Emotional Storytelling with Twyla Jones

Transcription and full show notes available at emotionalstorytelling.com   "Maybe you're shooting manual on your digital camera, but if you shot with a film camera, would you really know how to shoot in manual?" Who out there has a gorgeous old manual film camera sitting around, and has been too intimidated to dive in? Twyla and Jessica ask and answer all of the essential questions to get you going! Jessica also talks about tracking her monthly mood scale to maximize efficiency and be able to work on projects at optimal times, automation, time management, why outsourcing isn't always the answer, and all of the business goodies. Jessica is truly a force of nature, who runs a successful YouTube channel, workshops, has an epic online presence in Instagram reels, and on and on. We all have the same number of minutes and hours in a day - but Jessica shares some great ways that she really maximizes her time and efforts. If you're stressing about how to do it all and adapt to the constantly changing features in social media and how to get yourself out there, you need to pause, and just listen for a minute. It's not about perfection - it's about knowing your audience and just getting started. This episode is packed with tips on everything from where to get your film developed to production values for various forms of online video and reels.  Have your notebook ready for this one! You have to have the right attitude going in, because then that's going to trickle into the kind of content you're going to put out there and the effort you're going to put in. -Jessica Whitaker Jessica is everywhere you want to be. Check out her Facebook page, her Build + Bloom page, her website, her instagram, and her YouTube. If you enjoyed this podcast, consider sharing this episode with a photographer you love or join the Emotional Storytelling Facebook group. Subscribe to our newsletter for valuable tutorials, tips and resources delivered straight to your inbox. Grab my free Client Communication templates when you sign up for Honeybook. Follow us on IG for your dose of daily emotive inspiration and education.

View show notes and full transcription here   Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Podcast | Spotify | "My biggest achievement was believing in myself that I'm good and that I can do that. And I can do some really good work, because for me photography, it's therapeutic, not only for the model, but also for myself." Have you ever wished you could just strip away all of the trappings, go back to the absolute basics, start over and just reveal your raw, vulnerable self? No Photoshop, no worries about how many likes or followers you have - just simplicity and honesty and beauty. Steve Mendes started his career as a photographer in the fashion world - big shoots, makeup and fancy cars and entire teams - and then he stopped. He explored urban scenes - abandoned buildings, old castles, gorgeous spaces where he forged a new relationship with composition and light. He found his voice, he focused in, and shoots now with natural light, usually in his kitchen in Belgium. He gave up the quest for likes and social media accolades, and found a way to express himself as an artist, to produce extraordinary images, to forge genuine collaborations. Art for me is expressing yourself with your soul, finding yourself inside of yourself. Finding your Self. - Steve Mendes See more of Steve's work on on PhotoVogue and follow him on instagram.   If you enjoyed this podcast, consider sharing this episode with a photographer you love or join the Emotional Storytelling Facebook group. Subscribe to our newsletter for valuable tutorials, tips and resources delivered straight to your inbox. Grab my free Client Communication templates when you sign up for Honeybook. Follow us on IG for your dose of daily emotive inspiration and education.

Visit the show notes on our website for a complete transcript   Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Podcast | Spotify |   April Lawrence is the master of balance - she's a military spouse who has honed her craft while moving across the world the last several years, finding her voice and improvising with what she has available (during COVID-19 lockdowns in two countries, no less!)   She describes her approach to photography as a way to use her creativity to capture a photo and the way it makes her feel.  Join us as we discuss how to make connections in a new area, learning how to find a work/life balance with photography and your family, and how to stop holding yourself back and try new things. One thing that I can say - photography does tend to take a toll on trying to find that balance, right? It's kinda hard trying to find time for the family and trying to find time for your photography, but you make it work. Especially when you love both of them, you make it work. April Lawrence See more from April on her website and follow her on Instagram, and like her Facebook page. If you enjoyed this podcast, consider sharing this episode with a photographer you love or join the Emotional Storytelling Facebook group. Subscribe to our newsletter for valuable tutorials, tips and resources delivered straight to your inbox. Grab my free Client Communication templates when you sign up for Honeybook. Follow us on IG for your dose of daily emotive inspiration and education.    

Check out the show notes here for a full transcript and to see more of Teri's work. Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Podcast | Spotify | Teri (she/her) describes herself as a body image coach and boudoir photographer, but she does SO much more! Join us as we discuss how our own body image affects our client work, rejecting the idea of Photoshopping ourselves and our clients, and how educating ourselves and our clients about the psychology of body image can change lives.      Like I've been wanting to make all these changes, but I was afraid of maybe I wouldn't be making money. Well, shit, I wasn't making money anyway, because of the pandemic. So now's the time to throw caution to the wind and take a fucking chance on something. And everything's already chaotic and up in the air, let's just go for it and start making these changes. -Teri Hofford   We go deep talking about how we both love to just get shit done right away when we have big ideas, and discuss our CliftonStrengths (you can take a quiz here, if you don't already know yours!) "The best thing you can do as an entrepreneur or a business owner or somebody that just maybe feels like they're different from people that love a nine to five job, the more you can become self-aware and understand that the things about you are not problems - they just weren't meant for a standardized world, the better off you're going to be, to build systems that actually help you flourish instead of trying to fit yourself into what you think it should be." - Teri Hofford See more of Teri's work on her website and follow her on instagram, and join her facebook group: everyBODIES education, or check her out on YouTube.     Support Teri's work by purchasing her magical The Universe Decides cards, check out her upcoming workshops and education, snag some amazing apparel, or check out some of her books. If you enjoyed this podcast, consider sharing this episode with a photographer you love or join the Emotional Storytelling Facebook group. Subscribe to our newsletter for valuable tutorials, tips and resources delivered straight to your inbox. Grab my free Client Communication templates when you sign up for Honeybook. Follow us on IG for your dose of daily emotive inspiration and education.

