Jamie Mackrill 19/1/20 Jamie Mackrill 19/1/20

Australian drone photographer Ash Farman on beach/surf photography and creating a unique editing style

Ash Farman is a drone photographer from Melbourne, Australia. In his interview with us, he not only shares how he got into photography and why he is so passionate about the ocean, but he also discusses his unique editing style, drone photography, how he is able to monetise his hobby and—maybe best of all—the finest beaches around Melbourne. Ash is well established in the Australian photography scene on Instagram and has an evergrowing fanbase throughout the world.

Ash Farman, Australian drone photographer

“Don’t be afraid to send an email, pick up the phone, get your foot in the door and make yourself known. Presentation is half the battle, people want to work with people they get along with wherever possible. So, if your work is as good as the next person, but you connected with them in the right way, they are more likely to sign you up.”

Could you please give us a brief overview of your journey up to this point in your life? Your beautiful Instagram feed, I presume, expresses three of things that you love: the ocean, surfing and drone photography. How and when did you discover your fondness of them?

Having a father who worked in advertising, I have been around cameras my entire life. The passion for actually taking photos started at a very early age and since then, I have always had one by my side. I originally started with portrait photography, taking photos of family and friends etc. Urban/street photography was the next thing that I fell in love with, but now aerial photography is where my passion lies.

Having very active parents who had me in the water at only 8 weeks old, the ocean has played a huge part in my life, whether it was sailing, scuba diving, surfing or just swimming. Some summers as a kid, I would spend more time in the water than out of it. So, naturally, I gravitated towards the coastline when I bought my first drone about 3-4 years ago.

What's amazing to me, and I'm sure to a lot of others as well, is how you've managed to combine these three passions of yours and monetize doing what you love. Would you agree with the saying that one should "choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life"?

I completely agree with that saying and putting it into practice has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding things I have done with my life so far.

The learning curve has been steep – especially the video side of things, the hours on the road are long – sometimes getting up at 3 am to drive several hours to catch the sunrise. The weather plays nice only half of the time, so there is a massive rollercoaster of luck and frustration that comes along with it. But what makes it so rewarding is when you end up with amazing images that you can be proud of.

With regard to the more serious aspects of life, what advice would you give others: Is it important to diversify income sources or concentrate on one or two different methods? What are some of your favourite ways to make a bit of money from photography, and in which ways do you think you can expand and improve moving forward in regards to your portfolio and gaining more experience and income?

I think it’s a good idea in life to have a few irons in the fire and give yourself the best chance to be successful. I’ve worked full time in the automotive industry for the past 15 years, which helps pay all the bills. It allows me to concentrate on my artistic side and to do what I want to do, without having to do things I don’t want to do to survive, like aerial real estate photography, for example.

With regard to making money from my photos/videos, I sell a lot of prints locally and internationally and also do the occasional video work for corporate companies, which pays extremely well. To improve and expand on this position, all you really need to do is be present. Don’t be afraid to send an email, pick up the phone, get your foot in the door and make yourself known. Presentation is half the battle, people want to work with people they get along with wherever possible. So, if your work is as good as the next person, but you connected with them in the right way, they are more likely to sign you up.

Gunnamatta Ocean Beach, Victoria, Australia

In almost every single one of your images, you have a person in the shot. You also seem to love capturing movement, whether it is waves washing up on the shore, a surfer catching a wave or someone walking along the beach casting a shadow. Can you explain why you enjoy capturing these types of shots and what you're looking for when you're sending the drone to take some photos?

To put it simply, creating compositions with subjects is extremely satisfying. It adds to the story by adding in a human element that you can relate to. As much as I do go out with intent, I generally fill the card on each trip with a variety of different types of shots that just appeal to me in the moment. I do most of my shooting between first light and an hour or two after sunrise to catch the golden hour and that morning vibe.

Weather plays into a lot as well, and funnily enough, I never want to be shooting on a perfect day. I find that a bit of cloud diffuses the light and adds mood into your shots. I also like shooting between rain showers, when it’s blowing a gale. Some of my best shots have come from short breaks in almost cyclonic weather.

Swell is another factor that makes it challenging to get the timing right. A lot of the time during winter, the big stuff is breaking mid-week whilst I’m sitting in an office in the middle of the Melbourne CBD, and it absolutely kills me. Due to this, I keep a close eye on the swell charts up to two weeks out, so I can make sure I am available to go hit it when it comes on the weekend.

I touched on capturing shadows in some of your compositions a bit before. However, I think that you take things a few steps further than just playing with shadows. The level of contrast and details in your images are bold, very eye-catching and make your images stand out from the crowd. You also seem to make the most of contrasting complementary colours, such as teal and orange, in many of your images. Are these factors that you think about when looking for a composition and when editing your images or is it more of a natural progression of your editing style and thought process? Is there anything else that you are trying to achieve when editing your images and reaching a certain aesthetic?

