What Are We Even Doing Here?
A friend recently had some questions about Terrible Photographer.
Good, honest questions that led to a conversation where I ended up writing them down and then share them here, with you because I think they are helpful.
My goal here is to share, as clearly as I possibly can, what Terrible Photographer really is, beyond just a book and a podcast.
I want to answer some 10,000 foot, fundamental questions:
What do we stand for?
Why does this exist?
What problem does it actually solve?
These are questions nobody really wants to talk about.
Because it’s not about gear.
Or hustle.
It’s about something way more personal.
If you’ve ever looked at your work and thought, “This isn’t me,”
or “I love this so much—why doesn’t anyone book me?”
If you’ve ever wondered why photography feels more like marketing than making, or if you’re just tired of the performative game we all have to play to do the thing we actually love…
You’re not alone.
This is where we begin.
Welcome to Terrible Photographer.
Let’s Name the Elephant
Every industry has its unspoken problem.
Let’s just say, ours isn’t megapixels.
It’s the slow, quiet death of creative voice.
Most working photographers (and the ones clawing to get there) are stuck in a three-way chokehold:
Money Confusion – Booked but broke, or never booked at all.
Voice Amnesia – An Instagram feed of presets and peer imitation dressed up as “style.”
Metric Worship – Good work ignored. Shallow trends rewarded.
Algorithm & peer approval anxiety at DEFCON 1.
That cocktail turns professionals into content printers…
And aspiring shooters into lifelong students chasing the next trick, tool, or tutorial, still wondering why they feel empty.
What problems does The Terrible Photographer solves? (Or attempt to solve)
The Terrible Photographer exists to reverse that slow suffocation:
| Symptom | Our Antidote |
|---|---|
| Starving / under-pricing | Real talk on value, positioning, and getting paid without selling out. |
| Brand all over the map | Field Notes & Light Leaks that drag buried voice to the surface. |
| Copy-machine portfolios | Prompts and episodes that dare you to deviate, boldly, publicly, on purpose. |
| Metric anxiety & burnout | Weekly reminders that honest work outlasts flash-in-feed trends. |
| Creative flat-line | Stories and challenges that reignite curiosity and re-center why you shoot. |
No growth hacks. No “five-step funnels.”
Just clarity, curiosity, courage, and the occasional kick in the ribs. (Metaphorical of course)
Why Does The Terrible Photographer Exist?
Because photography lost something.
Somewhere between the presets, the pressure, and the performance, the voice went quiet.
We’re here to bring it back, not with rules, but with rebellion.
Not against the craft, but against sameness.
Against boredom. Against burnout.
Against being broke, being fake, and being just another photographer.
Terrible Photographer isn’t a brand. It’s a call.
A nudge toward curiosity.
A dare to make the kind of work you actually care about.
To get paid without selling out.
To build a voice that’s unmistakably yours.
We’re not the hero of this story. You are.
We’re just the voice in your ear reminding you:
You can do better. You can be bolder. You can make something real.
What Does The Terrible Photographer stand for?
Honest work over hype
Bold curiosity and the courage to explore
Kindness as a creative superpower
Hard work that beats raw talent
Creative courage over playing it safe
Equality and access with no gatekeeping
Transparency instead of posturing
Generosity instead of ego
Voice over imitation; your work should sound like you
A community for makers, not just marketers
A belief that photography should be human, not just content