Photo Fuel | The Vision, Art, and Business of Family Photography

You're halfway into a session, things are flowing, and then — nothing. The energy drops, your brain goes blank, and you're thinking - WHAT NOW. 

This is the final part of the four-part in-home family photography series, and I'm giving you eight specific moves to pull out when a session stalls or you need to jolt yourself in to a new perspective. 

Stay to the end for a preview of what's coming this summer!

Find ...

In Part 1, we prepped. In Part 2, we got the ball rolling. This episode is all about how to open your dang eyeballs, guide with your heart, and sink into a session that is less pose and more honest family gold. If you often leave sessions feeling like you checked the boxes but you never really GOT anywhere emotional, this is your next-level. 

I originally learned the concept of "elements of family story" from Brooke Schultz,...

You've done your prep. You've watched the walkthrough video. You knock on the door - now what? The first 10 minutes of an in-home session do more than most photographers realize. They're where trust gets built in person, the tone is set, and where you either make it feel like an experience or a performance.

I'm walking through five things that shift the energy in those opening minutes and two things I'm careful not to do in a ses...

If you're working on improving your process for in-home family photography or adding home as a location this year, this series is for you! This first episode is one of four that kicks off a short, practical series on in-home family photography, starting with the one thing I do before every session to walk in feeling prepared.

This is the biggest asset to preparing for an in home shoot - without requiring a consult call, zoom meetin...

A few weeks out from the first PhotoFuel Retreat and Mastermind, this episode is the honest debrief — what I got right, what surprised me, what I'd do differently, and one big decision I made about the future of the program.

Regular reflection is tool I use often in my photography business so I want to model what that looks like and how it can lead to purposeful alignment. If you're curious about the inner workings of craftin...

Have you ever wondered what working with a mentor actually looks and feels like over time?

Lydia Fine is back as our first-ever returning guest. She's a purposely part-time photographer with a full-time marketing career and two kids, and over the past few years she and I have worked together across just about every format. In this episode, she breaks down exactly what that journey has looked like: the doubts going in, the breakthro...

The last thing you as a photographer want is for your family photo sessions to feel stiff or overly posed. That's why I believe in exploring the idea of creative play inside your sessions.

We just hosted the very first Photo Fuel Retreat and Mastermind, where we got to do exactly that. We not only found ways to bring more of each photographer into their businesses, but we also got to play with how they can break through the techni...

What if the next step in scaling your business isn’t just about adding something new, but about building something that finally matches what you’ve believed all along? For a long time, I thought being a photography educator meant I needed a shop full of templates, mini-courses, and downloadable resources. While I've found that courses and digital products have their place, what I was longing for in my educational offeri...

Have you ever looked at your work and thought, This is fine… but something feels off? In this episode, I’m talking about the sneaky middle season no one prepares you for—the growth plateau. It’s not burnout or failure. You’re seeing success, booking clients, and producing solid work. Deep down, though, you know what got you here isn’t going to get you there - wherever there may be for you.

I&rs...

Building a photography business doesn’t always mean choosing just one lane and staying there forever. For many photographers, the most sustainable paths are layered, seasonal, and shaped by the realities of life.

That’s exactly the story of my guest today, Rebecca Hunnicutt, a lifestyle family photographer based in Portland, Oregon. Rebecca and I first connected in real life at Reset Conference, and in this conversatio...

If you have ever felt overwhelmed by how loud and crowded it feels online with the constant posting, optimizing, and trying to stay visible, you are not alone. Over the past few years, I have found myself quietly moving toward something slower, more personal, and more susta...

Does your quiet January inbox have you spiraling about your prices? You’re not alone. This time of year has a way of bringing out the darkest corners of our business fears. 

Questions like, “Did I price myself out of my market?” or “Will I ever get inquiries again?” swirl in the silence of a post-holiday lull. If we can learn to spot the pattern, we can break the cycle and make better decisions fo...

Dave Herring is a photographer, educator, and founder of Very Good CO. He’s also a creative nomad and a long time friend.

In this episode of Photo Fuel, I chat with Dave about how curiosity led him to a whole new career as a photographer and educator. From leaving the East Coast and relocating his family to California with no concrete plan, to working with brands like Leica and Hasselblad, Dave shares how paying attention to ...

What if you didn’t need to burn down your photography business to feel better in it?

In this solo episode of Photo Fuel, we'll explore the idea of micro-pivots—small, intentional changes that can bring more clarity, energy, and alignment to your work without rebranding, quitting, or announcing a brand-new niche.

This conversation is for family photographers who still love what they do, but feel a quiet sense of restless...

In this episode, we’re kicking off a short series all about pivoting, evolving, and exploring new creative seasons as a photographer. It’s so easy to stay siloed inside the same family photography conversations, hearing the same strategies and the same voices. But there is so much to learn from photographers who step outside the familiar and build something new.

Today’s guest—Nico...

This episode is releasing on the week of Thanksgiving, which is also a big time for holiday deals and making purchases for your business. This is a short and sweet chat to share my Top 4 Essentials as far as software for running my business. This powerful combo is the nuts and bolts of my marketing, sales, communication and delivery - the tech stack of dreams. 

If you're thinking of upleveling your tooling or getting started w...

In this episode, I chat with the wise and wonderful Brooke Schultz — photographer, educator, and creative force behind Heartful Magazine— for a deep dive into the art and evolution of a career in family photography.

Brooke Schultz is a Utah based family photographer + industry educator who helps family photographers create their own unique style instead of mimicking trends. She is the founder of the Love Soaked method ...

WHAT EVEN IS A MASTERMIND?! In today's episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my upcoming Retreat + Mastermind: what it is, who it’s for, how it works—whether or not it could be your next best yes if you're ready to step into a new chapter of growth for your business and art.

We’ll explore:

• Why doing solo courses and tutorials work great until they don't anymore.
• How hands-on work and meaningful real-...

This week's Photo Fuel is time to get candid and answer some of your direct questions! From the reality of avoiding burnout (is it even possible?!) to the behind-the-scenes of school photography, I've got some THOUGHTS.

We’ll talk about setting yourself up for success in your first years, film vs. digital (gasp) how to handle feedback or rejection when it comes to things like magazine submissions,  and stick around until...