Today's episode features a discussion with Matt Sullivan ( @formerlyhomelessphotographer ), an amphibious photographer with scroll stopping and truly unique images. In his early 20's, Matt made a bold decision to live out of his car in L.A in an effort to reduce his living expenses so that he could afford to travel and visit the places he wanted to with his camera instead of sinking his money on rent. In this episode some, but not all, of the topics we talk about are: Not building your life base...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 164
Today's episode is with returning guest Neil Dankoff. In this episode Neil reveals exciting news about the launch of his 2023 photography competition in partnership with VIEWBUG. The prizes are awesome and Aaron and Seth are on the judging panel for the competition. Aside from promoting the competition, we touch on many topics in this episode such as: Celebrating honest and transparent publishing of images as AI begins to churn out incredible fakes Camaraderie vs competitiveness in the photograp...
May 26, 2023•56 min•Ep. 163
Today's episode talks about but isn't limited to these topics: Should social media a priority if you already have opportunities that you've generated? Do you need to be fully committed and persistent to grow online? Is there a middle ground or none at all? Adding accolades to your bio and improving your social credit with people checking out your page Is success growing your audience or striving for artistic mastery? If you're tuning in on Spotify , there is an exciting feature that allows you t...
May 19, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 162
Today's episode features a discussion with Eden Hazan ( @thereelcoach ), a social media coach, entrepreneur, and content strategist for influencers, big brands, and creators. He helps individuals and entities develop successful social media plans so that they can grow their audience in an authentic and meaningful way. In this episode some of the things we touch on are: Stop trying to go "viral" in order to grow your online presence How to become committed to your social media strategy for long t...
May 12, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 161
In today's episode we discuss these topics which were requested by listeners: Performance anxiety vs debilitating anxiety; how channeling the former helps you execute better The bell curve relation of expensive gear and final image quality Charging more but landing less clients as a way to increase net income Thoughts around signing our work; canvas vs. fine art prints If you're tuning in on Spotify , there is an exciting feature that allows you to actively engage with us. Share your thoughts, o...
May 05, 2023•56 min•Ep. 160
Today's episode Aaron and Seth reconnect after Aaron's trip with his son out west. He describes it as "the best 7 consecutive days of his life". We find out why that is and hear all about his itinerary. Feel free to ask him for it after listening! We also discUss in this episode: Slowing down to go faster (be more productive) Minimizing distractions and working linearly How reducing excess choice leads to a healthier mind Being less strict with what you post and how you post If you're tuning in ...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 159
Today's episode features a discussion with Chris Pieta (@chris.pieta) , a product photographer and the founder of "Pieta Productions", a company that helps brands stand out online by providing them with authentic and captivating video and photo content. In today's episode, our talk focuses on but isn't limited to: The threats and opportunities with AI and photography Training our brains to treat effort as the reward rather than the result Systemizing and rationally developing our client approach...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 158
Today's episode features a return appearance from a listener favorite Ian Jones (@iansjones) At this point we consider Ian a friend of the show. We chat and speculate about many topics today including but not limited to: Instagram's new Verification rollout and how that will change the space A potential Tik Tok ban The pros & cons of diverse and niche portfolios Having doubts or being self-critical before vs after sharing a post Setting goals that have a 50/50 chance of happening even if you...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 157
In this episode we're joined again on the show by Swedish wildlife photographer/guide living in South Africa, Karolina Norée ( @karolinanoreewild ) . She answers questions from both our audiences and Aaron and I add to the conversation. Some of the topics we touch on are: "Must have" lenses when out in the field The "why" behind sharing photos The importance with being deliberate when shooting Making artistic choices you can stand behind Nikon and Sony camera bodies Thanks to everyone who submit...
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 156
In today's episode we're joined by Rachel Bradley (@small_soy) and Australian photographer, or as we like to call her in this episode, a "visual author". Rachel seemingly can shoot any genre and create scenes that tell a descriptive story. Boudoir, products, engagements, landscapes, Rachel has a gift in her ability to notice moments worth capturing and publishes them in an one-of-a-kind artistic form. In this episode we talk about the difference between imposter syndrome, which can be debilitati...
