Photo Forward

When is the last time you, as a photographer, had a picture make itself in front of you? I know that sounds a little bit philosophical, but stay with me, it’s way more practical than you might think. I’m talking about the level of work and care that go into creating a photograph before the shutter ever clicks – Researching your location before you arrive to know the environs, determining the impact what time of day it is and how that shapes your image, just walking around in the space (with...

When you’re scrolling through Instagram, what makes you stop? For some folks, it might be eye-catching colors, for others it’s unique locales or engaging video. For me and for a lot of other people out there, the answer to that is simply this – Style. Visual Style. You see a creator’s work on the platform, like the photo/project, enough so that you swipe over to their profile page and it All. Just. Clicks. It’s like you can experience their personality, their humanity itself seeping through...

Does it feel like you’re creating and producing content at a fevered pitch, but never quite getting a stable pool of clients or like you’re constantly re-inventing the wheel of your photography or videography business? Well, that means it’s probably time to get back to the fundamentals in today’s masterclass on making your photography business hum with our guest, BP Miller. BP Miller is a founding partner and senior photojournalist at Chorus Photography. Founded in 2007, Chorus has gone...

Have you ever stepped back in your career, whether you’re a visual creator or not, and thought, “Well, shit… is this it? Is this really as good as it gets? Is this what I want to be doing for the next X years of my life?” Don’t worry, that’s a positive thing (despite however dark night of the soul it may feel like in the moment) And, you are definitely not the only one feeling that way. In the business and corporate world, (yes I know a lot of you will bristle at the very mention of that...

So, this is an episode I’ve been wanting to share for such a long time. Like seriously probably a solid year when I heard about this concept for interpersonal connections and growth that clicked in such a profound way for me when I was able to tie it back to places in time of my own creative journey. Alright, so what is this Plus, Minus, Equals concept and why does it matter? Put simply, a key way to ensure you’re growing in your career (or really ANY area of your life you could apply this...

Do you as a photographer ever feel like you’re just not connecting with the right clients? Or that you keep getting assignments/work that just doesn’t light you up or bring you any creative joy to work on? Well, you are so very far from the only one. But it is avoidable, by honing your creative style and making work that draws people in. Put simply, Post eye-catching photos, get eye-catching assignments, put up a generic portfolio – get generic work. Pulling from the world of marketing,...

Hey Photo Forward listeners — It is the winter (slightly post-holiday) season! A time to step back, reflect on the year behind us (what goddamn wild one…) and look forward to the future and how your photographic work can and should evolve. And yeah, there’s that whole giving of gifts thing… And as my present to you all, the podcast is back delivering weekly episodes on photography, creativity, and making a living as a visual storyteller. Yes, finally at long last after taking a while away...

One of the core questions I’m always looking to find answers to on this show is “What makes a brilliant visual creator?” Is it the grasp of technical aspects like lighting, composition, and moment? Or a personal skill or special gift of connecting with individuals in your images? There’s obviously a nearly infinite number of talented photographers out there, so what gives certain shooters a true “visual voice”. Well, today’s guest is such a brilliant example of forging that visual voice,...

It’s only been a few short weeks since our last episode, but it already feels like the entire world has been flipped on its head. We all saw and were outraged beyond words at the murder of Goerge Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Soon after, my city responded to a collective pain, sadness, and anger with protests that engulfed the Twin Cities in the days after Floyd’s death. The message was and is clear: Now is the time for change. Now is the time for justice. I’ve...

To be honest, I didn’t plan on releasing this episode until later on in the summer, but with everything going on with the COVID-19 pandemic, this seems like honestly the MUCH MORE relevant and timely episode to be releasing to you all, the listeners of Photo Forward. These days, being stuck in isolation, a lot of us are being forced to grapple with the question “If I’m not taking photographs, am I still a photographer?” (or insert your applicable verb and profession here). We’re all trying...

