In this episode of The Photog Files, we talk about the moment every creative eventually faces — when your direction starts to shift, but your life is already full.

Working a day job. Showing up at home. Trying to build something meaningful after hours. Redirecting your photography without starting from scratch.

This isn’t about quitting everything and chasing a dream. It’s about re-aiming while life is already in motion.

If you’ve ever felt pulled toward a new creative path while balancing work, relationships, and responsibility, this episode is for you.

Because progress doesn’t always look loud.
Sometimes it looks like quiet consistency… built inside the life you already have.

The Photog Files is a podcast about photography, creativity, and building a meaningful creative life—one frame at a time.

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/carolinahawkeye⁠⁠Website & show notes: ⁠⁠https://ricknelson.photography⁠⁠ More episodes: ⁠⁠https://ricknelson.photography/the-photog-files

Lately, Rick has been feeling overwhelmed and low on motivation—not burned out, just heavy. In this honest, unfiltered episode of The Photog Files, he shares why he stopped trying to force inspiration and instead followed what felt simple and grounding.

From returning to fishing, to reconnecting with the slow, mechanical process of film photography using an old manual Leica, this conversation explores why structure, method, and patience can sometimes do more for creativity than motivation ever could.

This isn’t an episode about fixing yourself.
It’s about listening, slowing down, and allowing creativity to be quiet for a while.

If you’re a photographer or creative feeling stuck, uninspired, or overwhelmed, this episode is a reminder: you’re not broken—you might just need a different kind of rhythm.

The Photog Files is a podcast about photography, creativity, and building a meaningful creative life—one frame at a time.

Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/carolinahawkeye⁠Website & show notes: ⁠https://ricknelson.photography⁠ More episodes: ⁠https://ricknelson.photography/the-photog-files

Modern cameras are faster, smarter, and closer to perfect than ever before.
Autofocus rarely misses. Exposure is effortless. AI is everywhere.

So where does that leave the photographer?

In this episode of The Photog Files, we look at how photography has changed—from a time when mastering the camera was the job, to today, where the camera is simply a tool. We unpack the early technical roles of photographers, the rise of specialization, the digital shift, and why creativity, attention, and intention now matter more than specs.

We also talk about AI—what it can do, what it can’t, and why the human photographer still plays a vital role in seeing, deciding, and documenting moments with meaning.

This is a reflective conversation about photography’s past, present, and future—and an invitation to focus less on perfection, and more on presence.

The Photog Files is a podcast about photography, creativity, and building a meaningful creative life—one frame at a time.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/carolinahawkeye
Website & show notes: https://ricknelson.photography
More episodes: https://ricknelson.photography/the-photog-files

The Photog Files
Starting photography is exciting—but it can also be quietly confusing and discouraging. In this episode of The Photog Files, we slow the noise down.

This is a calm, reflective conversation about the lessons no one tells you at the beginning—about frustration, developing your eye, learning to see light, avoiding comparison, and trusting your own creative voice.

If you’re a photographer who feels stuck, behind, or unsure if you’re “doing it right,” this episode is for you.

• Why frustration is a sign of growth, not failure
• The gap between taste and skill—and why it hurts
• Why light matters more than location
• Letting go of perfection and technical obsession
• Why the photos you don’t share still matter

• Beginner photographers finding their footing
• Creatives questioning their progress
• Anyone feeling discouraged by comparison
• Photographers rebuilding confidence and curiosity

🎙 The Photog Files is a podcast about photography, creativity, and building a meaningful creative life—one frame at a time.
📸 Instagram: @carolinahawkeye
🌐 Website & Journal: ricknelson.photography
🎥 YouTube: RickNelsonPhoto

The Photog Files

The start of a new year can feel overwhelming—especially for creatives. In this episode of The Photog Files, we slow things down.

This is a calm, reflective New Year conversation about looking back without judgment, finding inspiration again through curiosity (not pressure), and starting fresh without the noise of hustle culture.

If you’re a photographer or creative feeling stuck, behind, or unsure where to begin this year, this episode is for you.

• A thoughtful way to reflect on the past year
• Why curiosity matters more than new gear
• How to avoid January overwhelm
• Small, repeatable habits that build creative momentum
• Permission to start the year exactly where you are

• Photographers at any stage
• Creatives rebuilding rhythm after burnout
• Anyone tired of “New Year, New You” pressure
• Listeners who want inspiration without noise

🎙 The Photog Files is a podcast about photography, creativity, and building a meaningful creative life—one frame at a time.

