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I found this bench while wondering around a friends property in upstate New York. It was overcast and damp, which set the mood of the image. The camera was a Sony a7R III with a Nikon NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2 AI-S with the lens set at at wide aperture. It's long been a favorite of mine.
I’m trying to figure out how to take a painting of mine that is portrait orientation, 16”x20” and make it where it will fit on a coffee mug. I thought maybe I could just duplicate the photo in photoshop and connect the two side by side creating a landscape orientation then crop to the size that would fit on a mug which is 2400x1155 pixels. I tried to take the duplicate of this photo of my painting and reverse it so it would be a mirror image then merge the two side by side. I almost had it but my inexperience with photoshop hindered me from making it look right. Any suggestions or help? Is it even worth a try?
New addition to my website, give me your thoughts, is this wall worthy
"Comin' Around the Bend" captures a moment from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as it meanders through Colorado's Animas River Gorge.
If you've ever hit that point in the year where suddenly every weekend is booked, every inbox is full, and you can barely remember what day it is, Cassidy Lynne just dropped an episode of Oh Shoot! that is practically a survival guide. Whether you're about to enter your busiest stretch ever or just want to feel more in control when things pick up, this one is packed with practical steps you can take right now.
Get Your Systems in Order Before the Rush Hits
Cassidy kicks things off by talking about the behind the scenes stuff that nobody finds glamorous but absolutely saves your sanity. She walks through organizing your client workflow, making sure your contracts and questionnaires are tight, and getting your file backup situation sorted before you're drowning in sessions. One detail that really stood out: she recommends doing a full sensor cleaning on your camera gear before the season ramps up. Such a small thing, but imagine catching a problem like that mid wedding!
Know Your Numbers and Set Your Boundaries
This part of the episode really hits home. Cassidy talks openly about raising your prices before busy season, not during it or after it. She makes the case that if you're already booked out months in advance at your current rate, that's a sign you should have raised prices yesterday. She also gets real about setting boundaries with clients, especially around response times and weekend availability. It's a conversation that so many creatives need to hear, because burnout doesn't announce itself ahead of time.
Lock In Your Editing Workflow So You're Not Second Guessing Every Gallery
One thing Cassidy brings up that I found really thoughtful is the idea of feeling confident and consistent in your editing workflow before the flood of sessions starts. That kind of intentionality can save hours during crunch time and keep your energy focused on the client experience rather than decision fatigue. If you've ever delivered a gallery and then immediately wondered whether you should have gone a completely different direction, this section is going to resonate.
The Checklist Approach Actually Works
What makes this episode so useful is that Cassidy frames the whole thing as a checklist. It's not abstract advice or motivational fluff. She goes item by item through things you can do this week, this month, before your calendar explodes. From SD card organization to updating your website portfolio, every suggestion is something you can act on today.
If you're heading into your busy stretch, honestly just press play and grab a notebook. And if you've already survived a few busy seasons, I'd love to hear: what's the one thing you wish you had prepped for before your first big rush? Drop it in the comments!
If you have ever stared at your camera and felt absolutely nothing, this conversation between Ben Hartley and Chloe Ramirez on the Six Figure Photography Podcast might be the most important 30 minutes you spend this week.
Chloe's story is not a cautionary tale. It is a recovery story.
Chloe Ramirez is an award winning photographer, creative director, educator, and host of the podcast Hot Girls Photograph Love. On paper, she has built exactly the kind of multi faceted creative career most photographers dream about. But behind the scenes, she hit a wall. Running a photography business, an education brand, and a podcast simultaneously pushed her into full burnout. Not the "I need a long weekend" kind. The kind where the work you once loved starts to feel like a weight you carry instead of a fire that moves you forward.
The first signs were easy to miss.
What hit me about this episode is how honest Chloe is about not recognizing burnout until she was deep in it. She talks about the slow fade, how the excitement of booking new clients turned into dread, how creative ideas stopped flowing, and how she started just going through the motions. Ben asks really good questions here about what that moment of recognition felt like, and Chloe's answer is something I think a lot of people will relate to. It was not one dramatic moment. It was a quiet accumulation of small compromises.
Healing was not about working less. It was about working differently.
This is where the conversation really gets good. Chloe does not just say "take a break." She walks through the actual changes she made. She talks about restructuring how she takes on client work, setting hard boundaries around her education business, and giving herself permission to say no to opportunities that looked great from the outside but drained her on the inside. She also talks about how she rebuilt her relationship with photography itself, going back to shooting just for herself, with no client attached, no deliverables, no deadline.
Protecting your creativity is a business decision, not a luxury.
One thing Ben and Chloe agree on is that burnout is not a personal failing. It is a structural problem. If your business model requires you to be "on" every single day with no room for rest, your business is eventually going to break you. Chloe's message is that protecting your energy and your creative spark is not selfish. It is the only way to keep doing this long term.
