Hands-On Photography Episode 127 Transcript

Please be advised this transcript is AI-generated and may not be word for word. Time codes refer to the approximate times in the ad-supported version of the show. 

Ant Pruitt (00:00:00):
Today on Hands-On Photography. I am sitting down with a Canon Explore of Light, the one and only Mr. Terrell Lloyd. And boy, we not only are we gonna talk about some sports photography, but we're going to get into some of the ins and outs of just being a photographer in general and not really pigeonholing yourself into one aspect of photography and his career is just, it speaks for itself. And it's all because he was willing to learn a lot of different things about photography. Hey, you don't wanna miss this. Y'all stay tuned.

Speaker 2 (00:00:31):
This

Ant Pruitt (00:00:32):
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Ant Pruitt (00:01:00):
Hey, what's going on everybody. I am At Pruitt and this is Hands-On Photography here on TWI TV. Hope y'all are doing well. I am unbelievable as always coming to you each and every Thursday here on the network where I like to share different tips and tricks that are gonna help make you a better photographer and a better post processor. And as you've been loyal listeners and viewers, you know, every now and then I get amazing opportunities to hang out with some just flat out ridiculously good photographers here in this industry. And this is one of those weeks. But before we do that, before we get into that, allow me a second to say welcome to all of our brand new listeners and viewers. Welcome to you. Thank you for taking the time to find the show. Thank you for taking the time to go on ahead and, and just subscribing in whatever podcast app that you're enjoying the song cuz we're available on, on all of them.

Ant Pruitt (00:01:55):
If you go to the website, twi.tv/hop that's twit.tv/o P for Hands-On Photography, you'll see that we're available on apple podcasts. We're available on Spotify, even have a YouTube channel. You know, what's funny though, I look at my analytics and most of you folks listen to the show more so than you watch the show. And this is a photography show. So I don't get that, but that's neither here nor there. I appreciate the support. I appreciate you liking and sharing and doing all the ratings and stuff to help other people discover Hands-On Photography. So now with that outta way, I don't wanna take up much of your time with my mumble jumbo. Let's get our guests, the one and only who 49ers photographer amongst other things, Canon Explore of Light. Hold on folks. Let me catch my breath. <Laugh> Mr. Te Lloyd, my man. How you doing? <Laugh>

Terrell Lloyd (00:02:52):
All right. Thanks. Thanks Ann. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. And I know we've been trying to nail down some dates to get this going, but I'm happy to be here with you and hopefully it could inspire some, some photographers out there and, and spread some, you know, knowledge and you know, to some of my experiences

Ant Pruitt (00:03:09):
Know, you know, the thing is, look you, you said we've been trying to nail down a date, but look, you have this SF logo right there on your shirt for the 49ers. And I know TWI is, is a tech network and a lot of our listeners are not that much into sports, but they, they have at least half a brain to know that, Hey, the 49ers were pretty good. So therefore you were gonna be pretty busy last year. What they long extended schedule, you know, trying to get to the super bowl. So I totally get it. And, and I gotta tell you, I'm quite jealous of you, sir.

Terrell Lloyd (00:03:43):
<Laugh> but you know, it's been, it's been a long journey here, you know, and, and for, you know, all the photographers that are listening, you know, I actually started off as a, a wedding photographer and portrait photography, you know, before I started shooting sports. I mean, I shot sports and stuff back in high school, but then basically, you know, when I picked up a camera again and started my business, I started out shooting weddings and portraits and then corporate events, and then really fell into the sports side of it. When I was shooting pictures from the stands, cuz of my seats were like 10 rows from the field mm-hmm <affirmative>. And one of the former players had a restaurant here in San mate, California where I live mm-hmm <affirmative> and my son used to go in there and get some Hamburg and fries. He was, my son was about three or four and he was the one who really got me on the field to shoot a game. And that that's how I got my start.

Ant Pruitt (00:04:30):
Oh my gosh. Cuz I gotta tell you that was part of my hopes with sports photography. I, before moving out here to, to Northern California here in Petaluma, you know, I I'm a Carolina man. I'm sure you can tell from my Southern draw. But I, I grew up in South Carolina and I was a season ticket holder for Clemson football for a handful of years. And I got lucky. I was able to get some seats from a friend that had some just ridiculous views right there at about the 40 yard line, lower level. And I would shoot images from the stands and got some really, really good stuff. And it got all out of attention, but yet at the same time they couldn't bring me down to the field, you know, cuz the old NCAA. But I took that opportunity to help sharpen my skills and in hopes that maybe one day I could end up in the stadium somewhere and I'm still keeping, keeping that hope alive if you will, cuz man, I love football. I loved, I played it for years in high school and played it in college and just, and then being able to, to take my passion with the camera and, and work with it. Oh gosh, I, I would, I would lose my mind. I'm so jealous of you, sir. <Laugh>

Terrell Lloyd (00:05:43):
Open up a little bit. Maybe I, I can get you out out here for a game and, and see if we can work

Ant Pruitt (00:05:48):
That out. Oh shoot folks. Y'all heard what he said. Oh now we got it recorded now <laugh>

Terrell Lloyd (00:05:53):
<Laugh>

Ant Pruitt (00:05:54):
So you, you started out doing wedding photography.

Terrell Lloyd (00:05:57):
Yes. I mean, I was doing like, you know, little weddings and here and there, not, not a lot of wedding training, but then I joined our local photographers association group in the bay area here mm-hmm <affirmative> and, and I, you know, hooked up with some of the other photographers in the group and then they started mentoring me in weddings and then in portraits and I would go to these meetings once a month. And so that's how I developed really my photography business and the love for photography came back when I used to take pictures in high school and stuff like that. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> and then the sports side of it, I mean, it was like, you know, the opportunity to get on the field and get with the team in such a short period of time. And it was indirectly with the team. It wasn't really direct mm-hmm <affirmative> I was shooting game action, but I was doing a lot of the entertainment photography for them early on.

Terrell Lloyd (00:06:41):
And, and, and it's interesting cuz back then and I, what I tell photographers now it's like, you know, even though if you can take photos or you take great photos, it it's more to it than that. It's about personality too. And how you treat people, how you approach people. Right. Mannerisms. And, and when I got this part-time entertainment job, you know, I, I asked the guy, I said, you know, he said, you know, Hey, my knees getting kind of bad, you know, how would you like to take over doing what I'm doing? I'm you know, doing check presentation mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, have time entertainment, you know cheerleaders performances, you know, so on and so forth. Yeah. And I asked him, said, why me? Why me? I I've only been out here a short period of time. He says, you know, Whatter you come in, you, you have a great personality, you come with a smile. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and I figure you would be good for the job. And he hadn't seen one picture. Right. But the thing was, it was my personality that he saw first and then images secondary.

Ant Pruitt (00:07:35):
Oh my goodness. Now I'm I'm gonna sort of bounce here. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> so wedding photography first and now you're in sports side was, was, was wedding photography, just an interest of yours or was it, was it more of a, Hey this is a booming field. And if I want to really grow in photography, I better at least start doing wedding photography and you just sort of begrudgingly gotten in, got into it. Well, cuz I gotta tell you, I have no desire to shoot weddings, none whatsoever, but they are quite lucrative. I know they are, but

Terrell Lloyd (00:08:09):
Well, the thing was, it was like a friend of mine, excuse me. Friend of mine was at work mm-hmm <affirmative> that was, you know, low budget wedding in the backyard, this and that. And they wanted me to take the photos mm-hmm <affirmative> and I'm like, okay. And picked up the camera and I'm like, wow, this is interesting. Okay. And then later on, somebody else asked me and then that's how I got intrigued by it.

Ant Pruitt (00:08:27):
Yeah.