Click here to view the transcript and full show notes. Think you need an expensive college education to be successful? Self Portrait Queen Chinelle Rojas and I discuss how our college experience let us down and that pursuing your passion on your own time can lead to far greater success and fulfillment. Chinelle also discusses some of her incredible self portrait series including this one featuring the beauty and versatility of food commissioned by Fuji Film. Tune in to find out how Chinelle creates her incredible self portrait images with minimal gear and props (I mean she used groceries and an off white wall for that food series!!!), how she navigated from 4 time college dropout to a Fuji Film X-Photographer (congrats!!) and balances homeschooling children while doing all of this and more. People make careers posting on social media. That's what we tell our kids all the time. It's like, okay, you enjoy watching movies. Oh, you enjoy building with Legos or whatever it is that you enjoy doing. You could turn that into a career. If you choose, you could keep it as a hobby if you want, but know that you have the possibility to turn whatever you're passionate about into your full time job. -Chinelle Rojas See more of Chinelle’s work on her website and follow her on instagram. Support Chinelle's work by purchasing from her printshop, learn more from her by signing up for her Self Portrait Class, grab her incredible Melanted Presets, and check out her merch shop. If you enjoyed this podcast, consider sharing this episode with a photographer you love or join the Emotional Storytelling Facebook group. Subscribe to our newsletter for valuable tutorials, tips and resources delivered straight to your inbox. Grab my free Client Communication templates when you sign up for Honeybook. Follow us on IG for your dose of daily emotive inspiration and education.

View the shownotes and get a copy of the transcript here Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Google Podcast | Spotify | This episode is a trip.  I discuss and argue with Ryan Muirhead about the struggles artists face using social media to promote themselves and get their work seen while also battling what the superficial numbers can do to your self worth and how they can even drive the direction or your work. Although Ryan was determined to make this interview a train wreck, I’m happy to let you know I found tremendous value in everything he had to share. I really look forward to hearing what YOU took from this episode and how it might change the way you view your relationship between creating and sharing the work that matters most to you. “And it's so fun to believe that the side we've chosen is the right one. I'm really fascinated with that too, that I think you would find very few people who aren't the hero of their own story. Like we just need to be, to keep going. And so then you find all the people that are the heroes of their own story that agree with you. And then you just form your tribe of people that are right and know that capitalism's terrible. And I know that advertising makes me sick and I know that film's better than digital and I just sit and marinate in those beliefs. But if I had been born as a different person, I would believe exactly what they believe. I know I would. It's just so fun to sit and feel our feels and feel the cosmic truth of them. And then to think that these are so insanely subjective and it trips me out because I don't know how to be anything else other than what I am. Yeah. I can hear you and feel the truth of things for me. And then I can also feel that if I was a different person, I wouldn't feel them at all.” -Ryan Muirhead See more of Ryan’s work on his website and follow him on instagram. Support Ryan's work by purchasing from his printshop and you can learn more from him by subscribing to his Patreon. If you enjoyed this podcast, consider sharing this episode with a photographer you love or join the Emotional Storytelling Facebook group. Subscribe to our newsletter for valuable tutorials, tips and resources delivered straight to your inbox. Grab my free Client Communication templates when you sign up for Honeybook. Follow us on IG for your dose of daily emotive inspiration and education.

