Episodi

  • Amature - Why I Envy Photographers Who Don't Get Paid

    Amature - Why I Envy Photographers Who Don't Get Paid
    Jan 13 2026
    The war is internal, not technical.Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is a book for creatives who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from their work, even though they know what they’re doing.It’s not about gear or technique. It’s about the internal stuff no one talks about, and focusing on why we make work, not just how.Preorders help determine the first print run. Copies ship once printing begins.Preorder here:https://www.terriblephotographer.com/the-bookThere's a woman in Bangkok who's been selling noodles from the same corner for 43 years. She turned down Bon Appétit. Not because she's shy. Because she didn't want to cook for strangers with expectations.This episode started with a voicemail from Jason, a listener in North Carolina who shoots photos of his kids and has no interest in going pro. He called me out for ignoring non-professionals. And he was right.What I didn't expect was how much his email would make me confront something I've been avoiding: I'm envious of amateur photographers. Not because they're bad at what they do. Because they still have the thing I traded away.This is about the cost of professionalization. About the difference between making work because you have to versus making work because the work demands to be made. About freedom, money, and what happens when you refuse to let the transaction define the craft.If you've ever felt like you're not a "real" photographer because you don't charge... this one's for you.And if you're a pro who's forgotten why you started... this one's for you too.Key Themes:Transactional Legitimacy (the belief that payment equals worth)The cost of going professional vs. staying amateurCreative envy and what it revealsBeing "unowned" in a world where everything is for saleThe difference between a career and a practiceEpisode Timestamps:0:00 - Cold Open: The Noodle Queen of Bangkok 1:15 - Handshake & Episode Intro 2:00 - Jason's Voicemail (Part 1): "I'm not a professional nor do I want to be" 3:00 - Confession: Why I avoid amateur photographers (and the envy underneath) 4:30 - Bellingham, 2012: When I was Jason 6:00 - Jason's Voicemail (Part 2): "We doubt our abilities because we are not getting paid" 6:30 - Alison's Story: The physical therapist photographing her mother's Alzheimer's 16:00 - Naming The Enemy: Transactional Legitimacy 19:00 - The Pivot: What professionals can't do (that amateurs can) 22:30 - The Resolution: Neither path is pure. Both cost something. 28:00 - The Restoration: What the professional world needs from non-professionals 30:30 - The Light Leak: Being unownedMentioned in This Episode:Episode 39: Creative directing your own life (referenced when discussing overthinking)Lake Padden, Bellingham WAFairhaven, Bellingham WAMount Baker, WAKey Quote:"You are not beneath professionals. You are adjacent to freedom they lost."For Jason:Thank you for the email. Thank you for the voicemail. Thank you for calling me out. This episode wouldn't exist without you.LINKS & RESOURCES:The Terrible Photographer: Website: http://terriblephotographer.com Subscribe to Pub Notes (Newsletter): https://the-terrible-photographer.kit.com/223fe471fb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terriblephotographer/Lessons From A Terrible Photographer (The Book): https://www.terriblephotographer.com/the-bookSupport The Show: Buy me a coffee: https://www.terriblephotographer.com/supportConnect: Patrick Fore on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickfore/ Email: patrick@terriblephotographer.comCREDITS:Podcast written, produced, and hosted by Patrick Fore Music licensed through Epidemic SoundIntro Song: Free Spirit by Max Volante Episode photography from lucas.george.wendt Recorded in my garage in San Diego, CaliforniaA NOTE FOR NON-PROFESSIONALS (Amatures):If you're listening to this and you don't charge for your work—if you shoot because you love it, not because you're building a business—please know this:Your work matters. Your perspective matters. Your freedom matters.You're not less than. You're not waiting to become real.You're already real.And some of us wish we still had what you have.SHARE THIS EPISODE:Know someone who needs to hear this? A parent with a camera. A hobbyist who doubts themselves. A pro who's forgotten why they started.Send them this episode. Let them know they're not alone.
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    42 min
  • The Fresh Start Fallacy - Are You Building a Boat or Just Floating in a Tube?

    The Fresh Start Fallacy - Are You Building a Boat or Just Floating in a Tube?
    Jan 6 2026

    The war is internal, not technical.


    Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is a book for creatives who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from their work, even though they know what they’re doing.


