Last weekend, we partnered with Kanya Iwana and hosted our first photo day of the year. Kanya, who is our long-time customer, is a photographer who has work with numerous brands like Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, H&M, and many more.

Inspired by her love for black and white photography, especially from the works of Jill Sanders. Kanya introduced and shared to us her joy of using black and white film stocks. From on our end, we recommended to our attendees to use black and white film stocks to participate. The intention behind this event was to provided a guided workshop, where Kanya can discuss about lightning, how to capture raw emotions, texture and landscape, build unexpected compositions, and work with movement. Along with that, she provided two models for the attendees to practice and work with.

What I find interesting and fascinating is how Kanya would incorporate the environment as a way to create some beautiful poses with the models.

I shot the entire event with Kodak T-Max 100 on my Contax T2. Here are some of the photos I took.

After an hour or two, we headed back to the meeting spot to chat and do a Q&A with Kanya. Here are the main takeaways I received while everyone was chatting:

1. Plan your shoot. Make sure prior to the actual day of the shooting, you have a set of visual notes or a shot list/moodboard (can be on your phone or as Kanya recommends a printed moodboard), that way you are able to capture the shots you visualize.
2. Be flexible. Sometimes life happens, like the weather might not be in your favor or the location might be too crowded. No matter what the situation is, you must be able to adaptable.
3. Build the right team. Everyone has specific skills and talents that can be beneficial in elevating your photography. It’s up to you to be open to collaborating and connecting with people that can help you in your journey.
4. Document your life. During the Q&A, she opened up that she carries a camera everywhere she goes just to capture moments in her life, even the ones that are mundane. I think that is the best practice you can do as a photographer.

Thank you once again to Kanya for hosting this guided workshop, along with the models, Isabelle and Kaylea, and her team: Francesca (the make-up artist) and Savanna (stylist and wardrobe assistant). None of it would be possible without her and her team. And, thank you to everyone who attended the event. We hope you had a great time!