Phil Sharp, an award winning British portrait photographer, talks about the human core of portrait photography and why music, language, and time can turn performance into truth. We challenge received wisdom about headshots, explore photography books and business, look ahead to portraits in an AI world, and attempt to dismantle the myth that great images come from gear, tricks, or perfectly controlled sets. Phil's work relies on a deeper element: the moment a person stops performing.

What's discussed in this episode:

• Portraiture as human connection, not just technique
• Creating safe space with empathy and careful language
• Using music to trigger sincere emotion
• Balancing performance and authenticity in front of camera
• Session pacing, energy, and knowing when to stop
• Pricing, packages, and word-of-mouth workflow
• Books, prints, and the pros and cons of publishing
• AI’s impact and why presence still matters
• Finding voice over style through repetition and reflection

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Phil - a long time fan of his, it was good to have a conversation about photography as human connection, not necessary technical domination.

Subscribe to the MOOD Podcast for more conversations with the world’s leading creative thinkers.

Follow Phil and his work:
Website: www.philsharp-photo.com
Instagram: @philsharp

___________________________________________

This episode is sponsored by Strata Editions - use discount code MOOD for 10% discount on their store - visit strata-editions.com to shop and see their collections.

___________________________________________

Message me, leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Support the show

Thank you for listening and for being a part of this incredible community. You can listen and watch full extended and ad-free episodes in my community - The MOOD Insiders - where I also share insights, photography tips and behind-the-scenes content on my channel as well as meet with the community on book club weekly events, special guest features, bonus content, open forum access, free resources and so much more.

The MOOD Insiders Community
https://www.mattjacob.co/insiders

Learn with me
https://mattjacob.co/learn

My Newsletter
https://www.mattjacob.co/archive

Website:
https://themoodpodcast.com

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