PHOTO DUMP

Kat Borchart is an LA based Lifestyle & Beauty commercial photographer. She began her journey by studying photography where she focused on technical training. She started out as an assistant before going freelance and eventually leading big sets for huge clients. Her years of experience has honed her unique voice. We chat about the different stages in her career and lessons she’s learned along...

Jai Lennard is a Portrait Photographer based in New York City who specializes in Celebrity Portraiture. His masterful lighting and keen eye for capturing the essence of his subjects has landed his work on covers of prestigious magazines and campaigns. Jai talks about how his shoots come together, some tips and tricks he's learned along the way that allow him to feel confident, as well as a per...

Tory Rust is a bicoastal photographer and director that creates bold and playful imagery across Beauty, Active, and Fashion. She chats about finding her POV, getting comfortable with talent, and mental health. Tory shares things that she has implemented into her hectic shoot schedule that takes her between the west coast and east coast that allow her stay grounded and healthy. Links - www.toryrust...

A photography career is a long and windy road that's different for everyone. We discuss our own paths that lead us to where we are today. From pursuing alternative careers after college, to being self taught and finding our way in the industry, to growing a business - we get into the specifics of our journeys. Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things commercial photography indust...

Jeff Vallee reflects on his career trajectory, creative and professional growth, and lessons he has learned along the way. From his transition from assisting to shooting for his own clients, to what he prioritizes in pre-production to set himself up for a successful shoot, to transitioning from shooting stills to directing motion. While focusing on authenticity within the commercial world, he has...

Monica Wang is an Interior Photographer based in LA, and owner of the sought after photo and event studio, The Revery LA. Monica talks about leaving her comfortable job in finance and starting two businesses at once…right at the start of the pandemic. Monica’s risk assessment strategy from her finance days and sheer determination lead her to overcome obstacles during a time when businesses were cl...

David K. Peng is an LA based first assistant. He talks about breaking into the industry after moving to LA with zero contacts, what he sees as valuable traits to bring on set, and things he's learned through years of working with a variety of photographers. He also gets into balancing his own photography with his consistent assisting schedule. We offer some feedback to David of what he can focus o...

Lauren Wax is a senior agent with Apostrophe Reps. Robin Holland Greene is the owner and lead agent of Holl & Artists. In this episode we cover what they think about when they fill their rosters with creatives, what is or isn’t commissionable, marketing, sourcebooks, additional fees to consider, and industry shifts. Links: www.hollandartists.com + @hollandartists www.apostrophereps.com  +...

We sit down with both of our agents for an in depth conversation about artist representation. Lauren Wax is a senior agent with Apostrophe Reps. Robin Holland Greene is the owner and lead agent of Holl & Artists. We learn about their agencies and approaches, chat about when is the right time to look for representation, what they look for in an artist partnership, thoughts on budgets and income...

We kick off season two and the start of 2023 with reflections on the previous year and lessons learned. We chat about resolutions vs. intentions, attainable goals, as well as our thoughts on big breaks and whether they exist. Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things commercial photography industry and business on this bi-weekly podcast. Want us to discuss your specific experience or...

Our Live Panel conversation with fellow photographer, Audrey Ma. We chat about budgets, rates, and more, plus we answer great questions from the audience. An enormous thank you to everyone that came out and supported. Recorded Live at: The Revery in Los Angeles Hosted by: Monica Wang Moderated by: Audrey Ma Drink Sponsors: Cann + Sanzo . Cann offers 50% off CA delivery for first time customers wit...

We talk about our own marketing practices, as well as paid marketing services and whether we think they are worth the investment or not. Links mentioned summarized in: Photo Directories & Sourcebook Review ** Live Podcast Event in LA! Join Us! ** Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business. Want us to discuss your specific experience or q...

We get a lot of questions that aren't quite long enough to do a full episode on, so we recorded an AMA episode with some of the most common questions we've received! From prop rentals to retouching to working on set, we touch on a wide range of topics. Links mentioned in episode: ** Live Podcast Event! Join Us! ** LA Based Prop Houses: PropLink , Surface Library / Hudson Studios , Modernica , Plat...

A work life balance - it is a myth, or is it attainable? We chat about certain practices we’ve worked on implementing in an attempt to have a more balanced life when work gets crazy. Links mentioned in this episode: Mile IQ , Freshbooks , Quickbooks Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business. Want us to discuss your specific experience or qu...

What is the line between being inspired by other creatives work and copying it? A recent experience that Ren had with this issue inspired the conversation of this episode. Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business. Want us to discuss your specific experience or question? Send feedback or questions to: photodump.club@gmail.com or @photodump....

We chat about moments in our career where we felt like we were leveling up, the realization that leveling up means pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and how we want to continue to level up as we grow in our careers. Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business. Want us to discuss your specific experience or question? Send feedback or...

We answer an email write in by a fellow photographer where we cover what to charge when you're first starting out, expenses you can be quoting, and how we tie usage into our fees. We also chat about unrealistic budget requests from ad clients that should know better and getting bailed on by a client last minute. Links mentioned: A Photo Editor - Pricing & Negotiation   Each week, Ren + Je...

We all have a little voice that tries to signal an alarm when a red flag pops up with a client. In today's episode we talk about instances where we ignored our gut, what we learned from it, and red flags we've learned to avoid. Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business. Want us to discuss your specific experience or question? Send feedback...

The mysterious bidding process. What is a bid? (hint: when you compete for a shoot against 2 other photographers) Where do they come from? How long do they last? What kind of work goes into them? It’s impossible to not talk about bidding without talking about treatments. We get into the importance of treatments and what should be going into them to land you the job! Links mentioned in episodes - h...

We get into the actual process of shooting the cookbook, once your estimate and contract (listen to part 1) are approved! We chat about everything from shot lists to schedules to grocery lists, to must haves on set. Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business. Want us to discuss your specific experience or question? Send feedback or questions...

Cookbooks are a huge labor of love and a lot goes into getting one off the ground. We'll chat about our experiences landing cookbook projects, estimating, contracts, advances, and even being your own producer. Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business. Want us to discuss your specific experience or question? Send feedback or questions to: p...

Test shoots have many benefits for your photography career (and sanity). Maybe it’s to expand or grow your portfolio. Or perhaps you’d like to try working with different stylists. Or you have a personal project that you’re passionate about. In this episode, we chat about why we test. And the differences between testing for yourself and testing for a moodboard. Links mentioned in episode: “All Adve...

We chat about our different experiences of when we felt ready for an agent, finding the agency that felt like the right fit, and what it's like working with them. Hint: You do not kick back, while the jobs start pouring in. Links mentioned in the episode: A Photo Editor - Pricing & Negotiation Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business....

We discuss bidding against each other for a commercial job. We also touch on when current trends are not your style. Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business. Want us to discuss your specific experience or question? Send feedback or questions to: photodump.club@gmail.com or @photodump.club Follow Ren’s work: @ren_fuller and www.renfuller.c...

We’ll talk about the most common crew roles on set, when to bring on a team, crew rates and set etiquette. Each week, Ren + Jennifer get into the nitty gritty of all things photography industry and business. Want us to discuss your specific experience or question? Send feedback or questions to: photodump.club@gmail.com or @photodump.club Follow Ren’s work: @ren_fuller and www.renfuller.com Follow...