Terrell Lloyd (00:08:28):
But then again, I wanted to learn all aspects about photography. So when I was going to these meetings each month, you have maybe a wedding photo presenting mm-hmm <affirmative> or portrait photographer presenting, or somebody doing commercial or somebody doing products, you know, so all in these different fields. And then as I started growing my business, while I'm working my corporate job mm-hmm <affirmative> it was like, I was learning all kinds of different facets of photography. Right. So in my business I was doing weddings, portrait corporate events. I did some product photography. So I wanted to do as much as I can and learn as much as I can. And not really. And I don't wanna say, just do one thing and not that it's a bad thing, you got some weddings and portrait photographers that that's all that they do at a high, high level mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, I wanted to learn a lot of things and then the sports came and then I learned that as well. And then, you know, naturally now, you know, 25 seasons later, as you can see over my shoulder, my 25th season last year and they kind of celebrated me with the Jersey frame Jersey.

Ant Pruitt (00:09:27):
That's just beautiful. Just beautiful. So you talk about education in the photography space. So you were going to these meetings. I went with, went into some meetings years ago when I first started to take photography more seriously, just a little over a decade ago. And for me, my experience in those educational meetings with the pro photographers was pretty bad. I, I absolutely hated it cuz I wasn't treated well. You know, I was treated as a, I didn't belong if you will. That kind of thing. So I got a lot of attitude and stuff like that. And I said that the second that I got the opportunity to help people with their photography, I will never ever be that way towards the people wanting to learn. What was it like for you, you know, going to these different sessions and meeting these other local pro professionals that were trying to share their knowledge.

Ant Pruitt (00:10:22):
I mean, that's, I know that's one of the big things with the can Explorer of light program is you guys spend a lot of time just pushing out education education. I know for a fact, cuz yes, I stalk you a little bit. <Laugh> I know for a fact, if you're not on the field, you're at somewhere like w PPI or shutter Fest or something like that, doing demos and presentations, but, but going back to the beginning, what was it like in that education inside for you trying to GA gather that knowledge? Did you have a lot of pushback or friction or, or was it just man people wide open?

Terrell Lloyd (00:10:56):
I smile about that. Cuz it's it's it was similar to the same thing. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> so when you were saying that, I was like, oh wow, that's interesting because it happened to me similar. Right? Because it was like, you know, some accepted you some didn't. It was, it was like a mix, right. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> and you know it, and for me, the ones that accepted me that started mentoring me in weddings and portraits and things like that was, was great. Right. Yeah. As, as I branched out is, was like, and started going to these conventions. It was like, it was like, it was known that people didn't wanna give up their secrets. Right.

Ant Pruitt (00:11:27):
Oh God, that, that, that, that was the word. Yeah. Secrets

Terrell Lloyd (00:11:32):
<Laugh> right, exactly. So then you sit in these sessions and well, they're not giving you really the meat of it, but yet they're pictures and you know, wedding and, and Italy and so on and so forth. Well, you know, okay. I'm, I'm doing a wedding in Oakland, right. I, you know, it's like, it's like I wanted and I'm, you know, I come from a tech background. So, you know, I wanted to know what, you know, what film you were using, what lens you were using, what F stop shut speed. What, what was your lighting? You know, race, use what I wanted to know all the techy stuff, but they wouldn't share that information.

Ant Pruitt (00:12:01):
Of course. And

Terrell Lloyd (00:12:02):
So, and so, you know, people and I got frustrated and so people came back, I came back and people said, well, Tara, why don't you to start speaking? Right. And I said, well, what am I talking about? Well, talk about what you do, you know, talk about, you know, how you got with the nighters and, and where you're at in photography. And then that's when that's when I became a speaker. And I said, like you, I said, I'm gonna share information. I'm, I'm, I'm confident in my ability to do what I do that, you know, I'm gonna be okay, but I want people to learn. And I wasn't just gonna show photo after photo, after photo. Here's what I do. Or even with the 49ers, it's like, you know, people know what you do, mm-hmm <affirmative> and if you're doing it at this level, they know you gotta be pretty good. Right.

Ant Pruitt (00:12:42):
Right.

Terrell Lloyd (00:12:42):
And so my thing was, it was a matter of, I'm gonna talk about what I do, but then I'm gonna explain how I got here. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and then I'm gonna share my tips and techniques on my philosophy and the way I shoot. Right. And, but even on the sports side and it was the same way I wasn't, I wasn't accepted in the beginning. Right,

Ant Pruitt (00:13:05):
Right.

Terrell Lloyd (00:13:06):
And it was very interesting and it could be very hurtful, but I just took an, a grain of salt and, and just buy my time and, you know, and, and earned the respect of the other times that had been, that had been out here doing it longer than I have

Ant Pruitt (00:13:19):
Thinking about you getting out into the sports side of things and doing a lot of the journalistic stuff with the sports photography. It makes me think about heck journalism and just the writers out there before I'm okay. I'm a digital content creator. I feel like I am more than just a photographer because I, I write stuff. I shoot photos, I shoot videos. I host this podcast, at least I attempt to host this podcast. And so there's times where I would have, have gone out to events like CES or whatever, to cover it as, as a media person, you know, to get out there, to write stories. And it was always weird to me. Just walking into that press room and no one looked like me in there, correct. Matter one, you know? And, but at the same time, I am fortunate that no one really gave me crap for, or treated me as if I didn't belong in that press room. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. So for you as a sports photographer, I'm thinking it was a lot of sports photographers that didn't look like you when you went into those, those pits or over on the sideline and whatnot. Is, is that how it was, or am I picking it up there?

Terrell Lloyd (00:14:34):
I mean, it was, it was, there were some mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know but not many mm-hmm <affirmative> right. And then, you know, when I got directly with the team, you know, and, and became, you know a team photographer, you know, officially, right. It was like there was no minorities in the league that looked like me, that was officially official team photographer. So I was one of the first ones to start now. We've made great strides. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>, mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, there's I think there's in the minority side, when you look at women photographers and, and minority photographers around the league now there's about, I wanna say three, three women, and then and then four, four or five males that are African Americans that are shooting with teams now, and that are as teen had teen photographers. Yeah.

Ant Pruitt (00:15:29):
Wow. That's awesome. That's awesome. I, I <laugh>, I laugh because I can remember a couple instances in the press room years ago, and someone saw my tag, my, my little, what do you call it? ARD or whatever. Prudentials. And they had seen my, my writing online, you know, I wrote for tech Republic and, and stuff like that. And they'd seen my writing online. And when they saw me walk by and saw that name on the tag, they stopped me. And it was like, you're aunt. And they all do this same gesture that look up because a lot of the journalists and writers were little bitty guys. <Laugh> said I'm six, two, and probably outweigh him by a hundred pounds. But it was always just that fun interaction of, okay, you're you, you definitely don't look like any of us, but you could still perform and do the job and get the work out there. Just like the rest of us, you know?

Terrell Lloyd (00:16:22):
Yeah. I took it all in stride, you know, and then, and it's like, you know, with my positive attitude, you know, I didn't really let it get to me a lot. Mm-Hmm, <affirmative> the negative stuff. Mm-Hmm, <affirmative>, you know, I think that's why I've, I've survived for such a long time. Yeah. And, but then again, I said, you know, as I become a speaker, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna treat people like how I was treated coming forward. Right. I'm gonna help people. I'm gonna guide people. You know, I never thought I never thought I was inspirational until someone told me that. Right. When after I did a platform. Right.

Ant Pruitt (00:16:51):
Yeah, yeah.

Terrell Lloyd (00:16:52):
We're at we're we're at w P P I and, and she stopped me on the trade show floor and said, oh, I, Hey, I'm sorry, I missed your presentation. You know, I heard it was really good. I'm just, I'm disappointed, you know, you know, and, and I heard you were so inspirational and, and that's when it hit me and was like, wow, was I inspirational? And that, and that's really when I thought about it after that. But one thing that she, that she told me, it was photographer. She was from Detroit and she says, you know, I know you're a big time photographer and, and everything like this. And, you know, but I appreciate you, you know, taking the time. And I said, well, no, no. I mean, I just do what I do, you know, and this and that. She said, no, no turtle.

