The Mastering Portrait Photography Podcast

In today's digital age of photography it's impossible to avoid conversations about selling files.  In this podcast (from the deepest depths of beautiful Cornwall I might add, with sounds of birds tweeting in the background) we discuss the pressures on photography businesses to sell their files and give up copyright.   As a rule we don't sell high-resolution files (by high-resolution I mean the sam...

Welcome to episode 21 of the Mastering Portrait Photography Podcast! It's been a busy week here with portrait shoots (both family and commercial) and a wedding thrown in for good measure!  But it's not all been work, it's also been our local Summer Beer Festival which is a glorious celebration of all things summer with some ale, cider, Pimms, gin and laughter for good measure: plus it was the Worl...

James Musselwhite is one of the most exciting portrait photographers working in the UK: with his iconic monochrome portraits of wrestlers, he has built a global fan base who prize his imagery. In this interview (in a noisy pub in southern England!) we chat about life, passion, encouragement and the state of the photography industry. And we laugh. Quite a lot.

England are playing in the FIFA World Cup today and so I am avoiding the tv and radio - I am not good around anything competitive (it really does bring out the worst in me!) However, with a lot of help from my mentor (we all should have one) entering print competitions is a worthwhile exercise in spite of what it brings out in me! This podcast talks about mentors and competitions and why they are...

It's a question we're often asked: "Do you need a studio to succeed [in portrait photography]?" I am not sure there is one, single, satisfactory answer to that question but, well, you know I have to try.  In this podcast I describe the setup we have here, the setup we used to have (a converted garage) and, prior to that, how I survived without a studio at all.  Do you need one? Have a listen and s...

This week's episode is mainly a Q&A in response to a young photographer. Oh, and I have a rant about service: the WAY you create pictures is just as important as the pictures you create!    To view more content, visit  Mastering Portrait Photography !

We all have a bag of some sort: big, small, with wheels, with back-breaking straps, modest, flamboyant, chock full or half empty. We ALL have a bag. This is what's in mine from bodies to brushes, gizmos to gum.    To view more content, visit Mastering Portrait Photography !

Sometimes you have to make the best of the time you have and today, well, today I have spent the day on the road - just me, the satnav and my trusty Land Rover Defender.  This podcast (with a healthy dose of TD5 engine noise) talks about some of the things I've heard judges comment on when judging photography print competitions - either at Camera Clubs or International Competitions. So if competin...

Whether or not you like it, the modern portrait photographer is going to spend a not insignificant amount of time sitting in front of Lightroom and Photoshop. Setting up your workspace to make this as painless as possible is critical (or you're going to need the Aspirin!) Here I chat about some of the things I have done to make my edit workload as palatable as possible: it's all about the comfy ch...

I am frequently asked to advise on what would I buy if I started from scratch so, as I drink a last coffee (decaf of course!) before heading out to shoot a glorious, sunny wedding, I ponder on those initial purchases: what and why.  And it includes good shoes. Who knew?

Someone asked me about developing your own distinctive portrait photography style: if I'm honest, I was never certain I had one but, well, I guess I probably have these days. These are just a few musings on the steps to developing your own style, selecting images for marketing and why it's often best to plough your own furrow (to use an old idiom!)

Your photography production workflow is supremely important, though it is often an overlooked component. Thinking it through, however, will bring benefits in the long run. Being kind to yourself is even harder - I talk about why I recommend it!

In this podcast, we muse a little on whether qualifications from the big photographic associations have any relevance in the current marketplace. Enjoy!

Still answering questions here at Mastering Portrait Photography - mostly about business factors and what it takes to make a successful photography business.

In this Mastering Portrait Photography podcast, I chat through a series of questions we were sent by a student in Maryland, USA (there are quite a few so it is split over two podcasts!) Hopefully she will find the answers illuminating!  

Mastering Portrait Photography Podcast 007. In this podcast, we discuss the merits of talking a lot. Oh, the irony.

This podcast talks about plagiarism - but of the right kind - and why it's a useful skill to think like a photography judge!

In this episode, I explain why truth is so important to me and what it was like to co-author the book Mastering Portrait Photography with Sarah Plater. Enjoy!

It's been one of those days when being a Profession Portrait Photography is both brilliant and frustrating: that list of things to do just seems to be running away with me!

This podcast concerns just one image: Bruno. Simple is always best (in my opinion at least) and this image epitomises that approach: simple light, simple pose, simple finish, simply gorgeous. A good day in the studio! During the podcast I mention that is was originally intended to be used as part of a composite of the two brothers together - here is that composite:

Today it's all about different things for different people, whether it's about creativity, your approach to photography or being a musician! Being authentic and 'who you are' is at the core of being creative. A short but sweet podcast in the pouring rain.

This is really just a pilot to see if I can do this quickly, efficiently and (most importantly of all) create something that people might actually listen to! In this episode, we talk about this, the new Mastering Portrait Photography website, what to expect and look forward. I talk about the reason I love this industry so much and how I got to photograph the late, great Sir Roger Bannister (of the...