Photographic Collective Podcast || with Miles Witt Boyer

SEO is this mythical monster that either exists to bring us endless numbers of new opportunities or to keep the world from seeing our work. At least that was my impression leading up to this call. The truth is that Search Engine Optimization is this theoretical process that so many of us in the photographic world pretend to understand and fail at so miserably. Enter Dylan Howell. Dylan is an incredible wedding photographer from Portland that saw the influence that having a visible website on Google had on his business and instead of simply keeping all of that information to himself he decided to teach it to anybody that would listen. If you're struggling with keywords, blogging, layout, alt tags, load times, or simply finding your website on the 78th page of Google this episode is for you. It's a refreshingly simple and positive perspective on a few things we can do to turn the momentum of SEO in our favor as well as a few stories and lessons Dylan has learned along the way.

Find more info about training programs and classes you can take from Fuel Your Photos at this website : https://www.fuelyourphotos.com/

Go check out more of Dylan's incredible, grainy, gritty, organic wedding photography at his website : https://dylanmhowell.com/

As always you can connect with Dylan or any of the other guests from the PHOTOCO Podcast in our free facebook community https://www.facebook.com/groups/photographiccollective.mwb

The Photographic Collective is a free, positive, intentionally minded community for creatives and entrepreneurs powered by Photographer Miles Witt Boyer. Sound and editing is done by Jared Mark Fincher. For mentor information or to keep up to date with trainings and workshops join us over at https://www.mileswittboyer.com/education

Who you are as a photographer, an artist, and an entrepreneur comes down to a sum of your experiences, your opportunities, and your God given talents. The world around us seems hell bent on compartmentalizing everything and yet the stories of photographers like Max Grubb's who grew up on a tiny island on the other side of the world and picked up a camera as a way to try and capture and make sense of all of the changes in his life that were coming right along side growing up shows us just how similar we all are. We all have this desire to express ourselves and to organize the world around us. We all have a back story. We all have faced challenges and people who didn't look like us, think like us, or believe what we do and yet when the camera becomes an outlet to learning and understanding the stories of the people around you the color and beauty of their lives bleeds into yours.

Max Grubb is a wedding photographer based in Northwest Arkansas with a story that starts on the other side of the world. His eye for light and moment is empowered by a deep desire to serve and understand the stories that he is asked to capture and the work that is produced through his camera is some of the best I've ever seen. In this episode we dig deep into Max's upbringing but quickly get into the secrets to his success as a photographer and how building relationships and humanizing his subjects has allowed him unrestricted access to more authentic, more intentional, and more creative imagery.

If you'd like to see Max's work check out his website or simply connect with him directly through his instagram page.

The Photographic Collective is powered by Miles Witt Boyer Photography. We're an online community filled with positive, purpose filled photographers and creatives from all over the world. Free to join and packed with conversations, education, and community based opportunities to connect with like minded people along side a few of the most recognized photographers in the world. Join us for free HERE OR connect with Miles Directly through his website built for photographers.

The Photographic Collective LLC operates out of Bentonville, Arkansas offering resources for photographers such as ALBUM DESIGN and fulfillment, business and marketing consulting, and social media training.

From the moment Rebecca Bradley starts talking on this episode with her cool New Zealand accent her obvious passion for people takes over. She's an artist with a fascination in humanity and it has lead her to not only be an incredibly successful and connected wedding photographer on the other side of the world from us here in the PHOTOCO headquarters but also connected her with one of my very favorite software companies. Rebecca's art, alongside her job with NARRATIVE is all geared around serving people and this conversation with her is such a beautiful authentic exploration of where all of that started for her along with a few key lessons and things she's learned along the way.

