In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey close out season one by pulling together a thread that's been running underneath almost every episode: imposter syndrome. It's the gap between what you can actually do and what you believe you can do, and it shows up in things as loud as "I don't belong here" and as quiet as editing the same photo for the fifth time before you'll let anyone else see it.

They also talk about:

• Why "I have imposter syndrome" should start the conversation, not end it
• The difference between needing more experience and dismissing genuine praise
• Photography certifications, authority badges, and what they actually prove
• Why detaching from success can be just as important as detaching from failure
• Recovery time as a better measure of progress than whether the hard feelings show up

Along the way, there are conversations about the Paul Hollywood handshake, a vintage Jungle Book lunchbox full of handwritten thank-you notes, the surprising motivational power of mediocre Facebook reels, and hate-shopping in gift shops for badly focused wildlife prints as proof that your brain isn't always telling you the truth.

Season one wraps up here. Season two shifts from the traps photographers fall into toward what deserves their focus instead: intentionality, joy, and maybe even a few guest voices that Amy and Casey are excited to bring into the conversation.

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Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.

Email us at thefocustrap@gmail.com

📸 Find Amy and learn more about her photography coaching: www.greatdanephotoadventures.com

🧠 Find Casey and learn more about what she's up to: www.caseyjourdan.com

And follow The Focus Trap @thefocustrap on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (03:23) - What Imposter Syndrome Actually Is
• (07:26) - The Credential Chase
• (21:44) - Action Before Thought
• (32:49) - Predefining Success
• (41:41) - Retraining Takes Years, Not Days
• (44:26) - Casey's Proof Stories
• (47:31) - Amy's Proof Stories

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey dive into the world of photography hot takes. What starts as a list of opinions quickly turns into something bigger: how photography culture keeps turning personal preferences into hard rules.

They also talk about:

• Why back-button focus won't fix your photography
• Whether editing is "cheating"
• Why beginners should stop trying to learn from everybody everywhere all at once
• Why you don't have to monetize your photography and why you definitely shouldn't rush into it
• When refusing to answer a question is gatekeeping and when it's just a boundary
• Why your ISO is probably too low

Along the way, Amy discovers her thumb and forefinger are apparently wired together, there's an extremely unnecessary Threads argument over whether RAW is a file type, Casey explains why weightlifting made her appreciate technical photography, and they imagine what it would be like to photograph a portrait with a 600mm lens. 

Got your own hot take? Want to tell Amy she’s wrong about something? The email is below so you can tell us about it. 

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Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.

Email us at thefocustrap@gmail.com

📸 Find Amy and learn more about her photography coaching: www.greatdanephotoadventures.com

🧠 Find Casey and learn more about what she's up to: www.caseyjourdan.com

And follow The Focus Trap @thefocustrap on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (01:50) - Back Button Focus Isn't Magic
• (12:09) - Is Editing Cheating?
• (15:43) - Technique vs. Artistry
• (20:07) - Stop Learning From Everybody
• (24:51) - Bokeh, Blur, and Pop
• (33:58) - The Pressure to Find Your Style
• (43:09) - Monetizing Too Soon
• (54:35) - Gatekeeping in Photography
• (59:02) - 80,000 ISO and I Sleep Fine

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about overthinking: what it actually is, how it shows up in photography and everyday life, and why simply calling yourself “an overthinker” can sometimes become part of the problem. They explore the difference between thoughtful decision-making and getting trapped in loops that keep you from taking action.

They also talk about:

• Using evidence instead of anxiety to make decisions
• Why beginners often try to skip steps in the learning process
• Why action creates information that thinking can't
• How nervous systems lag behind conscious understanding
• Closing loops and knowing when you're done

Along the way, there are conversations about 1980s TV theme songs, crying at airport gate agents, stuffed animals as stand-in models, and why sometimes the answer is simply to go take the photo and see what happens.

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (04:40) - The Part Where Casey Overthinks Live on Air
• (10:52) - Boy Scout Brain vs. MacGyver Brain
• (16:23) - What the Data Actually Says
• (21:52) - Less Thinking, More Action
• (46:15) - You're Not an Overthinker, You're Overthinking
• (59:42) - Closing the Loop

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey start with a question a lot of photographers have wrestled with: when you're traveling with family or friends, do you bring the camera? What starts as a conversation about vacations, bird photography, and logistics quickly turns into a bigger discussion about relationships, expectations, and the stories we tell ourselves about what we're allowed to want.

