s so complicated, honestly.

Virginia Y:
But you’ve done a lot of beauty shoots. And it’s not easy to shoot beauty. Because there is hair here is always messy. There’s always a problem. At the same time, the poses are so different because there is no full body to beauty shoots are very focused on the face. What do you find most difficult about it? And are there any things that you have just found that are really always working?

Yossi Michaeli: 
Here, you’re totally right about that. I think it’s more of a challenge. To make it look different. You just have to try a lot of lights you like you have to experiment more lighting, because I think in the end of it, the lighting and the crops and yet poses but the face is always going to be in the shot because you shouldn’t do it depends what kind of beauty you’re doing. Like if you do any more commercial beauty, you can’t have too many shadows over to show the makeup you have to show the skin. So sometimes, of course that limits us well, but I enjoy shooting beauty what I don’t like about you in beauty sometimes just the wait time is super long. Sometimes you get to decide and then you wait for like two hours before you do your first shot and then you do your first shot and then they have to change and if you’re changing hair and makeup between shots, then you wait another hour and a half or an hour and I like to shoot a lot. I don’t enjoy the week between shots so much. I think it’s really mostly the crops and the lighting that will make it a little bit different.

Virginia Y:
And what about after the photoshoot? Do you research your photos?

Yossi Michaeli: 
I don’t really touch myself. That’s another process that takes me a long time to edit once I finish takes me like a couple of days. I mean it depends on the shoot but to edit everything because I go over everything even if we made like choices on and fix on the set. I always go over everything again. Because sometimes you missing something on said of course because dynamic you’re in a hurry onset. Usually, sometimes your vision changes your point of view changes like something that you thought was amazing on set. And then you look at it once you are more settled down in front of your monitor and maybe you think something else works better or it’s nicer. So I go over everything and I do my colors. Usually I do my own colors and I just sent to retouching to retouch skin and take off third or whatever you need to do and then fix clothes and stuff like that retouching my own. I just did that in the beginning of my career, but it’s so much time consuming and I’m not that good at

Virginia Y:
it is very time consuming. Do you usually use the same retoucher?

Yossi Michaeli: 
I have a few most of them are in Brazil. I also have another one in Germany that works with me. You work glitzy usually with like three regular with archers, whenever this one can I approach the other one is over?

Virginia Y:
Does he have their particular style where they’re falling yours?

Yossi Michaeli: 
It’s great because nowadays, I don’t even need to tell them almost anything like nowadays, really, because that’s also time consuming. And we don’t have a lot of time. But let’s say you finish shooting and you have your pics in the magazine or the client take the final shots and then you send it to the retoucher. If it’s a new retoucher, you have to explain everything exactly, you have to explain, you have to show them with your reference of what you wanted. And it’s really subtle, those differences. If somebody goes a little bit too much, it messes up your image, you can look to fake to retouched whatever. And if it’s not enough with you on a little bit more. So I mean, I got to a point now because I’ve been doing it with them for years that they already know what I like kind of like my studies. So they know how I like the skin to be or how I like to sit to be too I send it to them. And then they send me back, sometimes ask them to change culture as well as a little bit if I need but usually I do it myself, then they sent me a preview, once they’re done with a few images, and I can tell them you know if the general feeling is fine or not, if we need to change anything. And in the end, they send me a preview of everything. And a lot of time even though they know me Still I need to tell him on bring that back who are like bringing a little bit more imperfections to the face, because I don’t want it to be too much will bring more imperfection to the set. Because I don’t want it to be to clean, I want to be more natural. So that happens as well. But usually, there’s not a lot of things because they already know me. And they’re going to be touch with all of them. So

Virginia Y:
I was wondering, do you think that this can be one of the reasons why your portfolio looks so broad? Like you have some photos that are in particular style. And then you have very, very different photos, for example, you have some very clean photo shoots, and then you have some really dark ones.
There are photographers that are really good with just clean photoshoot. Very, very neat photos. And they’re also stuck in their particular niche. But you’re very good at both of these, for example,when I look at your website, I feel like I’m opening an agency website with very different photographers, they’re not having a line between each other. And they’re kind of like the same person, but it’s like this person can do it all.

