In this episode of More Than Photos, Brad & Jen sit down with UK-based wedding photographer Daniel Knight Harris for a wide-ranging conversation on creative longevity, intentional business decisions, and building a career that supports real life. Drawing from his background in music and commercial photography, Daniel shares why weddings offer a rare gift of creative freedom and how slowing down, setting boundaries, and protecting energy have reshaped both his work and his family life.

• Creative-first decisions lead to healthier, longer careers
• Slowing processes can increase meaning and clarity for clients
• Protecting energy matters as much as protecting income
• Tools that require more intention can reconnect you to the craft
  

Links

• Daniel Knight Harris: https://www.danielknightharris.com/
• Daniel Knight Harris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielknightharris 

Learn More about Brad & Jen:

• Brad and Jen Website: learn.bradandjen.com
• Purpose and Profit Course: https://learn.bradandjen.com/purpose-and-profit-course 

• (00:00) Introduction & Daniel’s path into photography
• (04:30) From music and commercial work to weddings
• (10:15) Creative freedom in weddings vs. commercial spaces
• (15:40) Energy, boundaries, and avoiding burnout
• (20:10) Redefining what “thriving” actually means
• (26:00) Slowing down workflows and client expectations
• (32:30) Why giving less can strengthen the final product
• (38:45) Tools, film, and reengaging with the craft
• (45:10) Family rhythms, life rules, and work weeks
• (51:30) Saying no, trusting the process, and creative confidence
• (58:30) What success looks like in this season of life
  
  

Keywords

creative longevity, wedding photography, slow photography, creative burnout, sustainable business, film photography, client experience, creative boundaries, photography podcast, More Than Photos, Daniel Knight Harris

In this episode of More Than Photos, Brad shares a powerful metaphor drawn from a skiing trip in Colorado to explain why growth in your business can suddenly feel exhausting—even when you’re experienced and capable. This conversation reframes pricing, markets, and “leveling up” not as a ladder to climb, but as terrain that requires conditioning. If growth has felt heavy, chaotic, or discouraging lately, this episode offers clarity, language, and a healthier path forward.

Key Takeaways

• Strain is not always a sign of growth — often it’s feedback
• Different markets aren’t better or worse, just different terrain
• Raising prices isn’t about numbers; it’s about readiness
• Sustainable growth requires conditioning, not shortcuts
• Endurance, specificity, and emotional regulation matter more than tactics
• A healthy business should support your life, not consume it
  
  

Links

• Purpose and Profit Course https://learn.bradandjen.com/purpose-and-profit-course
• Mastermind Coaching https://learn.bradandjen.com/mastermind-coaching

Chapters

• (00:00) A skiing story that reframes growth
• (02:45) Why doing “the right things” can still feel wrong
• (05:00) Growth vs. strain: learning to read the feedback
• (06:30) Why markets aren’t a ladder—but terrain
• (08:45) The three muscles every creative must build
• (09:00) Endurance: systems, structure, and sustainability
• (10:30) Specificity: confidence, taste, and clarity
• (12:00) Breathing at altitude: handling pressure and expectations
• (13:30) The danger of leaping instead of stepping
• (15:00) A real-life filmmaker case study
• (17:30) What aligned growth actually produces
• (19:00) Invitation to go deeper with intention
  
  

Keywords

creative growth, photography business, burnout, pricing photographers, creative sustainability, purpose and profit, photography education, creative business coaching, imposter syndrome, raising prices, More Than Photos podcast

Photographer Daniel Kim joins More Than Photos for a thoughtful conversation on creativity, burnout, and the long road of building a sustainable career. Daniel reflects on early ambition, seasons of overwork, and the disciplines like rest, journaling, budgeting, and saying no, that have helped him create without losing himself. This episode is an honest look at what it takes to make meaningful work without running your life at full throttle.