Terrell Lloyd (00:17:28):
You don't understand. She says, I met photographers that are doing platforms. And you know, in a business for a long time. And I looked up to 'em and, you know, I introduced myself to 'em at the end of the thing, but then I see 'em on the trade show floor and I try to say hello, and they give you a wave and they just keep going. Like, they, you know, don't exist. Right. <laugh> but, but you, she said, but you, you stop and you have a conversation for five or 10 minutes. You talk to, people, engage with people. And she says, you know, that's, you know, that's, what's special about you, right? Yeah. Because I give people time because my mother always told me, treat people like how you wanna be treated, You know, you exercise that and come to your advantage.

Ant Pruitt (00:18:11):
Outstanding, outstanding. I've been, like I said, I follow you online and, and I know it can be considered stalking, but it's okay. We're, we're cool. I follow you online. And there's another one of your, I guess she's under, underneath your name is Kimmy. She goes by Kim possible on Instagram and Twitter. And it's so funny watching her because I can see energy between the two of you and it, and it always just sort of comes out inside of the images that you all collect for the team and stuff. And just seeing that connection there, it just made me think, all right. Yeah. This is more than just, just having the camera and, and clicking the shutter. This is, this is about having some energy and making a connection with the people on the other side of the lens. You know, she talks a lot about the different players, whether they're former players or existing players on the team, but she, at one point made some type of connection in all of those images.

Ant Pruitt (00:19:10):
It clearly is reflected in all of those images. And I'm sure that's pretty much what you're going through nowadays, whether it been through the weird COVID season a couple years ago, where people are sort of just sort of off and locked off to themselves and not really sure how much distance to give themselves. And I mean that literally and figuratively with regards to being the photographer and the, in the, in the teammate or what have you. So how has that been with transitioning from that weird season to now? People are getting a little bit more comfortable with the, with things opening up and the players are just being football players again. How how's that been?

Terrell Lloyd (00:19:47):
Well, let's start from the beginning. When, when you talk about Kim, Kim has been with me for about 16 years now. She always, like she said, I always mess up to years and everything like that with me during the candlestick days. Okay. And, you know, Kim was one of my assistants that would carry my gear up and down the field. Cause I call him grips and this and that. Yeah. And for two or three years, it was like, she was, she was learning. I had another gentleman with me as well, and I had one person on my right and one person on my left. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And, but I was teaching as I was going, how I shoot so on and so forth. Right. Then eventually I would let her go off on the opposite side of the field to set up the camera, to start shooting mm-hmm <affirmative> to make sure she had the settings right. And so on and so forth then, and then as I started moving up my way inside the organization and became full time, then I made sure that she assumed my team photographer's contract role. Right. Oh, okay. So I, you know, it it's like, you know, it, it was like, you pay it forward for people that switch you for a long time and then you bring 'em along with you and you pull them up for what mm-hmm

Ant Pruitt (00:20:49):
<Affirmative>. And that's what I elevating people is what they say, you know?

Terrell Lloyd (00:20:53):
Exactly. Exactly. So she's like a, she has a yearly contract with us. So she's a contract photographer for the team mm-hmm <affirmative> that's and we still have our long time team photographer. That's he's been with the team for, I think 48 years, he, our days and you know, he's contracted, but you know, he's also his name's Michael Zari. He's also the Oakland, a photographer Uhhuh, you know, I kinda came in with technology and assumed like, you know, the director role now and just running all the photography services for the team. So just to clarify that up a little bit. Yeah. But now let's transition into the COVID time, which was a very interesting time for everybody mm-hmm

Ant Pruitt (00:21:28):
<Affirmative>, mm-hmm <affirmative> because,

Terrell Lloyd (00:21:29):
You know, you know, you're, you're sitting at home, you don't know if it's gonna be a season and what's gonna happen. And then you, you got NFL coming out with these protocols and the numbers are going down. And so, but then you had to maintain distance and I had to get tested like the players every day, right. Every day I was getting tested. Right. Right. And so, but then again, you had to do things from a distance. Right. And, and from a safe standpoint and so on and so forth. So it was just, you know, but then you were wondering, how long is it gonna last, what it's gonna be, you know, mm-hmm <affirmative> and then we get through, we start the COVID year with no fans. Right. And, you know, that was, that was very interesting because now it's like, you know, you could hear everything and it's like, it was, it was almost like shooting practice every Sunday. Yeah. Yet, you know, and then they would type in fan noise, but it was just a constant noise. Right? Yeah. So you had to like, almost like learn how to not shoot again, but you're still shooting the same way, but there was more, you had more room on the field, I tell you

Ant Pruitt (00:22:22):
That <laugh> right.

Terrell Lloyd (00:22:25):
And so, so it worked out pretty good, but then here's an interesting part. So too, where then Santa Clara set shut down. They said, no, no outdoor sports, indoor sports and everything. So we had to move to Arizona.

Ant Pruitt (00:22:37):
I remember that. Yep.

Terrell Lloyd (00:22:39):
32

Ant Pruitt (00:22:39):
Days. Like that's, that was your home game in a whole different state. Yeah,

Terrell Lloyd (00:22:43):
Exactly, exactly. So, but it was, it was a, it was a learning experience, but then, you know, you just try to stay safe and make sure, you know, less contact and, you know, you don't catch the virus and stuff like that. So mm-hmm, <affirmative> I tell people I was Bob and weaving,

Ant Pruitt (00:22:56):
You know, so yeah. So you had a lot of 85 millimeter and up kinda shooting things going on, right?

Terrell Lloyd (00:23:05):
Oh yeah. Well, you know, I mean, I work with like, it's, it's interesting because for the photographers that don't know, and they, they are always wondering how this happens is I work with four and five cameras. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> right. How you do four or five cameras, you know? I got a, a, a 600 millimeter or a 400 millimeter has a 300 millimeter. I got hanging off my shoulder. I may have 7,200 on one side mm-hmm <affirmative> 24 to 70 or 1635 on the other side. And then I have a think tank modular system where I'm carrying, you know, an 85 or 1124, a fish eye, you know, and, you know, because I shoot a lot of different things other than just game action, you know, from, from player arrivals to locker room, to coming outta tunnel for pregame, pregame intros, sideline portraits, you know, me and my crew are photographers. You know, we split up a lot of things, but yet I'm trying to capture a lot of things just for when you think about it, it's like, you gotta think about outside of game action and what we do for the web or social or anything like that. Yep. It's like, I gotta shoot for marketing partnership, sales foundation, community relations ownership. I mean, there's a lot of variables that go into play on a game day. Yeah.

Ant Pruitt (00:24:14):
Oh man. That see, I, I, I love those little nuggets right there, you know? Cause a lot of, a lot of photographers I'm not gonna poo poo it, but people tend to focus on one particular aspect of things in, in the photography space. You got people that are, I'm a portrait photographer period. That's all I do. I'm a way to photographer period. That's all I do. And that's fine. But I think if you can roll in the other aspects around that stuff, you know, if you're a wedding photographer, how's your marketing, you know, how are you marketing that you're a wedding photographer because your wedding photographer, marketing shot is not the same shot that you're going to give to the bride and groom. You know,

Terrell Lloyd (00:24:58):
It's interesting when you say about marketing, right? Mm-Hmm <affirmative> I think I was pretty lucky for the, when I started my business. Right. Because I didn't really have to market a lot.

Ant Pruitt (00:25:06):
Oh man. Yeah. That's lucky.

Terrell Lloyd (00:25:07):
<Laugh> all the things that I did. Right. And so, and so it was interesting because it was either the clients I had and I, they repeat clients. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> then they were introducing me to other people and you know, new clients and my wedding clients would tell me some, tell somebody else and I would get more weddings and

Ant Pruitt (00:25:25):
Referrals.