Yossi Michaeli: 
Yeah, that’s that’s interesting to hear. I really don’t know, honestly, I think it’s more about the phase I’m into at that particular moment. Let’s say that you are the month or that I feel that a lot of my personal life maybe and stuff that I’m going through reflects in that as well. Sometimes I feel that it’s also a matter of taste, though. I mean, I feel that stuff that I like maybe last year I don’t like so much today now always enjoyed dramatic lighting or like cinematic lighting. And I still do but like in the beginning of my career, I showed more with HTM eyes. And today I should less with H is for some reason. It’s also a financial reason, because it’s super expensive. Yeah, some clients are willing to give you that and some clients or not, but I still think he is amazing. Like, don’t get me wrong. Yeah, it’s a matter of I feel what I’m going through and what I like it at that moment, or daddy or that period. And I guess it’s changing all the time, money. And but it’s funny, though, you’re saying that because I just shot something, it’s coming out in march for life easier as well. I did the lighting that I think I never did. Or maybe I just did it in the beginning, which is like more harsh light, like front on your camera flash, but it’s a little bit more than others. And I never did that I always liked more cinematic more than the sideline to have a little bit more depth and a little bit more shadows and everything. And I did this lighting on this shoot. And in the beginning I was a little at and I was like I don’t like it’s something is wrong. Something is you know what I mean? It’s like because you’re not used to it because your eyes cues to something else, I guess. But today, for instance, you know, after that, you know, we’re ready, the magazine shows they loved it, it’s getting published next month and everything and, and I showed it to a few people, you know, my producer, a lot of people that worked on this shoot, and we all really like it now. So I feel that it’s it’s also good to get out of your comfort zone and not get used to not get settled, let’s say what’s something that you used to and you know that you’re doing? Well, I think it’s nice to branch out and play around a little bit as well. That’s something that we always have to challenge ourselves. And I think that’s it to relax, it’s it’s not good.

Virginia Y:
I agree with you completely that we need to go out of our comfort zone. And actually, I think that especially with the social media today, we’re we feel like, I don’t feel like I’m in a frame. But I see that many people have this type of feeling that they need to have particular style, and to stick to it. And if you have a particular style, I feel like you’re always going to have the same clients with the same type of clients. And if you’re getting out of your comfort zone, as you said, you can show something else, you can show something different, and then you be more appealing for other people.

Yossi Michaeli: 
I agree with you, I think that gets your potential clients to a larger number. Because I mean, you can do fitness, you know, you can do maybe lifestyle, and you can do fashion and you can do beauty and you can do men, and it’s also changing. And I think it is a good thing because I feel that today a lot of brands want to have that lifestyle for you. They want to have something not over Posey, they want to have something more natural, more raw. So and that really is like more lifestyle. And let’s say you would say lifestyle. 10 years ago, people would say oh, you can be either a lifestyle photographer or a fashion photographer, you can do both. And today, I feel it’s good to know how to do everything. I mean, of course some shoots I would probably like better to do than others. Sometimes some projects you’re more into than others. But I totally agree with you, I think it’s good sermon and get out of your comfort zone and try new things. When that opportunity arises. And you get a client, you know, the ones that lighting or that mood or dad, whatever you already know how to do it, or you feel more comfortable doing it?

Virginia Y:
Well, we’re so aligned. This episode is all about agreeing

Yossi Michaeli: 
Yes, just disagree with me about something

Virginia Y:
well, if there is something, disagree with I will. But you know what I was thinking even if this project is a big failure, and you like the results, and the team does not like it, and it’s totally out of your style, if you want to the good thing is in my country, we have this same everything last just three days. And that’s the truth. You’re going to post this photo or the magazine is going to post this photo and then the people will see it. And in the next three days there will be so much new information. No one is ever going to remember it. Yes, probably in two years, there will be someone just pointed in you is saying I remember run really, really bad word from this guy. But they won’t even remember the thing that you did

Yossi Michaeli: 
Not totally agree. I think that first of all, I should disagree just to make it interesting. If you shouldn’t get for a client and the client likes it, and you don’t like it in the team, let’s say your hair makeup, whatever the stylist, we don’t like it. But the client likes it in the end. That’s what matters. Really. Yeah, exactly. They’re paying for it if they like it, if it serves their purpose, their public, whatever, that’s great. But let’s say the client doesn’t like it as well then yeah, I mean, it wasn’t a good job and, and obviously it’s a problem and obviously all photographers going through that I don’t think that all photographers always produced amazing work that everybody loved. It’s it’s something that you have to pass but I agree with you it’s something that’s going to be forgotten and you have to move on and you have to learn from it. I feel that from everything that I’m shooting I’m learning up to this day everything It doesn’t matter if I’m shooting beauty man outside, inside or indoors, whatever you always learn something there’s also a new technology come in if it’s like the laptop thing or shooting tethered and if it’s like new lights that are coming out and I was never like into equipment that I never thought that equipment is going to make me a better photographer and I better camera is going to give me better over shots or everything but they’re going to make your life easier. Let’s see. So I mean there’s always new stuff to learn and everything and then I agree with you it’s such a dynamic market and it’s such a dynamic way of life today not even the market like the whole world they actually so yeah, you know, when something happens, you have people talk about it for a day or two and then you move on you go to the next project.