If you'd like to find out more about NARRATIVE or would like to grab a discount on either PUBLISH or SELECT - click this link : https://narrative.so/?affiliate=MILES

For more information about Rebecca Bradley and to see her beautifully authentic, organic, and artistic wedding photography based in Aukland, NZ click here : https://rebeccabradleyphotography.co.nz/

The Photographic Collective is a free community of creatives and photographers from all over the world coming together in a community every day. Powered by Miles Witt Boyer with a team of moderators, group experts, and admins from around the country we're on the hunt for new ways to change the photography industry from the inside out with positive, intentional, purpose filled content and education. For more information check out the PHOTO by clicking THIS LINK or join us on facebook at : https://www.facebook.com/groups/photographiccollective.mwb

You can't expect yourself to power through week after week without fatigue. You can't be all things to all people. You can't perfect a process professionally and not expect it to affect how present you are personally. You can't grow without rest. This week's episode is all about your health. We're taking a mental health break from loads of amazing advice from a few of the world's most affluent artists and photographers to bring it all back to center for a moment. We all know that we are the most vulnerable to impostor syndrome, insecurity, fear, and ultimately failure when we're stretching ourselves too thin and diluting the magic that makes our work special in the first place. So this week I'm alone just talking through some of the lessons I've learned lately. What it's like to take time to hear my kids giggle, to see my wife smile, and to spend a little of the money I work so hard to earn. We've got to find balance and community if we want to grow healthy businesses that empower us to live bold, intentional lives. Join me for a quick 20 minute episode this week with a challenge at the end of it and then jump over to the Photographic Collective Facebook Group and share with us about the lessons you've learned.

The Photographic Collective is a creative community powered by Miles Witt Boyer along side a team of moderators and community culture advocates and a few of the most known names in the photo industry right along side you! It's a free to join positive place where creatives can learn, grow, and connect without worrying about being criticized. If you're not already a member - click over and join us!

About Miles : International wedding and portrait photographer and founder of The Photographic Collective and Miles Witt Boyer Photography, Miles’ keen eye for light and moment are matched with a passion for relationship and the human connection. Nationally published, award winning, with a company portfolio showing work from nearly 40 states and countries all over the world Miles feels like he is really just getting started. Miles and his team place a high value on experience for their clients noting that the most beautiful art is often a biproduct of being invited into arms length of the most important moments. He is a Fujifilm X/GFX Creator as well as a Fujifilm X-Photographer, and a Holdfast Gear Ambassador with a unique obsession with dynamic light and a love for teaching photographers to see light in special ways. Professor, Art Director, Marketing Consultant, Educator, Social Influencer, Entrepreneur and perhaps his most personally valued title is that of husband and father. Husband to a beautiful wife who helps manage and run his company. Dad to two brilliant little energetic boys who are no stranger to having their lives well documented. Find out more about Miles' work by visiting his website : https://www.mileswittboyer.com/

This is where it all started. In the middle of 2020 I joined into a little app called clubhouse and found myself somehow thrust on stage moderating a group of a few thousand speakers right along side these two gentleman from the UK. We've never met in person but the bond was instant because while we were speaking to photographers and with photographers we were talking about things that carry so much more depth and just camera settings and compositional rules. Over the course of the next few months the three of us became unlikely friends bonding over how important having a positive mindset can be and how critical community is. As the masks came off Clubhouse faded away and yet Igor Demba, Tom Wright, and myself - Miles Witt Boyer somehow were left with this happy memory of what it felt like to shake the industry up a bit.

It was the beginning of this hunger for me to serve and give and really the precursor for this podcast that Jared Fincher and I started so it only feels right to bring these two remarkable artists and visionaries and friends onto the podcast to talk about pursuing purpose as a photographer. Igor Demba is world renowned as one of the absolute biggest and best names in the wedding industry. From being recognized as one of the world's best by Harper's Bazaar to being published and featured in every major publication globally Igor's work has connected with millions of photographers and yet his humility, his big laugh, and his genuine joy is what leads the way for him. A fun and involved dad and a passionate and present husband Igor is absolutely an example of priorities well placed. Tom Wright is a UK photographer with a background in weddings and portraiture that left to pursue commercial work several years ago. Tom has a keen eye for cinematic and beautiful sculpted light, a rare ability to story tell both for brands as well as individuals and an insatiable appetite for knowledge. He is as composed as he is brilliant, humble and approachable while being the talent behind some remarkable work. Over the last two years Igor and Tom have partnered in a number of projects the most recent being a training program that Igor is producing and that entire relationship grew from these chats.

Sit back and soak up some joy in this episode from three friends scattered across the globe as we talk about how we came together, where our lives are going, and how important community, purpose, and positivity are in shaping future success as a photographer.