    It’s not about gear or technique. It’s about the internal stuff no one talks about, and focusing on why we make work, not just how.


    Preorders help determine the first print run. Copies ship once printing begins.


    Preorder here:

    https://www.terriblephotographer.com/the-book


    EPISODE DESCRIPTION:

    Three hundred years. That's how long my family has been in America. Jamestown. Virginia. Colonial laborers. Post-Civil War homesteaders in Missouri. And not one of them—not one—ever owned anything that lasted.

    In 1726, when a British clerk wrote "Fore" instead of "Fauer," my family's name changed. But the pattern didn't.

    This episode isn't about New Year's resolutions or fresh starts. It's about lazy rivers, tubes, and boats. It's about realizing you're floating in a system you never chose—and that everyone in your family has been floating for centuries. It's about being the first one to try to get out, even when you don't know how to swim.

    I talk about my MIT PhD brother who doesn't know how to freelance. A wedding photographer who realized he became his father. And why I'm angry at ancestors I've never met for never trying to break a pattern I now have to fight.

    If you've ever felt like you're working hard but never building anything. Like you're trapped between staying comfortable and risking everything. Like you're the first person in your family trying to do something different with no map and no model—this one's for you.

    Not because I have answers.

    Because I'm in the middle of the same fight.

    IN THIS EPISODE:

    • The 300-year pattern: Jamestown to Missouri, laborers to homesteaders—and why nothing changed
    • Why "legally free but economically pinned" explains my entire family history
    • Boats, tubes, and swimmers: understanding the lazy river of life
    • My brother's phone call: when an MIT PhD doesn't know how to freelance
    • Why I'm angry at dead people who had no choice
    • What it means to labor for yourself vs. labor for someone else's dream
    • The question: Do you see the river? And if you do, what are you going to do about it?

    WANT A SEAT AT THE TABLE?

    The Table is a small, email-based conversation space for creative people in the long middle. No apps. No feeds. No pressure. No posting requirements. Just occasional emails about the real stuff—and the option to reply, or not.

    Some weeks you'll get a reflection. Some weeks a question. Some weeks nothing. Sometimes it's about creative existential dread. Sometimes it's about whether gaffer tape smells different depending on the brand.

    It's a pub table. But everyone's wearing sweatpants. And nobody has to drive home.

    If you want a seat, email: patrick@terriblephotographer.com
    Subject line: "I'd like a seat at The Table"


    LINKS:

    Website: http://terriblephotographer.com

    The Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public.
    terriblephotographer.com/newsletter

    Support the Show: Help keep the lights on
    terriblephotographer.com/support

    Email the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.com
    Questions, thoughts, rage at your own ancestors—I respond to everything.
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    42 min
  • The Long Middle - The Third Space - How to Actually Build Community When Traditional Third Spaces Are Dead (And Why We Have to Try Anyway)