Are you overwhelmed by trying to do it all? Tash Haynes joins me on the podcast today to speak honestly about motherhood, entrepreneurship, and creativity. This multi passionate creative is crushing it in so many areas, but she’s also all about ditching the belief that we can do everything. Maybe business success doesn’t mean always niching down, but being a full human. Maybe we can do way more than we give ourselves credit for, yet also be willing to prioritize and drop what isn’t working. You’re going to be encouraged and liberated by the wisdom that Tash shares! She spills her productivity process and secrets and gives us the friendship we need in 2020. Here's what we covered. How I connected with Tash on a motherhood panel for Conference and Chill. We also cover how she got started making a business with her husband. (2:00) Tash shares about the importance of being honest in motherhood. “We always feel as mothers that there’s this secret club where people have it all together and we’ve missed the training course for it, but I feel like people don’t have it together. Even the most together people don’t have it together… I wish we were more honest about that.” Before picking up a camera, Ike was working for Comcast and Tash was working in youth programming for a nonprofit. Starting out, it was Tash’s thing and Ike was just supportive. At first, she wanted to keep it as her own thing. They were competitive at first at shoots and had to learn how to respect and honor each other as partners. It was a spiritual decision for Tash to make room for Ike in the business and grow together. “It’s really highlighted our strengths and allowed us to shine… we allow the other to lead where it makes sense.” Her advice to those who feel pressure to figure out niche or who are multi passionate is, “Just do it and don’t follow the unspoken rules that don’t exist in this industry. Just do what you want to do and thrive.” The Goal of Tash’s Personal Blog Wisdom + Courage. (15:30) Tash wanted to bring our her strengths that weren’t just photography and be able to separate them. She wanted this thing to live on it’s own and be its own brand. “I am so much more than a photographer.” We talked about feeling pigeonholed instead of being full people. She wanted to share her life experience and wisdom, but also give her kids a space to see this season of life. Blogging is her way of preserving the memories and lessons from life. But she finds that anyone can relate to the elements – motherhood, travel, faith, etc. Chasing dreams as a family and finding work-life balance. Plus virtual schooling. (21:15) Tash writes anything important on a post it note – from now to do lists to dreams and goals for the future. “When I think about goals and dreams and how we get it done, really it’s grace.” Her advice is: Do the hard stuff first. Even if there’s no time for the fun stuff, we’ll find a way to get it done. Outsourcing comes after maximizing your time and really focusing. Done is better than perfect. Tash’s routines, rituals, and processes for productivity. (27:00) Google calendars for meals, Ike and Tash business stuff, and a calendar for personal influencing stuff, and one for the kids. It’s all color coded and it sends her reminders every three days, plus a daily email that gives a heads up for everything happening that day. She then prioritizes based on importance. “Importance to me is what’s going to give me more time or what’s bringing in money.” She’s been facing sickness, so she’s really had to focus on those high priority tasks. She also recommend brain dumping and just getting the things in your head out on a piece of paper. Then finding things that go together and lumping them together. If it’s content ideas, she’ll color code them on sticky notes and put it on the wall. (Ideas from Maddie James) That helps her remember and not have to look back in her phone. I share my hack with using the notes app and syncing between my phone and computer. It’s so handy getting to switch between both! Why women can’t “do it all” and how it creates an unrealistic standard. She shares changes she’s made to find a better mindset in motherhood. (36:45) “I don’t subscribe to mom guilt at all. I can’t be mom-guilted or made to feel bad.” We’re all doing our best to make it and survive. She doesn’t let other people’s standards and ideas run her life. Everyone’s situations, trauma, goals, etc is different! Through sickness and a near death experience, it gave her perspective of not having the time to feel guilty or not enough. “Am I always getting it right? Absolutely not… but I bring more joy to their lives and value to their lives than I take away from it and that’s where I choose to put my focus.” We put way more pressure on ourselves than our kids put on us. “Parenting her through the lens of my trauma and hurt is not fair to her.” Tash felt liberated to show up in the moment and react appropriate to the situation. Being honest about our emotions and why we are the way we are is so important. “I’m for the underdog and believe so much in justice in every way.” She shares about how everyone should have opportunity to grow. Outsourcing and CHOOSING to afford help. Plus knowing the right timing to take on new projects or set aside old ones. (49:00) Tash shares about the former senior of hers who they’ve hired to do work for her seniors and all the planning for their shoots as well as social media. It’s been such a good fit to be able to partner together to make it work for both of them. She’s getting to train up women in their early twenties to be entrepreneurial and help them in their journey. She shares the difference between good and right – specifically about the conference she used to run. She debated bringing it back in 2020, but her gut said it wasn’t the right timing and with 2020, virtual school, another pregnancy and everything else, it was such a good call to not go for it. “You’ve got to trust your instinct about things.”

If you went viral on Instagram and gained 50,000 followers overnight, would you delete your whole account and start fresh?   That’s exactly what Kristina Kashtanova did.   This deep soul is not only a talented photographer, creating epic conceptual art, but she’s also a deep thinker and has a powerful way with words. She’s going to inspire you with her outlook and mindset on life and the world. While her work is stunning and can speak for itself, you’re going to really want to hear the heart behind all that she does.   From deleting her Instagram to building a greenhouse in her backyard and sewing face masks in them, Kristina follows the beat of her own drum and gives you permission to do the same.   Kristina’s Photography Journey.  Kristina is a Russian Photographer based in New York City. She got her start in photography taking photos of insects in London while studying journalism. After finishing her degree in journalism, she went fully into photography. Her passion became for capturing movement – yoga and dance specifically – and has now moved into conceptual artwork. She’s starting building sets and you can see the behind the scenes process here on youtube! Finding your own voice and style. (10:00) “I wanted to have my own style and I didn’t know how to find it and how to even start to find anything different because there is so much there. Then I was just exploring… looking within myself and meditating a lot and doing reflective things like journaling.” She realized what brought her joy – when she created her conceptual shoots like the flying candles shoot, she realized it was what made her come alive. How she took this amazing Golden Gate Bridge self portrait. (17:00) Kristina loves capturing other people, but will photograph herself when she doesn’t have another subject. She uses an intervalometer remote that can control the delay. She took all her self portraits for 3 years in THIS dress. (19:00) She got this beautiful vintage dress from another shoot and has started carrying it with her everywhere and capturing the dress in a variety of situation.  We talk about getting up and catching the sunrise. (22:00) Kristina has spent lots of time capturing sunrises – including in big cities where it’s the only time it’s quiet so she’s had clients get up early to shoot the sunrise. It’s always worth it to get up and capture the light.  Kristina’s advice for dealing with comparison and having a healthy mindset. (28:00) A few years ago, she started on a journey of mindfulness, meditation, and diving deep into her thoughts. She ended up hospitalized for mental health, despite having never noticing many issues before. Therapy was super helpful and that’s how she got into yoga and meditation. Feelings of unworthiness and not feeling good enough motivated her to become really good at something – she used to be a software engineer. Then she found writing and then photography.  When she was a beginner, she found it so much easier to believe in herself and be proud of her work. As she continued to grow and push herself and be surrounded by amazing artists, comparison crept in. But you need to focus on your own photographers and compare with yourself. Attention never could satisfy her – “it’s never enough because the human mind always wants more.” Instead of focusing on getting better, she focused on digging deep into herself. Unconditional love is a huge powerful force. She separated her art and herself – they are two different things. Kristina deleted a 50,000 follower account and started from scratch. (39:00) “I think it changed myself because now I have 1,600 followers, which is much less than 50,000 but the community is so beautiful.” She was able to give back to her community and do volunteer work together. We need to remember context – 1,000 people is still a huge number! But it becomes such a comparison game. The quality of your work should be more important than how many people are following.  The story + process behind these images Kristina created for her friend Spencer. (49:15) When she moved to New York, she was really struggling to make friends and hated living there. She met a friend through social media who felt the same way and they bonded over it. They went to a photography exhibition together. Kristina wasn’t sure if her friend was a male or female and at the time wasn’t comfortable just asking about pronoun. From facebook images, Kristina decided they were a “she.” The friend had long, beautiful black hair and Kristina took a portrait that felt like was the first portrait of a female she had ever liked and the friend shared that the friend was a man and identified as “he.” They were friends through the transition and eventually decided to create this set of images telling his story.    Kristina’s greenhouse in New York City and what she’s doing with her sewing machine. (57:30) As she started building her sets in January, her reason was based out of the dream to build a sculpture for Burning Man festival. Building sets helped her to explore herself and experimenting, Anything that would have normally been thrown away, she turned into a set. And it doesn’t have to be perfect, because you can always photograph it. Then, I thought of building something really cool and decided to build a greenhouse in her backyard. It’s not in a convenient location because it’s surrounded by streetlights and other lights so it became difficult to control. She wasn’t sure exactly what she should be doing with the greenhouse, but when the pandemic hit and she realized there was a need for face masks, she started making them. At first, it was just for close friends and then it ended up being a huge project and she’s made hundreds of face masks. Her final advice for us all is to dig deeper into yourself. Find inspiration and apply it in your own way – which happens when you create from deep within. “Patience. It takes time. Believe in yourself and eventually it’ll happen.”  