Find Igor Demba at his website https://www.igordemba.com/

Find Tom Wright at his website https://www.bytomw.com/

The Photographic Collective is a Free Creative Community available for photographers, videographers, and creatives anywhere in the world. It's an open forum for positive and encouraging conversation, networking, and education along side a few of the biggest names in the photography industry. You can find every single past guest on this podcast as a member and we would love to see you over there! Click HERE for more information!

Nadia Meli needs no introduction. She is this brilliant, bold, beautiful soul that is simultaneously deep and approachable. Her sense of compassion for the humanity around her along side an innate ability to create organic and intentional imagery rose her to the top of the industry both in Europe and globally very quickly but it really is finding "home" for her that seems like it matters most. An early adopter of a photographic style that not is so trendy and popular Nadia's work is filled with emotion and movement. As a Nikon ambassador, an educator, a podcaster, and a brand representative for a number of large names Nadia's work has been seen worldwide and yet she has this calm grace and balance to her that shows what is in my opinion the most beautiful characteristic to her as an artist - her humanity. I've had the pleasure to chat a bit with Nadia back and forth over the last year but this podcast interview was the longest we've spent in conversation and my hope is that as a listener you walk away as inspired to find intentionality and purpose and balance in your life as I was.

An Italian born in Germany and now living in London pursuing editorial and fashion portraiture with a rich history and long list of awards as a wedding photographer Nadia Meli is not only an inspiration, she's a beautiful soul. Go get lost in her work here : https://nadiameli.com/

The Photographic Collective Podcast is an extension of a positive creative community moderated by Miles Witt Boyer. Find us over on Facebook to join into the conversation along side all of our past guests. Episodes edited by Jared Mark Fincher. For more information on PhotoCo swag or to join the community find us here : https://www.mileswittboyer.com/education

He's one of the biggest names in mindset and business coaching in the photographic industry. Ben Hartley has not only elevated his own career as a photographer to continually new heights over the last ten years, he has spent most of it intentionally inviting people to join him and to be frank - his ideas are a bit radical. Showing up every day and giving free education, free mindset tips, free perspective to thousands of people in his mastermind group, managing a booming workshop and mentor training program, continuing to run what is widely recognized as one of the top wedding photography studios in the world, and being an incredibly involved dad and husband sounds like a lot, but Ben is just really hitting his stride. This guy's energy, positivity, and perspective are filled with purpose and intentionally and in this talk we chat through not only a bit of his backstory but how he found the courage to really pursue success at this level. I found Ben through the Six Figure Photography Podcast years ago and long before I ever even dreamed of being on the other end of the microphone I knew I wanted to build a relationship with this guy to better understand him. Here we are years later, close friends and I now get the opportunity to share a bit of his wisdom, his big laugh, and his joy with our listeners.

For more information on Ben's BOOKED SOLID and ABUNDANCE workshops or just for more information on how to join Ben's FREE Mastermind group head over to https://benhartley.com/work-with-me or simply head to https://sixfigurephotography.com/mastermind/

The Photographic Collective is a FREE online community over on Facebook hosted by MILES WITT BOYER along side a list of incredible photographers from all over the world. Every guest of the podcast is a member which gives all of our members access to a wealth of free communication, easy education, and most importantly community together. For more information on all that Miles and the Community Coordinators are creating with PHOTOCO as well as swag, coaching, mentor programs, and small group training check out https://www.mileswittboyer.com/education 

Part one of this interview was one of our most listened to episodes ever. No surprise there because while it's always tempting for podcasts to focus on things like how amazing photographer's shoot or where they've been this conversation with Jonas Peterson is all about the why. It's a lesson that Jonas has learned and a process he has refined over a career filled with adventures and awards. In fact, the more acclaim Jonas receives the more he attempts to sidestep the limelight in the name of authenticity for his clients. Part One of the Jonas Peterson interview by Miles really dug into Jonas' origin story coming from the advertising world and being named one of the top photographers in the world in his first year as a full time shooter. This part of the interview focuses more into what comes next for Jonas, how he sees the future of the industry, and ways that we can all be more mindful, more intentional, more authentic photographers.

