My Creative Journey - Photography Podcast

Sophie Kietzmann is a New York based fashion and portrait photographer who has worked with Vanity Fair, GQ, Glamour & Vogue Italia. Working across high-end fashion and editorial spaces, they create bold, inclusive imagery that challenges traditional beauty standards and elevates underrepresented voices.

In this episode, Sophie joins Mike to unpack one of the biggest unspoken issues in the creative industry… why so many photographers feel stuck, overworked and still struggle to make money. They dive into the toxic hustle culture that glorifies burnout and unpack the “starving artist” mindset that keeps photographers playing small. Sophie shares how learning business completely changed their career and the real reason creatives feel guilty charging for their work.

This is a conversation about identity, money, fear and what it actually takes to build a sustainable photography career, without losing yourself in the process. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right but still not getting ahead, this episode will challenge the way you think about success, creativity and what it really means to make it as a photographer.

Say Hi to Sophie on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sophiekietzmann/

Sophie's Website:
https://www.sophiekietzmann.com/

In this episode we also talk about:
- Why photographers feel guilty charging for their work
- The starving artist mindset in photography
- Why photographers overwork and burn out
- Overcoming fear of rejection as a photographer
- Why photographers feel stuck in their business
- The mindset shift photographers need to grow
- Why talent alone won’t make you successful as a photographer

Thanks again for watching and if you did enjoy todays episode, make sure to Subscribe and leave a Comment to let us know you were here!

Check out the Podcast in Audio form at https://www.mikejeffrey.co/podcast

Mike's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikejeffreyphoto/
Mike's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mikejeffreyphoto/

Editing and Post Production by Mossy Heart Media
https://www.mossyheartmedia.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/mossyheartmedia/

Music Created by JWPATON
https://www.instagram.com/jwptn/

No guest this week, just me and a bunch of questions every photographer needs to reflect on at some point. Some of them are going to feel a bit confronting. Some of them you'll laugh at because you'll recognise yourself in the answer. But hopefully a few of them might just change the way you think about where your photography career is heading.

Starting with inversion thinking. Basically, what would you have to do to guarantee your photography career failed? And look, the answers are kind of obvious. Never post your work. Never reply to enquiries. Make it impossible for people to book you. Surround yourself with people who are comfortable staying average. Pretty obvious stuff, right? Until you sit there and go, hang on, I'm actually doing some of these things right now. From there we get into some bigger questions. What would you do if you knew the outcome was guaranteed? Do you actually like your own work or do you just hope other people will? And who are the five people you spend the most time with, and are they growth minded people or are they quietly keeping you exactly where you are?

This episode is for photographers who are just starting out and those who have been at it for a few years and have that nagging feeling that something needs to change. The answers are already in you. Sometimes you just need someone to ask the questions out loud.

Thanks for tuning in and if you did enjoy todays episode, make sure to leave a Rating or Review on your platform of choice.

Check out the Video Podcast on YouTube

Mike's Instagram | Mike's TikTok

Kenny Macieira is the Host of Kickin It With Creatives Podcast. In this episode he chats with Mike about one of the most underrated marketing strategies, starting a podcast. Kenny didn't come from a podcasting background. He stumbled into it through a client then spent months watching others record in the studio he was running until he eventually had no excuse not to start his own show. In a world where attention is everything, podcasting might just be the most valuable marketing tool a creative business owner has ever had access to but most people won't start one. In this episode, Kenny pulls back the curtain on what the first year of podcasting really looks like. The random Instagram DMs, the inconsistency, the self-doubt and why pushing through it anyway is exactly what separates the creatives who grow from the ones who don't.

Grab the FREE Podcasting Cheat Sheet: mikejeffrey.co/podcast-cheat-sheet

Say Hi to Kenny on Instagram

Check out Kenny's Podcast - Kickin It With Creatives
YouTube | Spotify | Instagram

In this episode, you'll learn:
- How to start a podcast with no audience and no experience
- Ways to find your first podcast guests when nobody knows who you are
- What equipment you actually need to start a podcast
- How to grow a podcast on YouTube and Instagram
- How to stay consistent with your podcast when motivation runs out
- Secrets for structuring a podcast episode that keeps people watching
- How to pitch yourself to guests and actually get a reply

Thanks for tuning in and if you did enjoy todays episode, make sure to leave a Rating or Review on your platform of choice.