📸 Instagram: @carolinahawkeye
🌐 Website & Journal: ricknelson.photography
🎥 YouTube: RickNelsonPhoto

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I will be taking a break until January. Thank you for listening.

Hosted by Rick Nelson — photographer, storyteller, and creator of The Photog Files.Follow me on Instagram: @carolinahawkeyeExplore my work: ricknelson.photographyVisit my YouTube channel: RickNelsonPhotoSubscribe to The Photog Files on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere podcasts are heard.

Thank you for listening — please like, share, subscribe, and follow for more.Check out Dehancer! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dehancer.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — 10% off with code CAROLINAPHOTO

Some of the most important photographs you’ll ever take are the ones no one else will ever see.

In this episode of The Photog Files, Rick explores why unshared photos — the unfinished, imperfect, and private ones — often shape us more as photographers than the images we post online. From creative freedom to failure without pressure, this episode is a reminder that growth often happens quietly, away from likes, algorithms, and validation.

Hosted by Rick Nelson — photographer, storyteller, and creator of The Photog Files.Follow me on Instagram: @carolinahawkeyeExplore my work: ricknelson.photographyVisit my YouTube channel: RickNelsonPhotoSubscribe to The Photog Files on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere podcasts are heard.

Thank you for listening — please like, share, subscribe, and follow for more.Check out Dehancer! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dehancer.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ — 10% off with code CAROLINAPHOTO

Film photography has a way of slowing you down — not just as a photographer, but as a human being. In a world obsessed with speed, perfection, and instant results, shooting film forces you to breathe, observe, and trust yourself in a way digital rarely does.

In this episode, Rick explores the unexpected lessons film taught him: patience in the process, acceptance of imperfection, the beauty of letting go of control, and the quiet humanity hidden inside a single frame.

It’s not about nostalgia.
It’s not about the “film look.”
It’s about what happens when you strip photography back to its simplest form — intention, presence, and honesty.

Whether you’ve shot film your whole life or you’ve never touched a roll, this episode invites you to slow down and see the world a little differently.

Hosted by Rick Nelson — photographer, storyteller, and creator of The Photog Files.Follow me on Instagram: @carolinahawkeyeExplore my work: ricknelson.photographyVisit my YouTube channel: RickNelsonPhotoSubscribe to The Photog Files on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere podcasts are heard.

Thank you for listening — please like, share, subscribe, and follow for more.Check out Dehancer! ⁠⁠⁠https://www.dehancer.com/⁠⁠⁠ — 10% off with code CAROLINAPHOTO

In this episode of The Photog Files, Rick Nelson dives into one of the biggest modern photography debates: Is photography becoming too easy? With smartphones calculating light, AI fixing mistakes, and cameras practically shooting for us, it’s tempting to think the craft is being watered down.
But Rick argues the opposite — this era is the most creatively liberating time in photography’s entire history.

Hosted by Rick Nelson — photographer, storyteller, and creator of The Photog Files.Follow me on Instagram: @carolinahawkeyeExplore my work: ricknelson.photographyVisit my YouTube channel: RickNelsonPhotoSubscribe to The Photog Files on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere podcasts are heard.

Thank you for listening — please like, share, subscribe, and follow for more.Check out Dehancer! ⁠⁠https://www.dehancer.com/⁠⁠ — 10% off with code CAROLINAPHOTO

A single idea can change your entire creative life — and in this episode, Rick Nelson breaks down why a personal project might be the most important thing a photographer can commit to.

Whether you’re stuck in a rut, craving direction, or simply tired of shooting without purpose, this conversation explores how one simple theme, repeated with intention, can transform your style, sharpen your identity, and reconnect you to the reason you picked up a camera in the first place.

Rick shares why personal projects matter, how they quietly shape your voice and vision, and how even the smallest idea — a street, a time of day, a feeling — can reignite your creativity. He also opens up about his own recent project and how it helped him push through a difficult creative season.

If you’ve ever felt lost somewhere between inspiration and overwhelm, this episode is your invitation to choose one idea… and let it change you.

Hosted by Rick Nelson — photographer, storyteller, and creator of The Photog Files.Follow me on Instagram: @carolinahawkeyeExplore my work: ricknelson.photographyVisit my YouTube channel: RickNelsonPhotoSubscribe to The Photog Files on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere podcasts are heard.

Thank you for listening — please like, share, subscribe, and follow for more.Check out Dehancer! ⁠https://www.dehancer.com/⁠ — 10% off with code CAROLINAPHOTO