Focused Professional Joe Lenton FSICIP

In this riveting 13th episode of the Focused Professional podcast, our host Joe Lenton interviews professional photography coach, Mark Rossetto. Get ready for a deep dive into marketing, the role of discipline, motivation and supportive community for building a successful photography business. Mark and Joe share their passion for nurturing the potential in photographers and helping them to run their business in a way that suits their personality. They highlight some of the essential structure we all need to have in place, while emphasising the flexibility with which we can work around that. 

Get insights into creating a unique and meaningful brand through consistent, active, and individualised marketing strategies. Mark & Joe offer advice for navigating common pitfalls and connecting with your target audience authentically. Great businesses don’t happen by accident. Photographers need to be willing to put in a lot of hard work to enjoy the benefits of a career in the industry and be wary of the temptation of apparent shortcuts.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to wrestle with what underpins a successful photography business and build your future in the photography industry.

Welcome to the 12th episode of the Focused Professional Podcast. This episode features the brilliant Renée Robyn, known for her world class photography and composite images. With 25+ years of experience in the industry, she has plenty of stories to tell! We explore some of the challenges of working for commercial clients, from pricing to rights management, NDAs, working to a brief and more.

Renee shares her journey towards the publication of her forthcoming book, recognising the importance of getting the right people on board for a great result. We discover how she developed a new product ”15 minutes of Chaos” to adapt to a new market in her current situation and her ongoing search for a new studio to base herself at. 

Hear about Renee’s love for languages and how learning them is both a way for her to de-stress and to keep her brain healthy.  Listen to anecdotes about Canadian politeness, panicked discussions on Photoshop forums because of her cats and those difficult decisions when it comes to pleasing or potentially losing clients. Whether you are a seasoned professional, a photography enthusiast, or just enjoy stories about working in the photography industry, this podcast has it all.

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.

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
 

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

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