They also talk about:

• Why photographers and non-photographers often mean very different things when they say "just take a picture"
• Building photography time into a trip without turning the whole trip into a photography trip
• Solo photography outings as a practical solution, not a selfish one
• How avoiding discomfort can sometimes look a lot like "being considerate"

Along the way, there are conversations about swallows versus sparrows, a husband who quietly solved a bird-photography problem, a hike that didn't make it past the first waterfall, and a trip to a local lake that produced no photographs but was totally worth it anyway.

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (13:51) - Have the Conversation
• (24:51) - Permission vs. Having a Plan
• (32:40) - Why "Being Considerate" Gets Complicated
• (37:02) - Where This Is All Going

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about perfectionism in photography, why so many photos never leave the hard drive, and what’s actually happening when photographers hesitate to share their work. They explore the difference between wanting to improve and getting trapped in endless editing loops disguised as “high standards.”

They also talk about:

• Why “good enough” is such a slippery standard
• Why bird photography is apparently chaos
• Why the experience of being there can matter more than taking the photo
• Why YouTube tutorials can only take photographers so far
• The weird social ritual of apologizing before showing your photos

Along the way, there are conversations about hummingbirds, fuzzy snow pants, workshop frustration, and the realization that “I’m a perfectionist” might be less of a personality trait and more of a very socially acceptable hiding place.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (05:54) - “Good Enough” is a Moving Target
• (11:17) - Waiting for the Perfect Shot
• (14:53) - Inspiration vs. Self-Judgment
• (26:04) - The Socially Acceptable Hiding Place
• (33:55) - Curiosity Instead of Perfectionism

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about editing. Not the fun, creative side of editing, but the kind that happens because something went wrong in the field and now you’re trying to rescue it later on the computer.

They also talk about:

• How relying too heavily on editing can sabotage learning
• The relationship between fieldcraft, flow state, and creativity
• Why repeated editing problems usually point to field problems
• The mental load of photography and how to simplify it
• How fixing mistakes can consume creative energy

Along the way, there are conversations about black dogs, AI editing tools, crooked horizons, agility trials, kayak bird photography, and the realization that your body mechanics might be the reason all your photos are crooked.

• (00:00) - Welcome
• (04:38) - Editing to Fix vs Editing for Creativity
• (12:24) - Why Amy Wants It Right in Camera
• (17:54) - Fieldcraft, Flow State, and What Cameras Are Actually Good At
• (38:08) - The Difference Between Planning and Playing
• (46:06) - When Fixing Photos Starts Killing Creativity

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about creativity, natural talent, and why so many people decide they “aren’t artistic” long before they’ve actually given themselves enough reps to learn.

They also talk about:

• The hidden value of “boring” practice subjects
• Why beginners usually don’t take enough photos
• The difference between anecdotal data and real patterns
• Why photographers need rest as much as reps
• Teleconverters and whether more reach is worth the trade-offs

Along the way, there are conversations about theater lighting design, weightlifting, Michael Phelps, house finches, disposable cameras, potato days, angry woodworking, Baby Beethoven, and why “go take more fucking pictures” might genuinely be the best photography advice most beginners never hear.

00:00 Are Some People Just Naturally Creative?

13:59 Reps, Pattern Recognition, and Learning Photography

20:57 Nobody Shows the Throwaway Photos

30:17 Potato Days, Burnout, and Intentional Rest

42:40 The Gear Question: Teleconverters and Trade-Offs

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📸 Find Amy and learn more about her photography coaching: www.greatdanephotoadventures.com

🧠 Find Casey and learn more about what she's up to: www.caseyjourdan.com

And follow The Focus Trap @thefocustrap on Instagram and TikTok

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about where they came from, how they each ended up teaching in completely different fields, and how a conversation about email somehow turned into a photography podcast.

Amy shares how she went from math and physics teacher to photographing dog sports professionally, building a custom system to sort thousands of dog photos, and accidentally creating a business around solving problems nobody else was paying attention to yet.

