True Moua - Value Your Self

“It’s hard to build from cheap.”

True Moua has learned quite a bit about business and life, but one of the mains things has been to Value Your Self.

“I was selling from the beginning. I didn’t know any other way.”

1:07 - About True

2:26 - Why Seniors?

3:50 - The Last Four Months

5:44 - True’s Program

7:40 - This is My Wife

9:30 - Pricing Silence

18:59 - Learning the Hard Way

20:32 - We’re the Experts

25:57 - Consistent Marketing

32:29 - A Mother’s Positivity

34:52 - Finding True

“Value yourself and your time.”

True is a creator, educator, and lover of natural light. She’s based in Western Wisconsin and specializes in fine art senior portraits. In addition to photography, she’s a dedicated mother and artist and loves sharing her creativity with fellow industry photographers.

“Beauty comes in every shape and form.”

Lindsay Adler - Lighting the Way

“There was a demand for female speakers that were strong and had a different point of view.”

She’s an Explorer. She’s a Legend. She’s an Icon. And she’s not even 35. Canon Explorer of Light, Lindsay Adler graciously accepted our invitation for a conversation.

“I’ve always been hardwired for business.”

1:18 - No Introduction Needed

7:11 - A Segment of Time

9:30 - A Pioneer

13:08 - Educator and Photographer

18:06 - The Next Decade

21:50 - Tough Choices

25:57 - Bold, Clean, and Graphic

32:12 - Canon

45:08 - Finding Lindsay

“I wanted to teach people in a way that I wish education would’ve existed for me.”

Fashion photographer Lindsay Adler has risen to the top of her industry as both a photographer and educator. Based in New York City, her fashion editorials have appeared in numerous publications including Marie Claire, Numero, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and more. As a photographic educator, she is one of the most sought-after speakers internationally. Lindsay enjoys teaching on the industry’s largest platforms and most prestigious events. She has worked with some of the top brands in the photographic and related industries such as Canon and Adobe. Her client list consists of NBC, Grey, Edelman, Saatchi & Saatchi and more.

A clean, bold, and graphic style has become the hallmark of her work. Lindsay is renowned for her creativity and collaborating with designers and stylists in order to create fresh looks.

Lindsay’s energy and enthusiastic teaching style showcase her excitement to share her passion and knowledge with others, whether it is world-wide through prestigious platforms such as CreativeLive, KelbyOne, and the industry’s largest conferences, or through her video tutorials or her five books.

She is located in Manhattan shooting fashion full time. She is honored to have been named a Canon Explorer of Light as well as a Profoto Legend of Light, and most recently, the Rangefinder Icon of the Year.

“There’s no one path to success.”

Bryan Caporicci - Wandering With Purpose

“What skill set do you have that can make you money?”

Bryan Caporicci talks about making lemonade out of the lemons so many of us have on our plates right now.

“I think this is the big game changer for our industry.”

1:32 - About Bryan

3:20 - Thinning The Herd

6:33 - Wandering With Purpose

18:09 - Contingency Plans

22:23 - Finding Bryan

“There’s so many businesses that are having to pivot.”

Bryan Caporicci is an award-winning wedding and portrait photographer based out of Fonthill, Canada. In 2014, he was awarded his Masters of Photographic Arts (MPA) designation by the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC), making him one of the youngest Canadian photographers to receive this level of achievement.

Bryan is the host of the Business of Photography Podcast with over 2 million downloads. He teaches at workshops across North America, including industry-leading conventions and conferences such as WPPI, Shutterfest and Canada Photo Convention. Bryan is also the CEO and Founder of Sprout Studio.

“What can I do that makes me unique? What other business could I help?”

Nikki Harrison - Making Magic

““When I got into photography I was doing a little bit of everything but I was excelling at nothing.”

After moving to a much smaller market, Nikki Harrison created a business that was profitable and allowed her to continue to embrace her artistry.

“It changed everything for me.”

1:45 - Struggling

8:45 - A Changing Tide

17:43 - Invoking an Emotional Response

21:51 - Limited Availability

25:18 - Metric Concerns

27:02 - The Magic

36:06 - Delivering the Magic

42:15 - Relief

48:36 - Finding Nikki

“It has to be something you are passionate about. It will show.”

Nikki Harrison

Kelowna, BC

Portrait Photographer-Artist

Nikki’s original career was as a Mortgage Professional, owning her own business in Calgary for 12 years.

After the crash of 2008, she was faced with many career change decisions, and during that time of transition, she picked up one of the DSLR’s she received as a lender gift, and starting shooting.

She eventually opened her own studio in Calgary, and later moved to Vancouver, and then settled in Kelowna, BC.

