Focused Professional

In Episode 30 Joe welcomes internationally renowned photographer, teacher, speaker and judge Tony Hewitt. With multiple fellowships and countless awards including International Photographer of the Year titles, Tony is highly respected in the industry and regularly sought out for mentoring and coaching. An experienced wedding, portrait, commercial and fine art photographer, Tony knows the photograp...

Welcome to Episode 29 of the Focused Professional Podcast. In this episode, Joe chats with Dario Righetto, a highly respected figure in the international photography community known for his expertise in printing and as a judge. Dario sketches out for us his journey into the photography industry and his passion for supporting artists. Growing up in Venice, inspired by the stunning architecture, art...

Welcome to episode 28 of the Focused Professional Podcast. In this interview, Joe chats with Elinchrom Global Ambassador and Nikon Creator Therese Asplund. The acclaimed Swedish photographer has won many international titles and awards and is a Master Qualified European Photographer. Her prints consistently score highly in competitions, wowing the judges, and she has even managed an incredible per...

Join us in Episode 27 for a deep and personal conversation with Danish photographer, tutor, and model Sissela Johansson. Now based in Sweden, Sissela lived in America for a number of years and has experience of running a business in different contexts and with different aims. After initially following the advice of established photographers on how to "succeed," she took her own path that felt more...

In episode 26 we chat with award-winning photographer Antonio Bernardino Coelho from Portugal. Antonio has gathered numerous accolades from international photography competitions, including the prestigious Sony Awards and the Society of Photographers. In this interview he shares how he takes inspiration from everything - big or small. Antonio juggles family life, working as an engineer and his var...

Welcome to episode 25 of the Focused Professional Podcast. In this episode, Joe chats with Jessica McGovern, a renowned pet photographer and Fellow of both the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) and the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP). As well as the challenges of running multiple businesses, Jessica & her husband have taken on a huge renovation project i...

In Episode 24 Joe is joined by portrait and headshot specialist Hannah Couzens. A Sony camera ambassador, Profoto educator, and award-winning business owner known for her live stage demonstrations, Hannah is a leading light in the photography world. Listen as she shares her passion for teaching and offers insights into achieving powerful portraits. For her, sharing knowledge and experience is vita...

Welcome to episode 23 of the Focused Professional Podcast. Join us for a deep conversation between host Joe Lenton and one of the world's elite wedding photographers, Sanjay Jogia from Eye Jogia Photography. Sanjay has been recognised as one of the top six wedding photographers in the world. He is a Master Photographer with The Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers and an ambassador for...

In this episode Joe chats with Ross Grieve FSWPP. Ross is an ambassador for several brands including Lumix, Hobolite and Calibrite. He has an impressive track record in competitions, including 3 wins of the Welsh Portrait Photographer of the Year. From his early days back in New Zealand to his current home in Wales, Ross has had a passion for photography in various forms. From bungee jumping to we...

We kick off Season 3 of the Focused Professional Podcast with wildlife and pet photographer Frankie Adamson. She recently won both the wildlife photographer of the year and the overall photographer of the year titles with the Society of Photographers. Her dramatic image "Kiss of Death" stunned the judges and is continuing to wow audiences around the world (see below).  Former teacher Frankie has a...

Our guest for episode 20 is Peter Rooney, a renowned creative portrait photographer originally from the UK, currently living in Thailand. He joins us to discuss his creative journey and his varied experiences as a British expat living and working overseas. Peter has won numerous accolades for his work, including a Fellowship with the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) and winning...

In episode 19 we focus on pet photography with one of the world's top exponents of the genre. Australian photographer Belinda Richards has won many awards and titles for her work, including being The Society of Photographers overall photographer of the year in 2022. Belinda has worked with animals for many years and in different industries. Her time running a mobile dog grooming business and worki...

In Episode 18, Joe interviews Sean Gallagher, an independent photographer and filmmaker based in China. A fellow of the Royal Geographic Society with a passion for environmental issues, Sean is a multi-award-winning photojournalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic and on CNN.  After studying zoology, Sean stumbled upon photography by discovering an old family camera. His growing pass...

Fiona Elizabeth joins us to share her unexpected journey into wedding photography and the challenges she's faced along the way. Discover how Fiona balances the artistic and business aspects of her work and also helps others to do so through her Wedding Photographer Mentor programme. She is passionate about helping others to create successful wedding photography businesses, providing guidance and s...

Immerse yourself in the world of renowned outdoor photographer, Curtis Jones. Join us as Curtis shares the highs and lows of his ongoing journey exploring the most isolated environments on the planet. Find out what motivates him and how his approach has changed over the years. He shares his passion not only to photograph these places but also to study the rich history, culture, flora, and fauna, s...

Join host Joe Lenton in episode 15 of the Focused Professional Podcast as he welcomes Terry Donnelly - an award-winning, multi-genre Master Photographer with over 250 international accolades. Hear how he has honed his abilities across a range of genres, avoiding being pigeon-holed into one type of subject. We compare and contrast the skills and approach needed for sports and architectural photogra...

World-renowned portrait photographer Rachel Owen joins Joe to share her experiences and the learning curve that led to her becoming a highly respected wedding photographer and international-award-winning composite artist. Rachel describes how she discovered her goals, aimed high and worked hard until she achieved her incredible success. She now helps other photographers along the journey, teaching...

In this riveting 13th episode of the Focused Professional podcast, our host Joe Lenton interviews professional photography coach, Mark Rossetto. Get ready for a deep dive into marketing, the role of discipline, motivation and supportive community for building a successful photography business. Mark and Joe share their passion for nurturing the potential in photographers and helping them to run the...

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

We begin season 2 of The Focused Professional Podcast with another world class international photographer and educator, Gary Hughes. He is particularly known and in demand for his headshot photography. Gary recently put himself through the adrenaline-inducing ordeal of having his work scrutinised by a panel of 5 judges (one of whom was your host Joe Lenton) to gain his Fellowship qualification wit...

In episode 10 of the Focused Professional Podcast, we dive into the world of fine art portraiture and photography training with renowned photographer and teacher, Martina Wärenfeld. This world class artist shares her varied experiences from recent surprise successes in Vegas to the reality of being a professional in a changing economic climate. Martina shares how her approach to competitions has c...

In Episode 9 of the Focused Professional Podcast, we have an exclusive interview with special guest, Kris Anderson. A double master from Icon and recent winner of the in camera division at the Icon awards, Kris shares his passion for creating impactful images and visual storytelling. We discuss a range of topics from dealing with imposter syndrome and learning from failures, to exploring unorthodo...

Our special guest for this episode is Terrie Jones, Head of Judging & Personal Development Manager at The Society of Photographers. As you will hear, Terrie has a strong passion for helping photographers with self-development. She is always looking to improve how things are done and explains one example of this - why the scoring system was recently updated for the 20x16 print competition. Find...

Swiss wedding photographer Steffi Blochwitz joins us in this episode to talk about photography, self-image, her cats and more. She recently won the 20x16 Print Wedding - Open Photographer of the Year & the Wedding - Couple Together Photographer of the Year titles with The Societies of Photographers. Here she is with her cat "Nuts"! Some Examples of Steffi's work: Follow Steffi on Instagram Vis...

Special guest Neil Shearer shares his story and also his thoughts on creativity, CGI, AI, and more. Neil is a qualified Fellow (IFSWPP) and recently won the 20x16 Print Advertising & Commercial Photographer of the Year title. Images ©Neil Shearer, 2024 See more of Neil's commercial photography and personal work  You can also keep up to date with his latest projects by following Neil on Instagr...