Hi friends! In this episode I’m sitting down with Susan Stripling to talk about what it actually takes to build a sustainable wedding photography business. Susan has been in this industry for over two decades, and her perspective on longevity, business, and staying relevant is grounded and honest. We talk about treating photography like a real business from the beginning, balancing creativity with structure, and why sustainability matters more than quick growth.

Meet Susan:

Susan Stripling has been photographing weddings, portraits, and theater for almost twenty-five years. Susan's work has been published in Inside Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Modern Bride, Town and Country Weddings, the New York Times, New York Post, Rangerfinder, and PDN. She's won multiple awards at the prestigious Wedding and Portrait Photographers International 16x20 print competition and holds the prestigious Grand Master Status at WPPI as well.

She has been named one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world by American Photo Magazine. She is a Canon Explorer of Light and the founder of The Wedding School.

In her spare time, Susan is a voracious reader, obsessive new scuba diver, sourdough enthusiast, lover of all horror movies, and inexplicably sleeps with the lights on.

Connect with Me:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a Member of Summer School⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pricing Guide⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Summer Camp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (2026)

*Summer School is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Narrative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — the AI culling and editing tool I use that supports my workflow without replacing my creativity. Try Narrative for free today using the link above!

Connect with Susan:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susanstripling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanstriplingphotography/

In this episode, I talk with Hannah Faye about building and scaling a photography business while raising three kids under five. We get into systems, outsourcing, workflow tools, and how she’s structured her business to support her life instead of compete with it. Hannah shares what’s actually helped her grow, what she’s stopped doing, and why community has mattered more than anything.

Meet Hannah:

Hannah Frederick is a Washington-based wedding photographer, mother of three, and wife who has built and scaled a thriving photography business while welcoming three babies in just over three years. She knows firsthand what it’s like to send client emails while breastfeeding, juggle nap schedules with timelines, and grow a dream business without losing herself—or her peace—in the process.As the founder of a growing associate team, Hannah is deeply passionate about encouraging and empowering women in business, especially mothers who are navigating both ambition and family life. She believes wholeheartedly that it is possible to run a successful, sustainable business without sacrificing family time, presence, or joy.Hannah is living proof that motherhood and entrepreneurship can coexist beautifully—and she truly believes that mothers make the very best businesswomen.

Connect with Me:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a Member of Summer School⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WPPI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get 20% off your ticket using code SUMMER26

Subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to our emails for updates on all things Summer School!

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@summergrace.photo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@the_summerschool⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shop My Products:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Summer Grace x G-Presets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL)

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pricing Guide⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Summer Camp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (2026)

*Summer School is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Narrative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — the AI culling and editing tool I use that supports my workflow without replacing my creativity. Try Narrative for free today using the link above!

Connect with Hannah:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hannahfayephoto.com/

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/hannahfayephoto/?hl=en

Book a mentorship with Hannah here: https://www.hannahfayephoto.com/coaching

Hi everyone! In this episode, I share my thoughts on where I think 2026 is headed for photographers and creatives. I talk about the growing importance of community, the shift toward more human-first work as AI becomes more common, the pull back toward hands-on, process-driven creativity, and why diversifying income can create more freedom. This is less about predictions and more about patterns I’m noticing and how I’m thinking about moving forward into the new year.

Connect with Me:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a Member of Summer School⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠WPPI⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get 20% off your ticket using code SUMMER26

Subscribe ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ to our emails for updates on all things Summer School!

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@summergrace.photo⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠@the_summerschool⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shop My Products:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Summer Grace x G-Presets⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ (⁠⁠⁠⁠discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL)

⁠⁠⁠⁠Pricing Guide⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Summer Camp⁠⁠⁠⁠ (2026)

*Summer School is powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Narrative⁠⁠⁠⁠ — the AI culling and editing tool I use that supports my workflow without replacing my creativity. Try Narrative for free today using the link above!

This time, I’m sitting down with Daniel Knight Harris, a photographer and art director whose background in music, fashion, and film has deeply shaped how he approaches wedding photography. We talk about his transition from music and fashion into weddings, what it looks like to treat each wedding like a creative brief, and why film still plays such an important role in his work.

Meet Daniel:

Daniel, is a photographer and art director with a background in music, fashion, and film.
For over a decade, he created visual work for brands like Netflix, Pinterest, Leica, Dr Martens, Spotify, and collaborated with some of the world’s most celebrated music artists .
In 2021, he traversed fully over from Fashion & Music into weddings bringing his creative director hat with him. Over the years, he's found himself supporting his booked couples over their planning periods, helping them with their creative decisions across fashion, design, curation and production.
He brings an artful, personal, and relaxed approach to each celebration he takes on and he feels that in the photographs. His clients typically look for a mixture of film photography and digital photography in their coverage that allow him to create images that feel timeless, expressive, and reflect his couples and their celebrations.
His work has been featured in Vogue with two more features coming this month, he has taught a masterclass on Lensel this past September on Film Photography and he was recently named one of the UK’s Top 50 Wedding Photographers by Professional Photo Magazine. He works predominantly in Europe and the U.K.