Her business in the interior of BC includes Portrait Art, with a focus on children and women. She does provide family, corporate, commercial and other types of photography as well.

In 2015, Nikki started winning many awards, and enjoyed competing in Photography competitions. She won the bronze medal for the WPC World Photographic Cup 2017 for Portrait.

Nikki has been an educator over the last couple years, teaching all over the U.S. for PPA Associations like Texas School, East Coast School and has hosted her own workshops in Canada and Italy.

Nikki offers a unique “Version” of her clients, with a theme of whimsical, ethereal story telling that is quite compelling and has caught the attention of many photographers world wide.

“I’m always looking for the upside.”

Matthew “The Body” Kemmetmueller - Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

“Volume photography is always like; you figure out the process, and then it’s rinse, wash, repeat.”

Matthew “The Body” Kemmetmueller is hilarious, unpredictable, and he has a great mind for business.

“If you wanna be successful in the world, you tell people what you can do for them.”

1:43 - Relative Conversation

3:58 - Self-Identity

6:07 - Volume Photography

11:55 - One

18:43 - Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

23:42 - Sales…Flipping The Script

29:55 - On The Fence

33:10 - Finding Matthew

“I think that self identity is so important, and I think most people lack that.”

Matthew Kemmetmueller, AKA The Body is the Lead Photographer/Owner of Kemmetmueller Photography based just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Matthew was first introduced to this industry from his father who started Kemmetmueller Photography in 1972. From here Kemmetmueller Photography grew in the metro area to one of the area痴 largest studios photographing hundreds of high school seniors, families, babies, weddings as well as managing a major volume-based sports business.

In 2010 Matthew took full ownership of the studio from his father and began to focus on diversifying the income for the studio and growing it into new directions. With a strong entrance into School Yearbook photography, Matthew has grown Kemmetmueller Photography to one of the Metro’s fastest-growing volume studios.

“You speak what you seek.”

Nick Onken - Internal Happiness

“Play the game. Don’t become the game.”

Nick Onken has reached a level of success and accomplishment that most us only dream of and he’s one of the most down-to-earth, grounded people you’ll ever meet.

“You are enough regardless if the phone rings or not.”

2:02 - About Nick

6:20 - Fast Learning Curve

9:15 - Standing Out

12:02 - Internal Happiness

17:11 - Intentional Action

22:00 - Fire Sale

23:53 - FaceTime Shoots

25:20 - Celebrity Shoots

26:55 - Following Nick

“It’s less to do with standing out and more about how you are to work with.”

Nick Onken is a world renowned photographer, host of NIONradio podcast, and creative entrepreneur devoted to inspiring the world to create their moments.

Nick has photographed personalities such as Justin Bieber, Tom Hanks, and Jessica Alba. He’s been featured in Fast Company, Huffington Post, and MTV. Nick has traveled to over 60 countries and 7 continents and is the author of the travel photography book, PhotoTrekking. He has photographed global campaigns for international brands such as Nike, Coca Cola and Adidas and his work has been published in magazines such as Conde Nast Traveler, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire.

On his podcast, he’s interviewed celebrities such as Usher, Scooter Braun, Donna Karan and many others. He is the founder of the lifestyle brand, NIONlife and has been a featured speaker for Adobe on activating creativity. He also photographs for the charity, Pencils of Promise as he believes that education is the root problem solver of our world.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to your own inner happiness.”

Renee Bowen - Eight Seconds

“Gen Z is the largest population in the world right now.”

Renee Bowen talks about meeting your clients where they are…in this case, Tiktok!

“They (Gen Z) have an eight second attention span.”

2:23 - About Renee

5:33 - The Unconscious

12:30 - TikTok

21:22 - Adjusting Your Mindset

27:02 - Authenticity

30:42 - Vine’s Failures

32:57 - Ever-Changing Platforms

36:33 - Balance

40:44 - More Renee

“You have to know who you’re talking to.”

Renee Bowen is a photographer, educator/mentor, & certified life coach located in the suburbs of Los Angeles where she lives with her actor husband and three now off-to-college kids (plus a few cats … there’s always cats).

Renee specializes in creating unique portrait experiences for high school seniors and brands while emphasizing her clients’ authenticity and uniqueness. Whether she is shooting a celebrity, a blogger or an all American high school teen, her style is editorial - infusing movement and energy with a polished finish. In 2019, Renee started a podcast for and about Gen Z called Where Are You Now? with the intention of telling their stories on a deeper level and giving senior photographers another opportunity to feature their clients.

She offers coaching and various online courses to photographers who want to get their businesses to the next level - always with a focus on Gen Z. Renee is passionate about teaching them how to save time and money while creating a business that not only feeds their families but also their souls, through deeper connections with their clients. Her free Facebook group is a positive community of like-minded senior photographers who are not only interested in scaling their businesses but also their mindset.