Casey talks about being wounded in Iraq at 19, navigating life with PTSD and a brain injury, and eventually building a coaching practice around helping other people untangle the same kinds of overwhelm and identity shifts she had to figure out herself.

They also talk about:

• The overlap between creativity and nervous system regulation
• ADHD, late diagnosis, and identity shifts
• Problem solving as a shared language
• Why both of them became teachers
• The origin of the name “The Focus Trap”

Along the way, there are stories about floppy disk cameras, dog shows, CrossFit coaching, TikTok algorithms, bird photography workshops, and the realization that maybe the email was never actually about the email.

00:00 Welcome

00:37 How Did This Partnership Even Happen?

08:04 Film Cameras, Dog Shows, and Building a Photography Business

22:48 It Was Never About the Email

25:22 PTSD, ADHD, and Learning Yourself the Hard Way

44:35 Photography, Nervous Systems, and Learning to Be Curious

51:17 Why the Show Exists

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📸 Find Amy and learn more about her photography coaching: www.greatdanephotoadventures.com

🧠 Find Casey and learn more about what she's up to: www.caseyjourdan.com

And follow The Focus Trap @thefocustrap on Instagram and TikTok

In this episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about gear. Why photographers get obsessed with it, when it actually matters, and when it’s just a very expensive attempt to quiet your nervous system.

Amy explains why she chooses gear based on photographing fast dogs in terrible light, why megapixels are wildly overhyped, and why she cares more about ISO than almost any other camera spec. Casey talks about recently upgrading from a 20-year-old DSLR to a mirrorless camera, the dopamine hit of shiny new gear, and realizing that some problems are solved by equipment while others are still just fundamentals.

They also talk about:

• Why “does gear matter?” is the wrong question
• How to tell whether your issue is skill, technique, or equipment
• Why patterns matter more than one bad photo
• Why better gear won’t magically replace practice

Along the way, there are conversations about horse arenas with terrible lighting, disposable cameras, heat haze, Amazon wishlists, and why “just buy a new camera” is usually not the full answer.

00:00 Welcome
02:47 When Gear Actually Matters
05:00 Gear Acquisition Syndrome (aka G.A.S.)
07:11 What Specs Actually Matter?
15:41 How Do You Know It’s Time to Upgrade?
27:04 Stop Chasing Gear, Go Chase the Shot

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📸 Find Amy and learn more about her photography coaching: www.greatdanephotoadventures.com

🧠 Find Casey and learn more about what she's up to: www.caseyjourdan.com

And follow The Focus Trap @thefocustrap on Instagram and TikTok

In this first episode of The Focus Trap, Amy and Casey talk about the pressure to “get it right,” why that question tends to shut down curiosity instead of helping people learn, and why Amy starts photo critiques with a different question entirely. 

They also talk about:

• Why “right vs wrong” is usually the least helpful way to evaluate a photo
• The difference between a successful image and a technically perfect one
• Why audience and context matter more than universal rules
• The emotional experience of learning something new as an adult
• The overlap between photography, self-trust, and curiosity

Along the way, there are stories about vultures, hunting, Great Danes, blurry dog photos, adrenaline spikes, photo contests, and the deeply important question:

“But did you die?”

If you’ve ever picked up a camera and immediately worried about whether you were doing it correctly, this episode is for you.

00:00 Welcome to The Focus Trap

05:19 Why ‘Right or Wrong’ Shuts Down Creativity

07:23 So who’s the boss?

21:14 Vultures, Bad Photos, and Nervous Systems

36:13 Ask Better Questions

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📸 Find Amy and learn more about her photography coaching: www.greatdanephotoadventures.com
🧠 Find Casey and learn more about what she's up to: www.caseyjourdan.com
And follow The Focus Trap @thefocustrap on Instagram and TikTok

Amy Johnson is a professional dog sports photographer and the founder of Great Dane Photo Adventures (GDPA), where she teaches photographers at all levels. She has been the official photographer for events including the AKC National Agility Championship and is known for teaching photographers to make better decisions—not follow better rules. [Click here to see more of Amy's work]

Casey Jourdan is a former nervous system coach, beginner photographer, and someone who thinks deeply about how the brain and nervous system function during learning and creativity. [See more about Casey]