Where does someone start if they want to create art for brands and businesses? How do you carve out a spot for yourself in the industry that’s unique to you, while also creating for a specific look?   Brand photography offers so many unique advantages – can be done anywhere and at any time, builds unique connections with companies, and you also have freedom to get a little weird.   Allyse Francis is a name you might recognize from our community and the amazing collage she made for our Facebook group. She’s an incredibly gifted artist and photographer in New York City who inspires us constantly with not just her mixed-media vibe collages, but also her stunning brand work, product photography, and portraits. She pushes the limits of creativity and has carved out a niche that fits her while still giving room for free expression.   In our conversation, we cover some of the things NOT to do when working with brands, how to practice self care as a creative, and the secrets behind her epic GIFs and collages! Here's what we talked about... How Allyse got started and what her creative journey has looked like. (1:00) Allyse started into photography through modeling! Her friend, Tyler Babin in New York started things for her. One of her first photographer friends and inspiration is Taylor Brumfield. Allyse started with self portraiture and from there, grew into doing more fine art portraiture and surreal photo manipulation. When she moved to New York, she started doing product so that she could shoot anywhere – which led to GIFs and stop motion. She’s also getting into animation as well. The joys of product photography. (6:00) Allyse creates really fun, satisfying work that allows you to be really creative, but to focus on quality instead of quantity. It helps getting a client to create a mood board or Pinterest board to be able to know the feel and vibe of what a brand is expecting. Questionnaires asking about brand, ideal customer, etc is also really helpful. When you know what they want for their brand, you can create a lot more focused. “The scariest client of all is the one that’s not focused.” She talks about prop hunting and the highs and lows – make sure your client has a budget for props. What NOT to do working with brands (12:15) Don’t spend a bunch of money! Especially on backdrops that you’ll never use again. If you’re going to buy a backdrop, buy vinyl from a well respected company because you’ll put them through hell. Get something that’s stain resistant. “Use the sun, the sun’s your friend.” She has a few panel lights, but you don’t need to buy a million things. Using construction and railroad paper is super helpful too for backdrops. Shadow play is also really popular right now – use the things around you. There’s a bunch of stuff hanging around your house that looks really cool on camera. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get the perfect shot.” Advice for being getting started doing branding work. (16:45) Her best advice is just to start. Eventually, you’ll need to niche down and find your unique style. When you’re just starting out, play with everything. “If you want to get into branding work, just shoot and create little concepts for yourself and once enough time has gone by, ask yourself what you like and what you don’t like about certain styles and then once you have that down, just go in the style you like. But at the same time don’t be afraid to change it up when you no longer feel like it’s fun.” Tips for creatives dealing with burnout. (19:00) Burnout is a normal part of the process – sometimes daily or weekly – so you have to constantly be proactively doing things in your daily life to feel inspired. Allyse does physical things to work out the stress: yoga, walking the dog, running, etc. It helps her get out of her head and physically present in her body. There’s anxiety that can come from reaching success because there’s pressure to keep creating better work. It’s hard to move on and pick yourself up after successful moments too. “You’ve got to taste your work.” Enjoy the doing and the creation process. We discuss balance between creative work and living life, the value of decompressing and turning off the work mode. It’s so easy to get overloaded on learning and not actually creating your own work. I share about learning Tik Tok and just experimenting and creating until you get better. Allyse shared about going viral on Tik Tok and how it involves creating consistent content to actually gain a following. We discuss how Facebook is such a struggle, but photography groups like ours is what keeps us there.  Concept to creation of surrealism and collage artwork. (35:30) It started with this bird cage image below. (NSFW) When it comes to collages, she thinks initially of what she wants in them. Floral and fem or darker and raw. “I don’t know what fits until it fits.” So much of the process involves going with you gut. There’s no step 1, 2, and 3 or a magical formula. It’s all flexible and full of experimentation. Your final idea might be totally different than what works. Sleep on your work and see how you feel about it in the morning – then repeat. I dish a few of my tips for Instagram Reels as well, like having to share your Reels to your feed so your followers see and like it which pushes it up in the algorithm so a whole new audience can find you!  You can also hide it from your feed as well.   Where to find Allyse: www.allysefrancis.com Personal Collages Video/Stop Motion/GIFs Commissioned Work