“Provide value. Be authentic.”

Dorie Howell and Rachael Boer - Converted

“So much money is left on the table simply because people don’t ask.”

Dorie Howell and Rachael Boer share their IPS conversion stories as well as tips and tricks to help you avoid leaving money on the table.

“Once you step outside one box there’s another box waiting for you.”

1:50 - Represent

4:58 - IPS Masterminds

6:55 - Are you happy with that?

9:46 - Approach

13:39 - Knowing Your Worth

20:13 - Bogged Down

22:44 - A Conversion Story

28:10 - Relating Past to Present

31:19 - What is different from ten years ago?

36:52 - Products…Keep It Simple

39:24 - You Are The Boss

41:59 - Plug It

“We’ve both personally have made that switch.”

Dorie Howell and Rachael Boer own separate portrait studios in Reston, VA, and Memphis, TN. It is their vision that all photograph over 19 years of studio experience between them, they saw a need in the industry for education taught by working photographers providing solid, real-world examples of how to market, brand, and sell their services. So in 2015, they created the online education platform IPS Mastermind. Their Facebook community has grown to over 63,000 photographers. Dorie and Rachael are nationally sought-after speakers and teachers and have helped thousands of photographers transform their businesses and their lives.

“Every time you say yes to a client, you’re saying no to your family.”

Benjamin Edwards - Raw

“I’m a storyteller.”

Benjamin Edwards opens up about where he’s been, where he’s at, and where he wants to be.

“Who we are is not what we do.”

1:55 - Feeling Raw

4:41 - More Than a Photographer

5:57 - Technological Advancements

10:28 - Where is the meaning?

11:55 - Followers

15:45 - Identity

16:01 - What’s changed?

19:22 - Avoiding Regret

22:38 - Benjamin’s Wife

24:37 - An Encouraging Word

“I don’t draw my identity from this business.”

Benjamin Edwards is a wedding, portrait, and humanitarian photographer based out of Bend, Oregon.

Whether documenting a bride’s perfect day, the dangers of female genital mutilation in Uganda, or the crisis in the Congo, Benjamin relies on his Faith, caffeine and love of his craft to ensure the image is captured.

Benjamin was featured in Photo District News magazine in Sept. 2009 as a “Photographer Making A Difference,” and won a Hollywood Film Festival award in 2009 for a short film he directed to raise awareness calling for the halt to conflict mining in the DRC.

In May of 2011, Benjamin was featured on Framed, an inspirational and educational web based series for photographers. The episode revolved around Benjamin’s passions, fears and hope for his photography.

More recently, Benjamin has written the third edition of Nikon: Creative Lighting System Digital Field Guide for Wiley Publishing. Benjamin co-founded Workshops With Purpose, a workshop dedicated to teaching storytellers how to story-tell in an ethical way for NGO’s. Benjamin has also launched his own domestic workshops series, Story + Light.

“It’s been great to know what I don’t want to go back to.”

David duChemin - The Point and the Key

“Gear is good, vision is better.”

David duChemin is a sincere artist who continues to work on his process and his craft.

“So much of photography is improvised but that doesn’t mean it’s unintentional.”

1:31 - About David

5:52 - A Deep Thinker

9:15 - Experience

15:50 - Writing

18:35 - What’s the point?

22:32 - A Jolt of Perspective

25:33 - What does the world need?

30:14 - Finding David

“I’m much more interested in photographs that pull me in.”

David duChemin is a world & humanitarian assignment photographer, best-selling author, and international workshop leader whose adventurous life fuels his fire to create and share. Based in Victoria, Canada, when he’s home, David leads a nomadic life chasing compelling images on all 7 continents. When on assignment David creates powerful images that convey the hope and dignity of children, the vulnerable and the oppressed for the international NGO community. When creating the art he so passionately shares, David strives to capture the beauty of the natural world.

David’s travel has taken him through winters in Russia and Mongolia, a summer on the Amazon, spending time among nomads in the Indian Himalayan and remote Northern Kenya. He’s done assignment work in Ecuador, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Ethiopia, Malawi, DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Bangladesh, among others, and pursued personal work in places like Iceland, Antarctica, Tunisia, Cuba, Vietnam, Kenya, and Italy. Drawing on a previous career in comedy, David is a dynamic and engaging itinerant presenter and educator. A driven artist, creative professional, entrepreneur and life-long adventurer, David educates and inspires through stunning visuals and hilarious travel stories, and insights, from a life spent outside and abroad.

“You are the key to telling stories that only you can tell.”

Ben Hartley - The When

“There was this ego portion of me that I really had to kill.”