Check out the Video Podcast on YouTube

Mike's Instagram | Mike's TikTok

Editing and Post Production by Mossy Heart Media
https://www.instagram.com/mossyheartmedia/

Music Created by JWPATON

Claire Darwish is the founder of Gallery Lane Magazine and in this episode she breaks down why so many photographers are attracting the wrong clients. Before she was teaching marketing, Claire was fully booked, shooting 15 to 20 family photography sessions a week. On paper, it looked like success. Six figures within months, constant inquiries and a calendar that never stopped. But behind the scenes she was editing until 2am, replying to emails in the car and missing time with her kids while on family holidays because she couldn't switch off. She had built momentum, but it was pulling her away from the reason she started in the first place.

In this conversation, we unpack the real reason photographers end up overworked or attracting the wrong clients. We talk about the trap of copying trends, chasing reach, and creating content for the algorithm instead of speaking directly to your ideal client. Claire shares how defining her ideal client changed her systems, communication style, inquiry process and marketing strategy. We explore why your ideal client is often a reflection of your values, how shared beliefs matter more than demographics, and why clarity is the difference between being busy and being fulfilled.

If you have ever felt stuck chasing trends, growing on Instagram but not booking the right people or wondering why your content isn't converting, this episode will help you recalibrate.

Claire's Instagram | Gallery Lane Instagram

Sign up for Gallery Lane Magazine 

Claire's Website 

Listen to Mike's Interview with Claire on Tog Royalty

In this episode we discuss:
• How to define your ideal client as a photographer
• Why copying Instagram trends attracts the wrong clients
• Photography marketing strategies that convert into real bookings
• The difference between Instagram reach and attracting aligned clients
• How viral content can hurt your brand positioning
• Overbooking, burnout, and the hidden cost of being fully booked
• Setting boundaries and building sustainable systems in your photography business
• Hands off vs hands on clients and how to market differently to each
• Building a photography business that supports your life, not consumes it

Thanks for tuning in and if you did enjoy todays episode, make sure to leave a Rating or Review on your platform of choice.

Check out the Video Podcast on YouTube

Mike's Instagram | Mike's TikTok

Editing and Post Production by Mossy Heart Media
https://www.instagram.com/mossyheartmedia/

Music Created by JWPATON

Laura Shepherd is a wedding photographer, flash enthusiast and educator based in Portland, Oregon known for her bold, editorial style and refreshingly simple approach to off camera flash. In this episode, we go deep into flash photography and break down why so many photographers overcomplicate it. Laura shares how she learned flash early in her career, why she believes light is creative rather than technical and intimidating and how simplifying education has become part of her mission.

We also dive into her journey from working in marketing at Nike, to becoming a corporate flight attendant, to discovering photography during 2020 and completely changing her life. She talks openly about imposter syndrome, burnout, social media, and what it means to be an introvert building community online. If flash has ever confused you, intimidated you, or felt overly technical, this conversation will help you rethink it completely.

Laura's Off Camera Flash Guide:
https://www.laurashepherdimages.com/product-page/master-guide-to-off-camera-flash

Say Hi to Laura on
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurashepherdimages/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laura_shepherd_images

Sign up for updates from Laura about new courses & guides:
https://mailchi.mp/09a9bef98304/laura-shepherd-images-email-list

In this episode we talk about:
- Why flash doesn’t have to look flashy
- How to actually understand aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and flash working together
- The biggest mistakes photographers make when learning flash
- Why copying someone else’s settings will never work
- TTL vs manual on real wedding days
- How to recognise flash in other people’s work
- Using higher apertures like f/8, f/11 or even f/14 for that editorial look
- When one flash is enough and when two lights make sense
- How to get comfortable moving your flash off camera

Thanks for tuning in and if you did enjoy todays episode, make sure to leave a Rating or Review on your platform of choice.

Check out the Video Podcast on YouTube

Mike's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikejeffreyphoto/
Mike's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mikejeffreyphoto/

Editing and Post Production by Mossy Heart Media
https://www.mossyheartmedia.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/mossyheartmedia/

Music Created by JWPATON
https://www.instagram.com/jwptn/