Are you feeling burned out creatively? Are you starting to compare yourself to other photographers? Do you struggle between providing a service and being an artist? All these struggles are so connected. They come from a place of stuck creativity – whether because we haven’t challenged our mindset or maybe just from the monotony of life. Let’s break out of the rut! My conversation with the amazing Fer Juaristi is going to stretch you to look at things differently and to be a lifelong learner. You don’t just have to take photography courses or spend hours on Instagram or Pinterest – the best inspiration may come from music or books or just your clients and locations themselves.  You’re going to love learning from this master.  Introductions and how he got started. (2:30) We start by talking about his e-book and illustrations over his images. He mentions being inspired by the work of Paul Arden. He got started because he needed art to promote his band in high school. So he read a book about photography and he didn’t let it go. From the mid-90s on, he kept pursuing the craft. A teacher let his use a camera and his creativity felt fully engaged. The power of mixing visual and audio creativity. (8:00) Even without video, you can use slideshows to maximize the emotional connection using tools like slideshows. Fer shares his tips for getting personal audio to use in his slideshows. His background was in videography, but he loves the otherworldly colors he can get with photography. He uses Artlist to get music for his slideshows. There’s a slideshow challenge happening on his Patreon.  The adventure of becoming an artist and why he doesn’t follow photographers. (17:00) He mentions the book, Just Kids by Patti Smith as inspiring him. He suggests not over-following other photographers and creating truly unique work. “I’m a big supporter of always being a student.” He went to as many workshops and conferences as he can – he was present at Adobe when they were launching Lightroom. The group Fearless Photographers especially inspired him. He gave instead of just wanting to take from people he wanted to learn from.   Ira Glass’ iconic video.    Fer’s biggest source of inspiration and how he makes it happen. (26:00) Break the cliches. “You have to go into every assignment like a Martian. You have to see everything with fresh eyes. It doesn’t matter if yesterday or two days ago and tomorrow you had another session. You just have to go blank – zero expectations – it’s like being on LSD 24/7.” He loves the Super Feel approach. He captures moments more so than perfect style. We talk about how we fill out portfolios and how to diversify them. (30:00) “Everyone is trying to find their way.” We need all kinds of photography. Different clients want different things too. He also shares about balancing between providing a service and creating like an artist. He doesn’t bring a second shooter to his weddings.    What he looks for when he arrives at a location. (34:00) He builds a picture from the back to the front. He looks for a clean backdrop, patterns, and then adds in the couple. He takes the time to compose and be really intentional. He got burned out on videography, so he’s really intentional about keeping the creative spark and passion alive.  “You have to have your rules of creation” and decide what your photos are going to represent. Sometimes you need more tools, but sometimes you need to simplify and just use one lens. Sometimes Fer will leave his favorite lens behind. We need to take risks instead of blending in. “I”m always trying to justify the investment they are doing in me.” Logos, branding, website, and marketing. (46:00) Hiring a team for a website project is a great way to not have to work with the same team on repeat, but to get experts in certain areas (like copywriting or graphic design) can help. Taste continually evolve and change – that’s okay. What productivity looks like for Fer between photographing weddings, running a Patreon, being an educator, and a husband and father. (49:00) “As a creative, you still need discipline.” Fer wakes up at 4am to get enough time in. He recommends the book Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. He reads a lot of self help and productivity books to keep growing in this area. “It takes work and discipline, but I keep seeing the benefits in playing with my kids and being present.” We also talk about being good people and it translating into the work we create. He talks about the importance of empowering people and staying humble. Want to learn from Fer?  He did Conference and Chill recently (I was a teacher too!) and make sure to check out his Patreon!

The world needs your special talents and all the creativity in your head – it’s your job to bring it into reality. Art is our gift to others. Push past the fear of what people might think or what might happen in the future. Start creating today. Make one more move today. You have what it takes.

Have you ever wanted to try a 365 Project but don’t know where to start? Or did you start and give up part way through? Or is this your first time even hearing about a 365 project?  A 365 project is where you take an image a day for an entire year. My friend Ashley Marston has been photographing her daily life with her family in this way for over 6 years! She’s made capturing memories a habit and will inspire you to do the same. In our conversation, Ashley will peel back the curtain and tell you all about her inspiring project – from fun gear to how to display your images to staying motivated – she’s got all the best advice. In addition to capturing personal work, Ashley is also a phenomenal family photographer serving clients in British Columbia. You’re going to learn so much about balancing personal and professional projects in this episode! In this podcast we cover: How burritos bonded our friendship and the basics of Ashley’s work.  At Clickaway, we met when she offered me her burrito and we’ve been friends ever since! Ashley is a birth and family photographer and 6 years ago, she started “A Daily Occurance,” a 365 project documenting her own family. She’s also started creating family films like the ones below. Switching gears and styles in photography. (7:00) Her process of choosing to specialize in documentary style work. “I think that when you’re really passionate about something and you’re driven by something, people see that and they’re drawn to it.” Showing what you want to shoot really works. We talk about the fear in changes – including Ashley’s shift away from traditional newborn photography. How Ashley got started doing her 365 project. (12:50) She decided to start the project when she realized that life was going so fast and she wanted to capture the daily moments with her kids. It’s a time capsule of sorts to really remember the moments that matter. These images could communicate to her kids her love for them and journal her way through their story. It helps her own her motherhood journey, but also technically become a better photographer through shooting daily.  How Ashley finds inspiration doing this project year after year. (18:00) “Them in themselves is an inspiration.” She also mentions the kids’ connection with the animals help too. But there definitely are dull days and dreary months. Honing in on details helps give new inspiration. Ashley’s go-to camera. (20:30) Her camera is always on her – it even goes with her to the grocery store! She shoots a Canon 5D Mark IV and takes it everywhere. She doesn’t use iPhone photos in the project – only her Canon or the drone.  Do her kids get tired of being photographed? (22:45) Definitely, there are times when she kids don’t want to do it or they complain. She reminds them of their importance, but doesn’t bribe her kids into doing it. Ashley makes it a big part of their lives including printing canvases and books as well as making slideshows that her kids love to watch. She takes photos of her kids not looking or noticing. Let them be. When they’re feeling it, take advantage of that, if they’re not, let it rest.  How to stay motivated and complete a project like this. (3:00) Ashley’s top tips: Keep your camera out. Have a central location in your house – but don’t pack it away in your camera bag. Have it readily available.  Shoot and edit daily. Ashley edited during nap time or quiet times to edit. You get faster at culling. She chooses to post daily on social media and made that decision as a family. She’s usually one day behind – posting the next day. Shoot throughout the days and potentially call these shots different days. She’ll bank photos. Break the rules and be okay with it.  Ashley’s gear list to help keep her images fresh and fun. (37:30) She has done all the fun little tricks – she calls it her “tickle trunk” which is a Canadian thing from a children’s tv show. Because she lives in an area with a lot of water (ocean, lake, and river) she does underwater work both for her 365 project and client work. She’s now an ambassador for Aquatech. Her drone is also something she uses for personal and client work. She recommends the Mavic Mini for a cheaper solution that doesn’t require a drone license. Self care as a creative and mother. (51:15) Ashley sees her personal work as what feeds her soul. It lights the fire inside of her and helps get her through the other culling and editing work. Her 365 project is now habitual and she can’t see herself ever stopping. How Ashley displays her photos. (55:00) She recommends Chatbooks and Blurb for printing books. Also look below to see the canvases on display in her home. I also recommend Fracture for glass prints.   Episode Links: HoneyBook: www.share.honeybook.com/twyla In addition to a FREE 7 day trial and 50% off your first year of HoneyBook, you'l also receive the templates I use to communicate with my clients preloaded in your account!   If you want to connect with me, my guests and other listeners in the Emotional Storytelling community join the Facebook group here.   Follow along: www.instagram.com/ashleymarstonphotography www.instagram.com/somethingrad www.instagram.com/twyla.jones www.instagram.com/emotionalstorytelling   Share on Pinterest:

