Building Your Business with the Right Gear: TogTools Podcast with Fstoppers' Adam Ottke

Building Your Business with the Right Gear: TogTools Podcast with Fstoppers' Adam Ottke

It's that time! We have the third session in the Fstoppers series over at the TogTools Podcast ready for you all to enjoy - and it's a great one! This week's guest is Staff Writer Adam Ottke. Adam shoots fine art and travel photography, but he also serves as the Art Director for a small creative agency he started called Curate the World. In this week's podcast, Adam discusses his love for gear, how he got started in photography and as a writer for Fstoppers, how to hustle in this industry and why collaboration is important for creating strong artistic ideas.

Stephen and Jess Robertson host an exciting podcast for, as their website states, "new(er) photographers who want to build something they care about." It's a fun, casual conversation between the married couple and their guest that often leads to story sharing and lots of laughter. This week's episode definitely delivered! Adam really seemed to have a great time discussing his love for gear with the couple and he had some amazing stories to share - including one about how he photographed his former professor Lia Halloran's Dark Skate series... and then had to re-photograph it on film! Adam offers some really insightful information on using the right tools for the right jobs and the differences between certain technologies in how they can deliver end results. The Robertsons guided the conversation through the business side of photography but also asked questions that only Adam could answer with his specific insight into gear and working within his field. It's both an educational and entertaining podcast that comes in just under an hour, but it felt like it flew right by while I watched. I know you'll enjoy it!

I also highly recommend you check out each of the interviews we have available, as well as those to come. Fstoppers is basically taking over the next few months there, so you'll have a first row seat into the hows and whys behind the topics of some of your favorite Fstoppers contributors. It's always great to learn more, but I've been even more excited about watching these podcasts just to get to know everyone better as people. You're going to love these. Promise!

Below is the tentative schedule of the release dates and the topics that will be covered, links back to each photographer's Fstoppers profile as well as links to their past interviews with the TogTools crew.

8/5/14: Lee Morris - Why You Should Deliberately Start Small.

8/12/14: Lindsey Pantaleo - How to Treat Your Photography Business Like a Real Business.

8/19/14: Adam Ottke - Building Your Business with the Right Gear

8/26/14: Rebecca Britt - Breaking into Concert Photography

9/9/14: Noam Galai - Copyright & Building a Multi-niche Photography Business 

9/16/14: Taylor Mathis - The Business of Food Photography

9/23/14: Sarah Williams - Infusing YOU Into Your Brand

9/30/14: Clay Cook - Fashion, Editorial and Advertising Photography

10/7/14: Zach Sutton - How to Develop Photography Education Products and Services

10/14/14: Jaron Schneider - Where Video is Headed and How it Will Be Utilized Differently

10/21/14: David Bickley - Understanding the Subtleties of Negotiations With High Profile Clients

10/28/14: Patrick Hall - Building a Relationship-based Photography Business

Please visit the TogTools website to watch each episode. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter to watch for newly released podcasts.

Aaron Brown's picture

Aaron Brown is a Northwest Indiana wedding & portrait photographer. In his off time, he enjoys grooming his beard, consuming assorted meats and craft beers, and battling friends and foes alike in blitz chess. Follow him below, and feel free to drop him a line anytime.

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2 Comments

Thank you so much for the share, Aaron! And big thanks to Adam for taking the time to chat with us!

Thanks for you guys doing this Fstoppers series! It's great putting a personality to these amazing photographers. Cheers!