f/22 - Photographer Interviews by VSCO

In this episode of f/22, Greg Lutze and Zach Hodges sit down with photographer Caziah Franklin in Nashville. He moved to Tennessee to drum, took summer lessons at Trevecca, and enrolled at Belmont. His first time behind a camera was a Canon Rebel T6i borrowed from his school's yearbook adviser for a summer at Lake Arlington in Texas, but he didn't really pick one up until COVID. A trip to Israel in 2020 and a Fuji X100F gave him his first published photos.In 2021 he deleted every social app for six months. He felt God telling him to log off, and he could see he'd been chasing virality instead of the work. He spent that stretch at a local outdoor shop in Nashville, got into climbing and cycling, and started leading trips in Moab. When he came back online, he posted what he was learning instead of what he'd done.His first paid work was brand consulting, and campaigns came after. He also spent time vetting the creators who pitched outdoor brands, which is where he learned that the people who get hired already use the gear. About a year and a half of free and traded work early on turned into his largest retainers.He talks through gifting, passion, and calling as three separate things, why not every skill needs to be monetized, a mentor's question about flipping houses versus keeping renters, and the test he runs on his own why.This episode exploresWhat brands look for before they answer your pitchSix months offline and what came back with himTurning free and traded work into long-term retainersTreating clients like renters instead of flipped housesKeeping your gifting, passion, and calling separateTesting whether your why holds upFollow Caziah:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caziahfranklin/Substack: https://caziahfranklin.substack.com/YouTube: Caziah Franklin (channel URL to confirm)Chapters:00:00 Cold open00:58 Welcome Caziah Franklin02:03 From drummer to a borrowed Rebel T6i04:42 An Israel trip and his first published photos05:58 Family support and the Belmont pivot08:32 Six months offline in 202110:36 Summer camp in Texas and finding his why13:25 First brand shoot and brand consulting16:35 Gifting, passion, and calling23:17 Free work, product, and investing in yourself27:46 Flipping houses versus having renters31:17 Planting seeds and what comes next34:41 Advice for photographers coming upBig thanks to Harlowe Lights for the lighting of this episode, and Shure Mics for the audio.Hashtags:#CaziahFranklin #OutdoorPhotography #CommercialPhotography #NashvillePhotographer #AdventurePhotography #BrandPhotography #Fujifilm #PhotographyBusiness #F22Series #VSCO

In this episode of f/22, Greg Lutze and Zach Hodges sit down with photographer Madison Rensing in Nashville. Her first camera was a cheap pink Canon she got around nine, used for photographing cereal and climbing the tree in her backyard. Her mom later found a used Nikon on Facebook Marketplace for a hundred bucks, and she teared up when she got it. Summers visiting a cousin in Alaska turned into landscape work, and driving thirty minutes into downtown St. Louis turned into portraits of her friends.The turn came from two photographers she knew only through Instagram. Trevor and Alex met her for coffee at 7am, looked at her work, and told her that if she wanted to do this for the rest of her life, she could. She calls it the light bulb. One of them hired her to shoot his wedding, and that was the first proof she could pay her own way with a camera.After a year of community college she moved to Nashville and landed in a room full of songwriters. She shot digital for about a year, then found a $20 Minolta at McKay's, a local thrift camera and book store, and converted to film for good. A friend handed her a Yashica Mat 124G, and about two years ago she moved into Contax. Clients started asking for the film work specifically. Now artists send her their unreleased music, and she puts headphones on and writes down what she sees.She works with people who are not models and have to be in front of a camera anyway, so she builds the shoot around making them feel safe. That approach runs straight into the hardest part of the job, which is deciding what to charge a friend, whether a label-backed artist pays a different rate, and how to say yes below your number without deciding your work is worth less.This episode exploresTurning a hobby into a career on the strength of one conversationWhat a $20 thrift store camera changes about how you workBuilding visuals from a song nobody else has heard yetDirecting artists who have never modeled in their livesWhat to charge when the client is a friendKeeping your price and your worth separateFollow Madison:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madisonrensingphotos/Website: https://madisonrensing.com/Chapters:00:00 Cold open00:37 Welcome to f/22 in Nashville02:14 Shooting musicians and artists03:47 A pink Canon at nine and a $100 Nikon04:35 Alaska summers and shooting friends near St. Louis08:06 Trevor and Alex find her on Instagram09:43 You could do this for the rest of your life11:41 Building a portfolio and shooting her first wedding13:28 Moving to Nashville and landing in a creative community17:55 A $20 Minolta at McKay's20:13 A Yashica Mat and then the Contax21:45 Pinterest boards instead of shot lists23:36 Getting the music before it comes out26:20 Making people who are not models comfortable27:46 Caring about people while still paying the bills30:27 Why she does not want to shoot video34:51 Tours, personal projects, and 202638:38 Value yourself more than you think44:11 Confidence that wavers46:53 Turning your value into a number51:52 Where to find MadisonBig thanks to Harlowe Lights for the lighting of this episode, and Shure Mics for the audio.Hashtags:#MadisonRensing #FilmPhotography #MusicPhotography #NashvillePhotographer #35mm #MediumFormat #PortraitPhotography #ShootFilm #F22Series #VSCO