Our conversations regarding current events continue. Here is the video Ben mentions at the beginning of our conversation.

“The killing of our ego is an internally violent process.”

0:00 - Different Realities

8:49 - The Individual

13:01 - Leaving The Box

16:41 - Grouping Individuals

20:45 - Why are we now seeing differently?

25:40 - Connectivity & Exposure

27:35 - Defensive

38:48 - Timing

43:45 - Seeing Differently

46:22 - Dying Before You Die

53:11 - My Business is My Personal Life

“The individual is bringing change.”

Ben Hartley will help you get out of your own way and design the life you want to live (without wasting years of your life trying).

Ben is founder of Style & Story based in Columbus, OH and named one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the Country in 2017. Ben is the host of the weekly Six Figure Photography Podcast to help inspire, empower & challenge photographers towards creating a life of abundance in joy, meaning & profits.

“I’m committed to working it out.”

Matthew Jordan Smith - A Lot to Say

“I have a lot to say right now”

Matthew Jordan Smith is the type of person that is really well known and really well loved. Those two things don’t always go together but they certainly do with him. And for good reason. Initially, I was planning on speaking with Matthew about marketing and branding. I had a few questions I wanted to ask him about Oprah and Aretha as well. Then, as the day for our interview approached, things changed. In a way, it feels like everything has changed. And when it came time to speak with Matthew, I just decided to listen.

“Have conversations. Real conversations. They may not be easy. As a matter of fact they won’t be easy.”

0:00 - A Changing World

2:57 - Reaping What You Sow

7:09 - An Oppressive Environment

15:40 - Education is Powerful

18:46 - Empathy + The Golden Rule

23:09 - Can you change someone?

28:13 - The Fog

32:54 - Open Conversations

“Education is powerful. Period.”

Matthew Jordan Smith is an American photographer known for his portraits of celebrities, actors and models. He is a Nikon Ambassador, and part of the SanDisk Extreme photography team. His commercial photography clients include Pantene, Revlon, and Olay to name a few, and he has appeared on several TV shows including America’s Next Top Model.

Matthew’s love of photography reaches far beyond his commissioned work and has inspired several books. His first book Sepia Dreams, published by St. Martin’s Press, is a collection of photographs and wise words from fifty celebrities of color who speak candidly about the motivations and qualities they believe made and kept them successful. His second book Lost and Found, sponsored by the Microsoft Corporation and endorsed by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, features moving portraits of families dealing with the loss of a child. Smith’s third book, Future American President, features portraits of 100 children dreaming big. Smith is currently producing his fourth book featuring images of his long-time client and friend, Aretha Franklin.

Matthew has taught at the prestigious School of Visual Arts, the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops and the Eddie Adams Workshop. He is the recipient of several awards and honors including the Microsoft Icon of Imaging Award, the George Eastman Power of Image Award and the WPPI Vision Award. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Smith now lives in Japan, working between New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.

“I think the thing that we all have to get past is being quiet.”

Meredith Kestel - Essential

“I’m a big advocate for community over competition.”

The word essential has been used quite a bit lately. Meredith Kestel embodies it’s meaning perfectly.

“I love the midwest life.”

1:34 - About Meredith

3:05 - Being an Employee

6:05 - Handling Sales

7:17 - Current Workflow

9:57 - Advice to Other Employers

12:44 - How do you find a Meredith?

15:27 - Post Pandemic

19:38 - Community Over Competition

20:44 - Staying Positive

22:47 - Social Media

26:51 - Working Through Disagreements

29:14 - An Old Soul

31:03 - Finding Midwest LifeShots Photography

“From the beginning I’ve been dedicated to the company.”

Meredith Kestel: Branch Manager and Lead Photographer of MLSP Des Moines, this girl does it all. When Meredith was a little girl, she used to pose her stuffed animals for photos with her disposable camera, now she does the same thing, just with a better camera and real people.

Scott & Jen Elder: Owners of Midwest LifeShots Photography, and resident Husband & Wife team. These two love all things coffee, Netflix and Jesus. As wedding photographers for 10 years they are the best at what they do.

“My wedding day ends when I finish the story.”

Bruce Dorn - The Director

“Mechanical things…(I’m) all about ‘em.”

Bruce Dorn is one of the living legends of photography. He’s “been there and done that” many times over.

“I’m a professional adventurer.”

1:32 - Gearhead

5:20- About Bruce

8:54 - A Good Ten Years

11:56 - Being Discovered

15:06 - What’s a terrible thing?

18:34 - A Unique Skillset

24:22 - When The Road Diverges

27:52 - Navigating A Set

29:04 - A Vivid Dream

30:51 - What do you want to happen?