Terrell Lloyd (00:25:26):
So I stayed, I stayed busy now I did have a marketing material Uhhuh that I use. Right. Cause you always gotta have that. And you had your website stuff as well. And so, but year after year I was busy and then you gotta remember, I'm still doing football mm-hmm <affirmative> in between. Right. So, you know, with that and everything else, it was like, I was constantly busy. Right. even on the, on the corporate side, I was doing a lot of corporate photography and, and one of my clients was they had a lot of what I wanna say large Silicon valley companies. Yeah. And, and one of 'em had like BMW as their client. Yeah. And they hired me to do some BMW shoots and not really to do car shoots.

Ant Pruitt (00:26:03):
Right.

Terrell Lloyd (00:26:04):
To do their high end events. Yeah. And their high end events was like either in Australia.

Ant Pruitt (00:26:13):
Yeah. Yeah.

Terrell Lloyd (00:26:14):
Argentina, you know, so you know, now, now, and I tell photographers too. I said, look, I said, I was doing like the gripping grands documenting event, the people scenic stuff, creating these books and albums for the, for the client. Yeah. Now these images wasn't gonna win any awards at WPI. Right. You know? But yet if you're creating memories and moments for your client, you will get paid hands really well. Yeah. For what you do. And then got to travel some exotic places around the world. Oh, Monte Carla. I was in Monte Carlo where they have the Monte Carlo Graham pre in our hotel was right by where, where the, where the race track is, where they drive through the street. So it was like crazy. Yeah.

Ant Pruitt (00:26:52):
That's unbelievable. Oh, I love that. I've shot three events in one was for an NBA player and it just blew my mind. Yeah. Just being able to have that opportunity and, and it, and it all came into place because of partly with referrals, you know, word of mouth kind of thing. But I also had a body of work far as being able to shoot something beyond the professional headshot, you know, being able to shoot like social media, video content, whether it's the, like, like nowadays it's reels, you know, you know, being able to figure out all right, what can move the needle in 15 seconds? You know, I had to learn and think about that kind of stuff. But exactly. I, I, I don't think photographers today are, are, are pulling that information in enough, in my opinion, you know, but Hey, if you're successful at what you're doing, Hey, have at it. But I, I

Terrell Lloyd (00:27:49):
Tell people, I tell people in this phrase, I used to say in my presentation, right. I says, and, and listen carefully. It's like your network is your net worth. Get it. So your net mm-hmm <affirmative> is your net worth mm-hmm, <affirmative> in what you can make and what you do, the bigger network you have, the more people, you know, it's your net worth as you go forward. Like one of our former PR directors here with the 49ers. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> when, after he left, he, you know, started doing venting off and other things. And then one time he got with indie car racing, right? Oh yeah. He called me to do some races for him, for the, for the race team. Not necessarily to shoot the race mm-hmm <affirmative> but to do the behind the scenes stuff in the garages, in the pit, while the guys at the communication with the headsets on, you know, yeah.

Terrell Lloyd (00:28:31):
He would have celebrities come out, SHA O'Neil came out to Texas motor Speedway one time <laugh>. So my job was to do, do that as well. And then he says, Hey, you think you could produce some prints, like on site? You know, I packed up my, my eight by 10 printer. Yeah. And he had that out there. You need some eight by tens, boom. We printed on site. Right. So I would carry whatever I needed to get the job done. And, and, and, and I created, and I created a certain what I wanna say, level of income Uhhuh. And one thing I told photographers too for, well, I say this as well, when your network is your net worth. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative>, it's like when I left my corporate job, my goal was to maintain a certain level of income year in and year out.

Ant Pruitt (00:29:11):
Right.

Terrell Lloyd (00:29:12):
Right. I didn't want any, any dips where you you're up here and all of a sudden you dip real low because now you don't have anything to do. Yeah. But with all the different things that I did in photography, from product events, weddings, sports, college, sports, this and that. If something tapered off, I still got coming from other places. That's right. That's what I try to tell if some photographers like, well, what if your wedding business got slow? I mean, as we're getting saturated with more wedding photographers or portrait photographers, right. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> well, what if someone called you up to do, you know, a, an event at the four seasons mm-hmm <affirmative> and you gonna say, no,

Ant Pruitt (00:29:45):
<Laugh>

Terrell Lloyd (00:29:47):
Right. The rich problem. That's right. The mountain over the open, the mountain side on, along the coast was one of my clients for, for a couple years with their event team. And they have corporate events come in, they would call me up, Hey, we got the perfect photographer for you. Right. So things like that, you know, it was two or three years, but once, you know, once your contacts leave and then your name kinda leaves up to talk to.

Ant Pruitt (00:30:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Terrell Lloyd (00:30:08):
You know, a good time though.

Ant Pruitt (00:30:09):
That's the nature. That's the nature of the business nature of the business. This episode of hands. So photography is brought to you by hover it's time to make plans and let hover help you achieve them. Y'all if you're a blogger, creating a portfolio or building an online store, or you just want to make a more memorable redirect to your LinkedIn page so you can get hired. Hover has the best domain names and email addresses for you. Email that your domain name is key to connecting with customers and building trust for your brand. They have a domain based email for all of your needs, small or large. It's so easy to set up. You can add as many email boxes to your domain as you need. When your domain renews the boxes renews, see it's that simple. The prices are unbeatable. Their most popular mailbox is a no brainer solution for business owners get access from anywhere.

Ant Pruitt (00:31:03):
Use the email app you're already comfortable with. If apps aren't your thing, then their webmail can help you access your messages wherever you are. And that's the thing. They make everything so easy at hover. You know, whether it's renewing the domain, whether it's walking through trying to help you get your email set up so you can access it pretty efficiently and be able to get those customers answered and, and get those gigs flowing in for you. Good stuff, hover. Isn't here to upsell you on stuff you don't need. They just wanna help. They have pro level tools like the powerful domain and email management tools that are intuitive and easy, whether you're web pro or just getting started private insecurity with who is privacy included with your domain purchase, your private information remains just that private is a great way to reduce spam and protect yourself from unwanted solicitations, hover connect lets you pick the service you want to use to build and host your website.

Ant Pruitt (00:32:07):
Connect helps you start using your domain name with just a couple of clicks at hover. You're a customer, not a source of data. Big difference folks, take back control of your data with reliable tracker free email. Hover is trusted by hundreds of thousands of customers who use their domain name and email to turn their ideas into a reality again. So whether you're a developer or a small business or a photographer, trying to turn it into a small business, hover has something for you to expand your projects and get the visibility you want. So go to hover.com/twit to get 10% off your first purchase of any domain extension for the entire first year. That's hover.com/twi for 10% off your domain extension for full year. And we thank hover for their support of the show. I love this stuff, but I want to get into some of the images from your portfolio.

Ant Pruitt (00:33:08):
I have, I think it's four of 'em that I wanted to sort of work through. And they're, they're very in, in, in different topics cuz there's a couple things that just sort of made me think and I wanted to pick your brain about it. And I hope this is, this is gonna be some more good knowledge sharing for our listeners because again, that's what the Canon explorers are like. Do y'all y'all share knowledge for photography. So let's go ahead and pull up your images here on the screen. If I can hit the right button survey says this shot right here. Okay. Again, this is the epitome of, of sports photography. You know, you shot this looks like with the one DX. I believe mm-hmm <affirmative> I wanna one DX smart two 20 megapixel sensor. Correct?

Terrell Lloyd (00:33:52):
What is it? One D smart two and say, now you're gonna make me pull it up real quick. Cause they changed. But I think it's 20, 24 megas.

Ant Pruitt (00:34:00):
Okay. So, so not like a huge megapixel count and that's something that a lot of photographers in the beginning will just throw their hands up in air about is megapixels. But yet we're looking at this shot, man, this is crispy.