Click here to check out images, highlights and show notes over on the blog   Do you ever get majorly overwhelmed keeping up with ever-changing technology, apps, and gear trends? Or maybe like me, you nerd out over each little new trick and tool that becomes available. Overwhelmed or nerding out, you'll learn so much from this conversation with Sam Hurd. He's a wedding photographer and educator based in Washington, D.C. whose creativity and originality has set him apart from the crowd. In addition to being a total magician of an artist, Sam is also a great mentor and expert on all things gear and technology.   Not only will you be inspired, but the links to all the gadgets and tools mentioned can be found below. Give it a read + listen! We launch into the classic debate – Nikon vs Canon vs Sony. You’ll be shocked to hear our preferences! (15:00) The reality is, we’re constantly learning and trying to figure out the best. We don’t have a ton of brand loyalty. There’s great things about all the brands, so we discuss some of the differences and strengths.  In camera multiple exposures, the editing process and videos. (18:45) He shares about the multiple exposure process he does in camera to create amazing images like the one below. He also brags on his partner Nessa and her amazing video and editing work.  Creative burnout and making enough money to create a successful career that will last. (22:00) When it comes to creativity, it’s so important to embrace failure and becoming comfortable putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation. He keeps trying and failing. It excites him to hit roadblocks. He has a whole livestream of live classes and is willing to show the ideas that flop and “all that matters in the end result.” Fresh eyes can make a huge difference too. He channels his nerves into excitement rather than anxiety. For the first 3 years, he worked full time and also shot weddings full time so he had dual income streams. As he made more money, he tried to keep living on one income. These multiple income streams have served him well over the years, especially this year with Covid-19. Sam doesn’t love to manage people. He enjoys working without a second shooter, even though he sometimes brings an assistant at a wedding. Not outsourcing has actually been a huge business benefit to him. (31:00) The common advice might be to outsource up a storm, but there’s is benefit to staying in touch with all the areas of your business. “It’s so worth being intimately involved in all aspects of your work and as slowly as you can, outsource.” He does outsource album design. We talk Honeybook (get 50% off your first year here) and the Superhuman app.  Sam shares his favorite productivity apps + systems. (44:30) The Lightroom plugin to automatically sync to the cloud. Sam talks more about it here. He loves using DaVinci Resolve for video editing.  Predictions for the photography industry.(55:30) We also cover live view shooting, mirrorless focusing technology, and composition. The industry is continually changing – technology is advancing so fast. The appeal of film is also covered as there’s something to be said about the limitations. Real talk about productivity and daily structure… His strategy is to work a lot and relax a lot. (1:03:30) He uses due dates to help him, but embraces the flow of flexibility. “People seem really fixed on a golden pathway to be productive. I relax a lot and I work a lot. It comes in two big bursts.” As photography turns from a hobby to a profession, it’s important to still have a hobby. Photographers need a hobby. At the end, we cover Patreon, education, and a few critiques of the Photography industry. (1:07:00) The public accountability of creating consistently for your community can be great accountability. I also drop my LOVE of Marco Polo. Sam mentions using Borjoro too for personalized videos. Be a part of Sam's Patreon Community here.

