In this episode of the Photographic Collective Podcast, Miles Witt Boyer and Jared Mark Fincher sit down with legendary destination wedding and elopement photographer Gabe McClintock for a conversation that feels like a reset button for your creative brain.

They unpack why so many high level artists feel like imposters, why Gabe thrives in friction and chaos, and how he earns the kind of trust that lets him meet couples on the day of and create images that feel calm inside the mayhem. From shooting wide open in massive environments to hiking into wild places like Iceland volcanoes, Gabe breaks down what actually matters: emotion over perfection, focus over trends, and art that comes from doing the hard thing on purpose.

If you feel buried under trends, presets, posing prompts, or “how to be everything to everyone” pressure, this episode is your permission slip to simplify and get back to the work that feels like you.

THEMES FROM THIS EPISODE

• Why “imposter syndrome” shows up in almost every respected artist
• Gabe’s take on photography as a craft vs a “creative identity”
• The technical choice that gives Gabe’s work that ethereal, painterly feel (and why it matters)
• Trust as the true currency of destination work
• How sales skills translate into confident direction and client buy in
• Why chaos and friction can create the most honest images
• Iceland volcano story: what went right, what went terrifying, and why he’d still do it again
• The trap of social media noise, presets, trend chasing, and copying
• Gabe’s simplest advice for photographers trying to find their voice: mute the noise and shoot what makes you feel something
• A real conversation about staying focused in your lane for the long game

Gabe McClintock is a Calgary, Canada based destination wedding and elopement photographer known for cinematic, emotional imagery that feels calm even in the most chaotic environments. With 15+ years of experience photographing couples around the world, Gabe has become one of the most influential voices in modern adventure wedding photography, recognized for his ability to create unforced, unscripted work rooted in trust, atmosphere, and honest connection. https://www.gabemcclintock.com/