Staff Profile - Mark Moray

Here at Ted's, we love photography and we make it our goal to surround ourselves with passionate and talented photographers.

You might not know it, but many Ted's staff are also working photographers. Weddings, events, architecture and fine art. You name it, we shoot it.

This is the first in a new series, where we introduce you to the people that make Ted's great and the stunning work that they're doing out in the photography and videography.

Today Mark Moray from Ted's Online Sales & Support & Ted's Southland Store, is sharing his images and his story of how he became a photographer.

 Please introduce yourself:

My name is Mark Moray I work in Ted's Cameras Online Sales & Support, Ted's Southland store and I run my own business called ‘Wicked Rock Photography’. My main focus is photographing musicians and bands at Concerts, Gigs & Music Festivals. I have had my work published in ‘Rhythms’ Magazine, and the ‘CultureMad’ lifestyle
online magazine. I have for several years been an accredited photographer at some of Australia’s biggest music festivals such as The Byron Bay Bluesfest and WOMADelaide, where I will be in attendance again this year. I have also been the resident photographer over the last few years for the bi-annual ‘Mornington Peninsula Blues Sessions’. 

What defines your photography style?
As I have a great love for music, I try and feel it. I may have only three songs at the beginning of a set to capture images of an artist from the photographers ‘Pit’ so trying to becoming emotionally attached to the artist can be a challenge. Feeling the music helps me pre-empt the artists movements and thereby striving to achieve that great shot. Overall, I aspire for my photos to capture the emotion and excitement of the live performance. 

How did you become interested in photography?
In the 1970’s, I decided to complete an Art & Design course to help me develop a portfolio that would assist me in applying for Interior Design at RMIT, for which I became a successful applicant. It was during that course where I became interested in Photography. My first SLR camera was a Minolta. I not only learnt about the camera, but I also processed my own negatives, and developed my own film and prints. I ended up creating my very own darkroom at home.

Do you have any formal training? 
The only formal training I had was from what I was taught during my time studying Art & Design course, however, years of field work taking shots has taught me well.

What do you think were some of the key elements to the development of your photography?
Experimenting with the camera’s capabilities, and trying not to worry about taking that perfect shot every time. The more photos I took, I began trusting myself as a good photographer, and then I started to have fun. 

What type of lighting do you use most within your photography? 
Most photographers like to have control over movement and lighting, so since I photograph live music, I have no control over those elements. As with most music venues, flash photography is banned, especially in the ‘Pit’ area, so the only lighting I use is what is being projected on to the stage at that time. It can be a challenge at some venues where the lighting is quite poor. I have a Canon 6D and one of its features was designed for the camera to shoot in low light.

How has social media helped with the success of your photography business?
Social Media for me is a great way of interacting with the artists after the event. As for getting work, it is more about building relationships with the musicians and the people behind them, the publicity agents and the venues.

How important is post-processing to your work?
Since I can’t control the lighting and live environment at an event, postproduction can sometimes help a lot. Some shots look better in B&W, and others can look too grainy, then postproduction helps.

What’s on your gear buying list for 2017?
The Canon 5D Mark IV is on the wishlist.

Any big plans for the future?
Looking forward to photographing some of the artists in the recording studio.

Any advice for novice photographers?
Understand the camera you have and its capabilities, because you will get more out of your photos.