Virginia Y:
True. I love the fact that you set this thing about the technology and things like that and they have a favorite question. Yeah, and it is about the apps that you use and the programs and the websites do you have any particular media is that you’re using and you love and you think that they’re making your life easier,

Yossi Michaeli: 
I always shoot I wish it connected to the laptop and monitor monitor I use it always and I’m shooting in door is like when I’m shooting outdoors so it’s just with the laptop connected to the camera. Everybody can do whatever they think is better for them but I feel it has a lot of advantages because I can see what I’m shooting everybody can see what you’re shooting and you can enlarge it and see what hair or makeup or styling needs to fix before you start shooting more you know when you just do a test in the beginning and I also feel that when you look in the camera it doesn’t really it’s not true like the brightness it’s hard to really get the whole picture when you just shooting and looking at the screen that you have a new camera so I always do that I use Capture One In the beginning I used light room and I connected my camera to light room with a cable yeah with the cable there was another program like I don’t know if it was like Canon EOS utility or whatever. Yes, I like that I used in the beginning and that connected it to live in the beginning I used to like light room more than capture one because I thought that light room gives me more options of colors and stuff like that. But today Not today. It’s been like for the past I don’t know I guess like four or five years I’m using only capture one room was good for that time that I really experimented with a lot of colors and everything in today I think as I’m doing something which is more natural and I don’t want it to look to fake so I think Capture One is more real light room I think maybe is great. I still use like when when I shoot landscapes and personal stuff. But when I should fashion I just to capture one all the time. And then you know, I added on capture one and I just send it to my retoucher. So like other apps that I’m using now really, I mean, I know that some people are using and I used to use once in a while it was I don’t know if it still exists. But like a couple of years ago, alien skin is one of those. Yeah, you know, presets. Yeah, they have presets. I think everybody has it today, I think probably Capture One has a few as well. But nowadays I just do it my own and if I need help in is where we touch her. But usually I just experimented on my own.

Virginia Y:
Well, I support you in this decision. It’s much better to do it on your own because especially now. Yeah, it’s all about natural. And these plugins are usually my Can you wait to fake? Yeah.

Yossi Michaeli: 
Yeah. It’s not. It’s always like something missing. It looks nice. But maybe it’s a little bit to contrast the so yeah, you can take it out. But it Dennis, you’re always putting a stamp on a sampling of standards like nothing? It’s like,

Virginia Y:
from the very efficient. Yeah, yeah, I agree, I wanted to ask you was the one standing behind the concept of your photo shoots?

Yossi Michaeli: 
Well, when it’s a paid job, when it’s a campaign, there’s always a studio design or design or the kind of stuff that has like department in house that they do the creative. So they send me the shot list before and all the references and everything. So that’s what happens usually with money jobs with editorial, it’s something that me and the stylist work on, and we send it to the mag to get the approval, sometimes the magazine is going to have certain concept for that certain issue, let’s say you know, 80s, or retro whatever. So you know, and then they ask you to send them a mood board. So we do that. And sometimes it’s we just do mood boards of the season that we like ourselves. And then we send it over in the magazine pics with money jobs with campaigns as well, it really depends as well, because sometimes even if it’s a client that I had that liberty and freedom within you know that we’ve been working for a long time, I don’t have to follow it so much like I can just kind of like get the first reference to the general feel of the lighting and the mood that we want. But the rest is up to me on a campaign shoot, we would probably get the general feeling then we will get to the location me and the art director. And we were just going to walk around and say, you know, let’s do this over here in this spot. And let’s shoot those two guys over here or this girl over there is something that we have more Liberty but for instance with phila with the sports campaign, for instance fitness, then you have to follow more, because it’s certain actions that you have to do because it’s the model has to get it right.

Virginia Y:
Because it’s not about closing it’s about like doing the right movement.

Yossi Michaeli: 
Exactly. So you have to really follow exactly that movement to get that result.

Virginia Y:
What if there is a weak link, and it’s your model? What do you do in those situations?Do you usually directed by them yourself?