In this episode of f/22, Greg Lutze and Zach Hodges sit down with photographer Joe Greer in Nashville. As a broke college student he saved for a month to buy an iPhone 4 just to get on Instagram, then spent every free hour shooting the Pacific Northwest. A curator job at VSCO followed, ten months he still calls his art school, spent studying Alex Webb and William Eggleston and sorting tens of thousands of photographs a day. Then a Portland church cut his position right before Christmas in 2016, and going freelance meant seven months without a single reply.New York broke it open. Armed with a Leica M6, he got hooked on street photography and kept posting it even as it cost him followers. That way of seeing became his calling card, and brands including Leica, Bandit Running, and Gatorade started hiring him for exactly it while his agent Ernesto handled the business. He walks through NYC I Love You, built from 150 undeveloped rolls when COVID emptied the streets, and India Volume 1, the 156 photos drawn from seven years of trips and designed by Mouthwash Studios. He breaks down critical focus over zone focus, why he takes far more bad photos than good ones, and why he refuses to stay in one lane. No off switch, no plan to retire, and every frame he has ever shared was edited in VSCO.This episode exploresBuilding your own photo education from books, documentaries, and the greatsTurning personal work into the thing brands hire you forWhat a rep actually does, and why giving up 20% is worth itWalking onto a commercial set without a shot listCritical focus versus zone focus, and what a real hit rate takesWhy bad photos and refusing to niche down keep a career aliveFollow Joe:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ioegreer/Website: https://www.ioe.photography/Chapters:00:00 A Florida Kid, an iPhone, and the Leica That Changed Everything01:40 From Florida to shooting the Pacific Northwest on an iPhone02:21 Discovering #VSCOcam and falling for photography04:35 Getting hired at VSCO, his art school06:53 How curating thousands of photos sharpened his eye08:13 Teaching yourself from photo books and the greats10:10 Two desert-island books, Meyerowitz and Robert Frank11:36 Hunger, hardship, and the drive to go pro12:47 Let go before Christmas, the leap to freelance13:53 Moving to NYC and getting hooked on the streets14:55 The wedding-gift Canon and buying a Leica M616:20 Getting repped, what a photo agent actually does18:48 Turning a street eye into commercial work22:02 Why he shoots without a shot list24:49 Taking the risk when street photography wasn't cool27:06 Books over likes, what makes a great photograph28:44 NYC I Love You, a love letter on 150 rolls of film29:56 India, the Google trip that started seven years of work31:37 The XPan, black and white, and The Art of Devotion33:01 Sequencing the book and letting go of favorites35:23 The secret to a high hit rate, critical focus37:51 Zone focus versus critical focus, explained39:29 Take more bad photos42:35 Advice, consistency, sharing, and press publish45:13 Don't niche down, photograph what you love47:38 No off switch, no retirement48:44 Where to find Joe, and why it's all edited in VSCOBig thanks to Harlowe Lights for the lighting of this episode, and Shure Mics for the audio.#JoeGreer #StreetPhotography #FilmPhotography #LeicaM6 #35mm #PhotoBooks #IndiaPhotography #ShootFilm #F22Series #VSCO