Key Takeaways

• Burnout often comes from living in a constant state of urgency, not just working hard
• Creativity thrives with margin, not pressure
• Rest is not a reward, it’s a discipline
• Journaling helps clarify identity beyond output and productivity
• Financial rhythms (budgeting, simplicity) directly affect creative freedom
• A sustainable career is built slowly, with intention and self-awareness
• Success doesn’t require red-lining your life

Links

• Daniel Kim Photography https://danielkimphoto.com/
• Daniel Kim on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/danielkimphoto/
• Rick Rubin’s book https://amzn.to/49gBIMc

Learn More about Brad & Jen:

• Brad and Jen Website: learn.bradandjen.com
• Purpose and Profit Course: https://learn.bradandjen.com/purpose-and-profit-course 

Chapters

• (00:00) Introduction & meeting Daniel Kim
• (03:45) Early ambition and learning the photography grind
• (09:30) When creativity starts to feel like pressure
• (15:10) Burnout, exhaustion, and the cost of constant output
• (22:40) Why rest is essential for creative longevity
• (29:15) Journaling, self-awareness, and identity beyond work
• (36:50) Budgeting, simplicity, and creative freedom
• (44:20) Redefining success and building a sustainable career
• (51:30) Encouragement for creatives feeling tired or stuck

Keywords

creativity, burnout, photography podcast, creative burnout, sustainable creativity, rest and work, creative discipline, journaling for creatives, photography career, artistic identity, More Than Photos, Daniel Kim

Samm Blake joins More Than Photos for a conversation about longevity, discipline, and what it really takes to build a career that lasts. With over two decades in the industry, Samm reflects on resisting “luxury,” learning when to push and when to rest, and how quiet disciplines like editing, boundaries, and gut instinct have shaped her work at the highest level.

This episode isn’t about chasing more, but tending what matters. Samm shares how artistic integrity, health, and intention have guided her through different seasons of growth, burnout, and recalibration. If you’re mid-career and trying to figure out how to grow without losing your love for the work, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

• Longevity is built through quiet, consistent disciplines—not constant expansion
• Resisting “luxury” can be a values decision, not a limitation
• Growth often requires subtraction, not addition
• Burnout can be a teacher when it leads to honest recalibration
• Editing and curation are grounding artistic practices, not just workflow steps
• Gut instinct becomes trustworthy through years of reps and reflection
• Excellence includes protecting health, energy, and relationships
• Decisions made today often show up 12–18 months later
• A sustainable career is shaped slowly, with intention and self-awareness
• You don’t need to reinvent yourself to grow—you need to stay rooted in your why

Samm Blake Weddings
https://www.sammblakeweddings.com/

Samm's Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sammblake/

Aperture Photography Workshop Series
https://aperture.org/books/photography-workshop-series/

Retouching Software
https://www.evoto.ai

Brad & Jen Website
https://learn.bradandjen.com

Purpose & Profit Course
https://learn.bradandjen.com/purpose-and-profit-course

• (00:00) Introduction & why this conversation matters
• (03:30) Resisting “luxury” and staying connected to your why
• (09:45) Career phases, rebuilding, and learning when to push or rest
• (17:30) Burnout, capacity, and the cost of constant momentum
• (24:00) Excellence under pressure and working at the highest level
• (31:30) Editing, curation, and grounding your artistic voice
• (38:45) Gut instinct, confidence, and earned trust
• (45:30) Health, boundaries, and redefining success
• (52:00) The long game: decisions that show up 18 months later
• (57:00) Encouragement for mid-career photographers feeling stretched

photography podcast, Samm Blake, wedding photography, creative longevity, sustainable photography career, creative discipline, editing and curation, resisting luxury, burnout and recovery, artistic growth, mid-career photographers, business and creativity, More Than Photos, Brad & Jen

In this episode, we sit down with Christian Sudrath of Noble Photo Co. to talk about a hard truth many photographers avoid: you can build a following that will never hire you!!!

We unpack what it looks like to stop posting for other photographers, separate making art from selling it, and build a business that actually moves you forward. If you’re feeling stuck, chasing engagement, or questioning who you’re really creating for, this conversation offers clarity and a better way forward.

Connect with Christian: https://instagram.com/noblephotoco
Explore Purpose & Profit: https://learn.bradandjen.com/purpose-and-profit-course