    The Long Middle - The Third Space - How to Actually Build Community When Traditional Third Spaces Are Dead (And Why We Have to Try Anyway)
    Dec 30 2025
    The war is internal, not technical.Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is a book for creatives who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from their work, even though they know what they’re doing.It’s not about gear or technique. It’s about the internal stuff no one talks about, and focusing on why we make work, not just how.Preorders help determine the first print run. Copies ship once printing begins.Preorder here:https://www.terriblephotographer.com/the-bookYou've mastered the craft. You've built the business. You're successful. But you're still lonely. You're Joshua Bell in the subway—playing a Stradivarius while everyone walks past. You've taken off the costume, rejected the hierarchy, and you're still isolated.So now what?In the finale of "The Long Middle" series, Patrick explores sociologist Ray Oldenburg's concept of "The Third Space"—the pubs, coffee shops, and barbershops where community used to happen naturally. He examines why these spaces disappeared, how COVID delivered the final blow, and why digital spaces (Reddit, Discord) might be Third Space for some people while remaining incomplete for others.This episode is both diagnosis and prescription: why we're lonely, why it's gotten worse, and the uncomfortable truth that you can't find community—you have to build it. One vulnerable conversation at a time.IN THIS EPISODE:Ray Oldenburg's Third Space theory: First Space (home), Second Space (work), Third Space (community)Why Third Spaces disappeared: suburbanization, work-from-home, social media performance cultureHow COVID killed Third Space culture permanently (not just temporarily)The death of Meetup.com and "social atrophy"—we forgot how to be togetherWhy your friend who says "Reddit is my Third Space" isn't wrong (but it's incomplete)The difference between performing and being seen in digital spacesWhy networking events are Second Space disguised as Third SpaceThe Leslie paradox: Patrick's only Third Space relationship is digital and 2800 miles awayYou can't find Third Space, you have to build it—starting with ONE personVulnerability first: Be vulnerable → See who responds → Build from thereWhy you need 2-3 real connections, not 100 photographer "friends" (Dunbar's number)Consistency over intensity: weekly coffee > annual epic meetupThe five steps to building your own Third Space (reach out, show up without costume, witness don't fix, make it regular, expand carefully)What to talk about (the real stuff: struggles, jealousy, exhaustion, the work you're hiding)What NOT to talk about (how busy you are, your big clients, industry gossip)Introducing The Table: Patrick's email-based Third Space experiment for people in the long middleTHE CHALLENGE: Reach out to ONE person this week. Not to network, not to collaborate. Just: "I've been thinking about creative loneliness lately. Want to grab coffee?" Then show up without your costume and talk about what you're actually struggling with.KEY QUOTES: "Third Space doesn't exist until someone creates it. And it doesn't start with a community. It starts with one person.""Digital-only Third Space is incomplete. You need to look someone in the eye. You need to sit across a table from another human. You need to exist in a room where you can't edit yourself before you speak.""You can't outsource belonging. You can't scroll your way to community. You can't consume your way to connection.""COVID didn't pause Third Space culture. It killed it. And we're still living in the wreckage."WANT A SEAT AT THE TABLE?The Table is a small, email-based conversation space for creative people in the long middle. No apps. No feeds. No pressure. No posting requirements. Just occasional emails about the real stuff—and the option to reply, or not.Some weeks you'll get a reflection. Some weeks a question. Some weeks nothing. Sometimes it's about creative existential dread. Sometimes it's about whether gaffer tape smells different depending on the brand.It's a pub table. But everyone's wearing sweatpants. And nobody has to drive home.If you want a seat, email: patrick@terriblephotographer.comSubject line: "I'd like a seat at The Table"LINKS:Website: terriblephotographer.comThe Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public.terriblephotographer.com/newsletterSupport the Show: Help keep the lights onterriblephotographer.com/supportEmail the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.comQuestions, thoughts, rage—I respond to everything.CREDITS:Music: Licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot SessionsWritten and Produced by: Patrick ForeEpisode Image by Mason Dahl - https://www.instagram.com/masondahlphoto/
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    40 min
  • The Long Middle - Part 3 - The Enemy - How Gatekeeping and Hierarchy Keep Creative Professionals Isolated (And Why We're All Complicit)

    The Long Middle - Part 3 - The Enemy - How Gatekeeping and Hierarchy Keep Creative Professionals Isolated (And Why We're All Complicit)
    Dec 23 2025

    The war is internal, not technical.


    Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is a book for creatives who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from their work, even though they know what they’re doing.


    It’s not about gear or technique. It’s about the internal stuff no one talks about, and focusing on why we make work, not just how.


    Preorders help determine the first print run. Copies ship once printing begins.


    Preorder here:

    https://www.terriblephotographer.com/the-book


    Why does a $600 light get dismissed while a $3,000 light gets respect, even when they produce identical results? Why do wedding photographers apologize by saying “I’m just a wedding photographer”? And why do we hide the work we’re actually doing because it’s not the “right” kind of work?


    In Part 3 of The Long Middle series, Patrick examines the hierarchies that divide creative professionals, and admits his own complicity in enforcing them.


    From a tense Zoom call about Profoto versus Godox, to being dismissed in Clubhouse rooms, to looking down on other photographers while feeling looked down upon himself, this episode pulls no punches about how gatekeeping actually works, who it serves, and why we keep it alive.