Yossi Michaeli: 
No choice, like I said, so direct way more than I did today. Today, I really feel that, you know, I tried to get a good model, a great model because of that, because I always want them to be more expressive and benefits kind of like a quiet, you don’t want the model to be all around and jumping around. But still, you know, she has to know how to do that as well and make it look natural and effortless. So if you know, we ended up getting a model, which is not and she doesn’t know how to move so well. And it’s just more effort. on my end, of course, it’s just about maybe I’ll change a little bit my strategy, and I’ll do instead of like just having her do her thing, I would direct way more. But it might change my strategy in a way that I’m not even maybe looking for tons of options, because I know it’s going to be hard. So I just want to nail like one or two great ones and then move on and then maybe get hurt to feel a little bit easier, a little bit better. I think it’s you know, like talking to her a lot, maybe and like making her feel not shy fees or not self conscious. I think it’s something that a team can really help the model when when it’s maybe a new face. And she’s a little bit nervous. And yeah, but yeah, I mean, you got no choice because you can really change the model on the day. I mean, it did happen in the past, actually that we did change your model today. Yeah, but it was campaign and just the client didn’t like we had other models to shoot while waiting for the Exactly. So it doesn’t missed the whole job.

Virginia Y:
on your website. In the beauty section, there is an editorial that he does for vote beauty, there is a beautiful model with very clean concept, but the images, so stunning, do you want to tell us more about this photo shoot,

Yossi Michaeli: 
That was for Taiwan, on this particular shoot, they sent a pre concept before, but we’re free to do so. So this one was with lines, something with lines, they wanted something with lines, you want to do something that would look you know conceptual, but not too crazy, because you still need to show the makeup. And it still beauty and it’s not an independent magazine to vote, we have to have a certain aesthetic there, you have to do four lines it was all about the makeup is how you can bring it in a little bit with clothes as well. So we have some graphic black and whites, outfits that you know help that we just try to keep it minimal and keep it simple. So I mean, there’s not a lot going on on the screen in this shoot. This was only one light from the side, just like a soft box from the side with the reflector bouncing on the other side. But you have that volume and that depth and that you know that the side light in makeup was pretty simple as well. I mean, other than the eyes designs that we have, it’s not a lot of makeup going on. Yeah, I mean, I think that sometimes just less is more, you know, sometimes when when you try to do a lot of stuff, it’s just it’s over killing it. It’s funny when you say because that’s probably one of my probably it is one of my favorite beauty sheets that I have just because it’s simple. Yeah.

Virginia Y:
So nice. Is there a photoshoot then you felt like you just think don’t want to do so bad. And you were super unhappy with their self. And also the client was unhappy with their results.

Yossi Michaeli: 
It did happen like a few years ago, but honestly, I don’t recall anything like recently, which, which is, which is great for me. Yeah. And I’m happy about that. But in the beginning of my career, there were a few times

Virginia Y:
do you remember how you handle those problems? Because maybe there are people in the audience right now they’re facing the same situation. So we can be a little bit helpful for them to,

Yossi Michaeli: 
It really depends if it’s something where the client, the client is not happy. So it really depends, if it’s something that you could have solved on set, and the client just didn’t say so I feel that the client has responsibility. And if the client doesn’t like anything, he should say we can fix it while you still shooting it. If it’s something in post, either it’s retouching or crops or stuff like that, if it’s something that can fix, of course, you should I think that when the client shows that he’s not happy, you should always do your best. I mean, after the shoot, I’m saying you should always try to solve it in whatever way possible. If it’s something about the model, then tonight, up to you, if it’s something about lighting, then I think it should have been handled while you’re shooting it. There’s not a lot to do once it’s all said and done in Dover. Other than that, it just moving on to the next project. There’s nothing really you can do to reshoot something, it’s a little bit complicated. But when you showed me like an editorial, maybe it’s easier, but initiating a campaign, it’s a lot of money that is going around. So

Virginia Y:
and I think it’s also very important to just accept what has happened and continue.