34:29 - Mentoring

38:28 - Finding Bruce

“There’s a million things were I was just this close to something spectacularly good or spectacularly bad.”

Bruce Dorn is a professional writer, photographer, director, and cinematographer. Widely recognized for his deep experience in the visual arts, Bruce is a Canon Explorer of Light, WD Creative Master, Corel Painter Master, FJ Westcott Top Pro, ARRI Ambassador, and a 35 year member of the Director’s Guild of America.

Bruce began his career in fashion and advertising in 1973 and has won gold medals in all the major advertising competitions worldwide. Highlights include Mobius, Clio, and Emmy awards, the Kodak Innovator Award, and a Bronze Lion from the Cannes Commercial Film Festival. Bruce’s client list is a “who’s who” of Fortune 500 and international clients.

Based in Prescott, Arizona, Bruce is also an adventure writer and the Senior Photographer for “The Overland Journal”.

“I start with a concept and I can generally see an image in my mind’s eye and I go grab it.”

John Gress - Creating YouTube Content

“I started off like, winging it.”

Chicago photographer John Gress shares some insight into what life is like for him, and how he’s using this time to put himself out there on YouTube.

“I’m inclined to be more thorough about things in general.”

1:36 - What is Life Like Right Now?

4:18 - Who, What, Where

5:42 - Getting Sick

7:47 - Creating YouTube Content

12:36 - Challenges in Creating YouTube Content

15:57 - Goals with YouTube

19:16 - Putting Yourself Out There

22:06 - The Little Things

24:10 - Final Thoughts

“I’m just hoping that I can connect with more people and make it so that more people can connect with me.”

For over 20 years, Chicago photographer & director John Gress has created stunning photography and videos for some of America’s largest companies and international media outlets. His work has included national lifestyle advertising, portraits and videos for the beauty industry and action photography of professional athletes. Professional Photographer Magazine called Gress “one of the nation’s foremost experts on lighting.”

His unique resume has allowed him to develop a dynamic style that produces striking visuals whether they are produced in the real world or in his Chicago, Illinois studio. As a commercial photographer, Gress has worked on advertising and public relations campaigns for many Fortune 500 companies. His clients and marketed brands have included Airborne, Avon, Ben & Jerry’s, Best Buy, Burger King, Chrysler, Cialis, Clairol, Dodge, ESPN, Hyatt Hotels, Hershey, Hyundai, Lexus, Lufthansa, Mattel, Merck, Microsoft, Midas, Miller Coors, Nabisco, Nike, Ocean Spray, Reebok, S.C. Johnson, and Sam Adams. Film and video clients have included Hyatt Hotels, Namaste Laboratories, Napa Auto Parts, WebMD and NPR.

Chicago Photographer Gress’ work as a photojournalist has appeared in major publications around the world, including Der Spiegel, , Le Monde, Time, The New York Times, The Times of London, The Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated. He has covered almost every major Sports championship in North America and the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 US presidential elections. In 2007, he was named a finalist for the National Press Photographers Association’s The Best of Photojournalism Sports Photojournalist of the Year competition.

Gress’ interest in photography began in his native Oregon when, at age 14, he took his mother’s Vivitar point-and-shoot camera to summer camp. He enrolled in his first photography class during freshman year of high school, and by his senior year was covering major events for the Associated Press. In 2000, he received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Portland State University.

“I respond to every comment for the most part.”

Scott Robert Lim - The Mission and the Trick

“I know when something is going to be good when I start to feel real emotional when I’m writing it.”

Inspired by his Dad, Scott Robert Lim shares his mission and “the trick” for success.

“(My Dad) has been the most influential person in my life.”

1:40 - That Post

4:40 - Dad

7:20 - Credit vs Character

10:18 - That End of the Spectrum

11:51 - Artist vs Influencer

15:32 - One in a Thousand Chance

17:15 - Kobe

18:48 - In Retrospect

20:23 - The Downside

21:51 - Another Level of Help

22:35 - Finding Scott

24:44 - One Last Question

“Photographers would rather be popular than actually make money with photography.”

Internationally acclaimed, master photographer, Scott Robert Lim (Photog Cr, AOPA) was award the prestigious 2009 Kodak Award and was inducted into WPPI’s Society of Excellence and has earned an Accolade of Outstanding Photographic Achievement. He also has earned his Photographic Craftsman degree from PPA, the world’s largest professional photography organization and is considered a leader in education. To his credit, he has more than 70 international awards of excellence. His work has been published in books and magazines distributed to millions of readers internationally and he has taught and mentored many professional photographers around the world. Scott is a popular international wedding photographer and speaker with an exciting and inspirational style.

“A book can’t evaluate your work.”

Dane Sanders - Uncertain Times

“How can you get ready for the unpredictable, unforeseen realities that show up?”