Connect with Me:

⁠⁠⁠Become a Member of Summer School⁠⁠⁠

Join me at ⁠⁠⁠WPPI⁠⁠⁠ and get 20% off your ticket using code SUMMER26

Subscribe ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ to our emails for updates on all things Summer School!

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@summergrace.photo⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠@the_summerschool⁠⁠⁠

Shop My Products:

⁠⁠⁠Summer Grace x G-Presets⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ (⁠⁠⁠discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL)

⁠⁠⁠Pricing Guide⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Summer Camp⁠⁠⁠ (2026)

*Summer School is powered by ⁠⁠⁠Narrative⁠⁠⁠ — the AI culling and editing tool I use that supports my workflow without replacing my creativity. Try Narrative for free today using the link above!

Connect with Daniel:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.danielknightharris.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielknightharris/?hl=en

Daniel offers mentorships! Check out his website to inquire.

Also, go check out his newly launched business “Film Drops” - https://filmdrops.co.uk/drop-waitlist

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Chris, a film photographer I discovered through a viral Instagram post about AI that sparked a lot of conversation. He shares the story behind his post, which features AI generated wedding images so convincing they fooled both industry peers and his own family, and why that experiment felt like a real wake-up call. That post opened the door to a much bigger discussion - one about where photography is headed in an AI-powered world, how easily fabricated images can pass as real, and what that means for trust and transparency in our industry.

Meet Chris:

Chris Spencer-Payne is a UK based film photographer working under the name Grainyboi. His work centres around travel photography & weddings all shot entirely on film. His work is rooted in being present and letting things happen naturally. No forced moments & no heavy polish. Whether he is photographing a wedding or golden hour in the mountains, the goal is always the same. Slow down, pay attention, and trust the process.

Connect with Me:

⁠⁠Become a Member of Summer School⁠⁠

Join me at ⁠⁠WPPI⁠⁠ and get 20% off your ticket using code SUMMER26

Subscribe ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to our emails for updates on all things Summer School!

Instagram: ⁠⁠@summergrace.photo⁠⁠  ⁠⁠@the_summerschool⁠⁠

Shop My Products:

⁠⁠Summer Grace x G-Presets⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ (⁠⁠discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL)

⁠⁠Pricing Guide⁠⁠

⁠⁠Summer Camp⁠⁠ (2026)

*Summer School is powered by ⁠⁠Narrative⁠⁠ — the AI culling and editing tool I use that supports my workflow without replacing my creativity. Try Narrative for free today using the link above!

Connect with Chris:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.grainyboi.com/

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/grainyboiweddings_/

This week on the podcast, I’m chatting with Catalina Jean - a former wedding photographer turned marketing and SEO expert. We talk about SEO in a very real, practical way - from understanding how Google actually works to why platforms like Instagram and TikTok are now search engines too. Catalina breaks down how photographers can improve visibility without chasing trends or relying solely on social media, and why slower bookings aren’t always about your work - they’re often about being harder to find.

Meet Catalina:

Catalina Jean is a wedding photographer, SEO strategist, and mad scientist of marketing. She creates high impact courses for photographers and wedding pros to book out their year, with ease. She believes owning your own business is a hack in the matrix - everyone who has the pull should have access to all the info on how to create a business that thrives.

Connect with Me:

⁠Become a Member of Summer School⁠

Join me at ⁠WPPI⁠ and get 20% off your ticket using code SUMMER26

Subscribe ⁠here⁠ to our emails for updates on all things Summer School!

Instagram: ⁠@summergrace.photo⁠  ⁠@the_summerschool⁠

Shop My Products:

⁠Summer Grace x G-Presets⁠ ⁠ (⁠discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL)

⁠Pricing Guide⁠

⁠Summer Camp⁠ (2026)

*Summer School is powered by ⁠Narrative⁠ — the AI culling and editing tool I use that supports my workflow without replacing my creativity. Try Narrative for free today using the link above!

Connect with Catalina:

Check out her “SEO for Socials” course here

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://catalinajeaneducation.com/

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/catalinajean/

Hi everyone! This week I’m talking with Marina, a Berlin-based photographer whose approach is super thoughtful and rooted in connection. We get into her shift from political science to photography, how soft skills actually show up in real sessions, and the simple Instagram strategy she uses to book shoots while traveling.

Meet Marina:

Marina is an international couples and wedding photographer based in Berlin. After a sudden career change, she found freedom and fulfillment in photography. She captures stories of love and life on both digital and film, with Super 8 as her latest passion. Deeply inspired by people, she can’t help but fall in love with them, exploring who they are and seeing them in their truest light.

