Focused Professional

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 changed, using them in different ways as part of her career strategy. She speaks openly and honestly about her struggles, whether that is understanding the apparent whims of social media advertising or remembering the right technical terms when teaching! Martina dispels the myth of the "perfect expert", showing us instead that all of us are always learning and evolving. Together, we explore the importance of understanding your own personality for developing a photography business. 

Join us in this journey of learning, growing, and gaining inspiration to develop a photographic style and solid business. It's a fantastic blend of artistry, resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, and humorous anecdotes intended to fuel continual learning, development, and passion in photography

Some of Martina's images:

Visit Martina's Website for Fine Art Portraiture & Teaching

If you would like to keep up to date with the latest images and news from Martina then please follow her on Instagram

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 unorthodox photographic techniques and working towards a Fellowship panel.

Plus, get a sneak peek into Kris's personal life, his move from Canada to Australia, and his love for snow!

The image that won the in camera division at Icon:

One of Kris' most well known composites:

An example of Kris' storytelling through images:

See more of Kris' images on the Images By Anderson website

Or follow him on Instagram to keep up with his latest work

Kris Anderson is a Double Master with Icon International Photography Awards, a Fellow with The Society of Photographers, an NZIPP Master with Distinction and has won numerous awards on the international stage for his outstanding images. 

He is also now famous for the 2 word phrase at the end of his behind the scenes video

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 out how pets help her and her family live more healthily and get a teaser of one of her latest goals.

The Societies of Photographers website

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

Visit Steffi's website

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 Instagram

Hanna Neret, the creative trophy-collecting genius from Sweden  joins us in this episode. Her images have won numerous accolades including the 2022 Societies Photographer of the Year. She gives us an insight into how she creates her masterpieces and what motivates her. 

Images ©Hanna Neret. See more of her work on Hanna's Instagram

FSWPP Master Photographer Scott Johnson joins us to share what motivates him in his photography. Famous for his world class wedding photography, Scott is also diversifying both for his business and personal enjoyment. Enjoy his amusing anecdotes and find out what Scott couldn't do without if he is to remain a nice guy!

See more of Scott's work at The Edge website

Why set goals? How should we choose them in the first place? Motivation comes from our needs. Having more of our needs met leads to a greater sense of satisfaction. Setting goals based on our motivators and needs helps to ensure that we are aiming for something that has genuine purpose and meaning for us. It can also make persevering through difficulties that much easier. This episode of the Focused Professional Podcast looks in detail about the role that goals can play for us.

Does your business suit your personality? As professional photographers we are essentially our brand. So, if we keep trying to do things that don't work for our personality then there is a good chance that people will notice some dissonance in our brand. By understanding ourselves better we can find ways of doing activities such as marketing in ways that are more natural for us. This not only makes it easier for us, it also means that our prospective clients will see a more authentic brand.

How can we be happy as professional photographers? The key lies in our motivation. If we are able to work in line with our motivators then we can feel happier and that we are achieving more. Ignoring what really motivates us can leave us frustrated and unhappy. This episode is an introduction to motivating factors that can affect photographers when running their own business. It is presented by Joe Lenton, mentor & business coach at Focused Professional.