Dane Sanders and I chat about habits, training, self-awareness, and what it is that we can be learning about ourselves during these uncertain times.

“I have capacities that I didn’t have when I was younger because I went through things.”

1:26 - A Reveal Moment

6:17 - Pride & Generosity

8:10 - Habits

10:13 - Finite Training

12:42 - Neutrality

16:32 - Self-Awareness & Shame

22:24 - Message for People Right Now

“I don’t play to win, I play so that I’m in a position where I can keep playing.”

After studying business as an undergrad and philosophy in grad school, Dane Sanders taught leadership and character development at Westmont College. On the side, he began a photography business, shot professionally for about 12 years and authored two books for photographers looking to make a living when everyone already has a camera. Seth Godin called his writing, “a precious gift”. As the CEO of tellmeyourdreams.com, Dane now teaches, writes, consults and coaches on the business of creativity. He lives with his wife and kids in Newport Beach, California and online at danesanders.com.

“Who we’re becoming is so critical…and we never stop becoming.”

Gary Hughes and Booray Perry - In All Seriousness

“Nobody puts Booray in a corner.”

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Gary Hughes and Booray Perry from the highly acclaimed Photobomb Podcast.

“You only have so much time in your life for podcasts.”

2:01 - The Golden Goose

5:23 - That’s Where You’re Wrong

10:51 - Move Along

15:02 - The Way Things Are

17:10 - An Advocate for the Devil

19:47 - Text, Email, Messenger

22:20 - Irrational Fears

27:52 - The Pacifier Thief

29:35 - This is Not Your Podcast

35:22 - Seriously Serious

40:29 - A Changed Mind

44:21 - Encouraging Others

47:40 - Alright Oprah

53:03 - Problems and Relativity

55:51 - Signing Off

“It is 100% easier not to do stuff than to do stuff.”

Gary Hughes is a photographer, author, and educator from the Orlando, FL area. For more than a decade, Gary and his wife Julie have run Hughes Fioretti Photography, specializing in commercial portraiture for executives, actors, and models. He has published articles for Canon, SLR Lounge, Shutter Magazine, Professional Photographer Magazine, and the Huffington Post. He holds the degree of Master Photographer and 4 time Gold Medalist at the International Photographic Competition. Even though all of that sounds pretty cool, he is most proud of being a dad to three amazing girls and one day hopes to go vegan. Just kidding, bacon is awesome.

Booray Perry wasn’t always a professional photographer. He spent 20 years as a radio personality, entertaining people worldwide on satellite radio while performing weekends as a comedian in Dallas, TX. After retiring from radio, he launched Booray Perry Photography (he had a darkroom when he was 14 years old). Now he lives and works in Tampa, FL shooting everything under the sun from headshots to weddings and Bar Mitzvahs.

In addition to being a full-time portrait and event photographer, Booray also travels and teaches at workshops and conventions every year like Imaging USA and WPPI. He hosts “Imaging USA LIVE” during Imaging USA and was host of “ICP LIVE” during the International Photographic Competition for 4 years. He is co-host of a popular photography podcast, “Photobomb,” available wherever podcasts are found.

He is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP), Photography Craftsman, Master Photographer, PPA Councilor, husband and father of two wonderful girls.

“The worst thing in the world is to do something you don’t like doing and have it fail.”

Tom and Mario Muñoz - Love and Legacy

“Every family is unique.”

Tom and Mario Muñoz operate a successful 4th generation photography business together. They know how to take care of the ones they love, and they aren’t afraid to take action when they need to…in business, and in life.

“You show your strength when you show your heart.”

2:08 - Mind, Body, Soul

6:22 - Handling Disputes

10:16 - Legacy

12:05 - Robert

14:22 - Unity and Strength

17:54 - Mario’s Story

23:30 - Full Circle

25:28 - Making a Difference

28:41 - Taking Action

31:37 - Finding the Boys

“I don’t believe that there are problems in life. I believe that there are events.”

