Jan 16, 2026
Fifteen years ago, I walked away from a full-time career in marketing—complete with a steady paycheck, benefits, and a 401K—to pursue photography. There were no guarantees it would work, only a willingness to accept uncertainty and learn along the way.
In this episode, I reflect on the lessons that have kept James...
Jan 6, 2026
Posing doesn’t have to feel awkward, forced, or inconsistent.
In this episode, James Patrick breaks down 8 practical posing tips he’s used across more than 800 magazine covers to help photographers confidently direct real clients, not professional models.
You’ll learn how to create structure at the start of...
Dec 10, 2025
In this episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick takes a direct, professional look at one of the most polarizing conversations in the photography world: ethical pricing. After a viral post claimed that “$2,000 for 100 photos is unethical,” the industry erupted into yet another round of pricing debates, judgment,...
Dec 1, 2025
In this episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick dives into one of the biggest questions photographers asked after his viral video: “What do you do when the client is the difficult one?”
After more than 20 years, hundreds of shoots, and more personalities than he can count, James breaks down the real root...
Nov 24, 2025
In this episode, I break down exactly how I landed a dream project—not through luck, connections, or waiting to “get discovered,” but by creating the kind of work I wanted to be hired for. I share the full strategy behind building a spec portfolio, crafting content marketing around it, and ultimately generating a...