Terrell Lloyd (00:34:15):
Oh yeah. <Laugh>

Ant Pruitt (00:34:17):
Boy. That is justt sharp. So well

Terrell Lloyd (00:34:20):
Here's, here's the thing. And before you delve into that real quick, but like when you say that and you say photographers, like, you know, mega pixels here and there, this that right. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> it's like I've had, and if people have followed me on, on Instagram, I posted during the COVID one time, it was like all of the flagship cameras I had from Canon since digital mm-hmm <affirmative> right. My first digital camera was a two megapixel a Canon body with a Kodak back and it cost me $12,000. But that camera got me on the, got me really officially in the door with the 49ers. Right? Yeah. So I've evolved with, from that camera onto their flagship cameras from today, right? Mm-Hmm <affirmative> mm-hmm <affirmative> and the thing is the quality's gotten better or it was getting better over the years, sensors was getting better.

Terrell Lloyd (00:35:00):
The mega pixels started growing and growing and growing mm-hmm <affirmative> and my thing is if, if you even at 20 mega pixels, right. If you shoot it correctly in camera, if you, even if you're not shooting raw mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, there's always debate. Hey turtle, do you shoot raw? You shoot JPEG. Right? Mm-hmm <affirmative> I mean, I, back in the day when it was like only 10 mega pixel or eight mega pixels, 14 mega, I mean, then I was shooting raw plus JPEG. Right. Right now the way I shoot now, it's like, you know, maybe what I got, how many images I shoot a game, depending on the game, the flow home game, 10,000, 12,000 images I'm shooting raw. I'm gonna run outta space with and then trying to convert all that. Right? Yep. I, in my class is what I say, get it right in camera. If it's garbage, if it's garbage in it's garbage out that's right, right inside the camera, do the least amount of post production work. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> on. I mean, if you have to, right. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> just make sure you expose it properly. Don't blow out the whites and you know, highlights, make sure, you know, you're not too far underexposed, you know, to create noise and shadows and you know, this and that. So it's kind of like, just get it right in camera. I don't care if it's like, you know, a 50 megapixel camera today mm-hmm

Ant Pruitt (00:36:07):
<Affirmative>

Terrell Lloyd (00:36:08):
And you know, you could still take a 20 megapixel JPEG with the way, the way the sensors are processing these images down, how clean they are. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> it's like we got, we got images around the stadium that are like banner size and they're just JPEG images. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> but I'll shoot raw if I have to shoot raw, but it that way. So it all depends on what we're gonna do.

Ant Pruitt (00:36:31):
Well, and then JPEGs quite honestly, are the technology behind it. They're getting better and better over the years. So it, it, it's not like they're not usable to stay and age, especially if you're, especially, if you're operating the way you operate, you have to get stuff done like quickly sometimes because it's not just the journalistic post game report that you're dealing with. Sometimes you're dealing with the marketing, that's going to go out right at halftime <laugh> right. Stuff like that. So I totally, totally, totally get that. But, but this,

Terrell Lloyd (00:37:06):
Yeah,

Ant Pruitt (00:37:07):
But this shot here I'm looking at it and it looks like this is another rainy day. So you're out there with 400 millimeter lens, 600 millimeter lens and the camera body you're talking upwards of, you know, $15,000 worth of gear right out the gate in the rain.

Terrell Lloyd (00:37:27):
Little bit more than that is that let's double that about 30 something

Ant Pruitt (00:37:31):
Thousand. Oh, okay. So yeah, I went low. I lowballed you. So we got $30,000 worth of gear out here in the rain. What is your thought process to be able to manage that stuff and make sure that you can still take care of it all while handling a fast paced football game like this, cuz it's you don't want your, just your gear to get destroyed and really just ruin ruin the, the, the day for you. So what, what is your thoughts on, on just taking care of your gear during a shoot like this?

Terrell Lloyd (00:38:00):
Well, you know, you gotta have, you, you gotta have good rain covers put it that way. Right. Mm-hmm shooting rain covers. It could become comfort zone, right? Because now, you know, because you, you know, it it's wet, it's raining, you know, you don't wanna get waters on the front element of your lens, even though you got to 400 or 600 lens mm-hmm <affirmative> and it's you got that, the big cover on the front of it, but then you don't wanna tilt, tilt it up, which has happened before in the rain on lens. And now you gotta dry it. So you have to be careful in what you're doing. Right. But you can't shoot the same way in a rain game as you do a regular game when it's not rainy, because now I have to shoot, I can't shoot with a lot of cameras. Right.

Terrell Lloyd (00:38:37):
Mm-Hmm <affirmative>, you know, I may only shoot with like three cameras during that game, a big lens, a two to 400 or 400, right. 7,200 and then maybe a wide on my side. Right? Mm-hmm <affirmative> let the action just come to you and wait for it to come to you. Because as, as it's raining, you know, you're getting wet on the camera covers getting wet. And so you just try to do the best you can in those elements. But then so many images you get, you just create dynamic images cuz you know, the Jersey's all muddied up and wide in the mud and the rain's coming up. I mean, it's like, I could show you, I should have such a different series. And I thought, I, I love this pose of here because look, you could tell us in the elements, right? Uhhuh <affirmative>, Jersey's wet money, this and that, you know, the ground is saturated. You know

Ant Pruitt (00:39:20):
This stuff flying up off the ground, you know

Terrell Lloyd (00:39:23):
Exactly. You know, but everything you sit back and you let it come to you because now you can't move around the field as much as you can because now you're sloshing around in the grass and in, in the rain as well. So you just let everything come to you because normally the time I shoot around you move around and feel a lot. You may shoot around like the 30 yard line and you go to the corner, the end zone. And then you getting back in the end zone. If they're coming down to getting ready to score mm-hmm <affirmative> and the rain side, you say, okay, well I'm just gonna let the rain on you. Right. Keep the camera and wait for whatever comes to you.

Ant Pruitt (00:39:55):
Yeah. So with the rain game, I, I I've never shot in a rain game or anything like that. But I've played in the rain. So with you as a photographer, do you have just a miserable, miserable rain or snow game that you you can remember? Or was it just, huh? What

Terrell Lloyd (00:40:15):
That was, that was one of the games that I watched

Ant Pruitt (00:40:17):
Game, right? Yeah. Just absolutely miserable to you.

Terrell Lloyd (00:40:19):
Was it was, I mean it was like, and it was, it was interesting because we had back to back games, you know, we played Washington. I think we played Baltimore the week before mm-hmm <affirmative> and in Baltimore it was raining sideways. Right. Literally. So I'm an end zone over here and it was raining sideways and your face gets wet, but it was like freezing rain. So now your face get numb. Then the quarter change, you go around the other end, it was raining sideways on this side. Right. And then your face get frozen on this side. So now like it was like back to back a mess, even going back to the locker room, it was like, you're like, you're not trying to fall. And the mud was just, you know, still didn't drain and so on and so forth. And then your clothes just saturated. It was like, you know,

Terrell Lloyd (00:41:02):
It was the worst, but you know, I tell you what I'll do it anytime every time, because it's just, it makes for, you know, great, you know, images as you see there. Right? Yeah. You know, let's, let's fast forward to our our NSC divisional game against green bay. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> and it's 10 degrees. Right. And so it's freezing out then it's a night game and you know, and it's cold and it got a little bit of snow flus in the beginning, then it stops, snowed. Right. And then go in at half time and you, you know, you know, get warm for a little bit. You come back out and then it's snowing. It's

Ant Pruitt (00:41:35):
Like, oh man <laugh>. But

Terrell Lloyd (00:41:37):
The one that flew about this and I say, well, I'm not going back up there to get a cover. Right. But it wasn't, it was a dry snow really. Okay. Right. Flury so basically the snow would hit the camera and it was just, you could just blow it off. Right. But it just, no, but the one problem with snow is it's like when you're trying to focus and sometimes it focuses on the snow. Yeah. Clear. So you get some image, get a little soft here and there and then some would catch here and there it's like, you're thinking like, oh wait a minute. What? I'm not getting into focus. So it's kinda like,

Ant Pruitt (00:42:07):
And you catching those big flus coming down accidentally. Oh dude. Good grief. But