    IN THIS EPISODE:

    • The Profoto story: when "professional standards" are actually access standards
    • What gatekeeping actually means (and the Kurt Lewin research that defined it)
    • Why the kitchen brigade system is the perfect metaphor for creative hierarchies
    • A scene from Pixar's Ratatouille and how it quietly becomes the emotional center of the episode
    • How wedding, portrait, and fashion photographers face different versions of the same dismissal
    • The pattern across all creative fields: writers, musicians, filmmakers, designers
    • Patrick's confession: the times he's been the gatekeeper
    • Why the hierarchy survives (it's not the people at the top—it's the people in the middle)
    • The Clubhouse dismissals and the Taylor Guitars "cool kids table"
    • How hiding your "wrong" work keeps you complicit in the system
    • What leadership actually looks like: extending an arm instead of pulling it up behind you

    THE CHALLENGE: The next time someone asks "What are you working on?"—tell them the truth. Not the impressive version. Not the potential job. The actual work you're doing right now. Say it like it's legitimate work. Because it is.

    KEY QUOTE: "The hierarchy doesn't survive because the people at the top enforce it. It survives because the people in the middle enforce it. Because we're so afraid of being dismissed, we dismiss someone else first."

    LINKS:

    Website: terriblephotographer.com

    The Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public.
    terriblephotographer.com/newsletter

    Support the Show: Help keep the lights on
    terriblephotographer.com/support

    Email the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.com
    Questions, thoughts, rage—I respond to everything.


    CREDITS


    • Music: Licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions

    • Written and Produced by: Patrick Fore

    • Episode Image: Licensed through Adobe Stock
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    40 min
  • Basics, Deconstructed - Framing - Deconstructing Christopher Anderson’s Vanity Fair Portraits: What Every Photographer Needs to Know About Framing Power.

    Basics, Deconstructed - Framing - Deconstructing Christopher Anderson’s Vanity Fair Portraits: What Every Photographer Needs to Know About Framing Power.
    Dec 17 2025

    The war is internal, not technical.


    Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is a book for creatives who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from their work, even though they know what they’re doing.


    It’s not about gear or technique. It’s about the internal stuff no one talks about, and focusing on why we make work, not just how.


    Preorders help determine the first print run. Copies ship once printing begins.


    Preorder here:

    https://www.terriblephotographer.com/the-book


    When Vanity Fair published Christopher Anderson’s portraits of the White House’s inner circle, the internet reacted to the politics. But as photographers, we need to look closer. We need to look at the framing.

    In this bonus episode, Patrick Fore deconstructs the word "Framing." It’s not just the rule of thirds or leading lines—it’s authorship. It’s the decision to show truth over comfort, and humanity over "hero energy." Patrick opens up about his own struggle with "cowering" to the moment and why we’ve all become a little too good at making the world look beige.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • The difference between geometry (composition) and power (framing).
    • Why Christopher Anderson’s refusal to "smooth" his subjects is an act of courage.
    • The "Light Switch" metaphor: How small, boring details tell the biggest stories.
    • How to stop being a decorator and start being an author again.
    • Why being a "Terrible Photographer" means being terrible at following the rules that kill your voice.

    ABOUT CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON

    Christopher Anderson is a member of Magnum Photos and is widely considered one of the most influential photographers of his generation. He first gained international recognition for his work documenting the Haitian refugee crisis, where the boat he was traveling on sank in the Caribbean—work that earned him the Robert Capa Gold Medal.

    Whether he is documenting conflict, the streets of Shenzhen, or the corridors of power in D.C., Anderson’s work is defined by an intense, emotional intimacy and a refusal to provide a "clean" or "commercial" version of reality.

    Find his work here:

    • Website: christopherandersonphoto.com
    • Instagram: @christopherandersonphoto
    • Monographs: Approximate Joy, STUMP, and Pia.

    LINKS

    • Website: terriblephotographer.com
    • The Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public.
    • Support the Show: Help keep the lights on
    • Email the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.com
      • Questions, hate mail, and existential spirals are all welcome.

    CREDITS

    • Music: Licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions.
    • Written and Produced by: Patrick Fore
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    29 min
  • The Long Middle - Part 2 - The Costume - Why We Hide Behind Professional Roles

    The Long Middle - Part 2 - The Costume - Why We Hide Behind Professional Roles
    Dec 16 2025

    The war is internal, not technical.


    Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is a book for creatives who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from their work, even though they know what they’re doing.


    It’s not about gear or technique. It’s about the internal stuff no one talks about, and focusing on why we make work, not just how.