Mar 31, 2023•53 min•Ep. 155
In today's episode we talk about different ways to get yourself out of creative ruts or slumps as a photographer. We discuss what's worked for us in these moments in hope that our protocols will have the same effect on you when you find yourself in a creative downturn. If you're tuning in on Spotify , there is an exciting feature that allows you to actively engage with us. Share your thoughts, opinions, or questions in the Q&A section, and we'll personally read and publish them. Let's transf...
Mar 24, 2023•41 min•Ep. 154
Today's episode features a discussion with Seattle urban and street photographer Sorin Dean (@sorin.dean) . We chat about the future of AI and photography and whether its quick advancement poses a threat to our livelihood as photographers. We talk about how vertical photographs are becoming endemic and how we need to get back to shooting landscape orientation if it serves our photo or scene better. Sorin discusses how he goes about filming his catchy time-lapses. Lastly, we discuss how important...
Mar 17, 2023•54 min•Ep. 153
Today's episode is a big one! Aaron switched over from Nikon to Sony so now there's one less thing to tease him about (sorry Nikon shooters, we still love you!) So far he has nothing but good things to say about his new camera body. He gets into why he made the switch and his first impressions. We also get how forcing yourself to post everyday or every weekday is a great way to force yourself to spur on creativity and work that muscle. If social media is a burden to you it's also a great challen...
Mar 10, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 152
Today's episode features Adam Coppola (@coppolaphotography) a professional commercial photographer from Connecticut. Aaron has referenced Adam a lot in previous episodes, especially the fact that he is a full blown professional with little focus or attention paid to social media. We highlight this fact so that listeners can zoom out and realize that social media is a tool and not the photography industry as a whole. In this episode Adam shares how to price yourself so that you get paid fairly fo...
Mar 03, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 151
It's official! In the first 10 minutes we announce the dates and location for the 2023 Annual TPM retreat. There will be 7 spots maximum. Message us on our personal Instagram accounts or the podcast Instagram account for us to put your name down as interested. This will keep you in the loop for more nuanced details, who else is interested and final price point as we confirm that number in the next couple of weeks. To put your name down as being interested costs you $0. In today's episode we also...
Feb 24, 2023•56 min•Ep. 150
Today's episode is all about advice we would give to our beginner photographer selves knowing what we know now. We thought it would make for an interesting episode regardless of where your skill level or experience currently lies with photography. Some things we talk about are: Asking of Things from Other People, Not Swinging for the Fences, Going into Relationships to Give, and Avoiding the Pitfalls of Social Media. This will be a two-part series as we were unable to cover everything in this si...
Feb 17, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 149
We're joined in this episode by Canadian photographer Dusty Cressey (@dusty.cressey) . Dusty creates authentic imagery for brands and more specifically hospitality and tourism organizations. Dusty has worked with Travel Alberta, Baffin, and Subaru among others. In this episode we talk about how you can be massively successful as both a part-time or full-time creator. We discuss avoiding glorifying being a "full time content creator" and avoiding undermining generating income in addition to your ...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 148
We're joined in this episode by photographer Aaron King ( @deepsnap ). Aaron was formerly a professional football snapper until a series of bad concussions forced him to retire from sport for the sake of his health. After that he built a multi million dollar company from scratch only to have the pandemic wipe out his business. One of the major themes in this episode and through Aaron's story is resilience, and how to get back up again when life punches you in the mouth. The way Aaron discovered ...
Feb 03, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 147
We're joined in this episode by PNW photographer Melissa Findley ( @melissafindley ). Melissa has over a decade of experience photographing landscapes, people, nature, and wildlife. She has worked with well-known and reputable brands in the industry including Canon, Adorama, Adobe and Nat Geo. Melissa also has and incredible portfolio and expertise in working with tourism and hospitality boards such as Visit Saudi Arabia, the Banff Fairmont Springs, Switzerland Tourism and Tourism Australia. Her...
