‘Commitment leads to results, so make sure you goals are worthy’.
Sharing what I know and teaching my profession is something I have always been passionate about. It has been over 30 years since I first started out in photography, I remember clearly how difficult it was to start, I was insecure and without a clue but I knew that I couldn’t spend one more day working in bars and restaurants, so I persisted with simply trying whatever I could to get a break.
It took a trip through Asia ‘acting as if’ I was a photojournalist to realise that this was the career that suited me perfectly, but the hardest was still to come, the constant thought about whether I was good enough for someone to pay me.
I am still plagued by those thoughts, but I know that having an experienced mentor by my side, who has been through it a few times and believes in me is the most valuable asset one can have. Simply because the only reason you will fail at something is if you stop trying and stop believing in yourself.
It works in nearly every other profession, Doctors, Musicians, even Prime Ministers and Presidents, they all have a support mentor. Photography is sadly somewhat different because these days most of the traditional mentorship roles have all but disappeared. Being a photographic assistant is very uncommon these days because most photographers no longer employ them, purely because of economics, they try to do everything by themselves. The meeting places for photographers, the labs, the centres for photography,(Australian Centre for Photography), even sadly the studios where everyone was able to meet and ‘cross polinate’, have all vanished.. So how can we now exchange, teach, learn? ... Instagram? Really!
I could easily brag about what I’ve done, where I’ve been and who I’ve photographed, but I’m over that, I have realised that I can only make a real difference by helping people find ways to realise their own vision, they then can inspire other people to do the same, and so the story get’s passed around. A.K.A. Good Karma! What I know from my own experience is that I can have a ton of inspiration and dreams on one day, make a plan, set my alarm the day after and ...... what’s for lunch? or I can then talk myself into why it is not really a good idea after all. These days this is known as Adult ADHD but honestly, I don’t know a photographer who is not like this. Pure genius vs Space cadet. How do you navigate this, in an industry full of competition, technology, choice, and thumb scrolling distractions. Then there’s your well meaning well-meaning friends and colleagues who are convinced that it is not going to work out like you think, and they have proof, and by the way you’re idea is actually lame or somehow flawed, in fact you really should have a secure job, who employs photographers anyway, AI will take all of that over. (I can sense your insecurity rising already)
I am so grateful that I simply had mentors, good and bad. One of my most inspiring mentoring experiences came while I was figuring out how to become a successful photographer, I started to cold call professional photographers to ask if I could come and work for free, to learn anything, even make coffee again. I was 25 years old. I won’t print his name but he told me that I was too old to be an assistant and if I wanted to be a professional photographer I should have started straight after school. Maybe I should reconsider staying in Hospitality. People always need to eat.
Well, Fuck you George! people like you won’t stop people like me believing that my dreams can’t be realised.
George has been my ‘anti-mentor’ thoughout my career, through 20 years of teaching at The Australian Centre for Photography, through months of no photography income, through me starting out again in Europe from scratch and then again afterwards back in Australia, and I promise to you that should you choose to realise your vision with my help, that I will show you that there are way too many people out there like George, but if you understand their motivation, simply that they are scared about their own failures, then you can use them to make you invincible. Hey, I can even introduce you to George, I know his mobile number, he can tell you personally that you can’t do it.
I’m not saying that you should choose me as a mentor, I’m just saying, make a decision to choose any good mentor, get that shit done now.. Life is too short.
I am based in Sydney’s North Shore. Timezone - AEST (GMT + 10), In person or Zoom/ Google Meet, etc is fine. Let me know how I can help.
Who do I mentor?
I believe that anybody with passion and perseverance can succeed well beyond what they believe they can. My students are proof of this. Just ask them.
Sessions are available to people of all ages and backgrounds -
- Students from high school, TAFE college or University, looking to understand the industry
- Assistants looking to make the transition to shooting for themselves.
- Business owners who want to create their own marketing materials
- Photography enthusiasts wanting to transition from amateur to professional
- Practicing photographers looking to enter new markets or focus on a niche.
- Employees who need to understand basic photography for their companies benefit.
- Anyone who has an idea they believe needs developing and furthering into something to be proud of, be it an exhibition, book or online portfolio.
I will personalise the information and teaching to suit your needs.
So what will you learn?
I will mentor you in any area you want to focus on, everybody has their own voice which, even in a world saturated with images, your talent can be nurtured and polished.
My teachings are practical but also insightful, my passion is to find your voice and focus it to find your success whatever that means to you. I really enjoy digging to find the core of why you are doing what you are, to introduce critical thought as well as nurture your own passion.
My advice can span these topics but can also encompass your own thoughts and ideas.
- Basic Camera functionality, lighting with flash and balancing flash to daylight
- Using digital and analogue cameras from 35mm, medium format and large format up to 10” x 8” field cameras
- Advice of how to step into the industry by first becoming an assistant
- Developing a ‘business machine’ to be your core focus of your income in photography
- Starting or refining your portfolio to target your particular photography niche
- Creating an online presence through instagram
- Advice for businesses wishing to create their own marketing content
- Advice on having an agent vs self representation
- The psychology of getting good portraits and finding suitable backgrounds.