    Preorders help determine the first print run. Copies ship once printing begins.


    Preorder here:

    https://www.terriblephotographer.com/the-book


    Why do photographers wear so much black? Why do we feel confident on stage but panic at networking events? And why is it so hard to find real community in the creative industry?

    In Part 2 of "The Long Middle" series, Patrick explores the costumes we wear—not just the black clothes and gear, but the professional roles and personas that keep us safe and isolated at the same time.

    From 17th-century Japanese Kabuki theater to APA mixers in San Diego, this episode examines why we choose invisibility, what happens when we need established roles to feel legitimate, and the five-second decision that keeps us from connection.

    IN THIS EPISODE:

    • The Kurogo: Japanese stagehands who dress in black to become "invisible" on stage
    • Why confidence comes from established roles (the stage, the call sheet, the contract)
    • A painful story about leaving a networking event after two minutes
    • How neurodivergence affects ambiguous social spaces
    • Why fifteen years of mastery on set doesn't translate to confidence at a mixer
    • The difference between avatars (who have followers) and humans (who have friends)
    • What happens when you choose the beach over the risk

    THE CHALLENGE: The next time someone asks "How's it going?"—tell them one true thing. Not "busy." Not "crushing it." One honest thing. Drop the shield for ten seconds.

    LINKS:

    Website: terriblephotographer.com

    The Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public.
    terriblephotographer.com/newsletter

    Support the Show: Help keep the lights on
    terriblephotographer.com/support

    Email the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.com
    Questions, hate mail, and existential spirals are all welcome.

    CREDITS:

    Music licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions.

    Episode Artwork Photo by @erwimadethis

    Written and Produced by Patrick Fore

    NEXT WEEK: Part 3 – "The Enemy"
    If the Costume hides us, Envy divides us. We're talking about scarcity mindset, comparison, and why we see our peers as threats instead of allies.
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    37 min
  • The Long Middle - Part 1 - The Island - Why Mastery Is Lonely

    The Long Middle - Part 1 - The Island - Why Mastery Is Lonely
    Dec 9 2025
    The war is internal, not technical.Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is a book for creatives who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from their work, even though they know what they’re doing.It’s not about gear or technique. It’s about the internal stuff no one talks about, and focusing on why we make work, not just how.Preorders help determine the first print run. Copies ship once printing begins.Preorder here:https://www.terriblephotographer.com/the-bookIn January 2007, Joshua Bell—one of the world's best violinists—played a $3.5 million Stradivarius in a Washington D.C. subway station. Over 1,000 people walked past. Only 7 stopped to listen. He made $32.If you've ever felt like you're playing your heart out while everyone walks past... this episode is for you.This is Part 1 of a 4-part series called "The Long Middle"—about that specific season in a creative life where you've mastered the skills, built the business, done everything "right"... but something still feels off.Today's episode is about the loneliness that comes with expertise. The isolation that happens when you get really good at something and realize fewer and fewer people can see what you're actually doing.You're not broken. You're not ungrateful. You're not alone.You're just operating at a level where most people can't witness the craft.IN THIS EPISODEThe Joshua Bell Experiment Why one of the world's greatest violinists was invisible in a subway station—and what that tells us about creative loneliness.Sarah's Email A successful wedding photographer who's "disappearing into the work" despite doing everything right. Her story will sound familiar.The Loneliness of Mastery The higher you climb in your craft, the lonelier it gets. Not because you're failing—because fewer people can see what you're actually doing.Three Types of LonelinessUnintentional Loneliness (physical isolation)Deliberate Loneliness (choosing not to explain yourself)Experiential Loneliness (surrounded by people who don't speak your language)The Taylor Guitars Story How shooting a spray robot in a hazmat suit taught me what it feels like to be invisible at the level of expertise.Gratitude as a Weapon The difference between genuine gratitude and obligatory gratitude—and why "you should be grateful" has become one of the most damaging phrases in the creative industry.The Research Studies on senior executives, designers, and creative professionals all point to the same truth: expertise is isolating. It's documented. It's real. You're not crazy.Witnessed vs. Consumed The difference between 10,000 likes and one person who asks, "How did you do that?"Rivers vs. Pools Why fast-moving communities (Discord, social media) provide stimulation but not transformation—and what we need instead.KEY CONCEPTS & FRAMEWORKSExperiential Isolation at the Level of Expertise – The loneliness that comes from operating at a level where fewer people can understand what you're doingThe Seven People Who Stopped – You don't need a thousand people. You need the few who can actually witness the craft.Counterfeit Connection – Why engagement rates and subscriber counts feel like food but provide zero nutritionThe Pool (vs. The River) – Slow, still, deep spaces where you can see your own reflection vs. fast-moving noiseRESEARCH MENTIONED"Lonely at the Top" study on senior executives (2018)Adobe user research – 60% of designers feel misunderstood by non-creative colleaguesThree Types of Loneliness framework – Psychological research (University of Chicago)The Washington Post Joshua Bell experiment (2007)QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE"Gratitude is for gifts. It is not for labor. You don't have to be 'grateful' that the business you built with your own sweat is working.""The higher you climb, the lonelier it gets. Not because you're broken. But because there are simply fewer people at that altitude.""You can get 10,000 likes on a photo and still feel completely invisible. Because those people aren't witnessing you. They're consuming content.""When you're in the Neutral Zone, you don't need a fast-moving river. You need a Still Pool.""Sarah isn't failing. She's not depressed. She's just alone at the level she's operating."WHAT'S NEXTThis is Part 1 of a 4-part series called "The Long Middle." Over the next three weeks, we'll explore:Episode 41: How to recognize your people (and why creative friendship is so hard)Episode 42: How to build community without losing your soulEpisode 43: What The Pool actually looks like when it worksIf you're Joshua Bell in the subway right now—if you're doing your best work and feeling completely invisible—email me. Tell me about the work nobody sees.BOOK ANNOUNCEMENTLessons From A Terrible Photographer is now available as a Limited Collector's Box ($69.99).Includes:Signed hardcover bookSigned photo printField Notes notebookHand-typed letter on my 1920s Corona typewriterAccess to audiobook & ebook (when released)StickersStandard hardback coming ...
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    36 min
  • The Curator's Disease - The Cost of Turning Your Life Into Content