Tom Muñoz is known as a master in camera artistry. His love for the camera, natural ability, and keen eye for detail are literally in his blood. The 4th generation award-winning wedding photographer spent his childhood watching his father capture life’s special moments. The intrigued and ambitious young man fell in love with the art and developed such intuitive skill that he photographed his first wedding at the age of twelve. Fast forward over two decades later, and he has become one of South Florida’s renowned and well-respected photographers. The certified professional photographer carries a master’s degree in Photography and has attained multiple awards and many prestigious accolades thus far during his career. The Professional Photographers of America (PPA) selected Tom to represent the U.S. in the first Photographic World Cup where he won a bronze medal. He has also earned the Master Photographers Certified Professional Photographers (CPP) Image Excellence Award (three times), and the Diamond Photographer of the Year (multiple times). Additionally, he was the youngest member inducted into the Camera Craftsman of America. When he’s not behind the lens, he is a regularly sponsored speaker for Kodak, Canon, and the Mac Group. In a time with so much technology many new photographers rely on graphic design software such as Photoshop to make their images look just right, but not Tom. His signature technique makes images look exceptional the moment he captures them. This craftsmanship is what sets Muñoz Photography apart from the rest. Muñoz Photography, which began in 1909, is one of the oldest and largest family-owned and operated portrait wedding studios in the United States. Tom and his talented family and partners shoot over 300 events a year. Regardless if the team travels around the corner, around the country, or around the globe, their approach is timeless.

After graduating from Florida State University with a double major in Finance and Entrepreneurship, Mario Muñoz went on to earn his Photographic Masters and Imaging Excellence Degree. Being a fourth generation photographer, Mario along with his brothers currently run one of the largest photographic studios in the country, photographing nearly 300 high end events each year including countless destination wedding all over the world. In addition to several Wedding Album & Wedding Image 1st Place wins at the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) International Print Competition, he current has also received the coveted title of Diamond Photographer Of the Year again in 2020 and will be representing the United States for a second time in the World Photographic Cup later this year in Rome, Italy. craft from his father, who learned from his father before him, he relishes in the the dynamics of the family business and believes that photography is way more than just capturing images with a technical skill set. It’s about evoking emotion and eliciting his clients’ genuine personality for each and every photo. In his spare time, Mario loves traveling the world and enjoying time at home with his beautiful wife and two daughters.

“You can’t think yourself into acting differently. But you can most definitely act yourself into thinking differently.”

Phillip and Eileen Blume - Celebrate Life

“We have a vision for our business that ties into our family and our relationships about celebrating life.”

Phillip and Eileen Blume are different. In this episode we unpack the how’s and the why’s of that.

“Any one of us can lose perspective at times.”

2:11 - Meaning and Motivation

6:24 - Life Happens

7:41 - The Turning Point

11:09 - Tragic to Beautiful

14:53 - The Limelight and the Filter

18:06 - The Learning Process

22:39 - Tripwires and Tethers

24:54 - Extreme Perfectionism

28:04 - Eileen’s Perspective

30:22 - The One Big Thing

32:10 - Confidence

36:01 - For The Children

44:30 - Encouragement

47:25 - Noise

50:17 - Finding the Blumes

“We want things to be whole.”

Phillip & Eileen Blume are award-winning photographers who believe artists can change the world. As owners of multiple studios that specialize in weddings and portraits, the Blumes seek to celebrate life and heal brokenness through humanitarian projects. They’ve appeared on CreativeLIVE, shared their inspiring vision for meaningful photography on the TEDx stage, and are the founders of ComeUnity Photographer education groups. As frequent contributors to top photographic publications and industry events, the Blumes travel the world from their home in rural Georgia, where they homeschool their children and enjoy spontaneous dance parties.

“We’re going to pursue life.”

Parker Pfister and Elizabeth Alina - Living the Why

“We both teach the creative process.”

Parker Pfister and his partner Elizabeth Alina live their lives on their own terms. They practice what they preach and aspire to show others how to live their “why”.

“I think as an artist you move past the point of making other people happy.”

2:04 - The Cellist

5:13 - A Sprinkling

8:26 - No Less Than 95%

11:09 - Making vs Taking

18:18 - The Mexican Fisherman

23:27 - Doubt and Choice

30:52 - Goals vs Vision

36:48 - The Big Ones

41:36 - Workshops

47:32 - Where to Find Information

“The camera gets in the way of the photographer and the photographer gets in the way of the artist.”

Parker Pfister is an artist, a teacher and a mentor. He creates stories using photography and film as his translators. He is an avant-garde director of photography and photographer based out of Asheville, NC, and traveling often. His capacity to not only navigate and embrace any given situation, but to own it and make it speak is what distinguishes him from others. Parker has been a creative process educator for 19 years and photographing for over 35 years. His work has shown in Paris, Mexico City, Rome, Bangkok, and, most recently, Bologna, Italy.

Elizabeth Dankoski Alina is a writer, TEDx speaker, and the founder of The Dream School Project, a mentoring program for high school students. She originally began in the college consulting realm, where she helped students express their unique stories on their applications. As she moved deeper into her work, however, she became intrigued with helping her students understand what truly lights them up and what problems they want to solve. This interest plunged her deep into studying and teaching the creative process. As a result, she has helped her students develop a newfound sense of joy and purpose in their gifts. Elizabeth is deep into writing a literary memoir and has now partnered with Parker to share her passion for teaching the creative process and helping others bring their unique artistry to the world.