In this episode of f/22, Zach Hodges sits down in Las Vegas with Susan Stripling, a wedding photographer of 24 years who has never had another job. She lives in New York, she is a Canon Explorer of Light and an Adorama ambassador, and she is a grand master at Icon. Ask how she is holding up after 24 years and the answer is caffeine and duct tape.Susan is blunt about what the accolades actually do. Inside the industry they build relationships and they build a résumé. To a couple choosing a photographer they do nothing, because a prospective client cannot tell an Icon Grand Master from a mom who voted you best photographer in Jersey City.Much of the conversation is about the business behind the pictures. She runs the studio out of one system, answers every inquiry herself, tracks every referral source, and pulls reports at the end of each year to see where the work came from and where it went. She raises prices in itty-bitty increments, sometimes holding the number and dropping the coverage from ten hours to eight, then waits a couple of bookings to see what it does before moving again. Price yourself too far above your referral sources and the referrals stop.She is also honest about what wears on her. She gets bored. She gets burnt out. The venue looks the same and the timeline looks the same. What resets her is not a business fix, it is remembering that she has been there a hundred times and her clients have been there once. Her burnout at work tracks her burnout at home, so she goes and fills the rest of her life first.Her advice for photographers starting out comes in two pieces, and the second one is the part most people skip.This episode exploresWhy awards build a résumé inside the industry and mean nothing to a prospective clientRunning a wedding business end to end, from the first inquiry to year-end reportingRaising prices in itty-bitty increments without pricing yourself out of your referralsWhat changed for photographers starting out now, and why the job takes two skill setsA theater background, theatrically motivated light, and the editorial flash resurgenceGetting bored at a venue you have shot a hundred times, and what actually fixes itWhy she started scuba diving and refuses to monetize the picturesThanks to Harlow Lighting for lighting in this episode.Follow Susan:susanstripling.comChapters:00:00 Cold open00:41 Welcome back to f/22 with Susan Stripling02:07 Whether the awards actually help her business03:11 Held together by caffeine and duct tape04:15 A theater background and nodding to modern style05:44 Word of mouth then, a marketing monster now06:27 One system running the whole studio07:53 Letting go of her own editing08:41 A complicated relationship with AI09:28 Moving prices in itty bitty increments10:49 Getting bored at the venue you have shot 100 times12:50 It's not personal, it's just businessBig thanks to Harlowe Lights for the lighting of this episode, and Shure Mics for the audio.Hashtags:#SusanStripling #WeddingPhotography #WeddingPhotographer #NewYorkPhotographer #PhotographyBusiness #PhotographyPricing #EditorialLighting #F22Series #VSCO

In this episode of f/22, Greg Lutze and Zach Hodges sit down with world-renowned photographer and artist Jeremy Cowart at his studio in Franklin, Tennessee, to talk about a career built on chasing ideas, embracing risk, and using creativity to help people.Jeremy traces his unlikely path from painter to graphic designer to celebrity photographer. The journey started with a three-megapixel point-and-shoot and a Hollywood agent who called out of nowhere in 2005. He's candid about faking his way through his first big shoot (10 sets to light for Prison Break, having never used a light before), the imposter syndrome underneath it, and why he's always been drawn to the possibility of failure.The conversation moves through his signature techniques, the multi-light LED wall rig, custom Capture One code, 60-second shoots, and the stop-motion approach he stumbled into on a Star Trek shoot. It all leads to the work he says matters most, his "If You're Breathing" project, where he makes art alongside people in extreme need and funds their stories through merch. Along the way, Jeremy gets honest about money, the feast-or-famine reality of a creative career, the surprising story of being hired by a global brand specifically to use AI, and why, after 20+ years, obsessive learning is what keeps him relevant.This episode explores- How to break into paid work (and landing a rep)- Why embracing risk and failure beats waiting until you're "ready"- Building a signature style and a clear creative perspective- The truth about money and feast-or-famine income- Using AI as a tool without losing the art- Why social impact work can be the most fulfilling work of allJeremy CowartWebsite: https://www.jeremycowart.com/Big thanks to @harlowecreators for beautiful lighting for this episode.Chapters:00:00 "I Faked My Way Through My First Big Gig"00:36 Welcome Back to f/22, Franklin, Tennessee01:40 From Painter to Photographer03:02 A 3-Megapixel Canon & Shooting Musician Friends04:46 "I Got a D in Photography"06:30 How He Started Getting Paid Work08:04 Landing a Hollywood Agent in 200510:12 Imposter Syndrome & Faking the Prison Break Shoot14:56 The "If You're Breathing" Project18:07 Projecting a Mother's Words Into Her Daughter's Eye20:23 Building the Projection & LED Wall Setup24:22 The 60-Second Photo Shoots27:26 Discovering Stop Motion on a Star Trek Shoot29:15 Why Social Impact Work Matters Most33:42 The Financial Reality, Feast or Famine35:21 Obsessively Learn, The Carpenter Analogy38:24 Talking AI, the Good and the Bad43:04 Hired to Use AI for a Global Brand45:10 Keep It About the Work, Not the Gear47:33 Where to Find Jeremy#JeremyCowart #PhotographyCareer #CelebrityPhotographer #PortraitPhotography #CreativeEntrepreneur #PhotographyBusiness #AIandPhotography #SocialImpact #F22Series #VSCO #PhotographyCommunity

