Photo Fuel | The Vision, Art, and Business of Family Photography

Hosted by Leah O’Connell

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Aug 2026

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About the show

This is a podcast for family photographers about the swirl of vision, art, and business. Through stories, interviews, and nearly 20 years of experience in the family photography industry, host Leah O’Connell will help pack your creative toolbox and build confidence to fuel your sessions, your business, and your life. We’ll tackle family photography education with topics around the logistics and the skills, along with mindset, marketing with alignment, and more. This podcast will help you fan your own flame towards doing more of what you love and loving how you do it. Free, full, and fun family photography education every Monday - grab your Photo Fuel and let’s get creating.

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60 recent

August 31, 2026Episode 8137 min

Ditching Duct Tape Systems in Favor of Connection and Peace with Erin Wissig

We assume established photographers have it all figured out. Erin Wissig sees something different: talented, successful photographers whose backend systems never had the chance to catch up. I'm talking with Erin about why so many of us end up duct-taping our systems together as our businesses grow, what it actually looks like to build automations that hold while still maintaining the flexibility for humanity. We talk about why the point was never the systems themselves — it's the peace of mind and relational space they free up. We get into the fear of robotic systems in an industry that celebrates humanity, and why your system is only as good as your willingness to trust it. Find It Quickly: 05:44 - Why established photographers still feel behind 16:42 - Automation isn't the opposite of connection 20:18 - One workflow change to make this week Mentioned in this Episode: Erin's favorite systems stack (free guide): https://erinwissig.com/podcast-listeners Connect with Erin: Instagram: @erin_wissig Website: erinwissig.com Connect with Leah: Instagram: @leahoconnell_photo Website: https://www.leahoconnell.com Free Resources + Newsletter: https://www.leahoconnell.com/learn

August 24, 2026Episode 806 min

The 'Why Not' Mindset (REPLAY)

This is the last in a series of summer replays for the podcast, but I thought a short and sweet reminder was just the thing to kick off the next season. It's one that applies to pricing, but also to your work as a whole - the art of it, the backbone of decisions and creation together. I'm talking about the fear-based thoughts that show up around raising your rates, why "is there any reason not to?" is a better question than "should I?", and how confidence actually comes from competence - from doing the work, even when it doesn't go perfectly. I share a personal story from the early days of my business and building the thick skin it took to put myself out there with no connections to fall back on. I hope this episode brings you some encouragement and energy to move forward into the fall asking better questions and getting better answers. // STAY CONNECTED // FREE RESOURCES: https://www.leahoconnell.com/learn PHOTO FUEL RETREAT & MASTERMIND: https://www.leahoconnell.com/retreat

August 10, 2026Episode 7929 min

A Fall Pep Talk for Family Photographers (REPLAY)

This episode was originally published this time last year, but I'm bringing it back because the reminders are still just as relavent! It might still feel like summer, but fall is coming — and with it, the mix of excitement and overwhelm that hits every family photographer this time of year. I'm walking through the four pain points that tend to hold us hostage in the fall: - overbooking and burnout - marketing struggles - chaos with your systems - and creative blocks. For each one, I'm sharing what's actually worked for me and for the photographers I've worked with, including session limits and waitlists, why marketing is serving instead of selling (and how to treat it like that), building email templates before you need them, and small ways to keep your creativity fresh when you're shooting back to back. Find It Quickly: 2:45 - Pain point 1: Overbooking and burnout 10:45 - Pain point 2: Marketing and visibility struggles 17:45 - Pain point 3: Lack of systems and organization 21:30 - Pain point 4: Creative blocks 26:00 - Closing pep talk Mentioned in this Episode: PhotoFuel Retreat and Mastermind: leahoconnell.com/retreat Free resources: leahoconnell.com/learn If you're loving a regular dose of Photo Fuel, please take a minute to leave a review and I'll send lots of virtual hugs your way! :-)

July 20, 2026Episode 7825 min

REPLAY | Why I don't offer fall mini sessions

In case you're starting to think about fall (good for you!!!) and setting those fall mini session dates - listen to this first! Not villianizing them, but simply offering an alternative approach and something to think about before you sell your soul to fall mini sessions. Since this episode, I've offered mini sessions each summer as a test (because I don't like making assumptions and wanted to make sure this advice held up - spoiler, it does. At least for me.) Mentioned // QT albums: get 20% off your first order with code FUEL20 or a free studio sample – just reach out and mention Photo Fuel and they’ll get you hooked up with your album sample The Big Picture Workbook: https://www.leahoconnell.com/bigpicture Mentoring with Leah : https://leahoconnell.com/mentoring Group Coaching Waitlist: https://www.leahoconnell.com/retreat Mini sessions are a great way to get started, practice, and develop your skills. But at a certain point, you can decide if it’s something that’s really aligned with your business goals… or not. That’s what we’re digging into today – My 3 main arguments against doing fall mini sessions and a few ideas for how to supplement your business income or calendar instead. Connect with Leah: Website: https://www.leahoconnell.com/education Instagram: https://instagram.com/leahoconnell.photo

