Focused Professional
Featuring exclusive interviews with some of the world’s best photographers and other top industry professionals. Discussing photography, motivation, mental health, personality and success in business. Focused Professional is committed to raising standards in professional photography. Hosted by Joe Lenton - qualified Fellow & international Judge & Mentor. Equipping & supporting professional photographers to run their businesses to suit their personality.
Sponsored by The Society of Photographers
Episodes
2 days ago
2 days ago
We begin season 2 of The Focused Professional Podcast with another world class international photographer and educator, Gary Hughes. He is particularly known and in demand for his headshot photography. Gary recently put himself through the adrenaline-inducing ordeal of having his work scrutinised by a panel of 5 judges (one of whom was your host Joe Lenton) to gain his Fellowship qualification with The Society of Photographers. In this episode he starts by sharing how he found the process both terrifying and rewarding. We then delve deep into his experiences of running a photography business that have led to his success today.
Gary isn't afraid of change - on the contrary - he embraces it and uses it to adapt his business and flourish. He takes us through various ways in which we can keep track of the vital signs of our businesses and make decisions about our next steps. For Gary, the path to success isn’t just about financial security, but is driven by ambition and the pursuit of accomplishment, as well as quite simply enjoying time with his family.
There is plenty of useful advice here for both new and more experienced photographers. Gary encourages listeners to guard their creativity by prioritizing commercial viability and reinforces how crucial it is to make swift business decisions rooted in practicality. He encourages entrepreneurs to put processes in place, such as outsourcing certain tasks, that ultimately make for a more balanced and enjoyable workspace.
From selecting the right work to prioritizing your own well-being, this episode presses the need for business acumen among creative individuals. As Gary shares his journey of successful transition from generalist to a specific genre photographer, he reiterates the power of a strong value proposition and choosing the "right people." Through real-world examples and personal anecdotes, Gary challenges popular ideas and provides an honest and realistic roadmap for building a fulfilling, self-sustaining creative enterprise. It is a must-listen for emerging photographers looking to navigate this ever evolving, fast-paced industry with an innovative and persevering mindset.
All images © Gary Hughes (used here with permission)
See more examples of his headshot, commercial and other photography on Gary's website
Gary on Instagram
Text & audio © Focused Professional, 2024
This episode is sponsored by The Society of Photographers
Monday Mar 25, 2024
Fine Art Portraits & Photography Training with Martina Wärenfeld
Monday Mar 25, 2024
Monday Mar 25, 2024
In episode 10 of the Focused Professional Podcast, we dive into the world of fine art portraiture and photography training with renowned photographer and teacher, Martina Wärenfeld. This world class artist shares her varied experiences from recent surprise successes in Vegas to the reality of being a professional in a changing economic climate.
Martina shares how her approach to competitions has changed, using them in different ways as part of her career strategy. She speaks openly and honestly about her struggles, whether that is understanding the apparent whims of social media advertising or remembering the right technical terms when teaching! Martina dispels the myth of the "perfect expert", showing us instead that all of us are always learning and evolving. Together, we explore the importance of understanding your own personality for developing a photography business.
Join us in this journey of learning, growing, and gaining inspiration to develop a photographic style and solid business. It's a fantastic blend of artistry, resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, and humorous anecdotes intended to fuel continual learning, development, and passion in photography
Some of Martina's images:
Visit Martina's Website for Fine Art Portraiture & Teaching
If you would like to keep up to date with the latest images and news from Martina then please follow her on Instagram
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Kris Anderson - Special Guest - Focused Professional Podcast Episode 9
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Monday Mar 18, 2024
In Episode 9 of the Focused Professional Podcast, we have an exclusive interview with special guest, Kris Anderson. A double master from Icon and recent winner of the in camera division at the Icon awards, Kris shares his passion for creating impactful images and visual storytelling. We discuss a range of topics from dealing with imposter syndrome and learning from failures, to exploring unorthodox photographic techniques and working towards a Fellowship panel.
Plus, get a sneak peek into Kris's personal life, his move from Canada to Australia, and his love for snow!
