Focused AF

Every photographer hits a point where they wonder: How do I make my work look more like me and less like everyone else? Jason Vinson joins us for a conversation on creativity, growth, and building a body of work that stands out in an increasingly crowded industry. In this episode, we cover: How to develop a style that's unmistakably yours Why learning to see light changes everything The bigges...

Have you ever been in that phase where you’re doing the responsible thing, but also building something on the side, and both are starting to fight each other. One is paying your bills, the other one is quietly telling you this is the thing, and you don’t know when to pull the trigger. That’s this episode. We had Chris "DJ O" Obando on, and before we got into anything useful, we spent a s...

After a six-month break, we’re back—and catching up on everything from life updates to what we saw at WPPI 2026. This year felt different. More focus on content creation, social media, and business education than ever before, along with a new wave of voices entering the industry. In this episode, we break down the biggest shifts we’re noticing: the growing role of platforms like TikTok and YouTube...

Ever wish you could sit down with the people who actually run the venues - and ask what they really think about us? In this episode, the Focused AF crew talk with Debbie and Dana from Indian Trail Club , who’ve seen everything from rain dances to rogue vendors. They share candid (and hilarious) stories from decades in hospitality - along with rare insight into how venues choose who they trust, ref...

When she wasn't teaching high school Spanish and French, she spent nights and weekends photographing weddings, blogging, and slowly building a brand from scratch. Eventually, Alexandra Peterson left the classroom behind and turned her side hustle into a full-time photography business with an associate team, a studio space, and a website that ranks all over Google. In this episode, we dive into: Ho...

In this laugh-out-loud, real-talk episode, we sit down with acclaimed Brooklyn-based wedding and editorial photographer Joshua Dwain — and it’s a ride. From navigating high-end weddings and dramatic destinations to dodging border patrol in Canada, Joshua pulls back the curtain on what it's really like building a luxury wedding brand with your spouse, traveling with 20K in camera gear, and staying...

In this episode, we sit down with Leah Weinberg—former wedding planner turned attorney and founder of Weinberg Legal—to dive deep into the wild legal landscape of the wedding industry. From pandemic cancellations and vendor scams to real-life contract horror stories, Leah shares her unique perspective as someone who's worked on both sides of the aisle. We cover red flags to watch for in contracts,...

In this episode of The Focused AF Podcast, Ben, Jen, and Ro sit down with the incredible Nicole Hoffman – a wedding photographer, educator, and CRM expert – to talk all things business, systems, and sustainability in the photography world. Nicole shares her inspiring journey from law school graduate to full-time photographer and team member at Táve, a powerful CRM for creative professionals. You&#...

What happens when talent, passion, and humility collide? You get Rabih Madi — an award-winning wedding photographer from Montreal and the guest on this week’s episode! Rabih isn’t just capturing weddings; he’s creating art that’s turning heads on international stages. Fresh off a major win at WPPI, Rabih joins us to share how he went from assistant gigs and dinosaur Photoshop edits to producing gr...

This week, we’re diving deep into all things weddings, florals, and conference life! We kick off with a full WPPI recap — sharing our experience staying at the newly renovated Rio, the highs and lows of conference events, and why the value you get is what you make of it. Then, we sit down with Jess from Crossed Keys Estate, a family-owned wedding venue that has grown from a rustic tent site to a h...

While we can all admit that 2024 (and even 2025) have been unusual years for the wedding industry, there are several outliers who've been bucking this trend of doom & gloom that seems to be everywhere you look. In today, episode, we interview one of those outliers: Kelly of Kelly Sea Images. Not only is she single-handedly photographing nearly triple digits of weddings every year (on her own,...

John Branch IV is a father, husband, photographer, and educator - but most importantly, he's a fellow gear head and YouTuber! Learn how he maintains his work-life balance amidst his busy work & travel schedule, as well as his impressive content creation workflow. You can check out John Branch IV below: https://www.jbivphotography.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@jbivphotography https://www.instag...

Everybody wants to know how to grow an associate team - but what if you're on the other end of that coin? What if you simply wish to photograph gorgeous weddings on the weekends for other studios? As a veteran associate lead photographer of Pearl Paper Studio for over the past 11 years, Stephen Capone is everything a studio needs an associate photographer to be: talented, dependable, and the consu...

What did we accomplish this year? What do we hope to accomplish in 2025? Today's drink is an Apple Cider Old Fashioned - 1 oz bourbon - 2 oz apple cider - splash of bitters - garnish with cinnamon stick

When people see you at the top of your game, they oftentimes don't see the blood, sweat, and tears that go into building a profitable business. It's a common theme that you hear with success stories - this concept is neither new (nor inspirational, for that matter). However for better or worse, it's all absolutely 100% true. On one of our recent lives, a viewer/listener wanted to know about some o...

We take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to answer viewer questions about sales, marketing, and business. Side note: we may/may not have strayed off topic to talk about silly things going on in our personal lives!

One of the best things your favorite podcast cohosts have ever done for our businesses was attend conferences, both here at home and abroad. Hands down, it's one of the quickest ways to level up your skills, build your portfolio, and grow your professional network - all the key ingredients to running a successful business. This is why we've invited Christopher Stiles & Jennifer Zapatka of The...

Brielle Uszenski of I Do Wedding & Event Planning stops by the studio to chat about managing client expectations, creative personalities, and all the crazy shenanigans when nobody listens to her professional advice. You can check her out here: https://www.ido-planning.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/idoplanningandevents/

If you think that trying to make a living through wedding photography is hard, try being a musician! The Essential Jason Nelson joins us in the studio and shares how he's been able to niche down, leverage social media, and create a thriving brand that most of us can only dream of. You can check him out here: https://www.instagram.com/essentialjasonnelson In honor of our special guests, this drink...

You might know Scott as the community manager of a very well known AI post-production company, but he's also a husband, father, mental health advocate, podcaster, musician, expert on all things NJ, and of course - the occasional photographer. His path to where he is today was not an easy one, as Scott shares in this episode about his struggles with bullying, dyslexia, and a host of all kinds of ch...

Contrary to popular opinion, there's more to wedding planning than just the fun, creative parts and building the dream team that will bring a vision to life; there are also countless hours of firefighting, budgeting, and coordination that goes on behind the scenes to make all these things happen - all the while keeping a big smile on your face. That is what we talk about with Amanda Hudes from...

As full-time professionals in the wedding industry, it's easy to attribute our hardships and struggles to a flailing economy, the quality of our work, our (lack of) sales & marketing skills, or even national politics. But as we learn from Fabio Miglio (named 2021 Europe's Best Wedding Photographer by Way Up North), our experiences here in the US are not uniquely an American one. Fabio...

In this day in age of countless online resources and tools at our fingertips, do engaged couples still need a wedding planner? And if you're a wedding creative, what are wedding planners looking for when they're building their creative team to help bring their clients' vision to life? Kelly Seca of Gifted Events joins us in the studio on this episode to give us a peek into the life and...

How do you start your business when you've got no portfolio, no industry connections, and you find yourself in a market that's just overflowing with talent? Andre Brown of the Bokeh Photo Summit knows a thing or two about starting from the ground up, and is now one of the most decorated, celebrated, and sought-after wedding photographers in our industry. Learn more about how he attracts an...

"Some people are so consumed and pre-occupied with their product, that they forget the EXPERIENCE is a part of that product." Our good friend Ben Davis dropping GOLD on this episode with the Focused AF crew. Learn how he attracts and serve his high-end luxury clients, while juggling his VERY busy family life. You can check him and his wife out here: https://yameanstudiosfilms.com/