July 6, 2026Episode 7732 min

Putting in the website work to get found online with Jamie Bugbee

What business owner doesn't want to get found through Google and AI search? Jamie Bugbee spent over 20 years as a dental hygienist before postpartum depression led her back to a camera and a way to come home to herself. And once she put herself fully into learning and tackling SEO for family photographers, she was able to grow her photography business by 400% and leave her day-job to go full-time. Jamie is a Portland-based family, maternity, newborn, and brand photographer who now teaches photographers how to grow through their own websites. We talk about the practical side of getting found online without leaning on social media: on-page and off-page SEO for family photographers, backlinks and local citations, and how to blog in a way that's actually built to be found - not just written and forgotten. We also cover the tools Jamie uses to track what's working and what's not working, silent killers to your page speed and searchability that might be working against you, and more. Find It Quickly: 2:20 - From dental hygienenist to photography 5:00 - Picking up a camera again after having kids 12:00 - The mentorship that finally clicked 14:20 - The bones of modern SEO for family photographers 21:00 - Blogging effectively 27:30 - Tools for tracking what's working and what's not 30:15 - Jamie's Photo Fuel Mentioned in this Episode: Keywords Everywhere White Spark, Google Search Console SEO Edge Microsoft Clarity Free Guide from Jamie: Luxury Client Journey Connect with Jamie Portland Oregon family photographer (Jamie's website) Jamie's Instagram for photographers The PhotograpHER Podcast: The Booked Photographer (course) Connect with Leah Leah's website: https://www.leahoconnell.com Leah's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahoconnell.photo Learn Page with free resources + stay connected : https://www.leahoconnell.com/learn

June 15, 2026Episode 7647 min

Falling for Lifestyle, Session Prep, and Playing the SEO Long Game with Becca Lueck

Becca Lueck has been photographing families in the Portland, Oregon area for 16 years, but she didn't find lifestyle photography until year seven. Once she did, everything changed. We talk about the before and after of learning to fall in love with the work you're doing, how it changes, and how to keep it interesting. Becca is the founder of Becca Jean Photography, a membership for family photographers, and a suite of courses covering everything from business systems to video. She's also been blogging and building her SEO for years, to the point where she can now publish a post and rank on the first page within days. In this episode, we talk about how she got there and how things look now. We also get into her video workflow — how she moves between photo and video inside a family session without losing momentum — and her honest take on where new photographers should put their energy. Find It Quickly: 3:30 - Getting started 7:00 - Mini sessions and slow early growth 12:00 - Discovering lifestyle photography in 2017 20:00 - Client prep: email sequences other tools 27:00 - Styling guidance and client closets 30:00 - Adding video inside a family session 37:00 - SEO over Instagram 41:00 - Becca's membership 44:00 - Photo fuel: in-person events Mentioned in this Episode: Becca's Membership: https://courses.beccajeanphotography.com/p/family-photography-collective Style and Select: https://styleandselect.com/ Becca's CRM: https://17hats.com/ How Becca edits film: Adobe Premiere Pro How Becca edits photo: Imagin AI Tristin Tracy: @tristentracy_photography Connect with Becca: Education: https://beccajeanphotography.com/education Instagram: @beccajeanphotography Connect with Leah: PhotoFuel Retreat and Mastermind: leahoconnell.com/retreat Free resources: leahoconnell.com/learn

June 1, 2026Episode 7516 min

Guide to In-Home Family Photography Part 4 - 8 Tips for What to Do When You're Stuck

You're halfway into a session, things are flowing, and then — nothing. The energy drops, your brain goes blank, and you're thinking - WHAT NOW. This is the final part of the four-part in-home family photography series, and I'm giving you eight specific moves to pull out when a session stalls or you need to jolt yourself in to a new perspective. Stay to the end for a preview of what's coming this summer! Find It Quickly: 2:56 - 1: Three focal ranges 4:37 - 2: Shoot through something nearby 5:34 - 3: Doorways 6:41 - 4: Invite music 7:55 - 5: Invite play 9:00 - 6: Look for the moment, not the space 10:57 - 7: Use furniture in non-conventional ways 11:38 - 8: Let the mess be the story 13:10 - Recap 13:43 - Series wrap-up + how to get the field guide 14:52 - What to expect next on the podcast Mentioned in this Episode: In-Home Session Field Guide (free): leahoconnell.com/home-fieldguide Photo Fuel Retreat and Mastermind: leahoconnell.com/retreat