The image that won the in camera division at Icon:
One of Kris' most well known composites:
An example of Kris' storytelling through images:
See more of Kris' images on the Images By Anderson website
Or follow him on Instagram to keep up with his latest work
Kris Anderson is a Double Master with Icon International Photography Awards, a Fellow with The Society of Photographers, an NZIPP Master with Distinction and has won numerous awards on the international stage for his outstanding images.
He is also now famous for the 2 word phrase at the end of his behind the scenes video
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Terrie Jones - Special Guest - Focused Professional Podcast Episode 8
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Our special guest for this episode is Terrie Jones, Head of Judging & Personal Development Manager at The Society of Photographers. As you will hear, Terrie has a strong passion for helping photographers with self-development. She is always looking to improve how things are done and explains one example of this - why the scoring system was recently updated for the 20x16 print competition. Find out how pets help her and her family live more healthily and get a teaser of one of her latest goals.
The Societies of Photographers website
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Steffi Blochwitz - Special Guest - Focused Professional Podcast Episode 7
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Swiss wedding photographer Steffi Blochwitz joins us in this episode to talk about photography, self-image, her cats and more. She recently won the 20x16 Print Wedding - Open Photographer of the Year & the Wedding - Couple Together Photographer of the Year titles with The Societies of Photographers. Here she is with her cat "Nuts"!
Some Examples of Steffi's work:
Follow Steffi on Instagram
Visit Steffi's website
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Neil Shearer - Special Guest - Focused Professional Podcast Episode 6
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Special guest Neil Shearer shares his story and also his thoughts on creativity, CGI, AI, and more. Neil is a qualified Fellow (IFSWPP) and recently won the 20x16 Print Advertising & Commercial Photographer of the Year title.
Images ©Neil Shearer, 2024
See more of Neil's commercial photography and personal work
You can also keep up to date with his latest projects by following Neil on Instagram
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Hanna Neret - Special Guest - Focused Professional Podcast Episode 5
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Hanna Neret, the creative trophy-collecting genius from Sweden joins us in this episode. Her images have won numerous accolades including the 2022 Societies Photographer of the Year. She gives us an insight into how she creates her masterpieces and what motivates her.
Images ©Hanna Neret. See more of her work on Hanna's Instagram
Saturday Feb 10, 2024
Scott Johnson - Special Guest - Focused Professional Podcast Episode 4
Saturday Feb 10, 2024
Saturday Feb 10, 2024
FSWPP Master Photographer Scott Johnson joins us to share what motivates him in his photography. Famous for his world class wedding photography, Scott is also diversifying both for his business and personal enjoyment. Enjoy his amusing anecdotes and find out what Scott couldn't do without if he is to remain a nice guy!
See more of Scott's work at The Edge website
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Connecting Motivation & Goals - Focused Professional Podcast Episode 3
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Why set goals? How should we choose them in the first place? Motivation comes from our needs. Having more of our needs met leads to a greater sense of satisfaction. Setting goals based on our motivators and needs helps to ensure that we are aiming for something that has genuine purpose and meaning for us. It can also make persevering through difficulties that much easier. This episode of the Focused Professional Podcast looks in detail about the role that goals can play for us.
Sunday Jan 14, 2024
Sunday Jan 14, 2024
Does your business suit your personality? As professional photographers we are essentially our brand. So, if we keep trying to do things that don't work for our personality then there is a good chance that people will notice some dissonance in our brand. By understanding ourselves better we can find ways of doing activities such as marketing in ways that are more natural for us. This not only makes it easier for us, it also means that our prospective clients will see a more authentic brand.
An International Network
As well as having great guests from many different countries we also have listeners from around the world. Are you a listener and your country hasn't been listed yet? Please do let us know! We also have an international community in our Facebook Group for professional photographers (you need to be a professional photographer and commit to our group values to join).
Focused Professional
Helping professional photographers to build a successful photography business that suits their personality. Use our free resources including articles, book reviews, downloads and more to inspire and help you.
Personal mentoring and coaching available from a qualified international photography judge with 25+ years experience in developing individuals. Also bringing digital marketing and SEO expertise along with an understanding of psychology and personality.