Terrell Lloyd (00:42:12):
It was fun. It's it's fun when you're with it,

Ant Pruitt (00:42:15):
David. Well, yeah. I, I believe that, you know, I, I, I tell my kids, you know, cuz they're athletes and they always fuss about the weather far as going to practice in the rain and stuff like that. And for me, I, I, it's sort of weird. I never noticed the weather in the middle of activities. Right. Whether it's really, really hot, really, really cold or just flat out just sideways raining, cuz I've been in all of that. Yes. But the second I'm done with that activity, like when that whistle says game is over, I'm miserable. Like, oh my gosh, this rains <laugh>. And I could only imagine if I'm out there with gear in that type, in all of those elements, if, if I would feel the same way, I'm wondering, would I still be able to perform and not really even notice that I'm getting just

Terrell Lloyd (00:43:03):
Terrained. I mean, it, it, it it's like early on. I mean, I had, you know, I had to learn how to shoot mm-hmm <affirmative> I had to learn how to shoot from coming from the stands, going on the field. I remember, I remember when my first, early years on, on the field, it was like, it's like, cuz as a fan, I was watching a game. Yeah. Now I'm on the field trying to take pictures. And then I was watching and not taking the photo through the lens. I was like, oh, what are we doing? I missed this.

Ant Pruitt (00:43:25):
Yeah.

Terrell Lloyd (00:43:25):
So and so people say, well, how do you enjoy the game? How do you do well, I enjoy it through the lens. I know how to watch the game through the lens and continue to take photos and remember every play of that game going forward. Right. So I could tell you, somebody says, Hey, did you get a shot of that? Alex Smith touchdown run against the New York giants and you know yeah. I said, oh yeah, I remember I got one of those shots. Yeah. You know, from where I got on the field and then go to that, that game that year and go back to my highlights cuz I know it's what, and then pull out that photo.

Ant Pruitt (00:43:58):
Ah, man, I love it. I I've been shooting the local high school here since moving in and it's been fun. But at the same time I'm a parent. My kids are playing. So it was, it was a bit of a battle to be able to enjoy the game as a parent plus also worked the game as a photographer. And I did like you, I did catch myself a couple of times, you know, the, the viewfinder was down here at my belly.

Terrell Lloyd (00:44:23):
Yeah.

Ant Pruitt (00:44:24):
Yeah. Because I'm just watching this team whoop up on another team <laugh> you know, and I'm like, oh crap. I'm supposed to

Terrell Lloyd (00:44:31):
Shoot. I'm like, I learned how to do it through the camera. Cause when my son played little league and I was out there shooting the little league, I, I know how to concentrate and watching what he's doing, if he's that bad or you know, but then again, you know, if he's on first base or short stop and so on and so forth, but you wanna get the other kids too. It's like, I just had to learn how to, how to, how to balance it. Put it that way.

Ant Pruitt (00:44:49):
Oh man. And I'm still learning. I'm still learning. So let's switch to another shot here. Let's see if I go. This one, these are two and the same. Okay. I'll start with this one here. We have this shot and we have this shot. Okay.

Terrell Lloyd (00:45:07):
Start with that shot

Ant Pruitt (00:45:08):
First. All right. So this shot here. Yeah. All right. I I'm looking at the perspective of it because this isn't necessarily eye level. Correct. You know, you're down a little bit low. I don't necessarily know the focal length right out the gate, but I'm again, I'm thinking of this from two perspectives. I'm thinking of it as a photographer. And I'm thinking of this as a ball player. Right. Walking out of that tunnel me as a ball player, walking outta that tunnel. There's a certain level of focus that I had to have and that I usually had. And I'm not sure how I would've reacted with a photographer right there, cuz you're clearly dead center in the middle of this tunnel. Correct. I don't know how I would've reacted if it would've thrown me off. If it would've pumped me up or what have you, but I definitely would've noticed you because you're right there in the middle of this frame.

Ant Pruitt (00:46:05):
Now you now I'm putting on my photographer hat. Okay. Okay. So I'm in this tunnel and I'm thinking, Ooh, if I get dead center in this, it's gonna have some beautiful balance. And if I get below their eyes, it's gonna make them look even bigger and more grandeur and just gonna give that whole just warriors or, or battle, you know, that, that whole vibe, you know, we're getting ready to go out here and battle and compete and we're gonna win. It's just gonna be super inspirational. Even down to this looks like a wide angle lens, because look at how the walls are starting to go into a vanishing point there in the center. So it it's just so much working with this from a photography dynamic standpoint. And I'm like, oh, this fires me up. Right. So, so I battle with this again with two different personalities, the photographer personality versus the player getting ready to compete personality. Right. You're the photographer here. So what was it like for you? I mean, do you ever consider the players and their emotions and things like that happening in this, in moments like this?

Terrell Lloyd (00:47:06):
Yes. So it's a, it's a level of trust too. Mm-Hmm with the players. Right. But the one thing is it's like you gotta have a game plan going to what you're gonna do. Mm-Hmm right. You know, I think I shot this with, with 11 to 24, either 16, 35 or 1124, but I'm pretty sure this's 1124. Right? Mm-hmm <affirmative> and this is during our pre-game warmups, right?

Ant Pruitt (00:47:24):
Oh, oh gosh. Really? Pre-game warm.

Terrell Lloyd (00:47:28):
<Laugh> these pregame more, they get ready to hit the field, just doing a pregame. Right. And so the players, you know, when you look at it, the players are very focused in what they do in their position and so on and so forth. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> now they see where I'm at as they're walking down. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> now my thing is I am moving all at the same time. Okay. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> lemme explain. So while they're coming out the door, I followed them out. I gave them distance. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> then I shoot down low. Right. And then I back up even more. So they never reach me unless I want them to reach me. Okay. If that

Ant Pruitt (00:48:05):
Makes, okay,

Terrell Lloyd (00:48:06):
I get it. Boom, boom. I'm moving. Yeah. Get down again. Boom, boom. I'm moving. I go to the next spot to get them running out. So I only have milliseconds to create that moment. They're not standing there posing for you. Right. They're not, you know, giving you any hand gestures or you know, or hands on the wrist, waist or arms up like this or whatever mm-hmm <affirmative> they're in their moment. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> mm-hmm <affirmative> they know that at some point I'm shooting and I'm out, I'm shooting and I'm out. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and so that's how I'm able to create this type of image shooting down low. Right. But it's like, it's a matter of firing off so many and then getting out of their way mm-hmm <affirmative> right. Because I don't want like, so I don't want like number 11, the center person there mm-hmm <affirmative> to have to walk around me. Right, right. And so on and so forth. So then I could move back and get something else in their same distance of where they're at. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> you know? Yeah.

Ant Pruitt (00:48:58):
See this is how I know you're a pro because you just described getting in there and just machine gunning it, if you will, boom, boom, boom. Get these shots and moving. But yet when I pull this up, this thing is really, really, again, you're sharp. Your focus is right on, and this is what the wide angle lens. Correct. You know, <laugh>, it's not as easy to do with those wide angle lenses, so correct.

Terrell Lloyd (00:49:22):
And like, remember I told you early, get it right in camera. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> know what your exposure's gonna be in that tunnel with that lighting. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> where your ISO's gonna be. Cause the 1124 is an F four lens. Right? Mm-hmm <affirmative> mm-hmm <affirmative> and you know, you know, the I'm shooting at F four, maybe the higher ISO yeah. You know, a decent amount of shutter speed to at least freeze their action. Right. I can't shoot that at like a 30th of a second. No, your 60th of a second. So you have to know your sweet spot of where you're gonna be. Right. And like all these cameras, the, the higher end cameras now, you know, you could shoot it at 4,005,000, 6,400 ISO with minimal amount of noise.