I walked away from this episode thinking about how many creatives push through the warning signs because they feel like stopping means falling behind. Chloe's story is proof that slowing down and rebuilding does not mean you lose everything you have built. Sometimes it is the only way to keep it.
Has anyone else gone through something like this? I would love to hear how you recognized burnout and what helped you come back from it.
Does anybody ever have this problem? I have this photo of a leaf and snow. I posted here and had a print made. Now I don't have a clue where it is digitally on my computer. I am pulling my hair out! I obviously have it somewhere but not under the title I am now using. Anybody else have this happen? Any suggestions? Anybody just feeling sorry for me???????
What is the best medium for photography prints? Does it depend on the image? Or the size? Or where you sell? Or ???
If I am doing a photo a day self-project is it sufficient that I take a photo a day or do I need to make the image, process it and post the image the same day?
Welcome to the Dolby Family Terrace atop the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, California. This panorama is composed of 11 images and my intent was to capture the scope and scale of this immersive experience. I experimented with this shot in black and white, but it seems to me that color offered a more authentic reproduction of the experience of being in this space, with clearer contrast between the concrete terrace and the view beyond. What do you think?
Here's a photo of the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. Golden hour was just getting started and rush hour was well underway. The reflective silver bands sweeping across the underlying red facade depict eddies in airflow passing over a car in a wind tunnel. Since street-level photography was my only option in the time frame of my visit (could not visit earlier or later), my best solution to capture this thought-provoking architectural design was to shoot from the opposing corner at the intersection of S Fairfax Ave and Wilshire Blvd. Given the time constraints of my opportunity, would you have made the same choice or might you have considered other alternatives?
I once had a license plate frame that read "Paid My Dues to See the Views". It was about ROI, return on investment. I have hiked MANY challenging miles over the past 46 years (still at it), and very rarely was it not worth the effort. I think that's a selling point. Below, I'm sharing with you a post I just made to my own Facebook page, and a group that usually offers far more reactions (I usually invite them to follow me). Here's the post, with a second selling point in the last paragraph (namely I know what I'm doing, art-wise):
The thrill of Grand Canyon’s Boucher Trail nearly defies description. Hikers traverse across a steep slope on a narrow ribbon of “flattishness”, neither interested in climbing the cliff to the left, or sliding into oblivion on their right, on the trail’s descent. Jaw-dropping views reward the occasional visitor.
On my return up the Boucher trail, to Hermits Rest years ago, I turned and marveled at this boulder that sits perched 1,500’ above Hermit Creek. Like a philosophy class, I just had questions, but no answers. How did it get here? Why did it stay here and not go further? Such is the wonder of nature.
But wait, there’s more. A graphic artist would see continuation, wherein the near ridge draws your eye down the center of interest, the large table rock stuck in a divot. A photographer should see use of the “rule of thirds”, placing the subject at the lower right of the center “cell” (think of a graphic table with 3 rows and 3 columns). A keen eye would see the distant trail that helps give us a sense of scale.
This is "On the Edge".
A closer look at this Blue Parrot Bloom reveals its fringed petals, soft purple and white markings, and even a tiny visitor on one of the blooms. I love how this closeup captures both texture and life in a single frame.
What do your notice first - the color, the detail or the little bug??
Is there anyone else competing for the $25k prize Johnny Depp is sponsoring besides me? I need votes. Standing at #10 right now for my Group —20 Groups. I need to be at #1 by Thursday at 7p PDT. Wasn’t sure if I could post this here or not.https://peoplesartist.org/2026/carolynne-vaughn
If you've ever had one of those moments where everything goes sideways on a shoot, you already know the pit in your stomach feeling this episode captures perfectly. Cassidy Lynne is back with a brand new Oh Shoot! episode, and this time she's turning the tables on her audience with a format that's equal parts quiz, confessional, and crash course in rolling with the chaos.
The Setup
The episode throws 18 real photography nightmare scenarios at you and asks one simple question: what would you actually do? We're talking about showing up to a wedding with the wrong gear, clients telling you flat out "we hate all of them," and everything in between. Cassidy walks through each one with her signature mix of honesty and humor. You'll probably find yourself mentally rehearsing your own answers before she even finishes describing the situation.
Why This One Hits Different
What makes this episode so engaging is that it's not just a list of worst case scenarios. It's a reality check wrapped in a conversation. Cassidy doesn't sugarcoat things or pretend she's had a flawless career. She talks about the messy, uncomfortable, sometimes hilarious moments that every photographer eventually faces, whether you're just starting out or you've been doing this for twenty years. The "what would you do" format pulls you right into the conversation instead of leaving you on the sidelines.