“My goal is to be a feather that never hits the ground.”

Brooke Shaden - What is Weird?

“I think that weird is attracted to weird.”

Brooke Shaden is weird. Isn’t that wonderful?

“I do a lot of things that are controversial in a lot of ways.”

1:42 - Weird is Attracted to Weird

5:41 - The War Against Apathy

11:36 - Analytics and Emotions

15:13 - Always Be Creating

17:21 - Darkness

18:41 - Selling Out

24:35 - The Fine Art World

26:08 - Creativity in Business

27:56 - Masks and Identity

33:21 - Taking the Mask Off

34:47 - Grieving and Becoming

38:23 - Joy

40:53 - Handling Inevitability

44:37 - No More to Learn

46:03 - A Bit of a Formal Way

“I want to make people feel strongly.”

Brooke Shaden is a conceptual fine art photographer specializing in self-portraiture. After graduating college with degrees in film and English, she turned to photography to tell the stories she always wanted to let loose. Photography provided a medium that was faster than film with the richness of story that writing had, and she built a career from those passions. Her work has received awards for it’s cohesion and storytelling abilities. Many of the images are dark yet timeless and whimsical, creating a sometimes disturbing yet beautiful montage of worlds that people feel connected to. Shaden’s work reminds us that there is dark and light inside us all, and that element has allowed for openness and sharing of the ideology behind the works, garnering more than one million followers online. When not creating personal work, Brooke is a dedicated philanthropist, teaching self-expression workshops for survivors of human trafficking. She has also started photography schools for the same community in India and Thailand. Brooke lives in a small mountain town with her husband and kitties.

“I am just as creative when I’m writing a proposal for a grant as I am when I’m making art.”

Josh Hanna - Choose Your Own Destiny

“It’s hard for me to connect with a stranger.”

Josh Hanna is a man of faith and integrity. He generally knows what needs to be done and believes that, for the most part, it’s up to him to do it.

“I was always drawn to art forms.”

1:24 - The Concept and the Beauty

5:50 - Choose Your Own Destiny

10:31 - From That to Who You Are Now

15:53 - Topless Ladder

18:19 - The Healthy Space

20:56 - The Control Piece

27:52 - The Future

31:55 - Merely Paper vs Essence

35:14 - Painters

37:17 - So Many Angels

40:13 - More Than Photography

46:45 - More Info

“I don’t ever want to feel like it’s good enough.”

Josh Hanna’s Bio: Christian. Husband. Father. Artist. Photographer. Photoshopper. Teacher. SciFi Geek. Wannabe Musician.

“To me, value isn’t a dollar sign.”

Joel Grimes - The 90 and the 10

“I am not driven by being the center of attention.”

Joel Grimes was told the dire statistics regarding a career as a photographic creative, and he thought those terrible odds sounded pretty good.

“It’s the picture on the wall that’s the greatest single thrill for me…seeing my picture on the wall.”

1:59 - A History of Work

3:49 - Driven

9:20 - What’s Missing

11:46 - The Biggest Misconception

18:36 - The Beauty of It

20:21 - It Can Be Learned

25:05 - The Secret and the Sacrifice

30:57 - More Than Just Photography

32:28 - Dean Collins and the 5%

34:54 - Finding Joel and Classes

“You gotta learn how to market.”

In 1984 Joel graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Photography and soon established a commercial studio working out of Denver Colorado.

For over 35 years Joel has worked for many of the top advertising agencies and corporations across the globe for clients such as AARP, AES, Abbott Labs, Archer Daniels Midland, Arizona Office of Tourism, AT&T, Broncos, Comcast, Febreze, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett Packard, Hyatt, Kodak, Nikon, Pentax, Phillips 66, Philip Morris, Procter & Gamble, Pfizer, Qwest, Sony, Sturm Ruger & Co, United Global, USA Boxing, Visa, Volvo, Xcel Energy, and most recently Red Bull. Over the years his assignments have taken him to every state across the USA and to over fifty countries around the globe.

In 1990 Joel produced his first coffee table book, ‘Navajo, Portrait of a Nation’ which received a number of photographic and design awards and produce an eighteen-month solo exhibit at the Smithsonian American History museum.

Driven by the creative process, Joel views himself as an illusionist, creating portraits larger than life. “There is no face on the planet that is the same, and my vision as an artist is to capture that individual uniqueness through the creative photographic process.”

Joel is also an ambassador for this process by teaching workshops and lectures across the country. “I feel that by being an open book with my process I have an opportunity to inspire others to follow their dreams and passions to create”.

Joel currently works out of Phoenix, Arizona.

“Talent is so overrated.”