Whilst out shooting, I think a lot of the thought process of what I need to do has become second nature to me, and if I’m honest, I don’t really think about it too much anymore—it just happens.

Editing, on the other hand, does require a lot of thought and planning. However, it’s kind of a similar process where I just let myself go and create something that I want to see from the heart. I usually put headphones on, open a beer and get myself into a good headspace so the creative juices flow. My particular style of editing has always had rich vibrant contrasting complementary colours in it, and it’s been a challenging road to refine that back from a very obvious overuse of it to a more tasteful look that is uniquely my style. When I first started out, I imitated my favourite photography to try and figure out the basics and how they did what they did, and once I learnt, I tried to put my own lick on it to create something different, which I think is very important. Always try new things, even if you think it won’t work—you never know what you will come up with.

What's your go-to drone? What was your experience when you were going through the process of becoming a certified drone pilot? (Was it challenging, a long process, expensive in Australia?) and have you ever crashed a drone or had any near misses?

My workhorse for surf photography is the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, it’s almost as good as my Inspire 2 quality-wise, but it’s a lot more discrete, which is important to remember when other people are out there trying to enjoy the serenity of the ocean.

Getting my RePL (Remote Pilot Licence) was very challenging, as I actually did it with a commercial pilot training school, so there was a lot of additional aeronautical training that came with it, which, in hindsight, I’m very glad that I did - having extra knowledge never hurt anyone!

Price-wise, when I did it a few years ago, it was very expensive, but I believe they have come down a bit since then. I would recommend the certification to anyone considering getting into the field commercially.

No. I have not crashed a drone yet – touch wood. I’ve had plenty of close calls but luckily, I’ve managed to fly my way out of danger every time. A couple of times that come to mind was almost losing my Phantom to a huge wave at Bells that I was strafing alongside at water level to emulate being inside a barrel. Another time, I almost put my Inspire 2 into a brick structure at 80km/h during a shoot for Mercedes at Sydney Motorsport Raceway. I certainly ‘buzzed the tower’ that day – haha!

For all the surf lovers, beachgoers and foodies out there, what are some of your favourite spots in and around Melbourne to get a great meal or to watch the waves roll in? And which beach is your favourite to photograph?

Beach wise, I have three, and they are all at least an hour away from Melbourne. Bells for the surf, Gunnamatta for incredible sunsets and Lorne for that tropical laid-back vibe. Closer to home, I love Half Moon Bay at Black Rock for traditional beach-going.

Food-wise, that’s a tough question. Don’t forget this is Melbourne, and we are so spoilt for food and entertainment. Just head to the city and you will find the flavours of the world and some of the best examples of it. If I had to choose just one area to eat for the rest of my life, it would be in Little Burke Street in the CBD. I absolutely love all types of Asian food.

Where can people find out more about you? And what social media platforms can we all follow you on?

Most of what I do is on Instagram under @highintheskyphotography. I also started to work on my YouTube game a bit more these holidays, so subscribe to my channel to stay tuned to all the soon-to-be-released video work I’ve been doing.

I’ve recently updated my website, adding a few new additions. I just released my first Lightroom preset pack and also a Cinematic LUT pack for videos: check those out whilst they are still at the introductory sale price.

https://www.instagram.com/highintheskyphotography/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wP94EH2D1d8_1mlNO4MGg?

https://www.highinthesky.com.au/

An island off the coast of Victoria, Australia

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Jamie Mackrill 13/1/20 Jamie Mackrill 13/1/20

Russian drone photographer Yura Borschev talks drones, photography and landing big brand deals

Yura Borschev is a successful and well-accomplished drone photographer from Moscow, Russia. He believes in hard work and constant self-improvement as becomes quite evident in the interview down below. Yura has worked for multiple internationally recognised brands such as Nike, Adidas, VW and FIFA. He is also the CEO and founder of the online magazine The-challenger.ru.

We asked Yura about his personal photography journey, how he goes about his drone photography and how he manages to get big-ticket jobs with large, international brands.

We asked Yura about his personal photography journey, how he goes about his drone photography and how he manages to get big-ticket jobs with large, international brands.

Yura Borschev, Russian drone photographer

“I am trying to raise the bar with every post and to improve my editing skills or creative collaborations. I don’t like posting ordinary content which I don’t love myself. As a result, my photos and projects speak for themselves.”

Throughout your exciting and fascinating career, there have been two stand-out themes that seem to underpin and connect everything you do. These are your clear love of Moscow, the city you call home, and drone photography. Can you tell us a little more about yourself and what you like the most about your beautiful city? Moreover, can you describe your history and connection to Moscow, and how it has influenced you as a person and in your photography?

