In this episode of The Portrait System Podcast, host Nikki Closser speaks with photographer and instructor Chris Orwig about why it is so important for photographers to align their professional goals with their passion and areas of interest. 

Chris Orwig is a Santa Barbara, CA-based photographer who has published five books and has been featured in Rolling Stone, Esquire, and more. He’s also a teacher and mentor who has helped many photographers develop their portfolios and launch their careers. Orwig feels that a long-lasting, fulfilling photography career depends on exploring the nexus where interest and passion meet market needs.  

“For me, photography is all about savoring life. It’s intrinsically connected to life and life force and growth and energy and change,” he says.

To build your photography career, he encourages you to, “Look at your world as if you were a stranger, and just say, well, what do you have access to that other people don’t?”  

Case in point: Orwig loves surfing. He launched his career photographing heroes and legends in the surfing world, and there is a market need for these images in magazines. Many photographs share this broad appeal, others fit into regional or local publications, and some hold value to individual clients. When developing a portfolio, in addition to focusing on who one has access to now, photographers should also hold the intention of what place their work will hold in the world. When photographers align with their passion and care deeply about their subject matter, that personal investment helps them grow their craft exponentially and sustain the energy needed to create and sell it.  

The Portrait System Podcast helps portrait photographers navigate the world of photography, business, money, and much more. Hosted by Nikki Closser, the podcast is powered by The Portrait System, a comprehensive, online educational platform that teaches all aspects of running a successful portrait photography studio. 

Available now in The Portrait System store are the following courses by Chris Orwig:
Lightroom 101 by Chris Orwig, $99
Photoshop 101 by Chris Orwig, $99
The Chris Orwig Bundle, $149

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