Terrible Conversations w/ Tom Wright

Tom Wright is a photography consultant based in Burnley, UK. He calls himself a phototherapist, and no, he's not a doctor. But photographers that work with him tend to leave unstuck.

Tom started in 2011 teaching photographers how to shoot Impossible Project instant film. From there he shot weddings for over a decade, moved into commercial photography, and eventually traded client work for consulting after discovering that helping photographers was the thing that actually got him out of bed.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means to develop a style versus chasing trends, why AI is eating the bottom of the photography market, and what most photographers are missing when they look at their own work.

We also spend way too long talking about British food. You're welcome.

What we get into:

• Why Tom calls himself a phototherapist and what that actually means
• The difference between fashion and style in photography
• What bifurcation is doing to the industry right now
• Why the artists are still there, just quieter
• How Tom identifies what's already working in someone's portfolio
• The Polaroid workshops that started it all
• Why commodity photography has a shrinking runway
• What to do if you don't feel like you have anything interesting to say

Find Tom at bytomw.com and on Instagram at @bytomw. Consultations are free. Go get unstuck.

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THE BOOK Lessons From a Terrible Photographer is out now. It’s part memoir, part field guide, and part honest conversation about what it actually costs to build a creative life. If this episode landed, the book goes deeper into finding the "Source" when the "Resource" runs dry.

LINKS

• Website: terriblephotographer.com
• Support the show: terriblephotographer.com/support
• Subscribe to Pub Notes: the-terrible-photographer.kit.com
• Instagram: @terriblephotographer
• Patrick on Instagram: @patrickfore
• Email Patrick: patrick@terriblephotographer.com

Email is always open. Questions, thoughts, hate mail. I respond to everything. Link above.

The Terrible Creative is written, produced, and hosted by Patrick Fore. Images Licensed through Adobe Stock. Music licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions. Recorded from my garage in San Diego, California.