We're celebrating 100 episodes of The Photo Flunky Show!

Why We're Celebrating 100 Episodes of The Photo Flunky Show

Our little photography podcast is 100 episodes old. That seems like a milestone worth celebrating. So we decided it would be nice to look back on where we started, what we became, and then discuss where to take the show in the future.

Early Beginnings of The Photo Flunky Show

The Photo Flunky Show started off as a rather short photography podcast published three times per week. I was the only host. Like many new podcasts, the first few shows were a bit rough around the edges, but I kept at it. The idea for the show was to discuss photography from the perspective of an enthusiast who takes photography seriously. Someone who doesn't mind earning some money from photography, but never wants to be a professional photographer with clients.

I wanted to find a new outlet to discuss photography and was really very excited to start recording. It took me a while to decide what equipment to use and learn how to record, but I found a setup and sound that I liked.

You may think that recording a show would be faster than writing a blog post, but it isn't. If anything, it takes much more time. It's also more important to keep on a schedule than blog posts. I found myself recording, editing, writing show notes, coming up with graphics and dealing with audio issues that I'd never considered.

It's fun, but time consuming the way I do it. Doesn't matter because I enjoy it.

I Needed a Partner

After listening to several shows, I thought things would be better if someone was on the show with me to have a conversation, rather than just have my voice drone on to your ears. On episode 15, I asked my wife, Lee, to join me on the show and discuss assignment photography.

PF 015: Walkthrough of a Photo Assignment

Lee discussed how you approach photography quite differently when shooting for a specific assignment, compared to having the freedom to go shoot what you want. Assignment photography defines your purpose for the photos, both in terms of subject and how the photos get used in an article.

Listen to Episode 15 – Walkthrough of a Photo Assignment

Once Lee joined, I knew that we found the right format. Now it was just a matter of deciding upon topics to discuss.

Discovering Creativity and Practical Advice as Our Primary Topics

Let's face it. We can't show our photos on a podcast. We can post them on the show notes, and we do, but the show has to be a discussion about photography and useful for photographers. We found that our best topics were about creativity and practical advice about photography.

Here are a few shows as examples.

Photography Foulups and How to Overcome Your Mistakes

PF 041: How to Overcome Photography Foulups

Taking photographs is easy, right? You just walk up to something you like, snap a shot and you're done.

Making photographs is much harder. You have a lot to consider and it's easy to overlook something. That's why we created this show to help you remember some of the tips and techniques you can use to help remember those important settings for your camera

If you feel bad about some of the mistakes you've made as a photographer, listen to this episode. I've actually gone on a trip and brought lenses for another make of camera than for the body I brought with me.

Listen to Episode 41 – Photography Foulups and How to Overcome Your Mistakes

How to Deal with Unexpected Requests for Photography

PF 059: How to Deal with Unexpected Requests for Photography