- Starting a serious body of work involving short and long-term storytelling
- How to edit your work, the importance of what to leave out
- How to direct people
- How to publish a book and entice an author to collaborate
- Starting an exhibition and searching for suitable grants
- How to gain clients and keep them
- Understanding the ebbs and flows of freelancing and using them to your advantage.
What will your session look like?
After our initial introductory call, if I have further questions I may email you a questionnaire which will help us to refine our focus, regardless we will hit the ground running. The more I know about you the better I can get to see the blocks in the way of you getting to where you want to be. Anything is achievable if you can see a clear path forward.
My availability
Being a freelance photographer can mean that one week I have little time and another week more time, I also sometimes work on weekends. Saying that I am always able to find time for my mentoring, it’s best that we work out our schedules together to find the best timing that suits.
Pricing
Our first 10 minute no obligation introductory call is free, please email me appointment opportunities and I will get back to you within 24-48 hrs to co-ordinate a mutual time (mail@martinmischkulnig.com). In this call we will get to know each other a bit, discuss your goals and where you need the most help.
1 hour session - $285 + GST (GST payable for Australians Only)
If you need some clear advice, or want to explore any of the teachings I listed above then I would recommend this session.
After our initial call we can start on the topics we have defined together, at the end, if you wish I can prepare a summary of what we have discussed with follow up links, this will be delivered within 2-3 days after our session.
3 x 1 hour sessions - $775 + GST (GST payable for Australians Only)
If you are extremely clear about your goals already then I would recommend this package.
After our introductory call and you filling out your questionnaire, we will have a plan for the 3 sessions to focus on, we can always be flexible if new ideas come up in one of the sessions, at the end, if you wish, I can prepare a summary of what we have discussed with follow up links, this will be delivered within 2-3 days after our sessions.
5 x 1 hour sessions - $1275 + GST (GST payable for Australians Only)
If you are still undecided on your direction but have some options to explore then I would recommend this package. By the end of this, if you stick to our plan, you will be extremely focussed so that will be no doubt you will achieve your goal.
After our introductory call and you filling out your questionnaire, we will have a plan for the 5 sessions to focus on, we can always be flexible if new ideas come up in one of the sessions, By having more sessions there can be accountability built in to ensure that goals are set and completed. This I believe, is a solid way to achieve anything you want. At the end you will receive a summary of what we have discussed with follow up links, this will be delivered within 2-3 days after our sessions.
*Payment to be made prior to the start of Mentoring - via Paypal, Direct Debit, or Cash/ Apple Payment in Person
Testimonials
“During 2020 I decided to embark on a big project, specifically to write/photograph a book about designers in lutruwita /Tasmania. I contacted Martin to help me update my photography skills and to guide me in building the conceptual foundations for the work.
My mentorship with Martin was just what I needed to kickstart the project. His feedback was honest and constructive. I committed to showing him new work every time we met and this kept the momentum of the project going in its early stages.
Martin shared with me his professional knowledge in editing, camera settings and also in dealing with the human element. This was very valuable because his advice was spot-on and completely tailored to my project. He was able to help with the conceptual aspect of the book and also help me to think about a pathway of how to eventually publish. I got so much out of our mentoring sessions, it was during these sessions that we created the fundamental foundation from which I still work. He was absolutely amazing and I very highly recommend him.”
Ivett Dodd
After an initial rejection and her taking careful note of the feedback, Ivett has recently been awarded a government grant worth $30,000 to produce her dream book project.
Update: July 1, 2024. Ivett has received a further $42,000 Australia Council Grant to extend this project further into an exhibition.
“I met Martin through The Australian Centre for Photography and have stayed in touch wth him ever since. I highly recommend Martin as someone to work with over a long-term project. As a commercial photographer, as well as someone with a successful track record for realising long-term personal projects, Martin’s guidance is based on significant practical experience, a passion for story telling, and a keen understanding of the importance of visual impact.”
Robert McRobbie
(Rob still works his corporate job but continues to be passionate about photography and his projects, he’s a wolf in sheeps clothing)
“I found Martin’s class on ‘Projects and Stories’ to be exactly what I needed to further my book project. The class was very informative and instructional in how to create, fund, print and publish a personal book or gallery project. If you appreciate a straightforward approach to learning then I can highly recommend Martins’ mentoring and classes.”
Rob Annesley.
Rob surprised himself and ended up staging an exhibition and publishing a book by obtaining a grant from his local council, it was a huge success
Update: 2022: Rob published his second book titled ‘The Underworld’ with Fuji Film making a featurette film about his practice in making this book. He is continually travelling to work on his passion.
“Martin is so giving with his advice as a mentor. He shared his experience with me openly to help me move further along in my photography practice than I ever would have on my own. His mentoring has since guided me in how I approach any photography project.”
Kwok Aun Tan
(Kwok continues to post amazing images on Instagram (#kwokaun), he produces literally tons of fine street images which anyone would be proud of producing, he doesn’t stop and he’s constantly evolving and refining his style)