For all of the time so many of us in the photography community spend educating at workshops, creating content on YOUTUBE, mentoring, shooting, training, editing, training associates, selling albums (and the list goes on and on)... The truth is that most of us can trace some part of how we do what we do back to the influence that Jonas Peterson has had on the industry. His friendships with names like Fer Juarsiti, Gabe McClintock, Jose Villa, etc are a perfect example of the level of work Jonas has created and yet for as accomplished as he is perhaps what we can learn the most from this conversation with him is how important it is to approach every client, every wedding with the humility to see them as the heros in their own story. No matter how famous Jonas has become his approach has always been to serve and love his couples and it shows perhaps most in his most recent work as he pairs Super8 video, expired Polaroid Film, and remarkable imagery into this art that is uniquely him.

To see more of Jonas Peterson's work check out his website https://jonaspeterson.com/

The Photographic Collective is a creative community moderated by photographers and friends from all over the world and powered by Miles Witt Boyer. This podcast as well as membership in the Collective are totally free and offer a positive, intentional approach to community in the photographic and creative industry. Join us here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/photographiccollective.mwb or reach out to Miles directly for information on small group training, mentor programs and getting more involved in the PHOTOCO leadership training here : https://www.mileswittboyer.com/education

Everybody knows the name... Jonas Peterson is this larger than life photographer who’s style not only help define the way so many artists shoot but who arguably helped to shift the direction of the entire industry almost over night. A successful advertising mind, an educator, a prolific speaker, a personality that has become so attached with the wedding photography community. What people may not always get the chance to see however is the way that Jonas’ eye as a photographer, his perspective on the humanity of his clients, and his vision for the importance of images and video in our lives is so beautifully unique.

We broke this conversation up into two episodes simply because there was no way to cut off such great content. That said this first half of our call with Jonas Peterson tracks his life as a destination wedding photographer and overnight success shooting over 40 weddings his very first year and traveling the world with a camera. The wrap up is a fascinating perspective from somebody who certainly deserves to have his heard that the “rockstar” destination photographer life can be not only self serving but also pretty toxic to the relationships at home and the couples who just want to have their authentic stories captured. We're left understanding the way rising to the absolute peak of the Photography Industry so quickly gave Jonas the opportunity to see his role with a camera for his clients in a revitalized way. Serving his couples and their stories intentionally rather than the klout that can come with shooting selfishly.

Super grateful for the time Jonas invested in this call from his home in Austin, Texas. He has been a favorite photographer of mine for years but watching his style shift and along with it his perspective on how to serve his clients and make sure that his work is honest and organic is something our whole industry could benefit from.

See more of Jonas’ work here : https://jonaspeterson.com

The Photographic Collective Podcast is an extension of a positive creative community moderated by Miles Witt Boyer. Find us over on Facebook to join into the conversation along side all of our past guests. Episodes edited by Jared Mark Fincher. For more information on PhotoCo swag or to join the community find us here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/photographiccollective.mwb/

Whether it's because of YouTube or a Fujifilm endorsement, being named a Rangefinder 30 Rising Star in 2021, or just a wildly hungry and humble heart there's no doubt about it. John Branch IV is on the map. This sit down with John is all about the hunger he has and the perspective he has found that have shaped him as a create, first in the music industry and now as a wedding photographer. There is something so powerful about getting to know a guy like John well. His talent and his ability to articulate something in a way that is both relevant and still unique is inspiring and his ability to juggle two different voices speaking directly to his wedding clients who have hired him to hold a camera and simultaneously to the photo industry and youtube community who approach him as an educator is second to none.

So grateful for the time John put into being transparent about his story and giving so many useful tips that we can all learn from on our path's towards pursuing our dreams. John started out as he puts it "The toilet and coffee intern" learning to go "150%" at whatever opportunities he had in front of him and today finds himself with over 120,000 youtube subscribers and a global endorsement by one of the top camera companies on earth. A truly special and inspiring chat with a humbled, and humbling man.

Check out John Branch IV on his Youtube Channel and and his WEBSITE. 

John is also a member at our private and totally FREE Facebook Community - The PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTIVE where we host daily positive and purpose filled chats about the photo industry.

As Always you can connect with Miles, check out FREE RESOURCES for photographers, and connect about mentorships or just comment on this podcast at https://www.mileswittboyer.com/education