Trailer

About the hosts:

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]

What is The Focus Trap?

A show about cameras, creativity, and the weird shit your brains do while you're trying to make something.

Together, we're exploring photography for all levels — asking the silly questions, sharing the expert knowledge, and digging into what it actually takes to grow as a human being and as an artist.

Trailer
===

[00:00:00]

Casey (she/her): What happens when an expert photographer and a total beginner sit down to talk about cameras creativity and the weird shit their brain does while they're trying to make something?

Amy (she/her): You get the focus trap.

Casey (she/her): I'm Casey, a nervous system coach, beginner photographer, and someone who thinks way too hard about how the brain and the body works.

Amy (she/her): And I am Amy. I photograph dogs in action. Those fast, ridiculous real moments that happen whether you're ready or not. I've been doing that for over 25 years, and I'm still obsessed with the split second decisions that make or break a shot.

Casey (she/her): And while she's making those split second decisions, I'm over here having approximately 400 intrusive thoughts and a mild spiral about whether I'm holding the camera correctly.

Amy (she/her): And that's kind of the whole show.

Casey (she/her): Together. We're exploring photography for all levels. I'm asking the silly questions, the ones you're not supposed to ask. Once you've owned a camera for more than six months, Amy's sharing the expert knowledge and we're both digging into what it actually takes to grow as a human being and as an artist,

Amy (she/her): Because those two things are way more connected than people admit. The stuff that blocks you as a photographer, perfectionism comparison, [00:01:00] the fear of being seen as a beginner and actually the fear of being seen in general. That's the same stuff that blocks you everywhere else.

Casey (she/her): So we're going there, the technical side and the human side. What your camera is doing and what your nervous system is doing.

Amy (she/her): We'll get into things like why your shots are always just a hair behind the peak moment. How to read a scene before it happens. So you're already tracking when everyone else is still raising their camera or what to do when you bought the gear and you still hate everything you shoot.

Casey (she/her): And on my end, why creativity feels so hide, stakes, what's actually happening when your body freezes up behind the camera. Why some people can pick up a new hobby and play and others turn it into a performance review within 20 minutes.

Amy (she/her): Whether you're picking up a camera for the first time or you've been shooting for decades, this show is for you. If you've ever felt stuck or weirdly self-conscious about something that was supposed to be fun or like you're the only person who doesn't get it. You're in the right place.

Casey (she/her): New episodes drop weekly. Follow the focus trap wherever you get your podcast so you don't miss the first one.