    The Curator's Disease - The Cost of Turning Your Life Into Content
    Dec 2 2025

    The war is internal, not technical.


    Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is a book for creatives who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from their work, even though they know what they’re doing.


    It’s not about gear or technique. It’s about the internal stuff no one talks about, and focusing on why we make work, not just how.


    Preorders help determine the first print run. Copies ship once printing begins.


    Preorder here:

    https://www.terriblephotographer.com/the-book


    Belle Gibson faked cancer. The Stauffers rehomed their adopted son when the content became too difficult. Ruby Franke is currently sitting in a prison cell.

    It’s easy to look at the monsters of the influencer economy and think, "I am nothing like them." But if you peel back the layers of how we document our own lives, the difference might be smaller than we’d like to admit.

    In this episode, we dig into the "Curator's Disease"—the urge to professionalize our own existence. We look at how commercial production techniques have trickled down from ad agencies to our Saturday mornings, how we reverse-engineer our lives to fit a "Lululemon" aesthetic, and the exhausted reality of treating your family like supporting cast members.

    We discuss the difference between capturing a beautiful moment and interrupting a life to manufacture one. It’s time to get out of the Director’s Chair.

    In this episode:

    • The Monsters: Why the Ruby Franke and LaBrant Family stories aren't just isolated tragedies, but symptoms of a wider infection.
    • The Lululemon Brain Worm: How commercial "lifestyle" marketing taught us to fake our own weekends.
    • The Composite Client: Patrick breaks down a real commercial shoot to show how "authenticity" is manufactured in a conference room.
    • The Interruption: The critical difference between seeing beautiful light and forcing your kids to stand in it.
    • The Unpaid Internship: Why you’re exhausted from trying to hit commercial production standards on a home-video budget.

    Connect with The Terrible Photographer:

    • Website: The Terrible Photographer
    • The Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public.
    • Support the Show: Help keep the lights on
    • Email the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.com – Questions, hate mail, and existential spirals are all welcome.

    Credits:

    • Music licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions.
    • Episode Artwork licensed through Adobe Stock.
    • Written and Produced by Patrick Fore
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    48 min