What if staying in business isn’t about growing faster, but getting better at knowing what needs to change?

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about what it actually looks like to build a photography business that lasts. Starting with the question of how Amy built GreatDanePhotos before social media existed, they trace more than 25 years of small pivots — from selling physical prints at agility trials to email lists, pre-orders, on-site sales, changing technology, and the increasingly pay-to-play world of social media.

Amy talks about why selling photos at the event has remained such an important part of her business, and why the booth does more than make sales. It puts her in front of customers, lets her hear their reactions, and keeps her connected to what people actually want. She also looks back at the much slower evolution of the business itself: adding bigger events, building a crew, developing systems, navigating travel and family life, and gradually increasing what the business could handle.

Casey brings the conversation back to capacity: the difference between a business that could grow and one that fits the person actually running it. They talk about recognizing friction, deciding which problems are worth solving, and questioning the pressure to keep adding more just because more opportunities are available.

They also talk about:

• Why taking on more events doesn’t necessarily mean making more money
• Selling while customers are still emotionally connected to the experience
• Why Amy was reluctant to sell digital files and pre-orders
• Email lists versus relying on social media to reach your customers
• Running the math when Facebook wants $50
• Building capacity instead of chasing overnight growth
• Knowing when to adapt, when to say no, and when you might need a little shove off the cliff

Along the way, there are conversations about five-week-old babies at national agility championships, customers handing over credit cards for photographs that don’t exist yet, Casey jumping into pools full of sharks, Amy stalking other photographers’ websites for pictures of Spy, and the uncomfortable realization that sometimes the annoying paid thing might actually be worth the money.

• (00:00) - S02 E09 - Sustaining a Business
• (00:34) - Building a Business Before Social Media
• (07:46) - Why Amy Still Sells at the Show
• (18:43) - What Makes Someone Buy Another Photo?
• (23:23) - You Don’t Own Social Media
• (31:11) - The Slow Evolution of a Business
• (41:39) - More Events Doesn’t Mean More Money

What if finding your photography style is less about finding it and more about figuring out what you actually like?

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about photographic style, creative voice, and the pressure to somehow develop a recognizable “look.” Instead of treating style as something you choose and then stick with forever, they explore what happens when you learn by copying, experimenting, borrowing from other photographers, and slowly keeping the pieces that feel like yours.

Amy talks about learning directly from photographers whose work she admired, following their methods closely enough to understand them, and then deciding what she wanted to take home with her. From bird photography workshops to dog photography to lessons borrowed from landscape composition, her own work has evolved through what she calls the difference between karaoke and sampling: sometimes you copy something to learn how it works, but eventually you start remixing those influences into something of your own.

Casey is in the middle of that process now. She talks about being drawn to wildly different styles, getting overwhelmed by everything she'd have to learn to create them, and realizing that imitation can be a perfectly useful place to start. The harder part is learning when to stop looking for someone else's settings, presets, or answers and start making your own decisions about what you actually want a photograph to look like.

They also talk about:

• Why having taste isn't the same as having a signature style
• Why someone else's presets won't magically make your photos look like theirs
• Using inspiration photos to figure out what you like and what you don't
• How new lenses and other tools can change the way you see
• Borrowing composition ideas from completely different genres of photography
• Why knowing the Lightroom sliders isn't the same as knowing what you want them to do
• Trying things once and giving yourself permission to decide they're not for you

Along the way, there are conversations about Oxford commas, fake Photoshop blur, Alaskan salmon that Amy still doesn't like, Casey's need for external validation, and the possibility that gold stars may be required on their next photography trip.

Focus Makers VIP Membership

If you’re a working dog sports photographer, Focus Makers VIP Membership is a small support group for the parts of this job that are hard to figure out alone. Amy brings 25+ years of experience with high-volume dog sports photography, and Casey joins the conversation around burnout, boundaries, nervous system regulation, and making the business sustainable.

Through the end of 2026, accepted VIP applicants can join for the Premium price of $49/month instead of $99/month.

Apply for Focus Makers VIP: https://form.jotform.com/262586385030055

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Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.

Email us at thefocustrap@gmail.com

📸 Find Amy and learn more about her photography coaching:

https://www.skool.com/focus-makers/about

🧠 Find Casey and learn more about what she's up to: www.caseyjourdan.com

And follow The Focus Trap @thefocustrap on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

• (00:00) - S02 E08 Focus on Making it Yours
• (00:55) - Do You Need a Photography Style?
• (06:01) - Karaoke vs. Sampling
• (12:17) - Figuring Out What You Actually Like
• (17:15) - Borrowing From Other Kinds of Photography
• (22:47) - The Sliders Won’t Find the Story for You
• (34:16) - When Karaoke Feels Safer

What if the difference between taking a picture and making a photograph is everything that happens before you press the shutter?

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about the choices photographers make that disappear from the finished image. Sometimes that means choosing your angle, focal length, or background. Sometimes it means scouting a location, paying for access, or simply deciding what kind of photograph you’re trying to make before you pick up the camera.

Amy talks about the layers of intentionality that become visible as your photography skills grow, from controlling camera settings to building a photograph from the background forward. She also digs into the less-visible preparation behind wildlife, event, and dog photography and why controlling everything you can control makes you more prepared for the things you can’t.

Casey is discovering those layers in real time. A crochet bunny experiment completely changes how she thinks about focal length, while a disappointing photo from a hike becomes less about fixing the image and more about figuring out what she needs to do differently next time. She also wrestles with the realization that sometimes she wants to make a photograph and sometimes she just wants a terrible picture of a dolphin because she saw a dolphin.

They also talk about:

• Why aperture isn’t the only way to blur a background
• Building a photograph from the background forward
• Paying for access, workshops, and better opportunities
• Why intentionality doesn’t guarantee a good photograph
• Learning from a photo instead of trying to rescue it in post
• Being ready for the moments you couldn’t possibly plan

Along the way, there are conversations about removing whole-ass people in Photoshop, Homer Simpson disappearing into a hedge, the behind-the-scenes of the behind-the-scenes, enormous seagulls, backyard vultures, dappled light, and why sometimes the most intentional photography decision is doing the hike again without your husband.

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Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.

Email us at thefocustrap@gmail.com

📸 Find Amy and learn more about her photography coaching: https://www.skool.com/focus-makers/about

🧠 Find Casey and learn more about what she's up to: www.caseyjourdan.com

And follow The Focus Trap @thefocustrap on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

• (00:00) - S02 E07: Focus on Being Intentional
• (00:55) - Photos Aren’t Always What They Seem
• (10:01) - Build the Photo From the Background
• (15:23) - Sometimes You Pay for the Opportunity
• (19:40) - Sometimes the Intention Is Just to Be There