The Takeaway That Stuck With Me
The thing I keep coming back to is how much this episode normalizes the imperfect parts of running a creative business. So many photographers carry around quiet anxiety about messing up or not knowing the "right" answer in a high pressure moment. Hearing someone lay all of that out in the open, scenario by scenario, is genuinely reassuring. You realize pretty quickly that you're not the only one who's panicked, improvised, or had a client say something that made your heart drop.
Who Should Listen
This one's for every photographer who's ever wished they could peek behind the curtain at how other professionals handle the curveballs. Whether you're booking your first few sessions or you've been in the business for over a decade, these scenarios are universal. Pop it on during your next commute or editing session. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, and you'll probably feel a whole lot better about your own worst day on the job.
Have you ever had a photography nightmare that turned into a great story later? Drop it in the comments. I would love to hear it. We've all been there.
If you have ever felt exhausted by the constant pressure to post, engage, and chase likes on social media, this episode of the Six Figure Photography Podcast is going to feel like a deep breath of fresh air. Host Ben Hartley sits down with luxury wedding photographer Ana Pastoria, and their conversation is one of those rare ones that actually shifts how you think about growing your business.
Ana's Story: Building a Global Brand Without Ads
Ana Pastoria has built a thriving photography brand that reaches clients around the world. The remarkable part? She did not do it by pouring money into ads or obsessing over algorithms. Instead, she focused on something beautifully simple: making every single client feel like the most important person in the room. Her approach is a reminder that behind every booking, every referral, every glowing review, there is a human being who felt genuinely cared for.
The Power of Client Experience Over Content
One of the most compelling moments in this episode is when Ana breaks down the biggest mistakes photographers make with their client experience. So many creatives pour energy into curating a perfect online presence while overlooking the moments that actually matter: how you greet someone, how you follow up, how you make them feel seen. Ana's philosophy is that the best marketing strategy is not a strategy at all. It is simply treating people so well that they cannot help but tell everyone they know.
Offline Marketing That Actually Works in 2025
Ben and Ana dig into specific, actionable offline marketing strategies that photographers can start using right away. This is not vague "just network more" advice. They talk about real tactics for turning happy clients into enthusiastic ambassadors, building referral systems that run on genuine relationships, and showing up in your local community in ways that feel natural rather than forced. For anyone who has ever felt like the online hustle is draining the joy out of their creative work, these ideas are a lifeline.
Why This Episode Matters for Every Creative
Even if you are not a photographer, the heart of this conversation applies to any creative building a business. Ana's journey is proof that you do not have to play the social media game to win. You just have to care deeply about the people you serve. That message landed with me, and I think it will land with you too.
What is one offline marketing move you have made that brought you a client or connection you never expected? I would love to hear your stories below!
If you've ever refreshed your inbox for the tenth time wondering why inquiries aren't coming in, this episode of the Oh Shoot! Podcast is going to feel like Cassidy Lynne is sitting right across the table from you, reading your mind.
Real Questions From Real Photographers
This is one of Cassidy's advice column episodes, which means she's pulling directly from questions that photographers have submitted. We're talking about the struggles that so many creatives face but rarely say out loud: getting ghosted after sending a proposal, spending thousands on courses that didn't move the needle, and that nagging feeling that maybe you're just not cut out for this. Cassidy doesn't just validate those feelings. She gets incredibly specific about what to do next.
Finding Your Niche Without Losing Your Mind
One of the biggest themes running through this episode is the question of niching down. Cassidy talks about how trying to be everything to everyone is one of the fastest ways to burn out and book nothing. She shares her own journey of getting specific about the kind of work she wanted to attract, and how that clarity changed everything from her website copy to her Instagram presence. For anyone who's been putting off that decision because it feels scary, hearing her talk about it so honestly might be exactly the nudge you need.
The Pricing Conversation Nobody Wants to Have
Cassidy also dives into pricing, and not in a generic "just raise your rates" kind of way. She walks through how to evaluate whether your pricing matches the experience you're delivering, what to do when potential clients push back, and why undercharging often creates more problems than it solves. There's a moment where she talks about the emotional weight of quoting a number you're not fully confident in, and it's the kind of honesty that makes this podcast feel like a conversation with a friend who's been exactly where you are.
Building a Brand That Actually Books
The episode wraps up with a conversation about branding that goes beyond logos and color palettes. Cassidy makes the point that your brand isn't what you say it is. It's what potential clients experience when they land on your page. The way you show up online, the stories you tell, and the consistency of your presence all factor into whether someone hits "inquire" or keeps scrolling.
Whether you're just starting out or you've been shooting for years and feel like you've hit a wall, this episode is packed with honest, practical wisdom from someone who's been in the trenches. Drop a comment if anything Cassidy said hit home for you!