Yossi Michaeli: 
Yeah, I agree with you, I can get you really down in the crash your self confidence, maybe I think in the end has to look at the big picture. And you have to look at yourself, you know what you’ve done so far, until now and look at the positive things that you have in your career. And everybody has bad days, everybody has low points, the secret is just not getting dragged down. And really like learning from that what you’ve done wrong if you did do something wrong, or if it’s something that he could have made better with the client, if it’s clients fault, but maybe he should have spoken to the client on saying make sure but you just have to learn from it. And just make sure it doesn’t happen again and move on. You know, you should enjoy your your conquers in your success. But you should also always try to remain humble and feet on the ground and just know that it’s a process. It’s a career, it’s not a one time kind of thing. Absolutely. And it’s always nice to have some sort of inspiration and even in the bad days. So do you want to share with us would is your inspiration. In the beginning of my career, I was looking at a lot of legendary photographers. And I think it’s good because I was clear slate I had nothing in my head. And in terms of like I never shot before, I didn’t grow up in a house that was exposed to fashion to monitor to photography or stuff like that. It wasn’t like a world that I was familiar with. So for me, it was good to read a lot. And to see a lot of stuff into explore somebody today, there were a lot of photographers that inspired today’s different because I feel that I get to a certain place in my career that I know what I like, and I know what I don’t like I know what I’m good at. And I know what I’m less good at. And honestly, today, I’m just trying to shoot something that I think is beautiful. Of course, other people’s opinions are important to me, especially people that I work with. But in the end of it, if I think it’s good if people like it on my inner circle, kind of, I’m happy about it, and hopefully other people will as well. But what inspires me today is not necessarily a certain person or a certain thing, I think it’s more about little things that you know, I can watch a movie, like you know, a certain scene or certain lighting and say, maybe I want to try this or I go to a museum and I see no painting that would make me want to do something that is inspired by that

Virginia Y:
Would have been the nature for example, because I know in your website, you have this very different section that is called personal work. And we don’t talk about the projects that you do is personal work, like editorials and things like that. But we talk about something very different and very beautiful. And they’re not so many photos in this section,

Yossi Michaeli: 
I put it because you know, when I had a little bit of free time, I put some personal work. And I said I’m going to start putting a lot of personal work because all the travels that I do for work and not only for work, that’s how I started, I really liked the outdoors and hiking and in that nature and mountains, I didn’t have the time to put it yet more images. But that’s the base of how I started shooting stuff like that. And still today, I think that’s why I prefer to share location that studio location is so nice. One of my best shoots ever, I think. And that’s also because it was really fun at the team was amazing. When we shot Esquire, China in Iceland, Iceland is amazing, the team was great. And we four days And out of those four days, we just shot one day, you know, like half a day. And then the rest. We just had beers, you know, outside near the glacier.

Virginia Y:
And it was amazing. But it was just because when you shooting an amazing location, it makes everything much better.

Yossi Michaeli: 
Yeah, you know, let’s say like that, it’s easier to conceal to to hide imperfections, and a model, which is not amazing and close, that is not amazing. And everything when you shouldn’t get an amazing location rather than efficient again in the city. And other than that, I just I love being outdoors. And that connects me to the person will work that I love shooting outdoors and hiking and everything. So I should put more.

Virginia Y:
Yeah, you should put more. Yeah, I know. I love to see them. What’s the one lesson that you’ve learned during your career, and you’ll never forget,

Yossi Michaeli: 
Have a team that really isn’t the same mindset as you and just no divas and no drama, no nothing. But I think that’s super important, at least for me, you want to have a good atmosphere in a good energy on the said, if you have a client and even if you just do an editorial, I think it makes a huge difference. I don’t compromise on that. I wouldn’t get somebody that’s an amazing artist if he’s not a nice person, for instance. And other thing I think is really patients. I first moved to New York, and I thought I’m going to be here on the year I said like you know, I’m just coming to New York for like you just shoot a little bit, I’ll do something and then I’ll move on. I don’t know, I thought that it’s going to be way easier. And obviously it wasn’t like you get here and nobody knows about you. And you’re starting from scratch. And you need to get to know people and to get to know assistance in photographers. And this photographer. I worked with him a few times. He’s really nice. And I remember he told me that in New York, I don’t know if it’s worldwide, but he said it’s gonna take you like eight or nine years to be stable in terms of the you know that you have your own clients and you’re getting enough work process. Maybe after a year to three years, you can get a few clients, but you’re not established yet. And I think he’s he’s right. I mean, for me, it was like that. When I first moved the Like I said, I assisted a few years thing and then I got my first break and then I moved on. But yeah, it takes you time. You have to accept that. I would love to have a shortcut back in the day. But today, when I look at it, I think you know, everything happens for a reason. I mean, those shortcuts maybe if I got like that big break that I thought that I deserve, and maybe I wouldn’t be ready enough, you know at the time, and now I feel that I am ready. But I’m more relax, because I know it’s going to work out India. And that confidence.