In this episode of f/22, Greg Lutze sits down with Bay Area photographer and filmmaker David Godinez in San Francisco to talk about the realities of turning photography into a career.David shares how he got started, why photography is just his starting point, and how his work has evolved into video and post-production. The conversation focuses on the often-overlooked side of the craft: business. From pricing your work to shifting your mindset, David breaks down what it actually takes to go from hobbyist to professional.📌 This episode explores:• The mindset shift from artist to business owner• Why pricing your work is so difficult (and so important)• How to approach the transition into video• When to hire vs. learn new skills• Building a sustainable creative career  Follow David:David GodinezInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidrgoda/Website: https://www.davidgodinez.com/⸻Chapters:00:00 “You’re Not an Artist, You’re a Business”00:23 Introduction in San Francisco01:02 How David Got Into Photography02:13 Why Photography Is Just the Starting Point02:16 Early Days of Video & YouTube03:26 The Shift from Photo to Video04:47 Should Photographers Take on Video?05:40 Learning by Hiring People Better Than You06:22 The Hard Transition to Going Pro06:36 Why Most Photographers Undervalue Their Work07:07 Artist vs. Business Mindset08:03 Why Business Skills Aren’t Taught08:30 Learning Through Community09:08 The Reality of Pricing & Overhead09:29 Why Pricing Transparency Matters10:31 The Problem with Undercutting10:54 The “Oakland Strong” Documentary12:17 From Local Project to Film Festival Run13:21 Where to Find David’s Work⸻Hashtags:#PhotographyBusiness #FreelancePhotographer #PhotographyCareer #CreativeEntrepreneur #Videography #F22Series #VSCO #PhotographyCommunity

In this episode of f/22, Zach Hodges sits down with Oakland photographers Pablo Circa and Essi Westerman at VSCO headquarters to talk about creating their very first gallery exhibition: Street Stories: Oakland in Focus.What started as an idea during a lonely season turned into a community-powered show featuring 42 photographers and dozens of handwritten “written portraits” collected from people across Oakland. Pablo and Essi break down the full journey—from concept and open call to curation, printing, framing, and opening night overwhelm.They share what it actually takes to make a group exhibition happen, how they narrowed 100+ submissions down to 42 images, and why they chose feeling over technical perfection. They also reflect on collaboration as “jazz,” building something rooted in love for their city, and creating space for Oakland to be seen beyond the headlines.📌 This episode explores:• How to create your first photography gallery show• Turning a creative idea into a physical exhibition• Curating 100+ submissions down to a cohesive body of work• Pairing photographs with handwritten community stories• Building connection through art and collaborationFollow Pablo & Essi:Pablo CircaWebsite: https://www.pablocirca.com/Essi WestermanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/essiwesterman/————————Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Street Stories: Oakland in Focus02:25 The Idea Behind Their First Gallery05:10 From Injury to Photography08:54 Building the Concept12:11 “Follow the Feeling”15:27 The Open Call & 100+ Submissions18:02 Curating by Intuition, Not Technical Perfection22:55 Adding Handwritten Community Stories29:00 Opening Night in Oakland34:05 Collaboration as Jazz36:20 What They’d Do Differently————————Hashtags: #PhotographyExhibition #GalleryShow #Oakland #StreetPhotography #PhotoCommunity #Curation #FirstExhibition #F22Series