May 25, 2026Episode 7416 min

Guide to In-Home Family Photography Part 3: Story Filters

In Part 1, we prepped. In Part 2, we got the ball rolling. This episode is all about how to open your dang eyeballs, guide with your heart, and sink into a session that is less pose and more honest family gold. If you often leave sessions feeling like you checked the boxes but you never really GOT anywhere emotional, this is your next-level. I originally learned the concept of "elements of family story" from Brooke Schultz, and Story Filters are my evolution of that over the last 5 years. They're themes you carry into a session like a scavenger hunt — lenses for seeing what's actually in front of you rather than hunting for your next pose. I'm sharing what they are, how they work in practice, and a two-step process for developing your own. It's the thing that made the difference between galleries that are fine and work that actually means something. Find It Quickly: 1:49 - Introducing Story Filters (your personal in-shoot scavenger hunt) 3:37 - Story filter examples 5:06 - Filters in action: how they change the way you see and direct 7:52 - Why filters matter: seeing people not subjects 9:28 - Direction vs. documentary: finding the middle ground 10:51 - How to develop your own filters 14:09 - Series recap + next episode preview 15:03 - How to get the Field Guide for all these tips in writing to reference for your next shoot Mentioned in this Episode: In-Home Session Field Guide (free): leahoconnell.com/home-fieldguide Episode 72: Part 1 — The Walkthrough Video: https://leahoconnell.com/guide-to-in-home-family-photography-sessions-part-1-the-walkthrough-video/ https://leahoconnell.com/guide-to-in-home-family-photography-sessions-part-1-the-walkthrough-video/ Episode 73: Part 2 — The First 10 Minutes: https://leahoconnell.com/in-home-family-photography-series-part-2-the-first-10-minutes/ Also listen to: Episode 59 with Brooke Schultz: https://leahoconnell.com/episode-59-messy-action-the-artful-pivot-and-creating-from-the-inside-out-with-brooke-schultz/

May 18, 2026Episode 7325 min

Guide to In-Home Family Sessions Part 2: The First 10 Minutes

You've done your prep. You've watched the walkthrough video. You knock on the door - now what? The first 10 minutes of an in-home session do more than most photographers realize. They're where trust gets built in person, the tone is set, and where you either make it feel like an experience or a performance. I'm walking through five things that shift the energy in those opening minutes and two things I'm careful not to do in a session to help get it rolling on a good foot. This is Part 2 of a four-part May series on practical in-home family photography tips. The guiding principles and recommendations for each episode can be found in the companion resource for free called : The In-Home Session Field Guide. You'll find swipe copy, pep talk language, and go-to moves for every stage of the session. Find It Quickly: 2:30 - Why the first 10 minutes matter more than you think 5:00 - Tip 1 - hospitality 10:30 - Tip 2: Kid level 13:00 - Tip 3: Notice the good 15:30 - Tip 4: The loop 17:30 - Tip 5: The pep talk 21:00 - Transitional shooting before direction 22:30 - What not to do Mentioned in this Episode: In-Home Session Field Guide (free): leahoconnell.com/home-field-guide Episode 72: Part 1 — The Walkthrough Video - https://leahoconnell.com/guide-to-in-home-family-photography-sessions-part-1-the-walkthrough-video/ Episode with Rachel Larsen Weaver: https://leahoconnell.com/an-interview-with-rachel-larsen-weaver-on-pursuing-the-love-of-art-business-and-people-photo-fuel-podcast-episode-13/

May 11, 2026Episode 7212 min

Guide to In-Home Family Sessions Part 1: The Walkthrough Video

If you're working on improving your process for in-home family photography or adding home as a location this year, this series is for you! This first episode is one of four that kicks off a short, practical series on in-home family photography, starting with the one thing I do before every session to walk in feeling prepared. This is the biggest asset to preparing for an in home shoot - without requiring a consult call, zoom meeting, or in-person scouting trip: the walkthrough video. I share how I ask for it about two weeks before an in-home session and what I'm looking for when I watch it. I also cover what to do when clients don't send a video, and why the goal of all this prep isn't a rigid plan but a confident, settled mindset before you even knock on the door. Find It Quickly: 1:30 - The two traps in in-home sessions 3:00 - The mental shift required 4:30 - Asking for the walkthrough video 7:00 - When they don't send it 8:30 - What to look for : Light, Life, and Layers framework 12:30 - The real win, regardless of how it's executed in the end 14:30 - Part 2 preview + The In-Home Session Field Guide Mentioned in this Episode: In-Home Session Field Guide: leahoconnell.com/home-fieldguide >> Episode 69: Stop Posing, Start Playing >> Episode 55: Set the Table - how to stop expecting your clients to perform for you Free resources: leahoconnell.com/learn >> CONNECT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM: @leahoconnell.photo