Ant Pruitt (00:50:00):
Yeah. Nowadays. Yeah. It's amazing. It's amazing. I just spoke about that on a recent episode here with, with ISO used to be problematic once she got over about 3,200, hundred

Terrell Lloyd (00:50:13):
Or 80. But then, but then again, when I had those cameras, I knew where my limits were mm-hmm <affirmative> right. I knew where my sweet spots were. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> so it's kind of like, and you just played to it. Yeah,

Ant Pruitt (00:50:26):
Man. And then, so to relate to that shot was this one here. Alright. So this is a, a whole different perspective. It's still out in the, in, in the tunnel, but it's in color and you're, you're you're back behind the players. But again, this, this is looking yet like a, another wide angle lens on it. So, so the same type of approach with this one here.

Terrell Lloyd (00:50:47):
Yeah. So same type of approach. Now this one here is at the super bowl in 2019 in Miami, right. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> now, now you're getting ready to come out for interest.

Ant Pruitt (00:50:55):
Oh my gosh.

Terrell Lloyd (00:50:57):
There's no pregame on this one and so on and so forth. Right. And so here you wanted to get a feel for the players getting ready for the biggest game of their careers. Yeah. Basically. Right. And, and just that wide, you want to get that wide angle moment of everybody. Right. You know, you got, you know, you got Jimmy Lars quarterback mm-hmm <affirmative> and, and it's a matter he's he's the center of the team. Yes. Basically. Yes. He's you know, the guy, so it's kind of like, you know, you gotta, you want to feature him right there. He had his back turned, don't have to be looking at you. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>, you know, he's getting ready to, you know, give a speech to the team and then, you know, and some something and other photos mm-hmm <affirmative> it was like, I also got a, a big huddle shot of those guys too.

Terrell Lloyd (00:51:41):
Mm-Hmm <affirmative> and then I'll take that 11 to 24 and then I'll go up wide on top, tilt the camera over and get a super wide with that 11 millimeter perspective. Yeah. It's like of, of all the guys there, now they do their speech and now they're turning, they're ready to come out the door. Right. Cause they finish the speech. I'm out the door before they're out the door. <Laugh> right. Because, because you know, if not they're bumping and I'm like trying to squeeze them between guys and I don't wanna be in their way. I don't want to, I don't wanna mess up whatever mindset that they have. Right. Yeah. I'm back out getting ready to get 'em run out on the

Ant Pruitt (00:52:18):
Field. That's that's the thing that would really just scare me the most. I don't wanna mess up their mindset, you know? Right. This, this is this, I know how fragile those moments are to, to be, to get ready to compete. I totally get that. Oh, beautiful image. So let's take a look at another one here. I wanna take a look at this shot here. You know, we've gone from doing battle. Pre-Game the focus, the emotions to now we've gone to portraits, we've gone to a whole different side of, of photography. We've gone to a whole different side of, of, of just the approach, if you will. Yeah. This is a beautiful shot. Looks like Jared McKinnon. Correct. And you have this, this rim lighting going. There's not a lot of feel like there's, doesn't there's any feel like going on at all. It works perfectly. Oh. And it looks like there's a rear light. That's not seen, it looks like it's lightening up the background. Possibly. I could be wrong, but neither hear nor did,

Terrell Lloyd (00:53:23):
But they wasn't, it

Ant Pruitt (00:53:25):
<Laugh>, but it's beautifully done. And it's a whole different approach. Walk me through setting up a shot like this because we're looking at, you know, what's the phrase gladiators mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, when these guys put on their pads and helmet and they have a whole different mindset, but now you're telling them, let's see a different side of you. What what's what's a portrait session like for an NFL team, you know, let alone the 49ers.

Terrell Lloyd (00:53:50):
Oh man. It could be hectic, man. It's it's interesting that you pick this one. Imagine this mm-hmm <affirmative> sometimes you only have five to seven minutes. If that were a play mm-hmm <affirmative> right. This is, this is one from our media day. Let me walk you through our media day. Okay.

Ant Pruitt (00:54:10):
Right.

Terrell Lloyd (00:54:11):
Our media day sessions go about two or three days. Right. Okay. And so, and so you amongst we shoot about 60, 70, 80 players for media day, right? Okay. So now we have our design team that our web team and digital team that has, that needs content for, to produce graphics of players and so on and so forth. So they have a need, right. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> specialized needs. Right. Then you have the networks that has their needs. Right. Mm-hmm

Ant Pruitt (00:54:42):
<Affirmative>

Terrell Lloyd (00:54:43):
Okay. So that's two different people. <Laugh>

Ant Pruitt (00:54:46):
I see where you're going.

Terrell Lloyd (00:54:48):
<Laugh> so the networks set up of what they want is basically is pretty generic off of gray. You know, guys stand left, stand, right? Smile. Look here, look up helmet on helmet, all, okay. Get your position, blah, blah, blah. Kind of generic

Ant Pruitt (00:55:00):
Editorial is what it right. Editorial.

Terrell Lloyd (00:55:03):
But, but the design team needs more, you know, action driven something, emotion mm-hmm <affirmative> something dynamic lighting and so on. And so okay. But let go back. I only have five to seven minutes for player sometimes. Yeah. Right. So how do, how, how will I get two different lighting setups in one setting? Mm-Hmm <affirmative> okay. So basically this setup here is the second lighting setup that I have. Okay. So, so imagine this. Okay. Basically it's only four lights that I have set up for this, for this shoe. Okay. I got my main light and my fill light is turned off.

Ant Pruitt (00:55:47):
Okay.

Terrell Lloyd (00:55:48):
I have two strip boxes, edge lights. That's coming off the shoulder and coming off of here. Yeah. Right. That, that will that. So you see where his numbering McKinnon in the back. Yeah. And then that's one strip box over there. Yep. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative>

Terrell Lloyd (00:56:04):
The light that's lighting in his face. On the other side is another strip box. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> right. So now if I go through all of my poses, I gotta do for the networks. I turn off my main and fill and say, okay, let's create something dynamic. And the only two lights I have on are the strip boxes. Yeah. And that's how I'm able to create this. Now I'll have 'em turn this way. I'll do like a full shot. I'll do three quarters, you know, just, you know, but with no main or feel in front of the face and you just got the two edge lights coming in. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> so this is how I'm able to mix up a couple of different scenarios in a short amount of time. So, but on this photo here though, why you think there's a, a light on the background? Mm-Hmm <affirmative> is because I've been yet the edges to make it, to draw it in. Like there is a light on the

Ant Pruitt (00:56:47):
Back. Oh, okay. All right.

Terrell Lloyd (00:56:49):
Box. Is there. Okay. So it's it's it's like you're, you're mimicking like, okay. If I had light on the background a little bit here got two edges lights. Here's three lights. No, it's two lights, but I I've been yet it here and so on and so forth. Yeah. But, but if you look at the light on his face right there, it's just, that's just coming from the main, I mean, from the strip box itself.

Ant Pruitt (00:57:07):
Yeah. You see it right there in his eye catch light.

Terrell Lloyd (00:57:10):
Now, now the thing is, but you have to be ready for, to do that shot because remember if I got four lights going, that's metered a different way.

Ant Pruitt (00:57:19):
Sure. Is

Terrell Lloyd (00:57:20):
Two shots. It's metered another way. So in your mind, you gotta say, okay, if this is at 200 ISO at an F 11 and you know two hundreds of a second, blah, blah, blah. If I turn off the main and fill, right, yeah. Then I gotta go up my ISO, cause I gotta get this. I gotta be at blah, blah, blah. And I mean, I don't remember numbers right off hand mm-hmm but it's like, but then you gotta change your camera real quick. Yep. To get that real quick. Yep. Right. You gotta be quick.