Would you like to add filmmaking to your skillset? Are you overwhelmed at the thought of learning something entirely new? As my guest will tell you, it’s easier than you think to get started creating incredible films for your clients and you likely already have all the gear you need! Sarah Krieg is a Branding and Lifestyle photographer/filmmaker out of Southern California who is passionate about honest storytelling. This year Sarah has created over 100+ videos for families & brands, plus launched her parenting docu-series MoM for IGTV and Buzzfeed. Sarah is a lover of bad puns, good coffee, beautiful light & belly laughs and, of course, all things video. In this interview, Sarah will tell you how she got her start, the simple gear setup you need to make films, where she finds inspiration and will motivate you to get started today! Listen on Apple // Listen on Spotify Highlights and references from this episode: Obviously we have to start with a throwback to Sarah’s other life as a GLAMAZON The incredible collaboration with her kids to make this beautiful layflat that we talked about in the show! Get all the goods from Sarah: Recommended gear for filmmaking The ‘beautiful tea’ video of a London Fog Sarah’s recent work for brands: Huggies, Bogota Sample of Sarah’s lifestyle family work One of Sarah’s favorite personal family films Her AMAZING Filmmaking for Photographers course (that I have personally taken and learned SO MUCH from!) Emotional Storytelling FB Community Emotional Storytelling Instagram Check out this episode!

Are you struggling to decide the right time to leave your full time job to pursue your passion as a photographer? While you’re working to help someone else build their empire, are you dreaming about building your own? As my guest will tell you, it’s not always easy making the transition to a career you are passionate about, but the rewards are incredible. Henry Tieu is a wedding and elopement photographer based out of Seattle Washington. His fast growth in both popularity and creative skill come from his incredible work ethic and drive to be the best version of himself. In this interview, Henry will tell you how he made the transition from nurse to photographer and educator, exactly how he grew his instagram following in a HUGE way in just one year, and will inspire you to pursue your dreams because you can absolutely achieve them! In this episode we covered: How Henry and I met at the first workshop he taught at. (1:30) GIFs, waterfalls, and making it rain! He came to teach about Instagram, but he was inspired by the creativity and community of the workshop. You simply must see the cheese GIF and the GIF of Henry that I took! The infamous cheese GIF: My GIF of Henry: Henry’s GIF work: What Henry is doing on the backend of his business during COVID-19. (5:45) Utilizing Pinterest and diversifying his marketing during lockdown. We talk about time management and different methods for tackling tasks. We also share some quirky real life stories from quarantine too. His story of working nights as a nurse then transitioning to full time photography. (13:30) *get link of his full story* Henry got into photos through working in the ICU with a patient his own age – it woke him up to how short life is and that’s what compelled him to pick up a camera. It was a way to see the world, then became engagement and wedding photos. Within a year, he became full time at both jobs (30 weddings + 36 hours a week as a nurse). He cut down to part time and his business continued to grow, including expanding into destination work. He had the hard money talk with his husband and decided it was worth a budget cut to go full time. We talk about the realities of money and entrepreneurship. (23:00)  “Income with being full time in this photography world is scary, but it’s worth it if you do it right.” We both share our stories about the transition and joys of making the leap. Growing Instagram quickly and the effects on the business, (27:00) “Numbers don’t mean anything. You could have thousands of followers and if no one books you, you don’t have any money.” He shares the insights worth really looking at – like people who aren’t already following him that are seeing his image. “Instagram wants you to engage. It wants you to stay on the platform. And it wants other people to do the same.” Tips for Instagram:  Before he posts anything, he goes through and likes comments, replies to comments, and also leaves comments on other people’s work. He engages first. Your photos need to be captivating. Scroll stopping is the goal. Try to draw unique and different inspiration from elements, time of day, setting, poses, etc. He shares how music videos are a huge inspiration to him. It’s okay to not post everyday, but try to use Instagram stories daily. Use the features that Instagram provides like questions and polls. The personal side of Instagram growth. (35:30) Navigating sudden popularity as an introvert and trying to answer comments and DMs turning into a motivation to get out of his box. He’s become a role model for other photographers and takes that responsibility seriously. The inspiration for his art and how he makes it his own. (40:00) My photos have become my brand – people recognize my work. He shares the moment that he envisions when he’s thinking about his portfolio. When he takes people’s photos, he thinks of that and plays the music that inspires him to get the vibe he desires. He sometimes even draws out his posing inspiration as seen below.    The value of taking in good inspiration in order to have good output. (45:30) Surrounding yourself with beautiful and positive things might not always be tangible, but they show up everywhere. The people you’re with, the environments you work in, those are the little things that shape your view of the world. “How you view the world will go right back onto your creative work.”  How to expand into teaching – Henry’s journey as an educator so far. What’s rewarding? What’s negative? (47:30) “Everyone has something to share. It doesn’t matter if you have one year of experience vs five years of experience. It doesn’t matter if you have 50 followers on Instagram vs 100 followers on Instagram.” If you’re creating beautiful work and getting paid, you are doing something right that someone else could learn from you. “Don’t take people’s money until you can deliver what you promise.” Think about the limitations of your geographic area on what you’re teaching. “The most rewarding thing about education is the relationship I get to build with someone.” (No matter if it’s a workshop or free education online!) “There’s always enough room for everyone to rise together.” If you want to teach, get comparison and competition out of your mind. The downside is people thinking that he knows anything (I can relate!). There’s constant questions and people wanting to learn from him. When people only reach out when they need something, it’s a little frustrating – just be genuine. “I’m not google.” Henry’s upcoming plans. (59:00) At the time of our interview, Washington was starting to open up for sessions and elopements. (As of our most recent emails, his elopements have picked up again and he’s shooting a lot!) We talk about traveling and some hacks to get more destination work.  Follow Henry’s Work See Henry’s presets in action Henry has generously offered a discount to our community! Get 20% off anything in his shop using the code: Story Youtube channel: Henry’s Diary Connect with the Community Emotional Storytelling FB Community  Emotional Storytelling Instagram

In this intro episode of the Emotional Storytelling Podcast, I’m going to share a little bit about my journey navigating my career as a photographer and educator in spite of having little money and time.  I let you know how I  plan on showing up every week for you and how I plan to bring you the inspiration, motivation and knowledge you need to be successful and do things YOUR way. I am so excited to be starting this adventure with you and to get to walk your through the creative process of not just me, but many amazing photographers and educators from around the world!