Well, this is certainly not a podcast episode I thought I'd have to make but it's one that ought to be made. In this time of incredible uncertainty and confusion surrounding Coronavirus and COVID-19, I just wanted to provide a little bit of respite for all of you photographers all of you videographers, with just a few things to keep in mind and ways to come out the other side of this better than when you started. Which I know sounds pretty much impossible right about now. This episode's...

Today’s episode is all about connections. Not in the smarmy, LinkedIn Request, crap networking sort of way, but in the genuine engagement and empathic authenticity that you can only achieve from true photojournalism greatness. Who better to learn from than a photographer would you self-proclaim to rather be a good person than a great photographer, building meaningful connections with the individuals and building a rapport through words before ever picking up a camera to capture images,...

Unless you’ve been living under a proverbial rock in the photography world, you’ve likely heard the quote attributed to Robert Capa “If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough.” Well, as it so happens, there’s some science behind the photojournalist great’s piece of advice. So, you’ve clicked on this episode of Photo Forward and you’re wondering – what in the hell is “Proxemics” and what could that possibly do for growing my photography career? Let’s dive in and learn a...

everybody listening to this podcast probably knows either from practical experience or just intuitively that crafting a career as a photographer or other visual creator is no small feat. From staving off burnout to managing finances, freelancers have to DO IT ALL. So why is it then that freelancers so often fail to actually break out of the vicious cycle of feast or famine workloads? Well, our guest today is the perfect example of how to make it happen as a freelance photojournalist by...

Picture this: It’s late 2018. Feels like a lifetime ago, right? Like the whole damn world’s changed since then. Enter me: Freelancing pretty regularly, working at a past desk job and feeling creatively TOAST — I wasn’t happy with the quality of the work I was producing, but without any buffer time in my life to practice my craft and grow as a photographer. What would you do? Well, if you’re crazy like me, you’d respond emphatically with… start a podcast? Yep. That’s right. Hey everybody and...

Hello everyone and welcome to the Photo Forward Podcast, where we explore the stories behind some of the greatest visual storytellers in the world. From their photographic origins, to finding work-life balance as creative professionals, to how to actually make a living as a photographer, videographer, or multimedia creator — we uncover what makes them tick and their shutters click. I’m your host, Ben Brewer. When you hear the word “photojournalist” – What comes to mind? A warzone or...

Hey everyone and welcome to the Photo Forward podcast, where we dive in deep each week on the art of visual storytelling, exploring the stories behind some of the greatest photographers in the world. From their origin stories to finding balance as creative professionals, to how to actually make a living as a photographer, videographer, or multimedia creator – I’m your host, Ben Brewer So, this is a special little in-betweenisode, introducing a new ongoing series on this show. Now, one of...

Hey Photo Forward listeners — WE ARE BACK. Yes, finally at long last after a brief hiatus of me moving to Minneapolis-St.Paul, the Photo Forward Podcast is back and better than ever. We’ve got some incredible interviews lined up for the coming months and experimenting with new content on the show. Thank you all so much for your patience. So, without further ado, let’s get into this week’s episode on the beauty of SMART goals for creatives. Probably the majority of you all listening this...

Hello everyone and welcome to the Photo Forward Podcast, I’m your host Ben Brewer. Today, as you might have gathered from the title and a bit of irregularity in the schedule recently is more an announcement and some housekeeping than one of our usual deep-dive interviews with photographers, videographers and visual creators. So, as some of you might have known, for the past 6 years, I’ve been based out of Madison, Wisconsin. And as much as I’ve loved living in the Cheesehead state,...

Okay, show of hands. Who here, when you were starting your photography career or just getting into taking pictures said, “I want to be a music photographer!” or “I just want to go shoot photos at concerts!”. I think I can safely say that, at least, the idea has crossed the minds of most visual storytellers at some point. There’s something entrancing about the being a concert or music photographer — maybe it’s the spectacle of the lights and showmanship, maybe for the more video-centric...