Ant Pruitt (00:57:44):
Now, now with that said, so you handling the editorial side, you're handling the design side. What's going, what are the players doing when they come in there? Is it more robotic or were they walking and say, all right, where do you need me to stand? Or do they come in with all right. I wanna show some of my attitude in these shots or, oh

Terrell Lloyd (00:58:06):
Yeah. Sometimes we do. Yeah. Sometimes they show with what they have, cause I want what they have. I want, I want their, their emotion and their attitude and so on. So, and then you get some players like, okay, just tell me what to do. <Laugh> but, but we also have a team, you know, I may have one of my other photographer in there with me shooting. We have a couple people from our design team. We'll have what we call a story board. Yeah. On the wall. Yeah. Of certain images we want to capture per position. Yep. Like, you know, the running back, we wanna get him in his running back hose is a wide receiver. Get him his wire, you know, if we want like, you know, our linebacker, you know, we wanna go like, you know, you know, yelling at the camera, bending down. Yeah. Yeah. Things like that. So it's kind of like, it, it all depends on what the look we're trying to get from the design phase. So it's not me calling out all these shots. It's basically how design's gonna use it. What do they need for their elements and to produce things. And then it's, it's, it's truly a team effort, to be honest.

Ant Pruitt (00:59:01):
I, I, I absolutely love this. This is just

Terrell Lloyd (00:59:04):
Hmm. But as you see, there's a lot of thought that goes into it.

Ant Pruitt (00:59:07):
Right. I can tell. And, and I appreciate that because again, all, not every, not one image can work everywhere.

Terrell Lloyd (00:59:16):
Correct.

Ant Pruitt (00:59:17):
You know, so there's, there's certain images that just don't fit a particular scene, if you will, or wherever it's gonna be placed where it's for marketing or there's gonna be something for the family or things like that. You know, I, I, I totally respect that. And I love, I love this, this body of work and the thought process that you and your team put into this. So yeah. Hey, this man I'm fired up. I'm I'm I could keep going, but man, we've been talking for about three hours now. No, I'm kidding. It hasn't been three hours <laugh>

Terrell Lloyd (00:59:47):
Oh yeah, there there's, there's always a lot more. You wanna have me back and we talk about some other stuff. I mean, you know, I mean later on next time we could talk about how, you know, I, how I look at light on a football field or light when I'm shooting college sports or, you know, and I, and, and it had to do with me studying under a portrait photographer back in the day. Right. You know, I, I thought she was one of the, the best portrait photographers in the bay area. And, you know, they taught me like direction of light and how, you know, how to, how to approach, you know, looking at light, looking where it's coming from, what angles, you know, what position you gotta be. And I took that and I applied it to sports the same

Ant Pruitt (01:00:23):
Way. Yeah. I can totally see that. Could totally see that. Especially you're talking about having a four light set for a bunch of meathead football players to come out. <Laugh> I'm kidding. I did. When I said, well,

Terrell Lloyd (01:00:34):
That's, that was one, one time. I had six lights set up on that.

Ant Pruitt (01:00:37):
Oh man.

Terrell Lloyd (01:00:38):
Six lights set up and two different cameras.

Ant Pruitt (01:00:41):
Oh man. See, yeah. I need to follow you around and, and just, just see how you roll. I'm sure it's just a fascinating flow and a lot of moving parts. And then you get these beautiful images right out the gate. And so Mr. Terrill, is there anything that you would like to share with the listeners, something that you got coming up or anything you'd like to promote just that you can share? Cause I know you're busy.

Terrell Lloyd (01:01:05):
<Laugh> well, that's the thing it's funny. Cause I don't have too many things coming up yet. I mean it's interesting because we, you know, we made that run an NFC championship game, you know, I always felt we were a couple plays away from another super bowl. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> fell a little, you know, and, you know, got back, took a little time off, you know, regroup and, you know, get your head right. You know, and, and say, okay, time to start all over again. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>, you know get ready for, you know, draft and mini camps, organized team activities, you know, just, you know, start that grind for the 26 season all over again. Right. <laugh> and so, but then again, now that things have, have really started opening up a lot. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> now I've gotten busy again. So for the last couple years I've been busy, but not the way it's now. So now it's like, I, I don't have too much time for anything

Ant Pruitt (01:01:55):
<Laugh>

Terrell Lloyd (01:01:56):
So, you know, I got, I got some projects I couldn't finish up last season. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> that, you know, we're doing this season. And so it it's like in these kind of like major in-house projects. Right, right. So it's you know, you know, I want to really get back out there and, and speaking again, you know, as well and doing, you know, doing a platform, doing a couple hours, you know demos and stuff like that. So hopefully that that'll pick back up once I can be caught up here, stuff like that and see what, see what else Canon has in store from me later on down the line.

Ant Pruitt (01:02:24):
Oh, I, I know Ken is gonna keep you busy. You know, they just put out the R three and now there's rumors have yet another beautiful body coming from them because no one has said that there R three is they flagship model, but a lot of consumers are assuming that, but I don't think that's their flagship. There's been

Terrell Lloyd (01:02:43):
More's R three it's R three is phenomenal. It's absolutely phenomenal. I mean, it was like, I couldn't get all of 'em fast enough. Right. <laugh> they would let me order my four and five all at one time. Like I normally get now, but it's, it's like, it, it, it is, you know, it it's all all true from what all the specs said. It was before it even hit the market. Right. And I'm not, you know, saying that, cause I'm a mechanic Explorer, light, this and that. But it's like, if you follow my record and you followed me and, and you know, I mean, I'm, you know, with all the brands that I've had and I've seen the evolution of digital, right? It's like, this is like the top right now. Like say I don't, you know, people say, well, ter, do you know anything about the next one? No. I mean, even though we have a non-disclosure, they still don't disclose a lot of stuff

Ant Pruitt (01:03:31):
To. Right, right. They're gonna keep tight lip <laugh> exactly.

Terrell Lloyd (01:03:34):
But whatever they got coming down the pike, if it's an R one or whatever, the rumors may be, you know, I'll wait for when that to happen. But right now I'm, I'm a hundred percent in deep with this R three, my webcam here, I'm using the R six for the webcam. Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative> cause they, they sent me the R five and R six during the pandemic time. Right. Yep. And so I've, I had the luxury of, of with my one DX threes. Right. It's like I incorporated the R five into that, into my mix so I can start getting used to shooting the mirrorless mm-hmm <affirmative>. So it worked out well for me once, you know, and then once, you know, the R threes came out, it was easy for me to transition totally into total mirrorless now, you know, but then when I slowly give them and I was mixing, you know, R five R three and the one DX mark three, right. It was like, oh man, I was all over the place. Right. <laugh> like, and then I like, oh, I'm ready to go. All mirrorless,

Ant Pruitt (01:04:24):
Finally, all mirrorless it's it's the way of the world. And boy, I'm, I'm glad it's here, cuz this is some really great tech from, from Canon good stuff, Mr. Terell thank you again for, for hanging out with me and, and sharing all of this knowledge and information, that's gonna help everybody that's watching and listening to this show, just get better in the photography space, as well as taking, taking to the effect of, you know, understanding the business side of things and understanding how you can just grow in this and not really just be stagnant in one particular thing in your photography world. You know? So thank you again for joining me. I really do appreciate you coming on.

Terrell Lloyd (01:05:01):
I appreciate you having me. Appreciate it. Thanks.

Ant Pruitt (01:05:03):
All right. All right. So folks, Hey, that is it. And I tried to tell y'all when I get these photographers on sometime I can go a little bit long and, and, and, and turn into a bit of a fan and, and I won't shut up and I'm sorry, but I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did. I really do appreciate him joining me today on the show. If you have any questions, comments, feedback, feel free to shoot me a message. Just send an old fashioned email to hop twi.tv again as hop twi.tv, or you can give me a tag over on Instagram. Let's let's get my Instagram numbers up. So just go to an underscore Pruit on Instagram. Give me a follow tag me on some of your images over there. I enjoy chatting with all of you over there, cuz some of y'all share some pretty beautiful shots and then some of y'all send me some pretty funny memes too. So shout out to all of you that do that. Thank you for the continuous support. Thank you for sharing out the show to help grow this community. Shout out to my man, Mr. Victor for making me look and sound good each and every week on this show. Hey, until next time folks safely create and dominate and I'll catch you later.

Leo Laporte (01:06:15):
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