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Guest: Jared Middleton (Sir Dork)

Dakota chats with toy photographer and content creator Jared Middleton (Sir Dork) for his first return to the podcast in five years.

Jared shares how he discovered toy photography, the creators who inspired him, and how a casual hobby evolved into a full creative career across photography, collecting, YouTube, and storytelling.

They dive into his creative process, shooting outdoors with practical effects, developing a unique style, and building an audience online. Jared also opens up about major setbacks, including losing his Instagram archive and recovering from a hacked YouTube channel with over 60,000 subscribers.

This episode covers the realities of long-term content creation, from burnout and motivation to consistency and community, with practical insights for both new and experienced toy photographers.

Follow Jared (Sir Dork):

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Website

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• YouTube

• Instagram

Follow Toy Photocast:

• Instagram

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify