Meet Tim Engelbrecht, Managing Director of Hello Sweetheart
In a snapshot, tell us about Hello Sweetheart?
Hello Sweetheart is a photography & videography studio that documents adventurous and down-to-earth couple’s most important day of their lives, their wedding day!
How do you ensure the voice of Hello Sweetheart is received by your audience?
It’s in everything we do, from our quirky GIF email signatures, to the bright colours we use on our website, to the slightly inappropriate jokes we use on our couples on their wedding day. We are literally professional party guests and that is the voice we hope to convey to our people.
Tell us about one memorable event that you shot?
Obviously every wedding day is memorable but one stood out to me for reasons you wouldn’t expect. I have photographed four out of five daughters of this particular family and this story is about the fourth daughter. After a bunch of weddings with the same family you really do become their friends and get to know them really well, you literally spend all day with them on one of their most emotional and intimate days. Sadly, during Covid the father of this family had become terminally ill and they needed to expedite their plans so he could walk his daughter down the aisle. There was a sense of joy and sadness, as the father showed clear signs of his illness while proudly shuffling his daughter down the aisle. It really reminded me of the intense responsibility we have as photographers, the weightiness of each photo we take and the fragility of life. The father passed away a few weeks later. Treasure your loved ones and take as many photos of them as you can, you won’t know which photo will be their last. I told you it wouldn’t be what you expected!
In recent years, how have you seen the demand for videography increase?
Absolutely! About 5 years ago every second or third couple would book videography but as it stands today it’s more like 75% of couples booking videography. The fact we provide both services gives us a huge edge on our competitors as it means our couples have one less vendor to deal with while avoiding creative conflicts on the day. There is nothing worse than having a photographer and videographer battle it out as they assert their different creative ideas, our teams are on the same page which makes for a really smooth and fun day!
You recently started a podcast – Making Ends Mead. Tell us the backstory and what you hope this podcast will achieve?
I was gifted a surprise holiday from the government when Covid reared its ugly head (I’m paying for that holiday now with the biggest wedding boom in all history on the horizon) and it allowed me sometime to think… which can be dangerous. For years I’ve been making this stuff called mead. It’s basically honey, and water fermented into alcohol. Traditionally it’s more like a dessert wine, but I had the idea to reduce the alcohol percentage and carbonate my mead so it’s more like a dry refreshing cider. Currently in the USA the modern mead movement is exploding, and I thought it would be a good idea to create Sydney’s first meadery! The podcast has given me a legitimate excuse to chat with the best mead makers around the world as well as tell our story and grow our audience while we undergo the long journey towards our first commercial batch.
Do you have any advice for other people wanting to make podcasts?
Make sure you have a solid pitch and niche for your idea, a few white blokes in their 30’s talking smack in a room doesn’t cut it anymore, you need a story and a half decent production these days. Create a draft episode on your phone and show it to friends before committing and buying gear. Another cheap way to get your feet wet and validate your idea is to use WOTSO’s podcast studio, it’s got everything you need for a world class podcast minus your clever idea.
What led you to WOTSO and choosing to work in a flexi space environment?
It’s a bloody no-brainer decision! Watching other people around me hustle creates a sense of accountability and urgency, I work much harder at WOTSO than at home where my shoes are screaming to be polished. The comradery is really great and it’s a melting pot of talent which you can dip into if you ever need some quick feedback on something out of your skillset. I come to work and it’s clean, there are snacks in the kitchen and beer (soon mead) in the fridge… why the hell wouldn’t you get a desk at WOTSO?
