The MOOD Podcast

The Best Bits of 2025


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The year didn’t teach us to shoot faster. It taught us to go deeper. We close out 2025 by stitching together the most resonant moments from a season of hard questions and honest answers: why “quick fix” education fails creatives, how pricing for profit transforms freelancers into owners, and where empathy turns a portrait from performance into truth.

Art stays at the centre. We explore ambiguity as a strength, and you’ll hear how long-form projects and photo books benefit from time and distance, how technique and tone evolve across a decade, and why music, language, and psychological safety can unlock authentic portraits. We examine the record-making power of photojournalism and face its mental health tolls with tools that actually help: self-care rituals, supportive networks, and realistic recovery in hostile environments.

Threaded through everything is a humbling sense of place—grief and hope living side by side, and nature reminding us the story isn’t finished. If you’ve felt the pull to slow down, to price honestly, to build community, and to let your work breathe, please take stock and listen. 

Subscribe, share with a friend who needs depth over dopamine, and leave a review telling us where you’ll choose craft over shortcuts in the new year.
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Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can also watch this episode on my YouTube channel (link below) where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as my social media, so make sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Threads and TikTok or check out my website for my complete portfolio of work.

YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@mattyj_ay

Learn with me
https://mattjacobphotography.com/voice-alchemy

My Newsletter
https://mattjacobphotography.com/newsletter

Website:
www.mattjacobphotography.com

Socials:
IG | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | @mattyj_ay

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The MOOD PodcastBy Matt Jacob

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