In this episode of f/22, Zach Hodges sits down with film portrait photographer Lauren Marcelle at Bild Expo in New York City.Lauren shares her journey from shooting Polaroid as a kid to working in 4x5 and 8x10 large format film. She talks about why slowing down matters, what it takes to make a single meaningful frame, and why portraiture gives her something street and landscape photography never could: real human connection.They also dive into Cameras & Coffee, the community meetup she helped bring from the Bay Area to NYC, and why “just showing up” might be the most important step any creative can take.📌 This episode explores:• Falling back in love with film• The discipline of large format photography• Finding your niche after years of experimentation• Creating space for connection through portraiture• Building intentional creative communityFollow Lauren:Website: https://www.laurenmarcellephotography.com/VSCO: https://vsco.co/laurenmarcellephoto/galleryChapters:00:00 Slowing Down with Large Format00:37 Lauren’s Film Photography Journey02:12 Cameras & Coffee Origins03:32 What to Expect at a Meetup04:20 Overcoming Social Anxiety05:10 Why Community Matters06:44 Shooting 8x10 Portraits08:02 The Magic of One Frame09:08 Finding Her Focus in Portraiture11:05 Where to See Lauren’s WorkHashtags:#LargeFormatPhotography #FilmPhotography #PortraitPhotography #8x10 #Polaroid #PhotographyCommunity #CamerasAndCoffee #F22Series

In this episode of f/22, VSCO co-founder Greg Lutze http://vsco.co/greg/gallery sits down with Bay Area photographer, filmmaker, and Google computational research creative Brandon Ruffin http://vsco.co/ruffdraft/gallery to explore how identity, narrative, and technology intersect in modern image-making. Known for his powerful storytelling and community work through Cameras & Coffee Club, Brandon opens up about the emotional core of photography, how our lived experiences shape what we see, and why every photograph carries a point of view.From his Leica M11-D campaign to his upcoming book Migration Patterns, Brandon shares thoughtful insights on personal projects, creative identity, AI’s role in artistry, and the ways photography can connect us to our family histories, our communities, and ourselves. Whether you’re a new photographer or deep into your creative journey, this conversation offers a grounded, inspiring look at what it means to create with intention in an era shaped by both humanity and computation.Chapters00:00 — Storytelling, POV, and the artist’s role01:16 — Brandon’s background, identity, and approach to photography06:49 — Inside the Leica M11-D campaign & emotional image-making13:14 — Migration Patterns: family history, memory, and personal projects26:15 — Social media, “the banger shot,” and rediscovering play in photography31:18 — Photobooks, sequencing, and trusting the editing process36:18 — Photography as poetry: narrative, symbolism, and emotional truth38:00 — AI, creativity, and human-centered tools for artists41:05 — Hot takes & advice for emerging photographers47:36 — Building community, collaboration, and sustaining a creative life#vscocam #photography #photographer #photographytips #portraitphotography #storytelling #filmphotography #artandtechnology #computationalphotography #creativecommunity #photographypodcast #vsco

With nearly two decades of experience behind the camera, Karna Roa has photographed weddings around the world — from the vineyards of California to ceremonies in Tokyo and Morocco. In this episode of f/22, she shares how shooting weddings taught her every aspect of photography, how education through PPA (Professional Photographers of America) shaped her growth, and what she learned from the viral wildfire photo that briefly put her in the spotlight.📌 In this interview you’ll learn:Why weddings are the best training ground for any photographerHow to build a sustainable career in a demanding industryWhat it’s like to have a photo go viral overnightThe importance of lighting, preparation, and adaptabilityHow community, education, and mentorship can elevate your craftChapters:00:00 – Why weddings make you a better photographer00:18 – Meet Karna Roa, award-winning wedding photographer01:03 – Getting started at age 1502:29 – Building a full-time career and traveling the world03:23 – Highlights from 17 years of weddings04:17 – The wildfire wedding and viral photo moment10:35 – Lessons in lighting and storytelling11:18 – Staying passionate and emotionally connected12:36 – Making a long-term creative career sustainable13:00 – What is PPA and why it matters16:33 – Earning degrees and recognition through PPA18:28 – Growth through education and mentorship19:00 – Leading the Wine Country chapter of PPA20:09 – Advice for new and aspiring wedding photographers21:33 – The power of networking and relationships22:06 – Closing thoughts and where to find Karna’s work#VSCO #VSCOcam #streetphotography #Photography #ProfessionalPhotographer #PhotographyTips #weddingphotography #weddingphotographer