In this episode featuring international wedding photographer Nicole Ashley we’ll be discussing how to use Instagram in an authentic way that converts fans into paying clients! In this real and raw conversation among fellow creatives and friends, we talk honestly about social media, the algorithm, and authenticity online. If you’ve ever felt annoyed or burned out by Instagram and need a refreshing perspective, you’re in the right place. About Nicole: Nicole is an international portrait and wedding photographer based out of Alberta, Canada. With an unparalleled work ethic and passion for the craft, she’s an artist to her core. Her work has been recognized all over the world and in 2019 and 2018, she was named the world’s best wedding photographer.  In this episode, we cover everything Instagram including: How the algorithm has changed Being true to yourself and your personality online The pressure to post in certain ways Posting old work Managing time on social media The secret sauce for an increase of engagement Verification on Instagram Follow + Find Out More: Website + Instagram Unum https://www.unum.la/  Get 50% off your first year of Honeybook Quotes that inspired me: “I don’t think having a big number is everything.”    “There are so many brilliant artists out there who are introverts and they find social media daunting because they think they have to put on a show or they think they have to have all these loud reasons to get attention, but I argue that it’s not the case, it’s just tailoring it for what works for you. More than anything, people are good at sensing bullshit and if someone’s being authentic or not or if they’re putting on a facade to get followers and whatnot.”    “Just saying it how it is, is enough to be engaging to me.”   “Whether you are wanting to take a break, planning for a family, or have something else going on in your life that will take you away from that hustle of photography – you can always pick it up and start again… it’s not like if you stop, it disappears.”   “I am very much so someone who posts when I feel like it. That’s when I get the best response.”    “If I’m not in the right headspace, I just won’t post.”   “If you’re going to share and post, you have a responsibility to engage back.”    “You need to exist in your photos as well.” 

In this episode I speak with Robert J Hill on how and WHY to become an educator in the photography industry and the best way you can show up for your students to find success. Robert is a photographer and business educator + coach in Portland, OR. He has 15 years of experience and seeks to be a changemaker within the photography industry. He is also the only person I have given money to in order to mentor me, so I obviously trust him! If you have any interest in becoming an educator within the photography industry, you need his advice on mindset, heart, and intentions. There were so many powerful takeaways, so I hope you tune in and soak it all up! We cover all things photography education: How to find your why as an educator Teaching people to find their own style Self care and boundaries as creative entrepreneurs Fulfilment + seeing transformations as a teacher Follow + Find Out More: Website + Instagram Get his free book, Poser Get 50% off your first year of Honeybook Quotes: “For anyone who wants to be an educator, the question of “why” is a huge thing to answer.”   “The biggest impact isn’t going to come from the most surface level thing.”   “We have this infinite depth to us as individuals and my path has been how deep can I go in that to affect change from a root level in individuals so that changes the way that they operate their business and life on a surface level in a really dramatic way.”   “Your business is just as much a work of art as your images are.”   “You can only take care of others to the degree you take care of yourself.”   “Are you quitting to avoid something or are you quitting to gain something?”   “The minute we start to sacrifice ourselves, our family, our relationships – that sort of thing – for our business and being an entrepreneur, that’s kinda the trap we’re all trying to make sure that we aren’t falling into.”   “If you’re dealing with fear, the one thing that will eradicate fear is preparation.”   “The amount of money you’re going to make is going to be determined by how effective you are in your business.”   “The being is always going to affect the doing.”   “You can go and hustle your way to 100,000 dollars, but is that going to be sustainable? And is that going to be making an impact that’ll help your business grow and expand moving forward?”   “If you can help someone not be insecure in front of your camera, you can create magic.”   “Does the educator see you, know you, and understand you?”

Click here to check out more show notes and images on the blog!  Infusing creativity and storytelling into your photography with Rafal Bojar Rafal is a Polish photographer who tells stories in a way that few others do – His art is not just found in what happens inside his camera or post-production, but in every little step of the storytelling journey from research to curation. I met Rafal teaching at a workshop 3 years ago. But more than a fellow teacher, he also filmed and photographed my own elopement. He even came out to Florida to include our boys in the telling of the day, though they weren’t able to be with us in Azores. Rafal creates amazing and emotive storytelling work that captivates you and his thought process is absolutely brilliant. Today, we’re going to dig into his creative process and you’ll be inspired to see the world in a whole new light. In this episode, we cover: Rafal’s storytelling process including the research he does before a shoot His animated images, GIFs, and cinemagraphs Curating images for blog posts to tell deep stories Website creation for creativity and storytelling instead of SEO His last workshop in Poland and how he incorporates musicians and self development into the creative process His favorite images/sessions of all time (see them below) Quotes that inspired me: “What I discovered is when you have an open mind, if you’re curious, if you watch – something will happen, something will pop up – it’s just a matter of how you connect those thoughts.”   “Research is 80% of everything I do. I try to prepare as much as I can before I go and shoot something. I always ask people to write me an honest story about their life.”   “I have learned so much by playing with photos.”   “I decided to sacrifice SEO and keep my vision.”   “There are many people who know how to take amazing photos, but don’t know how to tell amazing stories.”   “We often invest too much money on equipment and not too much time to develop yourself and your voice and your stories.”   “Even with small things that don’t cost much, you can create something beautiful that will last forever.”    “I love to balance the happy and dark parts of the story – the light and the shadows.”   “People are the best inspiration ever.”   “I don’t treat photography or videography as my work, but as my lifestyle.”   Follow + Find Out More: Website + Instagram Stay tuned for an online storytelling workshop  GIF tutorial 50% discount code: ONESTORYHERO www.onestoryhero.com/gifs