Clients don’t just ask for photos — sometimes they ask for tax fraud, fake invoices, unpaid labour, and “just one more thing” until the job triples.\n\nIn this episode of The Loud Lens, Khandie reads real, anonymised submissions from photographers who’ve been put in wildly uncomfortable positions by clients — from being asked to take work off the books, to cash “discounts”, to turning up for one shoot and being expected to deliver sixty different images. This isn’t about bashing clients. It’s about why these requests happen, why saying yes is dangerous, and how photographers can set boundaries without tanking their reputation. If you’ve ever agreed to something that made your stomach drop, stayed quiet to avoid conflict or wondered if you were the problem. This episode is for you.🎙️ Expect blunt truth, real examples, and practical scripts you can actually use.

Are you tired of shelling out cash for “business events” that feel more like cult meetings than actual marketing?
In this brutally honest episode of The Loud Lens, Khandie tears into the world of networking breakfasts, empowerment brunches, “boss babe summits,” and overpriced marketing retreats — exposing exactly why so many photographers walk away inspired… but still broke.

You’ll learn:

• How to spot a scammy marketing event before you waste your money
• The psychological tricks organisers use to pressure you into buying
• Red flags that scream “this room is not for you”
• What REAL business events look like (the ones where actual clients hang out)
• How to choose events that actually lead to bookings, partnerships, and growth
• Why so many people running marketing events aren’t running real businesses
• And how photographers keep getting sucked into the hype

This is NOT another fluffy “networking is important” episode.
This is a deep dive into the marketing industry’s weirdest psychology, fakest gurus, and biggest money pits — and a practical guide to choosing events that actually move your photography business forward.

Perfect for:
Photographers who are sick of wasting time, sick of being sold to, and ready to market smarter rather than louder.

Listen now, take notes, and stop funding other people’s delusions of grandeur.

A recent Vanity Fair photoshoot of the Trump administration sparked backlash — not for policy, but for appearance. In this episode of The Loud Lens, photographer and author Khandie Rees digs into the ethics of realism in photography, misogyny disguised as critique, and why audiences are deeply uncomfortable with unfiltered imagery. Is it wrong to show people as they actually appear? Or are we so conditioned by filters, PR imagery, and political branding that reality now feels like an attack? This episode explores portrait ethics, power, consent, editorial intent, and the responsibility of photographers working in political and documentary spaces.

One year.Dozens of rants.Millions of opinions.And somehow The Loud Lens became one of Spotify’s top-shared and most-talked-about shows of 2025.
In this anniversary special, I break down what actually happened this year: the wins, the setbacks, the trolls, the breakthroughs — and why I’m only just getting started.

Photographers! the 2025 UK Budget is about to f*ck with your profits. Hard. If you drive to shoots, run a studio, rely on freelance income or price your work like it’s still 2022, you need this episode.

We break down how frozen tax thresholds, rising petrol and travel costs, overhead inflation, business-rates changes, and pension restrictions will hit creative businesses. More importantly: you’ll learn what to do NOW to stop your photography business bleeding money next year.

Blunt, honest, and essential listening for any UK photographer wanting to survive 2026.

This is just my opinion and I urge you to seek advice from qualified professionals, not just some random loud mouth on the internet ok!?

Gear Acquisition Syndrome — GAS — is ruining photographers.
Not because gear is bad, but because we’re being sold the lie that the next camera, lens, or shiny upgrade will magically fix our work, our confidence, or our careers. Spoiler: it won’t.

In this brutally honest Loud Lens episode, Khandie Rees gets real about the psychology, marketing manipulation, and industry bullshit driving photographers into unnecessary upgrades, debt, and disappointment.

She shares her own journey — from shooting her first magazine front cover on a Nikon D90, to slowly upgrading through a D7000, a D750, and now mirrorless — all without falling for hype or ego traps.

• You’ll learn:
  🔥 Why clients don’t give a single hoot what camera you use🔥 How to tell when you’re upgrading out of need vs insecurity🔥 The toxic marketing cycle that keeps photographers feeling “behind”🔥 Why second-hand gear is smart business, not a downgrade🔥 How GAS is actually a confidence issue, not a gear issue🔥 The questions you must ask before dropping cash on new kit🔥 Why skills will always beat specs — always

If you’ve ever said “I’ll be able to deliver better work once I upgrade”…
This is the episode you need.
And it might just save you a LOT of money.

Got your own GAS horror story or your proudest old-camera achievement?

Struggling with bookings? This episode dives into how photographers can use December to boost visibility, prep their marketing, refresh their portfolio, and build strong client pipelines for January. Practical, blunt, and packed with actionable steps.

Everyone’s banging on about “elevating the client experience,” but let’s be honest — most of you don’t actually know what that means. It’s not props, coffee bars, or buzzwords. It’s clarity, communication, and giving a damn from first message to final gallery. In this episode, Khandie rips the fluff off the phrase and breaks down how to actually give your clients a professional experience worth paying for.

#marketing #photography #photobusiness