My photography is all about aerial perspective. I put a lot of effort into each and every shot I post on Instagram and try to let my photos speak for themselves. As a result, the hobby I started 3 years ago is a big part of my life today. Next year, I am going to transform my photography to become more artistic than just capturing nature and landscapes.

Actually, shooting cityscapes is not what I love to do the most; nevertheless, I really love Moscow. This city is very dynamic and full of interesting and creative people.

I am happy to hear you were able to make this hobby a big part of your life. Can you explain the process of you getting your first drone to when you decided that this was something that you were really passionate about and wanted to forge a career doing?

I got my first drone as a birthday gift from a friend—this is how it all started. Before that, I had a Canon EOS 5D full-frame camera, but I used it rarely. For example, I only used it to take some shots of my family or friends whilst on vacation.

In what way has this aerial perspective changed your view on your hometown (creatively)? How does it change and challenge your perception of space and movement?

Great question. Actually, nowadays when I see some interesting place or object, I try to pretend how it will look like from above. It can be anything – crossroads, a courtyard, a lake, stairs, and so on.

You’ve procured an extremely impressive and diverse list of highly renowned big brand clients: You’ve produced a 14-second video for Adidas and FIFA that was televised to tens of millions of people worldwide for the 2018 football world cup, you’ve won multiple photography/videography awards and contests and had your work featured in multiple articles and DJI drone advertisements. What drives you to keep pushing the limits and to take on more and more challenges?

My main idea is that my next Instagram post should be better than the previous one. In other words, I am trying to raise the bar with every post and to improve my editing skills or creative collaborations. I don’t like posting ordinary content which I don’t love myself. As a result, my photos and projects speak for themselves.

Is there anything you haven’t done yet but would really like to try doing?

Yes, I have an idea of a photo project which requires me to travel to seven countries, and currently, I am looking for a brand who can sponsor it. This project’s theme is sports.

You work a lot and are very successful. What keeps you grounded and focused? How do you unwind, and what do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? What else are you passionate about?

Drone photography is still a hobby and not my main job. I spend 90% of my time being CEO and founder of an online magazine called The-challenger.ru. It’s #1 in Russia online media about healthy living and has more than 2 million site visits per month—so I am focused 24/7.

Working in advertisement means presenting the best side of a product or a lifestyle—but the work behind the scenes is not always as glamorous as it might seem when people see the finished product or pictures on a social media site. What have been the most challenging aspects of your job so far and how did you manage to overcome them? Has there been one specific job that has pushed you to your limits?

Please see the video on this post. There are English subtitles that will answer your question. This has been my hardest project to date.

For the sake of all drone operators and lovers out there, it would be remiss of me not to ask what drones you’ve used over the years and what your go-to drones are now?

I had a Mavic 1 Pro. These days, I am using a Mavic 2 Pro. All commercial projects have been shot with these two beasts. My drone is unique as it has been customized by Porkas Lampas.

Contacting and working with brands is something that every creative/influencer will have to do at some point if they want to turn their hobbies and passions into a career or will have to do to further their career prospects. Can you offer any insights into how this sometimes daunting next step and challenge can be undertaken? Is rejection a normal part of this process? And how do you deal with setbacks, client rejections and quiet periods where one might struggle to find paid work and big projects?

I do not search for the clients that pay me, they actually come themselves. But when I go on my regular photo trips (I organize one every 6 months), I look for partners: brands that give me and my group transport (cars), gear (as the Sony cameras on my last trip to Norway), clothes (e.g. Reebok, also on my last trip), someone to pay for the tickets or hotels that give us a discount, and so on. I email them and yes, I do have rejections (although not many).

A lot of effort goes into creating the presentation that explains where are we going, how long it will take, who the photographers of my group are, and what we can offer to our partners (like posts, stories and/or a video about the trip, just like this one). The better your presentation, the higher the chance that the sponsor will get your idea, trust you and give you what you want. Therefore my advice: learn to describe your ideas! And try thinking from the client’s point of view, like “why should they like what I offer?” or “does this fit with their corporate values or marketing needs?”.

These are good tips, thank you! What are the most rewarding things about the lifestyle that you are living and the career path that you have chosen? What are some of the biggest sacrifices that you’ve had to make?

My lifestyle philosophy is: “Don’t start doing things/projects that you won’t finish at your best.” If you do something, you have to try to do it better then anyone before you. The main sacrifice is time – but it always pays off.

Where can people find out more about you? And what social media platforms can we all follow you on?

I post my recent projects and photos on my website. You can also follow me on Instagram, where the drone community knows me as @borsch.

More interviews

New Interview uploaded every Sunday at 07:00 Eastern Standard Time

Australian drone photographer Ash Farman on beach/surf photography and creating a unique editing style

Russian drone photographer Yura Borschev talks drones, photography and landing big brand deals

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