Jan 27, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 146
In this episode, Aaron and I talk about the indicators we experience that let us know our body's and minds are overworked and need rest. We talk about the the voice inside your head that constantly lies to you, as proven when you accomplish something it said you would never be able to. Furthermore, we discuss the lightbulb moment of discovery when you realize such trickery and ask "what else has this voice conned me into believing I couldn't do?" Finally, we hammer home the concept and equation ...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 145
We're joined in this episode by Icelandic photographer Thrainn Kolbeinsson ( @thrainnko ). He has performed work for Iceland Air, Nissan, and North by 66. In this episode we talk about the spectrum of capturing classic shots vs conceptual or different shots. Thrainn is a recently new dad and we discuss ways to better carve out your time so that photography doesn't fall by the wayside during times where you may have major responsibilities. We eliminate the myth that Instagram performance is the b...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 144
We're joined in this episode by photographer, videographer, and world traveller Lizzie Peirce (@lizziepeirce) . We talk about the importance of viewing ourselves from an objective standpoint rather than a subjective one. Without a doubt this a very difficult thing to do. The more we can work towards seeing ourselves more objectively, and the more people we surround ourselves with that will help us see ourselves that way, the better we will become. Lizzie is a very organized, rationale, and logic...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 143
In this episode we discuss what to expect from the show in 2023. We have a cabin workshop the weekend of April 28th that you definitely will want to attend if you're interested in turning cabin photography into a lucrative source of additional income. We're going to be going over how to complete a successful cabin shoot from pitch to folder delivery based on what's worked in the past for Aaron and I. You'll be able to walk away with a stunning portfolio from one of the most prestigious cabins on...
Dec 30, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 142
In this episode, Aaron and I follow up with last week's episode talking about areas we'd like to double down on and grow stronger in moving forward. To be clear, these aren't resolutions. These are things we've started on recently and are working on now, but that we'd like to hone in on as 2023 progresses. The best time to start anything is now! Thanks to OnCore Golf for being this episode's sponsor! Submit your name and email and be entered to win the entire grand prize of: $300 : One OnCore Le...
Dec 23, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 141
In this episode, Aaron and I reflect on our year and what we learned from our experiences and failures in our photography practice. We're constantly looking in the rearview so we can build a better and more efficient future. Thanks to OnCore Golf for being this episode's sponsor! Submit your name and email and be entered to win the entire grand prize of: $300 : One OnCore Leather Golf Bag $35 : 1 OnCore Fairway/Driver Head Cover $20 : 1 OnCore Towel $25 : 1 OnCore Beer Cooler $150 : 3 Dozen OnCo...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 140
In this episode we take a question from a listener that focuses on the concept of having good shots out of the back of our camera and how much we should really be relying on software to save or make the final image pop. We discuss the ratio of frontend vs. backend work of a photographer and where we think a healthy and realistic balance is. Frontend being filming, photographing, editing, etc. and backend being, creating pitch decks, emailing, networking, etc. We also discuss common emotional res...
Dec 09, 2022•57 min•Ep. 139
Aaron is back after I went solo last week. We like to do at least an episode a month where Aaron and I get some one-on-one time to discuss thoughts we've been having and concepts we've been mulling over to improve our photography practice and overall life. Aaron is interested in starting a photo-book venture so we talk about that and use it as a vehicle to get into deeper discussion about when to trust and not trust our gut feeling. We emphasize the importance of practicing humility and not pret...
Dec 02, 2022•58 min•Ep. 138
In today's episode we talk with Angel Fuchs (@angefuchs) , a landscape and composite photographer living in Switzerland and originally from Sweden. We talk about her start-to-finish process when creating composites images, digital art vs. photography, and the importance of transparency when publishing your composites as such. We dig into WEB3 and cryptocurrencies, and more so how photography can be a vessel to understanding how tokenized assets and blockchain technology works regardless of wheth...
Nov 27, 2022•49 min•Ep. 137
In this episode we're joined by Canadian photographer Justin Choquette (@justin.choquette) who talks about the process and strategic planning that went into trading his 9-5 job as an electrician for being a full time content creator. We get into when that perfect moment to make the transition or "leap of faith" is. More specifically, what boxes should you have ticked off and what criteria allow for that move to make the most sense. We talk about how the landscape of quality education is changing...
Nov 25, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 136
In this episode Aaron and I talk about the guilt potentially associated with wanting something from someone and how "manipulation" has turned into a word that is possibly loaded and negatively biased. Is socially engineering or manipulating an interaction to garner you business wrong? We talk about how having your self interests at heart is required in order for you to successfully pitch and generate opportunity for yourself. In other words, you can't want more for yourself and feel bad aggressi...
Nov 19, 2022•47 min•Ep. 135