Connect with Me:

Become a Member of Summer School

Join me at WPPI and get 20% off your ticket using code SUMMER26

Subscribe here to our emails for updates on all things Summer School!

Instagram: @summergrace.photo  @the_summerschool

Shop My Products:

Summer Grace x G-Presets (discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL)

Pricing Guide

Summer Camp (2026)

*Summer School is powered by Narrative — the AI culling and editing tool I use that supports my workflow without replacing my creativity. Try Narrative for free today using the link above!

Connect with Marina:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://marinapolovinkina.com

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ogurezkapusta/

Hi everyone! This time, I’m sitting down with Magic - a wedding photographer and YouTube creator whose personality and branding are just as memorable as his work. We talk about how he built a global wedding photography career, what pushed him onto YouTube, and how he’s grown a community of 50,000+ creatives.

Meet Magic:

Magic is a destination wedding photographer with over 12 years of experience. He's built Magic Wedding Photographer, a YouTube channel with 45,000+ subscribers that educates professional wedding photographers through gear reviews, technical tutorials, and business strategy.A former Sony Ambassador for 7 years, Magic has evolved from high-volume wedding work to building a comprehensive photography education business. His "Enter the Dragon" philosophy teaches photographers to attract ideal clients through authentic self-expression rather than generic marketing.Based in Poland with his wife Zuzia and four children, Magic serves growing wedding photographers worldwide who want to book better clients, improve their craft, and build sustainable education-focused businesses.

Connect with Magic:

Website: ⁠www.magicweddingphotographer.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magicweddingphotographer

Connect with Me:

Subscribe to our emails for updates on all things Summer School!

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Show Notes: ⁠the-summerschool.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠@summergrace.photo⁠  ⁠@the_summerschool⁠

Shop My Products:

⁠Become a Member of Summer School⁠

⁠My Summer Grace x G-Presets⁠ ⁠ (⁠discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL)

⁠My Pricing Guide

In this episode, I sit down with Brjánn Batista Bettencourt - a Toronto-based photographer and cinematographer known for his analog and Super 8 work - to talk about what it actually looks like to shoot film in the wedding industry today.

Brjánn shares how his journey from photojournalism to weddings, his skateboarding background, and his Portuguese-Canadian roots shaped the way he tells stories. We dive into why he’s so committed to analog, what Super 8 brings to a wedding day, and the realities (and challenges) of shooting film for clients in a digital-heavy industry.

Meet Brjaan

Brjánn (Brian) Batista Bettencourt is a Toronto-based photographer and cinematographer whose work lives at the intersection of documentary truth and nostalgic longing.

Brjánn’s career spans photojournalism, editorial portraiture, and motion-picture work, with tenures at the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and Country Music Television, where he photographed renowned artists such as Shawn Mendes, Shania Twain, Dierks Bentley and Florida Georgina Line. His analog film work has been featured by CBC and placed him on the cover of PhotoLife Magazine for his work with Kodak Ektachrome.

Today, Brjánn works internationally across weddings, editorial assignments, and long-form personal projects, drawing inspiration from his coming of age experiences in the skateboarding community and duality of cultures as a Portuguese-Canadian. He lives in Toronto with his wife and collaborator, photographer and designer Ryanne Hollies.

Connect with Brjánn:

Stay tuned for a potential Super 8 workshop happening in 2026!

Website: www.3bphoto.ca

Instagram: @brjann.c0m

Connect with Me:

Subscribe to our emails for updates on all things Summer School!

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Show Notes: the-summerschool.com

Instagram: @summergrace.photo  @the_summerschool

Shop My Products:

Become a Member of Summer School

My Summer Grace x G-Presets (discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL)

My Pricing Guide

This time I’m joined by photographer Lukas Piatek to talk about AI, lighting, and composition - three things shaping photography right now. We break down the AI tools worth using, how to elevate your images with stronger light, and why developing your own style matters more than following trends.\

Meet Lukas:

Lukas Piatek is a destination wedding and elopement photographer known for his cinematic, emotive imagery and work across more than 30 countries. Based in Germany, and splitting his time between Europe and beyond, Lukas captures weddings with a raw, storytelling approach that blends editorial elegance with genuine emotion. Lukas is also the creator behind Meridian Presets, used by thousands of photographers worldwide to achieve natural, film-inspired tones. Alongside his photography work, Lukas mentors creatives in SEO and brand strategy, helping photographers elevate their online presence and grow sustainable businesses.

Connect with Lukas:

Website: www.lukaspiatek.com

Instagram: @lukaspiatekphotography

Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/lukaspiatek

Connect with Me:

Subscribe to our emails for updates on all things Summer School!

SUBSCRIBE HERE

Show Notes: the-summerschool.com

Instagram: @summergrace.photo  @the_summerschool

Shop My Products:

Become a Member of Summer School

My Summer Grace x G-Presets (discount code: SUMMERSCHOOL)

My Pricing Guide