The Darkroom Podcast

@Viewbug | Lowering Your Barriers of Entry and Expectations with ViewBug CEO Ori Guttin

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we got the opportunity to speak with Ori Guttin, Co-founder and CEO of ViewBug, the world's largest photo contest platform. Artists on the ViewBug platform submit their work to be evaluated by judges which are often some of the best photographers in the world, with the chance to win gear, cameras and other prizes. While ViewBug began as a way for photographers to showcase their work and challenge themselves, it has evolved into a learning platform where any photographer can go from novice to professional. Ori walks us through his daily routine of surfing in the morning in sunny San Diego and talks through what it takes to stand out as a photographer in this day and age. 

@OfficialFstoppers | Work Smart Not Long with Fstoppers CEO Lee Morris

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we had the chance to chat with Lee Morris, CEO and Co-founder of Fstoppers, one of the largest and most active online communities for creative professionals. Morris and his Co-founder Patrick Hall started Fstoppers in 2010, leveraging video tutorials and other visual content to help budding photographers learn new skills. As a photographer himself, Morris was shooting 30 weddings a year when he began thinking about what he wanted to do with his free time.  Hear more about how Morris and Hall scaled Fstoppers to one of the largest online creative communities with 50+ writers and and millions of visitors a month.

@JaxsonPohlmanPhotography | Capturing the Cosmos with Jaxson Pohlman

This week on The Darkroom Podcast we got to chat with Jaxson Pohlman, a full-time photographer who spends his time between Southern California and Kansas. In the last three years, Jaxson has become a leading voice in the astro photography space, landing himself an official sponsorship with Adobe to help them release some of their latest Creative Cloud tools. We talk through his transition to becoming a full-time creator, highlighting the dichotomy between sustainability and autonomy. With his first workshops under his belt, Jaxson has become both a teacher and infinite learner, looking to spread his knowledge in the space (full pun) to others.

@ChrisBurkard | Gravitating Towards Your Fears with Chris Burkard

On this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we spoke with the legendary Chris Burkard about how he operates and continues to push himself to new limits. We got a chance to see and hear how Chris built an amazing team around him and how he leverages their talents. Being approachable is not only a part of who Chris is, it's also what helps him create such amazing deal-flow with his commercial work, largely for brands who are looking for artists with his sphere of influence. With so much success, Chris still finds space for personal growth in the uncomfortable and offers his advice for anyone seeking the same.

@TONL | Combating Prejudice in Stock Photography with The Founders of TONL Karen Okonkwo & Joshua Kissi

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we spoke with Joshua Kissi and Karen Okonkwo, the Co-founders of TONL, a stock photography company whose mission is to capture diverse people and deliver their stories around the world. Karen is a Nigerian-American social entrepreneur and previous founder of companies in the event planning and online business realm. Joshua is a Ghanaian-American photographer and entrepreneur who previously founded infamous creative agency, Street Etiquette, in NYC. Both Inc 30 Under 30 founders, Joshua and Karen are reshaping the way brands use diverse imagery, partnering with companies like Google to bring their vision to life.

@Moment | Three Kids and a Startup with Moment CEO Marc Barros

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we chatted with Marc Barros, CEO and Founder of Moment, one of the most well known mobile photography gear companies in the world. Moment, raising over $6 million in funding, offers both an add-on app to their photography lenses and is now offering new photo trips with some of the world’s most renowned photographers. Marc talks through his early life of founding his first camera company in college, Contour, which he ran for 10 years. His approach to business and team building is one of radical transparency, from how much money is left in the bank to what was talked about at the last board meeting. As a father of three and CEO, we were lucky he could spare some time to share his story.

@Unfold | Democratizing the Power of Design with Unfold CEO Alfonso Cobo

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we are extremely excited to bring you Alfonso Cobo, CEO of Unfold, the fastest growing app for creating and sharing stories. We talk through Alfonso’s childhood growing up in the Canary Islands and his early struggles with traditional education. We hear how Alfonso eventually found his way to Parsons School of Design where he aced his courses and began making strides to what he thought was going to be a career in architecture. That was until a school project showcasing his portfolio led him to develop Unfold. Since its inception, Unfold has brought in millions of users who have created tens of millions of stories while maintaining an overwhelming pace of 100,000 downloads a day. At just 25, Alfonso and his Co-founder Andy McCune, 23, have big dreams of what Unfold will become.

@BrendanNorth | Defining Your Art in the Age of Replication with Brendan North

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we bring you Brendan North, a fine art photographer and poet who moved to LA just two years ago, turning a borrowed camera into a global audience of over 1 million people. Brendan’s portraiture work has allowed him to shoot for some of the top celebrities and models in LA including Usher and Atticus the Poet. Spending his time driving for Lyft and hustling for shoots, Brendan talks through his early days in LA. Through his rise to fame, Brendan lends a critical eye to his numerical “success” and has some parting words for anyone trying to define their own art in an age of both saturation and replication.

@JasonMPeterson | The Future of Content Creation with Jason Peterson

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast we had the pleasure of speaking with the CCO & Chairman of Havas North America and infamous photographer Jason Peterson. We explored his past, from growing up as a guitarist in his own punk rock band to hustling his way to his first job at an ad agency. Jason is now ushering in a new age of content creation with the expansion of his latest initiative, The Annex, a multi-city creative space that is home to some of the world's best YouTubers, Twitch Streamers, and content creators. In 2017, The Annex pulled in over $25 million in revenue, functioning both as its own ad agency for brands who want to stay on the cutting edge of all things social media and as an event space for artists like Chance the Rapper to throw a birthday bash.

@PeakDesign | Building Sustainable Products with Peak Design CEO Peter Dering

In this episode of The Darkroom Podcast our host Dane Deaner spoke to Peter Dering, CEO of Peak Design, one of the most renowned photography gear companies in the world. We talk through Peter's early passions as a civil engineer and a hiking trip that led him to build one of the most influential photography products. As an entrepreneur and photographer, Peter has been able to crowdfund over $17 million for Peak Design. Peter explains how he has infused his lifelong interest in green technology into Peak Design by offsetting their Carbon output generated by each product.